as we crossed the panama/costa rican border, a swiss guy asked us that because it was pouring down rain as it has been more often than not. we didnt really have a reason for traveling in the rainy season, it just worked out this way so we´ll go with it and get soaked along the way.
since the last update we have put some miles behind us and even a whole country. we had a great time in boquete, panama scootering around for the day and even found the waterfall. it was a nice place to be but unless we wanted to hike to a volcano in the middle of the night (which we didnt) there wasn´t much else there for us so we made our way to the border. we took a school bus (local transportation in panama to use american school buses) to a town called david, about an hour away then found the smallest bus possible to the border - changuinola. this bus probably fit about 25 people comfortably but why not fulfill a stereotype by filling it with about twice that amount along the way? once we made it to town we had to get a taxi to the border which we ended up sharing with some european guys - no worries for those who`ve seen Taken, they were gringos too! the border was a funny place because we had to pay for a sticker to cross this bridge - in the rain, walking and then we had to have proof of onward travel - which i didnt - so i had to buy a bus ticket back to panama that will be good for a year even though we all know i won´t use it - really they just wanted my moneys!
crossed the border $12 poorer and on we go. we caught a bus to a beach town about 2 hours north of the border called talamanca de puerto viejo (o algo asi) only to realize we had just stepped into jamaica! there was more bob marley than che guavera if that tells you anything. the hostel we found from the book and the first we saw off the bus turned out to fit the town - a ton of rastas, fixing each others dreads and rolling joints. im not really sure if any of them ever left the hostel because they were ALWAYS there...oh well it was a cute place and a good price so we stayed two nights. our full day at the beach (on the carribean coast) was spent on bicycles riding from one beach town to the next, stopping wherever we pleased. it was cool because one of the beaches is well known for its surf - called salsa brava - so we watched the surfers for a little while. it was all around a good day. it ended pretty early because we had ridden 26 km on bikes and just wanted to rest.
today we made our way to turrialba, costa rica - about 6 hours in buses - so that we can go rafting tomorrow! i kinda like the day of travel because we can kinda rest but i kinda hate to waste a day and spend the whole day in the bus....it is all a part of the travel so i will take the good with the bad and enjoy my time here!
ill try to keep you posted!
jen
ps we somehow gained an hour by crossing the border. i bought a bus ticket and thought it was wrong but turned out i was wrong because i didnt realize i had changed time zones! we are now 2 hours behind NC, just so you know.
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