Travel Banter

Wandering the Panamanian Jungle...

A few weeks ago we searched for Oropendola nesting colonies. They are unique birds that nest in groups, high under the tree canopies. The birds live in the jungle of Latin and South America. Their nests resemble long ‘socks’. We did not find them last time. But some mornings, I hear Oropendola calls near our boat. The calls are unmistakable, deep, and distinctive. To me, they sound like a melodic gurgling or bubbling of water through a metallic pipe. The calls tempted me to explore the jungle next door. I found the birds, and I found the nests, but not where I expected. Join me for a walk through the jungle, feel the heat, and wonder at the thick vegetation. Check out tiny immature bananas on a tree when I stumbled into a remote ‘finca’ - a tiny farm an indigenous person is keeping atop a random hill. Get full access to Blue Planet Stories at www.blueplanetstories.com/subscribe [https://www.blueplanetstories.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Red and Deadly. We Find the Poison Dart Frogs.

They are bright. They are poisonous, They are the frogs of Bocas Del Toro, Panama. When Charles Darwin noticed the diversions of features among closely-related species on neighboring islands, he arrived to a profound idea - the principle of natural selection. Darwin focused on the beaks of finches but the Poison Dart frogs of Bocas Del Toro are another great example of such polymorphism. The many islands are only a mile apart, but each has a frog of its own color. And they are beautiful. We go to Isla Bastimentos to look for them, and find them. I am deeply in love with nature and the manifestations of its creativity. No one would argue nature’s impact on art. But few realize how powerful its influence is in my own field of mathematics. In fact, the ants were responsible for my choices in life, with their uncanny ability to optimize travel routes. The ants are amazing at efficiency, and the understanding of how they operate, led to the modern optimization algorithms. Not of the social media variety, but of the type that allow your phones to work. The realization that individually simple, but socially complex ants could perform the nearly intractable computations for millions of years ahead of us made me interested in understanding how to crack their code. I digress. Or maybe, I am making a point that nature is the rock which informs my thinking, and my relationship with the world. So, when an opportunity to explore a new magic of nature arrives, Alex and I usually take it. And when it does not, we turn off the noise of modernity and go looking for it. While my mind is entirely consumed by my book project until the end of August, I am happy to find respite in telling stories of what excites us through video. We chat about a few facts, and watch the frogs hop around. They are very difficult to stop watching. The following is an auto-generated summary of the show: We took a trip to Isla Bastimentos in search of the famous red poison dart frogs, one of the many colorful frog varieties found throughout the Bocas del Toro archipelago. Each island has its own unique frog coloration due to geographic isolation—on Bastimentos, they’re bright red; on Isla Colón, typically green; and on the mainland, some are black with green spots. As we hiked through the jungle, we were excited but cautious, especially with our dog in tow—we worried he might try to lick or eat one of the frogs, which could be dangerous. Fortunately, he seemed to instinctively avoid them, maybe put off by their striking red color. When we finally spotted the frogs, we were amazed. They were even smaller than we expected—about the size of a thumb—but incredibly vibrant, glowing red with tiny black spots. Though they’re known for their toxicity, we learned that these frogs don’t start out very poisonous; they build up their chemical defenses over time through their diet, and the mothers feed them unfertilized eggs to boost their toxicity as they grow. Watching the frogs sit still and puff their tiny throats in and out as we approached was a surreal and unforgettable moment. Get full access to Blue Planet Stories at www.blueplanetstories.com/subscribe [https://www.blueplanetstories.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Homes on Stilts: Over-the-water Houses of Bocas Del Toro.

Stilt homes are all around us in Panama. Some are over the water, others are embedded into to steep hillsides of the surrounding hills and mountains. We chat about these homes, their construction and ecological benefits and risks. The stilt houses are not new. The indigenous people have lived in these since before Columbus visited the area in 1502. And they only have grown in popularity since. Watch the episode for a glimpse of these places… You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation [https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/]. Help children read. Episode transcript summary: In this episode, we explore the unique charm and long-standing tradition of stilt houses built over the water in Bocas del Toro, Panama. From restaurants and homes to hotels and even co-working hostels, the over-the-water lifestyle is deeply integrated into daily life here. We visited an indigenous community in Salt Creek on Isla Bastimentos, where people have been living in stilt homes for generations—long before Columbus arrived in 1502. The geography of the region, with steep hills and flood-prone mangroves, made elevated housing practical and necessary. Later, Afro-Caribbean workers brought additional stilt-house traditions during the banana boom of the 1800s, further shaping the region’s architectural identity. We noticed that construction methods remain simple and consistent—wooden stilts (now often concrete-wrapped in PVC), open walls, thatch or zinc roofs, and even floorboard gaps for airflow. These structures are often built just beyond the mangroves, helping preserve this vital ecosystem and buffer against sea surges. However, there’s an ecological downside: older homes sometimes lack proper sanitation systems, with waste going directly into the water. That poses risks for marine life and local residents who fish and swim nearby. It’s a clear reminder that traditional living must also adapt to modern environmental standards. As we talked about whether we’d live in an over-the-water house ourselves, we found ourselves split. The views and tranquility are tempting, and there are fewer bugs out on the water. But practical concerns like space for our dog and long-term effects of climate change gave us pause. We’d need some essentials—a composting toilet, for one—before making that leap. For now, it’s a solid “maybe,” but we definitely appreciate the beauty, culture, and ingenuity behind this way of life. Get full access to Blue Planet Stories at www.blueplanetstories.com/subscribe [https://www.blueplanetstories.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Rainy Season in Bocas Del Toro. What is it like?

