Well, we finally tore ourselves away from the luxury of an air-conditioned room in Bocas for the cloud forests of the Chiriqui mountains. If only we had done this sooner. The surroundings were beautiful, with plenty of hikes and activities to do. The mountains were a bit chillier which makes hiking much easier. The hostel had a pantry full of food to buy, as well as a group meal you could participate in. Here we met a guy called JC who is planning to hike through the Darien straight. If you are unfamiliar with this territory, it is arguably one of the harshest terrains and most dangerous areas in central America. This is due to the guerillas who frequent the area as well as drug traffickers. You need a guide to take you through as there are no paths as such, and the Panamanian government are cutting down on the amount of people allowed to hike through the area. JC is the only person they are even considering this year. It's one of those things that would be an amazing story, but you are literally risking your life for the sake of a good story. But this guy is an avid hiker, and if anyone can do it, this charismatic man can.
While we were at the Lost and Found Hostel we did a coffee and wine tour of a local organic farm with a crazy/genius farmer as host. It was fascinating, and good fun to boot. We roasted our own coffee and sampled some of his homemade wine. Being the only English on the tour, they saw why it is dangerous to say 'all you can drink' when it comes to the Brits. The wine was quite vinegary, but for the simple methods he employed, it was quite palatable. We made pure cane juice and had a farm to table breakfast and lunch, followed by a hike back to the car. If you ever get the chance, do this tour! The hostel had a resident honey bear which took a shine to Dave after quite obviously giving me the cold shoulder. You can't win them all I guess!
After Lost and Found we moved on to David where we were assured we would appreciate an air conditioned room. They weren't wrong. We bumped into a couple of ladies in their 50s/60s who we had met at Lost and Found and spent an evening with them talking about the antics they used to get up to. They had been friends since they were 14 and their stories put me to shame! They were lovely and interesting, still very much with a zest for life and traveling. We stayed at an amazing hostel - a good crowd of people. As this was our last stop before the epic journey home, we organized a BBQ for the hostel which everyone got involved in. We had amazing burgers made by a proper Floridian BBQer, deviled eggs, kebabs, the lot. It was a nice way to go out. After visiting these places we were sorely disappointed that we hadn't explored more of Panama - there was a lot to do but we just didn't have the time to do it. When we go back down, we hope to do Panama again before sailing over to Columbia.
We made our way to San Jose in preparation for the flight. When we arrived, a taxi driver very kindly informed us that the president of Costa Rica was going to be visiting the next day therefore we should stay closer to the airport instead of going back to a hostel we liked when we visited last. The taxi journey cost us $30 only to find out after he left that there was no presidential visit - he just wanted to take us further out for a costlier taxi journey. Frustrating, but it reminds you that people prey on trusting people the world over.
We set out for the airport the next evening as our flight was at 1 a.m. We got to the airport at 9 as we had nowhere else to go. Everything was closed so we bought some beer and set up tent until check-in time. Something like 26 hours later we arrived in Boise, Idaho at midnight. We had spent more time in the airports than in the air and took 4 separate flights. San Jose to Fort Lauderdale, For Lauderdale to Memphis, Memphis to Minneapolis, Minneapolis to Boise. Truly exhausting. But when we got to our hotel room in Boise we reveled in the 'economy' luxury we were surrounded by. Hot water showers, TV in English, a big, comfy, unstained bed.
We are now in Idaho and nearly full-fledged Americans again. We have a bank account, searching for a car and Dave is now employed as a satellite TV salesman going door to door. I have an interview for some cafe work today and have spent the rest of the time driving around the local area getting a feel for the place. It is spartan countryside, which is quite impressive when you're used to the cramped British landscape. Snow-capped mountains line the horizon and Mormons wander around unteased. It's a friendly place, but I can see why crystal meth is a big problem in the area. Lacking stimulating things to do and fast food on every corner, it's a haven of poverty in the surrounding areas. There are lots of hikes to do which I'm looking forward to once it warms up, but I guess when you're a local, hiking doesn't have the same appeal.
Well, fingers crossed for the future, but so far England still very much feels like my home, Bristol especially. I don't think the American way of life is one that is appealing in the long term, but who knows, it's still early doors.
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