Monday, 4 March 2019
Boquete, Panama
Early start to catch the 0830hrs public bus from Panama City to David, 450km away. Not looking forward to this journey. Arrive at the bus station thinking the tour company will already have pre-booked the tickets. Er no. You can’t pre-book. First come, first served. Tour leader tells us we haven’t got the extra leg room seats on the front row and are dotted about the bus as it’s full.
Tell him not bothered about that, primary concern is leg room. Not doing 8hrs crammed into a seat I can’t fit in. He buzzes off and returns later.
We’re not on the 0830hrs bus. We’re now on the 0930hrs bus. Another hour and a half to wait in this sodding bus station. But at least we have front row seats with extra leg room.
Finally board. Not like the Le Paz to Puno bus with business class seats. These are normal coach seats. Thankful that we do have the front row as it’s tight legroom in a normal seat.
The cracked front windscreen is held together with a plastic layer. Another day of liquid management treading that fine line between keeping hydrated and not having to use the loo. One of our group finally succumbs to the bus toilet. Told it’s grim. Very grim. Bowl is full and not flushing.
Very slow going to the half way point and lunch stop at Santiago. Every few kilometres is a policeman. They’re pulling people over to check licences, breath testing and speeding. Never seen so many police along a stretch of road but told it’s because of carneval weekend and so they’re out in force.
4hrs is a long time to sit on a bus until the first stop at Santiago and glad to be able to use the loo in the service station and much needed stretch of the legs. We’re all glad we’ve got snacks with us as the buffet food looks less than enterprising. No idea how long it will have been stagnating there for. After half an hour, back on the bus for the final 3.5hr stretch to David. Much quicker going, better roads and less police although do have a passport check half way when the police board the bus.
Bus is hot, sweaty and cramped. Not the best journey I’ve ever had and not one I wish to repeat.
Hot, humid and chucking it down with rain as we arrive in David. Use the bus station loo and as the woman at the cash desk has her back to me sneak in without paying. She collars me on the way out but keep on walking feigning ignorance. In any event, if I’m paying for a pee, I want a nice clean toilet not the scummy mess I’ve had to walk through missus.
We were meant to be taking a local ‘chicken bus’ (so called because it takes anything and everything) for the 1hr drive to Boquete but tour leader has seen sense and arranged a private bus complete with ice cold air-conditioning, which we’re all thankful for after the hot public bus.
Boquete, in the foothills of the Baru volcano, has a large American ex-pat community who retire here because of its temperate climate and cheap living. Could think of better places to live but it’s a nice town and bit more upmarket than what we’ve seen enroute with lots of good quality restaurants lining the main street.
Check in to Casa de la Abuela (https://www.lacasadeabuela.com/), basic but comfortable hotel, followed by much needed cold beer at the Boquete Brewing Company, who brew their own beer on site.
Live music tonight. They start playing The Police’s ‘Every Breath You Take’ but with their Panamanian accent, they sing that well known line as, “I’ll be washing you.”
Made me chuckle after a very long day.
