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Published: April 11th 2011
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Although the actual distance from Boquete to Bocas isn’t that great, the trip to get there was a little long-winded as there aren’t any direct roads from one to the other. This meant going back on ourselves to David ($1), followed by another bus to Almirante ($4), a taxi from the bus station to the dock ($1) followed by a water taxi ($6) to Isla Colón – by far and away the most developed (read: ugly) island of the archipelago.
We decided to spend the first night here (Hosteluego - $11 Dorm Bed) and whilst the experience wasn’t THAT bad we all agreed that none of us had travelled so far to stay in a place that really could’ve been anywhere in the World. Perhaps a few years ago the place still had a bit of local flavour but unfortunately thanks to a recent development boom, the place is just full of tacky gringo bars and overpriced restaurants which inevitable means it’s lost a good bit of its charm. As I say, it really could’ve been any chill-out beach town in the World.
So the next day we hopped into a water taxi and for $3 zipped
across the water past Isla Carenero to Isla Bastimentos. Although the journey lasts no more than 20 minutes, the difference is incredibly stark. It was like stepping into a whole new world where the tackiness and tourist traps of Isla Colón were replaced with a total Caribbean vibe full of character and friendly locals speaking their own language, a bizarre kind of mix between Spanish and English Creole. Little did I know that this place would be my home for the following two and half weeks and quite possibly one of the real highlights of the entire trip. We stayed at Hostel Jaguar – run by a man who I’m sure has a real name but to whom I just referred to as “Mr. Jaguar” throughout the duration of my stay there. For $13 a night I got my own private room literally just a few steps from the water (the whole hostel was built over the water) and it was here that I came to the realization that this trip is less backpacking and really more like a rather long holiday! As nobody wore a watch and nobody had a mobile it was also here that I started to
have serious doubts about not only what time it was but even what day it was!
In between the copious amounts of hammock swinging and diving in the clear water off the dock of the hostel, I managed to take in trips to the local beaches on the island – Playa Wizard (walkable but muddy), Playa Red Frog (boat required to a jetty to the South) and Playa Polo (boat required and then a decent walk). Playa Polo was by far the most beautiful and given that it’s a little more difficult to get to than the others, there’s almost no one ever there and it’s quite easy to find a secluded little spot all for yourself. On another day the brother of “Mr. Jaguar” took a group of us out to Isla Zapatilla ($15 each return) stopping off for some cheeky snorkeling at Cayo Coral along the way. Zapatilla was quite a picturesque Island that’s not too big meaning I managed to stroll around the whole thing in less than an hour passing by plenty of beautiful little stops on the way.
Before starting this trip I had a couple of things in mind that
I’d quite to do at some point – 1) do and Open Water diving course and 2) learn how to surf! I certainly could have and probably should have done both whilst staying in Bastimentos but I did at least manage to do the diving course at “The Dutch Pirates” diving school located literally a stone’s throw from the hostel. I did it for the bargain price of $200 which was for the usual 3 day / 4 dives course. It was a super fun experience and the diving sites were all pretty good, one of which, a sunken ferry not far from Isla Colón, is now home to a decent sized nurse shark that we were able to get a good close look at. I learnt how to do various things whilst underwater such as how to swim without a mask, how to take the breathing unit off and put it back on again, how to navigate with a compass and perhaps most importantly, what to do if the air in the tank runs out. With any luck I'll be able to put my new found skills to the test later on in the Bay Islands in Honduras or
perhaps Caye Caulker (the second biggest reef in the world) in Belize.
Bocas del Toro and especially Isla Bastimentos will for sure go down as a real highlight of the trip and I'll remember "Mr. Jaguar" as easily the most entertaining hostel owner I've come across or am likely to come across in the future. He made our stay a real pleasure with his occasional concerts and on one occasion he and his wife even made us a local dish called "Rondón" when there was just a few of us staying at his hostel. We all chipped in for a freshly caught 8lb fish at a bargain price and they prepared it all for us cooked with local vegetables, plantains and coconut rice. It was a bit of feast and we had plenty left over for lunch the next day too.
I'm sure I could've stayed longer, but eventually the time came when my feet got a little too itchy and the need to move on was too strong. So on 7th March I decided to say goodbye to Mr. Jaguar and goodbye to Panamá - next stop Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.
Remember, photos can be seen at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/13183189@N06/
Ciao for now.
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