Richard Gutierrez
We don’t call him “Super-Richard” for nothing. He’s the interim mayor of Caldera. He drives the local ambulance. He is the star of the local softball team and is generally recognized as the go-to-guy for family and friends. But that’s not all. Not even close. Over the course of the last 10 years, Richard has accompanied John, founder of Boquete Outdoor Adventures, on countless exploratory expeditions all over Panama. An accomplished driver, outdoorsman and guide, a typical “day at the office” for Richard includes driving BOA expedition members to a remote place via a road generally not conducive to vehicles (not even the rugged all-wheel drive types), repairing damage to said vehicle on said road, leaving said road to create a trail by hand with a machete to an unknown destination, and then essentially repeating this process in reverse and depositing expedition members safely back at base camp. And his day doesn’t end there. Then he builds a fire in a downpour, catches some fish with his bare hands (no, really), cleans them, cooks them up and shares them with everyone.
Richard is also a super-hero at home in Caldera, where he lives with his wife, Jenny, and his son, John David (future guide for Boquete Outdoor Adventures–click here for photo gallery of future guides).