San Jose Day 343 27/08/2015

San Jose doesn't get a good write up, concrete structures, clogged streets, fast food joints, pickpockets, homicidal drivers and from what we'd seen yesterday we were struggling to disagree. We contemplated going on a city tour but decided against it as it started at 1500 and we'd no doubt have seen most of the highlights by then. So instead we set off ourselves after breakfast, heading initially to the market which was a bit of a disappointment. We decided to stop for refreshments at Alma de Cafe again and from there went in search of the Museo de Jade. Museo de Oro gets one of the better write ups but, as interesting as it know doubt was, we both felt like we'd had our fill of pre-Colombian gold artifacts. We went to where the museum was shown in Lonely Planet to find it wasn't there and then to where it was shown on the city map to find it had moved 8 months ago. By now it was time for lunch and we walked to Barrio Aranjuez to a nice, although expensive, cafe called Kafu. The appeal of the Jade museum had diminished somewhat and we wandered back to the hotel where we attempted to check in for our flights for tomorrow and to do some planning for Mexico, both of which proved very frustrating due to the exceptionally poor wifi. We even use the hotels pc's which were not much better. We had contemplated going to an Argentinian restaurant for dinner but were unable to book a table as the table times were either too early (6pm) or too late (10pm) so decided to head back to Cafe Mundo. We'd got an exceptional early start tomorrow and didn't want too late a night!

Borrowed from Edinburgh? 

The main shopping street 

Central Plaza 

Teatro Nacional 

Inside the foyer 

San Martin, we've not seen him for a while 

Tiled muriels outside the Don Carlos 

Don Carlos Hotel 

San Jose Day 342 26/08/2015

The day started with an early awakening courtesy of the rooster.  We treated oursleves to another lovely breakfast at the nearby cafe before packing and walking the short distance to the bus stop. It was extremely hot but luckily there was a little bit of shade that we could take advantage off. The bus arrived just before 1100. We had thought that Puerto Viejo was the start of the journey so were surprised to see that it was already quite full. Luckily we managed to get 2 seats together and we set off west along the coast. We soon realised that the air conditioning was open windows but were pleased with ourselves that we'd saved $90 which basically paid for yesterdays kayaking trip. We stopped in a few villages along the coast before arriving in Puerto Limon. The city, the largest on the Caribbean coast, was the birthplace of United Fruit (think bananas) and is clearly still an important industrial area with truckloads of fruit being moved around and masses of containers stocked along the roadside. We passed at least 2 Del Monte factories! From here we travelled in land and up across the Cordillera Central mountain range. The temperature dropped as we increased in altitude up into the cloud forest. The road then descends to finally reached San Jose, located in the bowl between 2 mountain ranges, where we arrived just after 1530. From the bus station we got a taxi to Don Carlos hotel in the Barrio Amon district where we were staying for next 2 nights. Despite what we'd read about the ruthless taxi drivers ours seemed pleasant enough and took us straight to our hotel without any trouble, and the fare was cheaper than what the hotel had said it would be. After checking in and dropping off our bags we walked to the main centre and had a late lunch at Alma de Cafe in the Teatro Nacional which had lovely frescos on the ceiling. In the eveing we went to Cafe Mundo nearby our hotel for dinner. The italian is in an old Barrio Ofoya mansion, a lovely building with a nice atmosphere and good food.

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca Day 341 25/08/2015

The temperature overnight was much cooler than it had been for the last few days which made it more pleasant for sleeping. Unfortunately the local rooster was a very early riser at 4am and not only woke us but also the nearby dogs and chickens. Breakfast wasn't included in the price of the b&b and seemed really expensive so we headed to a local cafe and had one of the best breakfasts in a long time, granola, fresh fruit and yogurt along with toast, butter and jam. We were picked up from the b&b at 1000 which gave us time to buy our bus tickets to San Jose before we headed out. We were going to get a private shuttle again but it was $90 more than the local bus with what seemed like very little extra benefit other than dropping you off at your hotel when it arrived. We were the only people doing the kayak tour and we set off along the coast road to Punta Uva, about 7km east of Puerto Viejo. There we met our guide, Pancho, and set off up the river in our kayak. The water near the sea was quite murky and shallow and although we were paddling upstream it didn't take much effort. Not long after setting off we saw our first sloth with Pancho's help. In the water were small turtles and bats were clinging to the underneath of a bridge we paddled under. Further upstream we got our first glimpse of spider monkeys swinging through the trees. In the distance we could hear howler monkey. A jesus lizard (the ones that walk on water) was sunning itself on a branch near the bank. The bank is continually being eroded and the river contained a lot of fallen trees and branches that we had to manoeuvre around. At a bend in the river the water shallowed and was too low to continue. We pulled the kayaks onto the gravel and watched howler monkeys in the trees above. After a while we set off back down stream with very little effort required. Above us there was movement in the canopy and a group of spider monkeys swung across the branches. A capuchin monkey was sat in the tree above and seemed quite angry, dropping bits of branches down on us. All too soon we were back at the beach. We had some snacks and then Pancho showed us a 6 mth old sloth, lazing in a nearby tree. They really are very strange but cute animals. We set off through the nearby jungle for a short walk. The ground was thick mud and we were very glad that we'd opted to kayak and not go on a trek. The path came out on a lovely white sandy beach fringed with trees, one of which had a sloth in it. From here we walked down a track, back to our starting point and lift to Puerto Viejo. In town we went to a bakery for late lunch before walking back to the b&b. In the evening we went to Miss Lidia's Place, a caribbean restaurant for dinner and enjoyed a traditional meal before heading back to the b&b and hoping the rooster would be having a lie in!

