Our time in Bocas felt like a fantasy. We loved the town itself with its lively energy, innovative restaurants, and happy, interesting people. We could have done without the no-see-ums, though. The waves had been thoroughly satisfying, too. In less than a week we'd made so many new friends—Scott and Steve, Mike and Jessica and Daniel, Alex and Fabio, John and Mike from The Bravery and Luke, and Daniel and his wonderdog Luna. I'd run into Clay from Pavones and Scott, who knew my friend Seth. The world was getting smaller all the time. The idea of having Swell and my dinghy there was almost too enticing. I thought about changing my plans and coming through the canal to hang out in Central and South America for another year.

Staying with Mia and Clyde, though, truly made our time there special. Mia was a constant pleasure to be around with her poised but easygoing style, the Swedish accent that made her cunning wit all the more entertaining, not to mention the above and beyond hospitality she continuously showed us.

Nothing made it past her. I was inspired yet again by Clyde's open spirit and humble ingenuity. He had the ability to take something everyone else took for granted as the way it is and refine it into something simpler and better, both in practical matters and in the way he approached life. I was particularly awed by his garbarge-disposal toilets, his clever twist on a shop vac to suck liquids, his water gate (a water pressure powered driveway gate that he'd invented because the local company wouldn't sell him their gate without a maintenance package), and his fondness for the "Flowbee" haircutting device which he used on both himself and Miss Kitty, their tailless cat. They couldn't be bothered by what other people thought and saw the humor in the same things we did. I simply couldn't thank them enough.

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