Tue 30th 1845 On hostel roof terrace. Seating all around one area which is maybe social but feels slightly awkard. One other guy here, I said "evening" and he said "hola" , he's fiddling with his phone. Willing to talk but not desperate. Mixed kind of day, vaguely discombubulated on arrival for reasons won't go into just now. Do feel a bit better for having had a brief walk, dinner, a surprisingly very hot (after some fiddling) non-suicide shower and some cold water.
Hostel a bit weird but OK, seems to be some semi-related cafe next door, quite decent music playing there TBH, my room overlooks a sort of internal hollow over it so bit noisy but fine. Shared bathroom is on ground floor, room is on first floor. But shared bathroom while a bit concrete prison clinical does at least have more than one of everything and is clean. There is a sign saying not to wash clothes in bathroom, it's so un-private (not the sort of shared bathroom I expected where you lock yourself in a small shower+toilet+sink room alone) I didn't feel I could use sink but I did (partly out of staving off necessity and partly out of bloody-mindedness) give two sets uw a water-only wash in shower. Room has a ceiling fan and I've left it on low to help clothes dry.
I have a bottle of cold water with me, vaguely toyed with buying beer or snacks during my walk but figured I had some yday, hope to be up early tomorrow and also feel/felt slightly on edge so best not to, and doing these things intermittently helps them feel more special.
Didn't sleep super well, not too bad. Got up maybe 915 [other guy just left] on alarm, puttered around rather slowly packing etc and think I actually left about 1040. Genuinely a bit sad to be going. Did see white woolly dog and the friendly kitten before going. Went to hand key in and a bloody big beige dog (which can't remember if is the non-black non-white-woolly one I'd seen before or if this is a fourth dog) on a chain came towards me barking. Guy last night told me it had bitten someone. Anyway, nothing actually happened and owner guy was there and said (somewhat awkward as I was feeling the shock of dog) goodbye etc.
Street fairly dry despite rain last night. Got into main square about 1050 and was trying to decide which of two SG buses would leave first and standing there watching them.
1853 Finger-easing break.
1907 OK.
BTW the chap was speaking to last night happened to be coming back from town as I walked in and he said hi and goodbye, which was nice. Wish I was better at recognising people but I guess i had my head down walking slightly uphill with pack.
As I saw people getting onto one bus I went to get on and a woman told me to buy the ticket in the office. We ended up speaking, first in English then Spanish, she is Colombian but lives in US, she was born in some beautiful town 2h from Bucaramanga I forget the name of beginning with Z but her family moved to Cartagena when she was youngish. She was going to Buc too and then getting overnight bus to Cartagena to get flight back to US.
I was both pleased to talk to her but also a tiny bit edgy (tho telling myself "you always whinge about never meeting anyone, try to enjoy it" ) I'd end up having to talk to her all the way to Buc.
Anyway, she asked woman at ticket office if we had to change terminals in San Gil and the woman said we might be able to get the driver to drop us near there. This (we didn't exchange names) local woman also told me it was important to sit in the seat "puesto" identified on ticket.
Anyway, as a result of that I sat behind her not with her on bus to SG. I was a bit surprised but somehow driver knew us two and another prob Colombian woman wanted to go to Buc, after the bus got to SG local terminal we stayed on, he drove us to a garage on that highway between old hostel and long distance terminal and we waited there a bit and he phoned another bus (prob same company) and ten-ish mins late a minibus turned up which was I assume already en route to Buc from ld terminal and we got on.
People kept assuming me and the Colombian woman I'd intermittently spoken with were a couple and she kept disabusing them of this idea; even when I asked what to pay (I already half knew from earwigging and hadn't got too worked up about it as I was half with a local so figured I wasn't gonna get shafted) the driver told me double and I figured "sod it" and then it transpired he thought I was paying for both of us.
I picked the solo seat of the three abreast when we got on bus so I didn't sit next to my "friend" ; I did (I hope, at least) ask the other woman coming up behind me if she had a pref and she I think said no so I took the single. I was already fairly clear the woman I'd met would not chat to me constantly but given her insistence we were not a couple (when it really wouldn't "matter" - it's not as if anyone was proposing we share a room or anything) and my general slight antisocial tendencies I figured it would be best not to sit next to her given a choice.
We saw the canyon chicamocha from the bus, pretty cool. TBH I half dread the slog back over there tomorrow but barring major crises I need to resolve I will do it.
