Highway 1 All the Way

Here are some pictures from Panama City and Port Manzanillo, where we loaded the minivan onto a shipping container:

http://picasaweb.google.com/102902177234791651515/Week15Panama#

The port was very interesting. Fingers crossed that the minivan gets to Columbia…

Shipping the minivan to Columbia is a long, complicated and frustrating process. To give you a sense of what this entails, I am providing the detailed step by step process.

Prep: Research shipping agencies, make initial contact and receive ship dates. (2 hours)

Monday, May 31: Go to shipping agency to receive shipping requirements. Learn that we need to use a container (instead of roll-on, roll-off service), which changes the ship date to June 13^th. Fortunately, the shipping agency is in the building next to our apartment, thereby saving transportation time.  (1 hour)

Tuesday, June 1: Go back to the shipping agency with required documents and get the paperwork for the police inspection. (2 hours)

Monday, June 7: We find a fellow traveler, Rick, with a truck driven from Montana via the Internet and decide to share a 40’ container with him to reduce the cost ($950 vs. $1250). We agree to meet at the police station at 10am to do the inspection together. Paul and I get hopelessly lost on the way to the police station and ask a taxi to lead us there (just like in the “Amazing Race”). The police start the inspection, but tell us that the VIN number is not in shown correctly on our Panama customs paperwork. So, we go to customs, getting lost again and following a taxi again. We receive our corrected paperwork at customs after about an hour wait, then go back to the police station. They complete the paperwork and tell us to come back in 2 hours to go to the General Secretary. But there’s an issue – we need to be dressed nicely to visit the secretary, not dressed in shorts and T-shirts as is our standard mode. We take a taxi back to our apartment, change clothes and eat a quick lunch. Then back to the General Secretary and wait about 1 hour for our papers to be signed and stamped. We finally leave around 3:30pm. (Total time: 6 hours)

Tuesday, June 8: Inconveniently, the shipping agency moves to a new office in a neighboring city, so we drive to the office. Wait awhile for more paperwork to bring to the port. (2 hours)

Friday, June 11: Day to drop off the minivan at the port! Drive for 1 hour to Port Manzanillo on the Caribbean side. We are pleased that we do not get lost on the way, a first for us in Panama! Go to the shipping agency at the port, wait, get papers. Drive to the customs office, wait, get papers. Drive to another customs office, wait, walk back to the shipping agency, make more copies of papers, go back to the customs office, wait, pay $5 and receive papers. Drive to port, wait, then the police complete the vehicle inspection with a canine unit. Stand in another customs line for a long time, just to find out that we should not be standing in that line. Wait for awhile longer at the inspection office, then jump in our car and drive to the dock. Wait, wait, wait at the container for a bunch of people to come: customs, security, police, dock workers – not sure who the 12-15 people are… Go through another inspection with the drug sniffing dog. Fortunately, we go through all of this with Rick, who provides good company and comic relief. Finally, watch the dock workers drive the car into the container and secure the vehicle. Next goes Rick’s truck. Back to the customs office to make copies of the latest version of paperwork, then done! But wait, we still need to get back to Panama City. Can’t find a taxi to drive us to the bus station, as they are all watching the opening games of the World Cup. Walk through the blazing heat to the shipping agency, get a ride to the Colon bus terminal, take the supposed express bus to Panama City which stops frequently, arrive at the bus terminal, then take a taxi through rush hour traffic to the apartment. Get home around 5:30pm. (Total time: 10 hours)

Yes, this whole thing is a royal pain in the ass. However, the port is actually really cool; the enormity of the port is astounding. I am fascinated by the huge cranes loading and unloading containers on the ships, as well as the many large vehicles driving around. I feel so miniscule in comparison… Shipping the minivan seems strangely appropriate after spending 2 weeks along the Panama Canal. I just hope that the minivan arrives safely to Columbia!

