Blogs from Bocas Del Toro, Panama, Central America Caribbean - page 9

We traveled by bus to Bocas for our visa trip. After a short overnight stay in Puerto Viejo, we were picked up early and cramped into a small mini van headed for the Costa Rica/Panama Border. After a few hours we arrived at the border crossing. Unlike any border crossing I'd ever seen, tourists and nationals enter Panama by crossing a large river via a rather long decrepit and withering bridge. After shuffling over the bridge and reading the venomous snakes and weapons warnings, we were given our stamps and once again loaded into a cramped mini van for the last leg of the land journey. Bocas is reached by a 45 minute water taxi departing mainland Panama. The ride was bumpy but enjoyable. After arriving we found accommodation for the night and settled in. Bocas ... read more

Today we are taking it easy. We were going to head to Bastimientos to stay out there but from what we've heard from other guests & Matty, it doesn't sound like it can even compare to being out here. It was an easy sell actually, we love it out here & could stay a long time. Plus Matty offered to buy us dinner if we stay, so that was another easy choice. He's an excellent chef & we have eaten very very well here. I sat upstairs on the "comfy chairs" overlooking the water. We've named them the comfy chairs because they have lots of cushions & they are comfy. The kitty that lives here, Mineux, has one chair all to herself, she's almost always sitting in it, unless she's sitting next to me at the ... read more

**Don't forget to look at all the pics on the bottom of the blog! :) Had breakfast (open egg sandwich aka Tesoro Club) & of course a lot of espresso. Matty gives us freebies daily, like samples, today was the passionfruit smoothie & Wow! I now am in love with Passionfruit! We made a quesadilla with cheese & green onion for the Goonies walk. Went on Goonies walk. Turned off the trail early (we learned later) & walked on tide pools. There was a lot of time spent shell collecting. Lots & lots. Cloud cover but really hot. Swam in most amazing beautiful bay on the way back. Walked in flips, probably not best idea. Our feets were really really tired upon our return to Tesoro Escondido. Made it back to hotel, hot, dehydrated & starving. ... read more

Not really but it applies, just wait :) Hola to all! I'm really over this project I have been doing all day so I thought it might be good to record some thoughts and experiences. While I'm a little past the half way point of this study abroad, I feel like i have been here forever and at the same time, time has flown. And it really has. Its still a strange thing having so much time to myself, so much time to think. Just me and my dog all day. I guess i kind of miss the hustle and bustle of a normal semester, but why should i? My tica mama asked me the other day if I was sad that it was just us three living in the house ( because all her children ... read more

Bocas del Toro, Panama March 7th—14th After driving back to San Jose, we spent two nights in the Margarita’s B&B where we have stayed before (a very cute, inexpensive place where we meet the most interesting people from all over—lots of Canadians, some Americans, and Brits ), turned in our car and got a taxi to the small airport in the city. We flew on a small airplane - Nature Air airlines. If every seat on the plane were full, it would hold 21 people. We were lucky the day we flew, there was only one other passenger besides us (and the two pilots). (To get it off the ground, they first have to wind up the rubber bands that spin the two props.) It did have GPS so they could find Bocas easily. The other ... read more