Bocas del Toro

Life in Bocas del Toro is like a dream, if you have dreams of being chased by a devil, dressed in black, who is looking to whip you. Running from the devil seems to be one of the high lights of the Carnaval in Bocas del Toro. Why the young me, because it is only young men, want to taunt the devil and risk an open wound on the leg is beyond me. I am not sure if i would have done the taunting when I was in my late teens.

At some point, I will add some pics so you get a feel for the story.

Carnaval began last night, to a slight chill and showers in the air. I felt that the most import thing last night was to play music and play it LOUD!!!!! I do not know what it is about the people of Central America (in the countries I visited) but they have the need to blast music, no matter what the venue.

On Ometepe, Nicaragua, 5 of us went to an open-air bar. There were no more than 10 other people there (including the workers), and yet we had to shout across the table just to be heard because the music was set to 11.

Last night was the same - if you can´t entertain them, at least y ou can blow their ear drums away.

The town of Bocas del Toro is quite small. There is a main street and then a few others. therefore, there is not a great deal of people to create a huge party atmosphere for Carnaval. But they try.

I will leave here tomorrow head to Panama City to see what I can see.

Today, I went to an island off the main Bocas island. Carenero is well within sight of the docks at Bocas. Even in my poor shape, I am sure I could swim between the islands. However, due to boat traffic, I opted for the $1 water taxi. Two minutes later, I set foot on new territory. I was searching for a decent beach as there is not one too close to Bocas.

I walked the entire island and I never did find a good beach. I found the island´s ¨Beach¨but I was disappointed with it. There were no real waves and you had to be certain you didn´t walk on the coral.

There were times during the walk that mine were the only footprints in the sand. I looked out to the empty ocean and I saw no sign of others. I wondered what it must have been like for the first settlers to these parts. Did they think they were in paradise?

As I rounded the corner and Bocas came in sight, there were clear signs of life - in the form of hundreds of plastic bottles. Those messages that people in Bocas stuff inside bottles only make it 500 yards off shore.

Carenero may be paradise lost.

I did not bring my camera to the island so I don´t have pictures of the shacks, on stilts, which are held together by hope, prayers and chicken wire, and the new (and huge) homes being built on the island. There were a few spots where one of the shacks (while each man´s home may be his castle, these are truly not much more than wood slats and tin roofs) was on the water directly in front of the new house. I am not sure what the guests from the states will think when they arrive for a visit to Jack and Wilma and they park the boat right next to what would be a condemned house in the states. My thought would be ¨You´re retiring to this?¨

I won´t be retiring anywhere as I am spending all my savings now.

Life is good

bjm 2/2/08