Our only option to exit the dock was a long flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs was Hotel Boca Brava, with an overhanging deck and exquisite water views, well manicured lawns and flowers, and tile pathways winding through multiple villas for rent. AKA did not appear to be in our budget. We tried to figure out how to get around this place to go look for something more run down and dirty, but figured we'd ask just to be in the know. At $29.50/night for a private room with shared bathroom, the rooms were clean and spacious with a shared porch, but didn't have a kitchen and the only option for food on the island was their restaurant. The manager told us that we'd pretty much have to take a water taxi to a different island for other housing options, so for lack of other choices, we decided we could handle two nights at that price.
Heading up
At 30 sq kilometers, Boca Brava is one of 25 islands protected in the Golfo de Chiriquí. Rumored to be home to monkeys, nesting sea turtles and numerous bird species, we set out for an afternoon stroll. Within 10 minutes, we encountered a recently opened hotel with a single cabin privately set among the trees with quite the view. Since there was also a communal kitchen, we spoke with the owners for a bit to see if we should switch for our second night. The price was comparable since we'd have a kitchen to cook a few meals, but we decided against it since there really wasn't any place on the island to buy groceries (we were still carrying 2# of rice though). We encountered monkeys, aggressive guard dogs, and found a rocky beach before we returned to our hotel.
The electricity was off for the afternoon, so we killed a few hours reading on our porch. At the restaurant for dinner, the menu was a bit more selective without electricity but we ordered a hamburger and a chicken rice dish that were both satisfactory and only slightly pricey at ~$6. We were told the hotel doesn't lose electricity often, but the monkeys are often to blame as they suicidally feast on the power lines.
Sunday morning, we stopped in for breakfast at the restaurant, chatted with the American owner while waiting for our food, and then set out to find a beach. Playa Arenas was the first sandy beach we came upon and she kept us entertained for a few hours. Although we brought books to read, we played in the small waves and frequently ran to shore to move our things out of the rising tides way. We walked under a gang of howler monkeys and gawked at the babies swinging from their tails before returning to our hotel by mid afternoon.
This afternoon was spent similar to the previous; again without electricity, we made great use of our shared porch while reading. Realizing we could save a bit of money since the meals at the restaurant were big enough to need only two per day, we enjoyed another decent dinner. Later that evening just before our bedtime, we sat on the boat dock to observe the lunar eclipse.
Monday morning we were ready to check out. We again ate breakfast, chatted with the four people that worked there and wondered why it seemed we were the only ones vacationing, and paid our $112 bill (2 nights lodging, 8 total meals). The waiter called a water taxi and a collectivo was waiting for us in Boca Chica. A ride through the countryside and again we were dropped off at the intersection, this time wanting to catch a bus headed east towards Santiago. After a grueling 45 minutes in the hot sun standing on the side of the road, we hopped on a double decker bus that appeared bound for Panama City but would make a pit stop in Santiago. With air-con and a movie playing, we paid $14 and exited in Santiago three hours later. I asked the bus helper where the buses were for Santa Fé and he responded that he didn't know where Santa Fé was. Safe to assume that bus company didn't serve Santa Fé, we confirmed we needed to get to the other terminal we passed when we entered town and began walking. It was hot, and we weren't sure how long the walk would be. There was a Dairy Queen on the side of the road, so we stopped in to use the bathroom. The fee for bathroom use was $3.75 but came with a free Caramel Choco Waffle Blizzard; worth it! Within five more minutes, we were at the next terminal.
None of the buses we could see said Santa Fé, so we checked with the gal in the office and learned there was ANOTHER terminal that we should take a taxi to. I attempted to flag down a taxi while Micah befriended a friendly local tween who was curious of our travel plans. When a collectivo pulled up in front of us, the young lad told us that we could get to the Terminal de Santiago in the collectivo and we jumped on with him. Ten minutes later we were sitting on a mini bus, soon to be heading towards the mountains and Santa Fé.
The tiny town (population 3000) is similar to Boquete but less touristy. As we arrived, we had high hopes that we'd stumble upon a hostal when walking since the book indicated there was development occurring a few years ago. A local led us to the center of town and pointed us towards Hostal La Qhia. With one large bamboo guesthouse housing three separate rooms and a large deck along with a communal kitchen and dormitory attached, the hostal was one of the more visually appealing we've seen, set in the center of gardens and hills. We walked away though when we were told the low season price, which included a discount since there was no hot water, was $35/night for a room with a shared bathroom. We walked a bit further, didn't find anything, discussed the fact that we were carrying 2# of rice that desperately needed cooked, and returned to La Qhia to claim the room.
Along with the rice, we had been packing around two cans of Vienna sausages (try not to get jealous as you read this) and a packet of soup flavoring. This was in hopes of finding a hostal with a kitchen on Boca Brava and knowing the groceries would be limited. Since that didn't happen, we bought a few veggies once we settled in Santa Fé and made a feast of rice/veggies/Vienna sausage soup that night. We chatted with the few other travelers cooking in the kitchen before retreating to our beds and mosquito nets. Sleep was welcome, although the roosters and dogs made falling asleep difficult and the construction on the guesthouse early in the morning was not appreciated.
Tuesday morning we could be found in the kitchen making pancakes with peanut butter and bananas and scrambled eggs. As we ate, we researched the many activities available in Santa Fé. A few hours later, we began a short walk with another traveler, Joe, towards El Tinajon. Up and down a few hills, over a bridge and we were to the swimming hole. The water was a refreshing temperature but not quite deep enough to swim, so we sat on rocks and chatted, occasionally saying hola to the passing school kids on the suspension bridge above. Once back at the hostal, we laid in the hammocks on the deck, read, and heated up leftover rice/veggie/Vienna sausage soup for dinner.
Wednesday, another day, another adventure. Our plan was to hike Cerro Tute, the lookout point visible on the rocky mountains surrounding the town. We set our alarms, made more pancakes and eggs, told Joe our plans so he'd come along, and headed out the door. A walk through town led us to the side road gradually climbing up into the surrounding hillside. Once we reached higher grounds, we were rewarded with views looking back on town. The trail began to traverse along the side of the mountain and we kept our eyes peeled for the small trail veering to the right which would lead us up higher to our desired destination. Micah ran ahead and checked out a few of these side roads, but none seemed like the road we wanted. After a few more good viewpoints, we realized we were climbing down and heading back towards town. Content with the 3+ hours we'd already hiked, we decided not to turn around and find out if that road that Micah thought might be it, really was it. We reached the main road heading into Santa Fé, stuck out our thumbs, and rode the few kms back to town in the back of a truck.
A side story, worth telling: Joe is an extremely tall 29 yr old American who has travelled the majority of his adult life. It was evident in watching him walk that he had a physical limitation, which he came to tell us later that he had suffered a stroke the day before his 18th birthday. No more details were provided, but he told us we could google him and find out the story. We did, it's worth a read: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/9019013/joe-kay-sobering-rushing-court-story. Pretty amazing life and more amazing how much he's accomplished since. It was obvious to us that he took an unfortunate event and has used it to challenge himself, with traveling the world, exploring, and following strangers up steep hills. He was a solid hiking buddy.
Today (Thursday) we will pack our bags and head to another lovely mountain town, El Valle de Antón. More populated than Santa Fé (by locals and tourists), we have two goals for El Valle: succeed in climbing to a lookout point, and eat the last pound of rice that we've been carrying for over a week. Tune in next week to see what we've accomplished.
