Last Updated: 07/22/03

Click underlined countries/regions to link directly to corresponding journal entries

July 1, 2002:  Panama

After only a few hours of sleep (late night at internet cafe... plus a couple small dogs barking all night outside our window) -- we headed to the airport about 5am and were off to Panama at 7am.  After a plane change in Bogota, Columbia, we arrived in Panama around 11:30am.  Oh my... is it ever hot in Panama!!!  We mean really hot... and really, really humid!  This is what we expected areas around the equator to be like but outside the Galapagos, we have been at such high altitudes that the weather has remained dry and actually cold most of the time.  But here� it's about 90 degrees with 90% humidity and very little breeze.  It feels like a sauna!  After checking out two hotels we choose the one with best air conditioning (as well as a phone and cable TV � this is a pretty big step up for us!).  Despite the heat, we head out in the late afternoon to explore some of Panama.  We walked across town to the larger business and corporate center.  We found quite a few restaurants but most or all of them were closed, so we finally ended up at TGI Fridays for dinner.  Not very authentic� but then again Panama City is a modern metropolis with a lot of American influence from the canal� so TGIF doesn�t seem so bad.  On the walk home, we notice several �working girls� on the corner outside our hotel and realize that while our hotel does have air conditioning it is not in the BEST part of town.  We don�t want to spend any more money to move �up� town� so we�ll just take cabs at night from now on.

July 2, 2002:  San Felipe

Today we explored the older part of Panama City where the President lives called San Felipe.  San Felipe is one of the poorest parts of town, but we thought it is also the most interesting and most beautiful.  The architecture throughout the area is fantastic� at least what we see of it on the buildings still standing � about 30% of the buildings are just facades braced with logs, no ceilings or interiors.  Most need a lot of �fixing� up (OK maybe serious renovation), but if some money were thrown into it� this place would compete with any of the cutest downtown or beach front towns in the world.  In fact, after talking with a few people (and seeing some places already fixed up)� it seems that renovating the entire area is already in the works.  They just have to figure out where they will move all the poor people that live there now.  Of course this is really sad (difficult even to write), but it is the truth.  The story is the same all over� from East Palo Alto to Panama City.  

July 3, 2002:  Wendesday

Soday we did some errands (laundry and shopping at the drug store) and set up some tours for the weekend.  Not much to write about� but we did have hot dogs and fresh fruit drinks for dinner from a local �stand� in the street about a block from our hotel.  Karen�s dad would be proud.

July 4, 2002:  Canopy Tower

From hot dogs last night to caviar this morning, we totally switched gears for breakfast.  We went to the Marriott for their breakfast buffet.  They had everything� from omelet station to steak and onions.  It was fun to indulge a little.  After the Marriott, we grabbed a taxi and went out to a place just north of Panama City in the rain forest called Canopy Tower.  �The Tower� was an old radar station that has been converted into a really nice hotel.  The rooms, dinning area, and observation deck are all at the same height as the tree tops so it is an excellent place to see the birds and animal activity up close where they live.  This place is a haven for serious �birders.�  We met several who are staying all week vs. our one night stay.  They were fun to talk to and try to understand a little bit of what bird watching, or �birding,� is all about.  These people are all business.  From binoculars that cost over $1000 per pair to target sight lists and databases back home with software to record all birds seen, etc.  It seems like a full time job.  And come rain or shine, they are dedicated.  We went out with them in the afternoon and it started pouring rain (we are in the rain forest remembering so this is no small shower).  We stayed out there for hours watching wet birds� who we are sure thought our whole group were crazy.

