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Published: October 24th 2008
Nick: So here we are sitting in Miami, Florida. Saying to ourselves - are we still on planet earth - because it feels like we have just been transported to somewhere very alien. Not to say that we didn´t necessarily not like Miami, what with its interesting people, cuban influences, street life and nip-tuck- botox culture. But its just that bang for your buck we´d rather be in a cheap as chips crazy place than another crazy one which is costing us close to a couple of hundred a day. Thats when Rin and I decided to cut our 4 days of Miami back to 2 and fly our butts back into the lands well south of the border.
Panama
Panama city is.... well... quite a city. You get that rough round the edges feel when you fly in at night and get greeted at the airport by taxi drivers trying to grift a few more hard earned gringo dollars. But when you wake up the next day and cop a view of the city its quite a different sight. there are skyscrapers equalling western cities around the world, whilst in the streets theres all the grit of latin
american life working its way around the foundations.
Take a crazy old converted american school bus for 10 minutes and you arrive at an american style mall with upmarket stores and global brands. In someways its easy to understand why the global brands fall of the shelves here though. With most of the shipping from china to americas east coast passing through the famous panama canal which lies only 20 minutes from the city centre.
We took a local bus out to the visitors centre at the Miraflores lock complex on the canal and got some pretty good views of the container ships heading up through the locks and onto the manmade lakes that serve as the intercoastal conduit from the pacific to the atlantic. Quite an amazing site to see and understand also the efforts that went into creating this wonder of the world. Part of me however laments the fact that probably 50% or more of the contents of these ships is just consumerist crap with little "made in china" labels.
Having only spent a few days in Panama City we jumped on an overnight bus across to the Bocas del Torro islands on the
caribbean coast. This involved a morning boat ride out to the islands after a very crappy nights sleep on a freezing cold bus. Truly, i thought that i didnt have to bring a jumper on a bus ride because we are in 35 degree central america!!!
After trying to find accomodation at 7am in the morning in dusty Bocas del Torro we saw it as a sign to call up the nearby bastimentos island and sorted out some accomodation on its much more authentic zero car settlement. Bastimentos is a cute little community with its hundred or so houses, hotels and restaurants linked by a few concrete pathways. Unfortunately it too battles with the litter problems that plague so many latin american locations. Rin and I cleaned up a section of beach and the locals looks at us as if we were missionaries trying to convert them with some unthinkable act of redemption.
The best thing about Bastimentos though was that we got the chance to try out our new snorkels and face masks that we picked up in Miami. We saw our first couple of lobster in their hidey holes. I did some free diving down to
wanta ride in me yatch
... huey lewis video clip reference for the 80s fans...spook the divers at hospital point wall dive before fighting my way back to the surface to relieve my burning lungs.
The back surf beach was spectacular with the jungle coming right to the sand and beautiful waves to body surf. Just make sure you watch your kit on the beach because stuff sometimes gets up and runs into the jungle if your not careful.
Hard to leave.. but then the beach always is.. we jumped aboard another speed boat and found ourselves hurtling down an old canal used by the banana barges and up a river to the land of chiquita. Thats right, the little blue sticker that you peal off your banana and stick to the nearest object of amusement all starts here in Panama. After disembarking the boat we boarded a taxi and drove through acres and acres of plantations with blue pesticide impregnated plastic bags covering each banana bunch. Crossing under banana bunch monorail tracks winding their way back to the central processing plant.
In little over half a day we were back up in the mountains in the town of Boquette. Nice and cool once again. Its been taking us a little
breakfast in bed
has become a standing tradition while to get used to the heat here. Here we visited cloud forest, and for the first time in ages cook ourselves a meal again. Quite the novelty after a few too many months of eating out all the time. The food hasnt been bad but its nice for a few recipes that the heart foundation might consider giving a tick to.
