Day 11
Fourth day of the Quest Starfish. Today we will get to Bocas del Toro or as we like to call it Starfish Island.
11. Puerto Viejo is more of a night-owl than a early-bird. Even the roosters sleep-in here. Our shuttle bound for Panama was picking us up at our hotel at 7:30. Before that happened, we went into town to forage for caffeine. We found a coffee place that said it opened at 5:30. We were there at 6:30 and tried the gate which was still locked. I was trying not to feel panicked since there were no other options. Then the owner and his huge Mastiff came to let us in. He runs a java-joint, he understood coffee desperation.
The cafe was more of a cave of books where you could also get coffee. Loved it. The walls were open except for the books packed on to the suspended shelves. The tables were enclosed by a low wall with gates to keep out his three gentle giant Mastiffs.
On entering, it reminded me of the house I grew up in, and the way my mom still lives, being hugged by books. If you need to come up for air from your good read, you could get some laundry done or go out into the world by renting a bike or snorkel.
The sign advertised “damn good coffee” and after having two cups, I had to agree. We also had some banana bread which seemed only appropriate since there were bananas ripening all around us.
The owner, as you can guess had a story as interesting as his place. Occasionally when travelling you meet that unusual person who knows they will likely never see you again, but who makes you feel so at home and comfortable, as if you are old friends. It’s lovely when it happens, and he was one of these people. He was originally from Great Britain many years ago and respectfully had a picture of the Queen watching over the joint. He was very honest when describing the pros and cons of the area, and no place he’d rather be.
The shuttle to Panama was as punctual as a German train. Plus it had the added bonus of wifi. How civilized is that? We shared the shuttle with a woman from Australia, a young man who’s also a local food blogger, and an American woman who had recently bought a house and moved to Puerto Viejo with her retired son. Lively, interesting conversation the entire way.
The CR/Panama border process was complicated but hand-holding was included in our shuttle package deal. When we got to the end of the CR line, the shuttle driver handed us over to our next guardian. He herded us like little children on a field trip, with simple instructions like, stand here, sit here, go, stop, pay, wait. I would have been happy to hang on to a rope had it been suggested. It’s stress-free for sure.
In a rather unofficial looking tienda, we paid a CR exit fee of $8, which was a floating amount and not a fixed one, went to a different office for our exit stamp, then walked over the bridge. This is the first time I’ve walked over a border.
Then a $4 entrance fee to Panama, then filled out a customs form inside a little room, then walked a block to around the corner to an office for a Panamanian stamp.
My border guy was grumpy. From behind the glass he mumbled questions to me and I understood not a word. Nada, zip. I just smiled and gave answers I usually end up giving at borders like, “2 days,” and “American.” I knew they weren’t the right answers because I could hear nothing he said, but I didn’t want to look like I was being uncooperative. Perhaps it wasn’t the best choice. He turned to his fellow workers and pointed a finger at me and shook his hands. Maybe now it was good I couldn’t hear what he was saying. They all stopped their work and looked at me. Well this can’t be good. Then all the people they were helping stopped and looked at me. Then the woman next to him gave him a word and he yelled at me, “Profession! Profession!!” To which I responded, “No tengo uno.” He didn’t like that. Then I tried, “Retired.” That one he liked, probably because he’s looking forward to his own. My inane answers had become tiresome for him, so he let me go. Then our border guide babysitter looked in my passport to figure out why I was so much trouble. But it’s a new one so there’s no trouble in there! Now it’s possible my old one may have been an interesting read. He made sure the stamps wer done properly in everyone else’s passports so I didn’t feel like a trouble-maker. Then we were handed us over to our next guardian, the Panamanian shuttle driver.
We drove another 45 minutes to a boat launch. Here we were told to sit on a bench which we did dutifully until someone then said, now sit in that boat, put on life jackets. The water was so calm we were just flying. After 30 minutes of gliding along the water, we arrived in Bocas del Toro, the island of Starfish Beach! Getting closer.
The town we stayed in has a unique history. Christopher Columbus visited Bocas in 1502. That’s why there is Isla Colon and Isla Cristobal. In the 17th century the islands were an ideal pirate hideaway. Fast-forward to 1890
when the banana industry became more dominant. Today the Bocas del Toro Province exports 3/4 of a million tons of bananas annually. Bocas town is the main connecting point to the other islands. From here you can get boats to the other islands.
Coming in to Bocas town by boat we could see our bright yellow hotel hanging out over the water. Cali has always wanted to stay in a hovering house above the water, but this will have to do. You step up and onto a huge pier to go into the hotel.
Our room had a little balcony looking out over the water. From there you could see the other water houses and the Bocas marina across the way. Residents are getting around in every kind of boat you can imagine. Some are extremely narrow.
We walked down the Main Street. Bocas also has that relaxed vibe we found in Puerto Viejo. Grabbed some lunch then walked across the street to a bakery to try their brownies. The businesses often don’t turn on their lights, because electricity is expensive. Good thing we have iphone flashlights.
At the back of the hotel, on the water side, is a great hang out spot with hammocks, dock to swim off of, little bar, tables. We spent most of the afternoon swimming off the dock and swinging in hammocks. Their decorative plants are pineapple. Paul hung out with his new buddies from Chile, one guy was wearing a Toronto Leafs hat. We talked for quite sometime with the owner of the hotel who was from Cali, Colombia. Interesting young man.
In town for dinner, there were quite a few diverse places to choose from; Reggae Caribbean fusion, an Indian food place, Italian food at La Iguana. We decided on a place that had a crazy amazing atmosphere at the Hotel Limbo called Indo restaurant. Really amazing setting, huge pillows, loungers, different cozy styles of eating areas, eat on the floor Asian style, loungey style. We chose out on the water style since it’s still a novelty to us. (Cost: filet mignon $12, fish del dis $9, ceviche $5). Paul had another great steak my fish wasn’t the best I’ve ever had but still tasty enough.
During the meal there were two black outs, first one right after we had ordered our food. Everything went completely black except for the boats. No one even flinched or lit candles. The happy hour piña coladas were still flowing, just no food coming from the kitchen. After about 15 minutes, the place next to us started up its generator, but we hung tough in the dark. Power came on for our meal and went back off right after we got back to our hotel. We know how to time our blackouts.
On the way home we could see the weekend nightlife coming alive. There was a live reggae band already in full swing, and a dj setting up at the Indo where we were eating. There is a significant tourist police presence on the main street, which probably keeps the anything goes vibe down to a manageable roar. It was feeling a bit like perhaps the family-friendly part of the day was over, so we opted to take our kiddo back to the hotel, We sat in the upstairs open air lounge outside our room and star-gazed. It was the perfect place to spend a Friday night black-out, which is what happened next. I only wish it would have stayed that way for a little longer.
