- Panamanian children are incredibly well behaved. In the whole of our trip, we saw maybe two kids who were loud or fussy. Most of them waited at bus stops silently. I would like to know what they put in the water.
- Chocolate is not really popular here. There are very few chocolate selections at the cash register. M&Ms and Dairy Milk bars are imported and that is about all there is.
- Other than the Panama Canal museum at the Miraflores Locks on the second day, we did not go inside a single building besides hotels and restaurants and grocery shops. Everything we did was outside.
- Panamanians do not understand the plantain.
- If you are thinking of traveling to Panama, you should bring plenty of T shirts and a big ol' can of bug spray. It is super humid and nothing sweaty or beachy will dry unless you get a place with a/c. If you want to have the best time ever, make sure to bring your cuddly boyfriend who will listen to you complain about bug bites, put up with your blank stare arguments, and make sure that you get enough vegetarian food to eat. If you are really lucky, he will give you massages and kiss you to sleep and even lend you his comfy black sweatpant shorts to wear when all of your pants are in the wash because you fell on your butt in the mud in the middle of a rainforest. I love you, dude!
Monday, January 10, 2011
last thoughts
first class!
We got our 8:00am flight easy enough -- the airport is located a few blocks from Bocas Town, and you can walk right onto the runway if you wanted. The flight left a bit late and we were both sweating it because there was not a lot of time between that and our connecting international flight. The plane was one of those sixteen-seaters with propellers. It was really loud, but pretty smooth and had a great view.
Once landed, we booked it to get a taxi because the domestic airport is on the opposite side of the city as the international airport. Juan the taxi driver assured us that we had plenty of time. He was right, it turned out. There was no traffic whatsoever, perhaps owing to it being Saturday morning. We even had time to shop around the duty free before our second flight boarded.
Here is where I regale you with tales of our FIRST CLASS SEATS experience. Yes, that's right, I said first class, row 2. The seats were wide and comfy and there was ample leg room that neither of us could even take full advantage of given our height (or lack thereof). In addition to hot towels, eye shades, and a dedicated flight attendant, we were served the following:
We had a fabulous time.
Once landed, we booked it to get a taxi because the domestic airport is on the opposite side of the city as the international airport. Juan the taxi driver assured us that we had plenty of time. He was right, it turned out. There was no traffic whatsoever, perhaps owing to it being Saturday morning. We even had time to shop around the duty free before our second flight boarded.
Here is where I regale you with tales of our FIRST CLASS SEATS experience. Yes, that's right, I said first class, row 2. The seats were wide and comfy and there was ample leg room that neither of us could even take full advantage of given our height (or lack thereof). In addition to hot towels, eye shades, and a dedicated flight attendant, we were served the following:
- pre-flight orange juice
- a menu
- drinks (Baileys for me, obviously)
- pretzel snacks in a ceramic dish (I'm pretty sure they just opened the little snack pack foil wrapper and poured it into a bowl.)
- appetizers (corn soup! in a ceramic bowl! With a fabric table-cloth!)
- main course which was artfully displayed on white ceramic plates, like how they would be served in a restaurant, and not like how they are usually served in plastic tubs in coach class)
- dessert (ice cream sundae!)
- plentiful drinks
- a second meal of toasted avocado/tomato/cheese sandwich served on nice plates yet again
We had a fabulous time.
bocas, day five
This morning I got up very quickly and packed very quickly and ate breakfast very quickly, much to Nadiv's surprise. He was not aware that I could move faster than a sloth. Breakfast was made by cook Sonia and included a breakfast omelet and German bread (made with the blood of Jews).
We left Bastimentos to spend our last day on Isla Colon. Our flight left the following day and we were a little concerned about getting a water taxi at 6 am. In Bocas Town, we found a super sweet place to stay at. It was a few blocks away from the main drag and built on the edge of the water with a huge wooden living room deck. The owners, surfers Mike and Jaime, are from Venice Beach. This place had hot showers and a jacuzzi AND COUCHES so it was like decision made.
