| Bocas del Toro to Boquete |
| 27 February 2007 |
About 6:00am we bid fond farewells to our friendly hostess at Hotel Del Parque and rolled
our bags to the dock a short block from the hotel. From the dock we took a water taxi
(US$3 per person) for the half-hour ride to the port of Almirante. At the pier was a huge
container ship loading 40-foot containers, probably containing "Chiquita" bananas. After
seeing no watercraft longer than 25ft (8 meters) in the San Blas and Bocas archipelagos,
suddenly seeing such a large ocean-going freighter docked at the small town of Almirante
came as a great surprise.
Our plan had been that upon landing in Almirante we would take taxi to the nearby
Almirante bus stop to take a four-hour bus trip south to the city of David and
from there take a bus to the town of Boquete., a trip of perhaps six or seven hours including
waiting times. However, a taxi driver offered to take us four directly to Boquete in just three
or four hours for US$80; the taxi driver pointed out that with a new connecting road he
would not need to go via David. The US$80 seemed like a lot of money for a taxi, but when
divided by four passengers it did not seem so bad. So we accepted the offer and went from
Almirante to Boquete by taxi.
our bags to the dock a short block from the hotel. From the dock we took a water taxi
(US$3 per person) for the half-hour ride to the port of Almirante. At the pier was a huge
container ship loading 40-foot containers, probably containing "Chiquita" bananas. After
seeing no watercraft longer than 25ft (8 meters) in the San Blas and Bocas archipelagos,
suddenly seeing such a large ocean-going freighter docked at the small town of Almirante
came as a great surprise.
Our plan had been that upon landing in Almirante we would take taxi to the nearby
Almirante bus stop to take a four-hour bus trip south to the city of David and
from there take a bus to the town of Boquete., a trip of perhaps six or seven hours including
waiting times. However, a taxi driver offered to take us four directly to Boquete in just three
or four hours for US$80; the taxi driver pointed out that with a new connecting road he
would not need to go via David. The US$80 seemed like a lot of money for a taxi, but when
divided by four passengers it did not seem so bad. So we accepted the offer and went from
Almirante to Boquete by taxi.
Taxi and driver taking us from Almirante to Boquete.
Beautiful wooded hills on the way
from Almirante to Boquete.
from Almirante to Boquete.
On the way to Boquete we stopped at the large Fortuna Dam hydroelectric complex and
visited the adjoining museum which used a video and models to do a good job of explaining the
project.
visited the adjoining museum which used a video and models to do a good job of explaining the
project.
The Fortuna Dam viewed from the reservoir side.
Museum model explaining operation
of the hydroelectric project.
of the hydroelectric project.
At about 11:00am we arrived in Boquete and checked into the Hotel Rebiquet, where we had
a reservation. The hotel is in a modern single-story building, pictured below, with a small
but nicely landscaped central patio. We got two large clean rooms at US$44 each per
night, with attached hot water shower stall; also a small refrigerator and TV. We made use
of the communal fully equipped kitchen and dining table.
a reservation. The hotel is in a modern single-story building, pictured below, with a small
but nicely landscaped central patio. We got two large clean rooms at US$44 each per
night, with attached hot water shower stall; also a small refrigerator and TV. We made use
of the communal fully equipped kitchen and dining table.
Hotel Rebiquet, Boquete, Panama.
After checking into the hotel we walked up Boquete's main street and had an excellent lunch
at the "Deli Baru". About half of this place consists of an upscale buffet restaurant with a
limited selection of well-prepared food, while the other half is a high-end convenience store.
at the "Deli Baru". About half of this place consists of an upscale buffet restaurant with a
limited selection of well-prepared food, while the other half is a high-end convenience store.
In the afternoon we explored the town. In the evening we had a pizza dinner at a small
restaurant up one block from our hotel.
restaurant up one block from our hotel.
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Patio of the Hotel Rebiquet, Boquete, Panama.