What can I say about Bocas del Toro, Panama? well, Without sounding too over-the-top, I suppose I’ll just casually say that it has the most perfect beaches that are ridiculously beautiful in every way.

Is it a little touristy? Sure. Does that detract from it’s charm and natural beauty? Not one bit.

It’s a place where the beer is healthier than the water, the warm sea is clear enough to spot sea stars and schools of fish from afar, the litter is primarily empty coconuts, and the locals are adorable dogs who are always willing to walk you safely home. Plus, you travel by water-taxi to the most gorgeous beaches (and I’ve seen my fair share of beaches).

If you are in search of an inexpensive, laid back getaway with soft, sandy white beaches, then look no further because you have now found paradise in Panama.

THE JOURNEY TO PARADISE

As always, the journey was a bit of a struggle, but I honestly don’t think I am capable of having a normal transportation experience in Central America if I tried. When I bought my bus ticket to Panama, there was only “standing” space left, so I took it. Mind you, it is a 5-hour ride from San Jose. Or so they say…

Apparently, one other man got the only “standing” ticket left, and they made room for both of us. He was instructed to sit on the stairs, while I was assigned to the fold-down co-pilot seat, the one that you see as you walk up the steps to load the bus. I obediently pulled the seat down movie-theater style and hoisted myself up, awkwardly sitting with my feet dangling 3 feet above the floor and my knees a foot from the front window. “Buckle up!” the bus driver says, and buckle up I did.

Seeing as I was right in front with an unobstructed view, you may think I had a spectacular ride filled with lovely scenery (which to be fair, I did), but that view was also in direct sunlight. Meaning absolutely zero shade. And no open window. For 7 hours. Let’s just say that I acquired wonderful new tan lines. Occasionally the driver pitied me and opened the bus door to my right, and while this was very kind of him it had me literally on the edge of my seat, feeling like I’d fall out of the bus at any moment.

“Five hours” turned to six, and six turned to eight. After a hiccup at the border, a banana crossing or two (literally bananas on an assembly line that crosses the road), a water taxi ride, and twelve hours later… I made it to paradise!

Seeing as I was right in front with an unobstructed view, you may think I had a spectacular ride filled with lovely scenery (which to be fair, I did), but that view was also in direct sunlight. Meaning absolutely zero shade. And no open window. For 7 hours. Let’s just say that I acquired wonderful new tan lines. Occasionally the driver pitied me and opened the bus door to my right, and while this was very kind of him it had me literally on the edge of my seat, feeling like I’d fall out of the bus at any moment.

“Five hours” turned to six, and six turned to eight. After a hiccup at the border, a banana crossing or two (literally bananas on an assembly line that crosses the road), a water taxi ride, and twelve hours later… I made it to paradise!

FEELING BEACHY

My first order of business was to confirm the hype surrounding the beaches. I opted to join a day tour to the remote beach of Isla Zapatillas, which I can confirm is an absolutely perfect slice of paradise.

The tour included transportation, snorkeling, a stop to Sloth Island, and a visit to Hollywood to see the superstars, aka starfish (Total Adventures, Inc., $35 USD). I also tried snorkeling for the first time (crazy, I know) and concluded that I am much better as a land-based creature, though I loved seeing all the little creatures swimming about!

A weekend of bliss

From my accommodations to the bars, and the food to the beaches, it was a lovely time through and through. I stayed at a small Airbnb on the water that had a welcoming yellow fence and hammocks on the dock to watch the sunset in. From there I could walk to the the bars, which are lively and sit right on the Caribbean Sea. What I loved was that when I got too toasty from dancing, I walked ten feet to the dock built in the middle of the bar and dipped my toes in to cool down. All without ever setting down my drink.

If I wasn’t walking, I was taking a small boat to get around, with “rest stops” at small huts on docks where you could take a quick snooze or watch the fish in the clear waters. Even on it’s rainy days, Bocas is still beautiful with dark storms against brightly painted buildings and lush palm trees. Let us not forgot the delicious food (shout out to that fish filet with mango and garlic sauce) and the plentiful supply of coconuts.

A SHORT TANGENT ON PEOPLING

In my small amount of travel experience, I’ve quickly learned that you meet a shocking number of people while on the road. Although it is wonderful to encounter new people each day from all over the world, it can also be exhausting to repeatedly participate in identical conversations where we lightly converse about each other’s life in the most basic and mundane ways before saying goodbye, never to see each other again. “I’m originally from x, I’ve been in y for [insert amount of time here], and I’m heading to z next! How about you?” Repeat, repeat, repeat.

Let me quickly clarify that I have met an incomprehensible number of amazing individuals since arriving in Costa Rica, particularly through my international volunteer program. I have had the opportunity to hear about their personal experiences as well as learn where they are from and where they see themselves in the future. However, truth be told, I often find myself more at peace when spending time with books and cuddling cats than people. But we all have our strengths, right?

The encounters I am referring to are not shallow per se, especially considering that we have good intentions and in order to get to know somehow you typically start with the basic questions, yet it often feels like a redundant and achingly conventional exchange that is merely expected and not particularly enjoyed. Then, before you know it, the people you had met are gone and a new wave rolls in, as is the case with volunteering. Suddenly you have dozens of “hi-bye” relationships that fade into the abyss. Yet every now and then you get lucky and meet absolutely fantastic individuals that you really click with. This weekend I had luck on my side.

be a “yes” person (sometimes)

One morning, I am just about to order breakfast when two people ask if I want to sit with them. Now, if you gathered anything about me from the last paragraph you know that my automatic response is something along the lines of: “Oh, that’s so nice, but I’m going to read and then take off, but thank you so much!” 

Spoiler alert: That did not happen.

Instead, the word “sure!” surprisingly came out of my mouth, and I ended up meeting two incredible people with a passion for travel, a wicked sense of humor and whose kindness contagious. We spent the whole weekend together drinking Panama beers, exploring the beaches, sharing bottles of wine, hitting the town, and enjoying some seriously good Caribbean grub.We liked the same music and talked about the best concerts we’ve been to and I put on some tunes while we laid on the beach and swam. We found out we watched the same shows and swapped Game of Thrones theories with over-the-top enthusiasm (I know, geeky, right? But I have no shame – pun intended for all my fellow GoTer’s, teehee).

We also mentioned what we were reading, shared our favorite books and even swapped suggestions. I realized I was really in heaven when they used the same stupid movie quotes that I use on a daily basis. Honestly, whoever quotes Elf more than twice a day is automatically my best friend. I guess what I’m saying is that I was lucky to be with the most genuine company and loved how natural and easy it was to share the weekend with them. When I had a layover in Fort Lauderdale a month or so later, my new friend picked me up, took me to watch a college game with his friends, then dropped me back at the airport a few hours later.

Travel friends are the best.

When all’s said and done

My experience thus far has transported far out of my comfort zone, and in doing so, I have met incredible people and am learning more about myself than I expected – what I like, what I don’t, and how to incorporate these realizations into my future. What’s crazy is that it’s only been a month, so I can only imagine the shenanigans and growing opportunities as time goes on!