Bocas del Toro – Day 1: Island Vibes
BOCAS DEL TORO
Day 1: Island Vibes
February 06, 2023
Finally, an uneventful border crossing. I got to the border, paid my tax, got my passport stamped and, just like that, I was in Panama – the last remaining country left on my Central American list.
As I’ve said many times before, I was very aware that I wasn’t doing this alone. I’d met tons of backpackers following the same route I was on, but looking back, it still felt surreal that I’d actually made it to Panama. I knew I wouldn’t be getting any medals for it, but I never really thought everything would pan out as well as it did. I mean, sure, I had my plans and my day-by-day itinerary, but I never truly believed I’d be able to pull it all off. That said, I didn’t do everything. There were plenty of things I had to skip. But in the same breath, I also did so much more than I’d ever planned.
Upon entering Panama, I wasn’t hit by the usual wave of anticipatory nostalgia that tends to accompany both new beginnings and their inevitable end. Instead, I found myself looking forward to the upcoming two and a half months without obsessing over the ruthless passage of time.
I also tried to push aside Malta’s complicated history with this country – the mere mention of the words “Panama Papers” still triggering something in me, inevitably bringing to mind the work of Daphne Caruana Galizia and her cold-blooded murder, which to this day has seen no real justice – thanks to the impunity present in the place I’m sometimes ashamed to call home.
First Steps in Bocas
My first stop was Bocas del Toro, a town on Isla Colón – one of the main islands of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago. The archipelago is found on the country’s north-west coast and is made up of nine main islands and dozens of smaller islets, with Isla Colón acting as the social and logistical hub.
At the mainland port, just before catching a boat to what looked like tropical paradise, I serendipitously ran into Amelia, who had been in Bocas herself and was about to head to Boquete. We’d end up missing each other by a single day in every city we passed through, but at least I got to see her again – even if only briefly. A quick goodbye hug and a short boat ride later, I finally made it to Bocas myself.
Starving, I walked straight up to a kiosk and asked for – no, demanded – one of every single thing the lady had on the counter. I had an hojaldra, a round piece of fried dough that tastes a bit like a doughnut but less sweet; a carimañola, a meat-filled yuca fritter; a chorizo sausage; and a couple of empanadas. I guess I fell in love with Panamanian food at first bite. Fully fuelled, I made my way to my hostel, realised I was at the wrong one, trekked over to my actual hostel, dropped my bags, and then headed straight back out to explore.
The town felt like a strange but beautiful mix of rural Latin American villages, laid-back Caribbean towns and Garifuna communities. Much like in Caye Caulker and Belize, the “go slow” mantra permeates everything here, with the greeting “hola” roughly translating to “Do you have any weed?” to most people I seemed to encounter.
A Dollar Boat Ride to Happiness
Apart from beach and island hopping, which was originally all I’d planned to do here, I’d also decided to squeeze in some diving. It’s funny how diving had completely taken over my life in just a few months’ time!
At Amelia’s recommendation, I took a thirty-second water taxi that cost a dollar, and made my way to Panama Dive School on Carenero Island, where I signed up for four dives over the following days. Once there, I realised that being inside a dive shop fills me with almost as much happiness as being in an operating room – which is wild, considering I never thought anything would ever compare.
Still buzzing from my upcoming dives, I headed back to Isla Colón. I’d planned to visit a beach – any beach – but with the weather turning grim and taxi drivers refusing to take me anywhere, I decided to take it easy and just wander around aimlessly until I got tired.