We sit and sip beverages for a while longer then decide it is time to head back. Taxi's occasionally come by, but we decide to walk for a while rather than wait. Along the walk back we find the Panamanian solution for a portion of wash-out road - plant a palm tree! We also see a nice beach area we may try out in the future. As we pass by the beach a taxi driver taps on his horn - sure, we'll catch a ride the rest of the way to the condo!
It's a gorgeous Saturday morning. After a lazy start to the day and relaxing breakfast we make our plan for the afternoon. Our destination is Paki Point, which is identified as a "Must Do" in the booklet provided by our landlady. Google Maps tells us that it is 3.6 km (1.7 mi) northeast - just follow the main road outside our condo. We consider walking, but the sun is hot and we are not sure what to expect, so we opt to pay $3 each for a taxi ride. 80% of the trip is on paved road, then it turns to a mixture of gravel and sand. We arrive a Paki Point which is a good area for surfing and relaxing. On the inland side of the road is a restaurant/surfboard rental shop. It is also appointed with lounge chairs on a deck which can be rented or are complementary if you spend enough on food and drinks. We grab a table in the covered deck side of the restaurant, order some beverages, and kick back. There is plenty of quiet entertainment watching the surfers catching waves and the people biking to Paki Point or attempting to go beyond possibly to Playa Bluff, another 4 km up the road. After a while we order lunch - the fresh catch of the day for me and a burger for William. My fish is very good, mild tasting and cooked in butter. It comes with a fresh side salad and rice and beans. William declares his burger to be almost as good as Buena Vista's.
We sit and sip beverages for a while longer then decide it is time to head back. Taxi's occasionally come by, but we decide to walk for a while rather than wait. Along the walk back we find the Panamanian solution for a portion of wash-out road - plant a palm tree! We also see a nice beach area we may try out in the future. As we pass by the beach a taxi driver taps on his horn - sure, we'll catch a ride the rest of the way to the condo!
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Life is laid back in Bocas. The most we have seen of a "rush hour" is five taxi's, three van's and two cars on Calle 3 (the main street of town). Oh yes, there is also the occasional dog and tourist crossing the street. But then, we have not been there at 11 pm when the bars are in their prime. Calle 3 is lined with the main park, at least eight small market/grocery stores(of various sizes) almost all operated by people of Chinese heritage, dozens of restaurants and bars, dozens of water taxi/ adventure operators, and perhaps ten clothing/souvenir stores. Oh yes, above most of all these businesses is a hostel. Many of the restaurants are built with sections over the water. We have tried out a number of them and found the breezes and views of the bay to be intoxicatingly. Buena Vista is reported to have the best burger in town, and we agree. El Parate (The Pirate) has a great executive lunch which includes a soda , rice made with coconut milk, salad, and your choice of beef or chicken for $5. The price is double that of el menu del dia's we have found in Ecuador and does not include soup, but it has 2-3 times the amount of protein. Just outside of Bocas Town and just a 10-15 minute walk from our condo is Bocas Brewery. They are right on the beach and the main road out of town. They do small batches of beer, much heavier and higher in alcohol content than the local mass-market Balboa and Panama brands. I think our son's could be the brewmasters in such a place. Of course, Bocas Brewery's beer is also a premium price ($5 per pint vs. $1.50-$2.00 for a 12 oz. bottle). They also offer a half-pint of Chilean wine for $3.50. On Wednesday's they have half-priced wings which are very good. They also have a larger bar menu. An interesting sideline is that the Brewery also sells drinking water for 50¢ per gallon which as gone through reverse osmosis. Given that the grocery stores charge $4.50 for 6 liters (1.5 gallons) of drinking water, it's an easy rationalization to carry 4 water jugs down to the Brewery, get them filled and also have a pint of beer and half-pint of wine before walking back. It's almost a wash in cost and a lot of fun.
