Sun 18th 0849 In bed, pretty much fully awake. For some reason O6 either didn't charge fully or discharged itself after I sleepily shifted charge cable at some point on waking briefly maybe 6ish. Not ideal. Trying to squash some power in now. It was at 44% when I noticed and 70% now so not critical but not ideal.
FTR hostel here is Lost & Found. Doesn't matter but FWIW in Quetzal dorm bunk G; I requested (nominally identical) Tukan dorm when booking but I suspect they weren't full and weren't using Tukan.
1819 On roof terrace (no one else here) at new hostel, got a Balbao and a bottle of coolish water. I think I might pop out to a brewpub (if it's open) for a couple after this.
Said goodbye to Colin (? not checked notes, annoying can't be sure but anyway), checked out OK - three pancakes at USD2 each had mysteriously appeared on my bill but MoS queried them even before I did and they were removed no fuss. (I didn't even know pancakes were an option, tho at USD2 each wouldn't have bothered anyway. I guess this was a breakfast option.)
Hiked down, modest but not long wait for first bus and it did stop for me. I had to stand and no roof bar (my bag got tucked under folding seat in front of me, which was good - more reassuring than being on roof) and I had a half full water bottle in hand, but I managed OK and didn't whinge to myself. I thought I might have to stand the whole way but after 30-45 mins some people got off and I got a seat. At one stop (74km straight line from Almirante?) a MoS wandering round had a budgie perched (backwards) on his shoulder (no photos, would have felt rude).
Didn't get accosted by taxi drivers at terminal and as it as about 500m I walked to water taxi point. Was picked up by a lurking taxi tout about 100m away and felt mildly edgy but it was fine, he steered me to a particular business which charge USD7 one way (or 12 for a return, but felt best not to commit myself) and I "had" to tip him 0.5 (dunno if he expected more, but for an unwanted service where he may also get kickback from the business sod it, I think that's pretty generous for 5ish mins "work" ) when I was expecting USD5 but that may well be a standard price now.
Boat OK, not rough, 30 mins flew by while also being a bit dull. Walked over to hostel, got checked in and shown round no problem and had brief chat with Connor from Wexford who is in bunk above me and was on a tour of Central America when he met a group who were going to carnival in Rio and he decided to fly down with them, then had to fly back up here as his return flight home in about 10 days is from Mexico City (think he is on 3ish month trip). Pretty cool.
Went out for wander and eventually also got a (medium, but there was no personal, and I finished it fairly easily) pepperoni pizza at Tropical Birds (USD12 nominally, but apart from 1.5 for bottle ice tea, there was 10% tax on top, and I tipped 1.5ish too) and a cup of white coffee (OK but surprisingly un-special, after 4 days with no caffeine - and to be fair no noticeable withdrawal symptoms) at Mama's Home Cooking for USD1.49.
It was and is overcast and slightly rainy all the way in, not the tropical blue I expected. The weather is warm (I think I saw a 31C sign earlier but not sure it can be trusted) and slightly muggy/oppressive but not massively so, much more comfortable than I expected esp coming from Boquete and esp L&F.
The place is surprisingly run down with potholes and so forth in the streets. That said - and I asked guy at hostel whose advice I think can be boiled down to "stay east of the airport, or it's probably OK on the 'beach' road at north edge of this part of island" - after initial qualms it doesn't feel dangerous (ditto Almirante itself) and there are obvious tourists *everywhere*. Surprisingly it doesn't feel that unpleasant despite the tourist orientation.
Had quick look at guide book in restaurant before pizza. Apparently the nearest beach to town is very prone to sandflies. There are some beaches at Drago (Drago beach and Starfish beach) but web suggests Starfish may in fact be horrible and I suspect neither of them is safe to leave a bag unattended while I swim. Gut feeling is I am not fucking with any tours here, I will get a bus over to Drago tomorrow and walk round and just poss exercise on beach a bit but while I'll take swim stuff just in case (actually I may not) I am unlikely to actually swim - but it will be a bit of an excursion etc.
1832 Let's have this beer before it gets warm. Think bashed out most of the day now.
I broke out new razor tonight and was maybe a bit careless after being used to blunt one or maybe the new one was just thirsty for blood - got about five or six cuts, ffs. Can't be helped, not end of world.
Wearing nearly-clean ss red shirt tonight. Don't think full self laundry is an option here (and their laundry service is USD7 "a bag" ) but I do pretty much have enough clothes for this stay and I may wash a top in shower tomorrow etc to eke things out further.
1838 Beer OK but not the amazing wow luxury feeling I might have expected.
FWIW at USD1/355ml can and 1GBP=1.27USD (no idea what current rate actually is), that's about £1.25/pint (from supermarket, chilled). Not amazing but not too bad.
Given lack of a decent beach remotely close to accom (so no "go out in beach stuff" option) and the apparent busyness/casual theft risk of the more distant beaches, I suspect I'm not swimming on the island (Colon?). I may be able to on Bastimentos, we'll see. I may possibly be able to womble up a "pair" of free flip flops on the beach here. :-)
Oh, and saw two (closed, I think - but it is Sun) shops doing printing and copying. So I can probably pop out there (eg tomorrow assuming not back from Drago excursion super later) and get passport photocopied and other stuff printed so that's part of the boat trip prep sorted.
Oh, Conor met some people who had done this trip and they didn't say anything about getting seasick.
I did pop into brewpub in Barco Hundido complex post lunch (saw it in guide book) but it either isn't there or has been renamed and in any case everything seemed closed, which is one reason may go back out in a bit and see.
Do feel slightly drunk after this beer so despite enormous lunch will be careful.
Whether I do have beers or not I will probably come go to bed earlyish, maybe 9. If I am not sleepy can always watch some YT on phone first.