When we got to Buc she asked if I needed any help (she suddenly seemed to be speaking English again but have difficulty understanding me and at risk of being rude I switched to Spanish) and I asked about a bus to puerta del sol (a roundabout in town nearish hostel) - I had been dithering about walking vs bus vs taxi on way in, as the terminal is a fair hike out of town and annoyingly on the wrong side of a small river so limited bridges make it worse - and she said just get a taxi, it was cheap. I said they'd rip me off as a foreigner and she asked some local guy what it ought to cost, he said 10k and she told me not to pay more than that.
I said goodbye to her and wandered off to the "secure taxi" area where there was a queue. I snapped a photo surrpetitiously and spoke to driver. I had to show him map with hostel marked but he seemed to know it after a bit of thought, told me about 10-11k and I thought if he's giving a range maybe there's a meter and I asked and there was. The meter worked on some strange units and I thought it was price/100 and it seemed to be ticking up slightly fast but not too bad. Driver didn't try to chat but I kept watching map and he seemed to be going right way. When we got near hostel he did seem to be doing a bit of an unnec loop (but yes one way streets) and he also seemed to be getting further away so I said (nicely enough) I'd get out there and he pulled over. Meter showing something like 125 and I'd been figuring sod it I'll give him 15k and if he has been playing games taking long route (which he prob hadn't) he's only stealing his own tip. But he then said 10.5k (hence me saying meter using some odd units) so I have him 12k and didn't ask for any change. (I understand it's not super common to tip taxi drivers but this sort of thing is "welcome" and also not unusual and he was OK TBH.)
While I was in taxi a "get ready for your flight" email turned up from Avianca (in Spanish, which is fine but vaguely worries me - still, it is a Colombia-Panama flight) and that vaguely shitted me up.
I don't think I got ripped off on taxi, 10k obviously a round-ish figure and what guide book says as well as I found on when looking tonight re getting to canyon.
1921 Finger break.
1927 Checked in OK, tho hostel desk woman asked where I'd come from (I had to think for a few seconds) and where I was going to and what my occupation was. She showed me round briefly. Some quite nice murals.
I then had a mini panic over the Avianca e-mail.
After that I figured I'd better go out for food and a bit of a walk and get water. Maybe 4pmish at this point. Somewhat at random I decided to walk north up carrera 33 - I spotted a small (slightly not-quite-surly staff) restaurant and asked and got a not bad carne a la plancha with an undressed salad and a soup to start and a small glass of rather watery fruit juce for 12k - really don't think I was expected to tip and I saw no tip jar at caja but I slipped a 2k under something in my usual semi-furtive way and left.
I snapped the odd surreptitious photo but tried not to look too touristy. Buc seems (at least this area) quite nice, not exactly beautiful but cleanish and tidy but busy and doesn't feel tremendously dangerous. By a nice bit of serendipity my walk took me past the Botero (I looked and thought "is that Botero?" - you don't need to be an expert to recognise his style...) statue of (from memory) "mujer con piel desnudal in the park, which was a nice little surprise (and this isn't mentioned in guidebook either).
I had a " latte sencillo" in a small coffee shop I'd spotted which had prices on wall after turning back down carrera 33 and retracing my steps, small but not bad. I went in a D1 near hostel but - it is such a fucking weird shop - they had no water, so I managed to cross the heavy traffic on Kr33 to get to an Oxxo nearby (there are quite a lot here) and got 2x1l bottles chilled Brisa water for 2k (Cristal 2.5k, more than the tiny shop in Barichara). Toyed with getting snacks but I hated the prices and figured I didn't really want anything anyway, be good to have a restrained-ish day.
Back to hostel for shower/shave and then out here.
I am waiting for midnight so I can fill an online form in. Fingers crossed.
I don't feel too bad right now. There is a decidedly "in transit" feel because I have to fly soon.
Guide book says fixed price for taxis from centre of 32k (poss out of date), but not sure if this is centre. Taxi colectivos go from Kr20 parque santander which *may* be a bit of a slog, but not checked. If this isn't an option, I may ask the hostel desk what their shuttle service costs. I do also need to review the transport situation and metro map for Panama City but not doing that tonight.
Bit peeved that I'm almost certainly gonna have to pay approx 10K (and expose myself to - prob minor here - security risk, and rip off risk) to get taxi to Papi Quiero Piña tomorrow to pick up a bus to canyon and ditto when I return (I saw what am 90% sure is PQP on bus in today). Can't be helped and not a fortune but I hate taking taxis even ignoring the money. This is just big city shit I guess. I don't think I could reasonably have had a hostel in a safe area near any of the bus points though. In hindsight - but bearing in mind I was already booked for Barichara when Tim told me about this canyon, more diligent reading of guide book might have clued in me but I hadn't anyway - it would have been so much more convenient to visit from SG, if only because everything in SG is more-or-less walkable. (I think there might even be buses to Acuaparque from local term which may well be the canyon, saving need to go to ld term.) *But* once I was no longer in SG, visiting canyon from there would realistically mean a two night stay, so coming straight to Buc and visiting from there probably is better (if sucky).
