Blogging on the Ocean – My Arrival in Paradise, Wasilla to Bocas del Toro

I arrived at CocoVivo on September 25, and it is definitely one of the
most incredible places I have ever lived. Given I grew up in Alaska,
among striking mountains and natural beauty, that’s a pretty
significant statement. CocoVivo is actually a 55-acre farm bordering
the Caribbean Sea with some awesome housing accommodations, perfect
for adventure seekers looking for a change in lifestyle. Most of the
farm is a reforestation project. The owner, Rick, recently told me
that 20 different native hardwoods are being planted here everyday,
and that over 8,000 trees have been planted since the project started.
For energy, CocoVivo runs on solar power with a backup generator for
rainy days.

I’m staying in the house on the water (the other option being to stay
in the house on the hill). To get to my room, you walk down to the
water, along a long dock, and then climb up a ladder into a large loft
area, with a bed and a wooden sink and some shelving. There are no
walls, only wooden support beams for the thatched roof and views of
the Caribbean Sea and surrounding islands. When there is a strong wind
and the rain comes down diagonally, you can pull down tarps to protect
the room from getting wet. I woke up my first morning to the sound of
intense wind, pouring rain and water starting to get my mosquito net
(absolutely necessary for this place, because there are many bugs that
you do not want to sleep with) wet. Once the tarp walls came down
though, everything was fine. Staying on the water, I can literally
wake up and jump into the sea for a morning swim. It’s great. I’ve
also tried out snorkeling, the wakeboard, and the AquaSkipper– a
bizarre, challenging water workout device (more on this later).
There’s also the boats, the kayaks, water-skis, and more.

From a first impression point of view, what I love most about this
place (aside from its location) is how it is still in the development
phase, and that you can get involved in the direction it takes if you
choose. If you have a creative idea that would benefit the lifestyle
at CocoVivo, you have the means and resources here to implement it,
whether it’s a new recipe or something to be built. For example, one
of the guys staying here thought it would be nice if he could dip his
feet in the water while working down on the dock on his laptop. Soon
after, one of the Panamanian workers employed at CocoVivo attached a
simple, wooden desk-type structure to the end of the dock, so you can
dangle your feet in the ocean while working on the Internet.

One of my first adventures here was a hike through the rainforest with
Rick and his friend. When we got thirsty, Rick cut open a few coconuts
(coconut trees are in abundance here) and we drank coconut water – the
perfect way to rehydrate without having to bring along water. The
coolest part of the hike (in my Alaskan opinion) was the dense terrain
we had to fight our way through when we decided break new ground and
“walk alongside the water” to get back to the house. Rick led the way
with his machete, and cut out a path for us to follow. It reminded me
of home, and how my dad used to bring along a chainsaw to bushwhack
our way into my family’s cabin when the trail had not been used for a
while. I’ve been here less than a week and I’m already in love with
this place.