Bocas Del Turo, Panama and Panama City!

What a journey. From Puerto Viejo to Bocas was about a 4 hour drive including customs. Customs included walking over a sketchy bridge that divided up the countries. Similar to a narrow railroad steel bridge but instead of train tracks it had small wooden planks. If you weren't paying attention you may fall to a interesting death. But no one did and we all crossed just fine.

From Nicaragua to Costa Rica I had to trick the customs saying I would return to Nicaragua in order to enter Costa Rica (since I have no return ticket). As for Panama, I had to do the same thing. I cheated the system and said I was going back to Costa Rica in order to enter. They have to know or there really oblivious. Either way, I made it in and I'm a rock star.

About an hour in we pull up to the boat dock that would drive us to Bocas Del Turo. Bocas is a chain of islands off the mainland offering incredible scuba diving, beaches and surf. The boat drove us out there and me and Stepan walked on foot searching for a hostel. Each time you get to a new spot you always get the locals talking to you and them offering there service to help you. It gets very annoying because they get paid by one hostel so they pressure you into going there. But we aint scarred and blasted by these people. Funny part is, you put up this stubborn wall against them, but typically they always have the right solution but I never want to give them gratitud for being right. We found a party hostel called "Mondos". Recommended in our books but the hostel was full. We walked down the street and found a hostel called "Hasteluego". Super clever name, we were sold. Seriously nice hostel, comfortable and great living situation.

We asked the lady where the beaches were. We could either take a taxi to the surf spot or ride bikes. We opted out for riding our bikes, which ended up taking us a solid 45 minutes down sand and gravel roads to find a few reef breaks...and no surf. haha. We moved onto Bocas as fast as we could because the swell was here and it was real small. The surf beach we ended up at was called "Bluffs". Fast beach break that reminded me of Sandy's in Hawaii. The water sucks right up and drops just a few feet next to shore. Ended up watching the wave for a while, hoping the tide would change the look of the wave. A few guys next to us decided to paddle out. We followed. Even though the wave was crazy fast it turned out to be really fun! If you fell, you would get covered in sand top to bottom. Sometimes you would feel like your body was being used as a cheese-grater or better yet sand paper grinding against your body. But it didn't matter, it was fun!

Sun was setting and we had a long bike ride back, so we trekked it home.

That night was the first real night in Bocas. When we arrived the town was dead and didn't seem like anything was going on. The fact is, in the day time everyone ventures out to different islands and beaches. Once it gets dark is when the real fun starts here. Weird local Panama culture events happen while all the tourist get ready to rally the bars. The local events involved teenagers wearing red outfits, ninja masks and a dragon that covered there head. The man wearing this was the leader and had to fight all these kids. His weapon was a wip while he would battle these kids. If the whip hit the kids wooden staff, it would break a portion of it off. If the stick breaks, there out. Most to all of the time the dragon warrior always one. In fact, I didn't see them loose.

As for the nightlife goes, it goes bazurk (a word in my dictionary). This town does it right. There are a handful of bars but each night they choose which one everyone goes to. It cuts out the guessing game on where all the people will be and equals to a better night. Tonight was "Iguanas". Crazy name right! Well you can imagine was it was like right? Okay, maybe not. Heres a short summery:

-Its Argentina's summer and all of the girls travel to Central America
-I think there all at Iguanas
-Each one is more beautiful than the next
-Since there on Argentina time, the party doesn't even begin until midnight
-Tequila (Julie)
-Good God


Because of this great all day beach time and bizarre perfect night life, a easy week was to be here on this island.

The next day me and Stepan rallied and went to La Playa Paunch. This reef break was lots of small coral reef and a potentially great wave. This time we hired a taxi to get out there. When we pulled up most of the locals were wearing booties to protect them from the coral. We were not advised. Walking out into this coral to the break was very difficult. It stayed about 2 feet deep, sharp, white wash crushing you as we slowly but surely got to a safe area where we could paddle out. The wave was super fun. It did remind me of my previous accident. If you caught the wave too long and fell, you will hit the reef. Luckily, I told myself that incident wouldn't happen again. So it didn't. This wave for the Caribbean side was the most fun of them all for me. You could get about 3 solid turns in before the wave would steepen up and hollow out for a short barrel ride. Somehow, one of these waves I got sucked into a barrel and pulled out of it! It made the whole trip!

That night at the hostel I met 3 Argentinian girls. Broken Spanish and broken English we were instantly friends. Swapped stories and passed around drinks. True Argentinians they ate dinner at 11 pm and we headed out to the bars around 12:30. Crazy lifestyle but thats what they do. We ended up traveling around Bocas Del Turo day and night for the next week. Awesome girls.

