The Rants of Issachar

It turns out we´ll have a place to stay in Bocas Del Toro after all. Dad got inspired to start calling around after talking with the grandson of the guy who owns Los Capitanes and we got lucky. We don´t know what it will cost yet, but we do have a roof over our heads. Flying up there without that would have been downright stupid. It would have been a shame to have to cancel out of that part of the trip. But we didn´t find that out until we were out our way back to Panama city and we stopped at the side of the road to use a phone. So it made for a stressful evening.

The drive back to Panama City was uneventful, and we drove out to the causeway near the city. Completely quiet. Interesting to see, but I wouldn't travel the world for it.

But... While the drive back to Panama City was fine, the drive in Panama City to return the car was chaotic. The maps we had are detailed, but not 100% accurate. There seem to be streets in Panama that don't appear on the maps. And there are a lot of one way streets and two way streets that become one way streets without warning. And there are very few street signs. And there's a lot of honking. No one pays attention to the honking, but they sure seem to enjoy doing it. So with Dad driving and me navigating with an eye out for signs and the other on the map, we we're pretty sure where we were most of the time, but we couldn't get to where we wanted to be. Unfortunately while we were driving around Dad managed to go through a yellow light. So did the guy next to him too, and Dad's not sure it didn't turn yellow while we were in the intersection. But a traffic cop did pull us over. Adding to the insult was the fact that we'd circled the block once already because we'd seen him and weren't sure if u-turns were legal. Oh, and he insisted that we went through a red light, but we're not dumb enough to argue. And it turns out at least one cop in Panama is crooked and looking for a payout. "No one see money". Yeah... I wonder why. I have now have the distinction of knowing that I definitely can palm some money to an officer with the instruction "no one see money". Aren't I special... So $30 later we're on the road again. And thinking we're almost there. But the road turns becomes one way against us and we have to turn off. Perfect...

We eventually stopped at National Car rental, where I got a better map and our exact location. The woman there was kind enough to give me great directions back to Budget car rental, but her directions did involve going the wrong way down a one way street, so back to the map. Dad was obviously frustrated at this point and tired of all the honking and I was probably sounding like a condescending sob. (I don't really think so, but you'd have to ask Dad). But we came out of it okay, and the National Car rental map was good enough to get us to our destination.

I didn't mind the whole experience that much, but then I wasn't the one having to worry about pushy Panamanian drivers putting a dent in the rental car.

Back to the Plaza Patilla hotel for a relaxing shower and a burger across the road. Dad went off the explore the old city again and I sat down to read C.S. Friedman's "This Alien Shore". I just started it, but it seems like a very good book. (Thanks Caleb).

Still no joy with pictures. I can upload them, but without scaling them down they're a bit big to put on the website. And the mp3 player is fine when I hook it up to a computer, but it still won't play. Maybe something with the batteries...

I'm missing all you people back home. See you in a week.

Posted by:  kris

oh the joy (and by joy, i mean utter frustration) of driving in third world countries!
glad you're still in one piece.

Posted by:  Graves

Whaddaya mean it would be "down right stupid" to go without having a place to stay? I do it all the time; it keeps life interesting (granted a wee bit stressful at times-but still interesting).

Posted by:  issachar

yeah, but don't do it in a tourist trap where you can't just head out of town to find a cheap dive to stay in. We did that on the Pacific coast and it all worked out fine, but we could always leave the tourist trap there. Not so in Bocas.

Posted by:  Graves

*grin* but it would be fun to watch you try... if your mom wasn't with you. Mothers should never be along for these things. Really I'm just still venting 'cause you're in Latin America and I'm in BC.

Posted by:  issachar

Mum isn't actually on the trip. She had to cancel out at the last minute, so it's just me and Dad.