Google Maps says PQP is 1h40m walk from here, it may be less but even so this is hardly a practical proposition and I have no idea how safe all the associated areas are. There may be local buses going to PQP and it may be feasible to pick one of those up near here - I will ask at reception, although I want to do stuff at midnight so can't go to bed early I may well go back to room 9pmish - but even so I suspect I'd still have to get a taxi back tomorrow evening.
Fingers crossed no crises arise which stop me going tomorrow at all.
I am *not* visiting the water park and not taking swimming gear. I saw it from road and Tim had showed me photos so I know it's same place. It might in theory be kind of fun but the main issue is that I'm not keen to be half naked out in full midday sun - yes sunblock, but I don't have *that* much and I wouldn't nec trust it not to wash off etc. I am also a bit intrigued-but-edgy about all these chutes and slides and things.
I am not out of sunblock and prob have enough, the issue is more around washing off and general exposure, not sunblock supply. I am gonna purchase a fresh supply (and treat myself to a new razor) when I'm in Panama, but don't want to buy anything before I fly due to liquid volumes and liquid bag space. Just to be clear, I am not not doing this because of limited sunblock supplies - even if I had a huge full container with me right now, I'd still not be doing the waterpark.
(To be scrupulously honest, Tim said it was quiet even at weekend and it looked v quiet from bus today as we passed. I could see "value" in experiencing waterpark for more or less first time in my adult life - feeling nervous about the slides and the general swimminess etc - when it's quiet and not packed with hordes of stroppy teenagers and screaming kids as I suspect most waterparks the world over are, but this value isn't enough to seriously tempt me.)
There is a biggish cat here, no photo yet. It may just be from the neighbourhood and jump up via the roof of course, rather than belonging to hostel.
Gut feeling is that the hostel itself is not actually super busy. The cafe next door is and it may be some hostel guests are there, but it is prob also open to public. Given midnight stuff and having a break after yday beers and wanting to start earlyish resolving crises or going to canyon tomorrow I am not going to try the cafe/bar type place tonight, but may give it a go tomorrow evening. The behind-the-bar entrance appears to be in a hostel common area near the showers with a "staff only" sign, but I see no entrance to customer side of the cafe from within hostel so suspect it has an entrance on street adjacent to main hostel entrance, but haven't thought to look as come in/out before. This behind-the-bar entrance is what makes me suspect a connection in ownership with hostel.
1951 So I think that's about that. Gonna sit here - no one else is around - and drink my increasingly warm water and maybe read on phone or stare at skyline meditatively and as I say maybe go back to room 9-10ish. I did yawn earlier, despite not "doing much" today and the buses being broadly easier than expected due to that custom connection at the garage in SG, I do feel oddly tired.
1959 OK, just had quick look on web and official (?) Panama City metro site has a handy usage guide. Looks OK, maybe bit of a slog to station near hostel but probably otherwise fine. You can apparently use credit cards contactless, but unless I'm desperate I will pay USD2 for a card and top it up, it is a souvenir and it saves me having to risk random charges or blocks on a credit card and means I don't have to be getting a credit card out when I use metro. It runs til 11pm which fingers crossed should be fine, obviously if I end up getting delayed (I mean, fingers crossed I'm actually allowed to fly in first place) I will just have to bite the bullet and get a taxi. (To be fair, airport taxis while expensive are probably licensed and restricted and generally safe. But I suspect it would be USD30 abs min to get a taxi.)
Still, this all feels borderline OK and is reassuring.
Just in case it's not clear, while I have printed boat ticket out, I am not intending to experimentally show it to any airline or immigration personnel - no point paying (in terms of stress and statistical loss) for the return refundable ticket and then risking jeopardising things by showing a boat ticket which might (tho Avianca are apparently OK according to SBA) raise suspicion and *then* showing the return ticket which at that point may be regarded as "fake" (tho it isn't, of course, and they can presumably check the booking status). I'm just showing the return flight when asked for proof of onward travel. I will prob also - since I have it - show the Bog-Lon return ticket, though I need to be careful to show the Pan-Bog ticket first as I don't want them to get the impression I'm trying to use the Bog-Lon ticket as proof of onward travel from Panama.
