Day 10 - Getting to know the way to San Jose

We were up at around 6 a.m., had breakfast, a final gathering of our things and out the door to meet our arranged taxi ride. We waited in the street for a good while and finally decided to fetch another ride for the water taxi instead. We were at the dock at 7:30 a.m. and the boat was supposed to leave at 8 a.m. as scheduled and we would be able to meet our 9 a.m. bus to Changuinola. We were still sitting on the dock waiting for the boat to begin boarding at 8:25 a.m.

I was getting anxious and finally we started boarding and quickly on our way. Once in Almirante we were again quickly into a taxi for a ride to the bus station. Good news, we made it as the bus hadn't left, but as soon as we boarded the packed bus we were off for the 30 minute ride.

In Changuinola, we only had to walk around the corner and the bus to San Jose was waiting. The bus was an older styled bus and we were asked to board the bus even though it wasn't running and the air conditioning not on. Didn't matter anyway as when the engine was running there still wasn't any air conditioning. The bus had to be near 40C inside and the windows I wasn't sure opened at first but shear persistence or life endangered panic I managed to dislodge the windows for some much needed moving air.

The boarding crossing in Sixaola was something else. First we had to get our exit stamps from Panama and then pay the exit fee before walking across a foot/rail bridge to reach Costa Rica. The day before I produced a fake itinerary and used it as proof of departure from Costa Rica at the customs office. A quick glance at the iPad and the customs officer stamped our passports for entry into Costa Rica. After another 30 minutes we were again boarding the bus.

The bus only started moving when the driver in his Spanish accent warned us to close the windows. I quickly jumped to my feet and closed mine, Correen's and the kid's windows along with one behind Correen just as the bus was sprayed with some kind of insecticide or herbicide. A few people on the bus didn't react like I did and ended up get sprayed through their open window. Glad I moved quickly.

The bus was hot and sticky with its vinyl seats. We drove down the highway passing by many banana tree farms and processing plants from the common producers Dole, Del Monte and Chiquita. Reaching Limon, the bus stopped and allowed us off for 15 minutes to grab some food and a drink before taking off again. I bought a bag of sliced mangos before we boarded the bus. The bag of greenish looking mangoes came with what looked like a slice of lime and what looked like a small plastic fold of sugar. We the sugar was salt and the lime, likely it was a lime and the mango was hard and now lime tasting and salty. I managed to eat 5-6 slices before calling it quits. The kids didn't like it at all. Felt really gringo with that purchase.

As the bus climbed the mountains the temperature dipped. At the highest elevations it was even too cool to have the windows open. We saw some pretty impressive waterfalls in the mountains and the terrain was stunning. Compared to Panama, Costa Rica had far more rivers, more mountainous terrain and it was superior in cleanliness. The environment is clearly more valued in Costa Rica. Loved Panama, but feel they should get their act together.

When the bus stopped in San Jose, we were asked no less than 5 times if we needed a taxi. We already had a driver picked or he picked us. We got our bags loaded and were off to our hotel. The ride through the city was interesting and the driver shared some knowledge of the city as well as warning us of the dangers as well. It sounds more like a sales pitch than a legitimate warning; alternative to the danger is to take the taxi.

There was nothing of interest around the hotel, it was just a gated hotel complex in some neighbourhood. Everyone seemed to like the hotel though. There was a restaurant, swimming pool, jacuzzi and our room had 2 rooms with beds.

We first went for some food in the restaurant. On the TV in the next room was a Red Bull street futball competition that looked quite interesting and I told the kids they should watch the cool tricks these guys were doing with a soccer ball. The waitress also gave us a remote to turn on the TV that was above us. We were hooked on the TV and when that program ended we switched the channels and stopped on Mexican wrestling, Nacho Libre style. I don't think Correen liked it, but the kids and I enjoyed watching the drama in the square ring.

