New Year's Eve in Bocas del Toro
Monday, December 31, 2007
What does one expect from New Year's Eve in Bocas?
Well honestly it depends upon your location. For
those people spending the holidays on Isla Colon it
is more of a party and I believe the day is spent in
preparation or in planning for the evening. For those
off the main islands it is a different experience.
For some the outer island experience during the day might include a boat ride to the outer edges of the archipelago for a visit to an indigenous village. Once onsite in the indigenous village there is a hike and an opportunity to learn how the indigenous people spend their days and the different things in the rainforest they use for food and shelter. Then from there another brief boat ride to another indigenous village for a hike to a long stretch of beautiful beaches. Body surfing, beach combing and a variety of other beach activities prevail for the day. Once it is time to make the trip back to the lodge everyone collects their belongings trying only to leave footprints on the sand.
After a delicious dinner full of family and good conversation, the guests can collect at the dock for a small fireworks show to begin the New Year!
Happy 2008 to to you all!
For some the outer island experience during the day might include a boat ride to the outer edges of the archipelago for a visit to an indigenous village. Once onsite in the indigenous village there is a hike and an opportunity to learn how the indigenous people spend their days and the different things in the rainforest they use for food and shelter. Then from there another brief boat ride to another indigenous village for a hike to a long stretch of beautiful beaches. Body surfing, beach combing and a variety of other beach activities prevail for the day. Once it is time to make the trip back to the lodge everyone collects their belongings trying only to leave footprints on the sand.
After a delicious dinner full of family and good conversation, the guests can collect at the dock for a small fireworks show to begin the New Year!
Happy 2008 to to you all!
What to do in the rain?
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Well I guess we all know why they call this jungle of
ours a rainforest. We have to have rain to keep this
lush vegetation happy - but do we have to have so
much rain all at one time? This has been a popular
question over the last few days. We had a cycle of
five days of rain. Not exactly normal - but also not
unheard of. If you have never experienced rain in a
rain forest you should do so at least once in your
life. It begins with a drizzle and then the magnitude
of the rain increases and then it increases again and
over and over until you really think it just can't
rain any harder. It is like the ultimate crescendo in
a musical piece. Then it drops down and stops - but
unfortunately there are also those times when it is a
viscous cycle that continues and continues.
What do you do when all this rain is coming down on you? You can do a few things: eat, drink, hang out with friends and family and then you can also venture outside and snorkel, kayak, hike and even walk along a beach. It might be raining, but at least it is warm!
Cheers to the sun which showed up today!
What do you do when all this rain is coming down on you? You can do a few things: eat, drink, hang out with friends and family and then you can also venture outside and snorkel, kayak, hike and even walk along a beach. It might be raining, but at least it is warm!
Cheers to the sun which showed up today!
Hike to the beach
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Today my husband took a couple on a hike through an
indigenous village, the jungle and out onto the
beach. They left here this morning around 9:00 am in
one of our boats to travel over to the indigenous
village. At the village they depart from the boat and
walk around a bit.
We have been working with the village to build and maintain a trail which goes from one side of the island to the other side through the jungle on the edge of Bastimentos National Marine Park. So, one of the members of the village accompanies our group along the trail. Along the way they encounter a variety of different plants and animals. Red frogs, sleeping bats, sloths, various reptiles, and maybe even a monkey or two. As they near the end of the trail they enter into an area which resembles more of a lake or a river rather than an ocean lagoon. In this area there are waterfalls and other natural attractions.
After walking through the lagoon they walk a bit further and they access a beautiful beach called Playa Larga. The hike out to Playa Larga from the indigenous village takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The guests are welcome to hang out at the beach and take in all that the island has to offer for a number of hours. Then they begin the return trip back to the indigenous village and the boat. On the return trip they might see something they missed on the way out to the beach. Either way they have had an experience of a lifetime.
We have been working with the village to build and maintain a trail which goes from one side of the island to the other side through the jungle on the edge of Bastimentos National Marine Park. So, one of the members of the village accompanies our group along the trail. Along the way they encounter a variety of different plants and animals. Red frogs, sleeping bats, sloths, various reptiles, and maybe even a monkey or two. As they near the end of the trail they enter into an area which resembles more of a lake or a river rather than an ocean lagoon. In this area there are waterfalls and other natural attractions.
After walking through the lagoon they walk a bit further and they access a beautiful beach called Playa Larga. The hike out to Playa Larga from the indigenous village takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes. The guests are welcome to hang out at the beach and take in all that the island has to offer for a number of hours. Then they begin the return trip back to the indigenous village and the boat. On the return trip they might see something they missed on the way out to the beach. Either way they have had an experience of a lifetime.
How to truly experience an adventure vacation
Sunday, August 19, 2007
What do you need to do to truly experience an
adventure vacation? Try getting a strong sense of
place. How can one learn about a place in a short
expanse of time?
Take a walk. When you walk along a jungle path you see and feel the enormity of being in the jungle. You see the canopy above you. You see the plants along the forest floor. You feel the change in temperature when you step into the rain forest from a cleared area. You sense the birds and animals all around you. If you walk slowly and quietly you might happen upon a troop of monkeys eating breakfast. You might see a sloth and her baby hanging out in a tree. Step carefully and you might see a red frog which is only found on Isla Bastimentos.
Go for a kayak. Kayaking along the edge of an island is perfect for your family adventure. From the vantage point of a kayak you can watch the birds as they fly overhead going from home to feeding ground or vice versa each day. You can watch for dolphins at play in the Caribbean Sea. You can go into a secluded bay and stop for a while to snorkel and check out the life under water.
Snorkel. Move slowly along the coral reef and you will experience the different colors of the aquatic life living amongst the reef. There are many different kinds of coral, fish and plants which make their home under the water near the islands edge.
Hammock. Okay so technically hammock isn’t a verb, but spending some time in a hammock allows you to take in a different aspect of island life. It allows you to gaze out at the view of the mountains in the distance over the Caribbean Sea. It gives you an opportunity to listen to the sounds of the jungle. And maybe the opportunity to take a nap – after all this adventure, it is a vacation and you deserve some rest.
Take a walk. When you walk along a jungle path you see and feel the enormity of being in the jungle. You see the canopy above you. You see the plants along the forest floor. You feel the change in temperature when you step into the rain forest from a cleared area. You sense the birds and animals all around you. If you walk slowly and quietly you might happen upon a troop of monkeys eating breakfast. You might see a sloth and her baby hanging out in a tree. Step carefully and you might see a red frog which is only found on Isla Bastimentos.
Go for a kayak. Kayaking along the edge of an island is perfect for your family adventure. From the vantage point of a kayak you can watch the birds as they fly overhead going from home to feeding ground or vice versa each day. You can watch for dolphins at play in the Caribbean Sea. You can go into a secluded bay and stop for a while to snorkel and check out the life under water.
Snorkel. Move slowly along the coral reef and you will experience the different colors of the aquatic life living amongst the reef. There are many different kinds of coral, fish and plants which make their home under the water near the islands edge.
Hammock. Okay so technically hammock isn’t a verb, but spending some time in a hammock allows you to take in a different aspect of island life. It allows you to gaze out at the view of the mountains in the distance over the Caribbean Sea. It gives you an opportunity to listen to the sounds of the jungle. And maybe the opportunity to take a nap – after all this adventure, it is a vacation and you deserve some rest.