Tuesday, March 1 - Our walks today retraced previous steps , seeing a few more target birds, with a closer Bellbird and Quetzals. Good exercise, but not much new. Time to move on from this comfortable lodge.

Wednesday, March 2 - Early morning departure from Mount Totumas, dawn greeting us as we drive back down to Volcan, transferring to a large van that could accommodate three times our size group. We can spread out for the daylong trip over the Continental Divide to the Caribbean. Birding along the way, we end up at a tiny dock in Punto Robalo that's seen better days. We head across Laguna de Chiriqui to the Tranquilo Bay Eco Lodge, a tiny spot 45 minutes away on Bastimento Island. Their motorboat picks us up; we pass a number of islands, small mangrove clusters, local huts built on stilts over the water. Not a good look for rising sea levels.

The island is lush, a few cottages tucked under tall green shrubs, many in bloom. In the center of a green is an observation tower, 100 feet tall. No delay, no putting off the inevitable, it's our first activity before dinner. I guess better that I didn't have time to think about it. So up I went, tower moving a bit more than the one in Ecuador, but not quite as high. Once up there, we had super views of parrots screaming past, and a three-toed sloth tucked into the branches of a cecropia tree, not to mention great views of water.

We're here for four nights. Food in the lodge is good, drinks on the house. A small Wooly Opossum made a brief visit to the feeder on the deck.