Fri 9th 1046 On hostel terrace. Killing time now til pickup. I checked out (nothing to do, dunno if actually necessary) and to be polite asked if I could stay til 1 due to pickup and they said I could stay as long as I liked.
I may have a shower 12ish, not sure. Wearing "beach gear" +shoes right now. If I don't shower I will at least pop into bathroom and change into "normal" clothes 1230ish (pickup could apparently be anywhere 1300-1330) later.
Got up 8ish, didn't really want to - life being what it is, I felt slightly cold in bed tho also knew it would be warm out. Getting better at pancakes, cooked three half decent looking ones and had one and a bit cups of black coffee.
I put beach gear on and went down to town beach barefoot and carrying just a plastic bag with bottle of water and tube of sunblock. I knew it was low tide but today I didn't have the luxury of choosing when to go. I did go into water about knee deep but it just didn't feel right. There was the odd rock under water, no one else swimming, I'd temporarily left my plastic bag just on beach where it could get taken by incoming tide (but town beach is just small and just busy enough that - tho yes, the value to steal negligible - leaving a bag up by the "permanent" shore feels at risk, plus with tide out that was some distance from water and felt a bit silly/annoying) and while I don't say I couldn't have gone deeper in - I have no idea what the depth profile was - it just wasn't feeling right and I abandoned it.
Shame but not beating myself up - I made the effort to go down, I tried and it's supposed to be fun and with tide and time constraints and everything it just didn't feel good.
Came back to hostel, put shoes on and got some cash, went down to ms near beach, got some snacks, started back to hostel and decided I ought to go look at beach (no glasses on during abortive swim remember) so I did, then came back to hostel getting back about 1030 - got bottle of cold water at ms "in" hostel. Packed, checked out and now sitting down here.
Ad for "lost and found" hostel on ms. IIRC saw the shuttle buses Boq to BdT stop off there. No idea if it's a gimmick or not, I will try to remember to at least consider it after Boq.
1202 May go for shower in a minute. Incidentally the 50ml IIRC nominal but manually filled bottle of sunblock I set out with at start of trip is not necessarily empty but started to feel a little unreliable roughly when I got here to SC - but also being in SC I've been slathering on gobs of sunblock from the big tube I bought in PC and haven't even tried using the 50ml bottle's remaining contents yet.
It feels slightly early but I'm worried the damn shuttle will somehow turn up early. Let's go for a shower.
1228 Had shower and put "normal" clothes on. Not massively warmer waring them TBH. Definitely feels - bearing in mind I'm in shade and beachy clothes are *not* conspicuous here - a bit more comfortable in the beachy clothes, but this is not the agonising sweatbox I had sort of imagined.
I am expecting the shuttle to be air conditioned. No idea what weather is like in Boq but it is supposed to be cooler.
Need to remember to take it easy in Boq. Just get there and settle in today. Given amount of bread-y semi junk I've snacked on this morning I may not even make getting dinner a quest for arrival.
I have three full days there and modulo carnival can extend, and may extend if it gets me over carnival. Plan for first day is just (in no particular order) wander round, chat to a few tour operators to size up prospects for volcano hike and eat something. Enjoy the climate, if appropriate. Making modest efforts to be sociable in hostel also a goal. But no more. No need to rush, panic, dash off on random hikes shown on OM or whatever unless the urge truly takes me.
It's been fine but I do need to get out of the semi-accidental dashing round disjointed stuff characterising time in Panama so far. To repeat myself yet again, the proportion of "disrupted travel days" just rises dramatically with short stays.
I also have one cinnamon bun and one queque (a smallish bread-ish sweet bun thing), both in sealed plastic packets, left over which I can snack on tonight if desperate. Be good if I could eat a bit less junk over next few days, though to "compensate" :-) I may have some beer if it feels desirable.
Not saying I *won't* go out for dinner but play it by ear.
I may well have a shower on arrival - eg I didn't shave or change clothes after shower just now (still wearing same stuff I changed into after yesterday evening's shower) - but play it by ear again.