July 5, 2002:  Canopy Tower

Despite many walks on trails and roads from the tower, the best �action� or animal sightings have been right from the dinning area in the tower.  There are a few trees really close that the birds just seem to love.  We have seen huge bright colorful �Toucan Sam� toucans, the Blue Cotinga which is famous in the area, red headed woodpeckers, red legged honey creepers, and more!  In addition to birds, we saw a Tamarin monkey troop pass by twice (one yesterday and one today).  On our tour (i.e., walk with guide down the road) we saw a sloth which apparently has been in the same spot in the same tree for three days.  Our walk was cut short by rain � really pouring and not letting up so we called it quits and headed back to the tower which was struck by lighting in the storm just as we were getting ready to leave.  We had them drop us off at the Summit Botanical Gardens and Zoo where we walked around for a while in the rain looking at wet animals before we caught the local bus back to Panama City.  The garden/zoo was a really nice place with tons of space for picnics and gatherings as well as some really impressive animals from jaguars to the Harpy Eagle.  But after seeing so many different animals in the wild over the past few months, it was a little difficult to see them in cages.

July 6, 2002:  The Canal

Today we took a tour to transit the Panama Canal in a large ship.  Before we went to the ship, we spent some time at the Panama Canal museum which was so interesting.  The engineering to design and the human effort to construct the canal is simply amazing.  The actual transit through the canal was a little less exciting than we expected.  For something so incredible I supposed we expected a lot of noise and drama to get from one lock to the next, but this is not the case.  The water raises and lowers via gravity with little effort slowly but surely to raise or lower the immense ships through the locks.  It is a very tranquil process.

July 7, 2002:  Canal Jungle

Back to the canal again but this time in a canoe (with outboard motor) to explore the jungle, or rain forest, that lines the canal and surrounding lakes.  The day started off well but started to turn sour quickly when the boat�s motor gave out.  Luckily, we were not in the middle of the channel where the huge ships transit because we sat there for at least an hour and a half waiting for another boat to come.  While waiting we oared over to the shore and were happy to find some monkeys in the tree tops who put on a little show for us.  They were very curious and come right out on the branches closest to our canoe � probably not more than five feet away.  As highlights go, that was it because the canoe story only gets worse.  The tour operators got the motor started again, but they were not willing to continue with the tour as planned (i.e., go to the Caribbean side) based on time and motor confidence.  Good thing we didn�t try because the motor did break again and this time it couldn�t be fixed and we had to be towed back by another boat.  Just when you think it can�t get any worse� it started pouring rain � really pouring.  By the time we got back to the minivan, we (and everything we had with us) were soaked through.  We might as well have had gone swimming in the canal.  For us all this wasn�t so bad because since we really don�t have a set travel itinerary we can have the company reschedule us for another tour next week, but we did feel bad for those people on the tour with only a week vacation planning to return home tomorrow.  There was nothing they could do.

July 8, 2002:  Monday

We have realized that we must be starting to get a little tired of traveling now and even a little homesick.  A big indicator is that we are not planning things as quickly as we used to.  Even though we have read our Panama Lonely Planet guide and have an idea of things we want to do and see, we haven�t really pushed to make decisions and therefore haven�t done any advance planning to make things happen.  This means we have more time on our hands and find ourselves trying to throw things together at the last minute just so that we are not sitting around the next day.  For example, this afternoon we made plans to visit the San Blas Islands for a couple days based on which hotel answered their phone first and could help us charter plane tickets for the next morning.  Although maybe not the best method to plan a dream vacation or ensure the �finest� accommodations, this process did work� so we are off to San Blas tomorrow.

July 9, 2002:  San Blas

San Blas is a string of 365 islands off the north eastern coast of Panama in the Caribbean.  Travel to these amazing islands is not recommended for every traveler based on the difficulty to get there and the lack of amenities once there.  But� assuming you make it and are able to stand the outhouses� these ARE the islands travel magazines and brochures are made of!!!  White sand beaches, turquoise water, clear visibility for snorkeling, coconut palm trees, etc.  The islands, while officially part of the country of Panama, are not governed by the Panama.  The Kuna Indians, indigenous to the islands, govern these islands themselves in order to keep their land, culture, heritage, etc.  They are not necessarily a friendly people, and we think they view tourism as an end to a means.  They do use the income to survive, but they are not developing their islands to make travel more comfortable and attractive to foreign visitors.  If you really wanted to spend some time among the islands, the best way would probably be to charter your own boat with living and kitchen quarters� then you could have the best of both worlds and vacation that was relaxing.

