Tuesday we leave for Panama city. That is approx. a 6 to 7 hr trip.from Boquete. It's like driving to Montreal from Hamilton. That makes it sound better.
We are staying at the Milan and we get a 15 % discount for cash. We get to stay in a suite for $84 a night. Nice. We get to see the sites of the city without a whirl wind tour the last day. And more importantly, Aprille gets to soak in a bath tub.
We also have to go to Costa Rica within the stated 90 days, to keep our tourist and driving status current. How silly. But that's their system.
But we did find out we can eliminate a lengthy wait at the border by crossing at a smaller site near our trip to Vulcan. You also have to have,in cash, $500 US dollars each,and proof of a return flight home.
We just found out too, that the rental car, being brought across the border, is more of a safety issue for the car not being sold there. That is why the paper work is so onerous.Very strange.
Okay here's a good one. Today,Monday(Ground hog day) we went into Boquete after the gym, to get some money from the bank. There was only one parking spot, I backed in and let Aprille out. An armed guard, came and told me to turn around(that much Spanish I know). Why you ask?
So I can't make a quick get a way(my thinking). So don't back into a spot in front of a bank.
So we made it to Panama City. 500 km and 8 hrs later. No street signs,no highway signs. No town signs. "Nada". No stop lights in small towns we went through so you just go when you get a chance.
Oh.. there are no stop lights in Boguete and only 3 in David and we saw none on the way to Panama City. Also on the subject,you hardly ever see a female driver down here.
It was 40 km an hour for most of the trip because of the construction.... NOT.....That's the posted maximum but there is no way, no way, I'm going that speed. So..you lock your self behind a transport,or better yet, a national police bus. Then you can easily go 80 km. Much better.
But you gotta do it just once(really just once).
Pot holes worse than Hamilton after a hard winter. Can you relate? One pot hole actually activated the wind shield wipers. No kidding. Ok you can stop laughing.
Twice I used my badge to good advantage.
Once in Los Ruices,where we had to go to a police station to find a bath room. I had a conversation (in broken Spanish )about how long I had worked,how long I had been retired and when and how long we were in Panama.
The Sgt did know where Toronto was(maybe that was the only city he knew in Canada) but he spoke no English. We actually got to use their bath rooms in their barracks. Nice.
PS. The Trans American highway from Los Ruices to Coronado was horrendous. This is their national highway for goodness sake. One part of the highway was beautiful though. It actually reminded us of the Holland marsh the 400 NB.
The second was in Panama City where we were hopelessly lost and I asked a young National police officer where the Milan Hotel was. He tried his portable radio and the dispatcher didn't know so he flagged down a taxi who led us right to the hotel. Fortunately I had the street and the phone number of the hotel...... The best $5 I ever spent. Well maybe the $10 dollars in Cuba, but that is another story.
We followed the taxi through a section of Panama City that I would NEVER try to navigate at night. Yikes!
How poor,unlucky, gang controlled,filthy conditions,no windows living in abandoned buildings. Scary. More on that later.
We were told about the nicer drive(albeit longer and more circuitous mountain driving) to avoid the road building but we missed it on the way here. We are definitely taking this road on the way home.
I know the(unmarked rd) but it came on me faster than expected and I was committed.
Here we go.
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