January 17, 2009

Throughout the past few days, we have explored Bocas del Toro on Isla Colon. This area of Panama is comprised of several islands near the Costa Rica border. Our first day was concentrated solely on leisure. Then, Leighton and I decided to take out a Catamaran into the bay for a sail/snorkel adventure. Our captain Chris, a Dutch gentleman who bought his first sail boat without a single ounce of sailing experience, navigated this ship towards the most beautiful coral reefs that I have ever seen. Most tourists take motor boats to common reefs that are used by all tour operators. Chris said that it was odd because Panamanians see him out there with his boat, but refuse to ever go check out the other reefs. Needless to say, we enjoyed staying away from the more crowded areas, and swam freely among the most exquisite coral and fish. The coral was so brilliant, comprised of every shape and color, from iridescent purple to pearl green. It was like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. Plenty of sea urchins, starfish, and barracudas were also present. Supposedly stingrays also roamed the waters, but we did not observe and of these creatures. I highly recommend taking this tour if you ever make it to Bocas del Toro—just be sure you take the Catamaran run by Marcel (the owner).

On our third day here, we decided to take a bike ride to the other side of the island, Bocas del Drago. The road consists of asphalt, sand, and mud. And the bicycle rental selection is very limited, therefore Leighton ended up on a bike that had the brake on constantly and I ended up on a bike with handlebars like thorns. Needless to say, we made it to the other side and were delighted to see hundreds of starfish in the calm waters of Bocas del Drago. Even without snorkel gear, the water is clear enough to see a couple meters and observe the wonders of “estrellas” (starfish).

Other than that, we have thoroughly been enjoying the tastes of Bocas del Toro. This town has the most unique and exquisite food selection of anywhere I have been. From mashed plantains that are then shaped into mini bowls and cooked and filled with crab stuffing, to baked apple with brie and polish sausage, to fresh ahi tuna with a bit of sour cream and cilantro on a fried wonton, this town has it all. We have also had the pleasure of attending a private Spanish class with Yorlenis, a young woman who worked at our Hostel (Hostel Heike). She has been teaching us for about two hours each day for the past few days. These classes are definitely a positive addition to our current status in Latin American countries. Tomorrow we are headed to Boquete, Panama to continue Spanish lessons at Spanish by the River, in a more mountainous setting.

One last note, if you ever stay at Hostel Heike watch out for the loud morons throughout the night. It’s crazy, people come in every hour of the night—2 am, 3 am, 4 am, 5 am, etc. turn the lights on, and begin talking loudly. It’s like they were never taught manners about what to do when other people are trying to sleep. Leighton and I were both very perturbed by being woken up numerous times and getting only about one hour of sleep. He thankfully let them know his opinion during the night. These guys staying in our room were so drunk and throwing up, bringing girls home (who does that to a hostel? Yeah, it’s soooo hot to bring chicks back to a room with people sleeping all over, not), and being generally disrespectful. Therefore, Leighton and I have decided that it’s not worth saving a few bucks for tonight and have moved into a hotel where we spent the entire morning laughing. I mean hysterically laughing at nothing, I think we must have just been so tired, that we began to lose our minds.

Alright, time to take a shower. We only have water in this room for one hour, so I better get to it. Oh yes, although it rains here every day the water seems to be not functioning in all establishments for a majority of the day. Adios for now.