Wed 14th 1957 Sitting in inside-ish common area, feel slightly but only slightly BNM - I *didn't* sign up for the communal meal and I'm not feeling super chatty anyway, and I have spoken to some of the volunteers earlier while cooking (one is going to work/volunteer for SBA and there is a chance he will be working on my boat) and when I got to dorm after cooking an enthusiastic American guy (possibly called Chris but I am not certain) who had jokingly commented about my huge pile of rice showed me a video he'd taken of two giant spiders underneath the dorm and then took me down to have a look at them in person. Pretty cool actually but had I come here 14 years ago this might have freaked me out.
I had had no "final confirmation" of my reservation this morning. Got up 9 and did my best to get in touch with hostel but the tripadvisor phone no went to voicemail, the hostel website's own phone no is invalid (same error on both Skype and with my local SIM) and I got no response to my WA. I found you *could* book with them on hostelworld, I didn't as I'd already booked "direct" but this reassured me they hadn't simply shut down and I decided I'd have to wing it and come over (ASAP) and hope I did have a reservation.
Packed with some distraction (and in the cluttered dorm this is a recipe for forgetting something, but touch wood I haven't) as Bruce was talking to me and I didn't like to try to beg off on grounds of concentrating on packing.
No major problems getting (rather slow chuggy - stopping all the time and waiting at times - ex-US schoolbus) bus to David or from David on to Chiangiula (sp) bus which goes via here and Bocas del Toro. Minor confusion at MoS asking me to put bag on my lap (I put it between knees) and it was a tiny bit cramped but no big deal and I asked the MoS to let me down a few mins before phone GPS showed we were here. USD1 for first bus and 4 for second.
I hiked up with no major difficulty - the place has distinct Bolita vibes, though the hike isn't as long - and got to reception and I did have a reservation (I had an upper bunk but I asked and they made no fuss about changing it, not that it would have been critical - the dorm I'm in is pod style, so it's vaguely capsule hotel and thus stuff can't fall out at the head end) and they run on a tab so I pay for everything at the end. (I am not going to the bar - if it's open and/or not empty - tonight, I could prob have a soft drink but I don't want alcohol today and I may have a beer or two tomorrow. It will be good to have a slightly earlyish night and be off 8amish to do one of the 5-6h trails, there are two such on site so that's prob next two days and then there are other "local bus" kind of hikes which I may consider.
Right now it is windy and cool/cold and a bit of rain. It's sort of cool but also shocking somehow. altitude is prob about same as Boq, I think - signs here show iirc 1250m. It was noticeably warmer in David than Boq.
Two other people "in bed" on phones or whatever in dorm when I came out, I did this a little bit earlier but felt better to be semi-social and come out and write this.
I didn't hike as such today as got here maybe 2pm-ish. I did however (stupidly not "inventorying" the kitchen first) trog down to the bottom of the entrance trail with my daypack pointlessly containing all my food brought with me, then on finding (and asking) only a small restaurant at base but not the promised provision store, I walked (had found on OM but guy from store also relented and told me this after initially just saying no tinned food, only cooked) about 1km over to Valle de Las Minas where there are about five small restaurants/fondas, presumably aimed at passing traffic, a couple of fruit and veg shops and - finally, after I'd nearly given up - a small supermarket where they had no tinned frijoles but where I did get three tins (mixed veg, sweetcorn, "pigeon peas" ) in lieu of beans and two tins of pork luncheon meat and probably actually a third tin of something but maybe I'm forgetting for a bit under USD9. (I understood the guy saying 8 but the decimal, despite me asking him to repeat it, eluded me so I just gave him 9.)
Oh, had a piss at terminal in David. Supposed to be USD0.35 and I wasted time fiddling coins out but no one was actually collecting money.
Then trogged back to base of trail and up it and cooked. As noted bit of chat with volunteer(s) there and while I was hardly Mr Social I did OK and wasn't hiding and sat at communal table (albeit no one really talking much near me) to eat after. It took ages to cook as due to government wank and physics they can't have gas hobs here and the electric ones are super slow. Still, it didn't taste bad and I feel reasonably full. (I think they have a small MAME cab in here, guy and woman just finished playing on it. Not actually my scene but kind of cool.)
After that I had a shower (very hot and nice, though cubicle also decidedly draughty as this weather was starting to come on and bathroom is far from sealed) and lay in pod in dorm on net for a bit - other woman just left and here on own now but that's fine - then popped out to watch sunset (not amazing but quite interesting watching sun sink into a thicker layer of cloud near horizon but still be visible, like watching a side view of an orange sinking into a bath or something) and back to dorm a bit then I think out here.
