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One of my favorite spots in Panama is the Bocas del Toro Archipelago situated on the northwestern coast of Panama. Each time I spend a weekend there I return with renewed energy and a smile on my face and wonder why don’t I go to Bocas every weekend. My last visit was enjoyable as usual and what made it special was the company of my sister and her husband who came from northern California to visit us for a week. Once again I had only a few days to choose the perfect vacation for two couples who were desperate for some sun, amazing white sand beaches, coconut palm trees all around, snorkeling, and good seafood - you name it - it was all there in the new “Mecca” for tourism and real-estate - Bocas del Toro!  Since time was short, I decided that we had no time to travel by bus, and opted once again to take that little plane, but unlike our 15 minute flight to Contadora, the flight time was almost an hour to get there - so we all said our individual prayers and off we went. We landed smoothly in Isla Colon - the most developed of the nine islands in the Archipelago and the main town of Bocas. Isla Colon offers a large number of hotels and inns, restaurants, cafes, pubs and facilities for ecotourism as well as other activities for all the international backpackers visiting Bocas. So after getting our bags off we went in a two minute taxi ride to J&J Boat Tours where we got a small canoe to take us to Isla Carenero where our favorite intimate inn - Casa Acuario - is situated right on the crystal-clear water. Isla Colon has a lot to offer: a great ambience and nice and helpful people but at times it can get too busy for me. My whole purpose of going to Bocas is to relax and enjoy the sound of the waves when I wake up in the morning. That’s why we usually go to Isla Carenero which is a perfect spot because its just 5 minutes away from a fun international nightlife built over water, yet at the same time we are able to enjoy peace and quiet during the day as we lie on the hammocks on the patios outside our suites and observe the spectacular view of the islands of Bastimentos, Colon, Cristobal and Solarte, and simply enjoy a dreamy sunset. Casa Acuario is owned and run by Joan Mayers Bergstorm and Raymond Guthrie Jr. Since Joan and Raymond were so friendly to us each time we visited their place- I was curious to hear about their story and how they chose Bocas for their home, why they decided to leave the U.S., and how they established their comfortable inn on the waterfront of Isla Carenero.

The Hotel Casa Acuario in Bocas Del Toro.

I asked Joan the key question - “What made you leave the U.S.?”

“As a young girl I planned every vacation as an opportunity to spend time with the Indians- the Maya of Yucatan, the Huichole in the Sierra Madre Mountains of western Mexico, the Ouiche in Guatemala and at an early date, developed a dream to spend a part of my life living close to earth and embracing a simpler way of life. The pared down utter simplicity and lack of grasping for something more, their reverence for nature, their unspoiled, helpful children and complete contentment seemed to embody all the things that I wanted to embrace in my life. I never lost the focus of making this happen. The years passed on Longboat Key as I worked as an artist and a real estate agent. I became more and more distressed as the nature there diminished and huge waterfront mansions took the place of the mangroves, raccoons and owls. Early on I put a fund aside for my dream of moving South to wilder climes. In the mid 90’s I ran into Raymond, whom I had not seen since childhood and mentioned that I was planning a boat trip to places South and he said that he was disappointed to see what had happened to our home and was ready to join me; we definitely had the same desire to go adventuring to find an unspoiled spot. We built a boat together and headed for points South.”
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Bocas del Toro was originally settled by people from the islands of Jamaica, San Andres and Providencia.

