DISCLAIMER: No humans were harmed during the boat ride to Isla San Cristobal.
There are an endless number of ways that you could describe my Sunday:
- A long day of travels truly pushed me to my limits on Sunday.
- An enjoyable day of air conditioned travel quickly turned south at the border.
- My fears were put to the test and my gut was surely twisted.
But the most important part of my Sunday could simply be described as safe. When I began the 12 hour trek from Costa Rica to Panama, I was privileged enough to be in an air conditioned shuttle with people traveling from all around the world. I squeezed in a few naps along the drive and spent a couple hours getting lunch on the beautiful beach of Puerto Veijo (pictured below). Even as I went through the slightly complicated process of passing through the Costa Rican/Panama border, I enjoyed being around other travelers who shared amazing stories of their journeys. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
I arrived an hour and thirty minutes past schedule to Bocas del Toro which lead me to miss the last group boat to the headquarters of my first volunteer program, Floating Doctors. My default options were either to find a hostel to spend the night at in Bocas or pay to take a water taxi to the headquarters. Given that I had been alone for the past 3 days, I opted for what seemed like the smarter option of paying to go to the headquarters and greet my comrades. I pleaded a small taxi company to take me out into the Caribbean sea near the end of the night and they reluctantly did so, for which I repeated "Muchas gracias!" about 50 times. We pulled up to the dock to be greeted by the amazing staff at the Floating Doctors base and as they lead me up the steps, my heart finally settled while the other staff and volunteers began cheering for my safe arrival.
After introductions with nearly everyone and a swift tour around the headquarters, I was able to settle down in my room after a long day of traveling. To say I was scared during the end of my journey would be an understatement, but I try to promise myself that fear will never keep me from great experiences. My piece of traveling advice to you all would be to plan for your transport to take a few hours longer than they say. It's better to have waited once than to not know where you are in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.
- Nicole
Shoutouts!
I am thankful to the Torres Taxi company for getting me "home" safely and I am grateful to Angel for saving me a plate of food after dinner
- A long day of travels truly pushed me to my limits on Sunday.
- An enjoyable day of air conditioned travel quickly turned south at the border.
- My fears were put to the test and my gut was surely twisted.
But the most important part of my Sunday could simply be described as safe. When I began the 12 hour trek from Costa Rica to Panama, I was privileged enough to be in an air conditioned shuttle with people traveling from all around the world. I squeezed in a few naps along the drive and spent a couple hours getting lunch on the beautiful beach of Puerto Veijo (pictured below). Even as I went through the slightly complicated process of passing through the Costa Rican/Panama border, I enjoyed being around other travelers who shared amazing stories of their journeys. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
Hotel Banana Azul in Puerto Veijo, Costa Rica:
I arrived an hour and thirty minutes past schedule to Bocas del Toro which lead me to miss the last group boat to the headquarters of my first volunteer program, Floating Doctors. My default options were either to find a hostel to spend the night at in Bocas or pay to take a water taxi to the headquarters. Given that I had been alone for the past 3 days, I opted for what seemed like the smarter option of paying to go to the headquarters and greet my comrades. I pleaded a small taxi company to take me out into the Caribbean sea near the end of the night and they reluctantly did so, for which I repeated "Muchas gracias!" about 50 times. We pulled up to the dock to be greeted by the amazing staff at the Floating Doctors base and as they lead me up the steps, my heart finally settled while the other staff and volunteers began cheering for my safe arrival.
The beautiful morning view from my room on Isla San Cristobal:
After introductions with nearly everyone and a swift tour around the headquarters, I was able to settle down in my room after a long day of traveling. To say I was scared during the end of my journey would be an understatement, but I try to promise myself that fear will never keep me from great experiences. My piece of traveling advice to you all would be to plan for your transport to take a few hours longer than they say. It's better to have waited once than to not know where you are in the middle of the Caribbean Sea.
- Nicole
Shoutouts!
I am thankful to the Torres Taxi company for getting me "home" safely and I am grateful to Angel for saving me a plate of food after dinner
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