Oh, I found two unopened coconuts - in non-shaggy husks - on Estero beach yesterday, I could hear liquid slosh round inside them when i shook them. No idea if they were ripe, I left them alone - they are probably public domain coconuts, but even if they are, I might have got the husk off but had no way at all to get inside a nut. Nor except for the novelty would warm coconut milk be tremendously gratifying, I expect - though I dunno, depends, if it's like the tinned stuff (which may for all I know have coconut flesh blended it it or something) it might be pretty nice. (I always taste a bit when cooking with a tin, and that's room temp if not warmer due to heating it to "melt" the congealed fat before opening the can.)
And while watching pre-sunset yday at town beach what I assume was a coconut was bobbing in the surf and presumably might have eventually been landed on the beach. Conjured up strangely agreeable ideas of coconuts colonising previously coconut-free desert islands.
Gonna wait on inner terrace/courtyard and assume the driver will come in and fetch me. but will doubtless continue to be edgy and may also pop out intermittently.
(When I said about being in shade earlier wrt clothes, while sucky, I'd probably rather be out in the sun in these body-covering clothes than the beachy ones.)
1314 Did come out "front" , there is shade. Woman waiting here, so maybe I did the right thing. After a bit I asked if she was waiting for shuttle, she smiled and said "yes" but no more. But I made the effort and now I don't have to feel awkward about not talking to her. (Not blaming her. I often don't want to talk. And while I *suspect* she's American, she may not be a native or fluent English speaker. etc)
Forgot to say I got lost on the town beach this morning. It's hardly massive but I forgot I'd walked through a very shallow stream and maybe walking right by low tide water didn't help, I think I accidentally went round a kinda-sorta ridge (nothing major) and forgot about it. Didn't flip out but given I wasn't really against the clock and knew I wasn't actually far from main road off beach even tho I couldn't find it I wasn't ultra calm either.
1318 Bus just turned up, only us two on. Aircon (not too fierce, yet - quite nice). Driver put bag on front seat. I have headphones in pocket and may put them on once we get going if it's obvious (as I expect and rather hope - there's a "trapped" aspect on a bus) no one else on the bus is gonna be chatty.
1508 Just two of us on bus. Just had offer of piss at break in Sona (which looks quite big - but doesn't exist for tourists as no hostels etc) but didn't take it. Driver took money and confirmed drop off, woman had put Selina but turns out she is in my hostel too, just picked Selina as our hostel not listed. I hope we don't end up clashing over lower bunk! TBF if I get an upper bunk it's a pisser but I'll cope. Fingers crossed anyway. I did request one but no response.
Air con is OK actually, quite comfortable, but TBH could be a smidge fiercer.
1925 OK. I'm at new hostel, been out for a brief walk. First impressions a bit negative but warming to it.
It is actually cool verging on cold out! I was wearing my ls top and while comfortable now I almost wished I had my fleece.
Got to hostel about 1830. I got a lower bunk. Hostel is quite nice, fairly full, a bit "don't do X" signs everywhere and a stupid no shoes in dorm rule *plus* them expecting you to put your shoes in a fucking rack downstairs in the garden instead of letting you leave them outside dorm door. But there is free coffee and a socket by bunk.
Went out for brief dusk walk, feels safe, took photo of an old railway wagon in main square which I half wonder if I've seen before.
We passed through David on way in and it looked way more built up than just my "few blocks of paved road in centre then dirt" - have I got it mixed up with somewhere else? Or has it really changed that much?
Hostel charges 1.75 a beer. I went for walk and found supermarket and got a gallon of water for 1.58 (here 4 nights, maybe 5 given carnival but let's wait til tomorrow to worry), one of those bambu mojito cans I had in Uvita for about 0.9 and a can of Balboa for 0.8. Cans are in fridge and I'm out here with free coffee.
Met Swedish guy in dorm while dropping off water. He said everyone just walks up this volcano up a road 6h each way without a guide, timing it to arrive at dawn (as mentioned in guide book) - he said woman at desk has said this. I dunno if you can do this on your own, guy said best not to, but the hostel may be able to sort me out. I saw tours advertised 4x4 up there but I would rather walk. Mixed feelings about this.
I think I will maybe speak to reception in the morning. I do have fleece but dunno if I have ultra warm clothes depending how cold this gets. Anyway, something to deal with in morning.
