Was weiss man ueber Panama? Dort gibt es doch den beruehmten Panamakanal, die wahrscheinlich wichtigste Strecke im Schiffsverkehr. Aber sonst? Wir wussten beim Betreten dieses Landes nicht viel mehr, da wir keine Lust hatten in einem ueberteuerten Internetcafe in Costa Rica viel Geld auszugeben um etwas mehr darueber zu erfahren und die Unterlagen welche wir aus der Schweiz mitnahmen, waren leider in der Tasche die uns in Kuba geklaut wurde.
"Ueberraschung!" hiess es dann auch bereits am Zoll. "Ihr muesst ein Ticket vorweisen, welches belegt, dass ihr Panama auch wieder verlassen werdet", teilte uns die genervte und unfreundliche Frau hinter Panzerglas mit. Es machte den Anschein als ob sie dies oefters must explain what has been proved by subsequent travelers. Any attempts to explain that we are just passing through and then return her to travel from Chile were unsuccessful. So we had had for $ 22 bus ticket back to Costa Rica now, which we briefly adduced at the stamp in the passport and later throw away. A very profitable business, because at the counter for useless bus tickets had a decent line of unsuspecting tourists of our species.
Then the first question. Where does one even without having a clue? Some told us Bocas del Toro is the first worthwhile place after the border, saying it was even the main attraction of the whole country. Others advised against daven, they said it was the little brother of Costa Rica. We decided to make its own picture of it and climbed one of the buses, which traveled to Almirante, where you must continue with the boat, the Bocas del Toro is the name of a group of islands as we then found out. So far, the trip to go on the first day but then, because the engine of the bus went up in smoke, because the Coolant was empty. The driver and tour guide assured us that the ride would go on soon, as they then river water poured into the engine, we no longer believed in it fully and stopped a bus which took us to the next town, Changuinola. This was not a bit inclined tourists, which made it somewhat difficult to find a hotel. We checked out after about an hour looking for in a the correct dirt hole where we discovered a new form of Schimmelbekaempfung: you have just a Sagexplatte about nailing the mold spots and when the mold there also eats can be helped along with a second layer Sagex, problem solved! The city itself was similar to the hotel room, but still very interesting because she was very genuine and gave us a good first impression of Panama. The people were very nice and helpful about what made us ignore the dirty city and to travel the joy of this country all the more increased. Prices were also enjoyable, something that we are pleased to Costa Rica in particular.
The next day we made it without a hitch then to travel to Bocas. The only what we there yet recalled Costa Rica, were the many super-cool surfer. Dozens of small islands with a diverse plant life emerging from the crystal clear sea, sea stars are everywhere, was scattered on the seabed and the town also quite enjoyable. To get to the beaches while you had a small bus through the jungle on a mud road ride with some potholes, but it was worth all the time. Something bad was that you can reach the supposedly most beautiful seaside resort, only by boat, which was quite expensive, so we skipped it. After a relaxing few days there then went to the West Coast. In search of the bus we met two surfers, who offered us a ride. This was very useful because the bus ride would have lasted about six hours by car, there were still three hours. Sorry we could not talk with these two types because they are constantly talking uebers surfing ... Surf tricks Surfstraende, different wave types and equipment. After this trip, we were full of it have been if we had been zugehoert! This was us as outsiders, however, tedious and boring. We then made a stop in David, a city in the similar style as Changuinola, before heading the next day to Las Lajas. So this was a pretty special ride. First we took the bus to San Felix, from where you can only go by taxi to Las Lajas. Unfortunately, hardly any of the taxi driver had to drive like there! So we waited about an hour and asked about 20 taxis if they bring us there until we found one that was at all and required no cheaters price. When we got to about 10 km / h crawl the bumpy dirt road, we realized why it was so difficult to find a driving opportunity .. Once at our destination we found ourselves in a tiny village with about 15 houses made of straw and bamboo, which stood at the edge of a vast beach. 
Sorry, we did not find any cheap accommodation, so we were then only a day there. That we enjoyed but the full, virtually alone on the beach several kilometers long, in sunshine. In the night we were woken several times by Geko, who sneaked into our room und laerm machten. Ein paar Leute sagten uns noch, wir sollen ein wenig aufpassen, es koenne auch gut sein, dass man beim Duschen ploetzlich einer Vogelspinne in die Augen sieht, dies war bei uns zum Glueck nicht der Fall.