1853 Marcus are being twats and not letting me on to their site from hostel wifi, local mobile data or my UK VPN. Just "outside the UK" message. Fuck you, you need your money but fuck you. We're not gonna let you even try to log in. Bastards. Not happy? Call our UK call centre and great expense and inconvenience.
This did work a few weeks ago so I will just have to hope I can get some money at some point. Luckily I am not absolutely desperate.
I am doing fucking Duolingo then going out.
1929 Back up on roof terrace. Two other guys here, I said hi but they aren't eben talking to each other. Having a USD3.5 500ml bottle Paulaner Weissbeer from supermarket.
Streets a bit deserted and felt mildly threatening (vague shantytown vibes) but I think in reality fine. However, even nearer the Barco Hundido area not the same bustle as earlier. Went into BH and the possible pub bit was shut, the "bar/club" bit had a bit of life and sign I saw earlier showed some fancy craftish beers at USD5 for 355ml bottle and it felt shit and I thought fuck it, so walked back - no actual trouble again, and a few youngish women in pairs etc - and got this beer and also a Bamboo Mojito at supermarket (BR mart?? from mem). I had a look for deodorant - my stick from home is pretty much empty - but though I found similar products (eg sunblock) I couldn't see *any* deodorants, never mind not liking size/type/price. Not critical, will try elsewhere tomorrow and have dregs in stick.
1934 It is still vaguely sultry and oppressively warm even up here at night. Dorm is ac so that's not a problem.
Drinking out of plastic tumbler I found in kitchen, there was a bottle opener so I didn't have to try to get fancy (good job as my only semi-reliable bottle opening trick is with scissors and there may not have been any). But still, I think this adds a tiny touch of ceremony compared to drinking out of bottle.
1938 Supermarket has some interesting 8.6% beers in 500mlish cans for USD1.9ish, and maybe some similar 7% stuff. This smacks a little bit of alcoholism rather than high quality strong beers but they might be interesting to try - they did at least have various varieties. I didn't buy one tonight as I figured best to try that sort of thing stone cold sober, maybe tomorrow night.
This is OK. It's not great but it's OK. Feel tiniest bit awkward w these two guys sitting up here, but they're both on phones (as to be fair am I, tho I keep putting mine down a bit) and it's cool. No pressure to do overly much here, excursion by bus across island tomorrow might be kind of cool and maybe I'll also get some pre boat chores done. Not overly fussed with tours, there is some sort of cave where you may not have to get over claustrophobic but it still sounds wet and while I may be able to do it in swimming trunks if you don't have to crawl around over rocks etc, I'd still end up getting shoes soaked and I'm not that enthused.
I may try the ceviche tomorrow. I have a vague feeling it's Peruvian style and a quick web search suggests leche de tigre (which I saw on one menu today IIRC) doesn't contain anything too foul, I hope (I had Peruvian ceviche once IIRC and the "juice" was just citrusy and translucent, as in CR - perhaps this wasn't leche de tigre) it isn't too thick but it's probably worth a punt. I can always quiz the staff first maybe.
On bus earlier (esp while standing) I got a bit worried I somehow stink of maybe-piss. I think it was actually just some not inherently bad smells coming off nearby people (eg hair oil) and maybe combining. If it was me I'd probably have continued to notice it after sitting down and I didn't. I am vaguely concerned I stink now but I've had a shower and except for trousers and this semi-clean T-shirt everything is fresh.
It occurred to me on bus I hardly seem to have seen anyone wearing face masks. I can't remember if this is a Panama vs Colombia thing or if it's maybe a side effect of being in rural or v touristy areas. I did notice one old woman sitting at side of street in a mask on walk over to hostel, but it still feels fairly rare, FWIW.
BTW, I think electronic cigarettes etc are illegal here, certianly lots of signs saying they are not allowed, tho I did see one woman with one at iirc L&F. Also of course lots of no smoking signs, UK style etc, including strop-arse stuff about "you can't smoke on this seat outside the bar, you must be across the white line (which wasn't there afaics) on the street" .
My clean trousers have mud splattered up back of legs from the muddy patches on streets here. Not end of the world but mildly annoying after just changing them. (I don't *think* this happened after changing into them at L&F, but of course can't be sure.)
Bob Marley playing quietly on speaker up here. Prob hostel choice tho the guy showing me round did mention hooking my phone up to their Sonos speaker on first floor terracey bit. (As if.)
There is a cool short tailless-ish lizard thing scuttling round on the floor. I took a v bad photo of it when I was up here just around sunset. It's only a few inches long.
Nearly finished PA. Vaguely tempted to have another drink (I have another Balbao and that mojito) but it may be smarter to spread these out over next few days. OTOH I may decide not to be smart. I didn't bring water up with me so I'm gonna have to go down for something if I want to drink anything else anyway. I may give it 10-15 mins then perhaps get mojito and some water and drink those then move to bed 9ish.
I hope breakfast isn't a chaotic bearpit but can only wait and see.
I am not feeling exactly joyful but at the same time I feel OK and vaguely imperfectly relaxed.
1959 Judging from price sticker on beer bottle the supermarket place is "3R Mall" nor BR. It is fairly large but not huge, and is oddly warm inside. Just waffling of course.
2013 OK, at least one of the scuttling things tonight is a largish cockroach (or something similar).
Other two guys both going down, almost as if they were together but just not talking to each other at all.
2025 Sod it, just popped down for lukewarm water and can of mojito. Two guys playing pool on first floor, one guy eating solo on ground floor terrace and some guys chatting in showers. No one obviously in dorm. Don't feel excessively BNM, esp given all that, and it's quite nice to have upper (second floor) terrace to myself.
2027 Head just appeared on stairs - I had glasses off so bit blurry, I said "hola" - and then went back down. Meh. Not my problem obviously, they were welcome to come up if they wanted.