Oh, there's a big copy of that "demand a receipt or be fined" thing at reception. I asked about it and the woman is all "no no, that's if you're a business or something" . But the supermarket (super Baru) had a gigantic copy high on the wall. Is this just for some weird "business buyers" case? Normally the fine would be negligible (7% or USD1) but with the hostel payment that would be a bit more of a pisser. Maybe she's telling the truth and she didn't seem to be deceptive or anything but I can't help wondering if the woman on desk was full of shit about this.
Sitting on back semi-open terrace. It is a smidge cold but don't want to trog back to dorm (taking shoes off etc) for fleece and after SC it is kind of refreshing.
Dorm feels a bit rammed but not insane. Oh, one of the many "don't X" rules has X=wash clothes in sink, but the sign does say there are facilities for hand-washing round the back - during brief tour the woman from desk said something about a fee, but she may have been talking about laundry service not handwashing. I may ask about this in a day or two.
Despite this being a hostel and they could reasonably expect you to use and wash a cup from kitchen, there is a big stack of polystrene beakers by the free coffee urn in reception, which somehow cheers me up.
So given the carnival thing (oh, Swedish guy also said he didn't know about carnival til a day or two ago and he is booked for 2 more nights and wanted to extend his stay but couldn't) I may have fallen on my feet. I think Tue night may still be iffy but if I feel OK tomorrow I may ask about staying tue night and keeping my bed. failing that at least it's only one night to pay through the nose somewhere.
I have mixed feelings about this volcano. On the one hand, nice if I don't have to faff with a tour. On the other, the idea of going up and walking 6h each way - solo (!?) or if I can somehow get put in a group by hostel without it feeling awkward - without "expert" advice (how much stuff to take etc etc) is kind of intimidating. But something to worry about in the morning.
1942 I didn't eat tonight BTW. Looks like it is a bit touristy but some possibly OKish restaurants etc - eg cafe next door seems to do white coffee for USD0.95 and an empanada for USD1.
Feel slightly BNM sitting here in middle of some conversations but not massively so, I did just get here and it also doesn't feel massively awkward.
I did see on OM on way in there is a shortish looking path/"hike" just round corner to somewhere with a view over Boq. I may well do this tomorrow, despite saying I wouldn't do this sort of thing - key thing is just not to *force* myself.
1948 Not super tired - tho didn't feel any temptation to sleep in van - but I may move towards bed 9-930ish.
Just checked booking.com, this hostel does not show up for Tue night but if I want I could have a dorm bed at the gimmicky but in guide book and kind of cool Bambuda Castle for USD22, there is a cheap dorm at USD10 and I could have a room/whole apartment (!) at the 30-40 level, which wouldn't be terrible. I don't know if I want or need to stay here an extra night but I might ask at reception about extending *anyway* (tomorrow morning) and see what they say, tho asking about the volcano is maybe a higher priority and is also the "not quite must do, but the thing which if I do, I'll feel satisfied with my visit to Boq no matter what else I do, even if that's nothing" thing I picked for here. That will also kind of determine whether I want/need to stay longer.
1955 Third free coffee. There are a few people sitting round on their own looking at phones. I don't feel too out of place. Modulo the shoe thing I am moderately pleased with this place (and any port in a storm^wcarnival of course), especially if they will let me hand wash for free in a proper dedicated laundry area.
Quick check of weather forecast on a random site suggests *min* temp of 8C for Volcan Baru (at summit) over next few days. This doesn't sound too bad, maybe there's wind chill (tho it says light winds) but it does feel like you know with fleece and hat and (nothing amazing) gloves and rain jacket/trousers (as extra layer if not against rain) and so forth it is not "dying of hypothermia or losing fingers/toes because you are an idiot for going unprepared" weather.
Feel a bit edgy about whether I can find someone to go with for free. But I guess I have at least a couple of days to get lucky, the hostel may be able to hook me up with someone and worst case I could possibly go on my own or I could pay for a guide, tho that would be less cool as well as more expensive of course.
2015 Earwigging on some people and also having seen stuff on web when searching for info, the 4WD route sounds like it is a pretty miserable 2.5h motion sickness inducing drive, FWIW.
Also earwigging, 20 mins walk up to that lookout to get a decent view over town. Also maybe some sort of flower garden/poss viewpoint across town.
Feeling not exactly BNM at earwigging on this conversation, but getting jittery re possibility of finding people to do this volcano trip with. Chill. Nothing I can do about it and one way or another I will work something out.
