Back in Bocas Del Toro

PHOTO ALBUM——>>> https://photos.app.goo.gl/YQuHe6KBnhv6ZTz59

It almost felt like we were home

Escorted back into Bocas del Toro by dolphins and then along to our regular anchorage we almost felt like we were home. We were at anchor in Red Frog anchorage for a week or so and then decided to go back into the marina.

The weather was incredibly hot with very little breeze. The sea was just so calm, the air was too humid, but every thing terribly, dry from lack of rain. There was a real crisis on many of the islands as the locals just didn’t have any water due to the lack of rain. The Panama Canal was at its lowest level since 1st being built. Everyday the sun beat down from clear blue skies.

Since being in the marina it meant we could take advantage of being able to go for our daily walks.

We took our old routes leaving after breakfast and stuck to the shady trails. However, I’m not sure if it the hot weather or what, but we really didn’t see many animals at all. We guessed they too were sheltering from the sun.

There are quite a few dogs on boats in the marina. We often walk along with these dogs and of course their owners.

Then there are also the stray dogs or beach dogs as we call them.

They are opportunists who always seem to be fed and friendly. They too tag along for a beach walk. The Red Frog Beach has again changed. The sands are being swept out to sea again, the whole shape is changing. Plus the rollers are back, large swell rolling in.

We did try to do a few boat jobs, but working outside was not really an option. The marina had doubled the electricity rates and therefore using the AC was reserved for afternoons when it was in the 90s inside Aeeshah.

However John managed a few projects inside, he relocated a bilge pump alarm, rewiring the old to a new location. Plus he cleaned the bilges and his storage under the floors, took out a water tank, cleaned it and re-plumbed it back into its hole. Just jobs that he had been meaning to do for a long time.

Me, I got back to my duolingo, polishing up my Spanish for our upcoming trip, cleaned up after John and caught up with art projects.

The rainy season was terribly late, but finally it arrived. We a few days of rain, some thunder and lightening storms and a bit of wind. Then out came the mosquitoes and no-see-ums.

A day helping with reforestation

There was an opportunity to go and help with tree planting, reforestation of and area on a neighbouring island. Cristobal Island, it had been deforested back in the time of the banana trade. The island is mainly inhabited by the local Negate peoples.

We of course volunteered and are so pleased that we went, as it was a wonderful day. We were picked up at Red Frog, along with Rebecca who was a member of the local Rotary Club. Off we went to San Cristobel, to a small resort call Dolphin Bay Hideaway. There we met up with volunteers from Floating Doctors, some training scientists with their professor from the Institute for Tropical Ecology and Conservation. And government officials from National Program for Reforestation.

It was actually National Reforestation day throughout Panama. There were also some folks in this group of volunteers that meet to plant/reforest once a month. Why would they be planting the jungle? The reason being there are areas where clearing has occured and so this land needs to be forested. Plus numourous trees are very important to the environment and they have been felled to build pangas, local kayaks or for home building. (can you spot us in the group picture above?)

Plus Panama’s promise:

“Panama is racing to restore 50,000 hectares (124,000 acres) of forest by 2025 to meet its carbon emissions reduction targets under the Paris climate agreement. The nation’s public and private sectors have embarked on various forest restoration and reforestation efforts to meet that goal.”

Once everyone had arrived we all stood in a circle and listened to the different “leaders” explain what was going to happen. We then had to select someone we didn’t know to become our partner. An Austrian gal, Tamara, from the Ecology students and myself teamed up.

We all followed along up pathways into the property. In and area that had been prepared we were again divided up so that we had a digger, a crate of saplings and an area to plant. The digger was a local guy who was very quick and able with his digger. He dug a hole, we would strip the sapling of its plastic container, then we would plant it securely in the hole. (John had a go at digging, yep, he found it was harder than it looked.

Our work was fairly easy, but we sure did get hot and sweaty with muddy hands and clothes.

Myself and Tamara took turns planting or taking off the plastic, plus we chatted the whole time and therefore time passed very quickly. We worked uphill, then downhill and just as we thought we had planted every sapling 500 more came.

These were a very special tree to be planted between all the others: the: Sterculia apetala (Panama tree)

This time we had to also dig the holes with a trowel, it’s surprising how tough the ground can be when digging a hole. Finally all the trees were bedded in the slope, hopefully to grow into tall strong trees.

Apparently we were finished ahead of time. Groups of us stood around talking and spotting the “wildlife ” around us. A beautiful green lizard, the students said it’s official name which I’ve forgotten.

The doctor brought a red frog with blue legs, (a poison dart frog), for my partner. Tamara to view as it was of interest to her.

She also spotted a large stripped beetle, which she said was a stink bug when it flew off.

One of the other directors showed how they use old palm fonds to create small “ponds” for the little frogs to lay their eggs.

Then I spotted a wonderful turquoise and black frog, this one was a good bit bigger than the red frogs. We walked back through the garden passing lovely flowers of all types.

Back at the start Dolphin Bay Hideaway, we washed up, getting rid of all the mud, climbed into our pangas and were taken around the corner for lunch.

There at No Name bar and restaurant we had a nice lunch, chatted and listened to a few short speeches from the various groups that were represented. Mainly thank you speeches about being grateful to us the volunteers.

After which we set off back to Red Frog. The returning journey was very rough as the weather was coming in and just as we arrived the shies opened up, it poured, thundered and lightening flashed.

And back at Red Frog we continued with our walks,