After dinner we went and got changed into swimsuits for the jacuzzi. The kids loved swimming around in the jacuzzi. It was very nice with a small waterfall that flowed into the jacuzzi and it so much warmer than the outdoor pool beside the restaurant. After our family soak in the jacuzzi we went up to our room and the kids watched some TV before bed. I instead went to get some rest as I had to wake up early to pick up our car from the rental place.

Day 9 - Tour of Bocastown

We considered heading to the beach but with that state of the sandflies on the beaches we opted to head into Bocastown. Bocastown was about a 2 km walk down a road with rough patches of sidewalk. We passed by many houses of varying degree of repair and disrepair. We stopped into a restaurant once we made the turn onto the main street and Tegan and Elliot had an ice cream. I had a pepsi, that I shared with Tegan and poured some into her cup of ice cream to make a float. She really enjoyed that. Elliot didn't like the raisins in his ice cream; rum & raisin is what he ordered and he thought the raisins were chocolate chips initially.

We made are way through the many shops that lined the main street in search for a couple of t-shirts for the kids and a flag of Panama. Most of the shirts we saw had either Bocas del Toro or Cerveza Panama on them. We only found a Panama shirt for Tegan. Some of the handmade jewelry and crafts were quite nice and well crafted. There was a cute little woven sea turtle necklace that I was sure Tegan would love, but she passed it by. Picky kids.

On the way back we hopped into a place for some Pizza and fries for Elliot. The pizza was hand-tossed and looked promising, but it was somewhat of a let down in flavour. Instead of going to the beach I suggested to the kids that I could take across the street to Jenny's pool. The thought it a good compromise. Tegan and Elliot ended up playing with Kayla for a spell and then they reminded me of the pool and we invited Kayla to go as well. But in they end Kayla didn't come along with us. Tegan and Elliot did play with another girl in the pool and the had a great time. It also rained the whole time they were in the pool and I just stood under a palm tree watching over them while they played.

Tonight we made sandwiches in our cabana for dinner and watched some TV while we packing up for tomorrow's departure from Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro.

 

Day 8 - Sitting on the dock of the bay

Last night there was a crazy thunderstorm and it shook the cabana with every thunderous clap. I grabbed Tegan and moved her into the bed I was sleeping in. I thought she would wake from all the commotion. The rain was incredibly loud as it pelted the roof of the cabana for a good 2-3 hours. However, Tegan had no recollection of the storm when we woke up in the morning.

I spent a good portion of the day sitting out of the sun and in close proximity to the wifi router so I could update the blog. Correen sat in the hammock enjoying the shade while the kids played on the dock in front of the Cabana. Tegan was under the assumption that there were fishing rods included with the house, but checking with Jenny (the person we rented from), there were none. Jenny suggested to her to try a string and bottle as it is what the local kids use. Eventually I set up Tegan with some heavy thread and she found a stick to attach it to. When her friend Kayla returned from school at noon, she produced a rusty hook that excited Tegan to no end. She was sure to land many fish now; an opinion shared only by her.

She did manage to catch one little fish with a dough ball made from flour and water. She then used the little fish she caught as bait. She told me later that the bait had fallen off and that she also managed to snare her hook onto something and the whole fishing exhibition came to a halt.

There were now a half dozen or more local kids running around our dock fishing, playing tag and Elliot was introduced to the Panamanian version of Monopoly. Elliot played well with the 3-4 boys, however he chose a couple of Spanish words as his favorites and used these as a response to anything he was asked.

We used some of the groceries we picked up the day before for our dinner. We had pork chops, mashed potatoes with carrots and creamed corn. Elliot is all carnivore these days and is eating nothing but meat... and cereal.

