Bocas del Toro, Panama

PANAMA !!...We finally left rainy Puerto Viejo and headed to the boarder with Panama. Our first adventure was the border crossing itself. With the bus not being able to get us any closer, Doug and I were forced to walk a mile (in the rain that we still hadn´t escaped), over a rusty bridge with dodgy train tracks, uphill both ways ;o).... to get to the other side. This was the first crossing that we truly felt like refugees fleeing from a country to make it to safety. Alright, wasn´t all bad, but it certainly was a great experience.

After an hour shuttle and 30 minute lancha, we arrived in Bocas del Toro, Panama, where it was off to the races.

We had been warned in San Jose that it would be wise to book accommodation beforehand, but of course being ¨Lucky Lydia and Doug¨ where everything always seems to work out for us, (as my sister in law likes to say), we didn´t... and ended up getting the very last private room in the only cheap hostel on the island.

We would like to thank our good friend Heike for being our guide on this one. We saw her name (Hostel Heike) in the Lonely planet and thought we should definitely head there first. While the other 5 or so couples on our boat were distracted and bombarded by locals trying to coerce them into staying in expensive accommodation, we quickly walked by and B-lined it to Heike´s in the hopes of getting a room. Sadly, they were full...however the owner of their sister hostel Mondo Taitu just happened to be there at the time, and told us that if we hurried we could possibly secure their very last room that had just come available. Without another word...(even a thanks, oops) we turned and ran out the door. Within seconds we assessed the street and saw that three of the other couples were briskly following their guides in the direction of our hostel. With the inside info of only one room available, I am embarrassed to say that Doug and I kicked up our heals and RAN down the street, making it only steps ahead of the competition. I felt more than a little sheepish as the girl showed us into our newly acquired accommodation to the chagrin of the six others who walked in straight after us.

The hostel although very affordable was also a bit of a party spot, and as we checked in we were told that they were hosting a costume party that night and we needed to dress as a superhero, villain, or emotion (fun but a challenge for two backpackers such as ourselves, Thankfully they did have a tickle trunk for us to invade, and we managed to find a pair of angel wings, a toy gun, silk yellow shorts, a crazy curly wig, and a head band. The result? One charlie´s angel and one John McEnroe....not too shabby for last minute costumes.

The party itself was fun with many tourists from all over the world. One of the funniest people we met was a guy named Jeremy from the States that had signed up for the ongoing hostel challenge of drinking 100 beers during their stay. A brilliant marketing ploy if you ask me, as the hostel is guaranteed the sale of 100 beers, and all they have to do is post a picture of the person on the ¨talent¨ wall. You had as many days as you needed to complete this task, however Jeremy was determined to do it in the shortest amount of time...3 days. The top three or four on the board were all Canadians, followed by an Australian or two....but not one American had made the cut so far. Sadly, (although selfishly- as a Canadian) still no Americans grace the wall, as Doug and I did not see Jeremy again after that night. I guess the 20 or so he had already consumed were enough to quench his thirst for fame.

Bocas del Torro was a great little town with lots to offer as far as great food, shops, scuba diving etc. We decided to go on an a day diving tour which consisted of a visit to Dolphin bay (where we were wrapped to see, as promised - dozens of dolphins swimming arms length from the boat), two dives, and a nature walk to an isolated and beautiful beach nearby. Regardless of the drizzle, we had a wonderful time and met some great people along the way.

Here are some photos of our time in Bocas del Torro...


If you can´t see the above gallery, check out the link here - BocasDelTorro