We have rented a condo for four weeks on Isla Colon in the Bocas del Toro Province of Panama. This island is also host to Bocas Town, the largest town on the 10 islands, ~50 cays and over 200 tiny islets which are part of the Bocas del Toro archipelago. The one bedroom condo is clean and functional. The kitchen has a medium sized refrigerator, full stove and oven , microwave, blender, coffee pot and kettle. It also has a decent assortment of pots and pans, bowls, etc. and dishware for four. There's air conditioning in the bedroom and fans in the bedroom, kitchen/living room and even outside on the porch. From the porch we look to the east at the bay (across the access road in front of the building and the main road around the island). We learn that the water for the building is provided by catching rainwater and storing it in a 2,500 gallon tank in the back. This appears to be common practice on the island, and unfortunately means that we should not drink the tap water. An advantage is the gas station mini-mart sells gallons of water. We will look for the 5 gallon water jugs as we shop around town.
100 feet away is the only gas station on the island, which makes it very easy to catch a taxi and to direct taxi drivers when going home. Unfortunately the car wash and oil change bays in the back of the gas station means that we hear loud music from about noon to 8 pm. Taxi's on the island are interesting. A shared ride is the norm. After hailing our first taxi headed into town we're a little surprised when the driver pulls over to pick up a man a quarter mile down the road. He gets in the front seat. Then another 100 feet down the road the driver picks up a woman who joins us in the back seat. He drops each off at different spots in town, then delivers us as our destination is the furthest into town. He collects 50¢ from each of them and $1.50 for the two of us. After we go grocery shopping we share with 3 children who are in the taxi and returning home from school. The two boys are dropped off before reaching our condo and they pay 40¢ each. The girl's destination is further down the road, so I'm not sure what her fare turns out to be. We have heard that fares of $25 will get you to the furthest spot on the island, Playa Boca deal Drago. If we go, I will do some research to find out if that is per person or for a full cab. We have had a wonderful time in Boquete but it is time to say goodbye for now to Vic and Nanci and move on to Bocas del Toro. Daniel the taxi driver arrives at 7:15 am as we pre-arranged. We toss our bags into the bed of his 4-door truck (taxi) and before 7:30 am we are standing in Mamallena Hostel checking in for the Carribe Shuttle to Bocas del Toro. The small bus is parked out front and looks like it might hold 18-20 people. Soon others people are arriving for the shuttle. Most are under 30 years old and are carrying hiking packs; our suitcases look terribly out of place. A small crowd gathers and the driver's assistants begin loading the packs and few suitcases onto the top of the bus. We board and find that the seats are very tight with a very narrow aisle. Because we do not want to put our case containing the camera gear and laptop on the top of the bus I have to put it on the floor and put my feet on top of it - at about seat height. Oh well, it's just a 3 1/2 to 5 hour trip! We have a full bus, 29 people including the driver. The driver heads south toward David then east near Alto Boquete on Route 10. Eventually 10 joins up with 21 and it becomes a better road. We climb through highland ranches, curve around two reservoirs, drive through the Fortuna Forest Preserve, and see a cloud forest. The scenery is beautiful. After 2 1/2 hours on the road the bus pulls into a gas station with a restaurant for a 20 minute break. The amenities are not impressive, but an ice cream bar sounds good. Then we are back on the road for another 1 1/2 hours until we reach the small town of Almirante. The portion of the town we see on our way to the port is quite poor, with ramshackle houses and unkept streets. The driver's assistants unload the packs and suitcases then 24 of us make our way to the water taxi, the others are transferring to another shuttle headed to Costa Rica. We are amazed as the crew loads all the packs and suitcases and then all of us into a water taxi. The boat appears safe, but we are definitely seated close to each other. After about 30 minutes on the water we pull into the dock in Bocas Town. A first impression of the town is that it is similar to Montañita, Ecuador. There are many hostels, restaurants and outdoor adventure shops. A $3 cab ride through town and beyond brings us to Cabana Beach Condo where we have rented Unit #2 for the next four weeks.