The web page from guide book for the brewery place appears to be dead anyway.
2034 Looking at ingredients, Bamboo Mojito is basically carbonated sugar water with eythl alcohol and "mojito flavouring" and a few other additives like sweeteners. But what the hell, it tastes OK. It is apparently made in CR.
FWIW when I checked in the guy mentioned my request for a lower bunk and said he'd kept me one. Each bunk has a little locker on the wall "in" it (doors don't shut that well but still) and I may have a socket, tho it isn't clear if the upper bunks share these or not - I have been topping up my power bank semi-unnecessarily in order to at least stake a bit of a claim on the socket even if I do need to share it.
Nearly finished mojito, went down very well. Still warm but borderline pleasant, borderline oppressive. Will have some water then go down clean teeth and go to bed; see how I feel about maybe watching some YT in bed.
I am not tremendously excited about bussing it to Boca del Draco (?) tomorrow but it will be something to do and no need to get worked up about it - it's all part of the vague "adventure" etc etc. Plan is to be up 8ish if I can manage it naturally to get breakfast and free coffee and then go out and get bus - luckily (it's on OM, so not too hard anyway) I saw where it goes from, basically outside Mama's whatsit. Gut feeling is I'm not taking swimming stuff, if I really have nothing else to do and feel it might work once I've cased the beaches over there I could potentially go over another day semi-dressed for swimming and with minimal thievable stuff (eg leave both phones at hostel). But I'm not *desperate* to swim, and I may get a chance on Bastimentos anyway.
It feels odd that the volcano was a week ago - that seems like years ago. I am not quite sure if that's a good or bad thing.
I'd rather one didn't run up my leg or anything but I'm surprisingly chilled about these few cockroaches scuttling round.
Someone else coming up, two guys. Poss the pool players. They haven't said anything to me so I haven't either. Think they're German (by which, incidentally, I mean German-speaking - I don't pretend to be able to distinguish German/Austrian/Swiss speech - of course sometimes when I've been talking to someone and say they're German they've *told* me and I do mean literally German - not that it matters really).
2051 Having quick look at SBA FAQ, your "carry on" bag can be up to 60l. My backpack is only 35lish. So I may well take "almost everything" with me and use my backpack as my carry on. I could possibly "check in" my daypack as a backup, but on the other hand since I need my passport and similar things with me it's not like they can be put in the daypack (which is also utterly unsecure, compared to backpack which has at least one mildly secure compartment). And it might be nice to have daypack with me so I can (I assume) chain/drop off backpack in each night's accom and take backpack out with me containing rum/water/fleece/etc.
2057 I am 95% sure I already have printout of Bog-Lon ticket from before flying out of Colombia. So I probably need to get a printout of my accom reservation in Capurgana and three copies of my passport/passport stamp. (I need to buy other stuff like insect repellent and seasickness medication and so on, but I think that's all I need in terms of additional paperwork.) Oh, and just to be safe maybe a printout of my prescription, tho it's not as if the medication is terribly exciting.
The SBA FAQ makes it sound like it isn't the utter pissup I have formed the idea it is. But fuck knows. The FAQ may be trying to seem more sensible than it really is. Barring feeling utterly foul from seasickness etc I intend to have a few beers/some rum depending on how the crowd goes but not to get massively drunk. I will take some rum with me - hopefully in plastic bottles - and if I don't use it/share it I can always drink it/share it in hostels in Colombia during the return to Bogota.
2059 I am fine for laundry really, gut feeling is if I am not allowed to and can't easily surreptitiously hand wash in Bas hostel I may pay for their laundry service and if it's by "bag" instead of weight I will shove as much as possible in eg get the fleece washed, which is a little dusty-dirty from eg volcano hike but not (afaict) significantly sweaty-smelly type dirty as I've hardly worn it.
Green Day "on my own here we go" (not title) playing v quietly.
Finished mojito a bit ago. Gonna drink a bit of water and move to bed. As I said earlier, I feel OK (and slighly pleasantly drunk), not ecstatic or ultra-chilled but also moderately comfortable and not stressed out, and considering this is my first night in new hostel and town this isn't bad. Not as I said earlier putting myself under lots of pressure to do stuff here, a trip across island tomorrow is plenty. And i don't plan to be island hopping like mad - i am on colon (?) now, I am gonna stay on bas, that's fine. Unless someone tells me about utterly amazing thing on island X I'd rather experience the islands I'm staying on rather than dashing around by boat on daytrips to other islands. It's probable I'll be back in Panama at some point (eg this iirc boat crossing between CR and Panama) despite it being relatively expensive, and I can always stay on different islands on a subsequent visit, and if I never come back you can't see everything and the extra time and feeling a bit more chilled on these islands is worth something.
I wish my return to PC via David was gonna be a smidge less rushed but it's hardly horrific and to some extent if I had an extra day to spend on it I'd just be stretching out the hanging around aspect, either in David or PC (it's not like 2 nights in David would mean seeing a lot more of it, plus I have been there before, plus if I do ever return to Panama it will be very natural to pass through David and spend time there if there's anything to see). And if i had been able to spend 5 nights in SC that would prob have been kinda fun but I'm getting some beach hanging around in here in Bast (I hope) and it would have mean I'd have had to cut back on some of my 4 night stays in LF or on the BdT islands.
I don't regret the 5 nights in Boq. In hindsight 4 nights would have been enough but I didn't feel I was wasting my time there and I kind of enjoyed the last night's chat with Bruce and it was all fine. And prob even with perfect foresight giving up an extra night in Boq to add an extra day in David or PC at end of this Panama trip pre boat would have taken a tiny bit of pressure off the (frankly not that gruelling) return but been less memorable. (I mean, here to David is now a known quantity and takes about 5-6h tops, I won't be tout prone walking through Almirante to bus terminal, and while David-PC is prob 8h ish the road is good, I bet there's dozens of buses and I can prob leave at say 9am, get there 5pm with an hour plus of daylight left and it's a few stops on the metro to known quantity hostel in PC.)
