in Bocas del Toro

Hola Amigos!

Jane and I flew up to Bocas del Toro, an island group on the Carribean close to Costa Rica. Weather is great , mostly sunny and a welcome relief from Panama City which was pretty sloppy while we were there. Yesterday after flying in we were able to catch a bus to the far end of the island which interestingly is called Boca del Drago (Dragon´s Maw). It was anything but .... Calm water, just like a big swimming pool. When I have goggles on I think I can swim better, maybe it´s because when I can see where I´m going, I don´t tend to swim in circles.

Today ( 10- 3) I decided to rent a bike to get to wild beach that has no bus. I thought I was doing good when I got them to pump up the tires and raise the seat. Well ....30 minutes in the tire popped. you know a tire patch kit and a pump are a good idea to have along even if it´s not your bike. I was close enough to the beach ( 2 to 3 miles) that I decided to lock up the bike and walk the rest otf the way. Beautiful beach all along the way. When I got to my destination , it was as empty as the Washington coast on a rainy day in October, but it was sunny there was lots of powdery yellow sand , and the water was perfect. We need some coconut palms up our way. On my way back I got to my bike just as a pick up truck taxi was loading up 2 other guys and their bikes. they let me share and turned out to be a couple of Spaniards, Frank and his cousin. You know a flat tire doesn´t have to be a disaster...

When I got back Jane and I bumped into a couple in a cafe, Seth and Janelle Lambert from the Battleground WA area who are down here working with a friend Bobby Woods who is starting a work to assist indigenous people Ngobe-Bugle living on Isla Bastimentos to improve their farming so they can better support themselves. we had a good talk about their work and what we are doing in Honduras with our friends at Agros and Nuevo Amanecer. God´s people are all over doing good.Bobby´s blog is on www.woodupdate.com and his new website is aguadulce.org.

10-4 We left early on a boat to Isla Bastimentos. We arrived in Old Bank a small Afro-Caribbean enclave and went to a small guest house in a jungle garden setting. Beverly´s Hill.Like being in a treehouse we could sit on the porch and wait for the birds to com to us.Not just birds but tiny red frogs speckled with black spots which are famous around here.In some ways it was almost like home, we had chickens clucking and scratching about too.

Later Jane and I took off walking on a trail up the hill through the Jungle on our way to Wizard Beach. at the top of the Hill was the aptly named Up the Hill Shop, a colorful outdoorsy hangout where one could sit and read (there was a bookcase full of novels and nature books) and drink coffee or juice and eat brownies. I had a Mocha made with Coconut milk. Great! The brownies also made with coconut oil. Delicious! They grow their own Cocoa, Coconuts,Passion-fruit,etc..So fortified we slipped and slid our way down the hill to Wizard Beach. A Fantastic place! I really am going to have to learn how to surf...

More later amigos. Gilberto.