Rygsækrejsen 2015-2016: Santa Catalina to Bocas del Toro in one day by bus

We left early this morning. The first bus leaving Santa Catalina was scheduled for 6 AM but it doesn't leave until 6:20 or 6:30. So while we waited the bakery across the street opened up and we had freshly baked croissant and whole grain bread sitting there outside the hostel watching as daylight slowly came.

Then the bus came and we spent the next 1½ hours to Sona, From there we knew we had to get the but to Santiago and then a bus to David and then the bus to Almirante and then the boat to Bocas town and then a water taxi to our hostel. Impossible to do in one day it seemed but we were determined to give it a try.

The "collectivo-style" buses to Santiago leave outside the bus station so while we ran around asking for them we missed a couple of them, once we got on one it was the usual hassle of getting all our stuff on the roof, including the other passengers stuff, like surf boards and other bulky items.

We arrived in Santiago at 9:30 and our bus driver took all of us back packers to the David bus. The usual unloading/loading hazzle, us getting the two last seats in the bus being a bit pushy but on the other hand not wanting to stand up for the next three hours.

The bus for David left at 10 AM and going on the highway we hoped to be in David around 1 PM - but the bus driver had other plans going so slowly that after a while even the local passengers started to shout at him to go faster. To make matters worse most of the highway to David was a construction site so we zig-zagged between lanes, had to stop and wait for oncoming traffic numerous times before finally being in David at 2 PM. And then waiting for our stuff to be unloaded from the roof of the bus. We headed to the big bus terminal across the road, found the bus to Almirante and cheered a bit when it left at 2:30 PM. Maybe we could still make it to Almirante before 6 PM when the regular boat service to Bocas Town stops for the night. We crossed our fingers and soon realised that making it there for 6 PM wasn't going to happen. The road was quickly going to narrow and twisted going over some impressive hills and the bus therefore going slow.

We made it to Almirante just when the last daylight was fading and knew that 6:20 PM was not good. At taxi driver picked us up and took us to the docks where the last of the ferry boats had left - but another guy was there with his boat - the last boat of the day. Instead for the standard USD 6 fee he wanted USD 15 per person and we had to wait for more passengers - 5 more at least. So we sat there, fingers crossed not wanting to stay in Almirante for the night, being this close to the goal and being more or less ready to pay whatever it would cost.

Just before 7 PM our boat guy told us he still needed more passengers and just as he said "guys, we need 5 more persons...." a minivan arrived and offloaded 5 tourist also heading for Bocas town. Hallelujah!!! We left the docks and spent the next 25 minutes going across the pitch black sea, getting wet from the rain showers straying us straight in the face but who cared? We were on the boat and just one small boat ride from our hostel, some extremely needed dinner having survived on peanuts and crackers most of the day.

In Bocas town we got a taxi boat that took us to Bubba's House - our hostel for tonight. We stepped off the boat, straight into the bar, got our room and ordered food a much deserved beer instantly. And then we of course bumped into Jen who had to hear about our trip since she tried to pull the same off just a day before us but failed because she spent too much time running around the bus station in Santiago looking for the non-existing direct connection to Bocas.

Beer, food, tired but happy we hung out a bit and then went to bed. Tomorrow is going to be very relaxed. Maybe we are not going to do anything at all. Most likely.