Island Life

Two months of constant traveling was one big exciting adventure after another. It had its ups and downs. Sleeping in hostel dorms, long bus rides, budgeting, and trip planning was exhausting. For the last part of our trip we spent a month volunteering at The Palmer Tent Lodge, on the island of Bastimentos in Bocas Del Torro, Panama. 

Taking it down a notch. This was island life. 

We stayed here as guests back in November and liked it so much that we came back for Christmas. They invited us to come back to volunteer in exchange for room, board, and yoga.

This is the main house, volunteer rooms on the bottom, living room/patio and kitchen on the second floor. We shared this house with 10 other people, all American except for an Aussie couple. Everyone was in their mid-late 20s. 

The house was very open, and often we would find critters wondering around the house; snakes crawling along the patio, crabs in the shower, bats in the bathroom, and spiders throughout the house. You get used to it after awhile.. this is their house too. 

One of the many spiders that liked to hang out in our room. 

View from the patio 

View of the house from the beach 

Jasmines first bartending gig, she makes a mean rum punch. 

The tent lodge was totally unplugged. No wifi, no TV, nothing. It was nice walking into a bar and seeing people actually talking to each other, playing games, or reading books. Usually everyone is glued to their i-whatevers...

All the girl volunteers

We spent the days on the beach or hiking. At night, we would work at the bar. 

All the volunteers got along. During the day the boys would surf or go spearfishing, and the girls would usually do a yoga class or tan on the beach. 

Once a week we took a water taxi into town for groceries.. or to just hang out in town. 

St. Patties Day in Bocas. It's not really a popular holiday down here, its mostly for the gringos.

This is the house dog, Aria Stark. 

Catching a few rays before our shift. 

Coco Hill was a place that we frequented all the time. It was all fresh vegan food made by a really cool Aussie lady, Michelle. Seriousely some of the best food we've had in Panama. 

I will always remember this beach for the hot pink sunsets and fluorescent blue phytoplankton 

Rainbow tree

Lazy sloth

My fellow bartender in crime.. pouring shots for the employees. 

Found this guy slithering across the sand just outside the bar. He also somehow found its way into our house too. 

After hour shenanagins 

My Panama boys. 

This was paradise.