The kids watched a little TV before bed; the typical kids shows found in Canada are all dubbed in Spanish here. I started popping some popcorn for Tegan and Elliot. We had no microwave so I had to pop it the old fashioned way with a medium sized aluminum pot and using a glass lid with a hole in the top where a handle was once fixed. This was creative popcorn popping. I even had to empty the cooking pot twice as the pot was of inadequate size for the amount of popcorn I was popping. In the end there were two full bowls of popcorn with melted butter and a sprinkle of salt to enjoy before bed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 7 - Bocas del Toro / Jon's Place

I woke up early this morning to find a troop of capuchin monkeys climbing in the trees outside of our room and the sunniest day in the rain forest. I had to grab my camera and quickly snapped off a pile of photos. With knowledge that there were some baby monkeys as well, I continued to photograph when they circled around. I found it really interesting how the monkeys would bend the canopy plants over, dumping the water that had been collected with the previous rains, searching for insects to eat. They picked oranges from the trees and then dropped them to the ground as well as breaking off many branches that fell with a large crash.

When Tegan and Elliot finally woke, they too got a taste of the wild monkeys as they jumped from tree to tree to tree. I left to go pack up our bags so we could get on our way, packing them took about an hour. We paid for our stay and were off to the bottom of the hill. Correen was ahead with Gabriel the caretaker of the hostel and I was with both kids urging them to careful as they and I navigated the decent with our bags. Tegan gave me her bag (now with 2 small bags and 1 x-large bag), Elliot ended up scraping his knee when he slipped on some concrete and I still was suggesting we hurry as the bus could arrive at anytime. And it did. I heard something gearing down on the road below and I said that could be the bus. It was just another 200m to the bottom and we just made it.

The bus was packed. We were in 3 different rows and separated for the trip. We saw waterfalls, crossed a large hydro dam, bought some sliced pineapple from one of the vendors that jump on the bus when it stops; until we finally stopped for 15 minutes at a comida for some Chinese food, which we only had enough time to eat half of. We continued our journey and arrived in Almirante, a dirty seaside town and our ferry to Bocas.

The taxi driver was suppose to charge us $2 but insisted on $3 and some boys jumped on our bags in the taxi to unload them and demand payment for a 10m walk. We waited a good 40 mins before the water taxi left the dock. The boat ride took about 20 minutes to reach Isla Colon and it wasn't too rough, Elliot even fell asleep in the boat.

We boarded a taxi for our hotel and we were shown to our cabana. Beautiful in contrast to streets of town we just drove through. The cabana was 2 rooms, 3 beds and the front-yard a large dock with which to string a hammock or two and watch the sunset. Stunning.

Tegan and I took two trips to the grocery store stocking up for our 3 day stay. We stopped in at a comida where there was an Afro-Carribean grandmother selling banana empanadas and coconut balls that were made with cane sugar. We tried the empanadas and loved them.

Tegan and Elliot introduced themselves and played with Kayla, the 8 year old girl from next door. They played exceptionally well together and we learned some new Spanish words from her, including; caracol for snail and maní for peanuts.

We walked down a side street on a hunt for some dinner. The place we settled on, only from default of no others being open, was Bocas del Dragon. The tacos were massive and delicious, Tegan had the fish and I had the chicken. Correen and Elliot had the lobster dinner and I think they were satisfied by the feed as well.

When we got back to the cabana we stayed up for a little bit longer, enjoying our hammocks and the dock.

Day 6 - Granja y Caldera autentico

Not raining anymore.

A quick breakfast and we are ready for the hot springs. We hiked down the hill to where our driver would meet us and take us to the hot springs. We drove for nearly 40 minutes just to reach our destination. As we drove the temperature continued to rise until we were above 30C instead of the 20C in the mountains.

We asked to be picked up in 2 1/2 hours and proceeded in waing about a 500m to where the farmer who owned the property met us and cautioned us of the dogs and the monkey. The monkey was climbing the tree just 10m from us and was a larger brown type of monkey. Elliot and Tegan didn't seem too interest with this monkey anyway. We were also cautioned to watch our mochilas as the monkeys were sure to follow or find us.

The hot springs were just a short walk through the farmyard and from what we discovered there were 2 pools, 1 large and 1 small one. The small one wasn't being used at the time of our arrival so it was ours. The water was pleasantly hot and the kids eventually were able to cope with the temperature and enjoy themselves. A spiky lizard showed up while we were soaking but no monkeys. After nearly a couple of hours of lazing around and when another family came to use the hot springs we then decided to leave.

