¡Pura Vida! I said I would return to tell my tale of the Caribbean so that is what I am back to do. Overall, the Caribbean offered plenty of opportunities to be among natural beauty, to go out, meet people, and move to some sweet reggae rhythms. Saying that, the last three and a half weeks have been too full for me to truly tell it all, so here are the highlights:
San Jose, Costa Rica: Grimy and excitement-less. I met an American guy on the plane from Peru to San Jose, Mike, with whom I traveled with for five days. Lucky for me I got to experience San Jose with him because the city was not pleasant. We stayed there only one night, in a hotel reminiscent of 'The Shining'.
Tortuguero, Costa Rica: This small town was my first stop on the Caribbean. It is reachable only by boat and is located on a small slip of land that separates the Rio on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. It was crazy, a five minute walk separated sunrise and sunset on the water. The town is also a main access point for the coastal park, Parque Nacional Tortuguero, of which we chose to explore by canoe. I had never rented a canoe and gone off on my own like that so it was nice to do something new. We came across many turtles, toucans, other birds I don't know the names of, monkeys, various small reptiles, too many mosquitoes, spiders, plenty of other bugs AND...crocs. Upon trying to be adventurous and go deeper into the jungle by entering the narrower waterways, we stumbled right into the path of a croc. Seriously, I froze. Its beady eyes were peeking above the water and, in a little canoe, that is truly terrifying! I yelled, "Oh my God, we need to turn around quick!" Needless to say, Mike agreed. From then on we stuck to the more obvious route, viewing crocs from a more comfortable distance. Due to Tortuguero's small size, nights were very tranquilo; they consisted of sitting along the Rio edge watching locals fish for their next meal. A fish caught was a serious event for the evening. I was reminded of simple- life nights spent in Bardoli, Gujurat (India) with Gemma (my grandmother) last year: we talked and chopped/peeled vegetables until it was late enough to sleep. Nights in Tortuguero were no different, except people fished instead.
Cahuita, Costa Rica: Four hours south by boat along the canals brought us to the small town of Moín, the closest connection to Cahuita. Our "boat- driver" played non- stop reggae (which I love, and which is ALL YOU HEAR in the Caribbean), something that made the picturesque journey even more what you have always imagined that part of the world to be like. We arrived in Moín thoroughly upset to discover that we had been scammed out of our bus transfer to Cahuita. But one thing I have realized while traveling is that every time things seem to go awry, something better comes along (I wonder if such faith could be applied to life in general). Because we were stuck, a local who was on the boat with us offered to give us a ride to a bus station, stopping at his home along the way. We ended up seeing a little of his hometown, Puerto Limón, and meeting members of his family and a few of his neighbors (he was of African origin, as most are along the Caribbean Coast- easy to forget you are in Costa Rica). It was really awesome to get a feel for the local scene, rather than being the usual passing traveler. That night we ended up meeting him and a few of his friends for reggae night in Cahuita, which finally fulfilled my "need to dance" cravings. Note: I later learned that every night is reggae night along the coast. Cahuita also brought a great hike my way. Since every part of Costa Rica seems to be a national park, it was no surprise that Cahuita had one as well. But exploring Parque Nacional Cahuita was engaging because its trail runs along the beach, giving views of the beach to the left and straight- up jungle to the right. Aside from one too many spiders, and a constant fear of a snake sighting, it was really nice.
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Costa Rica: Here we encountered a great, relaxed hostel vibe at Rockin J's (an experience in and of itself) and slept in hammocks, which I thought was fun (and cheap!). Mike and I parted ways after the first day, as he headed back to San Jose and I stayed to continue my way south. While here, on my own again, I rented a bike and rode an hour away to a nearby town, Manzanillo, where the beaches were nearly entirely empty and the water held an astonishing number of shades of blue. The many shades of the Caribbean Sea took me by surprise.
Bocas del Toro, Panama: By this point, I was so beached out that I wasn't really that excited to meet the Archipiélago de Bocas del Toro. I felt fried. So much sun had left Nutan dark as dark can be; I blended with the night. But, as it always seems to go, Bocas ended up being my favorite spot on the Caribbean. Even though there was a water shortage while there, which made it difficult/impossible to shower some days, Bocas had a beautiful and genuinely one-of-a-kind atmosphere. While having visited a few of its islands (and the accompanying beaches), Zapatilla is the one that rings loudest in my mind. It is a small island, empty of locals, full of white sand and serene with the most still, pristine waters I have ever set eyes on. The sea was like a monumental pool, calm and clear, so inviting I have no idea how I managed to actually get myself out of the water. Unbelievable. I could swim out as far as I wanted without fear; I could see starfish through deep waters because the water was crystal. Truly unbelievable.