Vom kleinen Doerfchen gingen wir anschliessend weiter nach Panama City, einer Stadt mit Millionen von Einwohnern, welche endlos gross erscheint. Groesser haette der Kontrast nicht sein koennen. Chaos ist ein gutes Wort um zu beschreiben was in dieser Stadt los ist. So viele hupende Autos hatten wir bisher noch nie erlebt! Die Stadt an sich war aber sehr vielfaeltig, es gab vom High Society Viertel bis zur dreckigen Slumregion praktisch alles. Und da haben wir ihn dann endlich entdeckt, der uns anfangs als einziges Bekannte Panamakanal. Eine wirklich sehr eindrueckliche Kerbe die von Menschenhand ins Land geschlagen wurde. Hunderte von Schiffen in allen groessen passieren diesen Weg oder besser gesagt diese Abkuerzung taeglich um nicht um Suedamerika herumsegeln zu muessen. Beim Eingang des Kanals gab es sogar einen regelrechten Stau auf dem offenen Meer. In der Stadt selber verbrachten wir einige Zeit im Shoppingviertel, da Mischi hier voll auf ihre Kosten kam. Wo sonst findet man Kleider und alles was dazugehoert fuer zwei Dollar oder weniger!?
Ganz speziell war auch noch ein Comedor den wir fanden. Dies sind kleine Essensstaende, wo man sehr preiswert gute Mahlzeiten erhaelt. Diese kannten wir eigentlich schon seit Mexiko, aber in Panama City hat es einen in etwas groesseren Ausmassen. Da gab es a hall with 20 such booths in which there were also once a butcher and fruit market. Everything first hand so to speak! When one bites into his piece of meat can be observed simultaneously, as they knock off a sow's head. The smell was through the butcher shop and the slightly stuffy Fruchtabfaelle, but the prices and the experience are just unbeatable. It was also very tasty, too.
After we wandered around a few days in this city, we had to decide where to further slow the journey. The problem was the Darien Gap, the border between Panama and Colombia, which by road is impassable, as this region is ruled by guerrillas, and it has no road. We had the opportunities by boat to sail or fly to Colombia to a place of your choice. As the boat ride would have lasted five days and are reportedly often drunken captain at the wheel, we decided to take the flight, which was also a little cheaper. On the way to the airport our taxi driver had to constantly dodge stones on the highway, which had up to one meter in diameter, which makes him not staying at 120 km / h should. He told us that was normal, they fall down more often of a truck and block the road ... At the airport, then everything went faster than we have ever experienced. At check-in for our flight about 10 switches were open. Since the Swiss could learn something! Then briefly through the security check, where you easily Drinks allowed to take and then we sat on the plane toward Bogota, Colombia.
"Ueberraschung!" hiess es dann auch bereits am Zoll. "Ihr muesst ein Ticket vorweisen, welches belegt, dass ihr Panama auch wieder verlassen werdet", teilte uns die genervte und unfreundliche Frau hinter Panzerglas mit. Es machte den Anschein als ob sie dies oefters must explain what has been proved by subsequent travelers. Any attempts to explain that we are just passing through and then return her to travel from Chile were unsuccessful. So we had had for $ 22 bus ticket back to Costa Rica now, which we briefly adduced at the stamp in the passport and later throw away. A very profitable business, because at the counter for useless bus tickets had a decent line of unsuspecting tourists of our species.
Then the first question. Where does one even without having a clue? Some told us Bocas del Toro is the first worthwhile place after the border, saying it was even the main attraction of the whole country. Others advised against daven, they said it was the little brother of Costa Rica. We decided to make its own picture of it and climbed one of the buses, which traveled to Almirante, where you must continue with the boat, the Bocas del Toro is the name of a group of islands as we then found out. So far, the trip to go on the first day but then, because the engine of the bus went up in smoke, because the Coolant was empty. The driver and tour guide assured us that the ride would go on soon, as they then river water poured into the engine, we no longer believed in it fully and stopped a bus which took us to the next town, Changuinola. This was not a bit inclined tourists, which made it somewhat difficult to find a hotel. We checked out after about an hour looking for in a the correct dirt hole where we discovered a new form of Schimmelbekaempfung: you have just a Sagexplatte about nailing the mold spots and when the mold there also eats can be helped along with a second layer Sagex, problem solved! The city itself was similar to the hotel room, but still very interesting because she was very genuine and gave us a good first impression of Panama. The people were very nice and helpful about what made us ignore the dirty city and to travel the joy of this country all the more increased. Prices were also enjoyable, something that we are pleased to Costa Rica in particular.
