Well, this day turned out a lot different than expected. Perhaps not the whole day, but the morning at least. I had planned on spending one last leisurely morning in San Jose, checking out the butterfly exhibit at the museum and trying this Gallo Pinto breakfast that both my teachers had raved about. However, after the hostel manager's warning I had checked out my travel guide which also recommended buying international bus tickets ahead of time. The original plan had been to show up at the bus terminal in time for the afternoon bus for the 16-18 hour trip to Panama City where I had both a hostel and school reserved for the week.
However, due to the warnings I decided to leave my backpack at the hostel and get myself to the bus terminal first thing in the morning and then return later with my things. I tried to find the bus to head down there once again without much luck. After I'd walked awhile, I realized that I was nearly halfway there anyway so I might as well walk the whole way.
Once there it took me a bit to find the right desk for Expresso Panama, the bus line that went all the way to Panama City. She told me that the next bus I could get on wasn't until Wednesday. Hmmm, I guess they weren't kidding about booking ahead of time. I decided to try the other more expensive bus line across town and realized I better not waste time wandering around the city some more and invested in a taxi. Same story there, no bus until Thursday. Why don't these bus companies have websites where you can actually purchase the tickets if you have to get them so far ahead of time? I guess I could have gotten it as soon I arrived into San Jose or come into town once last week, but this is ridiculous. Well, now what?
I'd initially left the terminal but went back in to try and figure out my options. According to my guide book, I could also take a series of local buses and cross the border on my own. So I decided I better get myself back to the hostel and get myself to yet another bus terminal to try and get to the border earlier since I would be transferring a bunch which would probably take more time.
On my way back, I also attempted to try and find a bus but ended up walking again. Between my first evening and morning here walking with April, walking in circles last Sunday before my homestay pick-up, walking last night back and forth several times between the hostel and contact improv, and walking all across town to the bus terminals today, I'd say my feet know San Jose quite well....
Needless to say, I took a taxi with my giant pack to the Tracopa bus terminal. Once there, it took a bit to get my bearings, after which I stood in line to get a ticket. Here I had a problem. I didn't have many colones (Costa Rican currency) left because I would be leaving the country and didn't want to have a bunch left over. I could get myself a ticket to the border, but didn't have enough money to get myself to the city an hour over the border. So I guess I'll just get myself to the border then. According to the guide book, I could then get myself to David (the town an hour into Panama) in a minibus from the border.
I then counted up the few coins that I had left and bought myself a bag a chips (the only thing I will have eaten nearly the whole day, so much for an awesome authentic costa rican breakfast of Gallo Pinto). Then I headed to my bus and encountered the next problem. I was informed by the ticket taker that this was the 11:20 bus, my ticket was for the 11 o'clock bus. How did I miss my bus?
I went back to the ticket window to try to explain my situation. If I thought she had been unhelpful the first time, she was even worse this time around. In the end, she had me give her an extra $7 which I was able to pay in american dollars and changed my ticket to the 12 o'clock bus which went directly to David however my ticket still said that I would be going only to the border. So much for me thinking that Costa Rica totally was tourist driven and catered to tourist, this lady was so unhelpful and unaccommodating. Missing my Guatemalans, reflecting fondly on my first bus terminal experience where I missed my shuttle and they called it back for me. Also missing the chicken bus terminals where there were always tons of people lending a helping hand and showing me where to go. I guess in the chaos, there are is also a lot of camaraderie. This land of lines and ticket offices is just so cold and inconsiderate!
The driver of the bus to David though was a whole different story. He was so sweet to me! As he took my bag he asked where I was headed. There was some confusion because my bus ticket said I was going to the border but I obviously wanted to go further. He ended up calling some more official guy over to translate for me. This guy was surprised I spoke some Spanish but was able to clarify some of what the driver was trying to tell me. He then took me back to the same window where he interacted with the mean lady instead of me. I handed over my passport and another $7 for the immigration fees and was told I would pay the driver an additional amount to get all the way to David.
Ahhhh, goodness, finally on a bus headed in the direction of where I wanted to go. No stress for a few hours at least as I waited on the bus. At one stop I rationed my money a bit further and bought an ice cream, now only the equivalent of 32 cents, not much I can buy with that.
Then the border.... the guide book was absolutely right totally confusing, chaotic, and absolutely unclear about what you're supposed to do or what line you're supposed to be in. Luckily, at times the driver was there pointing me in the right direction. I have no idea what I would have done if I'd try to cross on my own. One line for getting out of Costa Rica that took almost an hour to get through. Then you walk a couple hundred yards, maybe crossing the border, I'm not really sure, to get another semblance of a line. Here I could have given my 32 cents to a little girl who was going around to everyone in the line begging. But I didn't remember it till after she was gone and it probably would just encourage that kind of behavior anyway.
Next problem! Once I got to the front of this second line (another hour or so), they actually did ask for proof of a ticket out of the country. This was supposed to be a requirement for getting into Costa Rica as well but the border agent never asked me. My vague plan had been to take a San Blas boat tour to Colombia so that's what I told this agent. He said I had to have a ticket out of the country. I'm not sure the bus driver quite understood that all I needed was wifi to purchase a ticket and kind of took me on a wild goose chase looking for it. In the end I found a hotspot right near the border agent and quickly purchased the boat ticket because I wasn't sure what else to do. Once I put in all my payment info though, it said that I would get a confirmation e-mail within the next 24 hours. Crap, 24 hours!!!!
However, once I got back to the border agent he didn't care too much and didn't even really look at the message and just stamped my passport. All this time too my bus driver had been checking in with me. I felt bad if I held up the bus, but was glad to know that he wouldn't likely leave without me.
An hour or so later we arrived in David at about 9pm and then came the problem of finding a bus to Panama City (my guide book said the last one was at 8pm but when I'd asked the driver he said I would be able to find one when we arrived). After some wandering around I found the right ticket window where there was already a line of people from my bus who actually knew what they were doing (unlike me). I got a ticket for the 11 o'clock bus and went to go find some food (my first meal of the day)!
Half way through eating I suddenly remembered that my guide book said that Panama was an hour ahead of Costa Rica. Had my cell phone changed on its own or no since I had no wifi? I asked the worker at the outdoor restaurant the time. So thankful that this bit of information had come to me suddenly but so much for my leisurely dinner. Quickly got myself back to the bus terminal. So glad I didn't miss yet another bus....
Here's to the day that never ends, it goes on and on into Monday.....
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