Panama City

August 28, 2014

It was another long and interesting travel day for the Collins Crew. We were headed to Panama City on a bus, a 12 hour trip from start to finish. The 6:30 a.m. water taxi was beyond packed with others going to the bus, students and local residents. We arrived at the bus station early for the 8:00 a.m. scheduled departure. Well, that time came and went and still no bus. The two girls that I lent $5 had paid their cab an extra dollar to find an ATM before dropping them off at the bus station. They paid me and said that I had saved their lives. Michael and I have said we often rely on the kindness of strangers, so we hope to experience this as well if we find ourselves in a pridicament.

It was probably 8:45 before the bus left. There was another man on the bus who worked for the bus company. As the bus departed, he informed us all about the stops the bus would make and how long they would be. He also provided directions on the use of the toilet on the bus. Unfortunately, all of the directions were in Spanish, so all I got was the idea that he was talking about the stops and toilet.

To our surprise, a monitor lowered down from the ceiling of the bus and a movie started. It couldn't have been a more violent special ops type movie. Of course it was in Spanish, and there were no subtitles. All you could see were a lot of guns and a few topless women thrown in for good measure. There were several children on the bus. Of course, Liam was glued to it, trying to figure out the story line. I was relieved that he fell asleep during the movie. Only another movie started after that. It starred Keanu Reeves. It was filmed in China and called The Man of Tai Chi or something like that. This one was just as violent as the first movie only it featured constant intense, aggressive martial arts fights-some resulting in death...nothing like the title had suggested. This was quite distracting as I was trying to take in the views of the land which were definitely worth watching for the first third of the trip.

We made several stops for people exiting the bus at seemingly random locations. One lady literally exited on a median in the middle of a busy road. I had no idea how far we were from Panama City, but we had gotten a late start, so we weren't going to meet to our estimated arrival of 5 p.m. We ended up arriving in Panama City around 7:00p.m. We still had to get a cab to our apartment for the week. I had a heck of a time trying to confirm that someone would be there to give us our key. They said we'd be charged extra money if we came after 6 and I thought that we would be there by then. Oh well.

Our cab driver couldn't find the apartment. After several international phone calls with non-English speaking contacts, we finally had the taxi driver make a call to see if he could find the apartment. Something was lost in translation because the written provided directions said 'in front of the Hilton Garden Hotel'. We were there, but the apartment was across the street on the side of the hotel and back a bit on that street. We made it to the apartment probably around 8ish, and still hadn't had a proper meal. We found a local restaurant and had a nice, inexpensive meal.

After we slept off that bus trip, we went for a walk in the morning and explored our new neighborhood. It was pretty hot, but we headed toward the water for a walk along the Cinta Costera. In usual Collins fashion, we waited too long before we ate. It took forever to find a restaurant as this American couple told us there were tons of restaurants along this route (our shorts gave us away as other Americans). Well, there weren't any places to eat on this walk. We finally found a deli off the path and ate there. Full, but worn out, we grabbed a cab back to the apartment just in time to avoid the afternoon rain.

We relaxed a bit and ate some leftovers for dinner. We need to gear up for our next adventure tomorrow....the Panama Canal!

Family selfie....Everyone is well and enjoying the adventure!

Beaches and More

August 25, 2014

When we were purchasing tickets for the water taxi out of Bocas, I met two girls. They were in line in front of me and they were having some difficulties with their own ticket purchase. They had every coin they owned on the counter in front of the sales woman like kids purchasing candy with every last cent from their piggy bank. One girl turned around and asked me if I was going to Panama City today. I told her I was and she shared that they were short $5. She asked to borrow money and assured me that she would pay me back on the bus (once you get off the water taxi to Almirante, you take a $1 land taxi to the bus station and then catch the 10 hour bus to Panama City).

I didn't have money on me at that moment. Michael was with the kids by the water taxi trying to get our luggage onto what he has called the 'coffin ship'. We thought by leaving at 6:30 a.m. we would avoid a crowded water taxi. Not so. It was packed and we needed to get on that boat. I knew the girls were going to be a while there since they didn't have enough money and I couldn't really start our ticket transaction, so I went and got the money for our tickets. I gave the $5 to the girls and they enthusiastically thanked me. While we were waiting I had a chance to talk to the girls and asked them how they liked Bocas. They had thick accents and knew some Spanish, but I couldn't place where they were from.