Getting ready to set off

Punta Uva

Our first sloth of the day

Trying to see what Pancho had spotted 

Beached! 

Howler monkeys, easier to hear than see

Spider monkey hanginfg by his tail and legs 

Capuchin monkey 

Baby sloth 

Muddy jungle floor 

Crested lizard 

Desserted beach 

Another sloth 

Reflections of Panama

Although we've not been in Panama for long we both feel that we've been able to see most of the highlights with the exception of the Pacific coast. We're glad we included it in our itinerary and we've enjoyed our time here although it wouldn't be somewhere we'd rush to return to. There were no real wow moments apart from the Canal.

• It's primarily a country of jungle and beaches
• The landscape is very green and lush
• It's easy to get around with a good network of roads and most distances are relative short (compared to those in South America)
• Bandits are present in some tourist areas, we met or heard of people who had been robbed at gunpoint. Although we felt very safe, always using the usual common sense rules
• Compared to it's South American neighbours it's very expensive probably because they use the USD as their currency
• The quality of the accommodation we booked was lower for the same price in Colombia and Ecuador
• The food is OK although nothing special, especially once you're outside Panama City. Usual fare of fried fish or chicken, rice and plantains. Balboa beer was good as was the real local coffee
• It seemed to lack any real distinct culture although we didn't visit any of the indigenous villages
• It's very popular with US expats and in some places such as Boquete you thought you were in the USA! 
• There's little evidence of Spanish colonial times outside Casca Viejo and the forts near Colon
• It would be interesting to see if the canal expansion brings much change to the country; the people are very proud of it and are building more locks to increase the amount of shippage and money

Puerto Viejo de Talamanca Day 340 24/08/2015

We were heading to Costa Rica today on a private shuttle leaving at 1230. There had been torrential rain during night and it was still pouring down when we woke. We've both enjoyed Bocas and could easily have spent a few more days here visiting the various islands and beaches. The town itself is OK although some of it resembles a building site! We had breakfast, packed and got a taxi the very short distance to dock to avoid getting soaked. The water taxi crossing back to mainland was a bit rough, everyone on the right of the boat got drenched with spray. The shuttle was waiting for us at Almirante and we drove the short distance to Guabito and the border crossing with Costa Rica. It had to be the scruffiest border we've seen in all our travels! The Panama immigration desk was tucked in a corner. We got stamped out, walked up onto the disused railway line (once used to transport bananas), paid the $4 tax to enter Costa Rica, walked over the road bridge to Sixaola in Costa Rica, went to the immigration desk where we were stamped in with no questions asked. Our shuttle bus to Puerto Viejo was waiting for us and we were soon on our way, arriving early afternoon. We checked in at Pura Vida, the b&b we'd booked to stay at for the next 2 night. The owners had previously travelled round the world and, according to their website, were keen to share their experiences and help plan what to do in Costa Rica. Like many places in Panama we found them distinctly lacking in any attempt to engage in conversation. We went for a walk around the town and decided to book a kayaking tour for tomorrow. Initially we were going to book through a not-for-profit company but the lady there was completely disengaged so we went elsewhere where the guy promised we'd see sloths in the wild. The most popular trip here is the Jaguar reserve but Diane refused to go anywhere where the animals are in cages, reserve or not. The town had a real nice vibe, set along the beachfront and definitely has a strong West Indian feel to the place. It's a very popular surfing destination although the riptides make it dangerous for swimming in a lot of areas. In the evening we went for dinner at Stashu's con Fusion along the beachfront and shared 2 delicious spicy Thai meals. It was still very warm as we walked back to the b&b but felt less humid than it had been in Bocas.

Waiting for the rain to stop 

A rather grey view out to sea 

Crossing the road bridge into Costa Rica 

Welcome to Costa Rica! 

