Rand and I haven't done any river fishing during our time in Panama (can you believe that?) because it has been rainy season and the rivers are muddy and rough. That being the case, Randy has been chomping at the bit to get his fishing fix in any way possible, so when our friend Thomas invited us to join him and his friend Bob for a day of fishing on the Pacific, we were more than eager. Bob's 25 foot Panga boat carried us out amongst the many Pacific islands in search of tuna, roosterfish, wahoo or whatever else might be biting. The fact that we didn't catch any fish was overshadowed by the good fortune of seeing several huge frolicking whales in the distance. They were jumping out of the water, slapping the surface with their huge tails, seemingly celebrating some underwater triumph. It was the kind of thing you see in those National Geographic films. We wanted to get a closer look but when they became aware that we were gaining on them, they vanished from view for the rest of the day.
Undaunted, we proceeded to enjoy our afternooon, stopping off at sensational deserted beaches and finishing up with a WHOLE fish dinner before motoring back to the launch in the rain. When our heads hit the pillow that night, we slept hard.