2022 Feeling vaguely edgy. GM says about 30 min walk to Parque Santander. Barring other rushing around (eg printing off stuff; I hope to be able to get electronic boarding pass but who knows) I may walk over there Thursday partly as something to do to see the city and partly to see how I fancy trogging over there with pack to pick up a colectivo to airport on Fri.
I'm not tired but given this sense of frustration it might be nice to go to bed early, but I really do want to see if I can do this form at midnight.
2042 OK, it is nice enough up here on rooftop and quite nice to be alone but I'm feeling edgy and I need a piss. Gonna go have quick chat with reception about canyon and then go into room - I will be listening to music from cafe type place just the same there anyway!
2056 Back in room. Cleaned teeth.
Had chat with woman on reception (in Spanish). She suggested getting taxi (7k) or bus to terminal from Kr33, then from there (I knew this bit) getting a SG bus and asking to be let off at canyon. I asked about PQP and she said that's the same (not quite sure precise wording) as it's the same bus. Guide book makes out PQP is maybe better. She said bus to PQP would be Floridablanca bus, prob also from PQP. I asked (she seemed quite surprised) and it's safe to take a (yellow) taxi in street - she also suggested Uber or some other app, but I don't have those and would rather avoid them. (Does PQP *really* mean "Dad I want pineapple" or is it just a name?)
Gut feeling is barring crises I will try to get up 8amish, I will see if I can get a bus on Kr33 to Floridablanca or terminal and if I fail or am hanging around more than maybe 20-30 mins I will look for a taxi. I am probably resigned to getting a taxi *back* (and I suspect I'll get off bus at PQP), I'll probably ask the taxi driver to take me to Kr33-C56 intersection rather than the hostel given I now know the area a bit and won't have my backpack with me.
2103 Right, if NC headphones make it feasible over music (which is slightly suckier than earlier but not terrible) I will watch a bit of YT.
I suppose I could ask taxi to take me to Parque San Pio where I think Botero statue is. That's obviously walkable and probably also shorter to say and hopefully known to taxi drivers.
Oh, there were a few small groups at tables or a few guys sitting around solo in lower common area(s), but it really didn't look super social wrt meeting anyone and TBH I half wonder why they sit down there instead of on roof. (The few small groups gave the impressions of being two/three-ish women who were all together at tables, and the tables were somewhat isolated and sort of in a different side area to the main area with the unused table tennis table and the shower/toilet block.)
Wed 31st 0008 Done checkmig, got pdf downloaded. I started a few mins before midnight and 2nd Feb was available to pick (it wasn't this afternoon 4pm ish) so just maybe I could have done this an hour or so ago but anyway. Very straightforward really, and it didn't ask me any of the covid questions some websites seem to suggest. Seen some stuff on web saying this is not in practiced checked on exit and I can't help feeling - since the information provided seems to be exactly what they would also get from regular airline ticket and immigration checks - this is maybe one of those leftover covid things and Avianca shoved it in the email telling me to do it but it isn't required (and the fact the web doesn't say this reflects the same kind of issue where searching for eg mask restrictions in Panama turns up all sorts of out of date documents but nothing stating actual current (I hope) situation). It may technically or even in practice be required but in any case I have done it.
The PDF is actually just some sort of pre-registration but given it takes 24h+ to go through and you can do this an hour before your flight I guess the pre-registration is all you need!? Anyway, fingers crossed but this doesn't appear to be the horror I had feared.
I also clicked on "gestionar tu reserve" on the Avianca e-mail and it doesn't obviously appear to be offering me the chance to check in online or add ID document numbers of anything yet, but it does at least show the flight as confirmed still.
So fingers crossed things are OK. I *still* have a (possibly irrational) bad feeling about this flight, but really there is no specific reason to expect problems and I will make a point of getting to airport as early as reasonably practical. (Given there's no free food on flight - fair enough - and eating in airports is expensive and shit and that by the time I get into - touch wood - hostel it will probably be gone 10pm, my inclination is to try to get up early enough on Fri to have breakfast and/or snacks at restaurants/shops near hostel before I check out, and I may see if I can buy something suitably snacky to take with me and eat during the day - I will have to buy overpriced liquids at airport, but I assume I am fine to take more or less as much food as I want right up until I clear customs in Panama.)
So while I do still have these lurking worries, I don't feel too bad and so far things seem to be OK. Anyway, to bed, have alarm set for 8am. I need to be careful not to milk the canyon tomorrow, if I see and do all I want and haven't blatantly rushed round, if it feels natural to come home after spending 2-3h there that's fine.
