Our constant companion is the Lonely Planet's Central America on a Shoestring, but as it was researched in 2006 it is not always current so we have to confirm the data from other sources. Bulletin boards at the most popular hostals are usually the best source.
6 am boat to Almirante from Bocas. Colectivo taxi to the bus station, which was really nothing more than a sign next to a cafeteria off the main road. Next bus to David - pulls in right after we get dropped off - perfect timing. Really more of a shuttle bus and its not really direct, unless direct means directly stopping whenever someone flags it down. Before we know there are people crowded in the aisle and the driver continues to stop for more passengers. A little girl, standing in the aisle, is holding onto my leg for support. Its a 4 hour ride!
We depart only to get in the very long line to buy bus tickets to Panama City. This shouldn't have been hard. I've been speaking this sort of tourist spanish for awhile now. Its pretty straight forward. Where are you going (a donde va?), what time does the bus leave, (cuando sale el autobus?) how much does it cost (cuanto cuesta?). But for some reason the lady behind the counter and I just cannot understand each other. She thinks I want tickets for tomorrow and keeps saying there is nothing today. But I can see people buying tickets in the line next to me. Luckily I stand my ground and keep trying to explain what I want rather than getting out of the line or buying tickets for tomorrow. Eventually she miraculously figures out what we want and we get tickets for - right now! Another dash to the bus and we are off again. Luckily it is a big luxury bus and we have the front seats which is a good thing as this leg will be at least 8 hours to Panama City. Time flys by and before we know it we are at the Panama City bus station which is more like an airport terminal than a bus station. Quite impressive, organized, clean and shopping too. We catch a cab for the Hostal Mamallena. Well eventually we get there - the driver doesn't know where it is, he stops to call from a payphone - no luck. I have directions but he seems to want to figure this out on his own. Ok have it your way - we had negotiated a flat rate so what was a little more time driving around ... We arrive to snatch the last available room but they are full tomorrow so we will have to move again.
Typical hostel, albiet the back courtyard feels a bit like a prison with all the barbed wire, but super helpful staff, a large dvd library which comes in handy (although I've now seen the Bourne Identity series 4 times), a communal kitchen and free pancakes (sealed the deal for John). In the morning we move down the road to the Residential Rocio. $20 a/c, tv, bath. Nicer and cheaper than the hostal but no info so we will move back to the Mamallena once a room is available. We head out at night to a local outdoor eatery. Big plates of food at rock bottom prices - this may end up being our normal dinner spot. This area seems a bit dodgy at times but our trusted guidebook asserted this was a relatively safe part of town. Well hopefully it is safer now as the hostal has just obtained an armed security guard. Seems that a couple of weeks ago the entire hostal was held hostage by 4 armed gunmen who, after moving all the guests to one room, proceeded to randsack each and every room, at their leisure, taking everyone's valuables - cameras, computers, money, ipods, everything. Only thing left behind was a few items in the lock boxes behind the counter - curiously as wire cutters for the boxes are right in plainsight. Fortunately no one was hurt. Needless to say we were shocked and alarmed when we heard the story from fellow guests at the hostal. Would there be another attack? Obviously the first was a lucrative event. We contemplated moving but decided the fact that the police were now hanging around and there was a security guard may actually make it a safer place than others. I tried to keep it in perspective. This is a big city afterall and its not like crime doesn't happen in my home town. My neighbor has been robbed, another one shot on his way home late at night and my girlfriend's bike was stolen off her car just a half block up the road from our house. And those were just in my block - so a few deep breathes and a good dose of suspicion of everyone and thing matched with a constant awareness of my surroundings and we continue our journey.
