As my time in Bocas del Toro draws to a close, I’ve been slowly ticking off the items on my bucket list here. One such place was Hospital Point. The secluded spot is a the western tip of Solarte Island and although I had passed it on several previous occasions, I had never visited the destination itself.
When I was dropped off by the water taxi, it became clear how few tourists come here. That’s partly because, I discovered, there’s not much to see – just a small beach and several private holiday homes. Still, it was a tranquil place to study Spanish.
Describing the scene also led to one of my more farcical conversations in class. Under the pier there were several types of fish swimming in the clear water and I was about to jump in when I saw a large poo floating in the sea. Although it looked human, I suspect it belonged to a dog. Either way, it lessened the appeal of a refreshing dip. As I explained the scenario, my mistaken pronunciation of popó (poo), led my teacher to think I’d seen a large, but probably not human, pulpo (octopus). No wonder he was captivated by my story!
Last weekend I booked myself on a long-awaited scuba diving trip with Diving Pirates. It was almost a decade since I had previously used my PADI open water certification and, despite my excitement, I was a little apprehensive. However, after practising the various safety measures underwater again, I was ready. We began with an excellent wreck dive around a sunken trimaran. On the way back, we spotted a large stingray with a width only slightly smaller than my arm span. The second dive ran parallel to the seawall at Hospital Point. I’ve always found seawalls imposingly beautiful and we saw a lobster, lion fish and several squid.
The weather during the past two Sundays has been spectacular and I’ve taken my revision materials to Black Rock Beach and Aqua Lounge.
One day after school had closed for students learning Spanish, I noticed two boys aged around six years old walk in the entrance. This was unusual, but I suspected their parents may have been learning English downstairs. When I left the terrace a few minutes later, I saw the boys prodding the school’s cat with sticks. Obviously I was enraged. In my sternest voice, I immediately shouted, “¡Para!” (Stop!). The boys instantly turned towards me looking sheepish and moved away. My authority was only slightly undermined when I then tried to tell them to leave the cat alone. I ordered them to “Dejala en paz” (Leave her in peace) but my uncertainty with the grammar made me slightly hesitant. When I told my teacher, he was pleased with my intervention. The cat though was more bemused than grateful.
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