Back to Bocas - Victory over Volcano Baru

Ok it's been a little while since we last conversed, but that is because i haven't really had steady access to the internet. So now i have a constant access to the internet and that is because i have decided to leave the eternal bliss of the Lost and Found. I will get round to explaining that detail soon enough, but for now i will fill you in with the events that have unfolded since arriving at the Eco Lodge.

Time here has been wicked. As previously stated most nights were spent boozing it up with the unique blend of fellow volunteers and the random guests that would float in. During the days i would hike, read, watch movies, continue to work on my orange picking business (profit of $3) and do a range of jobs around the hostel to fill in time (paint the bar, set up the fire pit). The first couple of weeks were off the chains. Some of the best times of my trip so far, but as the time wore on, the good times thinned out. The busy season was coming to an end and the typically quiet period was starting to begin. This left little influx of new guests and less loose times. Days started to just go by uneventful and i started to question the substance of my trip if i remained here. Like all elements of my travels so far; you only stick around till the good times run out, and then you go find some more. So with the last week approaching a few of us organised some final excursions to keep the times alive.

My last two weekends have been very eventful affairs. The last weekend (when our hostel literally had no guests) a few of us decided on a recruiting drive to the party town Bocas del Toro to try bolster our stocks. A real spur of the moment activity turned into a massive weekend. 4 of us jumped on the bus with little preparation or plans of attack. All we knew was that we were going to whore out the company in whichever ways possible. We took a big stack of flyers and set out on the journey. We hit up hostels, people eating on the street, people walking, on tours, anywhere we could. It was actually a lot of fun. We felt like, for the first time in a while, that i had a job and was responsible for trying to achieve something. Plus Kevin (my new Irish friend, orange picking business partner and philosophical conversation buddy) and i turned it into a friendly competition with the girls as to who could recruit the most people. Although technically out on 'business' it was far from a formal event. I spent the next two nights (having been in the cloud forest out of civilisation for two weeks) getting as loose as possible. It was great to get back into the scene, but i probably spent a bit more money than desired. Either way a good weekend had by everyone.

So after the crazy weekend we got back to the Lost and Found to find some more guests and some more activity. It was also at this point, after we realised the place was quietening down, that Kevin and i planned the next section of our journey. Our next move over the week was to scale the infamous Volcano Baru and then head off to Panama City to begin our journey down south in Columbia and the rest of South America. The next few days at the hostel were spent with friends and enjoying our last times together. Kevin and i planned out our trip to the volcano and decided to add an extra component to the trip. Liked previously mentioned hitch-hiking had become a prevalent method of getting around Panama for us so far, so we were going to attempt to incorporate this area into our little mission. We were also going to climb the mountain overnight, leaving after sun down, to ensure a perfect timing view of the sunrise. The idea was to hitch to the closest town (David 1 ½ hours away) and then hitch back up to the town of Boquette (40mins) where we are close to the base of the volcano. This all went pretty smoothly when we left the hostel around midday Friday. We were fortunate to score a lift within a minute after getting off the hostel trail from a couple of English chaps who were off bird watching. After enjoying their company for the journey we got off in David and in a couple of minutes got a ride from an American ex-pat to the town of Boquette. Who said hitch-hiking was dangerous. Boquette is most famous for being the forth top destination in the world for retiring ex-pats (mostly Americans) and this becomes fairly obviously once arriving in this part town/part retirement village.

Once in Boquette we hit up a local hostel that runs in an unofficial partnership with the place we have been volunteering at. They let us leave our bags there overnight because we were planning to head up that very same day. Kevin and I proceeded to stuff our faces for the next couple of hours as we 'carb loaded' our way through plates of rice and beans. We went to the local supermarket and grabbed some supplies. We stocked up on granola bars, got some fruit cups, water, Gatorade and cans of beans. We then went back to the hostel to meet up with a few of the other people who were meeting us there to also do the climb.

