Taboga Tour
04 May 2008 | Taboga
Randy
We motored in a flat calm from La Playita to Taboga yesterday. Taboga is a little resort island about 7 miles from Flamenco Island at the end of the Amador Causeway. There's a lot of junk in the water not to mention ships anchored as far as ten miles off of the point. It is quite a sight.
On the way in we caught a small black fin tuna. It made perfect sushi for four.
After a nice night in the main Taboga anchorage we took a dinghy ride ashore. Taboga is a weekend spot for wealthy Panamanians and has a vacationy feel to it. There are a few vacation villa rentals, a few hotels and several eateries.
We took the opportunity to hike up to the top of the highest spot on Taboga. It was a 2 hour round trip on a hot day, but it was well worth it. The views of the vast Bay of Panama were spectacular. We could see Panama City in the hazy distance and big ships anchored everywhere.
We walked back into town along the main road, which is large enough for a golf cart or a Kawasaki Mule. We had lunch at a little place along the way which served mediocre food very very slowly. Hideko ordered a Pipas, which is a young coconut. They drill a hole in the top and pop a straw in for you. It was wonderful. We had only had the milk of mature brown coconuts previously. There is a surprising amount of sweet juice in the young coconut and it was nice and cold because they pile the coconuts up in the fridge (not very efficient space wise but great for the Pipas buyers).
After lunch we took a dinghy ride around Taboga. It is a pretty island and very natural outside of the main village. It was fun to be able to blast on a plane with four adults aboard. Shooting Star is fast, if a little bumpy.
Back at the boat we took the afternoon off. Nobu took a nap in the hammock hung between the bows and Ed did some reading. Hideko and I just relaxed and did odds and ends.
It was a nice day and our last in sight of the mainland. Tomorrow we'll be off to the Las Perlas.