THE MAGIC FOUNTAIN

After Ryan’s departure for his 80 hour transit back to Sydney, and a good swell for 3 days in Bocas, the girls decided it was time to drag me away from the coast to a town called Boquete. The town sits on a mountain river in the “Lote” Chiriqui highlands between the pacific and Carribean coasts of Western Panama.

Prior to leaving we were told of “Lost & Found”a nomadic style hostel built by two Canadian travellers. Basically these two guys picked a spot that travelers would pass and then built a hostel up a cliff in the middle of the jungle. The first challenge at this place is getting the bus to stop at their home made sign, next you just have to make it up the 15min hike to the hostel itself. A good call leaving the three boards in Bocas.

So after a couple of beer fueled nights meeting some great other folks in the 6 x 6 jungle bar, and getting the low down on Turantula sex from the resident Oxford University Arachnologist, it was time to leave the mountain crew with their nightly foosball competition so as not to miss the main reason we travelled all this way to Central America. The Boqete Coffee and Flower festival.

Evan, Annie and Carls about to hike to their beds.

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Rooms in the Jungle

Dinner Time

Sunset at Lost & Found

Loco Monkey!

Cold mountain water on a very hot day.

Red Dragon Flies.

Hot Springs

FHM

One of the tick box activities that most do when they come to Central America is Ziplining, (AKA) flying through the trees on a pool lanerope cable whilst having the blood cut off to your balls. So with Captain AMac at the helm wearing her best jungle knee high boots and off the shoulder number we set off up the mountain again to be proper tourists!

Tarzan impersonations complete, flower festival tick, back on the chicken bus to where there is sun, sand, salt water and brazilian bikinis. Next stop accross the border to Costa Rica’s Rasta surf town of Peurto Viejo.

Bocas Del Toro is an amazing part of Panama. Up in the North West corner of the Carribean sea the area is made up of a cluster of nine small islands. Isla Colon (Main Island) is rife with backpackers mostly in transit for a week at a time, or surfers taking advantage of the swell in the Carribean that lasts from December through March.

Water taxis set you back about a $2 per trip to one of the main breaks and neighbouring islands. Locals will also take you to further away secluded islands for anything up to $20 each for the day, pack an esky and your only worry is boredom!

We have been surfing most days with two decent reefs either a short boat or taxi away and another couple of beach breaks also on offer. The crowds are manageable and the first decent swell we got three days ago was in the 4-6ft range and great fun. Carls is loving her new board acquired in Hawaii.

Zapatilla Island - 20mins Boat from Bocas

Carribean Waters

Driftwood on Zappatia

Tree growing from Jungle into water

Small island beach sports.

More island sports..... Love being bored.

Jungle Fever

The Crazy Bull.... plenty of options in Bocas.

Bar Mondo Taitu - Panama, or Turkey?

Night Boats to secluded island house Party

On Ryan’s last night with us in Bocas we were told of a party being thrown by locals on a nearby island. A twenty minute boat ride through darkness with our way being lit by mobile phone light, brought us to a house party that was worthy of an MTV film clip.

About 300 travelers, a pool, cash bar, DJ’s, sound and lighting setups and boats coming and going long into the night from the private wharf was a fairly impressive effort.

Mental House Party at island off Bocas

Strobes

The House.

Leaving Maui in two days, great island with plenty to do. Hiked into a dormant volcano, dove a volcanic island reef, drank $1 happy hour Mai Tai’s, and ate Huli Huli chickens, all on a shoestring! Enjoy.

Haleakala Trip

Sunrise at 8000ft

Huli Huli Chicken!!

Small day at Honolua Bay

Absolutely Brilliant!!!!!!!

Bloody Yanks.

Arrived in Maui three days ago, its the second largest of the Hawaiian Islands with a totally different vibe to Kauai. We headed North west to a town called Hana. Hana is on the windy side of the island so no surfing for now.

The road to Hana is famous for the coastal drive through jungles and past waterfalls, it also goes past the tow-in wave JAWS. Yesterday we went to the Haleakala National Park and hiked a 6km trail through a bamboo forest to the Wailua Falls. Pretty epic stuff hearing bamboo belting together in the wind as you cruise through, and being able to watch fresh water meet the ocean. Enjoy the pics.

Giddy-Up!!!

Falling Water.

Mrs Fountain does the Wailua Falls

Bamboo stuff!

Big Crazy Tree.

Cool

Maybe a two and half pike????

Locals told us a tourist drowned the day we arrived

Last nights on Kauai we partied with team Canada and Matt played his first game of Gridiron, apparently whitey tells us never to call it this to North Americans??! So it was a dusty transit off to Mauai after a solid session on the Mai Tais.

Whitey & Fountain

Seppo Football??

Two days left on this amazing island. Not sure how Maui will compare, have met some great people, and surfed some fun waves. Tonight we have been invited to join the locals at Haena beach for a Hawaiin version of a Hangi to celebrate thanksgiving, we have been told that they have two wild bores on ice!

Hmmmmmmmm

Secret Beach

Wheres Gidbum???

Shaaarrrk.

Puckas, I couldn't resist mate!

Walking the dog Kauai Style.

Cranny ..... is this a Kiwi Beer?!

Camping on Kauai’s Hanalei Bay, home town of the Iron’s Brothers, at $3 a night, hard to beat. Good people, locals bon-firing it up on the beach at night and waking up to 4ft rights handers.

Hanalei Bay Sunset

Sunsets at Hanalei

Surfer Girl

A Great Part of the planet, crazy lava mountains dropping almost on top of the sand in some areas. Arrived late expecting a tough night in an economy hire car, got talking to the hire car crew and think they felt sorry for us with so much gear so scored us a free upgrade to this crazy ford Flex Seppo guzzler with more room than a bus! Yeah Boy!

First night camping and were welcomed into a crazy local hippie party…..interesting friendly bead weaving heads indeed, but gathered some good info on the island that saw us head west.

Spent last night camped up on the Waimea Canyon at about 4000ft, first good test of the gear and we managed to stay dry, both guessing that’s probably why we were the only 2 humans in the entire state park overnight! Plenty of wild roosters and chickens to keep us company.

So its more surfing and hammock time as we camp between 3 sites on the North Shore and try to find a place to leave our gear so we can hike the Kalalau trail to the Napali coast. Until next update, take it easy, were going surfing.

Scenic Kauai

Local's AI Memorial Sign

Hanea Beach

Camp Falling Avocado

Camp Fire Waimea Canyon

Scotty's

Quick trip out to the North Shore, comp placed on hold out of respect to Andy Irons for memorials held today on Kauai. A sea turtle decided to pay us a visit wandering up the beach in broad daylight (very cool). After that the Reef Girls also wandered out and I managed to jag a pic with Rob Machado (see Headville!).

When the swell hits the one road out and back turns into a crawl in both directions, we made it out to Sunset to see what the locals were calling a small swell with about 50 on the take off zone and a few bigger ones coming through.

Off to Kauai tomorrow for some surf and camping.

2011 Reef Calendar Girls!

Sea Turtle at Haleiwa

Judges Tent

WWII American Submarine

Pearl Harbour Memorial

WWII Anti Air Craft Guns

Day 1: After some minor hiccups that included our Vegemite being confiscated by security it has all began with dinner with the Duke (Good call Renny).

Welcome to the land of excess and super sized everything, $8 dollar six packs of Corona and the biggest cans of Fosters I have ever seen. The tour froth has arrived with Haleiwa starting tomorrow…… stay tuned!

Waikiki!