We were up early to get to the airport to get our tickets.  Once that was done, we had almost two hours to kill at the airport so we had an unmemorable breakfast at the airport caf�.  Our flight was short; the plane was a dual prop plane that carried a total of six passengers.  The plane made several stops at different islands before landing on El Porvenir, which is an island with a dirt airstrip, a couple of buildings and a dock.  The hotel owner was waiting there to take us via motored canoe to Nalunega.  Nalunega is about the size of a football field and is crammed with huts and our hotel (larger hut with concrete walls).  Our room is more like a cubical than a room.  Small partitions and sheets create the �room-cubes� in a big cement rectangle with thatched roof far above.  We drop off our stuff, have a quick lunch, and head out by boat for �Grass Island.�  This island (30~45 minutes away) has one hut with one family living in it and is sooo beautiful compared to the crowded Nalunega.  We pay the head of the family, or owner, $1 each for using �his� island and relax and snorkel the rest of the afternoon.  Back on Nalunega, dinner is fish of course (Karen is not a big seafood fan so it should be interesting to see how much weight she looses here).  After the generator is turned off around 10pm, it is pitch black so the only thing to do is try to go to sleep.  But this is easier said than done because there is no air circulation in our �room-cubes� and it is unbelievably hot and humid.  It�s a long night.

July 10, 2002:  San Blas

Early morning breakfast and then we got our stuff together and head off to �Dog Island� for the morning tour.  �Dog Island� is about one hour away by boat and has beautiful beaches and a small family living there.  Once there - we �tipped� the family $1 each and then we pretty much had run of the island.  One special feature of �Dog Island� is the sunken boat just off the shore.  Lots of coral and fish now call this wreck home and it makes for some great snorkeling.  We got our gear on and had a good time looking the place over.  Once we got out of the water, we noticed a number of small boats heading in our direction.  It turned out to be locals with their crafts and pretty soon the small island was set up as a small market.  Very shortly after the market is set up did we understand why all the locals had come� a large cruiser that held probably 50+ people started approaching the island and dropped anchor a short way out.  Karen acted quickly and purchased three molas (all the money we had with us) before the crowds unloaded.  Our small group (5 people total) got out of there before it became a mad house.  We got back to the hotel and had lunch (fish�of course); and since we were running a little behind, we decided to just go back to Grass Island for the afternoon.  At Grass Island, we got the owner to get and open a coconut for us ($.25)� yum, fresh coconut milk.  The weather turned ugly shortly after, so we headed back for dinner (lobster!).  This night we got a little more sleep than the last because a weather system moved in and cooled things down a bit; it even stormed during the night� lots of rain, thunder and lighting.

July 11, 2002:  San Blas

We got up early so we could do an excursion before we flew out at 12:30.  We went back to Dog Island and had a great time snorkeling there again.  This time we actually swam around the entire island and saw areas we didn�t get to the first time.  Water clarity was great -- 60+ feet.  We went back to the hotel to pack and have a quick snack before jumping on the boat to get over to the island with the air-strip.  It was a little tight but we made it a little before 12:30� then, proceeded to wait until 4pm for the weather to clear before the plane arrived.  Turns out we were pretty lucky � delays of up to 3 days have occurred; so we think a four hour delay was not too bad!  Back at the Panama City Airport we are able to book tickets to fly to some islands on the other side of Panama in the Pacific called Las Perlas.  Now we are planning ahead.

July 12, 2002:  Canal Jungle... Again!

