Bocas del Toro: another paradise
Day 320 Wed 20/7 – Day 322 Fri 22/7
Left Boquete around 10:00 am and arrived in David at 10:30 and hopped on a bus to Almirante at 10:40. The ride to Almirante lsted about 4 hours and then it was time to hop on a boat to Isla Colon! The folks are friendly on the island and I was directed to Spanish by the sea, which in addition to offering dorms, also functioned as a spanish school for tourists. The school/ hostel is owned by a Dutch lady whom I never saw. The hostel was run by a lovely French lady, whose dad is Brasilian. I dont think I ever saw Nathalie without a smile on her face. She was full of helpful hints. Watched the sunset bestow some lovely colours to the skies before heading out to dinner and a restful evening. The hostel was very quiet and I was glad, since the island does have a reputation for attracting folks who revel in carousing.
The weather pattern in Bocas is quite the reverse of what I had been getting used to in Panama. The rain was relentless in the mornings, but the afternoons were clear.
Thursday, I rented a bicycle and made it out to Bluff beach, about 8 kms out of town. The beach was nothing special, but the bike ride was enjoyable.
Friday: after waiting a while for the rainfall to subside, lost my patience and headed to the piers to enquire about possible tours. Nathalie had recommended a trip to Zapatillas 2. Managed to get a trip out in a lancha for a decent price of USD 25, which included the entrance fee to the island. The lanch owner was garrulous and the 1 hour ride passed by fairly quickly. The ride itself was rough, with some rough waves. The water levels had risen due to the rains. Z2 was an island paradise and there were only a couple of tourists on the island. I walked though a tropical jungle (where I managed to provide significant nourishment to the innumerous mosquitoes) and spent 2-3 hours swimming and snorkelling. I managed to see 3-4 starfishes and some fish that were foreign to me (well, I probably wouldnt be able to recognise most species of fish, anyway!). The rain had subsided well before we made it to the island and it was an extremely pleasant day. Dinner and early to bed to wrap up my time in Panama.
Tags: Travel
Damu