It is Christmas Eve and I am feeling a bit nostalgic.

I found this video on the computer when I was going through all of our videos yesterday. Tres has grown up so much since this film was taken over two years ago. I remember distinctly when he saw the iguana and told me and Jim to come quickly and bring the camera. Jim grabbed his camera and got both photos and this shaky video footage of the baby iguana. Sightings of this kind are rare so it was super cool that Tres was the one who spotted him sunning on the landing. I got photos and video footage of Jim and Tres getting the iguana. Tres was copying everything his dad was doing from getting down on his knees to his belly to get the best shots of the little guy. It is so interesting to see how the learn and really get excited about nature.

Tags: Family, Iguana, Children, Blessings

In honor of James’ annual return to Tranquilo Bay I thought it appropriate to post a typical day at the office for him:

Tags: JB, Islands, Beaches, Excursions, Kayaking

Another video - this one features some of our hiking adventures throughout Bocas del Toro, Panama and the next province over from us, Chiriqui. Our hikes vary in terrain and difficulty level based upon what you want to experience. We can take you on an easy walk around a beach or we can do a strenuous hike through some creeks and waterfalls as well as the levels in between. Take a look.

Tags: Hiking, Bocas del Toro, Panama Trip, Wildlife

Here is one of our new videos highlighting the fishing excursions we take. We are preparing for a few weeks of fishing later this month so I thought it an appropriate time to take a look at some of the big fish we catch around here.

Tags: Fishing, Bocas del Toro, Panama Hotel

Back to a video. Here is a video of some of the beaches we visit here in Bocas del Toro Panama on our excursions. Each beach has its unique characteristics which makes it special. Two of the beaches are on small islands which you can circumnavigate in less than an hour. Certain beaches are only accessible during the months of the year when our waves are especially low. One beach is part of an indigenous comarca. It is one of the longest stretches of beach here in Panama. We have a full menu of beaches such that you can select a different one each day or stick with your favorite. It is entirely up to you.

Tags: Beaches, Islands, Snorkeling, Kayaking

Here is another one of the vidoes I put together which gives you an idea of what the boat ride out to Tranquilo Bay is like as well as giving you a feel for walking around our grounds and into one of our cabanas. It is so difficult to give you an accurate feel of the enormity of the jungle and what it is like to be inside it. It is an amazing experience. I will attempt to put it into words for you.

When you step into under the canopy of the jungle, the temperature immediately and noticeably drops. You feel a calm pass over you as if you took a deep breath and shook out your shoulders and there was no need to do either one. The green you see all around you - above, in front of, behind and below you. There is life all around you. Plants, animals, insects and bugs all coexist in this environment. We are all familiar with how difficult it is to calm a crying newborn baby - sometimes no matter what you do, you just cannot calm them down. The jungle does not fail. It can calm even the most disturbed baby just by welcoming the baby into its arms.

We live in the jungle. Some of our facility has been carved out of it, but the jungle is never far away. You can walk on one the pathways to get to the cabanas and you are in the middle of the jungle. You can go on one of our trails and you are in the jungle. However, one of the wonderful things about being here in Bocas del Toro, Panama is that we are also on an island in the middle of the Caribbean. So we have the crystal clear waters and beautiful beaches. Since we are in an archipelago we also face the mountains which house the volcano that made this amazing archipelago so many years ago. All of these things come together here at Tranquilo Bay. How very fortunate we are.

Tags: Panama Hotel, Bocas del Toro, Accommodations, Panama Trip

So, I am on a bit of a video kick these days. I have been working on getting some of our photos and video footage into short clips for people to get a feel for what it is like to spend some time with us here at Tranquilo Bay. We are also preparing for a once a year trade show for Latin American businesses so I also have a bit of a deadline to meet.

This video shows some of the aerial views of the places where we go snorkeling, the beaches nearby where we snorkel, and the sights underwater while you are snorkeling as well as a few folks actually snorkeling - imagine that! Take a look.

Tags: Snorkeling, Bocas del Toro, Panama Hotel, Beaches

Here is a short clip of a guy Jim saw on one of the islands shucking coconuts. It is so funny as Jim and Jay have been here in Panama for almost 9 years and up until a few months ago they thought you could only open a coconut with a machete. All of our employees and any other local we know use a machete to open a coconut. It takes lots of machete strikes to the coconut and then bending the machete across the coconut husk to get the nut out of the husk. And here is this guy with an ingenious little tool that lets him shuck multiples of coconuts in the time that it takes for anyone else to shuck one. This is all part of the fun of learning something new everyday!

Tags: Bocas del Toro Panama, Excursions, Coconut, Food, Beaches, Islands

Here is a short video I just finished on our excursion to Punta Valiente. For those of you who haven’t been here yet - this is one of our don’t miss excursions. For those of you who have visited us maybe it will bring a smile to your face to remember your trip to Punta Valiente. Have a great Friday!

Tags: Excursions, Indigenous People, Panama Hotel, Bocas del Toro Panama, Beaches, Hiking, Animals