Although we had thought about surfing at Bocas, the waves this week were nothing to get excited about and my shoulder was still sore from the prior week. So, we opted for lazy beach days and decided to take a lancha over to Isla Bastimiento to check out Wizard Beach. It was a long stretch of beach lined with palm tree and imposing jungle. There was some strong surf - but still swimable.
We enjoyed several hours just lying about reading with an occasional dunk in the ocean to cool off. As we didn't organize a boat back we headed for the trail to the main town on the island. Luckily some locals pointed us in the right direction.
A 45 minute trail of mud and roots landing us in what felt like someone's backyard. But then some kids pointed out the way down to where we could catch a boat. Essentially you just walked out on about any dock you saw and eventually a boat would come by for you and drop you off at Isla Colon.
Our days were taking on a bit of routine - breakfast at this little bakery, delicious coffee and crepes with nutella for John, and I found this outrageous hot sauce - with an expiration date 3 days after it is concocted - you know it has to be good! Then it was a relaxing afternoon at the beach with a short hike to claim as exercise in order to justify the beers which felt as necessary a condiment to dinner as the Reggae music.
At night we sought out the cheaper eats - Lili's was good veggie food in a ideal location over the water. We settled in quickly to the island life. But seemingly untouched by the economic woes of the world in this idyllic setting we are still reminded of the issues facing so many. One morning we met a recently retired American couple at our bakery. Seems they we in search of a place to live out their retirement. They had plenty saved until the market dive bombed. Even though they thought they were conservative their accounts had suffered and would not sustain them. This was not the first time we had heard this. We had run into other folks with similar issues, or younger people who had lost their jobs and could not afford to stay in the states - jobless. Interestly, traveling in Latin America or SouthEast Asia is actually cheaper than laying low in the states if you have no income. We were fortunate that the decision to travel was our own and was highly anticipated but we are aware that for us too - this is a great time to be off traveling in inexpensive countries given the dire economic conditions in the US and elsewhere in the World. We often think about the "what ifs" - what if we had not embarked on this trip - would we have work, would we be depleting our savings. But "what ifs" can go on forever. For now we try to remain focused on the here and now - the exploration and the adventure - with luck, the rest will follow.
Here's a few more pics of life on Bocos.