What an adventure!!! So, why Bocas del Toro as opposed to any other place on the water? I asked. “When we pulled into Bocas del Toro we could not believe our eyes, so very much like the South Florida that we remembered as children ….no tourists and lots of Indians.” Joan and Raymond fell in love with Bocas the minute they saw the place.  How come? I asked. “Bocas was perfect for us, as Raymond and I share a great love for the sea. The Bocas Islands are like a Venice in the South as everything is done by boat. The islands are located in a huge lagoon which offers a lot of protection from the weather and high seas.  The school children are taken by boat to school; all the goods are moved by boat: plantains, bananas, pineapples, vegetables, furniture, fish, lobster and each person living here must like to run or ride in boats”. Joan is absolutely right. Rather than buying your groceries in the common supermarket - everything is done by boats which makes it even more special.  Imagine seeing your continental breakfast arrive via a canoe full of tropical fruits and vegetables early in the morning.  It just makes you feel you came to the right place.  It took Joan 20 years to fulfill her dream and now she has been living it with her partner for 6 lovely years.  Joan’s persistence reminds me of a quote I read in a little book my mother gave me in her last visit to Panama called- “Follow your dreams”: “Don’t abandon dreams from your youth; adjust them as required, and they will flourish”. How did you get the idea of opening the hotel? Was this your original idea? I asked. “We actually bought the rights to a dock from an old native who had a small gasoline business, operating out of a few old wooden cabins. We started to build a small house for ourselves, above and two guest rooms for our family, below. Our families have busy lives and rarely came. For a year we enjoyed our magnificent view of the sea and mountains, snorkeled our crystal waters alone and decided that we should share it with others. So we decided to convert the house and guest quarters into a small, intimate, homey comfortable hotel.”

What I like about the inn is its simplicity - all constructed out of wood. Joan says that the woods available in these islands are magnificent and that they used a lot of waterproofer and stains, and varnish as opposed to paints.

Today, Casa Acuario offers only four comfortable large suites built over the sea with private decks facing the mountains, a large open air kitchen and patio with separate living quarters towards the beach. The rooms have orthopedic beds, Direct TV and A/C with some of the best views of the islands of Bastimentos, Solarte, San Cristobal, Isla Colon, and Bahia Almirante. Casa Acuario has beautiful snorkeling water and a small beach. The suites are $65 double occupancy plus 10% tourist tax. They offer a hearty breakfast for $3.50 and the kitchen is open if guests wish to prepare a meal themselves or hire a native to cook for them. There are several good restaurants just steps away from Carenero or at Isla Colon.
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According to Joan, Raymond loves fishing and is so happy when they have guests that want to go out for the day. He has a good off shore boat to fish in the lagoon or off shore. Joan says that there are Tuna running in the summer, kingfish, mackerel, Amber jack, Wahoo grouper and snapper to name a few of the more prevalent fish available here. I agree with Joan that everyone should make the tours their first priority to familiarize themselves with a first quick overview of the islands in order to know what should be repeated. That’s exactly what we did - we had two days of beautiful tours – the first day we ordered a boat from J&J, however, they were out of regular boats, and so we took a party boat out to Boca del Drago and the Bird Island. We met our native captain; hopped in and put on our safety vests...we stopped and snorkeled in extraordinary unspoiled coral reefs - just diving under and observing the sea world made me realize I had been far away from nature for too long. We climbed back up with a small ladder and giggled hysterically because each one of us looked terrible with our masks on. So, just as we were starting to get hungry… the motor died! Even though the small party boat started to drift into the open sea…. we put on a smiley face and jumped in again for a swim and some more snorkeling…drunk too many beers on an empty stomach which made my sister and her husband dance the tango on the boat as we were drifting, while I was jumping in to cool off every few minutes.  Finally, another boat came to pick us up (that took about two hours). Meantime, this all happened in front of the Punta Caracol hotel near Sweet Bocas which looks great, but is a more expensive place to stay on the water. We finally did get to Boca del Drago - a small beach with coconut palm trees all around, small hostels and a restaurant where we had a nice cheap lunch. Boca del Drago was packed with tourists and backpackers from all over the world. It was great seeing so many tourists, since you don’t see too many in Panama City - I guess they know where to go, ha?

It's important to remember when thinking about the history of Central America that the British were very active along the Caribbean coast of Central America. Belize was the British Mahogany colony, but British influence strectched all along the Caribbean coast of Central America, even to Bocas del Toro. One of the more interesting relationships the British developed during their time along the coast was with the Miskito Indians of Nicaragua and Honduras. The Miskito's were great trackers of runaway slaves and were even taken to Jamaica for this purpose.

