|  We
begin our trip a Monday at 8:30 am in San Jose, we found
ourselves greatly excited and willing to arrive as soon
as possible to Las Palmas in Punta Uva; the rout we
took promised great satisfaction, many things to see
and unforgettable adventures. We arrived successfully
at 1:45 pm, after one very comfortable and peaceful
trip, little traffic and excellent weather conditions
for a pleasant ride.
We
arrived just in time for lunch and with sufficient time
to unpack our stuff in our rooms, take a little recognizance
walk by the beach and through
the hotel of Las Palmas. We also managed to get information
on the different attractions and options with which
we could plan our tours, thou the one we were the most
interested about was the trip to Bocas del Toro in
the Panamanian Coats, one very different option to
all the others; this one promised a great deal of excitement
and the opportunity to get to know a different culture.
On
Tuesday morning, we got up with much enthusiasm and
in a hurry to go get breakfast on time, for it was already
7 am. We had little time; the previous night we got
in contact with Captain Jorge, enigmatic
navigator of whom many talked about but we hadn’t had
the pleasure of meeting personally. The word was he
acquired a lot of experience in maneuvering boats all
over the Atlantic by the time he was 25, which I must
admit, brought much piece to our spirits. We knew we
counted with a navigator of great experience and that
brushed aside any fear we held for the event.
Once
ready and willing to begin our journey, we left the
hotel in our Van headed towards Manzanillo, just
about 5 minutes away from las Palmas, we were supposed
to meet Captain Jorge there at 8 am. We checked in
right on time. He had been waiting for us in his “transport”,
the boat named “Dragon Master”. Definitely, his presence
alone brought confidence to all.
Our
Adventure began, The Cap told us a story about this
cave that crossed a huge rock formation (punta Mona)
that had disappeared as the years passed, and how the
little boats managed to pass through this tunnel.
For the most part, we spend almost the full length of
the trip really close to the shores to avoid any mishaps.
We passed right in front of Playa Gandoca and the openings
of the Sixaola River which divides the border between
Costa Rica and Panama; then, we entered the  incredible
sweet water canals by the opening of the Changinola
River, indescribable journey through natural watery
paths in this specific area of the Panamanian country
that we used as a shortcut to avoid open seas. Once
we touched the end of the canals, we reached the first
islands with perfect weather  conditions
and during a most excellent hour. We stopped for an
instant in the beach captivated by the crystal waters
all over, never was I able to see the bottom with such
clarity, we could see the starfish on the bottom as
well as fish and other creatures. We could listen to
the sounds embroidered by Mother Nature in the depths
of the island, welcoming us with its beauty, just beneath
us.
 We
proceeded with our adventure in the main isle called
Colón. Through the trip we were stunned specially
by the Punta Caracol Hotel, which was built completely
over the waters of the Atlantic. Following our route
we arrived in brief instants to Colon. This isle
was the main one of the archipelago, in it are located
a great number of hotels fundamentally built of wood
in three of four floors in the old colonial style.
There
are a few small Local Crafts Stores, popular bars and
commerce outlets. In truth, the beauty of the island
was constituted by the mix of constructions above the
sea, its beautiful marina where sailing boats and yachts
are found, the transparency of its waters and the warm
cordiality of its native people.
After a few walks around the place the kind Captain
Jorge took us to the next island which he called Carenero,
this is precisely were our lunch awaited us.
As
the food was being prepared we had the opportunity
to observe the “Needle Fish”, also welcoming us. The site
where we took our lunch was also lying above the crystal
waters of the sea, in front of us the gorgeous view
of the Colon Island and the next one to be visited:
Bastimentos Island. We tasted the deliciousness of a
Mixed Sea Food dish that included: shrimp, prawns, squid,
crab, calamaries and the traditional “Patacon” (fried
platano in the Caribbean style).
 After
having rested a bit, we took off to Bastimentos Island
where we stooped at a popular bar named “la Cantina”.
Also in the island you can take hikes and get to
know the place a little, its people and the traditional
Rum with milk in the Panamanian style. After that,
we got in our way back to the hotel in Costa Rica.
We
began our journey back with a favorable weather,
we had the chance to pass by the beautiful joints we
had last seen when we first came the opposite direction,
nevertheless, in this occasion we managed to observe
and enjoy in a larger scale all the landscapes offered
in the Changinola Canals and the imposing sea panoramas.
We
returned with no eventualities at 4 pm to Manzanillo
after a well spent day. We were happy, we had had three
tours in one single day and for the same price, crossed
the Atlantic Ocean, curved the angles of the canals
and visited the archipelagoes of Bocas Del Toro in panama,
a whole days adventure.
We
finally made it to the hotel for a quite deserved resting
session, filled with unforgettable memoirs of our journey.
Tour
Price: $300.00 USD 6-PEOPLE- Only with us!
Las Palmas Hotel
Tour leaves at 8 am, returning approximately by 5 pm
(Manzanillo)
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