Bocas del Toro, Panama - peaceful and relaxing

Sun, Jan 8 – Bocas del Toro, Panama (6 islands in the Archipelago)–

Sunny arrival to many mangrove and palm tree islands with colorful homes. The area is becoming a haven for backpackers and ex-pat Americans seeking a quiet life (not sure that cheap figures in there but definitely, quiet). We docked near the only “town” in the area and tendered to shore. Six of us went on a small panga-style boat in the open Caribbean Sea and then in the mangrove patches to see many dolphins in their breeding grounds, sloths in the trees and for snorkeling in the coral reefs. Luckily, it rained(!) which meant we were not subject to the intense sun and additional humidity. The area is tropical, relaxing and primitive. I liked it but I’m not sure I would venture there with this is as my main destination; if I lived in Panama City and wanted a remote weekend jaunt, OK. We were on the island of Colon, then near the Isla San Cristobal, Laguna Bocoatorito, then to National Park of Bastimentos and back to Isla Colon/Bocas del Toro.

The waters were very clear and the coral was plentiful but not as colorful as Belize and the Great Barrier Reef. Walking through town, we found they use the dollar for 1:1 exchange rates so items were high. The sun came out, we tried to connect to the internet since we’ve been having issues on the ship and made the very last tender back to the ship. Sweaty, exhausted and feeling slightly defeated, we returned to the ship to sail past the many islands on our way to the Panama Canal.

We’re heard you can get online to the Panama Canal website and see a live viewing of a ship’s transit. We are the PRINSENDAM, Holland America, and expect to be at the Gatun Locks around 7:30 tomorrow.

Dinner was followed by entertainment by Pete Neighbour, a fantastic (English) jazz clarinetist. Trying to work, wanting to sleep to get try to get rid of this never-ending headache…and tomorrow the canal! the highlight of many cruises in the Caribbean and Pacific.

Name means “mouths of the bull” and was invented by Christopher Columbus, who saw the metaphor in a pair of local waterfalls during his 4th and final voyage to the Americas (1502). These sheltered waters gave him the perfect location for marine repairs. Banana and cocoa were planted in the 19th century and the plants thrived. Immigrants (mostly from Jamaica) flocked to work on plantations and the region became an English-speaking enclave. The Costa Rican border is only 30 miles away.