Today was our make-up canal jungle tour.  This one was more focused on mammals than birds.  On the way out, we got lucky and saw a two-footed sloth sleeping in the top of a Cecropia tree.  Our guide was able to wake the sloth by doing Harpy Eagle whistle (Harpy Eagles eat sloth).  Once awake and concerned he might be an eagle�s next meal, the sloth started crawling down and then back up to another resting location.  This was really fun to see since sloth live up to their name and are not very active.  During the tour on the canal, we saw four different types of monkeys � howler, black spider, red spider and tamarines.  For lunch, we stopped at one of the many small islands with a covered picnic area (this island was not even 300 sq feet).  These small islands are leased annually, so you need the permission of the owner to stop/use them�and that�s where the rub came in.  Another boat stopped in and accused us of not getting permission and lots of heated words were exchanged; it got so hot � there was almost a fist-fight (Latino blood!).  It was pretty weird since the person making all the fuss was not even the owner (just a �friend�) and didn�t believe the tour company had asked permission.  The tour ended and we got off the boat around 2pm, and we just relaxed for the rest of the day.

July 13, 2002:  Saturday

 Not much to write about today.  Just getting ready to go to Las Perlas tomorrow.

July 14, 2002:  Isla Contradora

We took a small airplane to Isla Contradora - one of the largest islands in a group referred to as Las Perlas, known for their pearls and fishing.  Someone from the resort met us at the "airport" (just a strip on the island; no building, etc), and drove us literally across the street to the hotel.  It was really funny.  After we got settled in, we rented some ATVs to drive around the island and check it out.  Later, we went snorkeling just off the beach from our hotel.  The visibility was not that great... but still quite a lot of fish to look at.  Late afternoon we sat pool side and had an early dinner.  After dinner we moved to this veranda game area outside our room.  We played cards while the heavy rain came down.  This is not the high season for "resorting," so there is maybe one other family or couple here with us.  We have the place all to our selves... which is nice and kind-of spooky at the same time. 

July 15, 2002:  Jelly Fish!!

Went out for mid-morning snorkel only to return in pain.  Karen was stung in the face and arms by jelly fish.  The pain was incredible and liberal applications of vinegar only seemed to slightly dull the pain.  If you believe what you watch on "Friends," then maybe pee would have helped the situation... but John wasn't excited about that plan and said he didn't have to go... so we had to stick with the vinegar.  The rest of the day was spent recovering by the side of the pool and under the veranda back at the hotel.  The heavy rain came back in the evening so we called it an early night.

July 16, 2002:  Tuesday

We spent the morning walking around the resort and near by beach taking pictures.  When the rain clears it is really beautiful here.  We had lunch at the resort and played several card games, mostly gin and cribbage, until our afternoon flight back to Panama City.  Very relaxed day.

July 17, 2002:  En Valle

We finally left Panama City for good this time.  It feels good to be back on the road again.  We took a bus to El Valle de Anton, or simply En Valle as it is commonly referred.  El Valle is gorgeous mountain town that is actually nested in a crater of a giant extinct volcano.  The elevation is perfect for the cloud forest to flourish giving nature enthusiasts a lot to do... from bird watching to hiking through primary pristine jungle to rappelling through trees on the "canopy adventure", En Valle has it all.  We traveled in heavy rain which only got worse once we arrived.  It is amazing how much it can rain in this climate.  We found a room to rent behind a restaurant and took it.  The rain finally broke in the late afternoon so we could get out and take a walk around town.  There were many beautiful homes throughout the community.  En Valle must be a major destination for wealthy Panamanians to vacation or have second homes.  We would want to live here if we lived in Panama.