Friday's afternoon venue for the Boquete Jazz and Blues Fest is a garden party at the Panamonte Hotel on the north side of Boquete. By 11:30am we have donned our garden party apparel (a.k.a. a flowered shirt for William) and begin our 30 minute walk through town. Just as we leave Valle Escondido the light mist known as bajareque begins. It varies in intensity, but think about the misters setup in Disney to cool people off as an approximation. It continues throughout our walk and the entire day. We arrive early and are lucky to grab a table in the covered patio area of the hotel bar. Sophie and Terry join us and the six of us decide that lunch and drinks on the patio where we can clearly hear the band is a good choice over standing in the mist. The grounds of the hotel are lovely and the band is decent, but doesn't wow us. Friday evening there is a jam session at the Sabor Restaurant just down the hill from our villa in Valle Escondido. There had been outdoor tables setup, but due to bajareque everyone crams into the restaurant. We are happy to sit on our patio and sip wine listening to the music. No cover charge. :-) Saturday and Sunday are the main event is in the Amphitheater at Valle Escondido, 100 yards from our villa. There are food and beverage stations setup on the grass and along the road above the amphitheater. The amphitheater holds 800 people, and we are told that all tickets have been sold. The event runs from 1:30 to 7:00pm with four groups each day. Once again we are able to sit on our patio and hear perfectly. Saturday's first two groups do not impress, but Ronnie Baker Brooks and Curtis Salgado are very good. There is some humor in knowing Ronnie Baker Brooks is billed as "Chicago's own blues soul guitarist and vocalist". Sunday starts with the Rigoberto Coba Big Brass Band, Panama's 18 piece big band. We laugh as at times they remind us of some of the groups we have heard in Ecuador - straining to remain on key. We miss Marshall Keys performance. Instead William and I choose to walk to Mike's Global Grill for lunch of a really good burger. Tommy Castro, a blues guitarist is enjoyable. The finale All Star Band, which is lead by Lee Oscar on harmonica, is quite good as the show ends after nightfall.
The profits from the festival goes to local schools to support and improve musical education and to develop musical talents. It is a worthwhile cause and a fun event. We have timed our visit to coincide with the Boquete Jazz & Blues Festival. This is the 10th anniversary of the festival, which runs from Thursday through Sunday at various venue's around town. The festival kicks off on this Thursday with a New Orleans style jazz parade. The parade starts on the grounds where the BCP Tuesday Market is held, proceeds across the bridge then around the center of town ending in the main park. It's a very small parade, but fun. There's a good mix of Panamanian's and expats in both the parade and the along the parade route. Following the parade we are entertained with a free concert in the park. A highlight for me is a local teenager who sings the blues with one of the expat bands. This is her first time singing in public and she does a heck of a job. She reminds me a little of Elisabeth Shue in the movie Adventures in Babysitting.
From our patio at Casa Serena we can see Volcan Baru which, at 3,475 meters (11,400 feet) is the highest point in Panama. There is a 13.5 km hike up to the top of the crater along a forest road, but we are not silly enough to think about making that trek. Instead we hire a 4 wheel jeep tour for Wednesday through A1 Tours in Boquete to get us there. We enjoy cocktails with our upstairs neighbors Terry and Sofie, have a simple dinner at Casa Serena, then head to bed early on Tuesday. As we are on our way to bed we note the clear night sky lit up by a full moon and beautiful stars. The alarms go off at 3 am. We are lucky - the sky is still as brilliant as when we went to bed. We dress, have a quick cup of coffee then walk to the Valle Escondido restaurant to meet our driver at 4am. Alex is waiting for us in his highly modified 4x4. 20 minutes later he had driven through town and up past the coffee plantations to the start of the trail. This is part 1 of the trip - very easy on the paved roads. Alex explains that part 2 will be rough and parts 3 and 4 will be very rough. William is seated in shot-gun while Vic, Nanci and I are cozy in the back seat with me in the middle. We all hold on. We laugh and there's some "yee-ha" calls as we get jostled about. William's head reminds us of a bobble doll. The trail has sections which are gravel, dried river bed, rocks and boulders and often the trail was just wide enough for the 4x4. At about the third kilometer Alex pauses the jeep as it is tilted going over a large rock and comments with a twinkle in his eye and in his voice "Not bad for my first trip up here, hey". Later he tells us this is his 518th drive along the trail. There are points in the journey where the jeep is on a 35-40 degree angle. We pass by three different groups of hikers on our way up. I can't imagine hiking the trail in broad daylight much less at night. It takes us only 1 hour 25 minutes to reach the summit. Alex explains we made very good time - the ground is dry, and that sometimes the trip up takes 2 hours. Alex explains that we can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. We peer out in the directions he points aided by the moonlit sky. We have some coffee and hot chocolate then break out the sandwiches we packed while we wait for the sunrise. It is cold and windy but not unbearable. A little after 6am the first glimmers of light appear on the horizon. By 6:30am we are viewing a beautiful full sunrise. The countryside around Volcan Baru are lush and green and also provide great views. The trip down is along the same path, but feels rougher. Alex stops on the way down for us to spot quetzal's, Panama's national bird. While we are stopped a flock of sheep make their way down the trail followed by a shepherd. We have fun posing with the sheep. Further down the road we stop at the park office to register our visit and pay the $5 per person admission fee. The gardener at Casa Serena told Nanci that his father is a ranger at the park office and we are lucky enough to meet him.
