After a few days in Panama City I took an eight hour bus journey to David, the capital of the Chiriquí province. Not many tourists stop here as it doesn’t offer much in the way of attractions, but I spent a day on the Pacific coast enjoying the waves and the dark sand which glistens in the sun.
David itself is a Mecca for bargain hunters as the stores sell everything from food to fashion at bargain prices. I spent a day shopping and enjoying a show of Panamanian traditional dance which was being held in the town centre. The joy of David is that I was left alone to walk around the town with the occasional smile or ‘Hola’.
On the morning I left I boarded the public bus from David to Almirante where I would catch the water taxi to Bocas del Toro on Isla Colón. The bus ride was a white knuckle ride, I don’t want to know how fast we sped over some of the hills, but the views of the lush green countryside and small villages were breathtaking and distracted me from thoughts of bus crashes.
Upon arriving at Almirante I followed an English speaking Panamanian man who had introduced himself at the halfway point. We were bundled into a taxi, taken to a port, asked to pay $5 then were put on a boat to Bocas town. It was another fast journey, but this time I had the security of a lifejacket which I had tied tightly around me. On the boat I chatted to a schoolteacher who lived on the island, once again affirming that Panamanians are some of the friendliest people in the world. We talked about where we were from and our families and before we knew it the colourful Bocas buildings came into sight.
Bocas del Toro
Bocas del Toro is a province of Panama,comprising of the mainland and nine main islands. I was staying in the capital Bocas del Toro, also known as Bocas Town, on Isla Colón (Colón Island). The boat docked on the island, and I shook hands with the teacher before making my way into the town with my backpack and baggage hanging off me. I was greeted by an Afro-Caribbean man asking if I needed a hostel, “No I’m OK,” I replied. He said no problem smiled. As I walked away he called to me, “Welcome to Paradise!”
I had intended to stay for three days on the island and perhaps stay in a few locations to make the most of my time there. I looked up reviews of hostels, it was time to start budgeting after a few fancy hotels. I eventually found Hostel Luego and booked myself a bed for the night. That room was to be my home for a full week as I found my slice of paradise in Bocas del Toro, one that was going to be really hard to give up.
Red Frog Beach, Isla Bastimentos
I took a boat tour which included snorkelling, something I have only done once before. When we left the boat and looked down through our masks a world of colour, beauty and wonder was to be found beneath the waves. Fish of every shape and colour feasted around the coral below, from Parrotfish with shimmering colours to Clownfish – and I couldn’t get enough. It was this that got me thinking about diving and led me to signing up to the PADI Open Water Diver course at Bocas Water Sports.
The three day course meant my time on Bocas would now be extended to four days, so I asked Alex who runs the hostel if I could stay a few more days, paid in full and got a good night sleep before day one of my course.
My first time in the water was surreal. As we went into the water at the diving centre my brain screamed ‘You’re underwater, you’re going to drown!’ But as I focussed on my breathing the screaming stopped and I enjoyed myself. My instructor Freddy was patient with me, and when I couldn’t get something right or didn’t understand something he helped me through it. This was a unique place to learn to dive, and after getting the introduction and first exercises over with I got to dive in some reef and see those amazing fish and coral close up.
It wasn’t all fun. As the people I met in the hostel headed out to Bocas for the night, I sat in a hammock and read the book with the hostel cat keeping me company. I have to be honest, the cat wasn’t the best study partner, but he slept quietly on my feet as I read and made notes.
I passed the tests and got to do an amazing dive at a shipwreck. Now I’m a diving addict and am seeking out my next dive. If you had told me this time last year that I’d be a diver I would have laughed, but here I am with my PADI certification.
With only a few days in Bocas left and my birthday looming I decided to stay a few more days and spend my birthday in the town with some new friends I had made. Alex said I was very welcome to stay, and that’s how the rest of the town made me feel – welcome.
One of my favourite spots has to be Boca del Drago, or starfish beach as many call it. On the other side of the island is a beach with calm waters and clear sea which is filled with orange starfish, some of which were huge. Small bars and cafés line the golden sand pumping out reggae and serving the people on the beach. I spent my birthday on this beach with some of the people I had met in the hostel and on my adventures on the island. It’s a birthday I won’t forget. My birthday was celebrated in style in the infamous Aqua Lounge, a club and hostel over the water on Isla Carenero. All I’ll say is that I drank a lot of tequila.
Starfish at Boca del Drago, Bocas Del Toro,
One week after I arrived I was sat at the dock with my bags. I said goodbye to people I had met and promised to come back one day. Bocas isn’t for everyone, and I met a few people who didn’t take to the place. Even during the quiet wet season which I experienced, the town is filled with tourists and people who want to make a buck or two from them. Tourism is the basis for much of the economy of the region, and when tourists are low in numbers then you’re going to get more attention from touts and hawkers. But it’s all about bargaining in Bocas, from taxis to tours, you can get a good deal if you name your price and stick with it.
People I have spoken to have said that Bocas has grown in size in just a few years. I hope Bocas del Toro stays like it is now, but as the rest of the world discover these beautiful islands in the Caribbean Sea I wonder what the future holds for them.