Monday morning was touch-and-go. We checked out of the Lost and Found on the early side because we had to make it down the mountain and you can never tell when a bus will come by and stop for you. The rain had stopped and it was lovely outside and we were able to enjoy the short hike down from the hostel to the road. It was not at all creepy in the sunlight-- charming, actually.
We caught a bus within twenty minutes but it was already full, so we got to stand in the aisle. I will remind you that these are van buses and when one stands in the aisle, your butt ends up right near someone´s face. I was leaning over to steady myself on the seat backs and view the incredible vistas as we descended the mountain. We passed several waterfalls and a huge dam. There was a really cute boy wearing shorts overalls who kept exclaiming, "Mira! Mira!" everytime we passed one. It was precious. Nadiv was not as enthralled because he was getting quite carsick. The road was twisty and the ride lasted for three hours. He took some Dramamine to minimal effect.
After the bus ride to Almirante, we had to take a water taxi to Isla Colon, which is the main island in Bocas del Toro. We met an Israeli guy in line named Yehuda. He told us that we had to relax in Central America, which is ironic coming from an Israeli. (Have you ever seen anyone calm who has lived in Israel?) We also met this very happy Brittish guy, whom we will call Mr. Jolly. We´re lucky that he was so nice because I squeezed his shoulder and buried my head in his arm for the majority of the bumpy boat ride. It was scary and a bit nauseating.
Upon our arrival to Bocas Town on Isla Colon, we experienced what I would like to call The Dramamine Episode. I had taken a Dramamine on the mainland in anticipation of the boat ride. The drowsy side effect started to kick in a few minutes after we stepped off the boat. Nadiv describes the Episode thusly: "You were essentially retarded for two hours." I could not finish my sentences and moved in a more sloth-like fashion than usual. All I wanted to do was lay down on the street and go to sleep.
Here is where Marcus the tout started following us around and blabbing about everything on the island. It was really unclear what he was trying to get us to buy. He followed us up and down the streets of the town even after we told him that we were doing some errands before taking a boat. He followed us to the bank where both ATMs (the only ones in the whole archipelago) were broken. He was following us to the pay phone when I blurted out, "Stop talking!!!!!" because his constant babble (in broken English) was annoying me through my drugged state. At this, his whole body became rigid and his face got mad and he lashed out at me for being rude. Thankfully we were almost at the payphone and could escape him.
A one dollar water taxi ride later, and we were at our hotel Los Balcones on Carinero Island. Surprise! They gave away our room! So we were granted an "upgrade." In end, we got a really big room that was not all that great and didn´t have a nice view.
We walked to get dinner at Bibi´s restaurant. I was still in a stupor but managed to beat Nadiv at cards several times. We experienced the wonderful waiter/guide Fabien and I tasted the vegetable cheyote for the first time. (Almost like a cucumber-jicama hybrid, but cooked.) Along with the rest of my dish came a side of patacones, which were gross. No surprise there.
Eventually I woke up just in time to walk back after dinner. We hung out a bit and then went to sleep to the sound of water lapping.
Friday, January 7, 2011
lost and found
Here is where I tell you about the fantastic day that we spent in the La Fortuna rainforest. The Lost and Found hostel where we were staying was like a huge tree house in the forest. They had a lot of food ingredients stocked away and we were able to make some delicious vegetable omelettes and toast for breakfast. Then we rested for a bit in our cozy bunk in the dorms while it rained outside.
Determined to get out, we geared up for a hike despite the rain. Nadiv tied a rope around his middle on top of his poncho and resembled a shepard. I had to return to the room five times to retrieve things I forgot. We set off for the top of the mountain with some wooden hiking sticks.
The hike up to the mirador was muddy and drippy but beautiful. We were truly in a rainforest and surrounded by lush green trees. The rain came in waves and there was wind, too. It was really good that we had our walking sticks because part of the trail was up a rather steep incline and we had to foist ourselves up. The mud was also very slippery and the sticks helped to stabalize. I did slip on my butt on the way down.
We saw:
The afternoon was spent reading, watching movies, and hanging out with the other hostel peeps. The rain got harder and harder and the wind picked up. It was really loud and cold. I made mac-n-cheese for dinner and Nadiv reported several days later that it was the worst macaroni he has ever eaten.
