We finally made it out of Costa Rica, the rainy season is definately here and we are on the island of Bocas Del Toro which is on the Carribean just past the border with Costa Rica.......since Tilaran we have been to San Jose twice, Steves Toucan hotel in Uvita which is on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, loads of long bus rides through amazing countryside, mountains and banana plantations which go on for miles and miles, then we went to the carribean again and stayed at Rockin Js hammock hotel in Puerto Viejo, rented bikes, saw monkeys swinging by their tails, thunderstorms, frogs and loads of crabs everywhere....its all reggae and dreadlocks round Puerto Viejo so we got our regular doses of Bob Marley who refuses to go away and Rice and beans/peas....then we left on another long bus to the border with Panama....the border is a really old rickety bridge where there are big holes between the wood down to the river 20 feet below, there is a little walkway next to the plank road and the huge banana trucks so you have to watch out, aswell there are loads of touts trying to get you into taxis and telling you this and that to "help" you on your way and get a little of your cash for their troubles....they are persistent and their lies are beleivable after so much badgering.....a man with one leg follows us from Costa Rica to Panama across the bridge with all the holes in.....dodging the big trucks and talking about taxis and boats and good deals...we eventually get our passports stamped and get in a van with an Israeli family and Ed from England and head the 20km to the water taxi place to get to the island of Bocas Del Toro, speedy boat ride later and we are on the main street of Bocas....hounded again by touts this time for hotels and boat trips we hide in a bar and get a few 50c beers....find a hotel just round the corner and settle in for a few days stay, boat trip to red frog beach....there are red gfrogs there too, bright red and about 2cm long....amazing....we fly to Panama city tommorrow and then straight to Quito and the South American part of our year....more from Panama city and the canal later, i wonder how it compares to Foxton locks????