Trip from Bocas to Panama City

Sometimes you just need a little vacation. Even if you live on a boat in paradise ! For us these "mini vacations" mean something has broken and we need to travel to either repair or replace it. It is fascinating to me that usually these repair or replace businesses for boat products are never actually near water ! Oh well. Bocas is about a twelve hour boat/land trip from Panama City or a one hour plane ride.
The first option was $6 water taxi and $28 bus ride. Left the marina at 430 pm and arrived in the city at 530 am. We too the night bus thinking we could just sleep for the journey but that was not to happen. They woke us up at three different times and MADE us get off the bus to have a break. Once you re-entered after breaks people invariably showed up with smelly food and little children were no longer happily sleeping.
We decided to fly home. This was $100 and very pleasant. Kudos to Air Panama they were on time and super friendly.
In the city we used a great man, Roger, to drive us around to where we needed to go.
The city was very crowded and traffic was terrible.
The Albrook Mall was awesome. They boast over 700 stores and the prices were fantastic.
Never believe online hotel pictures. We paid a little extra to stay at what we thought was a nice hotel with a pool, Spa and Casino. The pool was up five flights of the building next door, not actually in the building with the rooms. It was dirty, deserted and cold. The Spa was indefinitely closed up. And the anticipated and advertised poker room in the casino was also closed. Oh well.

Helping Schools in Panama -Bocas Del Toro

We collect school supplies and give them out to communities in need as we travel. We do this with help of friends and family back in Canada. Our blog page for that is Right to Write Ministry . This week we had the pleasure of touring three schools here in Panama. These schools students are from the Ngobe - Bugle peoples of Western Panama.
The first two schools we visited get some help from a wonderful organization here Give and Surf . They currently have volunteers building two new classrooms.
But help is never enough. Once they build the classrooms they will have to come up with $500 a month for at least a year to pay the teachers. The government will not contribute until they think the school is viable and has a certain number of students.
Classes are given for pre-school and grades 1-6 (all in one classroom with one teacher).
The third school we visited it government supported, when they get money.
There are very few students in grade 7-9. After grade six many boys have to leave to work and help get money for the family. And many girls are lost at this very young age to pregnancy. Or in to continue past grade 9 the student must travel into Bocas Town by water taxi. And simply many families cannot afford this "luxury", so they stop attending.
The government is supposed to provide money for lunches for the children daily. But often this does not happen. The one school had not received any money at all this year, it is July ! Mothers take turns making lunches for the kids with what they have or what is donated.
My husband has put together a video of our visit. It can be seen  at this link.