Bocas del Toro Day 339 23/08/2015

After breakfast we walked down to the waterfront for our sailing trip. The yacht that we were going out on was a catamaran owned by a rather gruff German who'd been living in Bocas for 16 years. We had a bit of time before we left so had a drink at the cafe next door before setting off along with another couple from Spain/Colombia. Simon steered us out of the dock as Marcel hoisted the sails. We were heading to Dolphin Bay in the hope of seeing bottle nose dolphins although none had been seen recently according to Marcel. As we were heading out we did see the fins of a couple although they were diving for food and not frolicking for our entertainment. It was lovely sailing out and we watched in relief as the water taxis sped passed. Most of the islands in the archipelago are surrounded by mangroves and are densely forested and scarcely populated, with the exception of Isla Colon which has felt the impact of foreign investment with hotels, restaurants and apartments being built at pace. It still has a bit of a local flavour which hopefully will be retained. The land was original owned by United Fruit for banana plantations who brought workers over from Jamaica giving it a strong West Indian influence. The song 'Day-O Banana Boat Song' is about the island. Neither of knew that bananas are not indigenous to Central America but we brought here from Vietnam apparently. We anchored at Dolphin Bay near to the mangroves for our first snorkel of the day. Very close to the shore was a small but extremely beautiful coral reef. The colours were spectacular with all shades of the rainbow vibrant in the streaming sun light. There were very few fish which we were both surprised by. Back on boat the yacht we set off back towards Isla Colon. It was lovely sat in the breeze gazing out to sea. We anchored again near Isla Solarte for another snorkel. The coral here was completely different, less colourful but very large with all sorts of strange shapes. There was also more fish here (although nothing like we'd seen in The Galapagos). Unfortunately there were stinging sea lice in the water and after a while we gave up and took refuge on the yacht. From here it was a short sail back to Bocas. We were both really pleased that we'd booked a sailing boat and had a lovely, very chilled out day. Back at the b&b we soon realised that we'd not been very good in applying the suntan cream with both of us having very burnt backs from snorkelling. In the evening we went in search of somewhere open for dinner given it was Sunday. We found an American sports bar, not the most exciting of places but the food was OK although the wine came in plastic glasses!

Our catamaran for the day  

Steering us out of the dock 

Looking back to Bocas 

Enjoying the tranquility 

Snorkelling in calm, clear waters 

Coming up for air! 

Full sail power 

Sailing back to the dock 

Bocas del Toro Day 338 22/08/2015

We were heading to Bocas del Toro on Isla Colon on the Caribbean coast today. To get by public bus you have to go back south to David and then get another bus to the coast. We opted for the quicker choice of a private shuttle that cuts across east to join the road to the coast, cutting off about 2 hrs from the journey time. We were picked up just after 0930 after breakfast at the local cafe again, although this time we just had a pastry and coffee. The scenery on route was lovely surrounded by mountains covered in dense jungle. After about 3 hrs we arrived at Almirante from where the water taxi departs to Isla Colon. We all boarded the water taxi along with our luggage and set off on the 30 minute journey. Despite being quite sheltered by the islands in the archipelago the ride was quite bumpy. We arrived at Bocas del Toro, the main town on the island, and walked the short distance to the b&b we'd booked for the next 2 nights, Lula's, located on the edge of town and hopefully, given the towns reputation as a party destination, a quieter area. After dropping off our bags we went out to get lunch and look at options for what to do tomorrow. We saw a sailing trip advertised that we both liked the look of. No doubt the speedy water taxi had put us off whizzing around the archipielago and the thought of sailing along at wind speed really appealled! We also booked our onward tickets to get to Puerto Viejo in Costa Rica where we're heading next, again with a private shuttle which looked like the easiest option.  We spent the rest of the afternoon on the veranda of the b&b planning what to do in Costa Rica and some initial research on the Yucatan Peninsular in Mexico. In the evening we went to an Indonesian restaurant that we'd spotted earlier in the day. It adjoined a hotel restaurant with a deck overlooking the water where we initially sat, only to be told we couldn't order from the Indonesian menu. All very odd but not the first time we've had to move tables in order to get our choice of food. We shared 2 delicious curries, a very welcome change from some of the meals we've had recently. Back at the b&b we sat out listening to the sound of the sea, which was just across the road, before retiring to bed.

