Were were riding our bikes yesterday afternoon and saw this tree. If you come by this tree you will look up. It’s because of all the noise coming from there. It’s full of parrots, and they have a lot to say! All those spots silhouetted against the sky are green parrots. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many together in one place, or heard such a racket coming from a tree.
Yesterday we visited Boca Chica, another area on the water. We had heard it’s beautiful so we wanted to check it out, especially since it is in our general area, not more than an hour away from David. (click on any of the pictures to see them larger, and to click through the galleries)
We passed a lot of teak forests along the way.
We also passed quite a few very interesting homes! These living conditions were very, very basic. Some homes were made of split bamboo, and others looked like they were made from scraps of lumber.
We drove to the end of the road on the right where we saw the Panama Sport Fishing Lodge. There is some really good fishing in the area, and this is a place that will fix you up with a fishing excursion complete with food, lodging, and transportation from Panama City. When we were there it was very quiet. We were approached by one of a couple guys resting under a tree who offered us the services of his water taxi. This time we just wanted to get a taste of the area, but I think that sometime soon we will want to get out on the water and visit some of the islands.
On the way back from the Sport Fishing Lodge, we saw the Seagullcove Lodge and decided to stop for lunch. What a beautiful spot! It was also very quiet and since it was a bit after lunch hour, we had the dining room to ourselves. The view was amazing, and the lunch was excellent.
After lunch we headed back to the fork in the road and then to the left, to Playa Hermosa.
Actually you can drive down the road all the way to the beach, but it was steep and muddy looking so we thought it would be more sensible to park a ways up and walk down. We saw a truck emerge from the vegetation farther down the beach, drive up the beach and then up the road. There is a big house back in there so maybe this is how they get to and from their house. As we left we also saw a taxi parked up near our car, and the driver and his friend had come down to the beach to relax in hammocks under a tree. What a pleasant way to spend a bit of time between jobs.
So, I would say it was a day well spent. We discovered another lovely area and I’m sure we will be back. It was so serene and tranquil everywhere we went. The Seagullcove Lodge people told us it’s much busier in season when it’s cold up north, but we are lucky to live here so we can also enjoy these places when they are quiet.
The moon looked so beautiful on this warm clear night that I just had to go out there with my camera.
When I miss someone, we can look at the same moon and in a way, we are closer together. The full moon casts such a beautiful, magical light into the night.
Weekly Photo Challenge: Change Click here to learn more about this photo challenge.
I know I am behind on photo challenges, but I figure better late than never! Last week’s photo challenge was change, and it didn’t take much thinking to figure out what change I wanted to post about.
It has been summer here for months, since December. The rains stopped. The winds picked up. Plants became brown and many trees lost their leaves. The weather became hotter every month until by the end of summer it was well into the 90’s in the afternoons.
My favorite field started to get brown.
Fires became common (photo by Joel)
My favorite field eventually looked like this. (photo by Joel)
But, things have changed! A couple weeks ago it rained a little. Last week we were away, but the neighbors told us it rained some more. Since we returned it has rained every afternoon for the last three days. And, it is cooler! Yesterday it was in the upper 70’s and I was so cold in the hammock I had to find a beach towel for cover. What a change after being acclimated to such hot weather.
Rain cascades off the roof
The rain makes puddles in the yard.
Rain makes the distant trees look partly hidden in the mist.
I enjoyed summer here. I like watching the changes, the new flowers and fruits everywhere, the different birds, the iguanas in the yard. But, I’m glad for this change. I’m ready for things to look lush and green again, to watch things grow in the yard, and to enjoy a bit cooler weather so I can work outside more. The limon trees are also covered with buds now, and I know it’s going to smell absolutely heavenly any day now!
Change is good. It keeps things interesting. The only thing you can really count on is that things change, sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly, but everything eventually changes.
That was a fun trip, and we’re definitely interested in going back again!
The town is interesting, unlike anything else I’ve seen in Panama. There is a strong Caribbean influence, and a ton of tourists. It reminds me of Key West, Florida a lot but it’s even funkier, more “anything goes” atmosphere. The locals live in much more basic conditions. I heard more English than I’ve ever heard in Panama, and Spanish, Italian, German, and a variety of other languages. I’m used to mostly brown people, but in Bocas there are dark black to pale white people, and everything in between. It is known as a party town and though we heard about goings on into the night, we didn’t hear them ourselves thanks to a quiet hotel.