2035 Earwigging re hot springs, I do wonder if I stayed in Boquete in 2010 and have been mentally confusing it with David. I had an idea I got a bus here from David as a daytrip for coffee tour but maybe I got bus from Boquete out to coffee place. Not checked old blog.
Feel bit guilty/sad earwigging but also sort of fine and fuck it.
2043 I suspect I will wake up earlyish anyway but I think I might set alarm for say 10 tomorrow just as a kind of backstop and get "as much sleep as I want/can" partly on general principles when I have nothing pressing on and partly with a vague view to being as refreshed as possible for a possible overnight hike in next few days.
Yawning. But I am charging K1 (which I read on in bed) from powerbank and I will probably because of that and on general not going to bed super early ground try to hang on at least another 15-30 mins. Guy behind me just saying it's too early to go to bed like he's reading my mind.
We did stop for second piss on shuttle over and I was mildly (not really) desperate to go and it felt super luxurious. :-)
Oh, woman from bus is staying 2 nights FWIW. we have scarcely spoken but I listened while she was checking in (like I could help overhearing of course).
Everyone seems to have been vaguely taken by surprise by carnival FWIW.
2050 Seriously yawning. Odd as not a super long or active day.
2055 Spot more earwigging re volcano. But it's people who have done it so "tips" but not anyone I might desperately jump on to ask if they would let me join them. I have been and still am just waiting til 9pm and then I'm gonna go clean my teeth and go to bed because fuck it.
I just need to chill FFS. TBH things have really not worked out so bad and whatever happens with this hike happens. Lots of chance to speak to randos tomorrow etc etc and once I speak to reception about this they may find me someone or TBH I could half see myself doing it on my own and hoping to meet people on the road (maybe business of carnival weekend might help).
I toyed with putting shoes in daypack and taking them into dorm, but I will leave them in the garden tonight anyway. Oh, someone is talking about San Blas island tour, do I need to stay up now to earwig on this? Oh no, she's *doing* it on 21st/24th so she hasn't done it and thus she doesn't likely have anything of value for me to earwig on.
It's 2100, fuck it, I'm moving towards bed.
2121 About to get into bed. Jealous of other people getting into conversations but perhaps more cos it feels I have something at stake here. Irrational anyway. But fuck it, there's always the banker's solution.
I may have a shower 12ish, not sure. Wearing "beach gear" +shoes right now. If I don't shower I will at least pop into bathroom and change into "normal" clothes 1230ish (pickup could apparently be anywhere 1300-1330) later.
Got up 8ish, didn't really want to - life being what it is, I felt slightly cold in bed tho also knew it would be warm out. Getting better at pancakes, cooked three half decent looking ones and had one and a bit cups of black coffee.
I put beach gear on and went down to town beach barefoot and carrying just a plastic bag with bottle of water and tube of sunblock. I knew it was low tide but today I didn't have the luxury of choosing when to go. I did go into water about knee deep but it just didn't feel right. There was the odd rock under water, no one else swimming, I'd temporarily left my plastic bag just on beach where it could get taken by incoming tide (but town beach is just small and just busy enough that - tho yes, the value to steal negligible - leaving a bag up by the "permanent" shore feels at risk, plus with tide out that was some distance from water and felt a bit silly/annoying) and while I don't say I couldn't have gone deeper in - I have no idea what the depth profile was - it just wasn't feeling right and I abandoned it.
Shame but not beating myself up - I made the effort to go down, I tried and it's supposed to be fun and with tide and time constraints and everything it just didn't feel good.
Came back to hostel, put shoes on and got some cash, went down to ms near beach, got some snacks, started back to hostel and decided I ought to go look at beach (no glasses on during abortive swim remember) so I did, then came back to hostel getting back about 1030 - got bottle of cold water at ms "in" hostel. Packed, checked out and now sitting down here.
Ad for "lost and found" hostel on ms. IIRC saw the shuttle buses Boq to BdT stop off there. No idea if it's a gimmick or not, I will try to remember to at least consider it after Boq.
1202 May go for shower in a minute. Incidentally the 50ml IIRC nominal but manually filled bottle of sunblock I set out with at start of trip is not necessarily empty but started to feel a little unreliable roughly when I got here to SC - but also being in SC I've been slathering on gobs of sunblock from the big tube I bought in PC and haven't even tried using the 50ml bottle's remaining contents yet.
