Con Boca Abierta

We departed humid Tortuguero for the Panamanian islands of Bocas del Toro. First we had to depart Costa Rica before a stop at the popular backpacker spot.

A Life Lesson at the Border

Travel provides life lessons. As an educator, students grow with life lessons. Traveling overland from Costa Rica into Panama, instead of a convenient, short, puddle jumper flight is the unique travel experience, the border crossing. Jumping on a plane in Texas and arriving into Qatar is immediate. There’s no doubt where the transformation occurs between two countries separate sides of the globe and culture. But traversing neighboring geopolitical borders doesn’t often create much change in geographic terms, but a traveler can often gain a more profound and immediate sense of the differences at their border. Nadine and I felt this during a border run between Thailand and Myanmar.

In general, crossing borders tend to be a bit sketchier compared to the arrival and departure gates at an airport. This is where your no good New Mexico type of characters tend to reside to make a quick buck off of unsuspecting newcomers. Prior research indicated that this border crossing wasn’t dangerous, but different enough to catch kid’s attention to the dissemblance between two neighboring Spanish speaking countries.

Upon arrival to the Costa Rican borer town of Sixaola initiated the overland border crossing. After an official exit stamp, our school group crossed the rickety bridge covered by railroad tracks and wooden planks. Large flying insects immediately greeted the new Panamanian émigrés. Situated among the puddles and bridge spanning Rio Sixaola sat a run down immigration office. Students timidly shuffled over the bridge and several appeared apprehensive of the structure. Cautiously, they slid their passports through the wooden window to the immigration officer who passively examined and stamped them in a lethargic speed common of immigration officers outside of airports. The adolescents joined the safe cluster of classmates in a long line waiting for our bus. After their first overland, Central American border crossing that can only be described as heroic, a set of busses safely whisked us away towards Bocas del Toro.

Now I know why they tell you to put your head between your knees on crash landings. You think you’re going to kiss your ass good-bye. ~Terry Hanson

Dancing and Dodging a Sunken Ship

Dancing is a cultural experience, unless of course you are New Mexican, then it can be a truly frightening encounter. Our Tico guide and myself found the discoteca Barco Hundido along the waterfront and figured a little dancing would be a culturally appropriate outlet for their energy after a full day of traveling. There situated next to the dance floor lay a sunken ship, barco hundido. A walkway, diving board, and elevated platform circled the shipwreck. Being Sunday night, only a handful of people, many workers, were at the disco. We basically had it all to ourselves. After each subsequent reggaetón passed, word spread that the club was full of gringos dancing, the outdoor disco filled up with local panameños.

It became late (9:00 p.m.) and began the track home. As I suspected, a dozen or so male Panamanians decided it was time to leave. Here my parenting 007 skills kicked in. Strike up the chase scene music. We exited. So did they. Our group stopped just outside the entrance. They exited and as to not be obvious, they dispersed left and right, a scattered, divided group. To shake the remaining stragglers, we headed straight to the park, and watched them from the distance. The final move, par excellence, was a sudden bolt. We dashed directly to our hotel, leaving any hopeful followers far behind. As you read and you are at the edge of your seat, you can now feel free to breath a sigh of relief.

Bocas del Toro, Where Are Your Sandy Beaches?

Before leaving for Central America, my mind envisioned the Bocas del Toro snorkeling trip like this. The boat would carry the students to a sandy white beach. They’d pull out snorkels, run into the water and swim among colorful fish and coral. So many fish they wouldn’t be able to see the ocean floor. Once exhaustion and hunger conquered their desire for snorkeling, we’d return back to our hotel happy and salty.

Now the reality.

Two boats headed out aimlessly and our guide didn’t know the snorkeling area. Eventually the two boat captains stopped the engines and anchored in open water. They instructed everyone to jump in and snorkel. No sandy beach. The boats were already a tight fit, but students entered the water tepidly with life jackets tied around their waists frolicking in the water looking at fish for a mere 15 minutes before reboarding the boat.

The reality of snorkeling was a stark contrast and less picturesque than the dream of snorkeling. Bocas del Toro left much to be desired. This could be traced back to a lack of preparedness by our guide. Any Matthew Pepper would have been more helpful as a guide over this Tico lady. His Spanish might have been better than her English, and she insisted in speaking English even though I asked her to speak with the students in Spanish.

Hit The Showers!

To add insult to injury, prior to our flight to Panama City, the number of rooms at the hotel had been reduced from eight to three. After snorkeling, all students and teachers had shower within a limited amount of time before we jumping on a plane. Moments before the showers, our guide notified us that instead of an hour to shower, we had to immediately leave the three rooms and use an outdoor shower at another location. It was a day of pure craziness. Everyone left that day frustrated and tired. At least Panama City and the Panama Canal awaited our arrival.

Without a doubt, Bocas del Toro is a beautiful place, but our experience was a nightmare. If I didn’t know any better, I would never return, but I do know better. The next time, I will lead my family to enjoy the sights and actually snorkel off of that white sand beach. They exist, I saw several from the plane.

Stop #1 – First Steps in Costa Rica

Stop #2 – Can I Get a Dehumidifier in Tortuguero Please?