Casa Rosada Bocas del Toro

... groups all having paid for a different tours. So nobody got what they had paid for. 1 group had paid to go to an island to take a 3 hours hike. We had no interest in going to that island and for sure wouldn;t hike 3 hours in our flip-flops. What do you know, we wasted a half day going there and the people in the end didn;t even hike because some local people there wanted to extract 7 more dollars from them, which was ...

... and just relax. But hindsight is always 20/20 right? We appreciated seeing the island because it truly is beautiful- lush jungle dotted with farmland and fragrant fruit trees. Despite the impending rain, we picked the perfect day to tackle the ride- it was humid but overcast and the breeze we caught going downhill was priceless! And the beach, Playa del Drago, wasnīt too shabby either. Clear, warm water and virtually empty except for ...

... the canal, they have a museum about how it was built etc so that was quite good.

We arrived in the main town and got in a water taxi to Isla Basimentos where our accom is. It was such a relief to get there - it was exactly what we were after - an island paradise!! If you ever get to this part of the world you HAVE to come here - think tropical island paradise and thatīs where we are. We pretty much have the place to ourselves (our room is up ...

... 2 taxi ride from the bus stop to the port reverting to walking instead. I can manage about 15mins with my backpack. Honestly the things we do to save a few quid.

Anyway, lovely boat trip out to the bay. We find an excellent cheap hotel, eat chinese for dinner and then are both promptly sick for the next 4 days. This is after spending a miserable day at the other end of the island being bitten by ferocious sandflies, finding invisible white ...

... to Casa Fiesta about 8:15 p.m., I was again very glad to be a part of such a beautiful day. I have managed to only get about 5 mosquito bites which is amazing. I wonder through the grass with no shoes on, I am a prime target but luckily, it hasn't been bad. A very large toad (6-7 inches in diameter) is hopping around the bushes under the lights, looking for dinner. A nice way to end the day, nature everywhere and being a part of it.

... the motor. But the rest of the day is shot. We can't risk being out in the ocean and not being able to start the motor. So back to Isla Colon we go. In order to take the most direct route home, we take a shortcut through mangrove forests of Bastimentos National Marine Park. The mangroves have a certain peacefulness to them. Number one, nobody else is there. Every now and again ...

Hello! Apologies for the delay in this next entry to the blog. The reason for this? There is little need (and few resources) for the internet in paradise. So, where was I in the last entry? Apparently I had just arrived in Cahuita on the Caribbean coast of CR... Wow, a lot has happened since then but here we go... Coincidentally, I bumped into the Swiss girls that I had met in Montezuma at the same hostel in Cahuita. I promise Iīm not stalking them! We spent one day walking ...

... drivea taaplatessa naimme lukuisia baareja joissa oli petkuttamatta noin litran kokoiset drinkkilasit. ja siitahan riemu repesi, pakko saada sellainen. tietenkin more is merrier-hengessa valitsimme paikan jossa oli kaksi yhden hinnalla onnellinen tunti ja sehan tietty menee niin etta pittee itte juoda ne kummatkin. no hoh, kaksi drinkkia per naama. ihan kaken palainen. siinapa sitten hetken paasta taistelimme bahama mamojen kanssa joissa taisi olla jopa enemman ilolienta ...

Panama is very similar to its famous neighbor, Costa Rica. (click "Show all thumbnails" above to see the fotos) Incredibly pretty nature - awesome tripical islands and pretty mountains/volcanoes. Lackluster culture - a rich history overwhelmed by westernization due to unbridled tourism. My good buddy from Peace Corps (Tim Jones) & I spent 2 weeks visiting Panama City, Penonome ...

... but there was also a lot of the Caribbean Rastafarian good-naturedness. And the money is easy - U.S. dollars, although they make their own coins wof the same size and color as the U.S. but with different impressions (the quarter, for example, has the national coat of arms on one side and a picture of the explorer Vasco Nunez Balboa on the other) which is a bit jarring at first. The first night (Wednesday) I had an excellent seafood ...