Day 4 in Panama - By Alexis Lanza

Thursday in Panama...

had to make up for the very inactive wed. After being cooped up in the hotel for an entire day, we decided to catch that boat to the beach. Jono was excited about the idea of a boat to an island, and so was Kari. I... just hoped I’d be able to walk. Even though the doctor had recommended that I try not to use my foot for the remaining two days, Jono and Kari were not giving me much of a choice.
It was our last day in Panama thus we had to pack our bags. Luckily, the hotel had agreed to hold our baggage even after we had checked out, so we would not have to worry about dragging them around all day. We all awoke at 9am that morning. It took a while to actually drag ourselves out of bed and get dressed, but we managed I’d say.
By the time we caught a taxi to the boat docks, it was 10 am. Kari caught the line as Jono and I sat near the refreshments area waiting, it was a bit hot, but we weren’t complaining. Before long we heard the line sigh and realized that they were sold out. We weren’t getting to the island. Refusing to let our day be a waste, we quickly chatted up a taxi man and asked about other possible attractions in Panama. He suggested we go see the actual canal. $8 an hour....
We are bargaining experts now!
Eventually got a taxi to take us to the canal for $6. Once there, we bought entrance tickets and walked around the museum that was inside. We even got to see a short movie in a little theater about the canal. VIP’s only, yes a whole mini theater with just the three of us, and maybe 4 other people. After we watched the “movie” we made our way up to the fourth floor and watched the canal in work. Jono recored it all with his new camera, so I’m sure that shall make it even more interesting.
Having done all we could do and see at the canal, we then caught another taxi to the bus terminal. Kari and Jono had decided that they wanted to see the real Panama, the real city, so to do so, we would all catch a random bus and ride it around the city. Sounded like a nifty plan to me, but this meant some adjustments to the bandaged ankle I limped around with. Jono was kind enough to document this with his camera as well... much to my disapproval I might say.

Yes, so all 3 of us boarded a random bus and set off. It took about 30 min before we got to some other destination. Yes it was yet another shopping centre. Kari suggested we go buy some snacks for the trip back, so we did. Coco Milk, biscuits, crackers, high lighters, an ice tea. Yes, this trip was certainly verging on rivaling “Super Size Me” and you know what, it’s not to say we didn’t enjoy it. Not too long after, we caught another bus back to the city.
Once there, we explored our hotel’s neighborhood and shops in search of an alarm clock for me and .... well whatever else we could find that would be interesting. The key was to find an alarm clock that would ring loud or annoyingly enough to work. By 6:10pm we were back at the hotel to pick up our bags and head over to the bus station.
Albrook Mall, I believe it’s called, is across from the bus station, so we were going to go watch a movie in order to kill time because the bus didn’t leave until 11 pm.
Quickly finding the movie theater, we were forced to settle on our second choice movie, 10,000 B.C. There is so much to say about that movie, but anyhow. We bought our tickets for the 7:40 showing, and the cool staff at the theater agreed to hold our bags for us until after the movie.
Lots of time to kill before the movie, I suggested we go into the arcade. There was some discussion about wether or not playing arcade games vrs gambling at a casino was worse or not seeing as how in one you might actually regain some money and in the other... well, you don’t. I think we unanimously decided that arcade games enhanced some .. random skill, but I can’t recall which.
After the arcade, we bought movie snacks and went to watch our movie. The movie was....
Okay, let me quote some of our reactions instead: “ha.. ha ... ha... wait are they serious?”
“Can we go into another theater?”, “This is so.... corny”
Now some random, though probably not entirely correct, lines from the movie: “That star represents the feelings in my heart for you”, “Your father was a great man”, “She may not have been there, but her spirt never left their side.”

We left the theater after, got our bags back, changed into warmer bus clothes, and set off for the bus station. Jono wanted postcards, but it was already late and all the shops seemed to have been closed. He and I walked around for a bit in search, but it was pretty clear we weren’t going to find any. We hoped instead to snag some at the Border when we stopped at dawn.
Yup, so at about 10:45 pm we boarded the bus, got reassigned to new seats in the middle of the bus, and were off.

3ish am. Jono seemed to be unhappily sandwiched between his and the person in front of him’s seat. Kari, sitting next to me, was freezing, and I... gave up sleeping. Grabbing the toilet paper in my bag, I handed it to kari and showed her how Jono and I had stuffed up the AC vents on the trip to Panama. A while later, Jono and I traded seats so he could actually “move.” I was just fine in the seat he was in because it felt warmer, but maybe that was the effect of the reclined chair in front that created a warm...nook?

Friday....

At sunrise we arrived at the border of Panama and Costa Rica, watched dogs sniff our bags, checked our passports, then continued our journey to San Jose. There, there were no busses running, so we caught a taxi back to school. It sucked going from paying $2 for a ride to $12. Alas, I guess this is Costa Rica for you. At about 3pm on friday afternoon (march 21st) we were back at school. Yeay?