Bocas Del Torro (Panama) - Week 16

27th Dec - 1st Jan (NEW YEAR)

The journey from Puerto Viejo took all day which was very annoying as it was only about 80km! There was lots of waiting around at the border crossing (they closed for lunch for an hour just as we got to Panamanian immigration...), and for the boat to Bocas (2 hr wait). Anyway, we got to Bocas eventually and checked in to La Veranda where we had reserved rooms. Lots of confusion as the Canadian owner had double booked lots of people (she had had a stroke and got a bit confused and the manager was a very aggressive black bloke who swore at her a lot, very strange), so we ended up in a lovely room for 2 nights and then in the owner's quarters for the next three nights! Nice place, though, with a decent kitchen and lovely big veranda to lounge around and eat on.

On our first night, Katie was exhausted and was in bed by 8.30 but James went out to meet the blokes that we'd been rafting with in Turrialba and ate delicious home made pizza.

The next morning we were very excited as Ally (blond, Geordie bird - some of you know her...) was arriving to meet us for a three week holiday. So we walked two blocks round the corner to the airport (or shed as I think they are usually known) and whooped with joy as Ally got off the plane. Three weeks with someone else to do some decision making and to sit next to on the bus! The excitement was marred only slightly by the fact that Ally was without backpack (still in Atlanta!) and Ally and Katie spent the next couple of days shouting at people at the airport and down the phone until the backpack finally arrived 56 hours later.

On Ally's first day we took the water taxi to Isla Bastimentos to hike to Wizared Beach. It was supposedly a 20 min walk through the forest so we asked some locals the way and set off. Only to find out after 20 mins from some OTHER locals that we'd gone the wrong way and had to turn round to start again. We eventually found the right track, having round out that it 'might be a bit muddy' and set off. We were very ill-prepared with Ally in Katie's shoes, James in his shoes that were rubbing and Katie in white flip flops... It got muddier and muddier and after 40 min of walking, Katie and Ally (possibly mainly Katie) decided that it was too ridiculous and we were never going to get there (and definitely never going to get back!) so we turned back. We have since met tons of people who got there and have told us that we were practically at the beach. James predictably not impressed and will not let us forget it!

After the walk, we went to another Island to Splash Bar which was right on the water with a trampoline out in the sea to jump off! There was a horrible smelly dog swimming with us that Katie was not happy about and dog-lover Ally thought was very cute!:


The next day we took a water taxi to Island Careno in search of another beach. As soon as we got there it started to rain so we stopped off in a cafe to get a drink. Once the rain had stopped and we the sand flies had had their fill of blood from our legs, we set off again to find a beach. After more rain and an hour looking we had to give up AGAIN! So back to Bocas town for cards.

The 30th was a big day for Ally, she finally got her bag back. We also bumped into Yvonne and Alex again, who were keen to spend New Year's with us - suprising after the state we all got in on Christmas Day! That night was Emily's Birthday, so met up in Mondo Taitu for $2 cocktails and sparklers. A cosy little bar rammed with backpackers and cheap drink deals. We went a for a meal afterwards, not the highest of cuisines but good fun none the less. Bit of an early night ready for the big party the night after...

Alex, Yvonne, Katie, Ally, Emily and James

In newly sensible way we decided to cook a big meal before we went out instead of going for drinks early. Yvonne, Alex, Vlad(!), Elena, Paul and us three sat down for food. After the meal it was suggested we play 'Ring of Fire' again - here comes the hangover...

About 11pm we headed out to find a party for New Years. The Wreck Deck was $15 to get in and watch 17 old kids dance to techno (damn we're getting old) so we went to find somewhere else. We all spent the rest of the night in a place called Flip Flop, overlooking the sea with real sand on the decking!!


There was a band of old black guys playing cool reggae styley music with their title tune ' I wonder what the monkey won't do!!' accompanied by a bloke on a cheese grater??!! We also found the remnants of the buffet and decided to help the paying guest finish their food off.



The 12 o'clock celebrations were cool. Lots of fireworks over the water and reserved foreigners shocked about being kissed and hugged by drunk random English people. They were all just standing around shyly talking to their friends, their silence shattered by a drunk Katie and James demanding a kiss and a cuddle!! All in all a very good night, one not to be forgotton.

Next day we decided to head off to Boquete, suprisingly feeling quite spritely, to cram as much as possible in for Ally's holiday. The weather was perfect the day we left just to rub it in, perfect to go to one of the elusive beaches. The boat must have been doing 40mph+ on the perfectly flat sea in the bay. We saw a really large banana ship on its way to Germany as we got to Almirante.