Lovin' life in Cambutal...

After Venao, of which I forgot to take any real pictures, I made my way further west along and across the Azuero peninsula to a sweet little spot called Cambutal.  I'd gotten a heads-up about this place from a few people, and it didn't disappoint.

I posted up at what was formerly called the Cambutal Beach Club, which apparently was connected with a larger development that never quite took off.  Bad for them I guess, but good for me as Nookie and I had a giant Palapa all to ourselves.  I strung up the hammock, took the Ruckus off the front of the rig, and had the run of the place.  Right across the street was the "headquarters" of the nearby National Park, but I never saw anybody there.  Also across the street was a restaurant/bar run by a woman named Nubia?(never got the official spelling), but food was $2 or $3 per plate, depending on whether it was simply chicken, or something fancier like tuna or shrimp--but plenty of pretty good food for not much $$.  Beers are 50 cents.  I liked the vibe and the Panamanians really like their beer.  You'd see a table of 3 or 4 dudes with 20 or 30 beer cans after an afternoon of drinking and talking.  But they seem a very happy group and I didn't witness any sort of confrontational behavior, just smiles.

Nookie's shady home for awhile.

Park office right across the street--nobody ever was there.

The beach in Cambutal/Las Buzos

More perspective.

There were several Canadians, Americans, and some other various and assorted Europeans in the area, but really, not much goes on there, which is nice.  There are several good reef breaks just up the road, and I surfed every day but one (out of 8 days there). I also got a ride up the beach beyond where the Ruckus can take me with a guy from California named Chris.  This spot breaks at lower tides and is even further out of town where there is not really any sort of development--no electric, no houses, not really anything.  It's pretty much the end of the road, though I hear there are a few small villages accessible only by boat.  The next place down the coast is the giant Cerro Hoyo National Park, so things are pretty remote here.

Lot's of cool rocks up at the rivermouth break.

There were a couple of fishermen working the area pretty hard.

Nice right.  Note the guy paddling for size.  Probably a head-high set on this one.

The wind was howling offshore or sideshore most days, like 20-30 mph.  This was nice to keep cool hanging out in the evenings and for sleeping, but could wreak havoc on the waves.  A couple of mornings the waves got blown out by the hard winds.  The winds also blew some of the warmer water offshore and allowed some cooler water to fill in--I'd wager it was close to 70 degrees.  That's not cold by most standards, but compared to the 80 degree-plus water I've been surfing for nearly a year now, it was quite bracing.  The wind also was hot and dry--wet clothes hung on a line seemed to dry in a matter of minutes.  That desiccating wind dried out lips and limbs really quickly, so lip balm and sunscreen were a must.

I took a quick video while driving up the beach.  Sorry for the shakiness and poor quality, but so be it.




After a good week plus in Cambutal, the swell on the Pacific side appeared to dry up completely.  However, the Caribbean side at Bocas del Toro looked to be firing, so I made the decision to pack up the rig and head over.  I planned to overnight in David, then make the drive over the mountains to the Caribbean coast.  Unfortunately, things have not worked out as planned.

Up next, Indigenous peoples apparently hate Nookie, too!  As always, more to come!!!