Bocas del Toro, just across the Panaman border, is a group of beautiful islands which perfectly represent Panama with great wildlife and gorgeous beaches. A group of us check into Aqualounge, a short 200 metre boat ride from the main Isla Colon. Aqualounge is right on the waterfront and has a large deck, with cut out sections into the sea. There are also swings and a trampoline that you can jump into the water off. It's really chilled out and laid back but it costs a dollar every time you want to catch a boat to the mainland so for a few days everyone is too lazy to move, especially as we're surrounded by a great group of people and have everything we need, (food, sun and sea) at our fingertips. After a few days we finally get fed up, partially because of the boiling hot dorms and the fact that we have to move to a new room everyday because the staff are so disorganised (even waking me up at one point to tell me I have to change beds and move my bags). We head to Tungara hostel in town, much more central, and our days become much more productive.
What is really nice about having such a group of travellers together is we can organise great tour days out, admittedly a painstaking process but worth it for all the fun we have.
We rented a boat and and went on a tour around the islands visiting red frog beach, sloths in the mangroves and dolphins who chased our boat.
Bocas with everyone was great fun, but eventually our big group splits and everyone heads their own way, most heading down to San Blas Islands in order to sail to Columbia and some flying home. I decide to stay on and take a position at Palmar Tent Lodge to work for a few weeks before I head to Cuba.