Isla Bastimentos Panama

And Illness When Traveling

Watching The World Go By

My son enjoys playing out the window and talking to the local kids.

I feel like I should be doing something. So we get some tips from Ina and Tom the Guesthouse owners about where to go and what to see. We love the fact that when we arrive at destinations we are given good advice.

Organic Chocolate

Firstly, we are told that the organic chocolate ‘Up the Hill’ (really named La Loma Jungle Lodge and Chocolate Farm) is the place to visit. So we head on up for a walk up the hill to ‘Up The Hill’.

As we head to ‘Up the Hill’ we find out it is further than we planned because of the winding paths.

Red Frogs

Isla Bastimentos Panama is famous for little Red Frogs.  Our walk is rather stunning because it’s overgrown and quite pretty, and we, therefore, hunt for Red Frogs along the way.

By the time we get to ‘Up the Hill’, I feel awful because my temperature is spiking. So we quickly down a couple of cool organic ice chocolates and I have a rest in the shade.

We pass a lady reading the Daily Bread. A bible devotional book and we talk to her about her Christian faith and we feel encouraged.

Gift Buying

”Up The Hill has some great gifts to purchase and as it is my birthday this week, my son is keen to give something to me.  Explorason secretly buys me a couple of birthday gifts. My birthday is in a couple of days I realize – how did it get here that fast?

We had planned this trip so we could be somewhere a bit exotic by this special celebration and our first birthday away on our world trip.

Frog Spotting

We head back down the hill and spy a tiny Red Frog. Yeah – it is no bigger than an Australian 50 cent coin and it is spotted. this is great for our world school experiences and we discuss frogs for a while as we walk.

We also ‘spot’ some interesting fungi along the way and have a world schooling lesson.

Hammocks

So we head back to Tip Tom’s Guesthouse for another rest. The hammocks over the water are just the best place to go relax suspended over the salty liquid below. I try to read about Isla Bastimentos and the island area.

My son loves the hammocks and he swings so high and has quite a laugh.  I notice how happy he is on this island and also even just getting here.

It really is just a lazy day and we don’t have them often but with travel fatigue, it is important to stop and rest.

Cold Showers

The showers here are only cold and we find that is common in much of Central America. I duck in and out of the room extremely fast, but they are refreshing as I try to cool my body down.

In the end, I have 5 cold showers to try to get my fever down.

Local Life

Whether ill or not ill, my son still needs feeding and this is the draw-back of single parenthood.

Therefore, early that evening we head back through the island town square seeing a restaurant. The kids are out playing and it is great to hear their accents – so Jamaican sounding we feel but that is probably that Caribbean influence? The local kids are kicking a ball, playing drums, and riding bikes and loving their outdoor life.

Dinner

We walk on over the hill on Isla Bastimentos to a local restaurant. Here we enjoy a fabulous dinner and talk with fellow travelers who tell us about another single travel Mum who writes a blog.  I actually USED to read her blogs before we set out on our own world trip.

Sunset

As the sun sets on the steps of the restaurant and onto the waters beyond, we enjoy a really nice night meeting new people.

We realize we have met some wonderful travelers already on this trip and enjoyed a wonderful and simple night.

Tomorrow

We will go to a different island tomorrow. I can’t wait! Read on to discover where and why.

Red Frog Beach, Isla Bastimentos, Panama

Questions and Comments by Readers

• Have you ever been to Panama?
• What about Isla Bastimentos Panama – any chance you have been here?
• What would you like if you went back to basics on an island holiday?
• Do share your comments with us below.