Buena Vista Grill, close to our hotel. We had a fabulous meal there at a reasonable price. We also ate at Gringo’s a block from the city park (look for a sign that says – Mexican Food) This was also excellent.
The area in general, the beaches, water, islands etc was spectacular! The water is warm, very clear, and beautiful. The snorkeling and coral was the most beautiful I’ve ever seen, and I absolutely love the beaches. The ones we visited were on the edge of beautiful forests and that feels nice, rather than the wide expanses of sand with the sun beating down on you that I remember in Florida.
We were told not to drink the water so we were careful. I didn’t think when I ordered a smoothie from a street vendor that this might be a bad idea (as well as overpriced!) I think this is the most likely culprit for my thankfully fairly minor and short lived problems. So, if you visit be careful of all water, including ice. My husband, who didn’t get a smoothie, had no problems.
As for packing and what we brought, or wished we had brought – Sunscreen!! Even with frequent liberal applications and cloudy days, I got a bit pink.
Umbrella – it rains quite a bit in the area, and you might get caught wishing you had one.
Plastic bags – I was thankful I brought plenty of zip lock bags for wallets, cell phones, cameras, etc. because we got soaked going out in the boat in the rain.
Beach shoes, or flip flops, or something you can wear in the water as well as on land, get wet, get sandy, etc without worry.
Clothes – enough that when yours get soaked you have a couple sets of dry clothes. Casual is good. Many people were in town with beach wraps over bathing suits, or shorts and casual shirts.
Beach towels – I would bring a couple per person if you have room, so when one is soaked you have a dry one standing by.
Sweater or light blanket for travel if you are taking the bus. When they turn on the AC it can be a bit cool, especially if you are acclimated to hot weather and no AC like we are.
There are container ships that come into Almirante. We spotted this one on our way back in the water taxi.
I’m not sure what this is (seen from the water taxi coming in to Almirante) It looks like an old rusty ship.
So, what did this excursion cost us? $439.07
Hotel – $181.50
Bus – $33.80 (round trip from David, 2 people)
Taxi – $4 (from bus to water taxi, both ways, 2 people)
Water taxis – $28 (to and from Almirante, and a couple island hops)
Boat excursion – $50 (dolphin bay, snorkeling, beach, out most of the day for 2 people)
Restaurants – $124.35
Snacks – $21.42 (fruit, soda, water, cookies, rum)
There is a lot to be said for a hostel with a community kitchen if you are trying to cut costs. Hostels are cheaper and avoiding restaurants saves money. But, for us, we are happy with the trip. We almost never eat out at home so having someone else cook for us was nice, and I think a quiet hotel was well worth a little more money.
The bus back to David was crowded, sometimes standing room only! You can see here that one person was evening sitting backwards on the engine next to the driver. The bus had to pass some people flagging it down because there was no room.
So, I think now I’m finished with all the news on our trip to Bocas del Toro. It’s time to come up with another adventure! We already have one in mind for this week 🙂
We stayed at this hotel, Hotelito Del Mar, and it worked out very well. At first I thought of staying in a hostel, but Bocas is known as a party town. I made arrangements through Habla Ya, my Spanish school, and they advised that we might be happier in a hotel where we wouldn’t have to worry about other people having fun well into the night.
They were right. We heard about some noise the next day, but we didn’t hear a bit of it ourselves. The hotel is built with solid walls and sturdy windows, and it was very quiet and we slept well. Our bed was comfortable. We had no trouble with electricity, water, or internet, and there was an air conditioner. We appreciated a breakfast every morning of really good coffee, fresh fruit, muffins, and juice. I also loved the murals! The owner said they were painted by one of the same artists who paints the Diablo Rojos, the colorful buses in Panama City.
The town isn’t that big so it’s easy to get everywhere, but the hotel is centrally located close to the water, the city park, and many shops and restaurants. It was nice to go just a half block away to get a water taxi (Taxi 25) especially when carrying luggage.
