In Costa Rica, Semana Santa (Saints Week) is the biggest holiday of the year, rivaling Christmas! At that time the Puerto Viejo area is inundated with tourists, mostly Ticos coming in droves, to the beach. They say it gets way too crowded to be comfortable. I decided to go to go to Panama. I needed to leave the country any way, to get my passport stamped, as all visitors from the States must do every three months.
I took the bus from Puerto Viejo, instead of driving because gas is $5.00 a gallon and also, the bus gets me closer to the people, closer to life and that is what I am here for. A pleasant hour and a half ride got me to Sixaola, the border town. I had a little trouble at customs because I was five days late leaving the country, but it was nothing that $20.00 and a guy named Carlos could not fix. Carlos got me to a taxi/pickup truck crammed full for the half hour drive to Changuinola where I found the bus to the city of David. This ride took about five hours through the winding roads of the mountains.
The comfortable bus was more like a large passenger van. Here I learned the true meaning of filled to capacity! Most buses have a driver and another guy who loads passengers on and off the bus, helps with luggage and takes the money. The young man on this bus has worked at his job for six years and he is good at finding places for people to sit when there are no places to sit. I was among the first to board, so I had a comfortable seat, right behind the door, where the kid who managed the passengers stood, hanging out the open door and taking in the amazing scenery as the bus drove higher and higher up into the mountains. There were views that rivaled Glacier Park and I even saw some pine trees that reminded me of home. I opened my window and hung outside, too. (I love it! So much more freedom of behavior in Central America. Nobody tells you you have to close your window or you might get hurt by a tree branch and they could get sued!)
After nine hours of travel I was still enthused to see my new friend Idys, who came to the bus terminal to pick me up. Idys is involved with the Servas program: http://joomla.servas.org/ and had agreed to have me as a guest in her home this week. This was my first Servas experience and I was very excited about it. She spoke no English but by now my Spanish had improved to the point that I could communicate pretty well. Idys is a university professor of psychology. She lives with her husband, Cesar, a building contractor, her brother, a retired pilot and her mother. Her daughter, Mylin, doctor in a nearby town, comes home on weekends. These people have been so kind, treating me like one of the family but an also like important guest at the same time. They gave me free rein of the kitchen, telling me to help myself and there was always something good cooking on the stove. And they were more than happy to take me touring.
After giving me some delicious arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) which is a staple down here, Idys, Mylin and I went to the fair. I was curious to see if it would be the same as the fairs in the states. It is - almost exactly except for the Spanish influence. There were exhibits, animals, vegetables, food, music, rides and many people, just like at home.
Sunday we had a mid day family dinner, just like the Ticos do. Afterward mother and daughter and grandmother took me sight seeing. We went to the highest point in Panama (altitude 11,397), Volcan Baru , an inactive volcano. I absolutely fell in love with the Panama countryside. This verdant rain forest supplies fruits, vegetables and coffee for all of Panama. It is lush and beautiful. The farms are quaint and picturesque, but what really amazed me was how they can farm on such a steep incline. Some of those little farms were practically vertical! I had a wonderful day with my Panamanian hosts.
My Servas hosts live in the city of David which is close Pacific side of Panama. I took a day to check out the beach at Las Lahas, riding the bus for an hour. It reminded me so much of Mexico. It was lovely but cannot compare to the beauty of the Caribbean beaches. The beach is wide and expansive with much less shade and hence the palapas (thatch roofed shelters) like in Mexico. The waves were small and there was almost no current to worry about when swimming. In the Caribe Sur where I live, the currents can be really dangerous. The Pacific seems to be much drier than the Caribbean side of Central America. The dampness and rain in the Caribbean make for a rich jungle and breathtaking scenery.
Panama and it’s people are different from Costa Rica. The first thing I noticed is that the infrastructure (roads and such) is so much better here. Many places look a lot like the States due to the influence of the States for so many years via the Panama Canal. Even the poor little towns look clean and tidy. Costa Rica is supposed to be a richer country and the people are more educated, but from the looks of it on the outside you would think the opposite. The people of Panama are friendly and I am told there is less crime here. I am also told that the cost of living is less but it did not appear that way to me. Property is less, I am sure and I talked to a lawyer I met on a bus, who deals in land conflicts who told me it is easy for foreigners to buy property in Panama. Recently the laws for tourists were changed and one had to leave the country once a month but I talked to an American who has lived here for a year with her Panamanian boyfriend and she said, for her, it depended on which border crossing she went to. At one place she was told that the laws had been changed back to three months. At the other she was told not, but just charged an extra $15.00 to get across. As usual in these Central American countries, and Mexico too, it depends on who you talk to, what mood they are in and what the going rate of bribery is that day.
After five fun days with my Panamanian hosts I left for Bocas del Toro. Bocas is a well known tourist area just south of Puerto Viejo. It is a group of islands just off the Panama coastline. I have to say I didn’t much care for the town - too many tourists! Taking the boat to get there and back was fun, though.
Bocas del Toro
All in all, my trip to Panama was a good one. I got lots of chances to practice my Spanish with the many people I met on the bus and with my Panamanian family. I was enchanted with the scenery and thrilled to get to explore another Central American country. I look forward to my next Servas visit, maybe in Nicaragua.
Volcan Baru
Houses on the water at Bocas del Toro