Correen investigated the other pool with the kids and it turns out a couple of monkeys were there harassing the family that settled on using them. Our driver arrived just after we made it to the parking spot and we asked if he could stop at a comida for some lunch. We ordered a Meal of fish and of pork. Elliot and I shared the pork and Tegan and Mom had the fish. Elliot liked the pork so much that I only got to really have one bite of it and the remaining rice and beans. The kids also got to try a pop called Squirt which they really enjoyed.

Back at the hostel the water was running again and hot showers were available to us as well. The previous 2 days there was no water due to a crack in the water line. While we were sitting around the table we spotted an Emerald Toucanet as it flew into a nearby tree. We had an early supper of grilled cheese / tuna and while Correen and the kids watched a movie I was able to get in on a small stakes poker game. I initially lost half of my chips but ended up winning and take the $15 pot. The next game I lost, but I was still up $6 and and a great time playing and drinking $1.50 beers.

Tomorrow we leave the rainforest for the Carribean.

Day 5 - Treasure hunting in the jungle

Today the rain was continuing to rule the weather forecast. A tour of any sort seemed just out of the question, so we settled on the Treasure hunt today. The prizes for winning the treasure hunt needn't matter as they were all alcoholic and winning was likely not within our ability, as it was an all day event and we were setting out around 10 a.m. The first stop was the labyrinth. It was a neatly constructed maze of overgrown plants and we set off on the wrong path quite a few times before locating our next clue.

The next clue was actually something we spotted upon entry, so it was easily handled and next we were in search of Treebeard in the Forest of the Elders. Still raining. At the beginning we were given 2 maps that I was keeping inside my gore tex jacket. Sadly though we kept relying on them for navigation and rain and paper make some kind of consistency on par with mash potatoes if handled enough.

We made it to the crest of the hill and the Forest of the Elders wasn't too far below that. Elliot was doing really well climbing up the hill and down to where Treebeard stood. Soon after though he started to get chilled so we split up, Mom taking Elliot back to the hostel and Tegan and I proceeding. Oh yeah, Treebeard was so cool! He stood in a massive girth likely 10m in circumference. The trunk split in the middle and formed what felt like legs and the canopy covered a good portion of the sky above us.

Tegan and I continued down the path and came to a couple of junctions. We eventually made it to Little Kitten falls but when we stopped and opened our map for the next destination, we were left unfolding mushy bits of paper. Considering that without the map we had little chance of getting anywhere a clue would tell us to go, we decided to head back to the hostel too.

Still raining.

Once back we went to have a shower. Mom and Elliot already had one and said they had enjoyed it. Only Tegan and I suffered with a promisingly warm shower at first but very quickly the water ran out and we were very sudsy. We attempted to A) keep warm and B) rinse off but neither were entirely successful. We dried off and got dressed and then we went down to the lodge. While I made us lunch, Tegan continued to prove her new mastery of the game Yannif with a bunch of fellow travelers and Elliot warmed up with Mom watching a movie.

We continued with a night of just chilling including a visit with Rocky and a movie with popcorn.

Off to bed and it was still raining.

Day 4 - Arriving at Lost & Found

Tegan and Elliot were outside in the courtyard early checking out the parrot Coco and they both got to have the parrot perching on their arms. They really loved the parrots and the toucan, Tegan liked the 2 labradors that lived there as well. When I completed the latest blog entries we went on down the street to get some breakfast. The crepe place just a few doors down was closed so we opted for the bakery across the street.

Elliot and I each had a cinnamon bun for breakfast while Mom and Tegan had some local styled pastry, coffee and juices. Nearing our checkout time we quickly ran back to our hostel to get packed and grab a taxi to the David bus terminal. I paid $14 for the 4 of us to go about 100 kms in distance and to our next few nights of accommodations. I, Correen and the kids jumped on the bus and settled into the back seats.