July 18, 2002:  Canopy Adventure

This morning we went to experience the "Canopy Adventure."  First we walked about 45 minutes north of town to El Macho, home to a primary rain/cloud forest, waterfall, and the Canopy Adventure.  We could have hired a cab or taken the bus, but it wasn't raining so we decided to take advantage of the clear weather and walk.  The Canopy Adventure is a suspended ride that uses cables, pulleys and a harness to allow people to basically rappel from platform to platform built high in the trees.  You are able to view the rainforest from dozens of meters above the jungle floor, through the trees and over a waterfall... very cool!!  When we arrived we were fitted with a harness and gloves.  Then, we hiked up a tiny forest trail for about 40 minutes to the top of a hill before reaching the first platform.  The trail was almost un-passable as many trees had fallen across it during the recent rains; but since we were willing to crawl over and under, we convinced our guide to carry on.  We were glad we did because the experience was really something to remember.  We reached our hotel/restaurant for a late lunch just before the heavy afternoon rain came.  Boy is it something!?!  This time we videoed some of the rain because we just couldn't believe how hard it was coming down.  We left En Valle in the rain on a small bus that took us down the hill (or out of the crater).  Once we reached the main highway, we had to get out and wait to flag down another bus traveling in the direction we wanted to go.  There were several other people standing by the road trying to flag down big buses traveling at 60 mph too... so we were encouraged that this was the proper way to do it.  It all worked out well... we didn't have to wait long and the big bus did stop for us.  Just can't imagine doing this back home.

July 19, 2002:  Penonome, La Pintada, Aguadulce, Chitre and Las Tablas!

We stayed overnight at this road side town, Penonome, so we could visit the near by cigar factory and an artisans' market in the smaller town of La Pintada, which has no hostals or places to stay.  Well... this idea was a total bust!  We made it to La Pintada easy enough on the local bus, but we couldn't find anyone at the cigar factory, nor did we see anyone at the market.  Seriously, not a single person.  I guess they don't receive many tourists during the rainy season. 

With nothing left to do in this area, we decided to head to Las Tablas for a festival they are having this weekend.  Thank goodness we called ahead for a room reservation in Las Tablas (something we never do, but had a hunch that we should this time because of the festival), because we found out that the entire town was booked.  Apparently everyone in Panama City is headed to this small town.  We confirm this as all the buses that we try to flag down are completely full.  Now we really want to get there to see what all the fuss is about... so we make arrangements to stay in Chitre, about half hour from Las Tablas, which still had a few rooms available.  Since we couldn't get a bus directly to Chitre or Las Tablas (all full from Panama City), we took the advice of some locals and hailed a bus to Aguadulce.  This at least got us moving in the right direction.  Once in Aguadulce, we were able to find a local bus to Chitre that wasn't full of Panamanians. 

Once in Chitre, we learned from the owner of our hotel that the big "procession", which is the event of the weekend, was going to be tonight in Las Tablas... so we headed back to the bus terminal straight away.  Loads of people were waiting to go to Las Tablas.  We crammed into a mini-van and obnoxiously made room for ourselves on the floor between the seats.  We must have spent to much time in Bolivia where we really learned how to pack a bus, because even the locals were surprised (and probably annoyed) that we fit ourselves in.  We got probably 20 people in this small van. 

Around dusk the festivities began:  small procession around the square and through the streets with horses, girls dancing in traditional dress, one "float" with the saint and scroll made from roses, and lots of firecrackers.  The best part of this procession was the bell ringing in the church bell tower by two men using rocks to hit the bells in a synchronized complex rhythm... it was great!  As night drew in, more and more AND MORE people filled the town square.  Many were dressed up and carrying candles so we knew something else was probably in store.  About 9pm it started!  There must have been over 100,000 people that processed by candlelight through the streets.  It was beautiful.  Young girls were dressed up as the patron saint of the town and there were also a few marching bands sprinkled among the crowds walking with candles.  The town was tiny and people were walking until after 10:30pm, so we figure they must have circled the main square at least twice.  We could tell the people were going to party all night and through the weekend... but it had been an extremely long day for us so we finally called in a night about 11pm and found a bus back to Chitre.  We will remember this event as one of the main highlights of our trip.  It was not a very "touristy" thing to do... in fact, we were the only gringos that we saw there... but that sort of made it even more special.

July 20, 2002:  Saturday travel to Boquete

Today we traveled to Boquete, a beautiful mountain town known for its cool, fresh climate and pristine natural environment.  Great place to escape the heat and humidity that exists throughout most of Panama.  First, we took a semi-local bus to Santiago.  Then, an interstate bus to David.  And finally, a school bus to Boquete.  We found a cheap room, walked around town, grabbed an early dinner and called it an early night. 