After three months of travelling in third world countries, I surprise myself about the material items and cultural aspects that I DON’T miss from the States. I thought that I would have missed my luxurious bed, soothing Jacuzzi and cushy chaise lounge in front of the big TV. However, I realize that the so-called everyday amenities are what I miss the most. I will get on my “high horse” and convey my short list of items that we, as Americans, should be thankful for:

1)      Purified water: In the States, we can drink from a kitchen sink, bathroom faucet and even a garden hose. If we are thirsty, we can easily drink water. Besides Panama, all of the Central American countries require drinking bottled water. No big deal except for the cost and inconvenience of purchasing water. But I have come to realize the many ways that we need purified water: washing fruits and vegetables, brushing teeth, swallowing a pill or just taking a gulp of water while showering. Those little bottles of water run out really fast…

2)      Hot water: Still on the water hype, as Patrick would say, hot water is essential for washing dishes, showering and for Paul, shaving. Even nice hotels do not always offer hot water here. Although a cold shower can be refreshing on a hot day, it can also be very uncomfortable if you need to wash hair or scrub excess sand/dirt off. Some hotels have “suicide showers”, Italian devices that heat the water just before it comes out of the shower head. But I find that suicide showers are flaky and even worse, can cause a nasty electric shock (thereby the nickname). I swear that I will forever appreciate hot showers from this trip forward.

3)      Sidewalks, cross walks, stop lights: I fear for my life each time that I cross the street in Panama City. Same is true in the other countries that we have visited. I greatly appreciate that I can walk, run, and bike at home in a controlled situation, where motorists actually stop if I have the right of way. Crossing the street here is as follows: 1) stay together and hope to find a local person to cross with, 2) look both ways again and again, 3) wait, wait and wait for no cars, 4) sprint across the street, 5) run faster as a speeding car approaches, 6) arrive at the median safely if you are lucky, and 7) start again at step 1 to cross in the other direction.

4)      In NoCal, lack of biting bugs: Yes, we have some mosquitoes, bees and fleas. Yet I do not recall ever scratching bug bites incessantly except maybe after a camping trip in the mountains. We can spend an entire day and evening at the beach, and leave without one single bug bite. Here, I carry 98% DEET in my purse, as I never know when those nasty beasts will start biting. I can be sitting in at a restaurant or store, and feel myself being bitten. Yesterday, Connor pulled a bug out of my hair! “Mom, there is a black thing in your hair – I think it is a tick.” Nice.

I suppose that one of the best things about travelling is learning to appreciate what we have at home. I certainly appreciate several things in Latin America that we don’t have in the States – that will be the subject of another blog post…

Here are a bunch of pictures of Panama City and Panama Canal. Warning – we are awed by the Panama Canal and take lots of pictures, so you will see many pictures of the canal and ships, as well as the city skyline. Also, since our friend, John Pulaski, made a comment that there are not any pictures of me, Paul keeps taking the camera out of my hands to take pictures of me. Thus, you will see several pictures of me posing at various locations – proof that I am still alive and well. Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/102902177234791651515/Week14Panama#

Paul says that Panama City is just like New York, but everyone speaks Spanish. Traffic, sirens, car alarms, shopping malls, cineplexes, bowling, Bennigans, Subway, KFC… High rises everywhere and more being built. Even Trump is building towers here. We could be in any large city in the U.S. Yet, we are in Panama.

We meet people that look and speak like Americans, only to learn that they are Panamanians. We go to the minimarket, owned by Chinese-Panamanians. We say “hola” to a black man, who replies in English, since he is from the Caribbean side of Panama. We go to the supermarket, which is 100% kosher. Funny story – Paul goes there and ask where the pork is… Between the canal and banking, Panama attracts people from all over the world and like the States, this is truly a “melting pot”.

Our apartment is in a high rise on Avenida Balboa, in an exclusive part of the city. We have a comfortable one bedroom/2 bathroom apartment on the 9^th floor with a view of the Pacific Ocean and skyline of Punta Paitilla. We enjoy not living out of suitcases for awhile and cooking at home. However, the best part is the shared area on the 27^th floor: pool, BBQ, gym, ping pong and billiards. The view is incredible – best view from a treadmill that I have ever experienced!