I was a bit whiny to myself during hike down to get food and finding no provision shop at base of trail but not too bad overall. And I was reasonably dynamic and adventurous coming over here despite the uncertainty over the reservation. (Gut feeling is there are a fair few guests but the place is not bursting at the seams.)
You can buy tins to tuna at reception for USD2 which (plus the fact I have that tin of shredded sardines) is why I didn't I think buy an extra tin of meat at the shop.
I could vaguely see myself extending here but OTOH 4 nights may well be enough - I feel slightly settled already, albeit a bit BNM - and there are (due to closures/maintenance) only the two local trails and farting around getting local buses is not super appealing etc. Also given food supply issue (I'm too picky to really want to do communal option, unless they maybe advertise something ultra safe) if I did extend I'd kind of need to use one day to trog down to VdlM in order to get extra food, unless there's time to squeeze this in between a morning hike and sunset, and bearing in mind the kitchen has these two tiny electric rings and is I think maybe used to cook the shared meal and I probably really want to be cooking my meal 3pmish when there's not too much "competition" for space.
I think that's about it.
Oh, forgot/didn't get chance to say that towards end of night hike to volcano we found a (black?) hummingbird sitting on the track, luckily not having been squashed by 4WD we had just seen go through. We thought it was wounded or something but someone went to pick it up and it did fly off, so maybe it was just somewhat imprudently resting there and it was fine. Do have photos of this but dunno if they are any good.
It's actually mildly over warm sitting in here in fleece and red ss top. But I can hear the wind outside.
They say the tap water is drinkable here and given I don't have much choice I am drinking it and it does taste fine.
The setup here is Bolita-ish but the buildings are a bit more "permanent" (concrete/brick probably) and there seems to be mains electricity ad lib and it *may* be that the water is mains water, so it's a lot brighter, and the dorms while still slightly "exposed" are not the semi-outdoor structures at Bolita. Both good, just different. It is much brighter at night here though!
I am sure there are all sorts of little details I've forgotten but I can always fill these in later or bash notes in to other entries etc.
There is some chat going on round the table but I really genuinely don't feel like trying to get into it. (That's not to say I *could*, of course. :-) )
2022 Fingers hurting a bit. It is almost not too late to clean teeth and go to bed. I may go for a brief wander around and feel a little bit of the wind/rain (if any) etc and then move towards bed. another woman came in and we said hi-equivalent and she is playing with her phone too fwiw.
Incidentally notwithstanding not wanting (while vaguely tempted) to drink beer tonight, this isn't stopping me socialising. The reality is that nearly all of my "new person" social interactions this trip have been done stone cold sober, I think. I am not actually sure I've drunk a beer "with" anyone, though I did have my mojito while sitting with teetotal-these-days Brian last night (cos it was last night and didn't want to leave it there or bring it with me).
Toes and vaguely nearby bones hurting a bit in bed this morning, probably side-effect of hike. Right hip also a tiny bit "sore" , I hope this is also a hike legacy and not my liver playing up after those 4 pints+mojito yesterday. :-)
Woman called out by someone.
I do actually think I'm gonna just wander down, stand "in the breeze" on one of the lower levels towards the dorm for a bit and then go clean teeth and go to bed. I vaguely plan to wear today's clothes again tomorrow, as I expect hike to be a) solo b) moderately sweaty and/or dirty. I have no idea if I am expecting to get wet and/or have a chance/requirement to swim on these hikes, but if I remember I will take trunks, towel and a dry bag (for phone/money - I'd just put my trousers in it) with me.
It is kind of nice to have unlimited water literally on tap.
I am probably going to BdT when I leave here, whenever that it. My suspicion is unless I just hate it I will putter round different islands for a week or so and then probably head back to PC. Depending on how long I want to stay in BdT it is possible I'll come back through here and put a day or two in, but not banking on it.
There is obviously no chance of doing trip prep (buying repellent, printing/photocopying stuff, buying flip flops and waterproof neck pouches if I want etc etc) here. In Boq maybe but I was a bit distracted and I suspect carnival didn't help. (Also similart wrt sending postcards home. No time in PC, no post office or postcards in SC, post office in Boq but I didn't see any postcards and *assumed* po would be closed due to carnival.) If I have to do this in PC before trip I will but it would be nice to get this sorted a bit. I think for all its islandy nature BdT, especially Bocas Town where I will likely start off, is not massively rural and will probably have some of the necessary facilities.)
Last two nights in dorm in Boq one woman was snoring *really* loudly. Obviously she can't help it but it was kind of annoying.
2031 OK, let's just top up my water and go for brief wander (genuinely not doing this in vague hope of getting into a conversation - tomorrow night when I've settled a bit more and will maybe have a beer etc we will see) and then teeth+bed.