It took four hours to get our room ready for some reason. In the meantime, we played several rounds of Bananagrams, which is like the funnest game ever! You might know this game as "Australian rules scrabble" but it's more fun when you call it Bananagrams. I beat Nadiv twice.
Then we took a bus to Play del Drago. Everyone had been telling us how great this beach was, and I mean EVERYONE. But it kind of sucked. It was overcast and the sand was wet. We saw a few starfish in the water. There were no waves at all and Nadiv swam out far without my having a heart attack. However, there were stingers in the water (sand flies?) and after fifteen minutes it started to drizzle. I managed for a bit with the umbrella, but then the rain got harder and it was just kind of miserable to be out. As we walked back to the bus stop ("bus stop") it started to pour. We took shelter at beach restaurant and ordered somewhat tasty Caribbean food which I refused to eat slowly. It came with patacones, which were, of course, terrible.
When we got back, we jumped in the jacuzzi (but not before Nadiv jumped in the ocean again). JACUZZI!!!!!!! It was one of those above ground ones that you see for sale at the County Fair. I am definitely buying one when I move somewhere with a yard.
Pre-dinner Bananagrams game! We are so competitive and the Bananagrams frenzy was so great -- Mike kept egging us on -- that Nadiv accidentally tossed one of his tiles too hard and it fell off the table and through the slats of the deck into the ocean! Mike said he had to go get it. I don't think that Nadiv was upset for a minute He quickly stripped off his clothes and jumped in the water. It was pretty shallow under the deck. He found the tile after a few minutes and some scrapes from barnacles were the only casualty. (Jaime was appalled that Mike made Nadiv jump in and she kept saying that since it was a V tile, it would be fine left in the ocean. "No one likes that tile, anyhow.")
For dinner, we went to Natural Mystic, and all veggie hippie reggae hookah bar restaurant. It was frickin awesome and a perfect place to eat our last meal. The food was DELICIOUS and the lights were all covered with red fabric and the hookah was grape and the band was pretty good. I didn't really want to leave, but we had to pack and before that, I had to visit every grocery store to purchase Intenso cookies.
I did not find Intensos. But I did stop in every grocery store.
Back at our place, we packed our stuff and then watched the local geckos hang out on our walls and ceiling. Nadiv read on his Kindle, and I fell asleep in a quick second.
We left Bastimentos to spend our last day on Isla Colon. Our flight left the following day and we were a little concerned about getting a water taxi at 6 am. In Bocas Town, we found a super sweet place to stay at. It was a few blocks away from the main drag and built on the edge of the water with a huge wooden living room deck. The owners, surfers Mike and Jaime, are from Venice Beach. This place had hot showers and a jacuzzi AND COUCHES so it was like decision made.
It took four hours to get our room ready for some reason. In the meantime, we played several rounds of Bananagrams, which is like the funnest game ever! You might know this game as "Australian rules scrabble" but it's more fun when you call it Bananagrams. I beat Nadiv twice.
Then we took a bus to Play del Drago. Everyone had been telling us how great this beach was, and I mean EVERYONE. But it kind of sucked. It was overcast and the sand was wet. We saw a few starfish in the water. There were no waves at all and Nadiv swam out far without my having a heart attack. However, there were stingers in the water (sand flies?) and after fifteen minutes it started to drizzle. I managed for a bit with the umbrella, but then the rain got harder and it was just kind of miserable to be out. As we walked back to the bus stop ("bus stop") it started to pour. We took shelter at beach restaurant and ordered somewhat tasty Caribbean food which I refused to eat slowly. It came with patacones, which were, of course, terrible.
When we got back, we jumped in the jacuzzi (but not before Nadiv jumped in the ocean again). JACUZZI!!!!!!! It was one of those above ground ones that you see for sale at the County Fair. I am definitely buying one when I move somewhere with a yard.
Pre-dinner Bananagrams game! We are so competitive and the Bananagrams frenzy was so great -- Mike kept egging us on -- that Nadiv accidentally tossed one of his tiles too hard and it fell off the table and through the slats of the deck into the ocean! Mike said he had to go get it. I don't think that Nadiv was upset for a minute He quickly stripped off his clothes and jumped in the water. It was pretty shallow under the deck. He found the tile after a few minutes and some scrapes from barnacles were the only casualty. (Jaime was appalled that Mike made Nadiv jump in and she kept saying that since it was a V tile, it would be fine left in the ocean. "No one likes that tile, anyhow.")
