The main launching point for this island paradise is the sketchy town of Almirante. Almirante is the closest town to my village. Every time I venture into Almirante to purchase supplies, I am constantly hassled as a tourist. Everyone always assumes I’m going to the islands, and I’m constantly giving them disgusted and annoyed looks and telling them that I’m not a tourist. I live in Panama. As I passed through Almirante on New Year’s Eve day, to my dismay, when asked if I was “Going to Bocas Man,” sadly I had to say yes… Anyways, we took one of the water taxis through a company called Jampan. The price quoted to us at first was $3 per person. By the time we actually started paying the price began to increase to $3.25 then $3.50. Arriving on the island was a strange experience. Getting off the boat I was greeted by the signs for a Subway Sandwich shop. It was strange to be back in a place where a majority of the people spoke English and were of fair skin.
After arriving on the island, my friends and I made our way to our hotel. It was called Hospedaje Dona Irma. It was basically a house with the top floor turned into a hotel. Each room had two beds and a fan. At the end of the hall there was a sink and mirror along with two bathrooms, each with a shower and toilet. The fee per night was $8.50, which was great for the poor Peace Corps volunteer.
On New Year’s Eve we explored the bar night scene on the island. When midnight hit, I was sitting on a pier watching fireworks over the water. The following day, two other volunteers and I rented some bicycles from a hostel and road them to the beach for the day. It was nice to go relax on the beach. Also, on our bike ride there was a cave off the road that we explored; it was full of bats! Check out the pictures of the island and the beach in my Flickr account!
En la lucha,
K
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