Viajando a Boquete

Hasta Luego Bocas de Toro y Hola Boquete.
Leaving the isla on a five a.m. boat, enjoyed a rising sol that provided a diamond effect on the calm waters. Travel days are exhausting but much of the richness and topography of a country as well as the diversity of lifestyles of the peoples inhabiting one area to the next will be more evident through the window of a bus, and found in the faces and the voices of those seated next to you or standing in the isles clinging to the handrails.
Many of the buses are old school buses from the States and Canada--the same models I would ride to school in as a child. Believe me, Falmouth buses are posh in comparison.
We traveled to David, Chiriqui. This is one of the larger cities in Panama and serves as a midway point for those in transit throughout the country, or those heading north into Costa Rica. A major hospital would help determine the degree of Dale`s injuries.
Steve accompanied Dale to the hospital and Lorraine and I continued on to Boquete with their large backpacks. What a delicious, glorious freshness awaited us. Boquete is known for her moderate, comfortable climate, bountiful crops, and friendly people.
I had met a British couple on the plane, Paul and Diane, who had just bought property in Boquete, planning to retire here next year.
Well this was a decrepid bus that crawled from David to Boquete, but the handful of natives on board were delightful and chatty. We had fun learning about Boquete and they were very curious to know our stories.
They knew of the Pension Topas in which we were staying, so one kind lady asked the driver to make a special stop to drop us, and a second kind lady actually got off the bus with us to provide a personal escort to the front door! Thankfully, she helped carry the two extra backpacks.
Innkeeper Axel is an immigrant from Germany. He explained that his (presently ill) mother also lives nearby, that he produces coffee. We were introduced to his Costarican girlfriend, we guessed to be half his age. She was nursing their baby. Leika, their boxer, greeted us in the garden. Our rooms were nothing fancy, and a bit damp. The rooms all faced out onto a covered terrace in which clusters of chairs and tables with neatly draped cloths made for a cozy social spot. We met Donald and Lia who were finishing their month of topographic surveying in the Calderas area of hot springs. They were determining such things as where the roads and powerlines would be placed.
The evening here is so pleasant. The internet cafe surprisingly affordable, at just 50 cents per hour and it is attached to the marvelous Cafe Java Juice... where they serve the best Batidos anywhere! Batidos are typically fruit drinks blended with water or milk with lots of ice. They used ice cream, hurray!! When you come to Boquete, do choose chocolate and peanutbutter or the blackberry Batidos. The charming girls behind the counter had big smiles and were playing music from a station without a theme. First country western, followed by hip hop, followed by classic, ... no rhyme or reason to the music.
The vegetables here are FRESH and plenty of them. The people are engaging and down to earth. The real estate is getting gobbled up by Europeans, as it has been identified as the number one location for those wishing to retire in Latin America. A must see for anyone considering Panama, and wishing to escape the relentless heat from most other locations.