We passed by many small farms where the family worked together working the land by hand and on horses. The drive up into the Fortuna Reserve was amazing with vistas of rolling hills and clouds blanketing the mountains at the higher altitudes. The roads were quite good considering the shear slope of the hills the mini-bus was tackling. Only about 1 1/2 hours into our ride and we were dropped off at the foot of the hill that our hostel resided. Correen's reaction to me reading that we had a 10-15 minute walk uphill to reach the hostel was priceless.

It was lucky for us and more for me that Patrick, one of the owners of the Lost & Found hostel, had also just arrived and was willing to assist me with getting our big black bag up the hill. I had to stop about 5-6 times on our ascension of the road that turned into some gnarly singletrack. Reaching the top and the hostel the kids encountered the capuchin monkey that they had rescued and was now leashed into an area on the property.

While we waited for our room to be organized for us, we got a tour of the place including where everything was and how everything operated. Tegan and Elliot liked the hammocks right from the start. Elliot really liked one of the girls staying there, her name was Diana and they swung on the hammock, played games or watched movies together. Tegan was always getting herself involved in card games with others as the hostel including learning Poker and an Israeli game called Yannif.

We suggested to the staff that we would like to do a couple of tours while we were there and the 2 we selected were the coffee plantation and the hot springs. Tegan upon learning that there was a treasure hunt immediately engaged her persuasive self to asking us if we could do this. Elliot was also keenly interested in the treasure hunt.

The pantry at the Lost & Found will keep you out of hunger, but the diversity of dishes you could create from the stocked ingredients is few. If you wanted to expand your mealtime choices you would surely need to resupply with some food from a super-mercado. I made spaghetti with meat sauce and fresh veggies including a native root vegetable that had the same consistency of an apple but with just a watery taste.

Not long after our supper we all went to bed and half-enjoyed the rain as it pelted the metal roof all night long.

Day 3 - 7+ hour bus ride to David

I was anxious to get packed and going this morning, but others in my party weren't on board at first.  Eventually the resistance faded and we had breakfast, cleaned up and spent a good portion of our time getting repacked. We were finally into the taxi bound for Albrook Terminal at 9 a.m.  I was watching the clock in the taxi as it neared the hour of 10 o'clock when we finally arrived to catch our bus that in my mind, I thought was leaving on the hour.

We had 5 minutes and I still had to attempt to purchase an onward travel ticket for Costa Rica from Tica Bus.  I split up at the windows, giving Correen the task of purchasing today's bus tickets and I purchasing the Tica Bus tickets.  Only I was struggling with my conversation en espanol and eventually learned with the help of Tegan that we can't purchase tickets that far in advance.  Another obstacle of Central America... I am only talking about 2 weeks in advance.  Oh well, race to the left to where the platform is, nope back to the right... we show up at the platform and were scolded a little as the bus was loaded with luggage and doors closed.  We got on the bus, but only with seconds to spare, we didn't even get seated and the bus started moving away from the terminal.

We were sitting at very back of the bus and had most of the seats to ourselves.  I told Tegan she should come back to sit by me so she could talk to the girl in the seat in front of her.  She was reluctant until I told her that the girl had her DS and was playing Mario Cart.  I suggested that they could link up and play and she was excited to do try.  Well they ended up being the best of "bus friends" sharing in drawing, tic tac toe, hangman and what ever their imagination came up with.  Elliot was playing games for some of the trip and slept for a good portion as well.

Typically when the bus stopped someone would hop on selling jewelry, food and drinks.  We didn't have time to grab anything before hopping on the bus, so we were especially happy to get some water and try some of the snacks they were selling.  The bus itself was a double decker bus and we were on the top.  You had to climb a winding staircase to get to the top and below us sat more passengers as well as the bathroom.