We were lucky because Sally, the owner, was there every day and she is a wealth of information about the town, the area, the culture, what to do, where to eat, and anything else you might want to know. She is from the US so there is no language problem, but she has been in Bocas long enough to know all sorts of interesting things.
And, if you ever dream of having a business in Bocas, the hotel is for sale! The owner is planning for retirement back in the US. She says the hotel has an excellent reputation (including a TripAdvisor award) so the new owner will have a well established and reliable business. She is also selling a nice home in the Changuinola area with a good amount of land, and an island in Dolphin Bay. Wouldn’t that be something, to own your own island! If you are seriously considering any of these, click on the link at the beginning of this post and you will find her contact information on the hotel website.
Of course whatever I talk about usually comes with pictures, and this is no exception.
I took a few videos, and now that they are uploaded I figured I’d post them here.
This is a four minute video of some things we saw on Carenero Island, the beauty of the area, some of the little crabs that were everywhere, and some kids playing in the surf.
We stopped for lunch in town across from the park, and it was fun watching the activity in town.
Heading home in the water taxi. Those drivers get you there PDQ!
So, little by little I’m getting settled back home and getting caught up on things.
We’ve made it back to David after a wonderful few days in Bocas del Torro. There are more stories and photos to come after we get settled. Right now though, I just want to check in so family and friends know all is well here.
We’ve been in Bocas del Toro enjoying the town and a few of the many things that there are to do. We left on a tour around 10am that brought us back at 5pm. Kris has more details on her blog ThePanamaAdventure.
I thought I would just post some photos of the day, which started out rainy and cool as seen in the photos and ended up clear and warm. I’ve included 2 videos, hope you like them. And yes, the camera is stuck in 2009 and refuses to leave.
t
Sorry, I know that the video quality is poor, but the good camera wasn’t coming on a boat trip on a rainy day!
Later,
j
Today was our second full day in Bocas Del Toro, and we had booked a boating excursion. We woke up to rain, alternating between sprinkling and a downpour, but by the time we left it was not much more than a sprinkle. I was happy to see that the trip was still on, especially since we’d stayed an extra day so we could do more things.
There were 10 people on our tour. By the time we headed out towards open water it was raining again, and pouring! We were pelted with rain which stung with the speed of the boat, and it wasn’t long before everyone was soaked and everything we had with us was soaked. I was glad I had put wallets, phones, cameras, etc in plastic bags.
Our first stop was dolphin bay and it lived up to its name. We saw quite a few dolphins and it was especially fun when a couple of them followed the boat, jumping in and out of the wake. I had brought a couple old cameras that I could lose without crying, but I still couldn’t bring myself to get mine out of their plastic bags in all that rain. But, Joel got a number of photos so I’ll send them along here when he gets them up.
Next we stopped on an island where there was a restaurant which looked like hardly more than a shack with a deck, and ordered lunch. The plan was they would cook while we snorkeled and anyone who didn’t want to snorkel could hang out there.
The snorkel spot turned out to be close by, within sight of the restaurant but as soon as I put my face in the water I forgot about everything else! I’ve been snorkeling in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas, but I’ve never seen anything like this. The colors were so vivid, red, purple, green, blue, pink, very bright intense colors of coral, and fish, many fish. There were also a variety starfish with long woolly looking legs on everything, and anemones. I really wish I had an underwater camera. Next time for sure! It was really amazing. It was also nice to be in the warm water after being chilled in the rain.
After snorkeling we went back for lunch which turned out to be excellent! grilled chicken, salad, rice, and the best patacones I’ve ever had. Then it was on to Red Frog Beach on Isla Bastimentos (which is mostly a national park). We were dropped off on one side of the island and had to walk to the beach on the other side though amazing huge heliconias and other spectacular plants. The beach was also beautiful as you can see from the photos. The area is named for the little red frogs that live there, but we didn’t see any of them.
So, that was our day. It was great, and we really enjoyed getting to know our fellow travelers on the boat. When we got back to the hotel, we were also very happy for a warm shower and dry clothes. Later we had a fantastic dinner but that will be another post.
The Panama Adventure 