Happy Hour!!! This was one of the funnest happy hours I´ve been to. A lot of people came to hang out in the bar area because there was not much else to do on account of the rain. We played a sick hand of Uno (with a new German rule that makes it super fun) and drank and then began the fooseball tournament!! I will fully admit here that I have really never played fooseball before and am therefor terrible. However, I was paired up with Ben, one of the volunteers at the hostel who does not wear deoderant, and he was pretty awesome! We won!!!!! I got a beer bought for me for each round that we won, and I gave them all away. It was really exciting and now I fancy myself a beginner plus.
Possibly the best moment in the evening was when Nadiv thought these girls Amalia and Emily were a couple and he kept dropping a bunch of hints that he had worked in gay bars in San Francisco and was familiar with this and that lesbian bar and then finally he asked if Emily´s parents minded that she was dating a non-Jewish girl. Turns out they were not a couple and not even gay. I was busy winning the fooseball tournament at the time but I can assure you that when I finished and came to hang out, this is all we talked about for thirty minutes.
Then there was more hanging out and some drinking games and Nadiv had too much to drink. Later, I read in bed next to him while he lay moaning on his stomach. (My assistance was refused several times because, I quote, "This is not my first rodeo.¨) Eventually he started snoring so I figured it was ok to turn out the lights and go to sleep.
The wind and the rain continued their loud howling all night long.
Determined to get out, we geared up for a hike despite the rain. Nadiv tied a rope around his middle on top of his poncho and resembled a shepard. I had to return to the room five times to retrieve things I forgot. We set off for the top of the mountain with some wooden hiking sticks.
The hike up to the mirador was muddy and drippy but beautiful. We were truly in a rainforest and surrounded by lush green trees. The rain came in waves and there was wind, too. It was really good that we had our walking sticks because part of the trail was up a rather steep incline and we had to foist ourselves up. The mud was also very slippery and the sticks helped to stabalize. I did slip on my butt on the way down.
We saw:
- bright orange fungus
- a rainbow at the top
- lots of mud
- cloud cover
- the vista (on account of all the cloud cover) (this being a cloud forest and all)
The afternoon was spent reading, watching movies, and hanging out with the other hostel peeps. The rain got harder and harder and the wind picked up. It was really loud and cold. I made mac-n-cheese for dinner and Nadiv reported several days later that it was the worst macaroni he has ever eaten.
Happy Hour!!! This was one of the funnest happy hours I´ve been to. A lot of people came to hang out in the bar area because there was not much else to do on account of the rain. We played a sick hand of Uno (with a new German rule that makes it super fun) and drank and then began the fooseball tournament!! I will fully admit here that I have really never played fooseball before and am therefor terrible. However, I was paired up with Ben, one of the volunteers at the hostel who does not wear deoderant, and he was pretty awesome! We won!!!!! I got a beer bought for me for each round that we won, and I gave them all away. It was really exciting and now I fancy myself a beginner plus.
Possibly the best moment in the evening was when Nadiv thought these girls Amalia and Emily were a couple and he kept dropping a bunch of hints that he had worked in gay bars in San Francisco and was familiar with this and that lesbian bar and then finally he asked if Emily´s parents minded that she was dating a non-Jewish girl. Turns out they were not a couple and not even gay. I was busy winning the fooseball tournament at the time but I can assure you that when I finished and came to hang out, this is all we talked about for thirty minutes.
Then there was more hanging out and some drinking games and Nadiv had too much to drink. Later, I read in bed next to him while he lay moaning on his stomach. (My assistance was refused several times because, I quote, "This is not my first rodeo.¨) Eventually he started snoring so I figured it was ok to turn out the lights and go to sleep.
The wind and the rain continued their loud howling all night long.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
found!
We were met by hostel volunteer Judith, who gave us an incredibly detailed tour of the place. She managed to abstain from explaining how the doorknobs worked but little else escaped her introduction. Apparently the management had given away our room -- they didn´t think we would show up so late. (We arrived at nine.)
We fooled them! I am not afraid to hike in the dark! In a foreign country! Without a map! Not speaking the language! Though I probably should be!
The dorm was a very tall barn-like building with three layers of bunks going up to the ceiling. We chose a bed on the second level. It was a bed built for two people - big mattress, not a normal bunk bed type. We chose the next door bed to lay out all of our bags.