Watching the sights outside was enriching and varied from the cities and towns we drove through to the remote houses where families sat at tables outside or continued on their chores around their home.  Once we landed in David, we jumped off the bus, were asked by a few taxi drivers if we needed a taxi and eventually got our bags from the back of the bus into the taxi. David isn't the prettiest town, but it is full of life.  It was dusk when we arrived and Friday, so things we're just getting started for most of the residents of David.  The streets and sidewalks were uneven and broken and traffic etiquette has created a new paradigm for which I am yet to understand.

When we arrived at our Hotel/Hostel we at first were left to figure out how to get into the property.  The gate was closed, it was getting dark and it didn't look like there was signs of life until we found the doorbell and rang it.  A man came to our assistance and opened the gate for us.  We were let in and there was a little confusion at first as to if we had a reservation, but in the end we were placed in a room that boardered onto the street.  The noise from the street was a little intense; trucks with engine brakes, people celebrating, horns honking and loud music could be heard from the open bars down the street.

The best things about the Hostel were the animals and the pool, in the eyes of Tegan and Elliot.  There were to labs, a toucan and 3 parrots on the property.  I took the kids swimming in the pool and then we went out onto the streets to find some dinner.  Correen said later that she felt unsafe, but I didn't feel the same, there were so many people out that it just felt we were immersed into their lives.  We had fried chicken for dinner and then went to a couple of bakeries before settle in to our room for the night.

Day 2 - Exploring Panama City

Elliot and I were up first this morning. While the girlies slept in a little, we played card games and then he decided playing his DS was better than Go Fish with me. Outside, on the street below our hotel, there were people setting up stalls getting ready to sell food and inflatable mylar balloons.

Once Mom and Tegan were up, we went to get some breakfast downstairs in the café, where we had some delicious food. Grabbing our bags from our room, we set out for the day. Opting out of overpriced tours, we did it our way. A stroll around the corner of the hotel and we were on the Diablos Rojos, the local buses that carry the everyday people around Panama City. When we were near our destination, Casco Viejo, we jumped off the bus, it only cost $1 for the 4 of us. Then we did a short walk until we hailed a cab, and the driver dropped us off in front of Inglesia San José, which was constructed between 1671-1677.

We walked around the old city, stopped into a café for some drinks and ice cream before continue on. We strolled through an open market , where people were selling many different touristy items. Tegan was lured in by a man with a bunch of reptiles. She was given the opportunity to hold a little lizard and then she wanted photo with it, which ended up costing her $3. But then she was allowed to have her photo take with 2 lizards, a boa constrictor and a ball python. She really enjoyed the experience.

We learned how the pirates of old, used the tunnels under the city to wage an attack on the city. Construction in the old city is everywhere and yet there are still so many buildings queued for rebuilding. It would really wonderful to come back here when the restoration is complete.

The next taxi we used to get to Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal. Our driver was really nice and explained his city to us as we drove through the different districts. Correen pointed out a truck that was full of bananas and the sign that read 10/$1.

Once we were at the Miraflores locks we weaved through the 4 floors of the museum. There were many exhibits explaining the bredth of construction efforts for the building of the Panama Canal. Tegan and Elliot enjoyed the cago ship simulator, where you experience the journey of a large ship making its way through the canal. The view from the observation deck is exceptional. In the distant were the Pedro Miguel locks and they were just beginning the process of lowering a group of ships that would eventually make their way to the Miraflores locks.

We searched out some food and settled on perros caliente and drinks. The dogs came loaded with shopped cabbage and chopped pickles and it wasn't as bad as it sounds actually. I convinced Tegan to shoot an Irish Dance video in front of the Panama Canal and then we went back up to the observation deck, so I could snap a few hundred photos of the ships running through the locks.

It was very impressive watching the action at Miraflores, but we had to get back to our hotel for some dinner and swimming. Tegan and Elliot were so anxious to get into the pool and Elliot lasted until he was hovering and Tegan you just can't get her out of water. She loves to swim!

We really had a great time in Panama City and there is probably a month's worth of activities that we could still do. I guess we will leave that for the next time around.