Day 12
Starfish Day had finally arrived or had it…. Our journey to reach this specific beach had been a lengthy one. First we drove to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica to Limon, next to Puerto Viejo, then the cross into Panama, then Bocas del Toro by shuttle, then boat, then across the island by shuttle, then another boat to the remote location, whew! The weather, however, didn’t care and called for thunderstorms all day. Sigh. I hoped we hadn’t come this far only to have the lightning shut us down.
Breakfast was served out in the loungey open area. It’s the quaintest little dock, surrounded by water. You can hear the ocean brushing against the floorboards. It’s a cozy place to have a drink, swim, hang in hammocks. People are friendly, the conversation easy. Another brownout happened during breakfast, but it was post-panqueques. So far the power blips have been well timed.
There are many beaches to access once you’re in Bocas Town. Most of them are a few minutes boat ride to neighboring islands. Our priority was Starfish Beach. Tours started at $25 per person but our hotel owner said to catch a bus or shuttle in front of the park for $5 round trip, which we did. The shuttles are said to leave on the hour.
After a bit of a wait, and asking around, we did find a shuttle. It’s not exactly an hourly thing. It had been raining all morning, but would the thunder hold off?
The drive across the island was rugged and took longer than expected. The shuttle driver had an assistant. We didn’t realize initially that he had an actual job description other than fighting over the radio. Then we realized a good job title would be, Manager of Road Complications. He hopped out to deal with any road clearing issues such as herds of lazy goats relaxing on the road or lifting low hanging bamboo branches. The driver would stop and let him out, and he would do what had to be done to clear the way. An important job.
The driver and his road assistant were playfully fighting over the radio, the older man enjoying the equivalent of Caribbean stuck-in-the-80s music (heavy on the accordion) and the younger man wanting more house/club music (heavy on the thump). The older man kept swatting his hand as he tried to change the channel.
At the end of the line was Playa del Drago. One short leg to go to Starfish Beach, which is not accessible by car. From there you have to catch a boat for $3. The skies were dark and threatening. We made it to the tiny desserted beach and I held my breath. I hope the days of travelling weren’t going to be a disappointment.
Commence the Halleluja Chorus, Playa del Estrellas didn’t disappoint. There were a dozen starfish easily seen without a mask and hundreds with a mask and snorkel. The starfish were spectacular, larger than I’d imagined. Some were yellow, orange, red, all a little spikey. The yellow were less spikey. We also saw a blue crab, eel fish, and assorted sunfish.
There was a man who blew his whistle when visitors picked up the starfish, which didn’t always deter the selfie-addicts. Not cool.
The storm was starting to crack and rumble in a more menacing way and the sandfleas were munching my ankles, so we headed back. Cali’s first snorkeling experience is one she won’t easily match but will always remember.
We lunched in a pier/restaurant Bugita boasting the best burgers in town. And it was true. This was a surfing hangout, lots of happy tanned sunwrinkled people coming and going with their boards.
Animal extras to our meal – one parrot, one dog, and 7 starfish beside our table in the water. Always interesting to see who else shows up for lunch.
We went back to our hotel for a little siesta before the evening. After walking the strip and looking at atmosphere and menus, we decided to go back to the same restaurant we went to last night, it was the best mix of ambience and steak. I decided to eat with my feet up once I saw the big bugs on the floor which is understandable since you’re eating on a pier. In some ways you feel as if you’re invading their space and not the other way around.
We grabbed more water in the grocery store. The tourist police presence was heavy. They made it clear that shirts are mandatory for everyone, even young German men trying to display their abs like proud peacocks. The Saturday nightlife was starting to kick in. The music from the reggae fusion bar went strong through the night.
The starfish quest was officially successful. Now all we had to do was make our way back to Costa Rica. But that will happen tomorrow.