Blogs from Isla Boca Brava, Chiriquí, Panama, Central America Caribbean

It's the last Saturday afternoon before Christmas, its warm and sunny with a light salty seabreeze, and my third Balboa is tasting just fine.... I'm sitting in a restaurant overlooking Panama's Chiriqui National Marine Park and the islands that seem to stretch forever into the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean to our south. We are staying on Boca Brava island, where the rainforrest and the ocean meet on a black sand beach. We've been in Panama a week now, and apart from Panama City, its been pretty much all sea, sand, jungle and amazing wildlife. Firstly we stayed on the Azuero coast near tranquil Malena beach, where the local people have a turtle conservation project. They collect the eggs and protect them from predators until they are hatched, at which point they release the baby turtles into ... read more

(Day 905 on the road)Enter Panama, the last remaining country in Central America that I haven’t visited. It will also be the last new country for me during my travels. After Panama, all that remains of two and half years of travelling is ten days in Florida (where I have been previously many years ago) before it is time to go home at the end of October. Better not think about that right now. The crossing into Panama was rather eventful and memorable. First, there was this German girl that had mysteriously attached herself to us. I don't recall where she came from, but at one point she was there, and was simply tagging along. She didn't say a word, she was just there and following us; it was pretty surreal really. At the border, she ... read more

Left early from Boquete, only took about an hour this time to get to David where I had a terrible time getting a ride to the Lost and Found place, my Spanish is not very good and the bus conductor is speaking so rapidly i cant keep up, a nice Belgian dude helped me out he was already sat at the collectivo going for Changuinola, between the two of us we managed to understand the guy but not without difficulty, most of the time me and the Belgian look at each other trying to see if one of us understood the bus conductor, in the end we realized he was saying he would take me on but have to pay the full fare of $5, so i said no problem just let me on! And true ... read more

Ok, from Panama City we took a bus to San Carlos, an hour and a half north and stayed at Hostel Costazul, which was nice but coompletely desserted. It was also AGAIN ANOTHER holiday (apparently they have a lot here) and there were little things open in the small town and they don´t sell alcohol on holidays so we high tailed it outta there and the next day caught the only bus that woulnd stop for us and went to Santiago and got out there and were offered a ride from a guy in a van to David for cheap with no stops, so against our better judgement we took it and found out he was a nice guy named Joel trying to make a quick buck while delivering pamphlets for Budget car rental and we ... read more

Aamulla Bocasissa pakattiin kamat ja tyhjennettiin jääkaappi. Jätettiin jääkaappiin yksi hirveän makuinen limu ja yksi olut, joka ei päässyt olutvertailussa palkintokorokkeille. Mukaan tuli kuitenkin pullo Daigiria ja Guiness-olut. Meillä oli jo muutenkin paljon kannettavaa, mutta periaatteesta päätettiin roudata vielä juomatkin mukaan. Aamupala syötyämme (vakkaripaikassa), mentiin venailemaan venetaksia Almiranteen. Siellä otettiin dollarin maksava taksi bussipysäkille, josta lähtisi bussi Davidiin, päälle neljän tunnin päähän etelään päin. Matka meni erittäin kivuttomasti vaikka kuski ajoikin välillä kuin mielipuoli. Kellon ollessa jo tarpeeksi, päätettiin nukkua yö Davidissa sen sijaan, että matkaisimme kohteeseemme Boca Bravaan. Ei etsiskelty liikoja hotelleja vaan hypättiin taksiin suuntimana Purple House Hostel. Paikka oli nimensä veroinen: kaikki oli liilaa, jopa omistajan vaa... read more