As hitch-hiking was our main objective to adding some unnecessarily stupid extras to this already massive adventure, we couldn't allow ourselves to catch a taxi to the base of the volcano. So instead, as a nice preparation for the climb, we walked the 10km to the base of the volcano just in time to meet the others who 'conveniently' caught a 10min taxi ride. We left to walk at 9pm and got to the base at 10.30pm before waiting around for the others who were meeting us at 11pm. Once they arrived we begun the climb up the mountain. The track, a fairly marked out trek but consisting of lots of different terrains, is 14km long and ascends 2.2km up to the summit which stands at 3.5km high and is the highest point in Panama. From the top you can see both the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast and the Pacific Ocean on the west coast.

We began our climb a little after 11pm and set off into the darkness at a cracking pace. The average time it takes people to climb it is around 5-6 hours, but after much slogging it out we managed to reach the base just before the summit in 4 hours. It was honestly one of the hardest and mentally tough things I've ever done. So many times we all wanted to stop, but we kept each other inspired to continue with poor jokes, stupid stories and childhood rhymes. The track was just a constant stream of up hill with the extremely rare teasing patch of flat ground that gave out fatigued muscles a much needed recovery period.

My legs were burning and although temperatures were getting close to zero we all were sweating like fat kids in a candy store. Probably one of the biggest reasons we got up so fast was because, although hot and tiring, every time we stopped the cold wind and temperatures would rip through our sweat drenched clothes and send bone chilling shakes down our body.

We'd given ourselves plenty of time to get up the volcano before first light, but after ascending to the summit at record pace, we got up there too early and were forced to wait around in the freezing cold in a tiny little shack. Cuddled up together trying to pass on body heat, setting the scene for the sequel Brokeback Volcano, we passed the time and then hit up the very summit.

For the next couple of hours we watched Mother Nature work her absolute best magic as she splashed the horizon with the richest colours of pink, purple, orange, yellow and white. The sun emerged from the clouds and the liquid gold rays immediately warmed our skin like a hot water bottle in bed. The views were breath-taking, the picturesque landscapes amazing and the experiences indescribable. The pictures really can't justify the beauty.

After falling asleep at the summit for a little while we decided to make our climb down. The way down gave us the opportunity to take in the treacherous track that we'd just ascended, but it was by no means easy. The constant downhill smashed the joints and after a couple of hours my knees were really feeling it. Not wanting to let it beat us we continued the 14km straight down and then walked back from the base to town for an additional 10km. Was it worth it...absolutely.!

Exhausted, we rewarded ourselves with a massive pizza and beer at the conclusion, and then headed back to the hostel to shower and rejuvenate. An intelligent person would have came to the conclusion that if you replaced sleeping for 8 hours with pure, constant, no stop hiking for 8 hours with no sleep than one might be quite tired and should sleep the next night. However, a person who needs a tad more intelligence (ie – us) thought that consuming almost a litre of rum while playing Ring of Fire was probably a better idea...WRONG! Hammered and really destroyed my sleeping pattern for the next couple of days. Well that did and the fact that the next night was spent with a loose farewell party at the Lost and Found for a few volunteers, and the night after was spent on an overnight bus to Panama City which is impossible to sleep on.

So we arrived in Panama City and spent a few days cruising around and checking out the sites. Kevin and I also spent a good deal of time at the marinas and yacht clubs trying to seek out a sailing trip down the canal or onto South America. We tried pretty hard and were willing to whore ourselves out, but it just wasn't meant to be. In fact we did get offered a trip across the Pacific past French Polynesia and onto Fremantle via Brisbane, but i didn't think it was time to come home yet. Would have been a wicked story though. Instead we called it a day, realised that our time in Panama was done, booked flights to Columbia and then smashed it up local style for our last night. I now write to you from Panama International 1 hour away from boarding a flight to Cartagena, Columbia. Not sure what the plans are, but as always, I'm sure they'll work out. We are headed over with an English couple John and Rachael how we've been traveling with for the last 10 odd days. They came to the Lost and Found as guests originally and then we recruited them for the Volcano Baru climb. From there we all decided to head down to Panama City together, and because we have the same travel plans, we are now all in Columbia together keeping the dream alive. So the awesome foursome continues to live the dream!

