Island Life

Now into our last couple of days of laid back island life. Time here just passes as it seems to be the most Caribbean of all the places we shall go to. Things happen real slow here but that is good. The Bocas as it is known it an archipelago of many islands of the coast of Panama only a few miles from the Costa Rican Border. The main island is Colon with Bocas Town and the only roads but some of the other islands are close by and easily reachable by the water taxis that continuously ply there trade in the waters around.

So far we have explored the main island a little, taken a couple of boat trips to outlying islands and sights and managed plenty of bar and restaurant life. Here in Bocas town the bars and restaurants are very cosmopolitan wirth everything from real Caribbean to Italian, French, Mexican and Chinese with even one Indian Cafe so you cant get away from them here. Music goes on in some of the bars in the evenings as you would expect from a Caribbean culture.

On one trip we hired a private water boat after lots of negotiations regarding the price to take us to Dolphin Bay where we had heard several pods of dolphins live feeding on the plentiful supply of jellyfish as well as back to a idyllic tropical beach we had been to the day before. As usual the driver wants money to buy fuel up front so we paid him then of we go to the fuel staition on an adjacent island, The tank is filled and we set of across the wide channel to the mangrove swamps and Dolphin Bay. Half way across the engine coughs, splutters and packs up. After a look and examination of the fuel supply it is decided that instead of gosoline the tank has been filled with a fuel contaminated with a lot of water and we cant do a thing about it except wait to be rescued. Now as we said earlier things happen here real slow man so after drifting down the channel for what seemed a long time another boat evntually took us in tow and back to a closer island. After more negotiation it was agreed that this second boat would take us on our trip leaving the first guy stranded with no fuel on this island. We went on to see the Dolphins which were quite happy playing around us but sadly other boats and tourists in the area had no idea and seemed to run rings around the animals at full speed so it disorientated them and tried to make them jump. Not a good site and even to local newspaper sheets here are trying to stop it which is good. We were informed you cant swim with them but that didnt stop others getting in but as we were sitting quietly with some dolphins around we also had another visitor, a shark, OK only a black tip reef shark and not a Bull shark that are also around and much more dangerous. We wont be swimming with them at Dolphin bay.

From there we went back across to the quaintly named Red Frog Bay, a tropical white sand beach as close to perfection as you could imagine. We had been there the day previously but only for a quick swim, now we wanted to go back for longer but we were a lot later than planned due to the fuel contamination problem. We arrived and walked for 10 mins across the island and through the forest to get there. The surf was a little bigger, very few other people around but sadly it had now started raining and the grey skys of today made it very different from the cobalt blue of the day before. We managed a swim in the warm water and deicided to walk in the forest and hopefully find a red Poison Dart frog after which the place is named. As it was raining it was easier to find a frog and managed a few photos of the striking amphibians. No idea how poisonous they are but we didnt want to go touching them as some of the poison dart frogs are very toxic on the skin.

Yesterday (Friday) was a total wasted day, it started the evening before with me feeling sick over dinner and not really wanting any, I woke up not feeling any better and the weather was atrocious. We were in the middle of one of those tropical storms with torrential rain lashing down. Jan did manage to get out for a couple of walks in the town in the morning as the rain eased a bit but I spent it in bed. A total lazy day with no food (or rum!!!!!)

Much better this morning though so back on plan to go exploring across the water to a small island and see how laid back this one is.

Pictures are proving quite difficult to upload as the signal strengh is very poor here but hopefully if we can find a place with a better connection we shall manage it

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