Rodnitzki Adventures in Central America #4: Diving from our Doorstep

Since we are in the single digits of our trip now, we've been less "roughing it" and allowing ourselves some more "luxuries". For instance, we left the beautiful mountainous Boquete the easy way-- we just took a little truck-taxi to the port where we caught a small boat to the town of Bocas del Toro, instead of walking to a bus, then taking another bus, from which we would need to a taxi or a long walk to the port and only then the boat... sometimes door to port is a nice luxury!

And I guess luxury is contagious, since we also are doing the luxury thing here in Bocas... after checking out a few hostels (Yuval and the girls hung out at a cool restaurant while Paz and I explored) we found this great little waterfront apartment, complete with a kitchen, an airconditioned master room, a nice pull out bed for the kids, and a patio literally over the water, from which you can dive into the crystal clear water. In Sheleg's words, as she looked down from the step into the water: "Seven!" Seven what? "I can count seven starfish in the water in front of our new home!"

Well, it is not exactly our home (though a wise investor would buy here, since the tourist rush has definitely not yet made it en force here) but each new place is dubbed our home, which is a nice reflection upon the kids adaptability.

So we have been enjoying diving off the porch into the Caribbean over the last couple days, eating freshly-caught red snapper in Creole sauce, fresh pineapple and other Caribbean delights, and this afternoon we head off to Bastimentos Island, to the next installment of our not-over-the top luxury, where we will be staying in this cool eco-lodge on a private beach on the water. Gourmet chef, three meals a day, kayaks and snorkeling to our heart's content, on a remote side of the island right near the national park area and with reefs and mangroves a paddle away, and monkeys and sloths our next door neighbors. (Since we are in undiscovered Panama, and not tourist-ridden Costa Rica, it is still affordable) Not expecting any internet there (since they do not proudly tout that there is), so sending this update off now, rather than later...

And since this might even be my last pre-return update, some final reflections:
In The Trip to Panama, a children's book by Janosch, which has been our bed time story book during these travels, a little bear and a little tiger live by a riverside, quite content with their life, until they find a crate marked "Panama" floating in the river, and decide to travel to this fantastic land. After many adventures, they return to their own little house, thinking it is actually in Panama.

The last pages of the book is an apt ending, perhaps, to my last entry in this little travelogue, as we look forward to our return to Israel and reflect upon our adventures.

"Oh tiger," Little Bear said everyday. "How glad I am that we came to Panama!" Aren't you glad too?" "Yes I am," said little Tiger. "Panama is the land of our dreams. And we can stay here forever and ever."

You think they might as well have stayed at home all the time? You think they needn't have taken a trip to Panama at all? You're wrong. Because then they would never have met the fox and the crow. They would never have met the hedgehog and the hare. And they would never have found out how comfortable a lovely, soft, plushy sofa can be.

So lastly, in the spirit of slowing down and nearing the end, we asked the kids what their favorite part was. "We can't decide" they said, which makes Yuval and me very, very happy.

Thanks for allowing me to share our adventures. Have a lovely week, and see you soon!!!!!!!!