It feels slightly early but I'm worried the damn shuttle will somehow turn up early. Let's go for a shower.
1228 Had shower and put "normal" clothes on. Not massively warmer waring them TBH. Definitely feels - bearing in mind I'm in shade and beachy clothes are *not* conspicuous here - a bit more comfortable in the beachy clothes, but this is not the agonising sweatbox I had sort of imagined.
I am expecting the shuttle to be air conditioned. No idea what weather is like in Boq but it is supposed to be cooler.
Need to remember to take it easy in Boq. Just get there and settle in today. Given amount of bread-y semi junk I've snacked on this morning I may not even make getting dinner a quest for arrival.
I have three full days there and modulo carnival can extend, and may extend if it gets me over carnival. Plan for first day is just (in no particular order) wander round, chat to a few tour operators to size up prospects for volcano hike and eat something. Enjoy the climate, if appropriate. Making modest efforts to be sociable in hostel also a goal. But no more. No need to rush, panic, dash off on random hikes shown on OM or whatever unless the urge truly takes me.
It's been fine but I do need to get out of the semi-accidental dashing round disjointed stuff characterising time in Panama so far. To repeat myself yet again, the proportion of "disrupted travel days" just rises dramatically with short stays.
I also have one cinnamon bun and one queque (a smallish bread-ish sweet bun thing), both in sealed plastic packets, left over which I can snack on tonight if desperate. Be good if I could eat a bit less junk over next few days, though to "compensate" :-) I may have some beer if it feels desirable.
Not saying I *won't* go out for dinner but play it by ear.
I may well have a shower on arrival - eg I didn't shave or change clothes after shower just now (still wearing same stuff I changed into after yesterday evening's shower) - but play it by ear again.
Oh, I found two unopened coconuts - in non-shaggy husks - on Estero beach yesterday, I could hear liquid slosh round inside them when i shook them. No idea if they were ripe, I left them alone - they are probably public domain coconuts, but even if they are, I might have got the husk off but had no way at all to get inside a nut. Nor except for the novelty would warm coconut milk be tremendously gratifying, I expect - though I dunno, depends, if it's like the tinned stuff (which may for all I know have coconut flesh blended it it or something) it might be pretty nice. (I always taste a bit when cooking with a tin, and that's room temp if not warmer due to heating it to "melt" the congealed fat before opening the can.)
And while watching pre-sunset yday at town beach what I assume was a coconut was bobbing in the surf and presumably might have eventually been landed on the beach. Conjured up strangely agreeable ideas of coconuts colonising previously coconut-free desert islands.
Gonna wait on inner terrace/courtyard and assume the driver will come in and fetch me. but will doubtless continue to be edgy and may also pop out intermittently.
(When I said about being in shade earlier wrt clothes, while sucky, I'd probably rather be out in the sun in these body-covering clothes than the beachy ones.)
1314 Did come out "front" , there is shade. Woman waiting here, so maybe I did the right thing. After a bit I asked if she was waiting for shuttle, she smiled and said "yes" but no more. But I made the effort and now I don't have to feel awkward about not talking to her. (Not blaming her. I often don't want to talk. And while I *suspect* she's American, she may not be a native or fluent English speaker. etc)
Forgot to say I got lost on the town beach this morning. It's hardly massive but I forgot I'd walked through a very shallow stream and maybe walking right by low tide water didn't help, I think I accidentally went round a kinda-sorta ridge (nothing major) and forgot about it. Didn't flip out but given I wasn't really against the clock and knew I wasn't actually far from main road off beach even tho I couldn't find it I wasn't ultra calm either.
1318 Bus just turned up, only us two on. Aircon (not too fierce, yet - quite nice). Driver put bag on front seat. I have headphones in pocket and may put them on once we get going if it's obvious (as I expect and rather hope - there's a "trapped" aspect on a bus) no one else on the bus is gonna be chatty.
1508 Just two of us on bus. Just had offer of piss at break in Sona (which looks quite big - but doesn't exist for tourists as no hostels etc) but didn't take it. Driver took money and confirmed drop off, woman had put Selina but turns out she is in my hostel too, just picked Selina as our hostel not listed. I hope we don't end up clashing over lower bunk! TBF if I get an upper bunk it's a pisser but I'll cope. Fingers crossed anyway. I did request one but no response.
