Bocas

Less than three meters from the street front of our hostel is the main stage of Bocas del Toro´s Carnival. When we arrived late in the afternoon on March fourth the stage had not yet been fully assembled but it was blatant as to what we were getting our sleves into. Our hostel, Hostel Heike, is a modest hole-in-the-wall establishment. In comparison to the countless others Heike boasts some strong underlying form. Many hostels have colorful lights, drawings, framed photographs, and passports and other traveler assortments glued to tables magnatizing western paradise seakers-- hiding the disheveled kitchens, damp dorms, and rotting walls. Heike brings all the wall hangings but with a well functioning kitchen (two refrigerators and a working oven), simple dorms(my bunk has a fan that continually blows across me), bathrooms that are centralized on each floor (hot water included) and a roof top with computers hammocks and couches. All is well except for the continuous shaking that invades every crevasse of this establishment including my bones and this computer. similar to that of a paint mixer--the bass and sound of the mainstage coupled with the live bands and the musically enriched steroid like cars keep the block and its inhabitants rhythmically in tune, its carnival. its carnival and we´re only one day in--tonight and three more to go. ear plugs have hit their highest stock value yet...a worthy investment in this musically inclined nation.