You can take the boy out of David, but you can't take David out of the boy!
After a tasty McDonalds along Highway 1, we arrive in the town of David and check in to the Ciudad de David Hotel - an Oasis in a dry desert - for more reasons than one! It's Martyrs' Day here in Panama - and Alcohol is NOT for sale - not at any of the Shops, Bars or Restaurants of David - only at the Ciudad de David Hotel - and at Recepcion we get Free Drinks Vouchers for the Hotel Bar - Result!!
Woke up early in need of a Coffee - 6am and still dark - David's an unusual town - outside the doors of our ultra-modern hotel lies an assortment of low level shacks with tin roofs - it's still dark and I'm wandering the streets in my PJs! Nobody bats an eyelid - mucho locals scurrying to work - any chance of a coffee shop? Find a gaff called Pi&Pu - or was it Ri&Ru? Coffee like warm milk with a blob of gravy browning - no thanks! Out of the Darkness looms the Kotowa Coffee House!! Large Strong One con Leche + an English Breakfast Tea for Amanda and I'm back up the place where the pavement should be and into the Ciudad de David before the sun has risen.
Kotowa Coffee - where's that from? Turns out it's not only Panamanian, it's from Boquete - a place just 30 miles up the road from David. Let's give it a whirl!
Pit Stop at the Supermercado Romero and we're off up Ruta 41 to a lovely hotel Amanda has found - Boquete Garden Inn - in the centre of the Coffee Plantations. The Hamlet of Boquete is less quaint than expected - has some good looking bars and restaurants though - and an even more handsome Craft Beer Brewery - with Tap Room & Hoppy Truck (Food Wagon)!
Check in to the Garden Inn - individual cabins sprinkled throughout the tropical gardens - ours is the Tanager - lovely - really lovely - but before we relax in this cool climate it's time to hit the Boquete Brewing Company and sample their Tap Room and Food Truck!
Numerous Flights, couple of delicious Late Lunches and several T-shirts later we head back to Tanager and the hotel's Social Hour in the Garden Bar. The owner, Jason, is a Brummie who moved to Boquete 8 years ago - former Mod - large collection of Vespas! I'll show you mine if you show me yours!! Jason also collects Panamanian 'Devil Masks' which adorn the walls of the Garden Bar - scary!!!
Too many glasses of Sangria later, we carefully navigate our way back through the tropical garden to Tanager - now very dark! And catch up with Season 8 of The Walking Dead on the 60" Sony Bravia!!