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The next day we took a regular shaded boat and fast motor with a native captain for $15 a person, who took us to see the dolphins in Bocatorito - what a site!! Other places we saw included Crawl Key - a very popular stop for lunch and snorkeling (a few minutes away there is another great restaurant), Red Frog beach - amazing entrance - a 20 minute forest trail leads you to the beach and on the way you get to see the little red frogs, and Hospital Point where snorkeling is again optional.

I asked Joan if there are any other special places she recommends. Joan says that there are so many beautiful places: Bluff Beach, the Indian villages of Popa, San Cristobal and Salt Creek on Bastimentos, where you can buy carvings of native animals and Guaymi hand sewn dresses from the Indians.

Joan also talked about taking a day excursion up the Changuinola and Teribe River to spend a day with the indigenous Naso Indians in Wetso International Park La Amistad. The Naso people have a lodge for those who would like a real adventure. Sounds great!  Once again I was fascinated to learn about the indigenous tribes of Panama still living in small isolated communities and still observing their culture, and there are also many people on the islands originally from Jamaica.
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Central America would become important to the U.S. after gold was discovered in 1848 at Sutter's Mill in California. In order to get west people thought crossing Central America was easier than traveling through the dangers of the American west.

I asked Joan to describe her relationship to the community of Bocas? “It has taken a lot of years to feel accepted. The people here watch your moves closely and want to make sure that you are good and fair before they let you in. The native/ outsider thing has definitely complicated the natives’ lives a lot as we have brought money into a world where barter was used. The land was so plentiful and expansive that families gave pieces up to friends or relatives and now these pieces of land are valuable. The natives are happy that we have brought money into their picture as life was tough when the fish weren’t running and their children went to bed hungry, but I also think that they miss the freedom of their ways without outside influence so our arrival is both good and bad”. Do you feel at peace living in such a relaxing place? I asked. “Yes, I use to travel a lot and loved the adventure of it but I find now that I have found this place, it becomes harder and harder to leave”. Would you tell people to follow your footsteps? I asked. “Bocas is not for everyone. Many people who come here fall in love with it, buy, move here and are out of here before a year is up. I really feel that it is still a pioneer country and there are certain risks that you take investing in land conveyed by rights of possession, which is the main form of ownership, as there is little titled land here. I am a pioneer so it suits me and I am willing to take the risks as I am happy here and am looking at these islands as a life style and not as a get rich opportunity. It is important to have projects and things to engage and challenge you…writing, painting, building, something. A lot of the people are bored and don’t know what to do with themselves. They miss the shops and non-stop entertainment Western society offers.  It is never a problem for us as we always have some project going on here at the hotel”.

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Since more and more Americans want to leave the U.S. and open a business in Latin America (large or small) I asked Joan if she has any tips or suggestions. 

“It is somewhat risky but a lot of people are doing it. Research what you need in the way of paperwork so that you do not have to go back again and again as each time there are costs and this can add up quickly. There is much paper work needed to protect your investment…get it right.  Find out everything needed, upfront. Get a good lawyer, and get to know the officials. Research the prior ownership well”.

How is business lately, I asked.

I agree with Joan that Bocas is no longer a secret so more and more people are coming here. Joan says this year is much busier than last and that she is sure that business will just steadily improve into the future. Since Bocas has unreliable weather, Joan hopes it will not become another Cancun and will continue to attract the eco tourist so that its magnificent nature will be preserved. 

What is the best time to visit Bocas? 

"The fall and the spring. According to Joan, the summer is rainy and in the winter the sea is somewhat high so the water is not always as clear".

Do you think you will expand in the future or do you like the intimacy of the place?

“We will not expand as this is our life too and we came here mainly to enjoy life and our priority is not to make money; its small size is manageable and enjoyable”.

How would you describe your life in Bocas? What are some of the charms Bocas has in your eyes? 

