bocas del toro: tres

Whew. These recaps are taken a while, aren't they? I guess that makes sense though :) Matt and I were there for a whole week!

Anyway, let's get back to business- Thursday. It started out really well. I woke up much earlier than planned, took myself out to breakfast for a fabulous cafe con leche and a mediocre bagel and egg sandwich, and then headed to a necessary yoga class at Bocas Yoga.

I felt great afterwards! Completely energized and ready to take on an active day. The sky was a bit gray so we decided to skip the beach and go explore the caves instead. It was my first time caving, and I was curious to see how I'd like it...

And astonished to find that I didn't, at all. We had to walk through water while bats flew past our heads in nearly complete darkness. Needless to say, I all but freaked out. I've always said I'm somewhat afraid of the dark but I never realized how much. Oh well, now that I've done it, I never have to do it again :). 

Once my nerves calmed down a bit, and we were safe and sound at Bocas Blended, the boys and I went to Wrappy Hour (buy one, get one half off). I was thrilled with my Greek Salad wrap. 

Then we took showers, got pretty, and went for another night on the town. Our first stop was a bar right on the water with a trampoline and swings (pictured above). Apparently it was not where the party was at though ;) so we went to bar two and three for more fun. Good times. 

bocas del toro: dos

Tuesday in Bocas was a great one. I slept in after a night out which was a treat in and of itself. We had an air-conditioned room too :) delightful.

Then I had a strawberry banana batitdo with hemp protein from Bocas Blended, conveniently located right around the corner from our hostel. Delish. Although I certainly enjoy an authentic meal experience, I loved that there were so many expat restaurant options too.

After a couple of hours of work, we got our shit (excuse my French) together and headed south on Isla Colon.

It was a $5 round trip bus ride through the winding roads of plantations.

But eventually, we got here.

And saw this.

We'd made it to Starfish beach, and it was beautiful. The sun was bright, the sand was soft, the water was clear and many a shade of blue.

We sought a private pocket of beach to set up camp.

And then we made our way full force into the lagoon. There were hardly any waves and it was shallow for miles, or so it seemed.

Following an hour of swimming, we explored further down the beach to find out why oh why it had it's named.

Within 20 minutes we saw 'em. Big, orange, and beautiful, there were starfish seemingly everywhere. I've never seen anything like it.

It was a seemingly perfect day. We headed back to the bus around five to head home, shower, and move on to happy hour. But, paradise had different plans for us.

We missed our bus. In our hour and a half wait, we chose to dine. I couldn't have been happier.

Mmm, grilled mackerel, salad, coconut rice and beans, fried plantains.

Satisfied, we sat at the bus stop chatting. Or rather, they sat chatting and I walked around taking photos like it was my job. I just couldn't help myself.

I also dabbled in a bit of toe sketching. What do ya think? ;)

Like I said, a seemingly perfect day. Until Wednesday came along... 

bocas del toro: uno

Ideal for swimming, snorkeling, diving, sunbathing, and boating, it's no wonder Bocas del Toro is a backpackers destination as well as a resort seekers paradise. We arrived to the archipelago of 52 keys and about 200 islets late on Sunday evening. The next day, I awoke to bright sun and a free pancake breakfast.

It's been a while since I had pancakes so I was very pleased to find that this was common at many Panamanian hostels. After getting some work done on the computer, a few friends (from our previous hostel) and I headed to the beach. Round one: Red Frog.

Like most beaches in Bocas, we needed to take a water taxi to get there. Loved this fun fact, hated that I needed to integrate taxi fare into my tight budget. Oh sacrifices ;) for the record, I looked miserable on purpose.

It was at Red Frog that I first learned about pipa-smashing. Then I rode some waves, read my book, and drank a beer, or two.

This is the life, I thought, I could get used to this. And in my week there, I did... but for me, diversity is the spice of life so I enjoyed it while I could.

Back at the hostel, I broke into Matt's leftovers of shrimp, rice, and salad for dinner. Eaten quickly and cold, it was still quite good.

Next up? The happiest hour. Every day from 7-8 p.m. Mondo Taitu offers Panamanian beers for 50 cents each. That's a good deal, my friends.

And we took advantage all the way up to 80's night. This party was just one of many in the festivities that made the five nights in Bocas so fun. To be continued...