Trip to Bocas del Toro, Panama

Ali, Josh, and I got to take a trip down to the islands off of Panama for a weekend. It took us about 6 hours on 2 different buses and then a 1 hour ride on a speed boat to the island, Bocas del Toro. On the way to Panama, there were tons and tons of banana plantations; I was in shock of how many there were. Seriously Chiquita and Dole know what they are doing.

Anyhow we rode in a speedboat through rivers that had some random houses (wooden shacks) constructed in this very marshy area, it really blew my mind to think that people live there in such primitive conditions. The river then opened up to the ocean and then many islands came into view. It was fascinating to see how people lived on these tiny islands, with only boats to construct all that they had. And there was surprisingly a lot of development in the main part of the island. Our speedboat then docked up to the “boat stop,” where there were over 10 water taxis and a trash boat.

The next day we got to go on a mini snorkel trip, where a boat took us out to a spot in the ocean, and we hopped out and went snorkeling. The water was pretty crystal clear even though the sky was overcast. Under the water, it was a whole new world; with so many varying types of coral and creatures. Ali and I actually spotted a stingray! After getting over the shock of seeing a stingray, we followed behind cautiously in complete awe. The stingray was dark brownish and polka dotted, actually very beautiful. Then a little bit later that day, we were swimming along, and then bam!, we saw a barracuda just resting right in front of us!! After that initial shock, we stared at it multiple times. The barracuda could have easily been as long as 2 and half feet. What an awe-inspiring experience!!

Here are some pictures of our experience in Bocas del Toro: