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It was another early morning bus for us on February 6th. When we got to our connecting city we rushed to the other bus station where we caught a bus heading to the border just in time. We were not able to sit together but I was just glad we didn't have to wait hours for a bus. We did however not have time for a meal and just got a drink and bag of chips.
Once the bus started to clear out I moved back to where Dan was sitting, he was talking to some locals who spoke some English. They were trying to get to Panama for a soccer game. We all got off the bus together but they were just trying to go to the border and we knew we needed an exit stamp from Costa Rica before we could cross so we parted ways. This border was very busy and strangely laid out. It took us about 10 minutes to figure out where to go to get our exit stamp.
When we got to the Panama side there was a fairly long line and when our turn came the guy asked
us if we had a ticket to exit Panama. We did not and this was a requirement. I explained that we were traveling thru Central & South America and weren't sure how much time we would stay in Panama exactly. He would not budge and I was quite irritated because other countries we had been to with this same requirement let us slide.
It just so happened that we would be buying an airline ticket soon to Peru from Panama City so we just bit the bullet, went to an internet shop and bought our tickets on the spot. I was a little reluctant to put our credit card info on a public computer but I really didn't want to buy a throwaway bus ticket and that was our only other option.
We returned to the immigration office with a printout of our tickets. Got our stamps, exchanged some money and bought a bus ticket to David. We were ushered into a room where our bags were searched after some waiting. Already I was thinking I might not like Panama. Most countries don't search our bags!
As we road
along in Panama I was thinking it looked pretty decent. We did pas a semi truck off the road which is a regular occurrence, vehicles off the road or totaled that is.
We arrived at a huge station in David and got a cab to Bambu Hostel which we had read about. It had a pool, internet and a kitchen we could use. We got a dorm room and were the only ones in the room at first. It was a good enough place to stay.
We walked to a big super market and were amazed at the selection they had. We walked around just looking at everything. They had stuff we hadn't seen since we left the states, like Velveta, A&W Creme Soda and so much more. I felt like we were at home and it was kind of comforting. We bought some groceries and headed back to the hostel in the scorching heat.
That night we ate at a Lebanese restaurant which was delicious. It was my first time eating Lebanese food so we got various things to try. The atmosphere was nice and we had good service. I
started to think my initial thoughts of Panama were a little rash =)
Sometime after we had fallen asleep we were awoken by some guy coming into the dorm room talking on the phone. He just laid in bed and talked on the phone. What is wrong with people!? Seriously...I understand getting in late and making some noise getting settled in but just laying there on the phone is so rude! Then in the morning we woke up to his alarm going off but he did not wake up. I was stewing, if there is anything I don't like it's my sleep being interrupted especially when I don't have to wake up. Finally Dan went over and poked him and even once he woke up he couldn't understand what Dan was trying to say. Hellloooo your alarm is going off, no words necessary, just listen idiot! Next he leaves the room and fails to shut the door. 5 minutes later his alarm is going off again! Dan put his alarm outside and shut the door. The guy comes back in and gets in bed and before you know it someone from outside the room opens our door
to hand him his alarm which is going off again. We give up by then and just get up. I tell Dan I'm not sharing a room with the oaf again and thankfully they had someone check out so we were able to switch to a private room.
After breakfast we tried to find a monkey sanctuary for several hours without success and ended up just coming back and swimming. It was really a frustrating time waster and we were bummed that we didn't find the place because apparently you can actually hold the monkeys.
The next day we got a bus to Panama City. We had actually made reservations in advance for once since we were going to Carnival, we knew the city would be packed. It took a very long time for us to get from the amazingly nice and large bus terminal in Panama City to our hostel which was called Magnolia Inn and was in Costo Viejo (the old Panama City), this was because it was rush hour and some streets were blocked off for Carnival.
When we entered the hostel I was so thrilled. It had
a nice communal area with couches and a huge flat screen TV. I know you don't travel to watch TV but sometimes you are just so exhausted that a TV and a couch is wonderful. It also had a big fully equipped kitchen and a dining area. Our dorm room was air conditioned, the beds were new and we had a door onto a balcony. The bathrooms were all nice, new and had hot water! Oh me oh my, we have just checked into the most luxerious hostel! How I wish we had contact info for the Brazilian couple that recommended this place to us, what a gem this place was!
Upon arriving back into our dorm room from the bathroom I heard Dan talking to some girls. They turn around and I just can't believe it, it is the Kiwi girls we met in Honduras that were friends with Matt & Leigh! What are the odds, we had no idea each other would be in Panama. My face lit up with joy at the sight of them! Not only in the same country, the same city, the same hostel but the same room, truly crazy!
We all head out to a communal balcony where Dan and Rosa play guitar together. I hear a familiar voice and turn around to see Leana who we met in Nicaragua. We knew she would be at this hostel too but thought she wasn't checking in until the next night. I give her a hug and we exchange details of what we have done since we last saw each other.
The 5 of us went out to Carnival which was not too long of a walk for us at all. I was pleasantly surprised at how close we were and only paying $15 per person per night for our bed at our hostel. The Carnival area is blocked off and there are a lot of police. There were separate entrances for guys and girls. They are checking everyone's passports and frisking. I don't have my passport on me even though the guy at the hotel told us to take a copy, I simply forgot but they let me thru. I was surprised at how thorough the frisking was and felt slightly violated. They were all pretty stern looking.
We walked around and
got some crappy street food. There were several stages with live music and lots of speakers just playing random music. We go to one of the areas with live music and danced a little. They are calling out various countries and getting a woman to come up from each. People in the crowd are pointing at the Kiwi girls and after a little prompting the girls run up on stage. Once they are satisfied with the number of girls on stage they ask where they are from, when Rosa and Sandy say Nuevo Zelandia the crown goes wild, they are by far from the furthest away! Some music starts playing and all the girls start dancing. Then by the crowds reaction they kick a few off the stage. Rosa gets kicked off in the first round but she looks so cute up there and the crowd is still cheering for her. After it's all said and done we can't find them and end up just going back to the Inn because there isn't much else going on.
When we get back we watch a movie and are quite hungry because we only had some crappy street food.
Dan decides he's going to go get us a pizza. He is in his kilt and I tell him to be careful. I'm concerned someone will think he is gay and beat him up. I say that because these countries aren't very excepting of gay people. Much to my relief he arrives a short time later safe with a pizza. I ask if everything went ok and he says yeah, some guy asked to take a photo with me! Ha of course, I should have known better =)
The next day we head out around 11 with Leana and a new girl from the States that she met in her dorm room. This time after being frisked we wait for Dan because the line is quite long for guys and he isn't thru yet. The police tell us we can't wait where we are which is stupid as far as we can tell there is no good reason. They make us go just beyond the shade and wait. Let me tell you Panama City especially when you are on the blacktop is HOT!
Once Dan gets thru we proceed to come across a black
guy who starts speaking Spanish to Dan asking for something. We don't understand and then at last Leanna firmly says NO and starts walking off. We follow and ask what he said. She tells us he was asking Dan for one of us 3 girls. Ha ha as if he were a pimp or something. It's not even noon and this guy is off his rocker. We crack a few jokes about him not having enough camels to pay for us and then come across a water truck. The guys working it are looking at us and I know they are about to spray us but I don't care, it is very hot. We get soaked and I'm just laughing and so are onlookers.
Other than the water truck there really isn't much cool happening so we just keep walking towards the skyline. Panama City is beautiful, it's right on the Pacific Ocean ad the buildings are modern. It really is a great place to be. We see a sign for HardRock Cafe and decide to walk there for a lemonade or something. It turns out to be a really long walk and we are so extremely hot and tired when we get there. It's in a mall actually. A really nice mall and I think to myself wow, it's like the States.
Once inside we get a table by the window with a view. Order lemonade and appetizers. The menu is insanely expensive, a veggie burger is $25! After a good rest we look around the mall a bit and then walk back.
We went to carnival a couple more nights while in town but overall it was really disappointing. Essentially just a bunch of live music, crappy food, water trucks and a small parade. Nothing else noteworthy happened during Carnival.
We did break away one day and go to the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal which was awesome! It took getting lost on the city bus then a chicken bus to get there but it was worth it! We walked in from the road and stopped to pose for a picture near a sign that said careful with a picture of an alligator. There were several damns to look at. Then we arrived at the locks which had ships going thru. It was amazing to see everything that happens when a ship is coming thru.
The museum itself was really well done. Various levels, rooms and displays. There was footage from when the canal was built and that was really cool to see. They had some small models of old equipment as well. There was a simulator for the control room on a ship that was interactive. A whole section that talked about the new construction going on now for the expansion of the canal. A really informational video shown in a theater about the canal and so much more. I was impressed with the museum and of course the work that went into the canal. Truly an amazing achievement!
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
You never want to see this
But as you say it is frequent.