LAST DAYS IN BOCAS DEL TORO

WITH A SIDE TRIP TO CHANGUINOLA, But First:

We helped Deb on Sea Cycle celebrate her Birhtday at a fabulous Indian Restaurant called "Om".








We had a "Last Supper" with our dear friends Allayne and Dennis (Audrey Paige). The head to San Blas as we head to the Rio Dulce. We really will miss their great company, senses of humour and story telling.

We won't miss the speeding water taxi's.

We will miss the great sights on our many dinghy rides at sunset.

We did notice many businesses are finding it slow these days especially with so much competition.

Our day excursion to Changuinola with Dennis, Allayne (Adrey Paige) and John and Nancy (Dixsea) was fun.

Changuinola is a 30 minute watertaxi ride from Bocas Town. These water taxiis leave every 30 minutes or sooner if the boat is full. We first arrive at the small Port of Almirante.  This port handles the Bocas Fruit Company; corporate partner of Chiquita International Banana Exports. Rusty tinned roofed houses built on stilts sit over Almirante Bay.

It's an easy five minute walk to the bus depot. We turn left outside the watertaxi office building.  At the main road turn right and walk a couple of hundred yards and you'll see the smallbus station on the left. (When weleft the water taxi launches we were inundated with taxi drivers wanting us to take their expensive ride to Changuinola; totally unnecessary).

Again we wait in a 30 person well maintained, airconditioned mini bus.When full we're on our way; a very scenic 29km drive up and over the rolling hills at a cost of $1.45 a person.

Changuinola is the Banana City of Bocas del Toro province.  It's 50,000 people are a mix of Jamaican,Chinese, Mestizo, Native Indian, Trinadadian, Castillian and Syrian peoples.  The town was bustling with many Amacens (General Stores); supermarkets, hardware stores along with Banks.  We had fun doing a bit of shopping and stopped for a delicious Chinese meal at La Fortuna.