For dinner, we went to Natural Mystic, and all veggie hippie reggae hookah bar restaurant. It was frickin awesome and a perfect place to eat our last meal. The food was DELICIOUS and the lights were all covered with red fabric and the hookah was grape and the band was pretty good. I didn't really want to leave, but we had to pack and before that, I had to visit every grocery store to purchase Intenso cookies.
I did not find Intensos. But I did stop in every grocery store.
Back at our place, we packed our stuff and then watched the local geckos hang out on our walls and ceiling. Nadiv read on his Kindle, and I fell asleep in a quick second.
bocas, day four: family dinner
Family dinner at Tio Tom's is like eating with your own family, if you happen to have a German uncle who drinks a lot and fancies himself the Blackest White Man in the Caribbean.
My dinner was tasty -- grilled vegies (including chayote), fried eggplant, rosemary potatoes, mojito. The company was fun and we talked about the island and about chayote and the Panamanian president and the fact that Tio Tom means Uncle Tom. (Yes, they know.) Everyone was in good spirits. Tom had been drinking all afternoon and was in especially good spirits. Tia Ina tried to shut him up by kissing him on the mouth but that only lasted a few seconds and then on he went.
I left to purchase chocolate and ice cream and when we were done eating, Nadiv and I got ready for bed and then sat in our cabin watching and listening to the rain fall on the water outside. It was a delicious night.
My dinner was tasty -- grilled vegies (including chayote), fried eggplant, rosemary potatoes, mojito. The company was fun and we talked about the island and about chayote and the Panamanian president and the fact that Tio Tom means Uncle Tom. (Yes, they know.) Everyone was in good spirits. Tom had been drinking all afternoon and was in especially good spirits. Tia Ina tried to shut him up by kissing him on the mouth but that only lasted a few seconds and then on he went.
I left to purchase chocolate and ice cream and when we were done eating, Nadiv and I got ready for bed and then sat in our cabin watching and listening to the rain fall on the water outside. It was a delicious night.
bocas, day four: cave day!
I will admit freely that I was scared shitless of going on this cave adventure. I do not normally mind caves, and I am not afraid of bats, but I am afraid of caves with water on account of the possibility of water rising up and cutting off all of the air. BUT I decided to suck it up and be a good girlfriend and take the risk because Nadiv was soooooo excited.
We got our own tour guide, Mitch, a Bocas man through and through who was born on the island. He took us in his boat out to the end of Bastimentos and then through the mangroves. We had to slow way down because the channel was narrow and there were lots of plants and vines overhead. We saw a lot of birds and a bunch of crabs. It was like The Jungle Ride at Disneyland, only real.
Then we disembarked and took a muddy walk through this guy Juan's property and then arrived at THE CAVE.
The cave was large and the water was ankle deep at first. There were bats overhead and when you shined your flashlight on them, you could see their round bodies wiggling upside down, suspended from the ceiling. Water was dripping from stalactites up above. It was soon pitch black. Thank god for my headlamp.
After a few minutes of slow walking, the water deepened significantly. We set aside the camera (wrapped in several ziplock bags) and waded through. When we were waist deep, I peed my pants. On purpose. (When I told Nadiv, he said, "Oh yeah, me too.") This calmed me down significantly and from then on, I wasn't scared.
We went farther into the cave and the water got deeper. It was up to my neck in a few places. But it felt cool and refreshing compared to the humidity in the cave. We kept going and got to a swimming pit with a waterfall pouring in. It was eerily beautiful in the glow of the flashlights. Bats were still flying through, occasionally.
Eventually, we had to come out. We were dripping wet. We walked back past Juan's land and back into our boat and we motored on out of the mangroves and then into open water to Old Bank.