Our water taxi to the island 

Leaving Almirante 

Isla Colon 

The dock 

Starfish by the pier 

Boquete Day 337 21/08/2015

We'd missed the opportunity to visit a coffee farm when we were in Colombia so decided that we would whilst we are in one of Panama's main coffee growing areas. We'd book a tour leaving at 1400 so had a leisurely start to the day, enjoying breakfast at a local cafe. The town has become a very popular place for US retirees. In fact the cafe was full of them and it clearly catered for them with the size of the breakfasts. We ordered pancakes, which were more like apple sponge pudding, and both left over half. Back at the hostel we started to update the blog and do a bit of planning for Costa Rica when we were joined by Hilda from Berkeley, California. Her family were out rafting and she was keen to hear where we'd been. The three of us then popped out for lunch at a local restaurant before we said our goodbyes and went off on our tour. We were picked up by Rich who owns Finca dos Jefes in the hills above Boquete at about 1450m. It was raining when we arrived (and cold!) and we were glad of the large veranda that we sat out on whilst he told us about how he came to own the farm, the coffee industry and it's challenges, particularly for the local farmers in Panama. Afterwards we had a walk around the farm before going back to taste his coffee. We also had 'tea' made from the bean husks. Rich roasts his own beans on the farm and we had a demonstration of the process. It was all very interesting with some similarities with what we'd seen on our tea plantation tour in Malaysia. It certainly made us think about the products we buy back home and the importance of fair trade. In the evening we went to Mike's Grill but after having a quick look around did a u turn and instead went to an Italian nearby. Ironically this was full of Americans as well, the reason why we'd not stayed at Mike's Grill!

Coffee bean drying tables

Young beans 

Flowers and fruit interspersed the coffee 

Beans bagged up for shipment 

The roasting process 

And the end product 

Boquete Day 336 20/08/2015

The mountain town of Boquete is apparently one of Panama's top destinations and we'd decided to head there from El Valle. There's no direct bus service so we had to go back to the Interamericana, get a national bus to David and then the local bus up to Boquete. We had breakfast at the hostel, which had been seriously downgraded to cornflakes and dried crackers, packed and walked back to the main road. A van to the Interamericana was just leaving and we jumped aboard with our luggage taking a third seat (there's no luggage space on the smaller vans). Wherever we have been on our travels the bus drivers have, with very few exceptions, driven like they are possessed. For some unknown reason today was an exception and we didn't go over 30km per hour as the driver and his mate attempted to pick up more passengers on route. Simon got increasingly more frustrated as we slowly made our way back down to the main road! From here we needed to flag down a national bus to take us to David, 277km to the west. Despite our slight nervousness, flagging down a bus it wasn't a problem as every bus heading west stopped in an attempt to pick us up although it was nearly an hour later before one was going all the way to David. The bus had come from Panama and was nearly full by the time we boarded so we sat near the back on the top on opposite sides of the aisle. We paid our fare and the conductor said he would return with change. Half an hour later he was back and what he said got a bit 'lost in translation' as we thought he said we needed to change bus in Santiago but when we thought about it, it was actually that he give us our change there which he did after the 30 minute lunch stop. Back on the Interamericana there were roadworks all the way from Santiago to David despite only small sections of the road being worked on. It took us nearly 5 hours to do 100km. It was certainly a tedious day of slow journeys. Just after 1730 we finally arrived in David to find the next local bus to Boquete was a chiva, still painted yellow from it's days as a US school bus. A few minutes later, crammed full of passengers, we headed off and chugged up the hill finally arriving in Boquete just before 1900. It was a picturesque journey through the increasingly hilly countryside with the colours of the sky changing with the onset of sunset. Our hostel, Refugio del Rio, was only a few minutes walk from the bus stop and we checked into our room, had a quick shower and headed out to Big Daddy's for a fish and chip supper for Simon and chicken tacos for Diane, washed down with a couple of beers. A good end to a long travelling day!

Waiting for our bus on the interamerican highway 

Our bus from David to Boquete 

El Valle Day 335 19/08/2015

The hills around El Valle are full of hiking trails and we decided to walk up to La India Dormida, a mountain ridge that apparently resembles a sleeping indigenous girl. Luckily Simon was feeling much better and after breakfast at the hostel we headed out, initially through the town centre before walking up by the side of a stream passing a number of small waterfalls to Piedra El Sapo (Toad Stone). From here the trail heads across the hillside before you come out of the jungle by the ridge. The views across the crater and surrounding hillsides were very nice and it was certainly worth the effort of the 1.5 hour climb to get there. After a short break we set off back downhill, adopting a dog on route which we thought was a good snake avoidance strategy! Back in the town we stopped at a pizzeria for lunch before wandering back to the hostel via the local supermarket. We spent the remainder of the afternoon chilling in the hammocks being entertained by the parrots. In the evening we went to L'Italiano for pasta, a safe bet hopefully for Simon's stomach.

La India Dormida 

Walking up by the stream 

Not sure what this fellow was and didn't hang around to find out! 

Looking down to El Valle 

Enjoying the rest 

The crater rim 

Looking across the ridge of La India Dormida