Boquete

I can see why people think this place is like Orosi. It is a flat valley floor surrounded by coffee covered hills. A little lower in altitude, it is larger, has more people and is more "developed", both culturally and economically. The restaurants were good, and the costs were lower in general than in Costa Rica. Food cost about the same, except imported items, which were about the same as you'd find them for in the US (here in CR, they are almost double) Cars were a lot less, gas was cheaper, but land values were through the roof. It was pleasant there, and I met some nice people, and had some good conversations. I arrived in time for the night ushering in the day of Panama's independance, and it was a major party scene, with tons of people and children of all ages dressed in traditional costume to demonstrate dances in many styles. One interesting thing was the tembliques, the hair ornaments that the girls wore. The moms and older girls made them from beads on wires, and they were individually pinned into the girl's hair in an arrangement of complicated textures and designs. I made friends with the mother and grandmother of these two, who gifted me with a temblique for my own hair, and told me that making the tembliques for the two girls (aged 5 and 8) costumes took about three weeks.

Bocas del Toros

If I had never been to Caye Caulker in Belize, I would have liked this place. I thought Caulker did it better. Better food, better organized, better tours, better reefs, just better. A nice beach town with some old architecture, Bocas was totally geared to tourism, it even had a small airport with three airlines flying out of it. Expensive, hot, humid, and the food was really overpriced and not very good. I got a $15 room in the center of town, because my only other option was to share a dorm room in a hostel (not an option). After the worst ceviche I've ever had (it was not only overpriced, it was SALTY!) and a weak margarita, I went home in disgust, not hearing anything dance-able on the street. The next morning, I bought my air ticket OFF the island and then went to take a boat and snorkel tour. This was pretty good - we went to two snorkeling spots, saw some dolphins frolicking went to an ocean beach to get battered by the waves some. Being out on the water was great, and the snorkeling in the first location was decent. The second location was cloudy and not much to see. They took us to lunch at this place that was overpriced and the food was barely edible. I over paid for boiled veggies, that were supposed to be in a garlic sauce.
The red frog beach, our final stop on this day tour, was neat, because we walked across the island at a narrow place, and even saw some red frogs. I think the kids drugged them, to try and earn some pennies.

so why rush off to Panama?

As a guest in Costa Rica, you have a visa good for 90 days. Then, to remain in the country, you need to step out for 72 hours. The easiest way to do this is to go visit the neighboing countries of Panama or Nicaragua. I was curious about Panama, especially the Boquete area, which many travellers had told me about, and also about the Bocas del Toro area, which is supposed to be a nice beach town. When Linda said she would be going with her son Eli, I decided to join them. We decided to take busses through the country, to see a part of the country we haven't seen before. We went from Paraiso (the next town) to Turrialba, to Siquirres, to Puerto Limon. We missed a few quick connections, and realized we weren't going to make it to the border before they closed at 5:00, so we decided to head for Bri Bri for the night. Puerto Limon and Bri Bri were not exactly my favorite places. By 4:00 we were in Bri Bri, which had exactly two restaurants and almost nothing else. We got up early, and got the bus to the border in Sixaola, where you walk across a bridge into Panama. Eli is pictured on the bridge as we began the journey. From there, we took a taxi to a boat dock, where a water taxi service leaves 3 times a day for Bocas del Toro, an island in the Carribean very close to the mainland. En route, we saw some wildlife, and a couple of guys in the handmade dugout canoes.

a gringo thanksgiving

I wanted to celebrate Thanksgiving in my new home. Last year, undecided, I had dinner in a restaurant with a couple of other travellers, and some dried cranberries. I was pretty clear I didn't want to do that again, but I didn't have any invitations. So I decided, hey, I have a house, I can have something here!, and started inviting people. Then Ed and Lidia invited me. At that time, I only had three confirmed people, so I asked if I could bring them. Yes. Then I check back, and the list of confirmed had grown to about 14. Oops. Don't know if I can bring THAT many, and one person has a schedule conflict, she has to work in the morning. ED & Lidia's was to start at 11:00. I had timed out mine for the afternoon. We had a great time, and had everything. I made sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, tofu turkey (kindof like a funny shaped stuffing) cranberry chutney and apple pie. People brought the real turkey, salad, a pumpkin pie, ice cream, whipped cream, fruit jello mold, stuffing, stuffed platanos, gravy and things to drink. Everything was delicious, and we all had a good time. I forgot to take photos, but the biggest blessing was my friend Rosario, who stayed to help clean up - this was great, because I needed to pack because I would be leaving early the next morning for Panama.

"halloween" in Orosi

In Costa Rica, they don't really celebrate Halloween, technically, it is still mostly seen as a "pagan devil holiday" that this Catholic country does not recognize. However, with the influence of so many gringos (and their children) in this culture, Halloween is gaining in awareness and popularity. You can find decorations, costumes and Halloween cards in some of the malls. And, the country has officially moved the 2nd of November to October 31st.

Sorry, that IS worded a little strangely. The 2nd of November doesn't really have a holiday name, per se, (or if it does, I have not seen or heard it!) but it is celebrated here as a holiday acknowledging national traditions, and the way it is celebrated includes parades and parties, with traditional costumes and masks playing a big part. Some are those oversized papier mache puppet head masks mounted on those metal frames that make the person wearing it appear 10 feet tall. Earlier in the week, the province capital's museum gallery was hosting an exhibition of masks with information about the tradition. Parades are really big here - they happen for many holidays and everyone gets involved. Ad-hoc or real bands from the schools have adult "guest" members, the smallest kids are all dressed up, and "perform" something choreographed simply, (this parade featured them waving their right arms together, then left arms together in a sweeping motion in time with the music) and there is also usually a group of men on horseback, loosely costumed like caballeros (cowboys). OK, some had hats. To begin most parades, Jesus (one of the church statues) is hauled in a brightly painted oxcart by a trussed up pair of oxen. (Bless this mess?) After this parade, which went around a four square block area, with all the people walking alongside and behind, there was a fireworks show, and then traditional foods were sold in a pavillion in the local school yard to benefit the school. These foods included beans and rice, arroz con leche (aka rice pudding), chicken in rice, pork and rice, the ever-present chayote, and some kind of grilled dead animal on a stick. Costa Rican cuisine leaves something to be desired. Maybe its "imagination"?

No trick or treating at present, although I offered to my girlfriend's son, that if he came to my house in a costume, I would give him candies - and perhaps the gringos with kids have Halloween parties (who else remembers bobbing for apples?), but this culture has pinatas at every kid's party, (Smack a box on a string hard enough, and the candies rain down on you!) so trick or treating would pale by comparison. I just put on some eye makeup, had a brownie and a cup of tea, and watched a "scarey" movie at home.