Panama!

I just spent a couple days in Panama, and it was really fun! I was in Bocas del Toro which is a really beautiful area. Crossing the border into Panama was easy which I was really grateful for. I got picked up in Puerto Viejo by my shuttle and then we drove to the border, paid an $8 Costa Rican exit tax, and then walked into Panama. It was so strange to walk into a new country, but it was kinda cool. Once in Panama, I went through customs which was painless and then I had to pay an $8 entrance fee to the country of Panama. I’ve never had an entrance fee or exit tax so that was new for me. After that, I got in a different shuttle van and then onto a boat that took me to Isla Colon which is the main island in the archipelago. My hostel was super easy to find, and it was decent throughout my stay. It was a party hostel, and it honestly wasn’t as bad as I was expecting it to be. I think that I am not really a light sleeper, so I was pretty much able to fall asleep easily each night. Except for one night where someone else in the room was being incredibly bothersome.

When I first got to Bocas del Toro I dropped my stuff off, got something to eat, and then I went to a different island to meet my German friend. It was her last day in Panama and so we had to see each other! We met on Isla Carenero and walked around the island and got a smoothie. This area is so cool because you get a water taxi for a few dollars, and they will drive you to different islands. I have never experienced anything like that, so it was cool to just hop on a boat to go to a different island. It cost $1 to go to Isla Carenero and $1 to come back to my hostel.

The second day was pretty gloomy when I woke up, so I decided to just stay on the main island and walk around to explore the area. I walked to a beach that was really far away and that was fun. The walk was along the beach and through a really nice area. While I was cooking dinner in my hostel kitchen, I met these girls and started chatting with them. We ended up walking around the town together and watching some guys play basketball and volleyball. Bocas del Toro is a pretty safe area, and it was no problem at all for the three of us to walk around by ourselves.

I went to Isla Bastimento on my third day and walked to Wizard Beach. I got dropped off in the town and then walked across the island to get to the beach. It was pretty secluded and there were not many people on it. I hung out there for a couple of hours and ended up getting so sun burnt. Really not ideal. I also walked around the town, and it was so colorful. The water taxis here and back cost $10 total.

My fourth day was Thanksgiving. I woke up and went out for breakfast and then Zoomed my family. It was fun to show them where I am and to hear what they were up to. I ended up walking to the beach on the main island again and just enjoying my walk. I was really nervous about Thanksgiving because I didn’t know how my first major holiday would be without my family. It was not as bad as I was expecting. I think it helped that I wasn’t really reminded of it throughout the day and that my family didn’t make me feel bad about not being there. It of course was sad to not be in Grand Junction, but I didn’t cry at all during the day! This picture is a view from my hostel terrace. I sat and read on this porch a lot!

On my last full day in Bocas del Toro, I went on a tour. It left at 10am and we got to see some dolphins, boat through mangroves, hang out at a beach, go snorkeling, eat a traditional style meal, see starfish, and see a sloth. I befriended some other people, and it was fun to get to talk to them. Another German girl and a gal from Spain who is living in New York right now. After the tour I came back and packed up my clothes and did some other things. Friday is Filthy Friday in Bocas del Toro which is basically a party that goes to a couple different islands and you drink at all the different islands and party all day. It starts at 11am and ends at 9pm but then it keeps going after that. I decided to not do that because it is not entirely my vibe, and I preferred to do the tour to Cayo Zapatillo.

Saturday was the day that I left Panama, and it ended up being a 12-hour travel day. I walked to the boat at 7:30am and took the boat off Isla Colon to go back to the mainland. Then I got on a shuttle that took me to the Panama-Costa Rica border. I crossed and then waited with a couple of people for the bus. We waited for an hour and then the bus came. I was on the bus for 7 hours! It was a long journey, but I listened to a lot of music, did a little bit of reading, and looked out the window a lot. We got stuck in construction and regular city traffic which made the trip extra long. Thankfully my hostel for the night was super close to the bus station and the Uber was less than 5 minutes. I got to my hostel, and it was really cute but simple. It was the Stray Cat Hostel in San Jose and there were actual cats running around! I got Taco Bell delivered because I’d been craving Taco Bell and that was traumatic in itself. My delivery person went so far away and thought that was the correct place, but it wasn’t and then he had to come all the way back. It took forever to get my food but at least I got it eventually. Then I just relaxed and ended up chatting with the girls in my room. There was a German girl, of course, and two girls from London.

The hostel gave free breakfast, so we all hung out together in the morning and ate breakfast together. It was fun to hear about where they’d traveled so far and where they plan to go. Then I Ubered from my hostel to my bus station. When I got to the bus station, I double checked that it was the correct place and ticket, and it was! The bus ride ended up being about 5 hours and then I walked 10ish minutes to my AirBnB for the next two weeks. I am on the Nicoya Penninsula for the next two weeks, maybe longer. This is on the Pacific side of Costa Rica and I am right on the beach again. The only other time I was on the Pacific Coast was with my parents in Manuel Antonio so I am really excited to spend some more time on this side. My room is standard and I am looking forward to doing some more exploring. I work for only three weeks and then it is Christmas break!