Island of Flowers: Isla Taboga

On our second day “on the road” we want to leave the stressful noise of the city behind us and spend a day on the beach to wind down and get into the rhythm of traveling. From the city’s main bus terminal Albrook we want to get to the Marina, where a ferry will take us to Taboga Island (a popular local weekend spot known for its beaches and jungle) and rather than timidly sticking to Uber rides we break out our broken Spanish and figure out where the bus departs. Not having a map or a bus schedule to rely upon still makes us slightly anxious, but things end up working in our favor and we get on a bus that takes us across the Amadour Causeway to the marina.

Brown pelicans accompany the ferry, gliding through the sky and occasionally diving for fish: the lush green of the island gives us our first peek of Panama’s rich nature. On the boat we meet a Panamanian who talks to us with earnest intensity and does not seem to mind that we understand next to nothing, as long as we helplessly smile and nod. My Spanish does not go beyond the most common phrases of politeness and basic numbers, but I vow to immerse myself in Duolingo lessons as soon as we get back.

We take our first dip in the bathtub warm Pacific and watch kids playing soccer at the beach, but strong winds and a few raindrops make us happy to get on a ferry back to the city. Considering that we had planned a relaxing day at the beach, we feel weirdly exhausted. It may just take a while to adjust our pace to our new adventure and to ease from vigorous organizing in Germany (packing up and all that jazz) into leisurely exploring the world.