Cristobal Island Panama

Cristobal Island Panama

Last Month I went to Bocas del Toro Panama for a work vacation.  I grabbed my laptop and camera and drove seven hours from the Central Pacific in Costa Rica to the Panamanian border on the Caribbean side of the country.  From there I had to take a forty minute boat ride to get to my final destination on Isla Colon.  Isla Colon is an amazing place, it is an island, surrounded by other islands and islets.  Because of it’s remoteness, it is so tranquilo and the best place to unwind.  I stayed on a bungalow on stilts right over the water that was run solely by its solar panel on the roof.  The best part was I could edit on my laptop all morning, then jump off the deck into the water and start snorkeling two feet in front of where I was just working.  The boatman Leo who also lived on the property in a separate house was a great guy, and he offered to take me over to the other side of the river where his family lives.  Obviously I jumped at the chance.  Unlike the houses and bungalows where I was staying right over the water, these houses where a bit further up on dry land.  So you can’t see from the shore, but after you walk up a little hill, there is a nice farm spread with several houses that are all family of Leo.  They seemed very self sufficient as they had a bunch of livestock, fresh water, and they all got around in dug out canoes made by his uncle.  These canoes where dug out of huge Ceiba trees, and one of them was even big enough to hold thirty people!  This visit to the island made my trip.  Seeing families living off the grid, and seeing how the interact with each other in such a loving and supporting way is one of my favorite things to photograph (example).  Here’s to more opportunities like this in 2015.