One of the girls told me that all of her visit to Panama was sitting. Sitting on buses, in taxis, restaurants and at beaches. Michael and I had noticed that we hadn't moved much here either. If we hadn't chosen to hike off the ATVs we wouldn't have moved much at all. The rest of our trip in Bocas was spent getting to and from beaches and restaurants. Don't get me wrong....there's definitely nothing wrong with that. It seemed this girl just had enough of it. I don't know how long they were there, but we were finishing up our week and that was enough for exploring beaches and restaurants.

I had mentioned before that there was a ton of rain in Bocas prior to our arrival. Well, it still rained, and it worked out well providing our breaks between beach days. The two main beaches we visited were Starfish Beach and Red Frog Beach. Starfish beach was about a 25 minute taxi ride to the other side of the island. The beach was very calm and lived up to its name. It was more crowded because it was a weekend and more local families were there. We found a spot further down the beach and had to pay $5 if we wanted a chair.

Yes, that is in the water....it's that clear

Liam snorkeling but not paying attention to the boat

On our rain day between beaches, we took a water taxi to another island for lunch. Bibi's is a great little spot on the beach that we wouldn't have found without a recommendation. There was some music and nice views and lunch was delicious. Also, the kids got to try out the paddle boat for free since we ate there.

We were dropped off at a pier and walked down the beahc to the restaurant here

Red Frog Beach was a bit further and required a longer water taxi ride. It was a smaller beach with rougher waves. It got its name from the poison red frogs which can be found in the forest areas surrounding the beach. Apparently there are Caymans too, and I'm glad to report we didn't run across either.

Once you get off at the pier and pay the entrance fee to the private beach, there is a short-5 min walk to the beach

Lots of hand holding....route back to meet the boat

So aside from the beaches we had visited many restaurants. We were glad we had recommendations from Victoria, my friend Val's niece. We met her at Alberto's for pizza one night. That was great because not only did they have some unique pizzas, but they had some games and an area for kids to play. The best by far though was El Ultimo Refugio. Victoria told us it was mostly a seafood place, but that they had some delicious vegetarian options. There was live music and a great view! A perfect ending to our beach week. Thanks Victoria!

ATVs

August 23, 2014

We have tried to take breaks after long travel days. We got settled in our condo in Bocas del Toro, got our lay of the land and made plans for the week. Maeve had an ear ache and it had been bothering her for a few days. The two of us went to the 'hospital' to have a doctor look at it. They told us to come back tomorrow at 6 a.m. and wait 2 to 3 hours for the doctor to arrive. During that waiting period we would get a number, have her blood pressure checked, etc. We decided not to do that. We figured that it was easier to get medicine here, so we went to the pharmacy and I explained in my minimal Spanish about Maeve's ear. The pharmacist gave us antibiotic drops to help with an infection and swelling. $12....done.

On our way to the pharmacy we had passed the ATV shop called Flying Pirates and stopped in for information. It was expensive to rent a vehicle for the whole day, but more manageable for a half day. Michael and I discussed it and we weren't sure if Maeve and Liam would handle the whole day anyway. We returned to the shop after dinner and booked the ATVs for the next day with the option to go the full day if everything went well.

We got to the shop the next day at about 9:30 a.m. It was a fabulous, sunny day! Bocas has had a ton of rain recently, so we were fortunate indeed. We got signed in, and then one of the owners drove us to the warehouse where they store the ATVs. An American couple ran the business. We were fitted for helmets and given instructions on the trail and vehicles. I was a bit nervous, but excited too. I had never done anything like this before, and I had to really concentrate to shift of gears and manage reverse.

In no time, we were off down the main road and toward the trail. It was really a blast! The kids laughed and enjoyed the bumpy ride. Of course, the previous rain left some serious puddles, so we knew we'd get dirty. In order to enter the private trail, you have to pass through a narrow gate. It's just large enough to fit the ATV through. I didn't line it up well, so I had to go in reverse and try again. The ATV's engine cut. It took me a few tries and I had to literally rock the ATV to get it back into neutral (that was part of the directions, but I forgot about that...it was a little overwhelming).