We spend lots of time visiting the Panama Canal – awesome! We watch ships come through with less than a 2 foot clearance on either side. It is hard to explain how spectacular the canal is. Comments from the boys:

Quinn: “It’s amazing! It’s one of the man-made wonders of the world.”

Connor: “It is pretty cool because it raises and lowers the boats like 50 feet with natural power.”

Paul: “It is a truly amazing work by man. Human engineering at its finest!”

We spend the rest of our time enjoying city life: shopping, movies, arcades, and exploring. The old town. Casco Viejo, is especially charming with renovated antique buildings, brightly painted, resembling New Orleans. The promenade in front of our apartment building goes from the shopping mall to the old town, and fills with people walking, running, rollerblading, biking and playing soccer/basketball in the evening.

We also are coordinating the shipment of the minivan to Columbia, which is a pain. So far, we have visited the shipping agency twice for the required paperwork. On Monday, we need to go to the police station for a security check, and are warned that this will take several hours. On Tuesday, we go back to the shipping agency for the final paperwork. Finally on Friday, we drive one hour to Colon to complete customs. Lastly, we drive the minivan to the port in Manzanilla, then need to get ourselves back to Panama City. Will be an interesting week…

Here are some pictures from Santiago, Chitres and Panama City. We just arrived to Panama City yesterday, so no pictures yet of the canal:

http://picasaweb.google.com/102902177234791651515/Week13Panama#

Here is Quinn going down the water slide at the hotel in Santiago, Panama. Great waterpark right at the hotel!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-AELLv3fHI

Bocas del Toro is gorgeous: beautiful beaches, incredible snorkeling, crystalline water, friendly people and delicious food. Yet, paradise has a few hidden costs.

The most hidden element on the islands is sand flies. The longer we stayed, the more bites we accumulated. By the time we left, we are each covered with more than 100 bites. Fortunately, the bites don’t itch if we don’t scratch, but one scratch and that’s it – the scratching becomes relentless. The problem is that nothing works against those little hidden bastards. The locals make a special blend of coconut oil, citronella and lemon grass, but as far as I can tell, the stuff does not work.

Another hidden element is the unexpected accident. Here’s Paul take on a little adventure that led to unforeseen costs. “I was in the middle of a poker game with two Dutch guys, J.J. and Bart, and J.J. ran out of cigarettes so we decided to take a boat ride to Isla Colon for a pack of cigarettes. We arrived and hung out.  J.J. met someone and stayed, and Bart and I got on a boat to come home. Halfway into our trip home, the captain tapped me on the shoulder and told me to move forward. All of a sudden, the boat flipped and the three of us were swimming with the sharks (note: no sharks were seen, but the channel is shark-infested). Another boat came and rescued us, and brought us back to Isla Colon. The boatmen were trying to get me to pay $300 for tipping the boat. Fifteen of the dock workers were threatening Bart and me in an alley. The police showed up and escorted Bart, the captain and me to the police station. I explained, all in Spanish, what happened. The policeman said that the accident was not our fault and arrested the captain for being drunk, not being licensed and not having life jackets. The police brought us back to the dock and we took another boat home. We had to pay another $20 for the ride home, plus an additional $40 to clean the boat’s engine.” Expensive 5 minute boat ride…

Islands are isolated, which makes everything more expensive, including medicine. While Paul was having his wet and wild ride, I was suffering from a migraine, which typically lasts two days. I had enough medicine for the first day, but the rest of the medicine was in the minivan on the mainland. I checked the island’s pharmacies for the medicine with no luck. On day 2 of the migraine, I woke up early to make the journey to the minivan and back: quick ride to Isla Colon, water taxi to Almirante on the mainland, quick walk to the minivan, water taxi back to Isla Colon, short shopping trip to buy pork buns and empanadas, and finally, boat ride back to our island. I don’t remember much about the trip over to the mainland, except the roar of the boat’s engine, smell of diesel fuel and holding my temple in misery. Total cost was only $10 for the boat rides and 3 hours of time. Worth it for a day’s relief of pain? Absolutely!

