I could fill up a whole blog post with photos like this one…
…Rusty likes Topas Hostel more even than do we. Our previous campground in Boquete was very pleasant:
But at night we were kept awake by a serenade of barking from a neighboring house that permitted no sleep. So we decided we had to move and find something else.
As far as I can gather Topas means “to bump into” and I suppose the idea is that this rather charming hostel is a place where you can bump into friends and strangers. The place was built by the head of a family that has since died and left behind a group of heirs at war over ownership of the hostel. Not that we the guests would know, but Boquete is a small town and everyone’s business is apparently of interest … to everyone!
The eight rooms are fully booked but we are the only overlanders in the place so we could snag a rather nice shady spot near the road which gives us some privacy. However it also puts us a bit on display to passersby! And they stop to chat and require about our traveling home. Layne is in the business of giving tours !
A Colombian dude walking by asked to have a look. He left his home to emigrate to Panama years ago to escape Colombia’s civil war.
I think YouTube is responsible for increasing interest in travel by camper but none of the curious have had a chance to see a van in real life so…I feel a bit weird acting as ambassador for overlanding but I suppose they have to start somewhere, so they might as well check out our van.
Jorge thinks he might like to take off with his wife and see Latin America and he paid us back for showing him the van by bringing some rather decent cheese and ham and wine, a charming surprise and we talked at length into the night.
The campground is close to the heart of Boquete and makes for an easy walk to the shops and restaurants.
We have invested in two fifty foot electrical cords and around here that’s just as well. The outlet is around the corner in the far distance.
The hostels rooms are in back overlooking the pool which doesn’t get much use in the cool winds that are honking through town.
One other curiosity about this place is the decor. I have no idea who the Tintin fan is but I recognize the characters and the stories they depict.
If you aren’t a fan of the Hergé comic strip about the adventurous Belgian reporter and his dog Snowy you won’t get it.
Thompson and Thomson the detectives, Captain Haddock in Tibet…
…and Professor Calculus and Nestor the butler. I wondered why whoever did this left out Castafiore the opera singer but maybe I just haven’t found her yet. What a strange place to find my childhood stories.
Oh and let’s not forget the BSA motorcycles rotting gently.
I’m sure this place hides a great many more stories than I could uncover but I enjoy sitting in the sun watching the clouds fly overhead, listening to the trees yield to the wind.
And then there’s Karsten who manages the campground for the mysterious lady owner who claims the inheritance if the stranger who told me the story got it right about the family feud. Karsten is in some ways my soul mate (!) as he got tired of Germany and misunderstood by his family finally decided to explore Latin America. He’s spent three years in Boquete but he’s a musician and he has finally had to accept there is no worthwhile music scene in Panama. He’s leaving next month to explore the possibilities in South America. I hope he finds what he’s looking for.
So what are our plans? I suppose we shall leave Boquete later this week and drive around Panama for some exploration and to pass the time until our van part arrives. Once GANNET2 is checked out and working properly we shall make a new appointment to travel to Colombia.
Until then, here we are.
