40th Birthday Excursion

So, apparently I angered the data gods with my post about how the internet does and doesn't work around here. Despite bringing in my doohicky for a new SIM card, my data was gone in just over a day back on Jinja (various theories about this - I have disabled ANYTHING that might be using data in the background. Apps and whatnot see wifi as "free" so some stuff might be eating a lot of data refreshing trivial stuff). So I have now made an unscheduled trip back to Bocas Town, because I can't spend another whole week with only the free access to Facebook, etc.

So, a quick post on my 40th birthday that will mainly be pictures. I booked a spot on the Zapatilla tour through Selina Hostel, where I stayed the night of the 7th. For the record, I did go out the night before, but kept it fairly tame and hit the sack at a decent hour so I'd have energy for my excursion. Promise.

Selina Hostel.

The area that we headed to, east of Bocas Town and Jinja Island - "The Zaps" - Zapatilla One and Two, though we only touched down on the latter.

The group that shared my birthday with me, though they didn't know it until the end - mostly Germans, with some French and Canadians as well. I was the only American.

We stopped at this dock restaurant on the way to the Zaps to put in lunch orders, then returned afterward to swim and eat. We also stopped at "Sloth Island" and I swear that I saw several, but didn't get a very good picture of any of them.

Zapatilla!! Such a lush, verdant little island on the cusp of the Caribbean. Our guide broke out the rum and pineapple, and shucked some coconuts for us. We did a boardwalk through the interior of the island and learned about its formation (and destruction). Then we were let loose on the beach with the snorkeling gear. There was quite a current ripping between the beach and the small islands in the above picture, but I managed to make it out to them and back, but not without wondering if I'd make it!

Last stop was at the Blue Coconut. This is where I let it out of the bag that it was my birthday, while talking to the owner of the bar (A Canadian named Sabrina, I think?) - she insisted that I do two shots of tequila. A few of us then took the lancha out to try to "ski" behind it's 60hp outboard on a surfboard. What do you know? It actually worked (maybe it was the tequila). I got up on the third try and had a pretty good run.

I ended the day with some shopping, and the most mouth-watering cheeseburger I've had in quite some time at Toro Loco.

I waited a bit late to catch a lancha back out to Jinja Island, and it was completely dark. Made it a little difficult to find my own patch of nondescript mangroves, but we did it with a little luck. Campesino was very happy to see me. I fed him, had some rum, and hit the sack. Great birthday.