Scuba and the City

While in Bocas del Toro, Panama, Dan and I had originally planned on staying just a few days to check the local flavour and then continue moving on. However, this was not the case, and our plans changed. We played around with the idea of doing a scuba course in Bocas because it seemed to by a pretty popular thing to do with the tourists there, and there was supposed to be some good diving for reasonable prices. So we decided to shop around for a company that would give us the most bang for our buck. After some time walking around we decided to go with the company "The Dutch Pirate" ran by a Dutch man named Rob and his wife Carol. They were a really nice couple that really wanted us to have a good time while we were there. One of the nicest perks about going with them was that we were given a place to stay that was included in our fees, which made it the cheapest, and really, the best option for us.
Waking up to rainy skies was not the way that I imagined doing the course, but it seemed like this was going to be how I would have to do it. After meeting up at the dive shop and heading over to Isla Basimientos we started our course. The dive shop also served as our lodgings for the time that we were there, which was incredible. We were living on the water of a small Caribbean island, with not a whole lot around. The town was small and had a different feel from the more uptempo main island, Colon. It was a very relaxed stay while we lazed around and listened to the rain clattering off the tin roof of the shop.
The course itself was quite fun. Obviously there was a fair amount of theory to it, but you went through the motions and it passed by painlessly. The real thrill came when we actually got to dive. You roll off the boat into the warm waters of the Caribbean, with all of your gear ready to go. Floating on the surface waiting for the others to get in, I had the chance to peer to the sea floor below. Just seeing some simple starfish on the bottom was enough to make me grin from ear to ear. The first decent into the water was met with a few frantic gasps for air until you realize that this does you and that you can in fact breathe under water. That was such a foreign and exciting feeling to be under the water, on the see floor looking around as schools of fish swim by and starfish litter the ground around you. While underwater we worked on some skills in an attempt to master the art of moving underwater. Even these became fun. The highlight was the chance to go and swim through the corals that the area was famous for. It was incredible seeing those colours and all the different shapes of the coral. Beautiful to say the least. As well the different fish that lived among the coral only added to colour spectacle of the ocean. The whole time I was down there I was smiling and laughing along, as I took in this whole new world and all that it had to offer.
The next few days are full of similar things. Lessons and more diving. We had the chance to see some incredible things even though the visibility was poor due to all the rain. We even had the chance to see a ship wreck. In total, we were able to have 6 dives over 4 days, quite impressive and loads of fun. So now I am a certified open water scuba diver. It is neat because this is another thing that I didn't plan on doing but it turned out to being one of the best things so far.
After leaving Bocas in search of some sun we made our way back to the Pacific side. We stayed the night at Playa Las Lajas, which was nice to be back in the sun warmth, while we tried to dry out from 4 days of constantly being wet.
Only spending the night there we continued on, for a 6 hour trek down to Panama City. Finally making it there we crossed over the Bridge of the Americas which is the only solid object connecting the two sides. The view was incredible and Dan and I chatted with each other about how big a milestone this was for both of us. After trying to navigate the narrow one way street of Casco Viejo, which is the old section of Panama City, we make it to the hotel for the night. The one we originally book was full and so we had to settle for another for that night which was a rather shady place. Casco Viejo is an area with a lot of reclamation going on. The city is trying to turn these slums into a new and vibrant tourist destination, and it seems to be working. This old world architecture gives the city a bit of a European feel, mixed with some Havana-esque latin charm. This place, though sketchy and dangerous in sections has a lot of beauty to it, and right down the road from us is the residence of the President of Panama!
This time now is really for Dan to work on the details of shipping down to Colombia, and he has been putting in the hours with a French couple that he is shipping with. During the day they work themselves through the bureaucracy and paperwork that accompanies such a task. The past couple days for me have been relaxed as I walk round and take in the beauty of this very modern and built up city, with a skyline very similar to that of Toronto or any other major city in Canada or the States. Last night I had the chance to go to a professional Panama League baseball game. Though Im not the biggest fan of the sport, it was the chance to take in a big and popular part of the cultural make up of the area. The stadium was huge, but the game was rather poorly attended. However, the fans made there presence know by being loud and rowdy, with drums and other instruments, music and baseball filling the night.
So that is where the journey takes me so far. The next few days will have some more sight seeing such as the Canal Locks and Old Panama, and then I will continue my trip back north, parting ways with Dan.
If you have any questions or comments please send them through, I would be happy to talk with you able them.
Thanks for following

Bye for now

Mike