“I go to town about twice a month to buy the staples as everything else comes to us by boat - fish, fruit and vegetables, pork, bananas. The town is friendly and we now have many local friends so on the rare occasion that we do go out we always have an enjoyable time. There are great ethnic restaurants and if you like night life Bocas has a few good bars that have an active scene late into the night and are safe. We actually prefer to be here on Carenero, enjoying all the natural beauty, peace and serenity that this place has to offer. It is what we both were looking for and what these islands have given us".

What’s fun about Casa Acuario is that people from all over the world stay here. Joan and Raymond had virtually no advertising until the Lonely Planet Panama 2002 guide came out and gave them a nice mention, but most of their guests have been referred by other guests, by word of mouth, or passed by and saw it and decided to spend the rest of their visit with them. When I asked Joan if any interesting people visited the hotel lately she said: “We have so many wonderful people that I can’t list them all”. To mention a few: they had a group from the British Embassy in Beijing who flew all the way from China to stay in their inn in Bocas. They also had models and clothing designers from Naples, Italy who stayed for 10 days with them and some canceled their flights and stayed longer. Last week they had the pleasure of having the president, the producer and photographer of the Miss Universe Pageant with friends and family. Furthermore, they have many Panamanian families who come and celebrate Christmas and Easter Holidays with them.

Guests arrive in Bocas by flying (the flight might stop in Changuinola), driving from Panama City by car and leaving their car in safekeeping and then take a ferry, or a bus which is a beautiful ride but very long. Many guests come via Costa Rica by bus or rental car to the border or in Almirante, the end of the road and a hopping-off spot for the taxi boats to Bocas. 

In Bocas, no one seems to be in a hurry, and the pace of life is rather slow and most people are laid back. I asked Joan what advice she would give to the people who want to come to Bocas. 

“Leave all your ideas about what is important in life at home and come here with an open mind to make sweeping changes in your list of priorities. There is a lot to learn from the natives if you will sit back a little, observe. Do not expect things to be the same. Bocas life is life a 100 years back, people are laid back, their families are their first priority, their freedom and fun is second and work is an afterthought”.

Joan and Raymond are one example of people from around the world who followed their dream and created a home, a group of international friends and a business on the islands of Bocas del Toro. I hope in the future I will have the pleasure of meeting and interviewing others from this international community who were committed to their dream and who chose an alternative life style.

Before I left I asked Joan to describe Bocas in one line?

“Drumbeats, stars, fire flies, parrots calling, crystal water and mountains, smiling faces, peaceful tranquility, jungle, safe and home”. 

Joan says “If there was ever a Garden of Eden it had to be here, even a poor gardener can grow everything with success. If there is a heaven this is surely as close as I will ever get”. 

Helpful web-sites and tips:

*The landing strip is about 3 blocks away from Bocas town, where one can easily get a taxi for about a dollar.
*Casa Acuario- 507-7579565  www.casaacuarioresort.com
*Hotels in Bocas-- www.bocas.com
*Restaurants— www.ipat.gob.pa/restaurantes_bocas.html or just walk around the town and you will find plenty of restaurants. 
*Albrook Airport- Aeroperlas Airlines fly to Bocas: for reservations call 507-3157500. Aero Mapiex Airlines also fly to Bocas: for reservations call 507-3150888.
*Don’t forget to bring insect repellent spray (OFF).
*Joan can be reached at: joberg1301@cwp.net.pa
*J&J Boat Tours of Bocas (one of the agencies which offers tours of the islands and water taxi service)—507-7579915—located in the town of Isla Colon.
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Zvia Leibler-Danon grew up in Israel and has lived in Panama for the last 5 years. She is a teacher at a local school in Panama City and has recently graduated from Florida State University-Panama where she majored in International Affairs. Her interests include: tropical islands, alternative medicine, local art and of course spas and yoga retreats up on the mountains of Panama. Zvia offers market research reports related to Panama. If you wish to contact her write: zldarticles@yahoo.com

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