I tried to get this post out weeks ago when we left Bastimentos, but the Internet was struggling. Anyway, here are a few photos from Bastimentos. Since leaving there on the 5th we've had an amazing three weeks and have plenty to write about (coming soon!). Tomorrow we go through the canal so next time you hear from us it'll be from the Pacific!
We're off today, making our way toward Colon and the Panama Canal. The past six weeks have passed in waves of new sounds, sights, and flavors and we're excited to be moving on and keep the momentum going. Bastimentos is one of the few spots near Bocas Town where we wish we could have spent more time. The island is densely forested with miles of undeveloped beach on one side and mangrove lined shores on the other. In the small town at the northwest corner, called Old Bank, life is either buzzing or languid, like the tide, and the jungle's ongoing echoes resonate in the background. The most evident signs of any intrusive development are at Red Frog Marina and Resort. But the word resort is misleading and even there things are (for the most part) quiet as guests make the daily commute between beach and bungalow by golf cart and backpackers walk on puddley gravel paths to the beachfront shrimp taco stand.
Bahia Honda is a special place, not least because whenever we're there we have the anchorage to ourselves. The best food we've eaten in Panama has been prepared at La Loma Jungle Lodge, just up the hill but hidden beneath the canopy and out of sight from the water. La Loma was really our introduction to Bahia Honda and we've returned several times since our first visit... much more on that to come. We also spent a day at the community school with the local nonprofit Give and Surf - more on that soon, too. In the meantime, here are a few photos from the past couple weeks.
