monkeying around in cahuita

Hola from Panama! It has been too long, my friends. At this very moment though, I am safe and sound in Bocas del Toro with high-speed wi-fi so we shall be catching up with each other very nicely. I hope you're as excited as I am :).

Situated along the Carribean Coast, Cahuita is a quaint, relaxing beach town situated to another national (rainforest) park. It receives it's fair share of backpackers though, case in point: Café Chocolatte.

We arrived there late on Wednesday evening so I awoke the next morning, starving, and ready to explore. I enjoyed a vegetarian plate from the incredible Swedish-founded Café Chocolatte alongside a perfect cup of coffee con leché.

Happily fueled, Matt and I embarked on a hike. Join me as I re-live it, won't you?

 [Howler monkey spotting!]

 [See the sloth?]

The hike was cut short due to flooding on the trail. Luckily, however, the heavens opened up as soon as we arrived at the beach. I wasn't ready for the water but that doesn't mean I didn't splash around a bit! It was beautiful.

And look who we saw on our walk back? More monos! White-faced capucins, to be exact. The set pictured above is one of two pairs. They're so adorable and it's incredible to see them in the wild.

The rest of the afternoon was spent wandering to the other side of the island, finding cheap empanadas for a late lunch/snack and singing old Disney songs. Really. Except, not exactly, because I was the only one singing ;).

That night we each had a casado Carribean-style. Mine included the expected salad, rice, and beans, with a special vegetables in coconut milk addition and the replacement of fried plantains with plantain chips. After an active day and satisfying meal, I slept very well that night.

Friday morning we packed ourselves up and got on yet another bus headed south. Our small town break was nice but we were ready for a big time backpackers hub. Stay tuned for a recap of our fabulous Puerto Viejo weekend!