Scene II

Our last two nights in Boquete went by uneventfully.  Lots of morning sun.  LOTS of evening rain.  And good company with a wonderful family.  On Saturday morning, we said our goodbyes and headed off to the bus stop to catch our shuttle van to Bocas Del Toro.  On the bus already were three 'typical' examples of the international backpacker crowd.  Young people, in their 20s, seeing the world and working when they must.  In this case, the two women were from Belgium and another unidentified male was from terra incognito.

Panama has the Pacific Ocean on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. We were on the Pacific side, and to get to our destination we had to go up and over a mountain chain.  The terrain was beautiful, mountainous jungle.  Many houses were on stilts and built into the hillside.  Thatched roofs were a common site.  The road over the mountain was of mixed quality, and our driver slolomed his way up and over.  It's a good thing he stopped midway for a beer so he could be more relaxed. 

The people we saw along the road were more akin to what we saw in Guatemala, rather than Boquete.  There were no gringo expats here, but there were children selling fruit and vegetables along the roadside.

Soon, we were coming down the mountain and got our first glimpse of the Caribbean Sea below us.  We pulled up to the boat launch at Almirante and were quickly whisked off the van and onto a boat.  A local who carried some other people's bags hounded me for a tip.  "How about a tip!  How about a tip!"  He hadn't done anything for us up to that point, but I tipped anyway so he would go away.  It worked.

Bocas was chaotic, but in a fun way.  Lots of people.  Gringos and locals rushed from place to place.  It was akin to the city on Tatooine in the first Star Wars movie.  We bought some groceries, and caught a water taxi to our home for the next week.

We arrived at the Roam Yoga & Wellness on Isla Solarte and stepped into another world!  Ryan and Meghan met us on the dock with their son Satya and dog Berkeley.  Meghan and Satya were off to a birthday party, and Ryan showed us around.  We are currently the only guests on the resort, so we are getting first class treatment. Pathways meandered through palm trees and flowering bushes.  Birds we've never seen or heard before flew from tree to tree.  Hummingbirds and parakeets were also in abundance.  We were shown our cabana which has running HOT water!  What a luxury!!  It also has screened in, outdoor areas overlooking their gardens.  What a spot!  

Kathy and I quickly changed and went for a swim.  They have a coral reef right off their dock, and their neighbor has extensive reefs he has created through a restoration project.  Later, we went on a hike in what is a true tropical jungle.  When we got back, we popped the cork on a bottle of champagne.

The evening ended with a splurge for dinner.  Ryan was our chef and waiter, as Meghan was busy with mom duties.  He is quite the renaissance man.  Ryan built most of the structures on site, is a surfer dude, a yoga instructor, seems very intellegent and compassionate, seems like a good father, and prepared an amazing dinner for us sourcing half of the vegan meal from the property.  And he was good company.

Passion Fruit Margharita

Fried Plantains and Guac

Jack Fruit Tacos

Ryan shared lots of local knowledge while we dined on tacos made with jackfruit, and we finished off with vegan ice cream made with coconut milk.  After tonight, we're certain we could get along just fine as vegans!

Vegan Ice Cream Made from Coconut Milk