Sorting out all the accom and plans between now and boat does make trip feel kind of over. But I'm only about halfway and it's fine. Undeniably the boat trip has had an impact by slicing the time up into three in a fixedish way, but it should be fun/an experience and really things have worked out pretty well. I haven't massively had to rush round Panama and leave places before I wanted, at least not due to it (I did leave SC early and slightly over-stay in Boq, but this was mostly carnival related) - if I hadn't had to commit to these deadlines it's possible I'd eg be visiting a third island in BdT, but OTOH while I'm happy to return Panama feels expensive enough I will be glad to get back to Colombia (albeit tinged with sadness as I expect things to feel a smidge harried at times as I need to be back in Bog for flight).
Gut feeling is Bocas Town is not exceptionally expensive but Bast is a bit pricey, albeit OK if you're willing to go for cheap hostel with dorm - I am paying sub 25/night, whereas Severin had a lovely non-Selina hostel dorm booked at about 40/night. It will be nice to finally get priv room back in PC - I am unlikely to splurge on priv the one night in David unless extra cost is negligible) but (as always) this extended dorm stretch hasn't been the hellish experience I would have irrationally predicted beforehand, it has helped me meet people - it's not much, but eg even that little chat with Conor earlier might not have happened had we not been in same dorm, and there was the Boq dorm etc - and (this sentence is badly formed, deal with it) it also takes the "fear" out of the dorm-ish accom during the boat trip, having been doing it for most of Panama. Once I am back in Colombia I certainly intend to have some privates but both re socialising and cost I will prob mix in some dorms too.
I knew but guy at checkin warned me tap water here not drinkable. I got a 5l? bottle at 3R earlier when bought pre-sunset beers and arrived with maybe 1.5l as well. I am not planning on drinking tap water once in David/PC, it would prob be fine but it's 3-4 nights and although (touch wood) I drank (tap? or local rain? no idea) tap water in LF with no ill effects and it has prob been fine in most of country and I perhaps should have been drinking it, it feels silly to take the (admittedly small) tiny extra risk right at end of my time in Panama and with the boat trip on the horizon.
"Lifestyles of the rich and famous" playing.
It's vaguely cool (if hardly "obvious" to me; the waterfront is quite hidden and I've only seen it at odd corners during my wandering today, so to speak) to think I'm on an island. And that last night I was up in the cloud forest at approx 1200m.
FWIW there is no beach here in town - the apparently sandfly-ridden beach is probably a borderline acceptable but not negligible walk away.
I prob haven't been speaking much Spanish lately but I am when I can and I can hardly do more. I guess it's all exposure, eg listening to the Spanish language music on the buses and overhearing the odd conversation.
2134 Slightly tired but don't exactly want to go to bed. Gut feeling is I'm not watching any YT in bed, will drink a bit more water and maybe move towards bed in 20ish mins.
It's OK - not complaining as such, just noting - but it still feels a bit sticky and warm. Not terribly so and it's sort of nice to feel I'm somewhere "tropical" (and I think I could sleep in this, but dorm aircon will be welcome - it was set at 26C earlier BTW) and I suspect I will acclimatise a bit (having spent over a week in Boq and LF where it was cooler, esp LF) as well.
I remember from 2010 seeing stuff about retired people being entitled to certain discounts eg in restaurants. It also appears disabled people get similar treatment, now tho maybe not back then. (The signs appear to explicitly include foreigners/non-residents too, IIRC, tho you may need a locally issued certificate.) This feels iffy to me - maybe there's a case for social insurance type stuff, *but* it isn't clear to me that eg restaurant meals and hotels are something particularly deserving of subsidy, or being subsidised in this indirect way by forcing reduced profits onto businesses and making them manage their prices such that they can still stay in business (eg if group X is entitled to 30% off, and the business just set prices so they still make at least no loss after a 30% discount, everyone pays way more - and if they set their prices so a 30% discount means a loss but statistically it's fine as only a smallish proportion of guests are in group X, but if for whatever reason - maliciously or bad luck, eg a group X convention is held in town - they get huge quantities of Xers they are fucked). (That sentence bad structure but point gets across hope.)
This by itself is not exactly my problem but I do have this vague feeling (and there was also the bloody fingerprinting on arrival and the notices about the fight against covid not being over etc) that Panama is (despite lots of "decentralisation funding" billboards/notices in small towns) something of a mix of "US liberal social engineering"/nanny state policies. I am certainly not saying I wouldn't retire here, and it could certainly feature in a PT "route" , but while individually everything and everyone seems very pleasant (if not super cheap), it just doesn't quite sit right.
Oh, and while it seems not to be widely enforced, this (AIUI) requirement in at least this/some regions that *consumers* insist on a receipt and can be fined if they don't doesn't sit well with me either - why the hell do I as a consumer have to enforce things to (I assume) help the government collect taxes? (If it's for my own good, why isn't the law that I am *entitled* to a receipt if I want and the business is fined if they refuse? Why am *I* liable for a fine for not asking for a receipt if it's for my own good?) Everywhere else they seem to get by with audits. Even IIRC China doesn't mandate this, instead having some (admittedly clever) scheme where receipts include a kind of lottery giving the consumer a chance of a payout to *encourage* but not require them to ask for one.
2152 Woman just came up and asked me where ashtray was, luckily I managed to spot one.
I may head to bed. I am kind of tired (in a not unpleasant very slightly drunk - or post-drunk - way, in part) and I'm just killing time really. Cockroach (if that's what it is) just flew up onto chair next to me. I really don't want one on me but I'm not actually freaking out, which is good.