The caves were pretty fucking awesome and I am soooooo glad we went. Here is a list of animals we saw today:
We got our own tour guide, Mitch, a Bocas man through and through who was born on the island. He took us in his boat out to the end of Bastimentos and then through the mangroves. We had to slow way down because the channel was narrow and there were lots of plants and vines overhead. We saw a lot of birds and a bunch of crabs. It was like The Jungle Ride at Disneyland, only real.
Then we disembarked and took a muddy walk through this guy Juan's property and then arrived at THE CAVE.
The cave was large and the water was ankle deep at first. There were bats overhead and when you shined your flashlight on them, you could see their round bodies wiggling upside down, suspended from the ceiling. Water was dripping from stalactites up above. It was soon pitch black. Thank god for my headlamp.
After a few minutes of slow walking, the water deepened significantly. We set aside the camera (wrapped in several ziplock bags) and waded through. When we were waist deep, I peed my pants. On purpose. (When I told Nadiv, he said, "Oh yeah, me too.") This calmed me down significantly and from then on, I wasn't scared.
We went farther into the cave and the water got deeper. It was up to my neck in a few places. But it felt cool and refreshing compared to the humidity in the cave. We kept going and got to a swimming pit with a waterfall pouring in. It was eerily beautiful in the glow of the flashlights. Bats were still flying through, occasionally.
Eventually, we had to come out. We were dripping wet. We walked back past Juan's land and back into our boat and we motored on out of the mangroves and then into open water to Old Bank.
The caves were pretty fucking awesome and I am soooooo glad we went. Here is a list of animals we saw today:
- various birds
- crustaceans
- bats
- red frogs
- monkeys playing in trees
- a sloth!!!!!!!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
the long, muddy, trek to wizard beach
After the chocolate farm, we made a quick stop at the local Thai place to make reservations. This was indeed a quick stop -- about three minutes away -- and then we came down the mountain on an easy, paved path.
Then there was some napping in our sea cabin and some discussion about my Blank Stare Argument. Construction on the Old Bank docks was well underway, so the napping was cut short and we decided to embark on a hike to visit Wizard Beach.
We donned covered shoes and dosed ourselves with a generous spraying of Off! Deep Woods! bug repellent. We packed Nadiv's waterproof bag with sarongs and books. I removed my contact lenses in anticipation of swimming in the ocean. We set off!
And then we suffered through sixty minutes of mountain and muck and bugs and swamp. At the top of the mountain, we lost the trail and had to sludge through muddy jungle. It was steep and we picked up some hiking sticks to help us out. Both of us almost fell several times. At one point, we found a small stream that was heading down and so we followed it (getting wet) until it finally wound its way onto the beach. Emerging from the foliage, we leapt out onto the sand. We were both splattered with mud and wet up to our ankles, dragging heavy wooden sticks along the sand. A group of sunbathers looked upon our entrance in confusion. The official path lay some hundred meters up the beach.
Wizard Beach turned out to be rather disappointing. The surf was nasty and violent and after yesterday's riptide incident, we agreed that Nadiv was not going to be wave diving. He frolicked in waist-high water while I sat at the water's edge and covered my legs with wet sand. The current was extremely strong and even I could feel it pulling at my legs on its way in.
After an hour, it was time to dry off and head back. We needed to get to the top of the mountain before dark, and we weren't sure how fast going even the official path would be. It turned out to be just as muddy as ever, although wider and with many signposts courtesy of the chocolate farm leading the way. Our walking sticks were a godsend. We managed to nip in and out of the chocolate farm for some more truffles and arrived at our Thai restaurant right as dusk was falling.
Dinner was delicious. We sat on a porch dangling over the jungle. It was pristine. The only sounds were from patrons eating. The rainforest surrounded us and we could see lights glittering on the water far away. We ate slowly and lazily, savoring the peacefulness.
Let's look on the bright side of our jungle trek with some highlights:
Coming back down over the concrete path was easy. We read on the deck hammocks for a bit and then snuggled and then went to sleep.
Then there was some napping in our sea cabin and some discussion about my Blank Stare Argument. Construction on the Old Bank docks was well underway, so the napping was cut short and we decided to embark on a hike to visit Wizard Beach.
