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Published: October 31st 2006
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David is the town that I asked the Tica bus to drop me off in, close to the border which was great as it meant I didn't have to sit on the bus for hours more as it head to the capital. I'd seen the Purple House hostel on the internet and felt it was the place for me. Andrea the owner sounded helpful and friendly on the phone and that was good enough for me. Yes the whole house is purple and just about everything in it (those of you who remember my flat in the 'hues of blue phase' will have some idea of what this place looked like). Even Fluffy her dog was friendly and the place had a real welcoming feel to it. I chatted away to Tansy who is a regular at the Purple House as she volunteers during the week, teaching English in a remote village called Soloy. I stayed one night and traveled up to Bocas del Toro. There I stayed at Mondu Taitu a backpacker surfer place which was as cheap as the Purple House. It was interesting, there have been a few times on this trip where I have felt that I
perhaps was the first single black female, or black English female or other varients on the same topic but never more so than in this place. Everyone was cool but most of the travelers gave me a double look.
Anyway they had a cool bar that had the locals and the travelers mixing happily during happy hour. I like that touch, it felt like they hadn't just planted their busy there and excluded the locals. Watching the surfer dudes and babes at work or rather leisure was a pleasure. I felt like I had my nose write up to the window of a strange and wonderful zoo. Unfortunately for me the sea was way too surfy, all I wanted was to be somewhere I could go for a swim everyday. Instead I got beaten up by the waves hitting the shore and nearly lost my trunks (I realise they are tired and want to go to bikini heaven now). I did a day trip which involved, 2 dives, 1 beach visit, lunch out by the sea and some red frogs. Unfortunately the day was overcast and the visibility poor, and to make me feel really bad we didn't see
any dolphins in dolphin bay. The next day people saw tons of them, I was gutted. Still it was fun being under the sea again chasing fish and bubbles as I do. Didn't like the jelly fish dodging I had to do, felt more secure with my full length suit on though.
After 5 days I headed back to the Purple House, to take Andrea up on her offer for some free Spanish classes in exchange for helping out around the hostel and to sort out the credit card fraud that I'd realised had taken place. This was a real gutting moment. One of my accounts online shows my credit card statements and I was shocked to discover 300 odd pounds more on it than before. I contacted the bank to discover that someone had fraudently used my card. Strange as I still had it in my possesion, I called up my other bank to sort out something completely different and found another two amounts had been taken from that account. The total was nearly 900 pounds, I couldn't believe it. Everything had happened from the day I left Antigua Guatemala, so it had been undiscovered for a while.
These two cards had not been used by me on my entire trip and hadn't left my room at the Guatemalan family house. The banks pointed out that the only people that could have cloned my cards would be the family or someone that they let into their house. This made me all the more gutted as I really liked them and now I am completely doubting them and how genuine they had been. The fraud took place in the travel agents opposite their house, none of this looked good. It's in the banks hands now but the whole thing really messed me up for a while. Still I couldn't have been in a better place to deal with it, Andrea at the Purple House was a star, I could used the internet and make the necessary calls that I needed to in privacy and comfort.
On a sunnier note Andrea told me about a Turtle Launch she had been informed about. At first I was the only one of her guest going but by the time the turtle were ready to hatch we had something like 14 people coming to volunteer. It was great seeing the baby turtle
in the box, already flexing their muscles for the long swim ahead. We walked down to the beach and took a turtle from the box. Then we placed them on the sand and ushered them into the sea. It was a beautiful experience. The next day I was off to Panama City with a father and son combo. These guys Robert and Steve were going to travel Central America together and bond I'm guessing. They came to the turtle launch and were heading my way. They were going to stay at the Voyager hostel but then I had a hot tip, Zuly's was a cheaper, friendlier place just around the corner without the reputation for rules and regs.
Panama City was good, I really liked the vibe of the city although everyone there kept warning of the dangers. Infact everyone warned you about everywhere that wasn't their patch, it bored on hysteria. And don't even mention Colon to them. I had one taxi driver refuse to take me to my next destination and instead dropped me off at my hotel, crazy huh. I did the typical things of seeing the Panama Canal and the Old Town. I also manage
to catch a couple art museums, which was cool. Here I met up with Daniela and Bob and absolutely lovely couple traveling south and now central america. With Robert and Steve I went to the Zona Libre in 'peligrosso' Colon and finally got myself a camera, so the pictures will now be flowing. I spent a good 5 days in the capital and finally got hold of a boat to take me the growing number in my hostel to Colombia.
Well well well, what do you know I ended up in Portobelo, Panama, waiting to catch my boat to Colombia. Now I had read about the place, I always take a glance at what time each place has a festival, usually I miss them and the one in Portobelo would be no exception. I didn't imagine I would go to visit the place because of this fact. I wouldn't see the black Christ and the thousands of people dressed in purple or the pilgrims that travel on their knees to get here. Then I organised to get a boat that left from here and guess what, it leaves the day before the festival begins, typical. Not only is it
typical but it's very familiar because I have been watching the town crank up for the festivities, the stalls being built, the people cooking for days, the truck loads of beer coming in. In Panama I have had the kick of visiting a town called David (my surname) and a town called Portobela, the area of London I come from is also known as Portobella although there is no port or sea. There is a canal that passes through it though.
It has been great fun watching everyone busy themselves for their one time of year to make some serious cash. It is just like the run up to the Notting Hill Carnival. I have also made friends with some serious rum drinkers, luckily they haven't expected me to follow suit. My first night here wasn't easy, the place I stayed beat all records for grimness and I got stung on the top lip by a mosquito. I feel like I've been to the dentist and he missed with the anastetic, and I look like I have a fat lip. I found a very nice place for my second night.This boat by the way turns out has two very
familiar faces on it. Some of you may recall a New Zealander called Warrick (complained alot in Guatemala) and Jules 1, the guy that keeps turning up like a bad penny. I 1st met him in Mexico, then Belize, then Guatemala, and now Panama heading to Colombia on the very same boat. I realise that this route through Central America is a well beaten track but I am still surprised at the recurring faces.
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andrew Green
non-member comment
long time no speaki readi
Donna, you travelling minx you. Got bogged down in my work stuff and the fact that you'd gone a wandering slipped my mind, am now in the process of reading through your travel blog ad it seems like your having an eye opening journey, sorry to hear about the credit crad fraud, but money is replaceable the experiences your having will last a lifetime. Keep positng the pictures they're amazing and I'll follow your journey more closely now, promise. Take care and revel in the rest of the journey, look forward to hearing you speak spanish when you return.. much love andrew