2154 Yeah, gonna head down, clean teeth and go to bed and read in bed but no YT. Will send this now.
I am gonna call this place "Bocas Town" to avoid confusion between region and regional capital etc.
FTR hostel here is Lost & Found. Doesn't matter but FWIW in Quetzal dorm bunk G; I requested (nominally identical) Tukan dorm when booking but I suspect they weren't full and weren't using Tukan.
1819 On roof terrace (no one else here) at new hostel, got a Balbao and a bottle of coolish water. I think I might pop out to a brewpub (if it's open) for a couple after this.
Said goodbye to Colin (? not checked notes, annoying can't be sure but anyway), checked out OK - three pancakes at USD2 each had mysteriously appeared on my bill but MoS queried them even before I did and they were removed no fuss. (I didn't even know pancakes were an option, tho at USD2 each wouldn't have bothered anyway. I guess this was a breakfast option.)
Hiked down, modest but not long wait for first bus and it did stop for me. I had to stand and no roof bar (my bag got tucked under folding seat in front of me, which was good - more reassuring than being on roof) and I had a half full water bottle in hand, but I managed OK and didn't whinge to myself. I thought I might have to stand the whole way but after 30-45 mins some people got off and I got a seat. At one stop (74km straight line from Almirante?) a MoS wandering round had a budgie perched (backwards) on his shoulder (no photos, would have felt rude).
Didn't get accosted by taxi drivers at terminal and as it as about 500m I walked to water taxi point. Was picked up by a lurking taxi tout about 100m away and felt mildly edgy but it was fine, he steered me to a particular business which charge USD7 one way (or 12 for a return, but felt best not to commit myself) and I "had" to tip him 0.5 (dunno if he expected more, but for an unwanted service where he may also get kickback from the business sod it, I think that's pretty generous for 5ish mins "work" ) when I was expecting USD5 but that may well be a standard price now.
Boat OK, not rough, 30 mins flew by while also being a bit dull. Walked over to hostel, got checked in and shown round no problem and had brief chat with Connor from Wexford who is in bunk above me and was on a tour of Central America when he met a group who were going to carnival in Rio and he decided to fly down with them, then had to fly back up here as his return flight home in about 10 days is from Mexico City (think he is on 3ish month trip). Pretty cool.
Went out for wander and eventually also got a (medium, but there was no personal, and I finished it fairly easily) pepperoni pizza at Tropical Birds (USD12 nominally, but apart from 1.5 for bottle ice tea, there was 10% tax on top, and I tipped 1.5ish too) and a cup of white coffee (OK but surprisingly un-special, after 4 days with no caffeine - and to be fair no noticeable withdrawal symptoms) at Mama's Home Cooking for USD1.49.
It was and is overcast and slightly rainy all the way in, not the tropical blue I expected. The weather is warm (I think I saw a 31C sign earlier but not sure it can be trusted) and slightly muggy/oppressive but not massively so, much more comfortable than I expected esp coming from Boquete and esp L&F.
The place is surprisingly run down with potholes and so forth in the streets. That said - and I asked guy at hostel whose advice I think can be boiled down to "stay east of the airport, or it's probably OK on the 'beach' road at north edge of this part of island" - after initial qualms it doesn't feel dangerous (ditto Almirante itself) and there are obvious tourists *everywhere*. Surprisingly it doesn't feel that unpleasant despite the tourist orientation.
Had quick look at guide book in restaurant before pizza. Apparently the nearest beach to town is very prone to sandflies. There are some beaches at Drago (Drago beach and Starfish beach) but web suggests Starfish may in fact be horrible and I suspect neither of them is safe to leave a bag unattended while I swim. Gut feeling is I am not fucking with any tours here, I will get a bus over to Drago tomorrow and walk round and just poss exercise on beach a bit but while I'll take swim stuff just in case (actually I may not) I am unlikely to actually swim - but it will be a bit of an excursion etc.
1832 Let's have this beer before it gets warm. Think bashed out most of the day now.
I broke out new razor tonight and was maybe a bit careless after being used to blunt one or maybe the new one was just thirsty for blood - got about five or six cuts, ffs. Can't be helped, not end of world.
Wearing nearly-clean ss red shirt tonight. Don't think full self laundry is an option here (and their laundry service is USD7 "a bag" ) but I do pretty much have enough clothes for this stay and I may wash a top in shower tomorrow etc to eke things out further.
1838 Beer OK but not the amazing wow luxury feeling I might have expected.
FWIW at USD1/355ml can and 1GBP=1.27USD (no idea what current rate actually is), that's about £1.25/pint (from supermarket, chilled). Not amazing but not too bad.
Given lack of a decent beach remotely close to accom (so no "go out in beach stuff" option) and the apparent busyness/casual theft risk of the more distant beaches, I suspect I'm not swimming on the island (Colon?). I may be able to on Bastimentos, we'll see. I may possibly be able to womble up a "pair" of free flip flops on the beach here. :-)
Oh, and saw two (closed, I think - but it is Sun) shops doing printing and copying. So I can probably pop out there (eg tomorrow assuming not back from Drago excursion super later) and get passport photocopied and other stuff printed so that's part of the boat trip prep sorted.
Oh, Conor met some people who had done this trip and they didn't say anything about getting seasick.
I did pop into brewpub in Barco Hundido complex post lunch (saw it in guide book) but it either isn't there or has been renamed and in any case everything seemed closed, which is one reason may go back out in a bit and see.
Do feel slightly drunk after this beer so despite enormous lunch will be careful.
Whether I do have beers or not I will probably come go to bed earlyish, maybe 9. If I am not sleepy can always watch some YT on phone first.
1853 Marcus are being twats and not letting me on to their site from hostel wifi, local mobile data or my UK VPN. Just "outside the UK" message. Fuck you, you need your money but fuck you. We're not gonna let you even try to log in. Bastards. Not happy? Call our UK call centre and great expense and inconvenience.
