Curiosity killed the cat...

...and someday it will surely kill the tanya too.

In Bocas del Toro, Panama, we took an island tour. Last stop - Red Frog Beach. We were dropped off by the boat and then had to hike in through the forest-y area to get to the beach and the frogs. So, we hiked along to the fork in the road. There, the others we were with went right and we decided to veer left, knowing that the two paths met up at the beach.

So I'm ahead and we are walking through the trees along this narrow little path by the murky waters. We hear all the frogs and birds that we came to find, but don't see any yet...and then I turned a corner and there the water came right up to the path - almost over it in fact. Suddenly, something splashed in the water ahead...for a second I saw it - big, bumpy, brown/greenish...from a distance it looked like another of the giant frogs we have seen before, but before I could discern, it quickly submerged and a bunch of air bubbles rose to the surface. I quickened my pace to get a closer look and yelled back, "sean, there's something in the water, come look, I think it is a giant frog or something..."

I stopped along the path, just inches from the water, about where it had been, noticing that there were more bubbles then a single frog could create... there must be a few big frogs, I thought excitedly! And then about four feet back it popped up again, but not like a 'pop', more like a slow sleek rise out of the water. So slow and sleek that not a droplet of water stirred. there was not even a ring on the waters surface that a mere raindrop would create. i realized then that it was not a frog. I froze. Sean saw it too. Two yellow eyes. Watching. Waiting.

And then just as quietly it submerged again. We both stood frozen.

"What was that?"

"It wasn't a frog."

"It was eyes."

"It was a very large lizard of somekind."

And then just to confirm the thought that came rushing in, it peeked out of the water again. "It's a fuckin crocodile."

I didn't know my little feet could move that fast.

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Our trail --- Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica -- San Isidro -- David, Panama -- Bouquete -- Bocas del Toro -- currently...well we crossed back into Costa Rica yesterday with a plan to get to San Jose then spend today getting to the Nicaragua border...but the bus stopped at 2pm and we liked the looks of this place. Not sure exactly where - we are on the Carribean side, just south of Limon. We will spend a few days here we like it so much...plently of time to find out if this place has a name...