After a couple of other short stops we arrive back at Casa Serena by 9 am. We are tired but everyone is happy we took the trip. Sunday and Monday we settle in and do a little exploring of the town and resort. The main square of Boquete is located 1.5 km from Casa Serena in Valle Escondido. The walk takes 15-25 minutes (depending upon who is walking :-) ). The town has many hostels, some hotels and many local restaurants and shops. There are also 15+ outfitters and tour operators covering motorcycle and 4x4 rentals, kayak and whitewater tours, jeep tours, walking tours and everything in-between. Valle Escondido is a gem. In addition to the 9-hole golf course there are tennis courts, mini-golf, exercise facility, billiards room, a spa and pools to help people keep busy. There's also a bar, restaurant and outdoor amphitheater. Nanci takes Zumba and water aerobics classes three days a week and Vic enjoys a good work-out in the exercise facility. William and I stroll around the resort enjoying the beautiful flowers and plants while eyeing some incredible villa's and nicely-done condo's. I sign up for an amenities pass and Monday afternoon enjoy swimming in the heated indoor pool. I am not sure if the outdoor pool is heated, but regardless it is too cool for my taste.
We are off to Panama early on Saturday morning. The car service picks us up at 5 am for our 8 am flight to Panama City where we will connect to David. Our flight on Copa Airlines is fully booked. It turns out that there are two different tour groups on this same flight. Everyone is cheerful and the flight is without issues. When we arrive at Tocumen International Airport in Panama City we head to Immigration. The queue is quite long and William becomes concerned that we may not have enough time to go through Immigration, retrieve our bags, go through Customs, recheck our bags and then find our domestic flight to David. We slowly snake forward, but it becomes clear within 20 minutes that as long as the queue maintains the pace we should be able to make our flight. After Customs a Copa Airlines representative takes our bags and provides guidance on how to find the Domestic Terminal. We walk to the end of the International Terminal, go outside, make a right at the end of the building and proceed to the door of another building. The Domestic Terminal turns out to be one small waiting area where busses can pull up to transport us back to a specially roped off gate in the International Terminal. How funny! When we arrive in David our driver José is waiting with a sign that says "Miss Anne". He piles our suitcases into the bed of his crew club pickup and we're off. He tries to provide commentary along the route to Boquete, but soon realizes that even basic Spanish is a bit of a stretch for us to comprehend. But, he cheerfully continues to try. José deposits us into the hugging arms of our friends Nanci and Vic at Casa Serena in Valle Escondido around 8pm. We chat on the back patio until 10 pm then crawl into bed for a well deserved nights sleep. The morning arrives and provides an opportunity to appreciate our location. The Valle Escondido development includes a resort with a hotel, condo's and free-standing villa's. The villa we are in is very nice and Vic and Nanci have rented the two bedroom walk-out apartment (Casa Serena) on the lower level. The patio overlooks part of the golf course and two swimming pools below while straight ahead is a small mountain covered in trees. We soon see why the patio is the right spot for enjoying meals and cocktails.
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AuthorHi. I'm Anne. I wander around the world with William. Enjoy Some of our Favorite Links below
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