We got up about 4:30 this morning to get to the bus by 6. We took the bus to Sixaiola, with side trips through Limon and Punta Vieja. Saw more than I could ever describe; will post pics soon. After we got off the bus at Sixaiola, we had to walk across and unbelievably rickety bridge which is an active train track. There were holes in it big enough to easily fall through; rotting planks created a makeshift path over which people trod by foot and bicycle. As if the bicycles weren't incredible enough, we actually saw a large truc (size of a tractor-trailer) cross the bridge. The bridge is deep in the middle of banana plantation country, and trucks and trains have to go over it to get bananas to market.
Before walking across the bridge, we had to get our exit stamps from CR. After we walked across the bridge, we had to get entry stamps to Panama. But first, we had to buy our return bus tickets to CR. So we stood in line for each of those things. A little old lady hand wrote our return tickets, then we went to another little old lady who stamped our passports, except we had to wait like half an hour because the electricity went out. After the electricity came back on, she stamped our passports (manually. i'm still not sure what the electricity had to do with her stamping the passports), then we went to another room, the customs room, where a couple of guys didn't even ask us any questions, just had us pay $3.00 and put a stamp in our passports.
Finally, we were legally in Panama. To get to Bocas, we had to take about an hour ride in a shared van. It was like $10.00, and just like Super Shuttle, they wait til the van fills up. It was actually a Panamanian version of Super Shuttle, now that I think about it. It took us up scenic mountain routes with a driver, Andy, who "ate the ends of his words" like a Cuban, and who played ear-splitting reggae/dance music while chatting incessantly about any and everything. Really nice guy, though. Just very loud music.
After we got to Almirante (or Admirante, I'm not sure), we took a "ferry" to Bocas. This wasn't a ferry really, it was an overladen speedboat. We had 16 or 20 people in a boat that probably shouldn't have held any more than half that number. It rode lower in the water than I've ever seen a boat, and was not (IMHO) properly balanced. Interestingly, all the Americans put on our life vests. The trip was particularly interesting because of a drunken Panamanian who kept falling over on the lady who was sitting beside him. She was sitting beside him because the last two people to get on board, a couple, had decided they wanted to sit together. I'm not sure why, but this lady moved to accomodate them. I suggested to them that we'd buy them a big purple dinosaur.
The boat ride was actually a lot of fun. The bottom of the boat slammed hard against the water, and as I said, the boat rode lower in the water than I've ever seen a boat ride. The spray didn't come up on us, though I have to admit I was worried my camera would get wet.
After about 30 minutes or so, we got to Bocas. Some guy met us on the street and offered to steer us to a hotel (we'd met a couple who'd offered us to come and stay at their hotel). We went with the steerer, and ended up in Hotel Las Olas, right on the water (where I'm sitting as I write this), for $45.00 for two people for a night. Came in, dropped our stuff, and went out to explore Bocas.
Of the many memorable things I saw were: A congregation singing something in Spanish (with a refrain that had was clearly the Spanish version of the song) to the tune of Glory To His Name. I stood outside and sang with them. We saw the City park, and watched the TV screen outside. Bocas is playing for the national Baseball championship (which, incidentally, I believe they won!), so everyone is outside watching baseball. We went into a couple of places right on the water, went into a little diner like place and got eggs for dinner, had coffee and croissants, and generally enjoyed walking through Bocas.
Came back to the hotel and are both busy posting on the internet. Tomorrow we go to see dolphins and go snorkeling. I'm going to let my 211 pictures upload to Kodak and will edit the link in later.
Having a blast here in Bocas del Toro, Panama.
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