After the pair crossed the border and had a cafeteria lunch in the bustling city of David (both for $4.30 with beer!!), they boarded a white schoolbus for the mountain town of Boquete to indulge in some cool weather, local coffee, and the sounds of a river at night.
In Boquete, there always seems to be a light mist drifting down from the mountains above. with the sun at your back, visitors are rewarded by an eternal rainbow that lasts all afternoon.
Their first night in town, the couple found this small hostel on the Rio Caldera run by an american expat who loves not paying taxes!
Up the hill and out of town, you will find a small Cafe serving fresh brewed coffed that has been grown, roasted, ground and steeped right there in the Boquete valley.
A table set for indulgence.
Still Life #1- For Sale: 350,000 colones.
Up the hill a little further, the pair ran across a private estate with its gardens open to the public.
with very pretty flowers.
the sign above the bull reads: please dont touch the cow
This surly woman, whom the pair found mowing the lawns in the garden was positively no help at all.
This one, however, was...
The view down the valley from the observation platform in the gardens.
These two were up to absolutely no good.
Kevin, peering up the valley along the Rio Caldera.After our friends got their fill of the mountain climate, they packed back onto the schoolbus to head back to david and board one of the aforementioned air-conditioned minibuses to carry them up and over the mountains of Panama to the carribean ocean so they could catch a water taxi to the archipelago of Bocas Del Toro.
The first day, they were met at the dock by a friendly local nemed Eduardo who helped them find a cheap place to crash and organize a discoung gringo tour with his company. At $15 a head for the whole day, they thought it was a steal.
Ready for their discount gringo tour and packed in like sardines, the couple headed out on the seas with their trusty but reluctant guide, Fabio. 
Mira! (look!) a porpoise! and more gringos!
Embrace your inner cheerleader!
...and your inner pineapple spokesperson...or something...
After getting their fill on the main island, Tasha and Kevin decided to seek out a bit quieter piece of the area, and got ferried over to the small Isla Bastimentos, a smaller island with only one town (with no roads), one gringo housing development, and mostly a national marine park.
Welcome to the Jaguar place! The Jaguar is a local school teacher on the Isla Bastimentos who also operates this hostel on the water.
complete with a battery of hammocks on the porch for when the Jaguar needs to do some relaxing.
Wizard Beach is a short trek along the concrete path that runs through Old Bank, the only residential settlement on Isla Bastimentos, and then along a muddy strip of earth up and across the island.
Tasha, revelling in the Wizardry.
...and communing with the local wildlife outside of the hostel.
the morning view from the Jaguar Place. (said with a carriban accent)
The Jaguar was kind enough to rent the pair his sit-on-top kayak for them to explore the archipelago, and venture into the swampy mangrove forest below.
the couple plied the waters inland through this shady maze for some 20 minutes before dead ending at a small stream.
A starfish in the clear, carribean waters below the paddling pair.
thumbs up for brain coral and parrotfish, says tasha!
Still life #2- for sale: 200,000 colones
The Jaguar, The friend of the Jaguar, and the wife of the Jaguar, all entertaining one evening on the porch.
just a dock with a mans standing on it. but if you look a little closer...
Yep, its a hog pen over the bay!Once Kevin and Tasha had fulfilled their necessary 72 hours outside of costa rica to renew their tourist visas and had their fill of the panamanian version of the carribean, they decided to head north, back into Costa Rica, and head to the touristy beach town of Puerto Viejo to do some more kayaking, surfing, beachgoing, etc. before trekking back up to San Jose for the next leg of their trip.
This is the sloth that lived in the tree outside our hostel in Puerto Viejo.
and now, a few choice photos for your viewing pleasure, and your killing me men sauce!
In Puerto Viejo, The REEFER is very popular...
me too, man... me, too...
enjoy your moment of zen...
just outta curiosity, is the camera taking all of these wonderful shots the one found on Team I-Can't-Make-You-Love-Me-If-You-Won't's trip?
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