Air con is OK actually, quite comfortable, but TBH could be a smidge fiercer.
1925 OK. I'm at new hostel, been out for a brief walk. First impressions a bit negative but warming to it.
It is actually cool verging on cold out! I was wearing my ls top and while comfortable now I almost wished I had my fleece.
Got to hostel about 1830. I got a lower bunk. Hostel is quite nice, fairly full, a bit "don't do X" signs everywhere and a stupid no shoes in dorm rule *plus* them expecting you to put your shoes in a fucking rack downstairs in the garden instead of letting you leave them outside dorm door. But there is free coffee and a socket by bunk.
Went out for brief dusk walk, feels safe, took photo of an old railway wagon in main square which I half wonder if I've seen before.
We passed through David on way in and it looked way more built up than just my "few blocks of paved road in centre then dirt" - have I got it mixed up with somewhere else? Or has it really changed that much?
Hostel charges 1.75 a beer. I went for walk and found supermarket and got a gallon of water for 1.58 (here 4 nights, maybe 5 given carnival but let's wait til tomorrow to worry), one of those bambu mojito cans I had in Uvita for about 0.9 and a can of Balboa for 0.8. Cans are in fridge and I'm out here with free coffee.
Met Swedish guy in dorm while dropping off water. He said everyone just walks up this volcano up a road 6h each way without a guide, timing it to arrive at dawn (as mentioned in guide book) - he said woman at desk has said this. I dunno if you can do this on your own, guy said best not to, but the hostel may be able to sort me out. I saw tours advertised 4x4 up there but I would rather walk. Mixed feelings about this.
I think I will maybe speak to reception in the morning. I do have fleece but dunno if I have ultra warm clothes depending how cold this gets. Anyway, something to deal with in morning.
Oh, there's a big copy of that "demand a receipt or be fined" thing at reception. I asked about it and the woman is all "no no, that's if you're a business or something" . But the supermarket (super Baru) had a gigantic copy high on the wall. Is this just for some weird "business buyers" case? Normally the fine would be negligible (7% or USD1) but with the hostel payment that would be a bit more of a pisser. Maybe she's telling the truth and she didn't seem to be deceptive or anything but I can't help wondering if the woman on desk was full of shit about this.
Sitting on back semi-open terrace. It is a smidge cold but don't want to trog back to dorm (taking shoes off etc) for fleece and after SC it is kind of refreshing.
Dorm feels a bit rammed but not insane. Oh, one of the many "don't X" rules has X=wash clothes in sink, but the sign does say there are facilities for hand-washing round the back - during brief tour the woman from desk said something about a fee, but she may have been talking about laundry service not handwashing. I may ask about this in a day or two.
Despite this being a hostel and they could reasonably expect you to use and wash a cup from kitchen, there is a big stack of polystrene beakers by the free coffee urn in reception, which somehow cheers me up.
So given the carnival thing (oh, Swedish guy also said he didn't know about carnival til a day or two ago and he is booked for 2 more nights and wanted to extend his stay but couldn't) I may have fallen on my feet. I think Tue night may still be iffy but if I feel OK tomorrow I may ask about staying tue night and keeping my bed. failing that at least it's only one night to pay through the nose somewhere.
I have mixed feelings about this volcano. On the one hand, nice if I don't have to faff with a tour. On the other, the idea of going up and walking 6h each way - solo (!?) or if I can somehow get put in a group by hostel without it feeling awkward - without "expert" advice (how much stuff to take etc etc) is kind of intimidating. But something to worry about in the morning.
1942 I didn't eat tonight BTW. Looks like it is a bit touristy but some possibly OKish restaurants etc - eg cafe next door seems to do white coffee for USD0.95 and an empanada for USD1.
Feel slightly BNM sitting here in middle of some conversations but not massively so, I did just get here and it also doesn't feel massively awkward.
I did see on OM on way in there is a shortish looking path/"hike" just round corner to somewhere with a view over Boq. I may well do this tomorrow, despite saying I wouldn't do this sort of thing - key thing is just not to *force* myself.
