Create to Play: Trip Preparations

A run-through of setting up the boats in Santa Catalina before our trip

We’re nearing departure time for our kayak trip around Isla de Coiba, and our next task is to piece together a dialogue for el heffe of the National Park on the Island. Though everyone who visits the island must obtain a permit to do so, it turns out we may not be able to simply paddle around the island as easily as we’d assumed. It seems they aren’t too friendly to people camping just anywhere in this UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it’s a real gamble to get permission from them to do this sort of trip.

Part of it we think, is that not many have ever asked permission to do this privately. Jaime figures we just show up to the island anyway and take our chances. We acquired the phone number for el heffe Santiago (who lives in Santiago, Panama), to ask permission to circumnavigate the island. Some locals we talk to in town say it should be no problem getting permission, others say they can be real hard-asses and likely won’t let us. We just have to frame our case convincingly so Santiago will say yes. It all feels slightly ridiculous with so many differing vague opinions being thrown around. But, such are the waters we’re learning to navigate in Panama.

A very poisonous sea snake we found sick on the beach during our yoga session one morning

And so we enlist the help of Yann, our French proprietor. Jaime and I discuss the details of what we want Yann to say, which I then translate to him in french, which he in turn converts to spanish while speaking with Santiago. Here’s hoping not too much gets lost in translation, yikes!

Paddling the estuary that emerges onto Playa Estero (spanish for 'estuary') in Santa Catalina

Through it all, we are dealing with Jaime’s friend Michael who runs Fluid Adventures here in town, offering us an exchange: we take out his guests for a 3-day kayak trip, (which will be tacked on to the first leg of our personal 10-12 day trip) having our park permit/entry fees, the boat ride out to the island, and food costs to be covered by Fluid.

Though fighting to stay on top of the strep throat creeping in, I think I’m winning with my multiple doses of grapefruit seed extract, so I should be good to go in a few days time. It means however that I’ve had to eschew any surf, kayaking, hula or biking activity, and keep to the hammock as much as I can handle. Difficult, I know.