having some time to sit back and watch the humming birds has really got me thinking about how free and open you are outside usual, monotonous routine. one minute you are renting a surf board then getting invited to an art show where there are the most amazing passionfruit margaritas are being served. next minute your chatting to a coffee farmer from the mountains on a boat en route to the surf. then eating fresh seafood on a docked boat in the back streets of town. travel really can be a surreal thing sometimes.
anyways, thats enough of the joys of travelling. now onto the more nitty-gritty. after crossing the border from costa rica, its been sunshine, palm trees and turquoise water. delightful. opting to spend a few days soaking up a more local-vibe, as opposed to that of a town that has become a little more westernised, we headed straight to isla bastimentos.
isla bastimentos' main town is old bank, which consists of a mixture of gorgeous bed and breakfasts that sit idly above the sea, small cocinas serving a meal of the day and dilapidated colourful cottages, that belong to the predominately afro-caribbean locals. unfortunately poverty in the old town is vast and can be felt, from theft (kurt has his sunnies stollen) right down to the lack of waste management services which see rubbish cluttering the rugged waters edge. however we chose to make the best of what we had and spent our days eating, relaxing, surfing, drinking organic coffee and avoiding the midday heat. there are a few beautiful spots, including red frog beach - a place that easily surmises paradise.
bocas town is a lot more developed with hotels, hostels and everywhere in between. unfortunately it has lost a lot of its panamanian-charm with rowdy travellers crowding the streets. but thats enough of the bad and we are now on to more of the good. bocas is a great base camp to explore the outer islands. we have been staying at a lovely bnb called lula's, which is a short walk from the main square and a world away from the dirty-looking hostels that line the main street (whoops more bad - sorry). although we are backpacking as such, its sometimes necessary to stay somewhere nice.
kurt has been lapping up the waves and surfing twice a day, when he can. so suffice to say - he has real surf stoke. i must admit that i have enjoyed surfing a bit more of late and might make it more of a permanent hobby when we get back home.
No comments:
Post a Comment