We made it!

And another week is over... On the one hand, I feel like time is flying, on the other hand, it feels like I've been traveling forever. But every day there's something new to discover! :)

When I look back on the past week, what stands out to me most is the hike to the highest point in Panama, Volcan Barú, and the dolphins in Bocas del Toro.

Kathi and I had planned to hike up the volcano and watch the sunrise from there. We were told that it would take about 6 hours and 13 km up and the same distance back down. A sporty challenge, but we were highly motivated. So we teamed up with 3 other girls in the hostel and started our hike on our own in the middle of the night, without a ranger. The first kilometer was a lot of fun and everyone was in good spirits, thinking that in 6 hours we would be sitting at almost 3500m altitude watching the sunrise. But as the hike progressed, it became clear that it would be a mental challenge. The distances given were obviously not accurate and due to the complete darkness, we couldn't even see the destination, so we just kept walking. Mile after mile. Absolute silence was occasionally broken by cursing in English, German, and French, and at some point, I wondered why I was putting myself through all of this. Nonetheless, we pushed through and were rewarded with a beautiful view. When I touched the cross at the summit, I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry, and I was fascinated by the unique view where you could see both the Pacific and the Atlantic at the same time. Luckily, Kathi and I made it back down healthy (but not exactly lively) as a team and we were proud of ourselves for making it. Oh, and by the way, to all the other tourists who had been driven up in jeeps at 5 o'clock in the morning to see the sunrise: I would have loved to see heads roll when the jeeps overtook me after 6 hours of hiking in the cold and darkness and arrived at the destination ahead of me. :D But I'm sure that we appreciated the view much more. By the way, in Panama, distances for hikes are taken 'accurately', just like any other pick-up times or agreements. In any case, at the end, my smartwatch showed 35 km and a total time of over 13 hours. My poor feet...

After that experience, we definitely needed some relaxation. So we booked 3 nights on the Bocas del Toro Islands. They are super beautiful islands in the Caribbean. Amazing! Sometimes we were sitting all alone on deserted beaches and just enjoyed the peace and quiet. We went on a boat tour, went snorkeling, and actually saw dolphins playing in the boat's waves.

Those 3 days were really good, but our wanderlust kicked in again. So we crossed the border to Costa Rica. We decided to take the boat and the bus. Although during the border crossing, I briefly wasn't sure if I would be used as a drug mule since it suddenly had to be crossed on foot. In the end, everything went smoothly - although it was a bit chaotic at times.

So we made it. Goodbye Panama, hello Costa Rica.

I still have 10 more days in Costa Rica until my flight to Colombia. After all the adventures that Kathi and I have already conquered together, we will also travel through Costa Rica together. We might skip the hikes up any volcanoes, but I can't wait for the next wild adventure. 

One thing I will definitely take away from this trip is that it's not worth worrying about all possible scenarios in advance. Because at the end of the day, you always reach your destination. It may be uncomfortable at times and it may not work out right away, but somehow it works. Always!

And besides, you can use hours-long rides on a non-air-conditioned bus across the country to write new blog posts. But more about Costa Rica in the next post.

See you soon :) 

PS: Suddenly, I can be very happy about the occasional appearance of dog hair from Dexter, even though they annoyed me at home. I already miss that stinker.