amazing natural beauty

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i just returned from 16 days in Panama in November. November is the end of the rainy (slow) season, and it turned out perfect for my travel requirements. It was tremendiously green, alive, and there were very few tourists around (perfect). it was also cheaper.
i flew into Panama city in the evening, so i stayed in a hotel there. Panama city, while growing at a pace i can only be imagined is presently matched by Dubai or any city in China, is not my kind of place. Traffic is terrible and exhaust fumes smog the city all day. I counted over 30 highrise condo projects under constructinon and read that to be about 7000 new units. However, i saw no new infastructure (street widening, traffic lights, etc) under way and got the feeling things are going to get much worse in this city before they get better. taxis are cheap ($.50-$2) and recommended vs. walking. bring your basic spanish, because very few service industry personnel i encountered spoke english.
A 35 minute flight out to Boca Town in Bocas Del Toro Province allowed me to escape the following day. The planes run often and i paid $70 for a one way ticket. Boca proved to be a mistake for me. The town is very trashy and there are lots of 'shady' characters around looking to scam tourists. I paid $24 for very decent room. I took a private boat tour the next day ($60)and though happy to get away from the town, wasn't that impressed with the local beauty (although the water was snorkel clear just about everywhere). It's basically mangrove bays and one would really have to be 'in the know' or have 'mucho dinero' to find the better parts of this region. having planned to spend a week there, i ended up leaving 2 days after i arrived, the best part of my experience in Boca being the 30 minute water taxi ($5) to the mainland which was an enjoyable ride. The water taxi dropped me off and the only thing around was a taxi taking my fellow passengers to costa rica. The driver offered me a lift to the bus depot that i accepted. Unfortunately, it turns out he didn't know where it was and dropped me a mile away. It turned out to be Independance Day weekend, and i made my way through the town's parade to the bus stop running to David in the Chiriqui Province. The small bus type taxi was a bit tight for my tastes (makes an airline seat in coach seem like first class) but enjoyable none the less as we cruised over the Cordillera (mountains) through many a small town also enjoying parades.
Bottom line: Bocas Town gave me a bad taste for the whole Archipjelago and i can't recommend it.

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