We donned covered shoes and dosed ourselves with a generous spraying of Off! Deep Woods! bug repellent. We packed Nadiv's waterproof bag with sarongs and books. I removed my contact lenses in anticipation of swimming in the ocean. We set off!
And then we suffered through sixty minutes of mountain and muck and bugs and swamp. At the top of the mountain, we lost the trail and had to sludge through muddy jungle. It was steep and we picked up some hiking sticks to help us out. Both of us almost fell several times. At one point, we found a small stream that was heading down and so we followed it (getting wet) until it finally wound its way onto the beach. Emerging from the foliage, we leapt out onto the sand. We were both splattered with mud and wet up to our ankles, dragging heavy wooden sticks along the sand. A group of sunbathers looked upon our entrance in confusion. The official path lay some hundred meters up the beach.
Wizard Beach turned out to be rather disappointing. The surf was nasty and violent and after yesterday's riptide incident, we agreed that Nadiv was not going to be wave diving. He frolicked in waist-high water while I sat at the water's edge and covered my legs with wet sand. The current was extremely strong and even I could feel it pulling at my legs on its way in.
After an hour, it was time to dry off and head back. We needed to get to the top of the mountain before dark, and we weren't sure how fast going even the official path would be. It turned out to be just as muddy as ever, although wider and with many signposts courtesy of the chocolate farm leading the way. Our walking sticks were a godsend. We managed to nip in and out of the chocolate farm for some more truffles and arrived at our Thai restaurant right as dusk was falling.
Dinner was delicious. We sat on a porch dangling over the jungle. It was pristine. The only sounds were from patrons eating. The rainforest surrounded us and we could see lights glittering on the water far away. We ate slowly and lazily, savoring the peacefulness.
Let's look on the bright side of our jungle trek with some highlights:
- Seeing several red frogs on our hike
- The other two gentlemen on the beach watching while I changed into my bathing suit
- A supreme beach jumping picture
- Tasty dinner -- our second good meal of the day! (and second good meal of the trip!)
- Chocolate truffles for dessert
Coming back down over the concrete path was easy. We read on the deck hammocks for a bit and then snuggled and then went to sleep.
bocas, day three
Wednesday!
Awakened to kids screaming! Right outside our door! Evidently, they were playing a game called, "Run and Scream." This was followed by an even more enthusiastic round of, "Animal Noises."
We packed up our stuff and took off to Tio Tom's Cabin, which means, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Ironic? It is run by a German couple, Ina and Tom, who moved to Isla Bastimentos back in 1996. The place is charming and impeccable-- wooden deck perched over the water, hammocks under an overhang, cabin with windows propped open by wooden poles, plenty of hooks and lines on which to hang things, lots of maps and information about the island, shelves of books and games to play with, and a family dinner every evening with the hosts. Our room was airy with three windows and cozy with a rocker and a cabin bed.
Isla Bastimentos is not nearly as touristy as Isla Colon. Though there are several hostels and restaurants that cater to travelers, the majority of inhabitants in their Old Bank area are Caribbean (Black). They speak English and a patois called Guari Guari. When you listen to this dialect, you are certain it is English until you've been straining to understand for several sentences and still cannot make out a single clause. It is charming to hear after a week of Spanish.
Nadiv and I took a walk around the point of the island, past where the sidewalk ends-- there are no roads on Bastimentos-- and into a scattered neighborhood in the jungle. The ocean waves were strong and hitting right up to the shore. Many houses we partly built or partly falling down. Some looks completely deserted and others looked like a grand place for a romantic tryst. There was construction going on somewhere and workers kept passing us in their galoshes.
When we came to the end of the dirt path, we doubled back and ate lunch in town at a place called Roots. It was recommended by Sonia, the cook at Tio Tom's. We had to follow two guys in dreads carrying roosters to get there. (Just another ordinary day.) Roots had a sprawling deck with a bazillion tables and chairs made out of tree stumps. The food was legit and tasty. I got coconut rice and beans and grilled vegetables in "Caribbean sauce." Nadiv got chicken in creole sauce and fries. We shared a banana/papaya shake. We pronounced this our first good meal in the country.
