Smack that

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Well another month another entry......

So the Boarder was about as much fun as drinking a cup of cold sick, but Finally we made it through and with a little help from our new found friend, we were able to skip the line for the taxis. The taxi took us to a boat to head out to the beautiful Boscas Del Toro island group.

The Taxi boat driver should have been in a jet boat, he was some driver. There were so many logs in the small canals, and to get round he would just turn the boat at the last second and then whip it around to make sure the motor did not hit.

The Canals were in the middle of rain forest and it was not until some 40 mins at top speed that we got out to the open ocean. After an hour we arrived at Bocas, as soon as we were of the boat we meet some local the had modled his image off Snoop dog. He had the usual speal about anything you want etc etc blah blah.

Checking into the hostel was some event the owners put on some almost false happy face and lots of the kind of shit that gets unde my skin, but as Darren reminds me its only them trying to be nice.

Bocas was an amazing island, most of the time we kind of lived it up, whalst we were there the Feria del mar, festival of the sea was on. Which is kind of an excuse for locals and tourists to drink and celebrate with loud Music being stopped every 30 seconds so the DJ can make some stupid comment, (it might have been good but my lack of spanish could not pick it up haha)

One of the days there the surf picked up and I got my first chance to surf Bastimentos, 1st time I had ever surfed a shallow coral reef. Other then the fact that is was sizable and I did have rocks in my pants I thought I would still give it a go.

On paddling out I meet the local guy who had been trying to give Darren and I grief for the last 2 nights, as soon as I paddled out the first words I heard was " You want smack smack" and then "Smack smack when you get out", after a few exchanges of words and the term used that "The sharks are going to finish what the reef starts" I was ready for my 1st waves.

The wave wa real fun, although I did not have the minerals to try to get Barrled, although it was a good wave to, I still managed to surf ok and have loads of fun especially when the dush bag went home. To be honest he gave me a few laughs like saying after a turn of his that "That was Perfection" what a cock haha

The other major event on Bocas was that Dazzler and I did our Padi and had a few dives amongst the coral reefs. Loads of fun and I think now that I am in Columbia I will be going in for one or 2 more in the next few days!!!

The last day on the Island on Bocas we had yet another run in with the local dick, here I was getting milk at 9am in the supermarket and who is in the same isle as man, Smack smack. Not only is he talking to himself in his deep voice but then he says to me, "You better get out of my way" I take no notice until he walks up behind me and I see out of the corner of my eye that he is about to check me. I open the shoulder and to mine and darrens amusement he drops his shoulder on me and then almost bounces off into the cartons of corn flakes good times.

The week on Bocas was very relax and by the 7th day it was well time to get out.

We had some 15 hours of travel the 1st 5 to David were by private car with a guy who we split petrol costs with to David, and then a freezing 6 hour bus ride to Santaigo. Upon arrival all busses to Santa Catlina. were finished for the night so we paid some poor taxi driver 40usd to take us the supposed 1 hour car ride there where I had promised my mates Kent and Cabes that I would arrive that day.

2.5 hours later we finally arrived, we could tell the poor driver had just had enough and he even had to drive all the way back hehe, well atleast thats one taxi ride we got for local rates.

Santa Catlina was all about catching up with the old buds and catching some waves. Upon arrival we realised that the spot itself gets up to over 20ft, I can say I was greatfull that kind of swell did not hit when we were there and it remained a fun 4ft for most of the time.

There we also managed to purchase 9 crayfish for 20 usd!!!!, and had the best feed of the trip.

Panama city was extreamly developed, appreantly the locals say that alot of the new high rise construction was funded by Columbian drug lords in an attempt to clean the money. Not sure of the truth behind this but after experienceing a few weeks of the kind of corruption that happens in Columbia I would be far from supprised if it is.

The Panama canal was the main attraction of the visit to Panama city, I know dad would have loved to seen the Panamax vessles come into the Miraflores docks, dragged by up to 8 small trains and then get raised/lowered some 30 ft to be able to get back to sea level. To be honest although it was a little boring after the 3rd ship came in, you have to be impressed by it.

After trying to arrange a boat to take us to Columbia from Panama myself and darren decided to just head to Colon to try to arrange a boat from there. After getting to the bus station with another travel buddy, Julian (a very strange but funny French Canadian) dazzler realised that not for the 1st time on the trip he forgot some wires and had to go back to the hostel.

We arranged to meet him later at Portobelo after we checked out colon. At this stage let me paint you an image of what Colon was like as a town. Take a country from the eastern block that experieced action in the Cold war, now head to the state housing of that town, and let it age 50 years without any paint. That is honestly what Colon was like. Appreantly it is so bad that there is actually gangs waiting on roof tops till they see a Gringo coming out of the yacht club. Then they just rob you, great.

A homless man carrying his metal about yelled at Julian and I, "What are you doing here". From then we kind of knew the Colon would not get us what we wanted and that Portobelo was a better place to look.

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