As I got ready for a shower, we were pulled into a room to be shown a spider presentation by this Oxford researcher who has been collecting specimen from the area. He showed us several of his catches, a few of them being a newly discovered species. The last spiders he showed us were dead and he pulled them out of a jar from the refrigerator. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that they were larger than my hand with all the fingers outstretched. Think of the biggest tarantulas you have ever seen and then multiply that by five. It was sick. It was also fascinating. Unfortunately, I didn´t have the camera with me. The spider looked like this but imagine it with legs twice as long.
After show and tell, I took a very hot shower and Nadiv drank most of a bottle of rum. We both had a pasta dinner and chatted with Spiderman for a bit and then went to bed. The dorm bunk bed turned out to be really cozy.
We fooled them! I am not afraid to hike in the dark! In a foreign country! Without a map! Not speaking the language! Though I probably should be!
The dorm was a very tall barn-like building with three layers of bunks going up to the ceiling. We chose a bed on the second level. It was a bed built for two people - big mattress, not a normal bunk bed type. We chose the next door bed to lay out all of our bags.
As I got ready for a shower, we were pulled into a room to be shown a spider presentation by this Oxford researcher who has been collecting specimen from the area. He showed us several of his catches, a few of them being a newly discovered species. The last spiders he showed us were dead and he pulled them out of a jar from the refrigerator. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that they were larger than my hand with all the fingers outstretched. Think of the biggest tarantulas you have ever seen and then multiply that by five. It was sick. It was also fascinating. Unfortunately, I didn´t have the camera with me. The spider looked like this but imagine it with legs twice as long.
After show and tell, I took a very hot shower and Nadiv drank most of a bottle of rum. We both had a pasta dinner and chatted with Spiderman for a bit and then went to bed. The dorm bunk bed turned out to be really cozy.
dias de los buses
- First bus we took from El Valle down the mountain to the Panamerican highway. We caught it after waiting for only a minute and we got to sit next to each other and it was super easy and fast.
- Second bus we took after waiting for over an hour next to the highway. This bus traveled an hour or so to Penonome, which is in the middle of the country. We met a nice American girl named Julie who ended up being our translator for most of our transport.
- Third bus went from Penonome to Santiago. On this bus we met a Belgium family. This bus also left from an actual bus station and we got to eat and I got to pee for the first time.
- Our fourth bus went to David, which is the major city on the left side of the country. This bus was real bus sized and had reclining seats that reclined as much as airplane seats. (Read: not much.) This bus was three hours long. At this point both of us had reached bus saturation.
- Our fifth bus went from David to Guanaca. It was short and sweet.
- Finally, we took a "taxi" (which was really a car owned by this guy Romero) up the mountain until the base of Lost and Found hostel. It is located in the La Fortuna rain forest. It is not on the map but it was about a third of the way between David and Almirante at the top of a mountain. The ride up the mountain took us into cloud forest territory and there were parts of the road that were so shrouded in fog that you couldn´t seen more than fifteen feet ahead.
- After being dropped off, we hiked up the Lost and Found trail in the pitch black. Luckily we had a head lamp and a flashlight. At one point we took a wrong turn and found ourselves in front of a creepy abandoned barn. After turning back, the real hike took about fifteen minutes more in the pitch black and then we FINALLY REACHED LOST AND FOUND HOSTEL!!!!!!!!
new years
New Years Eve totally sucked. Barely anyone was out on the street and our dinner at Canadian bar was just so-so and we got into a fight and walked to the end of the city (it´s four blocks long) in empty streets and then right before midnight we raced eachother back into the center and Nadiv beat me and we watched fireworks go off for ten minutes. Then Nadiv bought a boatload of fireworks and we set those off in the middle of the street and it was loud and colorful and exciting. There were drunk men about and fireworks still going off and random cars driving in the street. Back at our hotel we met some cool chicks from San Francisco and talked to them. 2011 so far was disappointing so I think that tomorrow night I will do it again for reals.
el valle, day two
I woke this morning at dawn and looked out the window above our bed. Sunlight was streaming up around La Dormida, the mountain which overshadows the town. The sunrise was splendid, and it also meant no rain!!! I went back to sleep and we both got up at about nine thirty, which is perfect sleeping in time for vacation.