Talking of weather is not fun you say? Well, we beg to differ. The rainy season in Panama lasts from May until November. It rains a lot, but the sun still shines. What is it like to live with it? Surprisingly fine. We unpack the story of the rain and share what it’s like to be here. You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation [https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/]. Help children read. Episode Summary: In this episode of Travel Banter, we talk about what the rainy season really feels like here in Bocas del Toro, Panama. While the forecast from April to December often shows daily rain, the reality is more balanced. Yes, it rains frequently—sometimes every day—but usually only for a few hours. We still get plenty of sunshine, whether it’s a bright afternoon after a morning shower or a sunny morning before an afternoon thunderstorm. We compared Bocas to Seattle and were surprised by the numbers. Bocas gets nearly four times as much rain—about 140 inches a year—but also nearly twice as many sunny days. The rain here is warm, and the weather shifts quickly. It’s all driven by trade winds from the Atlantic colliding with the mountains, and the convective build-up from the hot ocean. Some days, we watch the clouds grow into giant thunderheads and light up the night sky with lightning. Living here means adapting. We always carry rain gear—umbrellas, trench coats, and rubber boots. Our dog loves playing in the rain, though it means extra clean-up before he comes aboard. Locals often collect rainwater from rooftops into big tanks, which we use too—for drinking, washing, and showering. Rain is part of life here, and we’ve grown to love the rhythm of it. It’s lush, it’s practical, and it makes Bocas feel alive. Get full access to Blue Planet Stories at www.blueplanetstories.com/subscribe [https://www.blueplanetstories.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

Oso Perezoso - The Lazy Bear.

We are in the Bocas Del Toro archipelago. The islands are home to much wildlife: howler and capuchin monkeys, sea turtles, poisoned dart frogs, and many more. But today, we talk about sloth. They are unique creatures, docile symbols of the islands and the island life. We ran into one on our recent walk. We talk about their habits, habitats, and unique symbioses - mammalian-plant mutualism. This episode is both video and audio. The audio is available on all podcast distribution channels. And you can see the video episode on Substack at blueplanetstories.com [http://blueplanetstories.com], or on YouTube: You can subscribe for free. If you choose to support us, we donate 15% of our net proceeds to World Literacy Foundation [https://worldliteracyfoundation.org/]. Help children read. Episode summary: In this episode of Blue Planet Travel Banter, we dive into one of our favorite topics—the sloths of Isla Colón. These peaceful, slow-moving animals have fascinated us for years, and we share some of the most surprising things we’ve learned. From their habit of only coming down from trees once a week to poop, to the green algae that grows in their fur as camouflage, sloths are full of quiet complexity. That algae isn’t just for show—it forms part of a remarkable plant-animal mutualism, one of the only known examples in mammals. We also recount a personal encounter with a sloth that had wandered onto the forest floor and was being harassed by a couple of dogs. After chasing the dogs off, we helped the sloth back into a tree and contacted a local rescue group to make sure it was okay. Watching the sloth move so slowly, unsure if it was injured or just doing what sloths do, reminded us how vulnerable and misunderstood these creatures are—especially on islands like Colón, where dogs, roads, and shrinking habitats create constant threats. Throughout the episode, we talk about where you can find sloths on Isla Colón—places like Playa Bluff, Big Creek, and near cecropia trees, their favorite hangouts. We offer tips for spotting them in the wild (bring binoculars and a lot of patience!) and reflect on why these animals mean so much to us. In their stillness and simplicity, sloths model a kind of natural mindfulness—and remind us that slowing down isn’t always a bad thing. Get full access to Blue Planet Stories at www.blueplanetstories.com/subscribe [https://www.blueplanetstories.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]