Back at De la Luna for a couple of days along with a few other boats.  They're such great cooks here it's hard to resist.  They grow most of their own fruits and vegetables, raise chickens, buy the rest from the locals.  We throw in whatever we've brought from town- lamb, shrimp, whatever's exotic.  Results have been impressive.  

Since Friday we've been anchored in the Gulf of Chiriqui with several other boats from Bocas.  On the shore is an eco-friendly-sustainable resort called De la Luna, home to all manner of species.  A series of thatched-roof huts climbs up the island, populated by goats, chickens, dogs, monkeys, local indians, and expatriates from all over.

 Michelle (in yellow) chief lunatic here, with general manager Rain

 

Just went on a hike around the Jackson property, a twenty-acre site the Smithsonian acquired recently.  They grow chocolate, pineapple, coconut, and many frogs.

Lorenzo cuts his arm and gets stitched up at the hospital.  Dumb move with power tool.  And we were two hours outside of Bocas when it happened.  Fortunately, cruisers have a radio network for emergencies, and were very helpful.  12 stitches, $12 (antibiotics included).  Socialized medicine, rah!

uh- oh, garbage wars!  Bocas residents have had it with their sporadic trash pickup.  Friday was the day they all dropped their garbage in front of the Mayor's office.  It was quite picturesque, blocking all four entrances to city hall.  In a tourist town like this, where everyone drinks out of plastic bottles, trash is a big deal.

Today we walked across the Costa Rica border to get our passports stamped- it's a ritual every six months here.  There used to be a requirement that you stay three days on the Costa Rican side; now it's three hours.  Once CR stamped our passports, we asked them, can't we just turn around and walk back across the bridge to Panama?  The answer was NO.  So we spent a few hours eating, taking buses, and trying to spend Costa Rican change.  Then we met up with more cruisers for shopping in Panama (much more fun when there's twelve of you!) and the water taxi back to Bocas.

The police station here in Bocas features this great mural.  And out back, a sport fishing boat seized for drugs.