Costa Rica
I think as ocean locked Australians its a constant surprise to us when we find ourselves crossing the boarder by foot into a new country. That, after only about 20 minutes of lining up, a bit of walking, having 20 people hassle us to change money or take a taxi, we can be proud owners of a new passport stamp and a fistful of defunct coins destined for Rinske´s neice back home. Perhaps its the reruns of Boarder Patrol back home where one might have a suitcase, boarding pass, and sweaty palms wondering if the customs official is going to enjoy finding that porcellain ornamental frog that makes the rattling noise that they bought in columbia.
Well whatever the feeling it incites in us... we find ourselves in Costa Rica. Then only 4 hours
on a bus through bumpy roads, raging thunderstorms and rain and alongside waterlogged fields into the coastal town of Puerto Jimenez. This small town is located in the idyllic location of peninsula de osa and only a short distance from cordova national park. This small corner of the world is gifted with an exceptionally high percentage of the worlds biodiversity. And one of the remaining strongholds of the scarlet macaw, and numerous toucan species.
Our first day out of town was by kayak into the mangroves to check out bird species and hopefully catch some monkey action. Unfortunately it was pissing with rain but we were fairly determined not to spend the day moping inside. Instead we got some damn good pruny fingers and a limited but interesting array of animal life. Best animal was the rare scarlet spoon bill.
The next day we got up early for a bumpy bus ride down to matapolo for a spot of bird and animal watching and to check out this unique little enclave of bungalow retreats. After being surrounded by scarlet macaws and toucans in the morning where we were up well before the local monkeys. We grabbed a surf
board and I braved the rocky shoreline to grab my first bout of surfing action in central america.
This proved to be a bit of a trial by fire, with my determination fighting with my spyncter as to what waves i would go for without being slammed into rocks. Determination won out with a few good rides, but not without a few cuts and bruises. Still its pretty amazing siting on a board, looking back towards the almond and coconut tree lined beach with macaws and pelicans swooping their way through the skys.
Rin and i also did a bit of rock pooling as well, and managed to come across around 10 or more baby moray eels hiding under some of the larger stones. At about 15-20cms long they were large enough to give some of the fish a run for their money here, but wriggled excitedly away from us when we disturbed their sancturies.
By about 4pm when we had to return the board and head to the bus stop the heavens finally opened again. Without any real rain coats or umbrellas we improvised between carrying the surfboard above our heads and hiding under a couple
of garbage bags. When we finally found a dry location under some shelter at the side of the road we were pretty much soaked. Only then to find that we were sharing our dry island in the storm with an ants nest. Rin copped the brunt of their attacks. At first i though she was having a foot cramp with her sudden lurching and squealing, until i noticed the pain coming from my feet as well. Rin came out of it with around 40 pinkish lumps on her feet.
monteverde/santa elena
Rin: Ahhhh, the cool reprieve of the mountains. The cloud forest of Monteverde national park and Santa Elena NP are the attractions here and we lost no time in organising to head out there. An early start ensured that we were the first visitors to the Santa Elena NP. Greeted by hummingbirds buzzing around the feeders and the sun starting to poke through after an early morning shower we were keen to start on the 4 hour hike. Not before my leg was used as a scratching post by the resident peccary (looks like a big wild pig) though! I¨m not sure whether it was my brown
pants or the fact that they hadn´t been washed in while but it made a beeline straight for me. With its big tusks poking out the sides of its mouth and a big tick hanging off its ear I was extremely happy when it decided to go rooting around in the forest again! It wasn´t until we´d left the park that I found out that they only eat fruits and nuts - so it didn´t really want to chomp into my leg afterall!
The walk was great, heaps of birds and loads of amazing birdsongs, and imitations by Nick.
Nick> Then it was onto some fun ziplining and tarzan swining through the jungle tree tops as we went onto the main event that everyone does when they come this region. Its quite a buzz zooming along the lines, but i have to say you are a bit sad when it finishes. Why cant all transport be this way. For instance when we left monteverde for the nicaraguan boarder we had to travel for 2 hours downhill in a chicken bus. Now why couldnt THAT be by zipline!
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daryl and jenny
non-member comment
another great blog
Rin and Nic, another great blog full of wonderful adventures and experiences..just not the cathederals and museums! type of stuff, you are certainly storing away the memories..........keep on with it love you both Mum and Dad