Now we are in Santiago, about 4 hours from Panama City. No bugs, no boats and lots of migraine medicine in my purse. Hopefully, no hidden costs for a few days!

Here are pictures from Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica, and Boquete and Bocas del Toro, Panama. Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/102902177234791651515/Week12CostaRicaAndPanama#

Here is a video clip of the kids in Bocas del Toro:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMXuSMo4Zek

Here is a video clip of Paul’s and Quinn’s synchronous diving:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Naf2UL03GD4

Our entry into Panama is rather dramatic. We have a surprisingly smooth border crossing until we get to the last window (border crossings typically entail going to about 10 different offices/windows). The custom agent is almost ready to stamp the documents for the car, then the power goes out, closing the border completely. We wait about 2 hours for the power to come back on, then we are on our way into Panama.

The weather is stifling hot – 96 degrees and humid. The kids see a mini mall with a Burger King and are excited to have American fast food for lunch. We start heading towards the mountains to cool off and encounter a torrential downpour. Paul is a trooper and continues to drive through the pouring rain to Boquete, a charming mountain town on the slopes of Volcano Baru.

Boquete is picture-perfect: alpinesque houses, beautiful flower gardens, river running through town, and artisan shops. Boquete is a great place for the outdoors: river rafting, hiking and horseback riding. Yet, the weather is rainy and we spend most of our time at the hotel, catching up on school work and making travel arrangements.

We take one of the most scenic drives of the trip from Boquete to Bocas del Toro, on the Caribbean. We pass mountain peaks, rushing waterfalls, fertile valleys, incredible views and lots and lots of major potholes.

We leave the minivan on the mainland (our first time leaving “our home”) and take a water taxi to the Bocas islands. We decide to stay on Isla Carinero at a lovely hotel, Tierra Verde, right on the beach. Island living! White sand beaches, warm water, fresh seafood for the boys and lots of lazing around and socializing.

This is the first time on the trip for visiting the Caribbean, and we quickly notice differences. The food has a kick to it – yummy and spicy. The houses are built on stilts for protection against flooding and bugs. The houses and hotels have a plantation look – balconies, carved railings and bright pastels. The typical mode of transportation is by boat. The locals speak a combo English-Spanish language with a twist, referred to as wari-wari. Reggae music plays at the restaurants and bars. The Bob Marley song, “Don’t worry about a thing, cause every little thing’s gonna be alright” seems to sum up the attitude perfectly.

We’ll continue island living for awhile. We are making arrangements to ship the minivan to Columbia on June 15^th and will spend a few weeks at an apartment in Panama City to make final plans and sightsee. It’s a good life!

I have mixed feelings about travelling in Costa Rica. The countryside and beaches are amazingly beautiful, the roads are clean of trash, generally good and well marked, the people are friendly and often speak English. For a one or two week vacation, Costa Rica is a dream. However, as part of a nine month trip, staying within budget here is very difficult. We seek out inexpensive accommodations and food, but even then, we are barely staying within budget and are not able to indulge in any treats like zip lines, ATVs or tours, as we have done in other countries.

We spend the last part of our time in Costa Rica at Playa Hermosa, a surf town on the Pacific. We enjoy watching the surfers – most from the States – and relaxing in the pool. The undertow is too strong to swim and the sand is black, so we do not find this as our ideal beach. However, Paul is in for a special treat when he finds the Sharks’ and Red Sox games on the TV in our hotel room.

We are now staying at a dump near the border and will leave for Panama tomorrow. If all goes well, our minivan will be on a ship headed for Columbia on June 15^th. That gives us almost a full month in Panama!