There were a few spots to stop for a break. The first was was called 'La Piscina' or the pool. I think it was my favorite spot on Bocas. It was a glorious oasis. I had packed some sandwiches and chips, so we ate there and went for a swim. No one else was there for about 30 minutes. Then another four people showed up, but that was it. It was heavenly!

Maeve and Liam are the first ones in the water

An amazing place to stop and take in the area and all it has to offer

Trying to capture a moment, but Liam wouldn't stand for that:)

Once we finished swimming, we continued through the path until we came to the farthest part of the island for the trail. We were told we could stop here and hike to some bat caves and a beach. We were told it was worth the hike and incredibly beautiful, so we gave it a try. It was a very difficult trail. It started with a bridge that wasn't functional. You literally had to balance on some pieces of wood to get across it. We didn't get far before it became very muddy. If you didn't plan your steps carefully, or if you lost your balance, you could end up in mud up to your shins. The first one down was Maeve. She handled it well, but she was a mess. We thought about turning around, but the thought of the beautiful sights at end of the trail beconed us to persevere. This was a dry day. I couldn't imagine doing this on a rainy day. The trail was marked is some places, but it was still difficult to navigate in some spots. Then there was the occasional abrupt meeting with spiders in their webs literally blocking the trail and little crabs that we interrupted as they scurried in front of us. We were freaked out on many occasions. We made it to the bat caves and never saw a beach area. I knew we were close, but we just couldn't see how to access it. There were two girls hiking near us and they turned around after they bravely entered one of the caves. So all of that and no beach. I guess the payoff was that we discovered we had a little more grit within ourselves.

Maeve after the first fall...still smiling

The marked path near the bat caves toward the end of the trail

The second cave....the other girls went in. Apparently, this beach area is around the bend from this cave.

Maeve after the second fall...not so happy this time. However, we were all elated that we made it back to the ATVs after the hike. You can see that 'bridge' in the background that we had to manage across to start the trail.

Thrilled to be back at our ATVs, we hopped on and took off. We decided to explore the other swim area called the Blue Lagoon. We found that, but it wasn't as nice or big as La Piscina and there were two other girls already there. We went back to La Piscina to take a break and clean off.

We continued on the trail back. We had already passed our half day mark, so we figured we had until 6:00 to return the ATVs to the warehouse. The return route offered a couple of choices. You could take the rougher, narrower, winding route or the Monkey Highway, which was more of a straight shot back. You had several opportunities to get back on Monkey Highway if you didn't like the first route, so we took the rougher path for a bit and then turned onto the main stretch. Funny thing was, we had more problems on the straighter road. Since it was a wider road, it had more opportuity to collect water and less tree roots for traction in the mud. If you move too quickly and don't plan well, it is easy to get stuck....which is what happened to me. I managed to plant the rear wheels in a massive heap of mud. Maeve and I rocked back and forth several times trying to get some traction while I hit the gas. Michael and Liam appeared to have stopped to wait for us and I could hear Liam laughing. It took us a few minutes, but eventually, we got out of the rut only to find Michael and Liam's ATV sunk into the mud. All four wheels were in and they weren't going anywhere. This was why Liam was howling with laughter. We had the provided bungee cords, so Michael tied my ATV to his and I pulled him out. Phew.

We were all pretty well set to end the ATV experience from that point. Once we made it through the narrow gate again off the private property, there were two small hotels. They both had restaurants, so we decided to stop and have an early dinner along the beach at a place called Bluff Beach. Maeve and Liam had definitely earned their pineapple smoothies. We had some delicious sandwiches at our table on the beach and we enjoyed the view.

Upon arrival at the ATV warehouse, you are offered the opportunity to shower and an unlimited amount of beer or soda. The owners Steve and Rhonda enjoy sitting with their clients and listening to their ATV stories for the day. It was a nice opportunity for us as well. We enjoyed chatting with other travelers and swapping life stories. It was an amazing day full of adventure, drama, challenges and merriment. Thank you Steve and Rhonda.