La Planta Que No Se Marchita

Day One: Meeting Sugar

Sugar and Erik on their first day of meeting in the streets of Bocas

9th May 2025

When I arrived in Panama, Erik and I found ourselves at a small café called Amaranto. Its name means “unwilting,” a word that echoes the amaranth plant: resilient enough to endure against all odds, while offering grains that nourish all those who receive them. It felt fitting that this was the ground where the next spontaneous encounter would take root.

Erik and I had been speaking about the need to find a local nature guide. And then, as if in answer, he passed us by. There was something immediate in his presence, a rare openness that did not guard itself. I remember noticing his eyes, how they were beaming with childlike wonder. He greeted us warmly and mentioned his professional Instagram account in case we wished to peer into his line of work. Then he casually continued on his path, leaving the current to decide whether our paths would cross again. We immediately looked him up online and discovered that he was a tour guide. At that moment, Erik and I felt again how life arranges its crossings, and this time, the crossing had a name: Sugar. 

When Erik tried to reach out to Sugar, he discovered that he had already received a message from that same account. It was a message written by Sugar’s partner, inviting Erik to collaborate should he ever come to Panama. Later, Erik and I stepped out for a walk and bumped into Sugar again, at this point the merging of our worlds was insisting on itself jejeje. 

From there the path opened naturally, and the video accompanying this article shows how Sugar invited us into his world that day. What began as a simple walk became a spontaneous tour of Bocas Del Toro, where Sugar revealed the layers of his town, its history, its people. He moved as though every street was an extension of his heart, greeting neighbors, supporting their ventures, sharing their stories with pride. There was no sense of competition in him, only a genuine celebration of inclusion and community. Being with Sugar felt like being welcomed into a reality larger than ourselves; a meaningfully curious and explorative world filled with endless adventure, genuine connection and generous hospitality.

To glimpse into our adventure with Sugar out on the field, click here