The next day we made it without a hitch then to travel to Bocas. The only what we there yet recalled Costa Rica, were the many super-cool surfer. Dozens of small islands with a diverse plant life emerging from the crystal clear sea, sea stars are everywhere, was scattered on the seabed and the town also quite enjoyable. To get to the beaches while you had a small bus through the jungle on a mud road ride with some potholes, but it was worth all the time. Something bad was that you can reach the supposedly most beautiful seaside resort, only by boat, which was quite expensive, so we skipped it. After a relaxing few days there then went to the West Coast. In search of the bus we met two surfers, who offered us a ride. This was very useful because the bus ride would have lasted about six hours by car, there were still three hours. Sorry we could not talk with these two types because they are constantly talking uebers surfing ... Surf tricks Surfstraende, different wave types and equipment. After this trip, we were full of it have been if we had been zugehoert! This was us as outsiders, however, tedious and boring. We then made a stop in David, a city in the similar style as Changuinola, before heading the next day to Las Lajas. So this was a pretty special ride. First we took the bus to San Felix, from where you can only go by taxi to Las Lajas. Unfortunately, hardly any of the taxi driver had to drive like there! So we waited about an hour and asked about 20 taxis if they bring us there until we found one that was at all and required no cheaters price. When we got to about 10 km / h crawl the bumpy dirt road, we realized why it was so difficult to find a driving opportunity .. Once at our destination we found ourselves in a tiny village with about 15 houses made of straw and bamboo, which stood at the edge of a vast beach. Sorry, we did not find any cheap accommodation, so we were then only a day there. That we enjoyed but the full, virtually alone on the beach several kilometers long, in sunshine. In the night we were woken several times by Geko, who sneaked into our room und laerm machten. Ein paar Leute sagten uns noch, wir sollen ein wenig aufpassen, es koenne auch gut sein, dass man beim Duschen ploetzlich einer Vogelspinne in die Augen sieht, dies war bei uns zum Glueck nicht der Fall. Vom kleinen Doerfchen gingen wir anschliessend weiter nach Panama City, einer Stadt mit Millionen von Einwohnern, welche endlos gross erscheint. Groesser haette der Kontrast nicht sein koennen. Chaos ist ein gutes Wort um zu beschreiben was in dieser Stadt los ist. So viele hupende Autos hatten wir bisher noch nie erlebt! Die Stadt an sich war aber sehr vielfaeltig, es gab vom High Society Viertel bis zur dreckigen Slumregion praktisch alles. Und da haben wir ihn dann endlich entdeckt, der uns anfangs als einziges Bekannte Panamakanal. Eine wirklich sehr eindrueckliche Kerbe die von Menschenhand ins Land geschlagen wurde. Hunderte von Schiffen in allen groessen passieren diesen Weg oder besser gesagt diese Abkuerzung taeglich um nicht um Suedamerika herumsegeln zu muessen. Beim Eingang des Kanals gab es sogar einen regelrechten Stau auf dem offenen Meer. In der Stadt selber verbrachten wir einige Zeit im Shoppingviertel, da Mischi hier voll auf ihre Kosten kam. Wo sonst findet man Kleider und alles was dazugehoert fuer zwei Dollar oder weniger!?
Ganz speziell war auch noch ein Comedor den wir fanden. Dies sind kleine Essensstaende, wo man sehr preiswert gute Mahlzeiten erhaelt. Diese kannten wir eigentlich schon seit Mexiko, aber in Panama City hat es einen in etwas groesseren Ausmassen. Da gab es a hall with 20 such booths in which there were also once a butcher and fruit market. Everything first hand so to speak! When one bites into his piece of meat can be observed simultaneously, as they knock off a sow's head. The smell was through the butcher shop and the slightly stuffy Fruchtabfaelle, but the prices and the experience are just unbeatable. It was also very tasty, too. After we wandered around a few days in this city, we had to decide where to further slow the journey. The problem was the Darien Gap, the border between Panama and Colombia, which by road is impassable, as this region is ruled by guerrillas, and it has no road. We had the opportunities by boat to sail or fly to Colombia to a place of your choice. As the boat ride would have lasted five days and are reportedly often drunken captain at the wheel, we decided to take the flight, which was also a little cheaper. On the way to the airport our taxi driver had to constantly dodge stones on the highway, which had up to one meter in diameter, which makes him not staying at 120 km / h should. He told us that was normal, they fall down more often of a truck and block the road ... At the airport, then everything went faster than we have ever experienced. At check-in for our flight about 10 switches were open. Since the Swiss could learn something! Then briefly through the security check, where you easily Drinks allowed to take and then we sat on the plane toward Bogota, Colombia.
