Panama

Another day, another country. After spending two weeks on the blissful coasts of Costa Rica under perfect conditions i was disappointed to say that our first two days in Panama were absolutely shocking! Upon entering Panama the weather was as off and on as a day out in Melbourne. To get to Panama we had to catch a bus to the border, get exited out of Costa Rica, walk across the border which is a dodgy old bridge and then enter Panama through a sketchy old border crossing. Next we boarded a bus to to the water port and then had to catch a water taxi out onto the island of Colon and the town of Bocas del Toro.

Once there we decided to check in, and then after a quick shower, I left the girls and went to see the school that was holding so much promise. So here is the news that a lot of people are waiting for. What happened with the job situation? Well unfortunately there is not a lot to report. I went and chatted to the lady about the job and i quickly realised that it probably wasn't for me. I can't exactly be bothered explaining the finer details but pretty much i couldn't see myself living on that island and doing that job for the next 12 months. The position didn't start till July and that also left me in limbo for a few months. Plus there really was the expectation that i would stay there for a year, and without being able to commit to that, it really wasn't fair to hang her out to dry at the end of the year. Also, which was probably the final factor, was that fact that it seemed quite unorganised and i really wouldn't have the opportunity to maximise my teaching and learn anything new.

So with the school situation done and dusted i decided not to let it damper my mood too much. To be honest i was a little disappointed about the whole situation. I was hoping that this opportunity would give me some form of answers to determine the rest of my travels. Oh well. I'm very quickly beginning to adopt the notion that 'everything that happens is leading me towards something else'. If i continue to believe this notion then anything that happens in the future i can accredit to the happenings of the past. It may not make a lot of sense, but for me it's a way of justifying my events.

Ok so to the fun part of Panama; the islands. The archipelago of islands that make up the Bocas cluster is really something out of this world. Although the Isla Colon, which boasts the more occupied town of Bocas del Toro is a site to see, it really is the rest of the uninhabited and commercially untouched areas that give this destination its true beauty. In total i spent 4 nights in the region. 2 nights in the town of Bocas and 2 nights on the Isla Bastimentos; both offering differences to appreciate. My first 2 days/nights in Bocas were lots of fun. After a couple of quiet nights it was good to get out on the town and get amongst it. Monday night was a right off and i even bumped into someone from back home. Well technically this person doesn't know me, but i sure knew them. Now my 'irrelevant celebrity to anyone else but Australian's' tally is at two after spending the night chatting and drinking with Dani from Season 7 of Big Brother. Yeah that's right, you heard me! 

Tuesday night pretty much followed the same procedure, but probably not as massive. The highlight of the night was probably a half hour drunken conversation with 2 Englishmen and a Canadian about the psychological impact of marketing by putting a price as $1.99, as opposed to $2. Combine that with the idea that inevitable inflation will eventually make the use of a pence (English) and penny (Canadian) useless, therefore requiring it to be eliminated (example Australia). Confused? I am just remembering it.

Anyway after a couple of nights in Bocas a few of us decided that we needed a change of scenery. Bocas is quite touristy and something a little more traditional was on the cards. Plus there is no easily accessible beach at Bocas and i was hanging for a surf. On the Wednesday a couple of us moved across to Bastimentos and that day a group of around a dozen spent the day on the neighbouring Wizard Beach. There we surfed, ate food, sun baked and found ways to amuse ourselves. Smashed open coconuts, made a game of cricket with drift wood stumps/bat and coconut balls and frisbee with a washed up oil tin lid.

It is also on Wednesday that the biggest party of Bocas del Toro is meant to happen at the local Agua Bar. Washing up from the days activities myself and a Canadian that was staying at Bastimentos headed over to Agua Bar on the water taxi to check it out. Slowly the bar started to fill up and it was a pretty massive night. Met up with the Norwegian girls there as well. The one highlight of this bar, and the whole novelty of Agua Bar (meaning Water Bar), is the fact that the bar is on a pier hanging over the ocean. The deck runs relatively far out to sea and at the back of the bar they have cut out a small swimming pool sized whole in the deck and constructed a 1.5m diving board so people can jump directly into the ocean. Something tells me that Australian OH&S standards wouldn't actually condone extremely inebriated people + a diving board + a swimming whole – a life guard...only in Bocas. As the night proceeded people slowly started to jump into the water, and then what followed was a bit of an old fashioned cock off as the blokes were constantly trying to out do each other with flips and spins off the board. It was at this stage that a fair crowd had gathered round the pool to watch this one-up-manship, and it's also the time i realised i had the opportunity to one up these guys, and i seized this opportunity. Stripping down to my jocks i started the climb op onto the diving platform. From here there was a line of guys discussing the ways they were gonna outdo each other. Upon asking me i simply said 'just wait'. I then took off my jocks, walked out onto the board backwards covering up my front and bared myself to the bar. The applause erupted and it was my time in the limelight! Letting the applause fuel my jump i then did a spin off the board while star fishing and exposing my full birthday to the crowd. The cool water brought me back to reality and upon fitting my jocks back on underwater i climbed the rail, put my clothes back on, collected numerous high fives, finished my beer and left...my job was done.

Ok this is dragging on (I'm in the jungle now so have lots of time on my hands...will explain in the next blog). Next day i went out to some wicked beaches with an English couple. Had a good day relaxing on the beach, surfing and even got to see some local wildlife. A sloth crossed our path on the way to the beach, and without exaggeration they are the slowest thing EVER!

That night a bunch of us from the hostel got together and had a little poker tournament. Needless to say i come up trumps (extremely lucky cause i suck at poker and played against some experienced players) and won myself a handy $20. Upon waking the next morning i had no idea what to do. Should i stay or should i go. There is a saying that i heard while staying in Bocas and i couldn't sum up the place any better. It's called the Three Lies of Bocas. Lie 1 – I'm not drinking tonight; Lie 2 – I'm leaving tomorrow; and Lie 3 – I love you. It was now that i established that if i didn't just pack up and leave in a wicked whirlwind then i was going to get stuck in Bocas. So i did just that with the idea of heading to the opposite Western pacific coast and to a spot called Santa Catalina, where there is reported to be some of the best surf in the world. That morning was spent travelling in boats, taxis and buses to get to a place called David. I checked into a place called the Purple House, met some English girls who were headed to this hostel in the jungle called Lost and Found (which I'd also just interestingly heard about the very same day and was very intrigued) and decided to follow them into the jungle for the next couple of days.

It's here that i will leave you, because the next part of the adventure is set to be a big one. Another twist in the adventure that is my travels could see me staying out in the jungle for a while. But I'll leave that for later.

* Ok latest news is that i have decided to stay in the hills of Panama. Check out the website of an Eco Hostel called Lost and Found...amazing place!