July 21, 2002:  Boquete

Since we didn't arrange any tours yesterday we knew today would most likely be slow as most everything is always closed on Sunday.  We walked outside town to Cafe Ruiz, a coffee factory that we wanted to tour and talked with a really nice Dutch guy who runs most of the tours here in Boquete with his wife.  We "signed up" with him to take a coffee tour tomorrow and a hiking trip on the "Quetzal Trail" with his wife on Tuesday.  After feeling pretty good about making arrangements on Sunday, we walked up the road from Cafe Ruiz to visit Mi Jardin es Su Jardin (My Garden is Your Garden).  This place is actually a private estate, where the owners just let people walk around their "yard" year round.  The garden is filled with lawn art, figurines, etc. as well as a koi pond and of course lots of flowers and plants all meticulously manicured.  Sort of strange, but nice at the same time.  In the afternoon we did our laundry at the gringo internet cafe and found a Mexican restaurant for dinner that wasn't half bad.  Funny... but one of the things we miss the most is Mexican food.

July 22, 2002:  Cafe Ruiz - Coffee Tour

We spent all morning, from 9am to 12:30pm, with Hans who gave us a great coffee tour.  We visited a coffee farm where they grow the coffee trees right in the midst all the other native trees from the area so it doesn't really look like a farm at all.  We visited the factory where the beans are processed.  WOW... we thought making wine was complex!  Making coffee has some similar steps but there is so much more.  After the factory, we went back to the finishing plant where they roast and package the beans.  We sat down for a tasting and learned that John has a taste for cheap coffee!  Turns out that dark roasts like French are so dark that most of the flavor is roasted right out of the coffee, therefore you don't really need a high quality bean to make French Roast.

July 23, 2002:  Quetzal Trail

Today we spent the day with Hans' wife, Terri.  They both picked us up around 7am and drove us up the mountain in their 4-wheel drive to a ranger station.  The ranger station was as far as we could go via truck, but we still were not at the trail head.  Before starting out by foot, we ate breakfast at the ranger station.  Terri and Hans had brought a full spread with fruit, eggs, meat, cheese, bread and of course home grown fantastic coffee.  Hans returned with the truck and the rest of us started out for the trail.  We were hoping to see the Resplendent Quetzal, a magnificent looking green bird with really long tail feathers that is common to this area, but we didn't have any luck.  Actually, we didn't really expect to see the bird, as it has a reputation for being very elusive, but we still were hoping.  Oh well... even without the Quetzal, the trip was not to be missed.  The trail was challenging, the scenery was beautiful and we did see lots of other birds.  It was a long journey.  We finished on the other side of the mountain at Cerro Punto around 4pm.  Hans picked us up and drove us to David (on the way back to Boquete) about 40 minutes away.  It was dark by the time we arrived in David, so they drove us to several hotels until we found one that we liked in David.  They were really nice people and both gave great tours around Boquete.  If you visit, we highly recommend contacting Hans and Terri at habbusdekwie@cwpanama.net

July 24, 2002:  David

We slept in this morning at risk of missing the only flight to Bocas del Toro... which we did!  So... we spent the day relaxing around David, even went to the movies.  David is Panama's third most populous cities with over 75,000 residents.  It's the center of the rich farming region which surrounds it, and as such is basically a working city with little tourist attractions.  None the less, we both really liked David.  Not sure why... it just had a nice feel to it.

