As most of you know I currently live in Panama, and the Island Story is a tale of six people going on a two day adventure to discover a hidden treasure called Escudo de Veraguas. Don’t ask me where is it because I’m still not sure myself.
To get there we had to go through open sea for about three hours with death in our eyes and souls. This is because the ocean was crazy that day – and a word to the wise, it’s not the greatest idea to cruise on a tiny fishing boat when the waves are so high that every surfer would love them. The only thing that kept me reassured was the fact the captain brought his family along so it made me think “hey, what could go wrong”?
If you ever decide to take a trip to the desert island make sure you come prepared for the rainy scenario. Meaning, you might think the nature is all you need but trust me, that’s not the case. And what’s more, your travel companions will annoy you one way or another.
You will find yourself thinking of all those conversations you had in the past questioning what would you bring to the desert island and ask yourself, where the fuck is all the stuff from my list?
So here it goes: Food! make sure you have enough, don’t believe them when they tell you all the food is included, always bring extra. Booze! Any paradise gets boring in rain and fermenting coconuts will take forever. Don’t be stupid, bring an extra bottle. Shoes! I would never imagine I need more than a pair of flip flops for a beach getaway, but yes, I managed to break them in the first hour so I spent the rest of the trip barefoot praying for the snakes not to be too sneaky when I walk around. A good flashlight is key when there is no electricity, a knife to protect you from monsters and bug spray because you will die without it. It would also be advisable to read up a bit on the local animals to know which might kill you. After about ten minutes of putting up our hammocks in the 5 star shed we discovered a red viper taking a nap in the corner, a few scorpions ready to jump in our beds and a spider or two.
If you happen to be in Panama at the right time a year investigate a night adventure to this beach. If you are lucky as we were you will get to see the giant turtles laying eggs in the sand. Don’t be a douche though by staring forever as they might need their privacy.
The next morning brought a whole new perspective. We woke up to the gorgeous weather and all the colours became vibrant and the world was beautiful again. Escudo de Veraguas is stunning. One of the most stunning places I have seen in Panama. The tiny rocky island reminded me of the Philippines minus the crowds, it was literally no one accept us which brought the experience to the next level.
We got to see nature at its best and we felt like true outcasts. There was nothing else and the world was ours to explore. Victor got in a fight with an irritated pigmey sloth who was probably annoyed with him for taking too long to take a selfie. Again, more rum would make it slightly better, but hey first world problems. We swam in the sea and through lagoons, which had a great potential for an aqua BBQ. Note to future self – invest in a floating BBQ if they even make them, if not…million dollar idea!
I’m not going to go on about the beauty of the beaches because I have seen so many of them, that one day I will write a post dedicated to them. It’s the wildness that stole my heart, because these days traveling is so accessible it’s not easy to find hidden gems, and Escudo de Veraguas certainly is one.
If you are not up for spartan conditions and a true taste of the remote island adventure then you better stay home.