With our bellies full, we decided to take a "quick look" at the organic chocolate farm up the hill from Old Bank. The chocolate place turned out to be a twenty minute trek up a muddy, muddy mountain. But it was all worth it in the end because the truffles we ordered were TO DIE FOR. I know at times this blog delves into food porn territory, but allow me to pontificate here since the food thus far has been tedious and unworthy.
We ordered three chocolate truffles and a lemonade. The day was hot and humid and we had just hiked up the entire southern side of the island. There were mosquitoes about. The chocolate place afforded us a shady porch and surprisingly comfortable wooden deck chairs. We smelled a bunch of their lotions and Nadiv admired some more man jewelry.
Our truffles arrived in an oblong wooden dish, three golf-ball sized peas in a pod. Two were covered in coconut flakes and one was rolled in cocoa powder. They were chilled to harden. Inside, there was creamy chocolate mixed with chewy chocolate mixed with graham crackers. The lemonade was cold and tart with just the right amount of sugar. It balanced out the sweetness explosion of the chocolate truffles.
There. I'm done.
As we left, I vowed to come back again. That night.
Awakened to kids screaming! Right outside our door! Evidently, they were playing a game called, "Run and Scream." This was followed by an even more enthusiastic round of, "Animal Noises."
We packed up our stuff and took off to Tio Tom's Cabin, which means, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Ironic? It is run by a German couple, Ina and Tom, who moved to Isla Bastimentos back in 1996. The place is charming and impeccable-- wooden deck perched over the water, hammocks under an overhang, cabin with windows propped open by wooden poles, plenty of hooks and lines on which to hang things, lots of maps and information about the island, shelves of books and games to play with, and a family dinner every evening with the hosts. Our room was airy with three windows and cozy with a rocker and a cabin bed.
Isla Bastimentos is not nearly as touristy as Isla Colon. Though there are several hostels and restaurants that cater to travelers, the majority of inhabitants in their Old Bank area are Caribbean (Black). They speak English and a patois called Guari Guari. When you listen to this dialect, you are certain it is English until you've been straining to understand for several sentences and still cannot make out a single clause. It is charming to hear after a week of Spanish.
Nadiv and I took a walk around the point of the island, past where the sidewalk ends-- there are no roads on Bastimentos-- and into a scattered neighborhood in the jungle. The ocean waves were strong and hitting right up to the shore. Many houses we partly built or partly falling down. Some looks completely deserted and others looked like a grand place for a romantic tryst. There was construction going on somewhere and workers kept passing us in their galoshes.
When we came to the end of the dirt path, we doubled back and ate lunch in town at a place called Roots. It was recommended by Sonia, the cook at Tio Tom's. We had to follow two guys in dreads carrying roosters to get there. (Just another ordinary day.) Roots had a sprawling deck with a bazillion tables and chairs made out of tree stumps. The food was legit and tasty. I got coconut rice and beans and grilled vegetables in "Caribbean sauce." Nadiv got chicken in creole sauce and fries. We shared a banana/papaya shake. We pronounced this our first good meal in the country.
With our bellies full, we decided to take a "quick look" at the organic chocolate farm up the hill from Old Bank. The chocolate place turned out to be a twenty minute trek up a muddy, muddy mountain. But it was all worth it in the end because the truffles we ordered were TO DIE FOR. I know at times this blog delves into food porn territory, but allow me to pontificate here since the food thus far has been tedious and unworthy.
We ordered three chocolate truffles and a lemonade. The day was hot and humid and we had just hiked up the entire southern side of the island. There were mosquitoes about. The chocolate place afforded us a shady porch and surprisingly comfortable wooden deck chairs. We smelled a bunch of their lotions and Nadiv admired some more man jewelry.
Our truffles arrived in an oblong wooden dish, three golf-ball sized peas in a pod. Two were covered in coconut flakes and one was rolled in cocoa powder. They were chilled to harden. Inside, there was creamy chocolate mixed with chewy chocolate mixed with graham crackers. The lemonade was cold and tart with just the right amount of sugar. It balanced out the sweetness explosion of the chocolate truffles.
There. I'm done.
As we left, I vowed to come back again. That night.
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