We ate breakfast at the downstairs restaurant. I ordered faux Arroz de la Cuba (see all my notes on Peru), but it was so not good. The plantains, which are normally sweet and somewhat juicy, were smushed and fried in salty dough. These are called patacones. The Panamanians took a delicious food and managed to make it completely unpalatable. Even in ketchup they were gross.
El Valle Day Two´s events were to include the El Nispero zoo and the hot springs. Lonely Planet warns that people who are sensitive to animals in cages should avoid this zoo. I can second that one hundred percent although the animal empathy wears off after twenty minutes or so. This zoo had no paved roads and no advertisements for Steve Irwin (see notes for Australia). Just a lot of grass and a lot of animals in cages. We saw the following non-American animals:
After the zoo, we rented bikes and went to the hot springs. These were a sad affair. There were like four other people there and the whole place looked like it was created by a concrete enthusiast who had a thing for circles. There was one large tub of water that was luke-warm and brownish. Two older gentlemen were sitting in there. There was a station where you apply your own mud mask and then another station where you sit with your legs in a pool waiting for your mask to dry. This second station resembled a large bathtub and also contained brown water. Also, most importantly, we were informed that the hot springs weren´t really hot because all of the recent rain cooled down the pools.
I managed to convince Nadiv to stay and even to put mud on his face. While we waited in the bathtub for our faces to dry, we met a nice Italian family and chatted about our trips. They told us about the Panamanian New Years tradition of creating a life size stuffed scarecrow person and burning it at midnight. As it burns, it gets rid of all the bad spirits and memories from the year past. We had seen numerous stuffed figures on the side of the highway yesterday and even at the zoo this morning. This sounded like an awesome tradition.
After rinsing off the mud, we all moved to the larger pool where about fifteen other people were already standing and joking and having fun in the water. The hot springs turned out to be kind of fun, because the pool was filled and we had some nice conversations and I discovered that I could tread water quite better than the rest. We soon forget that the water was dirty and to be honest, since it was so hot outside the lukewarm water felt pretty good.
Back at the ranch, we met a monkey type animal named Monica and then chillaxed on the rooftop hammocks.
We ate breakfast at the downstairs restaurant. I ordered faux Arroz de la Cuba (see all my notes on Peru), but it was so not good. The plantains, which are normally sweet and somewhat juicy, were smushed and fried in salty dough. These are called patacones. The Panamanians took a delicious food and managed to make it completely unpalatable. Even in ketchup they were gross.
El Valle Day Two´s events were to include the El Nispero zoo and the hot springs. Lonely Planet warns that people who are sensitive to animals in cages should avoid this zoo. I can second that one hundred percent although the animal empathy wears off after twenty minutes or so. This zoo had no paved roads and no advertisements for Steve Irwin (see notes for Australia). Just a lot of grass and a lot of animals in cages. We saw the following non-American animals:
- tapir (ugly!!!)
- ostrich (Nadiv touched its beak!)
- very loud sheep (I know sheep are American but these were so loud they must have been a Panamanian variety or something)
- birds, birds, and more birds
- also chickens (possibly to feed the other animals with? There is no other reason to display four hundred chickens at a zoo.)
- the golden frog, Panama´s national animal, and other frogs
- crocodile
- monkeys
- a sloth!! My kindred spirit!!
After the zoo, we rented bikes and went to the hot springs. These were a sad affair. There were like four other people there and the whole place looked like it was created by a concrete enthusiast who had a thing for circles. There was one large tub of water that was luke-warm and brownish. Two older gentlemen were sitting in there. There was a station where you apply your own mud mask and then another station where you sit with your legs in a pool waiting for your mask to dry. This second station resembled a large bathtub and also contained brown water. Also, most importantly, we were informed that the hot springs weren´t really hot because all of the recent rain cooled down the pools.
I managed to convince Nadiv to stay and even to put mud on his face. While we waited in the bathtub for our faces to dry, we met a nice Italian family and chatted about our trips. They told us about the Panamanian New Years tradition of creating a life size stuffed scarecrow person and burning it at midnight. As it burns, it gets rid of all the bad spirits and memories from the year past. We had seen numerous stuffed figures on the side of the highway yesterday and even at the zoo this morning. This sounded like an awesome tradition.
After rinsing off the mud, we all moved to the larger pool where about fifteen other people were already standing and joking and having fun in the water. The hot springs turned out to be kind of fun, because the pool was filled and we had some nice conversations and I discovered that I could tread water quite better than the rest. We soon forget that the water was dirty and to be honest, since it was so hot outside the lukewarm water felt pretty good.
