So I finally healed the stomach issues to about 85%, and was able to commit to a dive trip. We were back on the panga for a ride into Bocas town, and to Buga Surf and Dive. 2 Watsons and 2 Pletchers: John and Matt and Ryan and I were to dive today.
Although I didn't point it out to our dive master, I really haven't dove in about 20 years, my last memory being at our honeymoon, and Rebecca claims that didn't even happen. I tried not to read too much into this proficiency issue since it's not exactly "rocket science", however, I did ask Ryan to watch out for me.
Meanwhile, the rest of our crew was off to the "Bat Cave" again via Panga boat as guided by Don Choy! They had the same experience as the crew from last trip to Bocas. It was a very cool mangrove swamp canal transit followed by a hike, followed by the transit through a stream filled cave to the end and a large pool. They said at times they were up to their chest in water. Kathleen described the boat ride as similar to a real Jungle cruise at Disney, but real!
Back on La Buga dive boat, our dive master was a gringo named Bill who was living on a sailboat, down from Seattle. We did 2 tanks, and it was great, like an underwater hike. We saw lots of cool fish, coral, and sponge formations. I had never seen a drummer fish before, and also we saw some large puffers, as well as lion fish, small groupers, and lots of tropicals.
Our first dive was onto a sunk trimaran, and we swam up through the hull.
After all of our weeks efforts, it was almost welcomed that the afternoon was a rainy one, which provided us a cancellation excuse for zip lining and a reason for siesta!
Dinner was back to Bocas town at Buena Vista, a restaurant like nearly all of the others here which are built over the water on stilts with a dock out back for the water taxi pandas to deposit diners.
Last full day
Sunday. With Sisters Kathleen and Rebecca that meant mass, even in Spanish. So, Don Choy dutifully met us on the Tierra Verde dock at 6:30, and what is sure to be a record for the Sisters (Kathleen and Rebecca) we arrived early to a 7:00 am mass. Yes, that did read a.m.
Needless to say, the mass was the early start to the day, and we ate breakfast in town at a small restaurant, and proceeded to get bar out on the water.
Our excursion took us out along the Atlantic coast of Isla Colon to a scenic island called Bird Island, complete with a flock of boobies and their young hatchlings. It was a pretty rough ride, and I couldn't believe there was not any decent surf at Punta Caranera.
We stopped in at Bocas Drago, and John got a suspected stingray zap, which we followed up with some antibiotics from the farmacia.
Got in some small surf at Black Rock off Caranera, and had dinner at Bibis before the flurry of packing activity putting away, dive, snorkel, and surf gear for transit back to PTY tomorrow, and USA the following day.
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