We’re on an island. A Caribbean island, no less. Lucky buggers that we are. Mind you, after a bum-numbing bus journey from Costa Rica that takes 11 hours we deserve a bit of R&R.
Isla Colon is the largest of a string of islands in the Bocas Del Toro region of Panama. It’s very pretty and extremely laid back. Old boys playing dominoes on the stoop, drinks orders taking 20 minutes to arrive, the usual Caribbean drill.
The world's friendliest Police Station. Crime not a huge issue here
I had a hair cut this morning and the barber was so chilled (some would say lazy) that rather than move to access the other side of my head he manoeuvred the swivel chair using his knee. No point in expending too much valuable energy I suppose.
Home for 4 nights is this cute little cabin. Essentially a mattress in a hut, it suits us just fine, we love sleeping among the trees and the sound of the tropical rain on the tin roof evokes memories of countless soggy happy camping trips.
It rains a lot here. In fact, there are two distinct seasons in Bocas; the rainy season and the very rainy season. But it’s intermittent and we see plenty of sunshine too.
Getting the weekly shop in, island style
Most visitors spend their time hopping from island to island on small motor boats but we’re happy to hire a couple of bikes to explore the coves and beaches of Isla Colon. Many are totally deserted, which is baffling until we notice how unforgiving the waves and riptides are. Way too dangerous to swim that’s for sure, although we do see a few hardy surf dudes crashing around out there.
The couple who own and run the place where we’re staying, Asher and Amanda, are proper hipsters and proper lovely. They have three dogs that have the run of the joint, and the smallest, Jamae steals Wendy’s heart.
She says: “Right, I never want to leave this place. And if you do make me leave I’m taking Jamae with me”
Our favourite sloth yet, we're sure he's smiling at us
Getting the weekly shop in, if... you're drinking Bacardi.
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