Sat 17th 1954 squatting cross-legged on beanbag in that common indoor area as is vaguely traditional. two v bored looking young women sitting on seat and a couple of kids (there is a family here) quietly playing a game.
Not a bad day, not amazing. woke up about 3am from a pseudo-nightmare (not that bad) where my ear was all bunged up. I had that slight homesicky feeling and started grabbing stuff to dash out to the bogs (didn't need piss as such, but the "motion" helps shake it off) but - perhaps as it wasn't the actual homesick thing - it dissipated pretty rapidly. I decided I'd pop out for a piss anyway just to be safe and the fresh air etc was nice and as I said "hello" (ish, not lit that) to some other bloke who was coming into bogs as I left. seemed to struggle to sleep a bit, arm(s) perhaps hurting from bus yday, eventually fell into what felt like a half-waking sleep with weird semi-erotic dreams (which I don't clearly remember now and probably wouldn't write about even if I did).
got up 9ish. Various people leaving for Bocas, had brief chat with Severin and (possibly accidentally seeming rude, when just trying to be considerate) sort of said bye to Francesco (who was on a phone call outside dorm the only time I saw him).
I trogged off and had a wander round the maze (initially this felt crappy but it is actually perhaps quite big; I was a smidge edgy and stuck to left wall hugging and did eventually emerge on the far side of the maze and left it at that) then up to the "continental lookout" (which I had been to with C/F first day). Walk mildly energetic/tiring, brief chat with a French bloke on way up. When I got to top three Dutch people were chatting away but I camped out by them and then the French guy turned up then the Dutch left and eventually the French guy did and I had it to myself for a bit.
I ended up looking at Bastimentos accom while waiting for Dutch to leave and as it seemed a poorish selection even now I booked something (free cancellation til about midnight tonight) which follows straight on from the 4 nights I booked yesterday in Bocas Town. Pretty pricy at something like USD22/night for a dorm but I think that's Bast for you. This is a bit constraining but not massively so - it doesn't leave much time before the boat, my current feeling (tho will leave it a day or two before booking this) is I'll overnight (ideally near bus terminal) in David on way back from Bocas, just to break journey (looking at the map this looks massively asymmetrical and perhaps is a bit but the very slow travel between David and Bocas makes it a reasonable split I think) then on to PC and I will see if I can book one extra night at the pre-boat accom in PC.
Anyway, I did pseudo-meditatively stare out a bit at view but was TBH a bit distracted. Trogged back down, did laundry and hung it up on my travel clothesline out in sun by "official" lines (I subsequently moved my line under shelter and finally brought washing in after sunset fearing despite shelter it would rain on them), then cooked (using everything up but bit of rice and I've taken that and the valuable high quality carrier bag I was using to keep my stuff in kitchen back to backpack) and then read a bit and watched YT (internet v poor for whatever reason) in a hammock which was quite nice, then vaguely buzzed round between there and dorm and washing - intermittent chats with Colin during day - until having a shower before coming out here. Forgot to get new razor out of bag so still using old one.
I went to see if I could hang washing in sun under dorm after laundry and was semi-surprised by those two big spiders, which I knew were around there but didn't remember exactly where. V cool really though.
I think that's about it. I may go sit in a hammock and eat my remaining snacks now (didn't eat this afternoon as was fullish from lunch) and go to bed earlyish. Maybe it's feeble but I am not really feeling like going to bar on my own - it doesn't feel like sort of place to start a chat, the hostel is actually quite busy (iirc there were 26ish people on the dinner sign up whiteboard), I don't feel super chatty, life-size Jenga doesn't enormously appeal and I'd worry my opponent would want to use the fucking insane "forfeit" book, I'm not gagging for a beer, I'm leaving tomorrow so rightly or wrongly feels like (and this is silly, but it's not the only reason) meeting someone would be a bit of a waste, etc. I can see myself enjoying a beer tomorrow night in the poss rather warmer climated at Bocas, maybe on the beach if I am lucky (depends in part on timing of buses etc) but even if just at hostel hat might actually be rather welcome after the rigours of travelling over there and I'd probably enjoy that more for not having one tonight.
Oh, before heading out this morning I spoke to American-sounding guy on reception (half wonder if he's one of the Canadian owners but not sure) who seemed to know about buses to Bocas. He reckoned Sun would be a good day to travel - I think as locals would not be using buses - and being on my own would help. You get bus to Almirante for about USD8, USD1 for a taxi from there to dock and then it's USD5 for a boat to island. The shuttle costs about double that and all you save is half an hour's break at some point on the bus. So I'm gonna try the public bus. (I also dunno what time shuttle goes, but it wouldn't surprise me if it leaves late-ish and thus forces you to get there late-ish.)
2227 In bed. Was in hammock snacking and watching tree silhouettes and then YT.
Not a bad day, not amazing. woke up about 3am from a pseudo-nightmare (not that bad) where my ear was all bunged up. I had that slight homesicky feeling and started grabbing stuff to dash out to the bogs (didn't need piss as such, but the "motion" helps shake it off) but - perhaps as it wasn't the actual homesick thing - it dissipated pretty rapidly. I decided I'd pop out for a piss anyway just to be safe and the fresh air etc was nice and as I said "hello" (ish, not lit that) to some other bloke who was coming into bogs as I left. seemed to struggle to sleep a bit, arm(s) perhaps hurting from bus yday, eventually fell into what felt like a half-waking sleep with weird semi-erotic dreams (which I don't clearly remember now and probably wouldn't write about even if I did).
got up 9ish. Various people leaving for Bocas, had brief chat with Severin and (possibly accidentally seeming rude, when just trying to be considerate) sort of said bye to Francesco (who was on a phone call outside dorm the only time I saw him).
I trogged off and had a wander round the maze (initially this felt crappy but it is actually perhaps quite big; I was a smidge edgy and stuck to left wall hugging and did eventually emerge on the far side of the maze and left it at that) then up to the "continental lookout" (which I had been to with C/F first day). Walk mildly energetic/tiring, brief chat with a French bloke on way up. When I got to top three Dutch people were chatting away but I camped out by them and then the French guy turned up then the Dutch left and eventually the French guy did and I had it to myself for a bit.
I ended up looking at Bastimentos accom while waiting for Dutch to leave and as it seemed a poorish selection even now I booked something (free cancellation til about midnight tonight) which follows straight on from the 4 nights I booked yesterday in Bocas Town. Pretty pricy at something like USD22/night for a dorm but I think that's Bast for you. This is a bit constraining but not massively so - it doesn't leave much time before the boat, my current feeling (tho will leave it a day or two before booking this) is I'll overnight (ideally near bus terminal) in David on way back from Bocas, just to break journey (looking at the map this looks massively asymmetrical and perhaps is a bit but the very slow travel between David and Bocas makes it a reasonable split I think) then on to PC and I will see if I can book one extra night at the pre-boat accom in PC.
Anyway, I did pseudo-meditatively stare out a bit at view but was TBH a bit distracted. Trogged back down, did laundry and hung it up on my travel clothesline out in sun by "official" lines (I subsequently moved my line under shelter and finally brought washing in after sunset fearing despite shelter it would rain on them), then cooked (using everything up but bit of rice and I've taken that and the valuable high quality carrier bag I was using to keep my stuff in kitchen back to backpack) and then read a bit and watched YT (internet v poor for whatever reason) in a hammock which was quite nice, then vaguely buzzed round between there and dorm and washing - intermittent chats with Colin during day - until having a shower before coming out here. Forgot to get new razor out of bag so still using old one.
I went to see if I could hang washing in sun under dorm after laundry and was semi-surprised by those two big spiders, which I knew were around there but didn't remember exactly where. V cool really though.
I think that's about it. I may go sit in a hammock and eat my remaining snacks now (didn't eat this afternoon as was fullish from lunch) and go to bed earlyish. Maybe it's feeble but I am not really feeling like going to bar on my own - it doesn't feel like sort of place to start a chat, the hostel is actually quite busy (iirc there were 26ish people on the dinner sign up whiteboard), I don't feel super chatty, life-size Jenga doesn't enormously appeal and I'd worry my opponent would want to use the fucking insane "forfeit" book, I'm not gagging for a beer, I'm leaving tomorrow so rightly or wrongly feels like (and this is silly, but it's not the only reason) meeting someone would be a bit of a waste, etc. I can see myself enjoying a beer tomorrow night in the poss rather warmer climated at Bocas, maybe on the beach if I am lucky (depends in part on timing of buses etc) but even if just at hostel hat might actually be rather welcome after the rigours of travelling over there and I'd probably enjoy that more for not having one tonight.
Oh, before heading out this morning I spoke to American-sounding guy on reception (half wonder if he's one of the Canadian owners but not sure) who seemed to know about buses to Bocas. He reckoned Sun would be a good day to travel - I think as locals would not be using buses - and being on my own would help. You get bus to Almirante for about USD8, USD1 for a taxi from there to dock and then it's USD5 for a boat to island. The shuttle costs about double that and all you save is half an hour's break at some point on the bus. So I'm gonna try the public bus. (I also dunno what time shuttle goes, but it wouldn't surprise me if it leaves late-ish and thus forces you to get there late-ish.)
2227 In bed. Was in hammock snacking and watching tree silhouettes and then YT.
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