1948 Not super tired - tho didn't feel any temptation to sleep in van - but I may move towards bed 9-930ish.
Just checked booking.com, this hostel does not show up for Tue night but if I want I could have a dorm bed at the gimmicky but in guide book and kind of cool Bambuda Castle for USD22, there is a cheap dorm at USD10 and I could have a room/whole apartment (!) at the 30-40 level, which wouldn't be terrible. I don't know if I want or need to stay here an extra night but I might ask at reception about extending *anyway* (tomorrow morning) and see what they say, tho asking about the volcano is maybe a higher priority and is also the "not quite must do, but the thing which if I do, I'll feel satisfied with my visit to Boq no matter what else I do, even if that's nothing" thing I picked for here. That will also kind of determine whether I want/need to stay longer.
1955 Third free coffee. There are a few people sitting round on their own looking at phones. I don't feel too out of place. Modulo the shoe thing I am moderately pleased with this place (and any port in a storm^wcarnival of course), especially if they will let me hand wash for free in a proper dedicated laundry area.
Quick check of weather forecast on a random site suggests *min* temp of 8C for Volcan Baru (at summit) over next few days. This doesn't sound too bad, maybe there's wind chill (tho it says light winds) but it does feel like you know with fleece and hat and (nothing amazing) gloves and rain jacket/trousers (as extra layer if not against rain) and so forth it is not "dying of hypothermia or losing fingers/toes because you are an idiot for going unprepared" weather.
Feel a bit edgy about whether I can find someone to go with for free. But I guess I have at least a couple of days to get lucky, the hostel may be able to hook me up with someone and worst case I could possibly go on my own or I could pay for a guide, tho that would be less cool as well as more expensive of course.
2015 Earwigging on some people and also having seen stuff on web when searching for info, the 4WD route sounds like it is a pretty miserable 2.5h motion sickness inducing drive, FWIW.
Also earwigging, 20 mins walk up to that lookout to get a decent view over town. Also maybe some sort of flower garden/poss viewpoint across town.
Feeling not exactly BNM at earwigging on this conversation, but getting jittery re possibility of finding people to do this volcano trip with. Chill. Nothing I can do about it and one way or another I will work something out.
2035 Earwigging re hot springs, I do wonder if I stayed in Boquete in 2010 and have been mentally confusing it with David. I had an idea I got a bus here from David as a daytrip for coffee tour but maybe I got bus from Boquete out to coffee place. Not checked old blog.
Feel bit guilty/sad earwigging but also sort of fine and fuck it.
2043 I suspect I will wake up earlyish anyway but I think I might set alarm for say 10 tomorrow just as a kind of backstop and get "as much sleep as I want/can" partly on general principles when I have nothing pressing on and partly with a vague view to being as refreshed as possible for a possible overnight hike in next few days.
Yawning. But I am charging K1 (which I read on in bed) from powerbank and I will probably because of that and on general not going to bed super early ground try to hang on at least another 15-30 mins. Guy behind me just saying it's too early to go to bed like he's reading my mind.
We did stop for second piss on shuttle over and I was mildly (not really) desperate to go and it felt super luxurious. :-)
Oh, woman from bus is staying 2 nights FWIW. we have scarcely spoken but I listened while she was checking in (like I could help overhearing of course).
Everyone seems to have been vaguely taken by surprise by carnival FWIW.
2050 Seriously yawning. Odd as not a super long or active day.
2055 Spot more earwigging re volcano. But it's people who have done it so "tips" but not anyone I might desperately jump on to ask if they would let me join them. I have been and still am just waiting til 9pm and then I'm gonna go clean my teeth and go to bed because fuck it.
I just need to chill FFS. TBH things have really not worked out so bad and whatever happens with this hike happens. Lots of chance to speak to randos tomorrow etc etc and once I speak to reception about this they may find me someone or TBH I could half see myself doing it on my own and hoping to meet people on the road (maybe business of carnival weekend might help).
I toyed with putting shoes in daypack and taking them into dorm, but I will leave them in the garden tonight anyway. Oh, someone is talking about San Blas island tour, do I need to stay up now to earwig on this? Oh no, she's *doing* it on 21st/24th so she hasn't done it and thus she doesn't likely have anything of value for me to earwig on.
It's 2100, fuck it, I'm moving towards bed.
2121 About to get into bed. Jealous of other people getting into conversations but perhaps more cos it feels I have something at stake here. Irrational anyway. But fuck it, there's always the banker's solution.
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