Panama in 2 days

February 16-17: still hot down here

With only a couple of days in Panama we try to maximize our activities to see as much of Panama as possible.  We booked a boat tour that included dolphin sightings, a visit to a national park, snorkeling, lunch and star fish sightings in the mangroves.  On the tour we quickly saw dolphins but nothing like the hundreds in Golfo Dulce.  The trip largely included boating amongst the Panamanian islands.  The islands are lush green and easily accessible by boat.  As a matter of fact, you can pay $1 for a water taxi to any of the islands, day or night.

Size of boat for our day trip

Snorkeling included some of the most colorful corals I have ever seen.  They also looked like they were outlined in neon lights the way the sun shined on the spiral caterpillar-like animal that attached itself to the coral.  The star fish were also incredible.  I have never seen so many in one concentrated area.  We were able to see them from the boat in shallow water and it felt as though we could just reach down and touch them.

Panama view from our hotel

On our tour was a gentleman who was traveling alone, Steve.  Steve is from Vancouver and reminds me of most of the linemen I worked with at the electric company.  He proudly wore a hunting cap, talked sternly about the work that he does and is confident that his workplace would be better if everyone just " did it his way".  You could tell that beyond his eggshell exterior, he was just a pussy cat trying to impress two youngish ladies.  He annoyed the shit out of Mandy.

After a half of our day spent on the water, we were looking forward to drying up and having a nice dinner on the water.  Most of the restaurants in Bocas Del Toro are on the water overlooking the other islands.  We were told that Lemongrass was one of the best around.  We gladly make decide tonight will be a date night.  This is also the night I found my love for raspberry Vodka and lemonade.  Dangerously yummy.

A perfect spot for a night cap was Dave's bar on the roof of the hotel across Lemongrass.  Here, you can enjoy 2 for 1 mojitos.

Marcella's daughter and her friend Isaiah

Time to head back to Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.  This time, we know what to expect in our travels across the border and we board a shuttle with two other women.  One is an architect from Rome and the other is an expat originally from Connecticut who we later named "Crazy Nancy".  Nancy was full of drama in her stories, told us how to get across the border without paying by faking a disability and ranted and raved about Costa Rican law and tax evasion, all the while, calling someone called "Jose" to help her carry her bag up her stairs when she got home.  Jose hung up on her and she claimed that she would get her things up the stairs by carrying each of the contents one by one...and all by herself.  She obviously was looking for our sympathy.  We might have been guilty of fueling Crazy Nancy's pity party and story telling.  "What the hell?  Why not make the most of our time on the shuttle.  By this time, Ms. Rome joined in as well.

One more night in Cabinas Larry and we meet up with Marcella and her 3 yr old daughter.  Today is Marcella's birthday and we have agreed to meet up for English/ Spanish lessons for both of them.  Just before our session, Mandy and I make a quick trip to a bakery down the street to get some sweets for the birthday celebration.  A wonderful and humbling end to a long travel day.

English-Spanish lessons between Mandy and Marcella