I do have a life out of the hostel!: Beyond = Panama

Friday 19th November

It’s great to be back in the warmth again, it’s t-shirt weather day and night. It was getting a bit cold in NYC when I left.

Hostel Mamallena

I have a busy morning in the hostel catching up on the blog and answering mails. I even had a request to send 2 large bottles of black wine to the USA!

Before I head off to the mountains and some serious walking I know that I need more serious walking; especially in this humidity. So I set off on a long walk around the city not really caring where I’m going, just walking. After 3 hours the skies blacken so I hail a taxi; just in time as there is a terrific storm that floods the roads. I show the address of the hostel to the taxi driver but he has no clue where it is; I have to map read him (with little Spanish) using my downloaded Lonely Planet map of the city!

Panama City buses

Most of the others in the hostel are going out for some late drinking. As I have to be up early in the morning I have a few beers then pack for the morning.

Saturday 20th November

Checking out of the hostel at 7am and there is Will at the desk, beer in hand. I could not get from him whether it was a late or an early beer – some things never change!

I arrive at the airport in plenty of time for the 0915 flight to the Bocas del Tora islands in the north of Panama. We go through the baggage check-in and security as normal; then we wait. Long after the flight should have left we are told that it will now leave at 1100 hours. Silly me; they give us all a small ticket and tell us it is for $4, I think it is some tax to pay – no, it is a voucher for a sandwich and drink on the airline!

11 o’clock comes and goes; then the word is that we will fly at 1 o’clock. 1 o’clock comes and goes. Some folk are getting pretty angry by now. We eventually take off at 3.30pm – what a waste of a day!

It’s only a ten minute collective taxi ride to a lovely cabin in the jungle but right by the sea. After a trying day it is time for a cup of tea. Problem, there is nothing to heat water, no mugs, no nothing even though their description on hostelworld.com says fully equipped kitchen to all cabins! The owner is away and the guy looking after the place can’t help. Fortunately my neighbours come to the rescue.

The cabin comes with a free bicycle so I get directions for the nearest supermarket. It is dark by the time I get back, too late to go into town to eat so I have a quiet night at home but with the consolation of a 2 litre box of red wine for just $5. Then the mozzies start to bite . . .

Sunday 21st November

Oh boy, the mozzies here are a lot more vicious than at home. I hardly got a wink of sleep.

I have a lovely walk along the beach before breakfast and then it starts to rain; good tropical nonstop for hours stuff. No problem, I have a good book and a hammock, time to properly relax, thank you rain.

Rain on leaves

A late afternoon break in the weather allows me to explore the town. Town did I say? It’s just one street with at least 4 hostels! The pace of life here makes Plakias look positively frantic! It is however a bit of a time warp, surfer guys and gals, hippies, dreadlocks, ethnic this and that and whole foods – I could be at Glastonbury Festival except for the tarmac road!

Main Street Bocas

But at least I managed to get some mozzie repellent by doing a mime for the shop girls which reduced them to fits of giggles – does anyone know the Spanish for mosquito repellent? It’s simply called “Off!” – it would appear that the ‘F’ word is also known here!

View of the next island from Main Street

By the time I get back to the cabin it is raining again . . .

Monday 22nd November

When I awake it’s not raining so I ride into town and treat myself to a big fried breakfast.

I then go for a long cycle and walk along the coast. It really is what you see in the adverts, long sandy beaches with palm trees overhanging the beach. Further away from town there is good surf and a dozen or so surfers.

After a while it starts to rain again so I head back to town for lunch. The rain continues . . .

Tuesday 23rd November

I decide on an early start as I have little idea how long the journey to the next hostel high in the jungle might take; but it is still raining hard. Uming and aring for a while I set off at 6.30 for the half hour walk into town. In 2 minutes I am soaked but a taxi driver takes pity on me and I’m at the ferry terminal in no time and for just 1 dollar. Again I’m in luck as a small 15 seat boat is leaving for the mainland immediately. The half hour boat ride would have been fun and a great opportunity for photos but the hatches have been battened down and we can’t see a thing; nor can the driver me thinks!