This did work a few weeks ago so I will just have to hope I can get some money at some point. Luckily I am not absolutely desperate.
I am doing fucking Duolingo then going out.
1929 Back up on roof terrace. Two other guys here, I said hi but they aren't eben talking to each other. Having a USD3.5 500ml bottle Paulaner Weissbeer from supermarket.
Streets a bit deserted and felt mildly threatening (vague shantytown vibes) but I think in reality fine. However, even nearer the Barco Hundido area not the same bustle as earlier. Went into BH and the possible pub bit was shut, the "bar/club" bit had a bit of life and sign I saw earlier showed some fancy craftish beers at USD5 for 355ml bottle and it felt shit and I thought fuck it, so walked back - no actual trouble again, and a few youngish women in pairs etc - and got this beer and also a Bamboo Mojito at supermarket (BR mart?? from mem). I had a look for deodorant - my stick from home is pretty much empty - but though I found similar products (eg sunblock) I couldn't see *any* deodorants, never mind not liking size/type/price. Not critical, will try elsewhere tomorrow and have dregs in stick.
1934 It is still vaguely sultry and oppressively warm even up here at night. Dorm is ac so that's not a problem.
Drinking out of plastic tumbler I found in kitchen, there was a bottle opener so I didn't have to try to get fancy (good job as my only semi-reliable bottle opening trick is with scissors and there may not have been any). But still, I think this adds a tiny touch of ceremony compared to drinking out of bottle.
1938 Supermarket has some interesting 8.6% beers in 500mlish cans for USD1.9ish, and maybe some similar 7% stuff. This smacks a little bit of alcoholism rather than high quality strong beers but they might be interesting to try - they did at least have various varieties. I didn't buy one tonight as I figured best to try that sort of thing stone cold sober, maybe tomorrow night.
This is OK. It's not great but it's OK. Feel tiniest bit awkward w these two guys sitting up here, but they're both on phones (as to be fair am I, tho I keep putting mine down a bit) and it's cool. No pressure to do overly much here, excursion by bus across island tomorrow might be kind of cool and maybe I'll also get some pre boat chores done. Not overly fussed with tours, there is some sort of cave where you may not have to get over claustrophobic but it still sounds wet and while I may be able to do it in swimming trunks if you don't have to crawl around over rocks etc, I'd still end up getting shoes soaked and I'm not that enthused.
I may try the ceviche tomorrow. I have a vague feeling it's Peruvian style and a quick web search suggests leche de tigre (which I saw on one menu today IIRC) doesn't contain anything too foul, I hope (I had Peruvian ceviche once IIRC and the "juice" was just citrusy and translucent, as in CR - perhaps this wasn't leche de tigre) it isn't too thick but it's probably worth a punt. I can always quiz the staff first maybe.
On bus earlier (esp while standing) I got a bit worried I somehow stink of maybe-piss. I think it was actually just some not inherently bad smells coming off nearby people (eg hair oil) and maybe combining. If it was me I'd probably have continued to notice it after sitting down and I didn't. I am vaguely concerned I stink now but I've had a shower and except for trousers and this semi-clean T-shirt everything is fresh.
It occurred to me on bus I hardly seem to have seen anyone wearing face masks. I can't remember if this is a Panama vs Colombia thing or if it's maybe a side effect of being in rural or v touristy areas. I did notice one old woman sitting at side of street in a mask on walk over to hostel, but it still feels fairly rare, FWIW.
BTW, I think electronic cigarettes etc are illegal here, certianly lots of signs saying they are not allowed, tho I did see one woman with one at iirc L&F. Also of course lots of no smoking signs, UK style etc, including strop-arse stuff about "you can't smoke on this seat outside the bar, you must be across the white line (which wasn't there afaics) on the street" .
My clean trousers have mud splattered up back of legs from the muddy patches on streets here. Not end of the world but mildly annoying after just changing them. (I don't *think* this happened after changing into them at L&F, but of course can't be sure.)
Bob Marley playing quietly on speaker up here. Prob hostel choice tho the guy showing me round did mention hooking my phone up to their Sonos speaker on first floor terracey bit. (As if.)
There is a cool short tailless-ish lizard thing scuttling round on the floor. I took a v bad photo of it when I was up here just around sunset. It's only a few inches long.
Nearly finished PA. Vaguely tempted to have another drink (I have another Balbao and that mojito) but it may be smarter to spread these out over next few days. OTOH I may decide not to be smart. I didn't bring water up with me so I'm gonna have to go down for something if I want to drink anything else anyway. I may give it 10-15 mins then perhaps get mojito and some water and drink those then move to bed 9ish.
I hope breakfast isn't a chaotic bearpit but can only wait and see.
I am not feeling exactly joyful but at the same time I feel OK and vaguely imperfectly relaxed.
1959 Judging from price sticker on beer bottle the supermarket place is "3R Mall" nor BR. It is fairly large but not huge, and is oddly warm inside. Just waffling of course.
2013 OK, at least one of the scuttling things tonight is a largish cockroach (or something similar).
Other two guys both going down, almost as if they were together but just not talking to each other at all.
2025 Sod it, just popped down for lukewarm water and can of mojito. Two guys playing pool on first floor, one guy eating solo on ground floor terrace and some guys chatting in showers. No one obviously in dorm. Don't feel excessively BNM, esp given all that, and it's quite nice to have upper (second floor) terrace to myself.
2027 Head just appeared on stairs - I had glasses off so bit blurry, I said "hola" - and then went back down. Meh. Not my problem obviously, they were welcome to come up if they wanted.
The web page from guide book for the brewery place appears to be dead anyway.
