Playa Bluff - Bocas Del Toro - Panama

picnikfile_t1h9a3, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

We´ve started to move faster than we normally do since we only have 1 month to get to El Salvador and fly to Europe. Leaving Santa Catalina we arrived in Santiago and spent a couple of hours waiting for the Tica bus which would take us directly to San Jose, Costa Rica. Unfortunately, when it pulled up, we found out it was fully booked. Change of plans.... We decided on the spur of the moment to head to Bocas del Toro on the Caribbean coast of Panama. I´d been wanting to check it out and since the swell was looking meager to the west, we hopped on the next bus to David.

What a beautiful place Bocas is. Tropical islets and virgin jungle ringed with small communities beginning to make a living from tourists. While walking into town looking for a hotel, we ran into some friends we´d met in Santa Catalina. The next morning we hired a boat to take Nathan and I surfing while Trish and Hedda snorkelled. Small waves, but uncrowded and beautiful crystal clear Caribbean waters made up for the lack of swell. A couple days later Hedda and I caught a boat with Roberto to Playa Bluff. We spent a lazy day sharing a mile long stretch of golden sand with just the crabs. Punchy chest high barrels kept me in the water for a few hours. Hedda was working on her bodysurfing in some pretty hollow waves. The waves break in knee deep water here so be careful...