2114 In bed. Pod is "private" but lack of ability to put stuff at side of bed seriously annoying. Did spend 10ish mins lying in a hammock (with shoes on; no idea if serious no-no) feeling warm-ish as mostly sheltered from gale and watching moonlit clouds drift behind barely visibly silhouette of a tall tree.
I had had no "final confirmation" of my reservation this morning. Got up 9 and did my best to get in touch with hostel but the tripadvisor phone no went to voicemail, the hostel website's own phone no is invalid (same error on both Skype and with my local SIM) and I got no response to my WA. I found you *could* book with them on hostelworld, I didn't as I'd already booked "direct" but this reassured me they hadn't simply shut down and I decided I'd have to wing it and come over (ASAP) and hope I did have a reservation.
Packed with some distraction (and in the cluttered dorm this is a recipe for forgetting something, but touch wood I haven't) as Bruce was talking to me and I didn't like to try to beg off on grounds of concentrating on packing.
No major problems getting (rather slow chuggy - stopping all the time and waiting at times - ex-US schoolbus) bus to David or from David on to Chiangiula (sp) bus which goes via here and Bocas del Toro. Minor confusion at MoS asking me to put bag on my lap (I put it between knees) and it was a tiny bit cramped but no big deal and I asked the MoS to let me down a few mins before phone GPS showed we were here. USD1 for first bus and 4 for second.
I hiked up with no major difficulty - the place has distinct Bolita vibes, though the hike isn't as long - and got to reception and I did have a reservation (I had an upper bunk but I asked and they made no fuss about changing it, not that it would have been critical - the dorm I'm in is pod style, so it's vaguely capsule hotel and thus stuff can't fall out at the head end) and they run on a tab so I pay for everything at the end. (I am not going to the bar - if it's open and/or not empty - tonight, I could prob have a soft drink but I don't want alcohol today and I may have a beer or two tomorrow. It will be good to have a slightly earlyish night and be off 8amish to do one of the 5-6h trails, there are two such on site so that's prob next two days and then there are other "local bus" kind of hikes which I may consider.
Right now it is windy and cool/cold and a bit of rain. It's sort of cool but also shocking somehow. altitude is prob about same as Boq, I think - signs here show iirc 1250m. It was noticeably warmer in David than Boq.
Two other people "in bed" on phones or whatever in dorm when I came out, I did this a little bit earlier but felt better to be semi-social and come out and write this.
I didn't hike as such today as got here maybe 2pm-ish. I did however (stupidly not "inventorying" the kitchen first) trog down to the bottom of the entrance trail with my daypack pointlessly containing all my food brought with me, then on finding (and asking) only a small restaurant at base but not the promised provision store, I walked (had found on OM but guy from store also relented and told me this after initially just saying no tinned food, only cooked) about 1km over to Valle de Las Minas where there are about five small restaurants/fondas, presumably aimed at passing traffic, a couple of fruit and veg shops and - finally, after I'd nearly given up - a small supermarket where they had no tinned frijoles but where I did get three tins (mixed veg, sweetcorn, "pigeon peas" ) in lieu of beans and two tins of pork luncheon meat and probably actually a third tin of something but maybe I'm forgetting for a bit under USD9. (I understood the guy saying 8 but the decimal, despite me asking him to repeat it, eluded me so I just gave him 9.)
Oh, had a piss at terminal in David. Supposed to be USD0.35 and I wasted time fiddling coins out but no one was actually collecting money.
Then trogged back to base of trail and up it and cooked. As noted bit of chat with volunteer(s) there and while I was hardly Mr Social I did OK and wasn't hiding and sat at communal table (albeit no one really talking much near me) to eat after. It took ages to cook as due to government wank and physics they can't have gas hobs here and the electric ones are super slow. Still, it didn't taste bad and I feel reasonably full. (I think they have a small MAME cab in here, guy and woman just finished playing on it. Not actually my scene but kind of cool.)
After that I had a shower (very hot and nice, though cubicle also decidedly draughty as this weather was starting to come on and bathroom is far from sealed) and lay in pod in dorm on net for a bit - other woman just left and here on own now but that's fine - then popped out to watch sunset (not amazing but quite interesting watching sun sink into a thicker layer of cloud near horizon but still be visible, like watching a side view of an orange sinking into a bath or something) and back to dorm a bit then I think out here.
I was a bit whiny to myself during hike down to get food and finding no provision shop at base of trail but not too bad overall. And I was reasonably dynamic and adventurous coming over here despite the uncertainty over the reservation. (Gut feeling is there are a fair few guests but the place is not bursting at the seams.)
You can buy tins to tuna at reception for USD2 which (plus the fact I have that tin of shredded sardines) is why I didn't I think buy an extra tin of meat at the shop.