Until next time!

Lost and Found and Beyond

I have found the Lost and Found, or perhaps i should say the Lost and Found has found me? It's kind of a mutual longing we have for each other. I arrived at the Lost and Found Eco Lodge after spending the night in David. The English girls and myself caught the bus to the random coordinates we'd received and we were dropped out in the middle of the highway in the forest/hills/jungle of Panama. With our heavy luggage strapped to our backs we proceeded to climb the steep steps and path that followed towards the lodge. After a couple of weeks surfing i thought i was starting to develop some kind of fitness base, but after ascending the treacherous steps (that would soon become the equivalent of my driveway) i realised that the old legs required a much needed work out.

Once getting to the top it was almost like a feeling of liberation as i looked out across the mountains and valleys of Panama. From the top of the lodge you can see across to Volcano Baru (the highest point in Panama, which from the top you can see Costa Rica and both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans) and the valleys of the La Fortuna Reserve. It is truly a sight to see.

Once getting here i somewhat feel like i found what I'd been looking for, at least temporarily that is. There was a certain tranquillity that oozed from the surrounding of the lodge that encapsulated every aspect of serenity. We checked into the dorm and got settled for the day relaxing and enjoying the more temperate weather. Whereas most parts of Panama are stinking hot, the Lost and Found (situated in the cloud forest above the sweltering hustle and bustle of ground level), contains much more mild weather. During the days it gets quite hot if you're out in the sun, however at night (particularly if it is windy), and weather can drop down to be quite cold. After spending the last 5 weeks in boardshorts and singlets it has been nice to be able to throw on a hoodie and jeans at night.

After learning a little bit more about the lodge i soon discovered that all the people working up here, bar the owners, were working as volunteers. There job was to coordinate the operations of the day as the owners saw fit. This consisted of check-ins/outs, managing guests and generally hostel type tasks. In return they got accommodation for free and a few other little perks. They basically had a wicked set up and i was immediately drawn to the idea of this. I talked to the owners and next thing i knew i was starting to factor in the possibility of an extended stay at the Lost and Found. Before i knew it this became a reality and now i am officially on board the Lost and Found team. The minimum requirement they ask is two weeks, but the possibility to stay on longer is up to you. At this stage i have no idea how long I'm going to stay here, but it will be at least a month at this stage. Accommodation free, cheap food, cheaper rum (fair to say I've been converted to a dirty pirate hooker polishing off litres of rum a week) and the chance to settle for a period of time with a good group of fellow volunteers. After weeks of travelling solo it is nice to establish some more substance to friendships that last longer than a couple of days. At the moment there is a really cool crew working at the lodge, all pretty much starting the same time, so it means we are going to be together for a while. Since I've been here we have ventured out into the jungle forest, hit the hiking tracks (a passion that is slowly growing) and had some wicked parties. Staying here for an extended time gives a prefect balance because you have your mates that you've made working here, but you also have the constant influx of travellers moving in and out. Really can't complain too much up here at the moment.

There isn't really too much else to report right now. I'm going to be staying here for a while and my routine is going to be pretty similar. You generally work two days on and then one day off. The shifts are split between morning (7am-3pm), evening (3pm-10pm) and then party (6pm-last man standing). Needless to say the party shift is pretty sweet because generally you're going to be up that last anyway. The morning shift is probably the most hectic because you have to count, restock and record inventory, check quests out and check new guests in. Evening gets the odd check in, but you don't do too much except clean and organise events. With party it is your job to get people getting into the festivities. Foosball tournaments, poker, bonfire, drinking games, etc. On your days off you usually catch up on sleep or head to the closest town to get on the internet or do some grocery shopping. It takes about a half hour on the bus or you can usually hitch hike there pretty easily. Hitching has become a major method of transport here and is probably the most convenient way to get about.

Ok time to eat!