Last Day in Boca Chica and return to Panama City

Our last day in Boca Chica was a fishing day and we were all VERY excited as the Captain saved the 'big game day' for last. We would head out at 6:30 AM because we had a 2 hour boat ride to and island near Hannibal Bank.

Another beautiful sunrise over the lagoon.

The winds and seas were a bit higher than we anticipated, but a little water didn't hurt us....we were on our way to get the big fish! This was another boat heading out the same time we were. The water was perfect conditions for bill fish - the chop provided some cover for the fish and combined with the splashing of the lures/teasers, we were certain to attract some fish.

We all agreed Frank would be first up to fight the big fish!

Frank in action...unfortunately, it was only a bonita and we all agreed it didn't count as Frank's turn. We spent numerous hours chasing birds, splashes at the surface, smooth spots, flotsam, turtles, anything that is a 'usual' indicator of fish. We tracked down several large pods of porpoise. While they are fun to watch, they are not good to have around when trying to fish.

We had lots of 'thefts' during our fishing expedition. We got a hit relatively early, but the Mate, Louis, said a wahoo swiped one of our lures. After another 2 hours of trolling around, I happened to spot a dark fin in the water, followed by a long slender tailfin and suggested the Captain circle back around. Sure enough something hit our bait, but didn't take the hook. A few minutes later, something hit the spinning rod with the teaser. And in a matter of seconds, the reel was empty and the fish was gone! Needless to say, we were all very upset and extremely! (A note about Gone Fishing Panama will be at the end of the blog.)

We surprised Victoria with a birthday cake the last night of our stay in Boca Chica. Lupe made a delicious lemon cake. (We have been trying all week to figure out how we can bring Lupe home and share her between the 3 couples.)

Ray & Lily took advantage of the music and dancefloor.

Since we couldn't take her with us, we made sure we had one last picture with Lupe.

Flying back to Panama City, was another opportunity to view the country. Hard to see, but these boats are waiting their turn to get through the Panama Canal.

Bridge of the Americas and Panama Canal.

Back in Panama City, all tanned and ready for dinner.

Tom & Raquel returned from their adventures to the Pearl Islands and made arrangements for dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant in Panama City. It was very special to have dinner with them the last night in the country as it had been a year since Ray, Lily, Ken & Victoria had seen them...a year ago when the plan to visit Panama had been hatched.

All in all, we had a wonderful time in Panama!

**Gone Fishing Panama Resort: This is not the place for the serious off-shore fisherman. The Captain is not "invested" in the sport. If he were, his boat would be better maintained (i.e. live well broken, front seat split and constantly wet, and fuel gauges working), his tackle would be sharp and throughly checked, his reels would be serviced on a regular basis and he would have done a safety review before leaving the dock. Also, the Captain and owner's son are 2-3 pack-a-day cigarette smokers and don't care where they are or who is around when they light up. It is very difficult to get away from the smoke when they walk through the common areas (bar and dining area) or you're on the boat. The grounds of the resort were very nice. Each room had a theme and were nicely appointed. All the meals were top-quality! Thankfully the fantastic attitude and service from Lupe, Ares, Uri, Felix and Louis made our experience a plesant one.