I could vaguely see myself extending here but OTOH 4 nights may well be enough - I feel slightly settled already, albeit a bit BNM - and there are (due to closures/maintenance) only the two local trails and farting around getting local buses is not super appealing etc. Also given food supply issue (I'm too picky to really want to do communal option, unless they maybe advertise something ultra safe) if I did extend I'd kind of need to use one day to trog down to VdlM in order to get extra food, unless there's time to squeeze this in between a morning hike and sunset, and bearing in mind the kitchen has these two tiny electric rings and is I think maybe used to cook the shared meal and I probably really want to be cooking my meal 3pmish when there's not too much "competition" for space.
I think that's about it.
Oh, forgot/didn't get chance to say that towards end of night hike to volcano we found a (black?) hummingbird sitting on the track, luckily not having been squashed by 4WD we had just seen go through. We thought it was wounded or something but someone went to pick it up and it did fly off, so maybe it was just somewhat imprudently resting there and it was fine. Do have photos of this but dunno if they are any good.
It's actually mildly over warm sitting in here in fleece and red ss top. But I can hear the wind outside.
They say the tap water is drinkable here and given I don't have much choice I am drinking it and it does taste fine.
The setup here is Bolita-ish but the buildings are a bit more "permanent" (concrete/brick probably) and there seems to be mains electricity ad lib and it *may* be that the water is mains water, so it's a lot brighter, and the dorms while still slightly "exposed" are not the semi-outdoor structures at Bolita. Both good, just different. It is much brighter at night here though!
I am sure there are all sorts of little details I've forgotten but I can always fill these in later or bash notes in to other entries etc.
There is some chat going on round the table but I really genuinely don't feel like trying to get into it. (That's not to say I *could*, of course. :-) )
2022 Fingers hurting a bit. It is almost not too late to clean teeth and go to bed. I may go for a brief wander around and feel a little bit of the wind/rain (if any) etc and then move towards bed. another woman came in and we said hi-equivalent and she is playing with her phone too fwiw.
Incidentally notwithstanding not wanting (while vaguely tempted) to drink beer tonight, this isn't stopping me socialising. The reality is that nearly all of my "new person" social interactions this trip have been done stone cold sober, I think. I am not actually sure I've drunk a beer "with" anyone, though I did have my mojito while sitting with teetotal-these-days Brian last night (cos it was last night and didn't want to leave it there or bring it with me).
Toes and vaguely nearby bones hurting a bit in bed this morning, probably side-effect of hike. Right hip also a tiny bit "sore" , I hope this is also a hike legacy and not my liver playing up after those 4 pints+mojito yesterday. :-)
Woman called out by someone.
I do actually think I'm gonna just wander down, stand "in the breeze" on one of the lower levels towards the dorm for a bit and then go clean teeth and go to bed. I vaguely plan to wear today's clothes again tomorrow, as I expect hike to be a) solo b) moderately sweaty and/or dirty. I have no idea if I am expecting to get wet and/or have a chance/requirement to swim on these hikes, but if I remember I will take trunks, towel and a dry bag (for phone/money - I'd just put my trousers in it) with me.
It is kind of nice to have unlimited water literally on tap.
I am probably going to BdT when I leave here, whenever that it. My suspicion is unless I just hate it I will putter round different islands for a week or so and then probably head back to PC. Depending on how long I want to stay in BdT it is possible I'll come back through here and put a day or two in, but not banking on it.
There is obviously no chance of doing trip prep (buying repellent, printing/photocopying stuff, buying flip flops and waterproof neck pouches if I want etc etc) here. In Boq maybe but I was a bit distracted and I suspect carnival didn't help. (Also similart wrt sending postcards home. No time in PC, no post office or postcards in SC, post office in Boq but I didn't see any postcards and *assumed* po would be closed due to carnival.) If I have to do this in PC before trip I will but it would be nice to get this sorted a bit. I think for all its islandy nature BdT, especially Bocas Town where I will likely start off, is not massively rural and will probably have some of the necessary facilities.)
Last two nights in dorm in Boq one woman was snoring *really* loudly. Obviously she can't help it but it was kind of annoying.
2031 OK, let's just top up my water and go for brief wander (genuinely not doing this in vague hope of getting into a conversation - tomorrow night when I've settled a bit more and will maybe have a beer etc we will see) and then teeth+bed.
2114 In bed. Pod is "private" but lack of ability to put stuff at side of bed seriously annoying. Did spend 10ish mins lying in a hammock (with shoes on; no idea if serious no-no) feeling warm-ish as mostly sheltered from gale and watching moonlit clouds drift behind barely visibly silhouette of a tall tree.
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