Back at the ranch, we met a monkey type animal named Monica and then chillaxed on the rooftop hammocks.
el valle, day one
This morning we wake up at 8:00, courtesy of the alarm clock, had our stuff packed and out the door to the Allbrook Mall all bright and shiny. Nadiv bought new sunglasses (faux Ray Bans) and uber slow Taco Bell, which tasted "zero different than Taco Bell in the U.S." The mall on a Thursday morning was a much more tame affair.
I picked choice seats on our bus, with a full windshield view and extra leg room as we were behind the door. The buses here are like large vans with several rows. They smush in however many people they can hold and then some. We didn´t know this yet. Also, we didn´t know that a bus guy would stand on the stairs for the entire trip so he could open the door quickly and shout our destination to every person standing on the side of the road.
The only highlight of the bus trip was driving on the Puente de las Americas bridge. It connects South America to North America. We went over it.
We arrived in El Valle in the pouring rain. After getting our cute room on the third floor of a restaurant/hotel, we donned ponchos and rain shoes and took a jumping picture in the middle of the street. Classic.
On to El Macho! Which means, "The Waterfall!" Nadiv had originally given me the privilege to choose between the zoo and the hot springs, and I instead chose that we would walk for thirty minutes in the drizzle to the waterfall. (Isn´t Nadiv sweet for putting up with me?) It turned out to be a great choice because the walk was on a paved road, through a jungly neighborhood, next to rainforest mountains. There was lush greenery all around us. There was almost no one on the road except for us. El Macho was large and loud and everything that you expect a waterfall to be. It was a beautiful spot and I got to pee in the woods next to it.
For lunner (lunch/dinner ?) I got a salad and fries at a total local place. We played cards until the rain had almost stopped. It was sort of going on and off all day, but it was nice to take the ponchos off and sit down. The salad, though it only had three ingredients, was muy refrescado (is that a word? We have been using it a lot.), and the fries were delish. Also I whooped Nadiv´s butt for three games in a row but then he beat me on the next few rounds.
Then, our plan was to take a nap and go out to dinner and drinking after. We woke up at eight in the pitch black and made a mutual decision to not leave the room. After watching several episodes of 30 Rock on Panama TV (I know!!!), Nadiv went to get food at the only open place in town -- a Canadian bar. We ate in front of the TV and slept with frogs chirping all night long.
I picked choice seats on our bus, with a full windshield view and extra leg room as we were behind the door. The buses here are like large vans with several rows. They smush in however many people they can hold and then some. We didn´t know this yet. Also, we didn´t know that a bus guy would stand on the stairs for the entire trip so he could open the door quickly and shout our destination to every person standing on the side of the road.
The only highlight of the bus trip was driving on the Puente de las Americas bridge. It connects South America to North America. We went over it.
We arrived in El Valle in the pouring rain. After getting our cute room on the third floor of a restaurant/hotel, we donned ponchos and rain shoes and took a jumping picture in the middle of the street. Classic.
On to El Macho! Which means, "The Waterfall!" Nadiv had originally given me the privilege to choose between the zoo and the hot springs, and I instead chose that we would walk for thirty minutes in the drizzle to the waterfall. (Isn´t Nadiv sweet for putting up with me?) It turned out to be a great choice because the walk was on a paved road, through a jungly neighborhood, next to rainforest mountains. There was lush greenery all around us. There was almost no one on the road except for us. El Macho was large and loud and everything that you expect a waterfall to be. It was a beautiful spot and I got to pee in the woods next to it.
For lunner (lunch/dinner ?) I got a salad and fries at a total local place. We played cards until the rain had almost stopped. It was sort of going on and off all day, but it was nice to take the ponchos off and sit down. The salad, though it only had three ingredients, was muy refrescado (is that a word? We have been using it a lot.), and the fries were delish. Also I whooped Nadiv´s butt for three games in a row but then he beat me on the next few rounds.
Then, our plan was to take a nap and go out to dinner and drinking after. We woke up at eight in the pitch black and made a mutual decision to not leave the room. After watching several episodes of 30 Rock on Panama TV (I know!!!), Nadiv went to get food at the only open place in town -- a Canadian bar. We ate in front of the TV and slept with frogs chirping all night long.
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