3 Days into Hasteluego me and Stepan decided to find another hostel to see what its like. We found a place right on the ocean and hammocks surrounding the place. At first glance this seemed like a good fit. We booked the dorm rooms. Turns out the place had no insulation and could here every knook and cranny footstep from each person and full of 18 year old kids who have never left home before and wasn't sure what "cleaning" was. So this place turned out to be a nightmare in the making. Two days into this place we were trying to figure out how to get off the island and head to Panama City. There were two options: Shuttle bus or normal bus. Both ways were 10 hour bus ride but one is better and cheaper than the other. This is where it gets interesting:

Last night at the hostel I get woken up the reception desk saying we have to leave today. Of all the hostels this one makes reservations and we were taking a few spots. I get up, hungover from 4 hours of sleep and talk to them. I jump off the bunk-bed to smashing my sunglasses in half! Great. Not a big deal though because I brought a second pair just in case. I open my bag for the reserve and soon realize my extra pair is also broken. Its probably been broken for weeks but I never knew. This equals to a perfect beginning to one f-ed up day to come. I go outside to talk to the reception: we have 2 hours before we get kicked out and no ticket off this island. 2 girls in the room had extra night buses for the next day that we could by for $30. Seemed like a good route but had no hostel to stay out that night and every hostel in this town gets booked at this time. At the same time, Stepan dipped out for his last day getting certified for scuba diving. This meant me running around, 4 hours of sleep and very hungover looking for hostels or bus tickets out of this island tonight. Both of which turned out to be very tricky. I ended up going to the bus station looking for night tickets, all of which were booked. Then went looking for hostels, booked 2 just in case something happened. Around 11 am some local guy at the hostel heard I was looking for night bus to Panama City tonight. He said he had "2 left". Which is typically a lie. I was about to buy the tickets but wasn't sure what Stepan was trying to do and didn't want to just buy one ticket for me. I asked the guy to come back in a hour. Stepan returns and I tell him about the deal. We hit the streets looking for this rasta hat wearing weirdo. No sign.

We go to a different bus station to see if they had any bus tickets for tonight. They said they have a night shuttle for $45 leaving at 7:30 and there were tickets available. We buy them. Walk back to the hostel and the rasta homie walks up saying he's been looking for me. Those tickets were $30 and the normal night bus. Dang! This is where the fun begins:

Me and Stepan pack our gear and head to the boat station to get picked up and taken to the mainland. The shuttle bus supposedly holds 30 people and theres about 15 people waiting for the same bus as us right now. Boat pulls up and we drive off! Things are looking good, taking photos and re-living the dream of Bocas. Bocas was great. We pull up to the dock and get off. End up waiting outside for this bus for about 2 hours. All of a sudden this yellow van pulls up and says this is the bus! haha, yea right. There are 3 people with surfboards and about 15 backpacks. Some serious Tetris was about to happen.

But it didn't. As always the surfboards and the surfers get put on last, while the other people scramble like Asians to get in line first. Not racist, just facts. At this point the van is full and better yet maxed out with people uncomfortable sitting and cramming. This was pretty messed up. We all paid $45 for a bus not a van. We all start to get pissed. The worker is running around trying to figure out what happened to the real bus and how to fix the problem. Only she is retarded and is just stressing like no other. Finally my friend Brett looks at the lady and says "what are we supposed to do?". The van was closing its doors and me, Brett and Stepan are not in the van and stranded in this shit hole of a town and full of sketchy people that would love a new surfboard. Brett starts to ask a few more questions and before you know it, this big Caribbean lady blows a cap and steam rushes out of her head. She looses it. Starts freaking out saying its not her problem and how we better watch out back because she has friends that would do bad things to us! What? Where did this come from. Immediately, she jumps in a taxi and jets off. At the same time the van shuts its doors and drives off. Now were really stranded. 3 gringos, nothing around us and the boat station is closed. Soon to realize there were 3 other people around us trying to go to Bocas Del Turo but didn't know the station was also closed. That makes 6 people stranded, laughing and not a clue what to do. We went back into the station and waited for a boat to hopefully cruise by.

Minutes later a boat comes by and we flag it down. Ask him to take us back to Bocas. He says ok but charges us $10 each to get there. Fully ripping us off but we have no choice. Back to the island we tried to get off but apparently won't let us leave.

1/2 hour later we arrive back to heaven. Definitely no hostels available but luckily I booked 2 hostels before we left. We go back to one of them and I tell them about my reservation. I show them my handwriting and they say I've already checked it. I ask them to show me! Well someone did check in and forged my handwriting. Pretty clever group of kids I must say. They wrote in my exact first and last name and snagged the room. All of which I don't blame them but I insist that I got robbed and explained my story of the night. The old lady runs upstairs and shows me a few random rooms that were available. Sold.

We eat, shower and try and turn this whole situation around by going to party. After all of this, something good has to come out of this. Typically, a long crappy day can become the best night of your life. In my case, all of the things that has happened in the past 24 hours, anything could be good.

Me and Stepan went to the notorias club called Aqua Lounge. Party hostel/drunken girls swimming in the ocean. Super fun.


Fill in any story you want.....

Next day woke up and my iPhone is stolen.

Go back to the boat station and complain about how they screwed us over and how they need to give us money back or get on another bus tonight. They agree and book us on a "bus" tonight.

Same situation, we get on the boat and soon find this small bus filled with about 30 people. Crammed and hot we drove for 10 hours to Panama City. Halfway there we stopped to get food at some random restaurent and grocery store. I ate some bad chicken that made me sick instantly.

Make it to Panama City, sick, abused and stolen goods from me. Hopefully this bad 36 hours is gone.

Now at Lunas Castle Hostel. Huge old style mansion filled with kids. So far so good except for getting food poisoning and and another serious case of bed bugs last night (mom you chinks it after we talked). Almost just as bad as Managua. Fully covered in bites and a wreck. Oh well, its part of living the dream.

Next stop, leaving from Panama to Columbia on a 5 day sailboat right. Its gonna be insane!