Hats off to Panama

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Well here we are in yet another costal carribean town, this one has no beach but plenty of docks instead.

The journey here was one off the easiest so far...

We knew the day was going to be a good one when we got to the bus stop and it was already occupied by a magician, we´re talking the big black top hat effort here, and on the near by beach two pigs were fighting over scraps with a pack off dogs, you don´t get that in Manchester.

The border from Costa Rica to Panama we used was an abandoned railway bridge (yes it was an official border, we got our passport stamped and every thing). There is something quite strange about moving from one country to another on a rickerty old bridge with missing planks and a yellow river swirling below, to get to Bocas town we took a speed boat through the swamps and mangroves, I felt very much as if we were being smuggled in.

We had two reasons for coming here, to do some volluntary with turtles and to get surf lessons, and we have spectaculaly failed at both. Around here surfing and turtles both have seasons and now is off peak for both.

Do not worry however we have sought other adventures to keep you on the edge of your seats. When we first arrived we were shown to our room (above a shop so that the cans of beer are always straight from the fridge) by a nice man in an official tour guide t-shirt who also offered to take us on an all day boat tour. After checking with other travellers that this was the normal way to charter a boat we took him up on the offer and the next day presented ourselves at the pier.

He had mentioned the various places we would go to but the names ment nothing to us however for a few quid each we couldn´t lose. On the boat were a couple from London equally vauge about the itinerary but we had nothing to fear, first we went to see dolphins then we snorkelled off a small island with a cafe attached who´s scraps attracted loads of fish (I got stung by a jelly fish here but was more concerned about the huge baracuda I came face to face with). We then got dropped off on a desert island that was half beach half jungle and very Robinson Crusoe and finally some more snorkelling over a coral reef.

We have also done our first SCUBA since getting our open water certificates, we did two dives each nearly an hour long off swimming round coral reefs, our guide was a top bloke, very professional and he knew where all the wild life hung out. We saw loads of different fish, lobsters, jelly fish etc.


Our next stop is Panama, we have just walked to the airport to buy the tickets, its so weird, the airport is on the edge of town, only a couple of streets away, we didn´t see any planes but I´m guessing its going to be a small one.

thats all for now

Trev and Jo

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Photos

pigs and dogs
no hotties on the beach, they were all pigs and dogs

jelly fish sting
Hi Claudia, his ones for you
(this is my side and yes I am still this white)

cheap beer
In Panama they use US dolars, that makes these beers 25p each

stop, police
this is official police transport, no high speed chases then