Bocas del Toro, Panama
Friday, May 23, 2003
We all wake up...Chaney has a killer craving for a bloody mary, so after some searching we found a place on the water and met up with everyone for a morning cocktail and breakfast. Good, although it became a joke that all the garnishes on the drinks were "limp dick"...don't know what that was all about, but it made for a good laugh. First of all it took us forever to get on our way....we made the obligatory stop at the liquor store...then we head to the "house of ice", but guess what...no freggin ice. So our captain ran around trying to find us ice, which he did...good man! Instead of buying cups(which would have been a lot easier)...we go asking around for extra ones from bars and restaurants around the island and only find 4, so end up getting really creative with a few water bottles and a leatherman...so feel so resourceful ;) Our crew consisted of Kiley, Chantra, Brian, Jamison, Mike, Jen (all from the states) Nina, and the other 2 Dutch....Mark (Germany) and Anna (Sweeden)....With all of our supplies in hand, its on to Playa Primera where we hung out all day drinking rum and eating fresh coconuts(thanks to Brian)...Tom Hanks (castaway) would've been very jealous
. The beach was beautiful, seemed so desolate and after a day filled of nothing but relaxing, we decided to go over to Roots (small bar) for some food and a bit of hiking...met the most interesting couple who lived up in the jungle and were almost completely self-sufficient. They grew their own food and sold jewelry that he made out of copper wire from the electrical company...bought a bracelet...partly because it was really nice but mostly because I really respected the kind of life they were trying to support. Then half the crew hiked all the way to Wizard beach...where Chaney almost drowned...this is the second time Chantra has almost died on me(last time involved some seaweed gone astray at a sushi bar in Thailand). Anyway she got caught in a riptide and so there was a bit of a Baywatch rescue scene. A touch shaken up, but right back in the game after a beer. Then, back home, shower and back out! This is the night when I met Super Mario (Chester the molester) and maybe wouldn't have been so nice to him had I known how creepy he was. We found a nice restaurant and Chantra, upon picking a place to eat, decided to negotiate a free shot if we ate there..they agreed, but ended up charging us for it...I don't think they knew what they were agreeing to in the first place. Very nice dinner all the same.
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