After Isla Grande the race was on to get over to the Pacific coast and a surf town called Santa Catalina, this is how it panned out:
We got the small fishermans boat back to the mainland, with Dad holding on for dear life. Then we got a love themed Chicken Bus, which raced along at 90km an hour going so close to other trucks that he smashed the rear view mirror and showered Maudie in glass. Then a city bus back to Panama, followed by a cab to the airport to pick up a hire car. Mum drove the first 150km then I took over, 20 minutes in I was hauled over by the police and read my rights for driving at 123kmph! But I managed to get off with a $40 bribe, a historic day in my experience with authority! After that is was plane sailing (at 100kmph). We arrived in Santa Catalina, as the sun was going down with one slow puncture and a raging thirst for booze!
We had the foresight to reserve two rooms at Sol Y Mar (http://www.solymarpanama.com/) and were not disappointed, we had adjoining wooden lodge style cabins, with amazing aircon, huge beds and hot water! The hotel is run and owned by a Portuguese surfer called Luis, he is a wicked host, who cooks, lets you help yourself to beers and will drive you out to the local surf breaks to get the best waves of the day.
We had three really nice nights in this town, it was astonishingly hot (40C during the day), even at night (30C), but the beaches are a dream and beer's are cold. Maudie went surfing for one day, but my ribs were still giving me pains, so I sat it out on the beach. At night we all went out for lovely dinners and during the day mum had the best fried fish plate she's ever had - and at just $2 a plate it was a bargin!
Nearby is the national park of Coiba, which Maudie and I visited on a special day out of snorkling and exploring a prison, abondoned just 5 years ago...
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