I’ve been threatening to go fishing for months now, but hadn’t gotten my act together until this weekend.

I did make it out, and I feel pretty safe in saying that this kind of fishing is like no other in the world. It’s extreme, just like everything else in Burica. But this took extreme to a different level for me.

When Casey and I arrived on Saturday morning, I asked our caretaker to setup a boat to take us out fishing. He said that the water was too muddy with all of the rain that we’ve had lately, but we were not to be deterred.

The 15′ panga with a Yamaha 15 pulled up at high tide, to the front of the cabana, with some pretty crazy waves crashing on the shore. Just getting in the boat was difficult enough as it was tossed around by the waves.

We made it in without event and headed out. The swell wasn’t big by Burica standards, but in that little boat it was pretty crazy heading up and over the waves.

We made it around the end of the peninsula, inside the island, and over towards the border of Costa Rica. Having to get a little farther out from the shore and away from the muddy rivers so that we could see with our snorkeling masks, we found some rocks jutting out of the ocean 150 yards off shore.

We pulled the boat just outside of them and the waves were even bigger at this point. The locals that were with us asked how deep we could dive and when I said I didn’t know, they died out laughing! When i asked them in return, he replied with a giant grin, “15 brasos”, which is 15 lengths of a man’s body…90 feet!

He then says, “Don’t worry, you only have to go 30 feet to get these fish.”

I’m in good enough shape, I thought, and how hard could it be. So I jump in with the snorkeling gear and my pole spear and immediately noticed the crazy current that comes at the changing of the tides. It took some effort not to get washed in the direction of the rocks, but I was able to get a feel for it after a few seconds.

Then it was time to put my mask under water and see what was below. I did, and it was so murky that I couldn’t see my hand in front of my face. Remembering what the guys had said about the depth of the fish, I decided to dive down and for 20 feet I couldn’t see much. Then the cloudy water cleared and there must have been hundreds of fish around me!

The problem was that they were another 10 feet down and I was already out of breath. So I headed back up. When I resurfaced the current had washed me 30 yards from where I had started!

Then it was time for the boat to swing around and get me so I could make another pass. We did this several times and although I didn’t get a fish, I do think got the hang of it a little better each time.

The locals were another matter entirely. “Chombo” was the name of the guy who was diving down with us. He went down 5 times, got 5 shots, and came up with 4 fish! The guy just made it look too easy!

I did learn on this trip that the right time to go is January through April, when it’s not rainy season. Then you can spear lobster and fish near the shore, with better visibility.

This works out great since the swells for surf come the opposite months of the year.

Even though I didn’t shoot one, it was still a great experience and throwing the fish on the grill at night (I’m still not exactly sure what they were) while hangin’ in the Cabana’s hammocks is hard to beat.

I have to write about the first time we arrived here. The drive from the airport to our property was like something out of a movie – I thought I knew what this place would be like, but it was more than I ever imagined.

The airport (Enrique Malek airport in David) was small, but it was really nice for a Central American airport. They keep it clean and everyone’s very welcoming.

The espresso we had while we were at the airport comes the Kotowa coffee company, and it’s considered one of the finest coffees in the world. It’s amazing to think that the coffee fields are only about 30 miles from the airport. You can’t get fresher or more organic than that.

David Panama Airport

David Grocery Store

David itself is the third biggest city in Panama, and it was great to know that even though we’ll be out in a tropical area, civilization is right nearby. We stopped at a grocery store for some supplies, and the place was modern – nothing lacking here.

I don’t think I’ll be hanging much around the city, though. There’s way too much exploring to do around the property.

The drive winds through these small towns that dot the area here and there. We could see this huge volcano off in the distance. I stopped to ask someone about it and they said it was Volcan Baru, which has a height of about 12,000 feet. Amazing.

The landscape kept changing as we drove, moving from jungle to towns to ocean-side road and back to jungle. We crossed the Chiriqui Viejo river, which I’ve since found out is a whitewater rafting river with over 90 class II to V rapids over a 13-mile stretch.

I’m there.

The peninsula is split between two countries, with Panama on one side and Costa Rica on the other. There’s a duty-free zone at Paso Canoas, and I heard someone mention at the airport it’s a great place to get cheap liquor. We didn’t stop this time, but next trip, we’ll stock up for sure.

I got lost at Puerto Armuelles, which is a freakin’ maze to navigate. The streets don’t really have a pattern I could follow. But getting lost gave us a good chance to take a tour of the town.

Chiquita (yeah, the banana company) built the town for its workers and executives. The company moved out a few years ago and left the town, so the place looks a little bit down and depressed.

On the other hand, there’s a feeling that it’s going to take off again. Everyone looks happy and the place is right on the ocean. I can see how easily it’ll become a nice coastal town within a couple of years.

Once we got past Puerto, there was this big tanker checkpoint, which was cool. It’s a petrol station that you have to drive through, and there are these huge tankers from the Pacific docked about 50 yards from shore.

The tankers hook into the station’s pipelines and they send petrol through the pipes. The pipes cross the whole country to the Caribbean, where other tankers are hooked up to pick up the petrol. I’ve never seen anything like it.

We took the new road after that and headed in. It’s still under construction, and the drive takes you right onto the beach. (Beware chicken crossings.) If the tide is in and high, you can’t cross, so you have to catch the low tide to get through.

That five-mile drive down the beach was truly amazing. The ocean with its sand and rocks and waves was on one side and the palm trees, locals and animals were on the other. Suzie kept taking pictures because she figured no one would believe us if we told them about the “road”.

We had to drive right through a river, too, which was wild as hell. By the time we got through the first one, my heart was pounding like I’d been bungee jumping. It was great. There were a few more small rivers after that, and by the time I crossed the last, I had the hang of it (but I could still use some practice.)

We arrived at the end of the peninsula about two hours after we left the airport – and man, that’s when the real fun began.

First is Mono Feliz hotel/hostel, a rustic place on the tip of Punta Burica with a view of the Island commonly called Isla Punta Burica.

The accommodations are open air and on the water. Like most places in Burica getting there isn’t always easy, but once your there it is hard not to appreciate your  natural surroundings. Mono Feliz is located a short walk from the Playa burica lots. Playa Burica Lots

Hotel Punta Burica is more expensive, but its one of a kind experience.

The last time I went there we had lunch and Juan “the owner” and his wife put together a lunch that consisted of a 25lb pound snapper that had been reeled in from right in front of the hotel. It was delicious, I had to sit in one of the hammocks to recover from eating to much.

The atmosphere is very home like.  I say that because you literally eat in the family kitchen, the community ambiance allows for some fun social interaction.

Hotel Punta Burica has created a video that gives a general tour of the facilities. It is absolutely “classic” Panama, don’t miss it.

You never know, you could be recommending Hotel Punta Burica to the “in laws” once you have bought your lot.