On Friday morning, I took a bus from San Jose, to the Boarder of Panama. Where I took a taxi to a place called Changuinola. From there, I took a water taxi to the Island Bocas Del Toro. An easy skip and a jump, the trip took us 7 hours total, not counting the immigration hold up, or the three times we stopped on the bus, for about fifteen minutes each time. The journey there was nice. Exploring the country side, and the people and the culture, I got a clear glimpse of what life is like on countryside. The people were very nice and humble, when we were waving or greeting them. Inhabitants of the Island were Native Indians and African American. The language that they spoke was either Spanish or patois. Influenced by the Caribbean settlers, they who were brought Panama as slaves. Once we arrived at ferry, we saw the houses and shacks that the people lived in. The boat ride took use about a half an hour. Once we arrived at Bocas Del Tero, my friend Rohan and I felt the instant difference. It had a very Caribbean like atmosphere, and the people were very welcoming. Walking and exploring Boca’s we saw two sides. The tourist side and the authentic side. We spent the majority of our three days, walking around and talking to the natives. They were very excepting of us, especially after they found out that we were Jamaicans. We found a guy there who showed us around, who gave us a tour and gave us a history lesson on why it was called the name Bocas Del Tero, after realizing the Island is shaped like the mouth of bull. He was a promoter, which he spent the entire day handing out flyers to tourist, who where looking for an exciting nightlife in Boca’s. There were people from all over Latin American, and Europe that were in Boca’s. Also a few Italians and Colombians as well as other people from other Caribbean Islands, such as Haiti and Dominican Republic. Who were and living and working there. There were nice beaches there as well, but I didn't have the chance to explore, due to the weather. What kind of got me on edge though is realizing that the locals are getting driven out of there community, due to the Tourism and the attractions. The people of Bocas, lived simply and enjoy most of the day, riding bicycles, playing in the park, going to church, or sitting around telling jokes to one another, as they enjoy games such as, dominos or cards. The food was good; having different variations to choose from, there was sea food, Italian food, and American food, in nearby restuarants. The only thing that made it disappointed was not having the opportunity to eat local foods. There were plenty of souvenir shops to buy gifts for love one and friends. The nightlife was amazing. A place called the disco tech, and a another place called Iguana. The music was bumping. They played everything, from Reggeton, Reggae, Dancehall, and Hip Hop among other things, which gave the crowd a good dose of everything. Located on the side of the beach. There was a lot of dancing, and plenty of drinks. Just to relax, and observe the ocean. All and all, I had a great time, and the people of Bocas Del Toro made it a time to remember.