July 25, 2002:  Bocas del Toro

Today we managed to catch the morning flight to Bocas del Toro.  This is another area that travel magazines are made of.  The Archipelago de Bocas del Toro consists of six large forested islands and numerous smaller ones off the north-eastern shores in the Caribbean.  These islands, unlike those of San Blas, are much more developed and privatized... but they still have retained a lot of local charm, unlike the resort development we saw in Las Perlas.  Bocas del Toro, therefore, is sort of like a happy medium... and we really like it!  We arrived in pouring rain (yes, we are traveling to all these destinations at the "wrong" time) and decided to take a nap while waiting it out.  Later we explored the town and were happy to discover a happening little night life scene.  We could imagine lots of vacationers in the high season have a great time at many cute restaurants and bars.  After dinner, we met a guide at 8pm for a trip out to see turtles nesting on the beach, but no one else showed up (low season), so we decided we would skip it since the transportation cost out to the beach would be double with only two people.

July 26, 2002:  Snorkeling

We went out on a full day snorkeling tour with JJs boat company.  Four other people decided to brave the weather (on and off heavy rain) so we could make the tour  First we went to "Dolphin Bay" and saw a few stragglers, but no major activity.  We realize we are somewhat spoiled after visiting the Galapagos and getting to snorkel with a huge pod of them.  Next, we went out to the snorkeling and lunch site.  Visibility was OK considering how hard it was raining while we were in the water.  The down side was that we were having a lot of trouble with our masks fogging.  It was frustrating.  Lunch was served; John said the lobster was the best he's ever had, and Karen managed to eat her fish despite the presentation -- whole fish: head, eyes and everything!  After lunch, we went to Red Frog Beach and were happy to see the little frog!!  Yeah!  This species only occurs on this one island.  Our fourth and final stop was Hospital Point.  We were supposed to go snorkeling here, but visibility was so poor that the group decided not to go.  All in all, we were happy to get out and see some sights... but as far as snorkeling goes, we were a little disappointed.

July 27, 2002:  Bikes

We rented bikes for the day with the intention of crossing the island to visit Boca del Drago Beach.  We soon realized the insanity of our idea and turned back due to crazy heat and humidity as well as bike problems (gears not shifting very well and Karen's chain came off at least three times).  We rode to a "closer" beach which still turned out to be about an hour and a half ride.  Karen complained heavily of near death, heat exhaustion, etc.  There were crazy big waves breaking on the beach so we couldn't do any real swimming, but we did get in a little to wade around close to shore so that we could cool off after the grueling ride.  We found a shady spot and hung out for a few hours before returning to town.  In the evening we returned to the Blue Moon Bar for cocktails (well actually beers) before dinner.  We went here the day before too and absolutely love it!  The view and atmosphere are outstanding.  There is basically no back wall so that the entire place opens out on the water.  Next door is a loud rowdy pool bar where many locals go.  They play loud music which can be heard, but since it is next door it doesn't overwhelm.  Again... we think this place it great.  Tonight was the first time we really started to discuss some real plans about returning home to the states for a break.  Maybe it was the bike ride, or perhaps all the rain over the past weeks... but home is starting to sound really good.

July 28, 2002:  Bocas del Drago

We were going to leave Panama this morning for Costa Rica, but we met this guy last night who told us he'd take us (via fast boat with others) to the other side of the island to Bocas del Drago (you remember, where we tried to get via bike yesterday) for $10 per person.  We decided to take him up on it, but couldn't find him at the meeting place this morning.  Instead we found an old guy to take just the two of us over there for $30.  We should have realized that price was too good because his boat was VERY small (practically a canoe with a motor) and VERY slow!  The trip took about an hour.  Thirty minutes into the ride, it started pouring, POURING, rain.  We've learned that skin dries faster than clothing and we have our swimsuits on anyway, so we take off our shirts and try to keep our backpacks dry instead.  Feeble attempt, we were soaked within minutes.  Thank goodness there is a restaurant at Bocas del Drago.  We had a place to eat lunch and dry out.  We played cards for hours waing for the heaviest rain to pass.  When it cleared a little, we went out swimming with our snorkel gear off the beach.  Unfortunately, there was really nothing to see except sea grass with was really pretty gross.  We headed back "early" around 2pm and went to our favorite spot in Bocas del Toro, the Blue Moon Bar!  Tomorrow we will leave for Cost Rica.

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