2034 Looking at ingredients, Bamboo Mojito is basically carbonated sugar water with eythl alcohol and "mojito flavouring" and a few other additives like sweeteners. But what the hell, it tastes OK. It is apparently made in CR.
FWIW when I checked in the guy mentioned my request for a lower bunk and said he'd kept me one. Each bunk has a little locker on the wall "in" it (doors don't shut that well but still) and I may have a socket, tho it isn't clear if the upper bunks share these or not - I have been topping up my power bank semi-unnecessarily in order to at least stake a bit of a claim on the socket even if I do need to share it.
Nearly finished mojito, went down very well. Still warm but borderline pleasant, borderline oppressive. Will have some water then go down clean teeth and go to bed; see how I feel about maybe watching some YT in bed.
I am not tremendously excited about bussing it to Boca del Draco (?) tomorrow but it will be something to do and no need to get worked up about it - it's all part of the vague "adventure" etc etc. Plan is to be up 8ish if I can manage it naturally to get breakfast and free coffee and then go out and get bus - luckily (it's on OM, so not too hard anyway) I saw where it goes from, basically outside Mama's whatsit. Gut feeling is I'm not taking swimming stuff, if I really have nothing else to do and feel it might work once I've cased the beaches over there I could potentially go over another day semi-dressed for swimming and with minimal thievable stuff (eg leave both phones at hostel). But I'm not *desperate* to swim, and I may get a chance on Bastimentos anyway.
It feels odd that the volcano was a week ago - that seems like years ago. I am not quite sure if that's a good or bad thing.
I'd rather one didn't run up my leg or anything but I'm surprisingly chilled about these few cockroaches scuttling round.
Someone else coming up, two guys. Poss the pool players. They haven't said anything to me so I haven't either. Think they're German (by which, incidentally, I mean German-speaking - I don't pretend to be able to distinguish German/Austrian/Swiss speech - of course sometimes when I've been talking to someone and say they're German they've *told* me and I do mean literally German - not that it matters really).
2051 Having quick look at SBA FAQ, your "carry on" bag can be up to 60l. My backpack is only 35lish. So I may well take "almost everything" with me and use my backpack as my carry on. I could possibly "check in" my daypack as a backup, but on the other hand since I need my passport and similar things with me it's not like they can be put in the daypack (which is also utterly unsecure, compared to backpack which has at least one mildly secure compartment). And it might be nice to have daypack with me so I can (I assume) chain/drop off backpack in each night's accom and take backpack out with me containing rum/water/fleece/etc.
2057 I am 95% sure I already have printout of Bog-Lon ticket from before flying out of Colombia. So I probably need to get a printout of my accom reservation in Capurgana and three copies of my passport/passport stamp. (I need to buy other stuff like insect repellent and seasickness medication and so on, but I think that's all I need in terms of additional paperwork.) Oh, and just to be safe maybe a printout of my prescription, tho it's not as if the medication is terribly exciting.
The SBA FAQ makes it sound like it isn't the utter pissup I have formed the idea it is. But fuck knows. The FAQ may be trying to seem more sensible than it really is. Barring feeling utterly foul from seasickness etc I intend to have a few beers/some rum depending on how the crowd goes but not to get massively drunk. I will take some rum with me - hopefully in plastic bottles - and if I don't use it/share it I can always drink it/share it in hostels in Colombia during the return to Bogota.
2059 I am fine for laundry really, gut feeling is if I am not allowed to and can't easily surreptitiously hand wash in Bas hostel I may pay for their laundry service and if it's by "bag" instead of weight I will shove as much as possible in eg get the fleece washed, which is a little dusty-dirty from eg volcano hike but not (afaict) significantly sweaty-smelly type dirty as I've hardly worn it.
Green Day "on my own here we go" (not title) playing v quietly.
Finished mojito a bit ago. Gonna drink a bit of water and move to bed. As I said earlier, I feel OK (and slighly pleasantly drunk), not ecstatic or ultra-chilled but also moderately comfortable and not stressed out, and considering this is my first night in new hostel and town this isn't bad. Not as I said earlier putting myself under lots of pressure to do stuff here, a trip across island tomorrow is plenty. And i don't plan to be island hopping like mad - i am on colon (?) now, I am gonna stay on bas, that's fine. Unless someone tells me about utterly amazing thing on island X I'd rather experience the islands I'm staying on rather than dashing around by boat on daytrips to other islands. It's probable I'll be back in Panama at some point (eg this iirc boat crossing between CR and Panama) despite it being relatively expensive, and I can always stay on different islands on a subsequent visit, and if I never come back you can't see everything and the extra time and feeling a bit more chilled on these islands is worth something.
I wish my return to PC via David was gonna be a smidge less rushed but it's hardly horrific and to some extent if I had an extra day to spend on it I'd just be stretching out the hanging around aspect, either in David or PC (it's not like 2 nights in David would mean seeing a lot more of it, plus I have been there before, plus if I do ever return to Panama it will be very natural to pass through David and spend time there if there's anything to see). And if i had been able to spend 5 nights in SC that would prob have been kinda fun but I'm getting some beach hanging around in here in Bast (I hope) and it would have mean I'd have had to cut back on some of my 4 night stays in LF or on the BdT islands.
I don't regret the 5 nights in Boq. In hindsight 4 nights would have been enough but I didn't feel I was wasting my time there and I kind of enjoyed the last night's chat with Bruce and it was all fine. And prob even with perfect foresight giving up an extra night in Boq to add an extra day in David or PC at end of this Panama trip pre boat would have taken a tiny bit of pressure off the (frankly not that gruelling) return but been less memorable. (I mean, here to David is now a known quantity and takes about 5-6h tops, I won't be tout prone walking through Almirante to bus terminal, and while David-PC is prob 8h ish the road is good, I bet there's dozens of buses and I can prob leave at say 9am, get there 5pm with an hour plus of daylight left and it's a few stops on the metro to known quantity hostel in PC.)