Panama City, Panama: Somehow a group of 5 of us from the hostel formed to make the overnight journey from Bocas to Panama City. My favorite is Yael, a great Israeli girl I ended up spending the next two weeks with (but shhhhh, don't tell the others). We parted just three days ago, but I miss your company Yael and I can't wait to meet again in Belize/Guatemala ("don't meet ANYONE else", "don't fall in love"..."but if so, he/she can join us"- LOL). Panama City is just another city, but Yael and I tore it up! With malls, movies, 39 cent beer, and the all encompassing cinnabun, the city managed to entertain us through Semana Santa (where places filled up and traveling ceased). Who would have thought one could spend an entire week in Panama City? Not me, but we were stuck, and it happened. Looking back, that is the longest I have stayed in a place since leaving Australia! Jesus. It helped, however, that in the middle of that week, Yael and I took a 3- day trip to...
San Blas Archipelago, Panama: If it wasn't for Yael I never would have gone to San Blas, so I am grateful for having made the decision to accompany her. We were both VERY surprised with our arrival on the island of Cartí, which turned out to be my final destination on the Caribbean Sea. I had no idea but the San Blas islands are home to the indigenous Kuna people, who have managed to maintain (for the most part) a rather primitive lifestyle. We left for San Blas thinking it would be an atmosphere like our other Caribbean destinations, but it turned out to be more about a cultural experience. I was staying in a small community of Kunas, with their own little town hall, schools, and tiny tiendas. Our accommodation was SO basic (never have I experienced something like this): Yael and I shared a hut made of bamboo with two twin beds, dirt floors, and absolutely nothing else. We had a hammock outside for lounging and the communal bathroom was a door- less bamboo stall outside above the ocean. Upon walking into this stall (because I don't know what else to call it) there is a wooden platform with a hole cut out in the center (so you excrete your waste right into the sea- and I was told the very visible fish underneath do the "cleaning")...this was our toilet. Bathing also takes place in this "stall"...inside is a bucket filled with cold water and a cup. Aside from the constant smell of piss, it was actually quite refreshing to be outside while bathing, to feel the wind and have a clear view of the ocean (and the people next door). You just had to trust that someone knew you were in there so they wouldn't walk in...I nearly walked in on someone. Aside from Yael and I, the only other tourists on the island was a Swiss couple (waiting to sail to Colombia) who shared in this experience with us. During nights when it was dark and there was nothing to do, we played "a**hole" and UNO- amazing what a deck of cards can do for a night. Rain had kept us on the island one day longer than we had planned for, but we were lucky it was only a day (I heard stories when I got back to the city of people getting stuck for a week due to the rain). Oh how I could go on and on about my three days here...so much people should know that I haven't yet shared...but I just can't. I will say, however, that the one really amazing thing while in San Blas was in sitting on one island and being able to count 17 other visible islands around me (some tiny mounds of sand with nothing more than one palm tree on them, others much bigger).
Santa Fé, Panama: I left Panama City for Santa Fé feeling a bit strange to be alone again; it felt as though I had been with Yael forever. Santa Fé is a small mountain town in the midst of forest, conducive to reading, writing and relaxation. I spent one day hiking to a really lovely waterfall, and on my way back to town, a torrential downpour graced me with its presence. With no choice, I walked alone in the rain for an hour, soaked to the bone, before hitching a ride back to town on a pickup truck.
Current Location: Having arrived in Boquete just yesterday, I can say that the town offers refreshing green views, wonderful walking opportunities, and rich coffee (some of the best and most expensive coffee in the world is grown here). Today alone I had 4 cups of coffee- hey, if the most amazing cup of coffee in a peaceful mountain setting was only 30 to 40 cents away, you would have had 4 too. Also, unknowingly, I arrived in the middle of the annual Orchid Fair. Only problem: clear skies only last until midday. Then it rains.
FACTS:
* Buying lottery tickets in Costa Rica and Panama seems to be a culturally popular thing to do- small stands selling tickets are all over the place.
* Panama uses US Dollars as its currency even though they call it Balboas. The only thing that is different is their coins, but even those are worth, shaped and colored in the same manner as those in the US. I find it strange though that there is no number indicating the worth of their coins...if I wasn't familiar with the size of a quarter, dime and nickel, it would be difficult to differentiate what is what. No wonder why Yael kept trying to get rid of her "dimes"; she had no idea they were worth 10 centavos.
* I had a bad impression of Panamanians for most of my time in Panama. I had generally felt a coldness from those I came across, but I realize that this could very well be due to the locations I have visited. Since Santa Fé, I have met some really kind folks, which has been a nice surprise.
* President of Panama: Martín Torrijos.
* I never mentioned having seen the Panama Canal in Panama City but it was really impressive. The engineering involved in such a creation nearly 100 years ago (1913) is baffling. I stood at a great restaurant lookout at the Miraflores Locks to see ships pass through the canal, through a system of locks, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. It was such a nice setting we could have sat there for hours.
* Until now, I haven't had a seriously good cup of coffee since I was in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Both Costa Rica and Panama are havens for coffee lovers...you can go to the cheapest place, but you will always get good coffee (a welcomed change from South America).
Where to next? North.
"If you hear a voice within you saying, 'You are not a painter,' then by all means paint...and that voice will be silenced."
-Vincent Van Gogh
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