Bocas Musings

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My back pack ended up too heavy. I have huge bruises on my shoulders from carrying it through ATL airport. Que va.

The ricketty bridge in Bocas did not disapoint. It's still rickety. There is a new bridge alongside for cars but pedestrians still cross over the old railroad tracks
and ties. The boards are nailed down with huge nails but several bounce up as you cross over them.

I headed to Isla Popa when I arrived in Bocas. Bueno, I waited around a few hours to go to Isla Popa. SO I walked around the blazing hot streets of Bocas. When I lived here everytime I came to Bocas I ended up walking around in circles waiting for rides, waiting for the post office to open, waiting to meet with someone, waiting for the superslow internet, always waiting.

I left my main pack in Hotel Sagitario and took a mochilla a popa. I was suprised to have a pillow and a cuchon or sleeping mat last night. Unfortunetly, I had one very thin sheet. It is suprising cold at night even when you are sunburned and warm from the sun. It rained hard last night. It falls so quietly on the penca roof.

Erma has a much bigger and nicer house now. It has two rooms and a kitchen and long entryway. I slept in the cuarto con Erma and her kids. Her brothers were in the next room and her brother in law on the hammock. Ngabe houses are never quiet or lonely. I guarentee there will be a lot of people. Timeteo always
asks me about Chuck Noris. I moved to Panama from Texas and Walker Texas Ranger was the closest association for him. I told him Chuck Noris is fine. I still walk slow. I am usually daydreaming about something or trying in vain to
not wipe out in the Bocas mud.

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Photos

Best seat
Best seat on the San Jose-Sixoala bus- the floor.

Tres Razas
Boat ride from Popa. Bocas is multicultural. There were three different tipos in the boat- Ngabe, Extranjero, and Afro-Antilian.

Comments

[Phil Young]

mud, insects, and cold water
I well remember the mud in Bocas when I visited 3 villages on the Changuinola before the dam was built. Mud is not a problem on my side of the mountain except in the height of the rainy season. But then, we both know that Bocas has no dry season. I wish the little red dots from the insect bites did all go away overnight. Alas, last January I woke up one morning with a few bites on my leg badly infected. It's OK now after one course of antibiotics in Costa Rica and 2 more after I got home. And the cold water has always been hard for me to take too. I'm not a scalding shower person, but I do like the water to be as least mildly luke warm. Despite all that, I wish I was there. Take care and have fun.