I get a second soaking of the day on the 20 minute walk from the dock to the bus terminal. It’s only a 20 minute wait for my bus, well, a 16 seat mini bus that should have been scrapped 10 years ago. The journey along the coast, then up into the mountains takes about 2 and a half hours and I am the only tourist the whole time. The cost is just 7 dollars.

I get dropped off in the middle of nowhere in the pouring rain, the only landmark being 3 large yellow painted rocks beside the road. This landmark, I am told, is the beginning of a 15 minute ‘walk’ to the Lost and Found Eco Hostel. Ha! I do not exaggerate – the walk is on a goat track through the jungle over slippery rocks and approximates to the walk from Plakias to Mirthios. This with 2 full packs and in the pouring rain – I’m crazy!

The main road to the hostel

Don't try this with wheely luggage!

The hostel is pretty well run by a group of volunteers, about six of them, sometimes there are more volunteers than guests! The duty receptionist greeted me with “Would you like a tea of coffee?” Ahh, the first cup of tea for nearly 3 days!

The place is wonderful with wild animals and humming birds coming in to feed and great views over the jungle. They run an honour system with shelves stocked like a supermarket and you simply write down what you take and pay at the end. The nearest shop being over half an hour trek away. So it was lunch, a siesta, meet the others, dinner and on to their bar for a games evening until the early hours. It is still raining . . .

Lost & Found Eco Hostel

It's even a hike to get to the toilet!

Wednesday 24th November

It is quite amazing that all the materials to construct the hostel and all the food and drink has had to be carried up the goat track from the road; just this provides some local employment. There is no internet available here – I’m really kind of happy about that.

Today there is a trip to visit a small organic farm where coffee and fruit wines are made. Why not, it has stopped raining at last. Interesting stuff and we get to more than sample the produce and are given a wonderful lunch with over 90% of what we eat produced on the farm. Then it’s back to the hostel, a siesta, evening meal and just sitting around talking and drinking with the others.

Cune pulping sugar cane to make us an energy drink

Drying different types of coffee bean

Lunch

Thursday 25th November

It appears the party went on until at least 4am last night – no wonder it is quiet here at 7am!

I really don’t want to leave this place, it’s a great hostel and there is loads of good walking in the area. Especially this morning as it is dry and sunny. However, I have a booking for another hostel in Boquete for tonight.

View from the Lost & Found with the extinct volcano Baru in the distance

So it is bags packed, pay the bill, goodbyes and down the goat track to wait for the bus. It’s another rickety packed old mini bus for one hour to the large town of David. Again I’m the only tourist and again there is Panamanian pop music for the journey; not to be recommended!

I change buses and travel up the next valley to Boquete, a sort of frontier town at the end of the road. I immediately like the town, it is small, lively and reminds me very much of Peru. The hostel is right in the main square only 50m from the bus stop. I get a good room to myself with ensuite bathroom; worth the extra as I plan to stay here a week.

With the slow internet connection it takes nearly 3 hours to catch up with 3 days of mail, news and this blog. As I sit working in the small garden at the back of the hostel I hear funky brass band music playing somewhere. I pack up work and to explore where it is coming from. It’s the town band practicing in the fire station around the corner. I stay for an hour grooving away with the rest of the band and a few spectators, fun.

Friday 26th November

This morning I explored the town. No choice really as I could not stray too far from a toilet!

In the afternoon it tipped down with rain . . .

In between I did find a popular cafeteria that serves up a roast, potatoes and 2 veg for just 2 Euro.

In the evening there seemed to be music all over town. Well, Sunday is Independence Day from Spain so it looks like they are getting ready to party. The town band were practicing again and then, only about a quarter mile from the town centre, preparations were well under way setting up for an outdoor rave. It was loud. I enjoyed it lying in bed until 2am!

Saturday 27th November

My home for a week - Hostal Mamallena, Boquete - also owned by Luke's brother.

The day starts bright and clear. The nether regions have settled down. It’s time for a long walk up into the cloud forest.

After two and a half uphill walking I nearly made it but someone had put a fence and house across the path. WTF. Still it was a good walk and by the time I got back to town things were starting to warm up for the celebrations.