Sorting out all the accom and plans between now and boat does make trip feel kind of over. But I'm only about halfway and it's fine. Undeniably the boat trip has had an impact by slicing the time up into three in a fixedish way, but it should be fun/an experience and really things have worked out pretty well. I haven't massively had to rush round Panama and leave places before I wanted, at least not due to it (I did leave SC early and slightly over-stay in Boq, but this was mostly carnival related) - if I hadn't had to commit to these deadlines it's possible I'd eg be visiting a third island in BdT, but OTOH while I'm happy to return Panama feels expensive enough I will be glad to get back to Colombia (albeit tinged with sadness as I expect things to feel a smidge harried at times as I need to be back in Bog for flight).
Gut feeling is Bocas Town is not exceptionally expensive but Bast is a bit pricey, albeit OK if you're willing to go for cheap hostel with dorm - I am paying sub 25/night, whereas Severin had a lovely non-Selina hostel dorm booked at about 40/night. It will be nice to finally get priv room back in PC - I am unlikely to splurge on priv the one night in David unless extra cost is negligible) but (as always) this extended dorm stretch hasn't been the hellish experience I would have irrationally predicted beforehand, it has helped me meet people - it's not much, but eg even that little chat with Conor earlier might not have happened had we not been in same dorm, and there was the Boq dorm etc - and (this sentence is badly formed, deal with it) it also takes the "fear" out of the dorm-ish accom during the boat trip, having been doing it for most of Panama. Once I am back in Colombia I certainly intend to have some privates but both re socialising and cost I will prob mix in some dorms too.
I knew but guy at checkin warned me tap water here not drinkable. I got a 5l? bottle at 3R earlier when bought pre-sunset beers and arrived with maybe 1.5l as well. I am not planning on drinking tap water once in David/PC, it would prob be fine but it's 3-4 nights and although (touch wood) I drank (tap? or local rain? no idea) tap water in LF with no ill effects and it has prob been fine in most of country and I perhaps should have been drinking it, it feels silly to take the (admittedly small) tiny extra risk right at end of my time in Panama and with the boat trip on the horizon.
"Lifestyles of the rich and famous" playing.
It's vaguely cool (if hardly "obvious" to me; the waterfront is quite hidden and I've only seen it at odd corners during my wandering today, so to speak) to think I'm on an island. And that last night I was up in the cloud forest at approx 1200m.
FWIW there is no beach here in town - the apparently sandfly-ridden beach is probably a borderline acceptable but not negligible walk away.
I prob haven't been speaking much Spanish lately but I am when I can and I can hardly do more. I guess it's all exposure, eg listening to the Spanish language music on the buses and overhearing the odd conversation.
2134 Slightly tired but don't exactly want to go to bed. Gut feeling is I'm not watching any YT in bed, will drink a bit more water and maybe move towards bed in 20ish mins.
It's OK - not complaining as such, just noting - but it still feels a bit sticky and warm. Not terribly so and it's sort of nice to feel I'm somewhere "tropical" (and I think I could sleep in this, but dorm aircon will be welcome - it was set at 26C earlier BTW) and I suspect I will acclimatise a bit (having spent over a week in Boq and LF where it was cooler, esp LF) as well.
I remember from 2010 seeing stuff about retired people being entitled to certain discounts eg in restaurants. It also appears disabled people get similar treatment, now tho maybe not back then. (The signs appear to explicitly include foreigners/non-residents too, IIRC, tho you may need a locally issued certificate.) This feels iffy to me - maybe there's a case for social insurance type stuff, *but* it isn't clear to me that eg restaurant meals and hotels are something particularly deserving of subsidy, or being subsidised in this indirect way by forcing reduced profits onto businesses and making them manage their prices such that they can still stay in business (eg if group X is entitled to 30% off, and the business just set prices so they still make at least no loss after a 30% discount, everyone pays way more - and if they set their prices so a 30% discount means a loss but statistically it's fine as only a smallish proportion of guests are in group X, but if for whatever reason - maliciously or bad luck, eg a group X convention is held in town - they get huge quantities of Xers they are fucked). (That sentence bad structure but point gets across hope.)
This by itself is not exactly my problem but I do have this vague feeling (and there was also the bloody fingerprinting on arrival and the notices about the fight against covid not being over etc) that Panama is (despite lots of "decentralisation funding" billboards/notices in small towns) something of a mix of "US liberal social engineering"/nanny state policies. I am certainly not saying I wouldn't retire here, and it could certainly feature in a PT "route" , but while individually everything and everyone seems very pleasant (if not super cheap), it just doesn't quite sit right.
Oh, and while it seems not to be widely enforced, this (AIUI) requirement in at least this/some regions that *consumers* insist on a receipt and can be fined if they don't doesn't sit well with me either - why the hell do I as a consumer have to enforce things to (I assume) help the government collect taxes? (If it's for my own good, why isn't the law that I am *entitled* to a receipt if I want and the business is fined if they refuse? Why am *I* liable for a fine for not asking for a receipt if it's for my own good?) Everywhere else they seem to get by with audits. Even IIRC China doesn't mandate this, instead having some (admittedly clever) scheme where receipts include a kind of lottery giving the consumer a chance of a payout to *encourage* but not require them to ask for one.
2152 Woman just came up and asked me where ashtray was, luckily I managed to spot one.
I may head to bed. I am kind of tired (in a not unpleasant very slightly drunk - or post-drunk - way, in part) and I'm just killing time really. Cockroach (if that's what it is) just flew up onto chair next to me. I really don't want one on me but I'm not actually freaking out, which is good.
2154 Yeah, gonna head down, clean teeth and go to bed and read in bed but no YT. Will send this now.
I am gonna call this place "Bocas Town" to avoid confusion between region and regional capital etc.
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