0017 So let's go to bed. I have ceiling fan on max setting (5) and while noisy it is pleasantly cool. Not that it's stiflingly hot here, at least in evening, but room perhaps a smidge stuffy at least when I arrived.
Hostel a bit weird but OK, seems to be some semi-related cafe next door, quite decent music playing there TBH, my room overlooks a sort of internal hollow over it so bit noisy but fine. Shared bathroom is on ground floor, room is on first floor. But shared bathroom while a bit concrete prison clinical does at least have more than one of everything and is clean. There is a sign saying not to wash clothes in bathroom, it's so un-private (not the sort of shared bathroom I expected where you lock yourself in a small shower+toilet+sink room alone) I didn't feel I could use sink but I did (partly out of staving off necessity and partly out of bloody-mindedness) give two sets uw a water-only wash in shower. Room has a ceiling fan and I've left it on low to help clothes dry.
I have a bottle of cold water with me, vaguely toyed with buying beer or snacks during my walk but figured I had some yday, hope to be up early tomorrow and also feel/felt slightly on edge so best not to, and doing these things intermittently helps them feel more special.
Didn't sleep super well, not too bad. Got up maybe 915 [other guy just left] on alarm, puttered around rather slowly packing etc and think I actually left about 1040. Genuinely a bit sad to be going. Did see white woolly dog and the friendly kitten before going. Went to hand key in and a bloody big beige dog (which can't remember if is the non-black non-white-woolly one I'd seen before or if this is a fourth dog) on a chain came towards me barking. Guy last night told me it had bitten someone. Anyway, nothing actually happened and owner guy was there and said (somewhat awkward as I was feeling the shock of dog) goodbye etc.
Street fairly dry despite rain last night. Got into main square about 1050 and was trying to decide which of two SG buses would leave first and standing there watching them.
1853 Finger-easing break.
1907 OK.
BTW the chap was speaking to last night happened to be coming back from town as I walked in and he said hi and goodbye, which was nice. Wish I was better at recognising people but I guess i had my head down walking slightly uphill with pack.
As I saw people getting onto one bus I went to get on and a woman told me to buy the ticket in the office. We ended up speaking, first in English then Spanish, she is Colombian but lives in US, she was born in some beautiful town 2h from Bucaramanga I forget the name of beginning with Z but her family moved to Cartagena when she was youngish. She was going to Buc too and then getting overnight bus to Cartagena to get flight back to US.
I was both pleased to talk to her but also a tiny bit edgy (tho telling myself "you always whinge about never meeting anyone, try to enjoy it" ) I'd end up having to talk to her all the way to Buc.
Anyway, she asked woman at ticket office if we had to change terminals in San Gil and the woman said we might be able to get the driver to drop us near there. This (we didn't exchange names) local woman also told me it was important to sit in the seat "puesto" identified on ticket.
Anyway, as a result of that I sat behind her not with her on bus to SG. I was a bit surprised but somehow driver knew us two and another prob Colombian woman wanted to go to Buc, after the bus got to SG local terminal we stayed on, he drove us to a garage on that highway between old hostel and long distance terminal and we waited there a bit and he phoned another bus (prob same company) and ten-ish mins late a minibus turned up which was I assume already en route to Buc from ld terminal and we got on.
People kept assuming me and the Colombian woman I'd intermittently spoken with were a couple and she kept disabusing them of this idea; even when I asked what to pay (I already half knew from earwigging and hadn't got too worked up about it as I was half with a local so figured I wasn't gonna get shafted) the driver told me double and I figured "sod it" and then it transpired he thought I was paying for both of us.
I picked the solo seat of the three abreast when we got on bus so I didn't sit next to my "friend" ; I did (I hope, at least) ask the other woman coming up behind me if she had a pref and she I think said no so I took the single. I was already fairly clear the woman I'd met would not chat to me constantly but given her insistence we were not a couple (when it really wouldn't "matter" - it's not as if anyone was proposing we share a room or anything) and my general slight antisocial tendencies I figured it would be best not to sit next to her given a choice.
We saw the canyon chicamocha from the bus, pretty cool. TBH I half dread the slog back over there tomorrow but barring major crises I need to resolve I will do it.
When we got to Buc she asked if I needed any help (she suddenly seemed to be speaking English again but have difficulty understanding me and at risk of being rude I switched to Spanish) and I asked about a bus to puerta del sol (a roundabout in town nearish hostel) - I had been dithering about walking vs bus vs taxi on way in, as the terminal is a fair hike out of town and annoyingly on the wrong side of a small river so limited bridges make it worse - and she said just get a taxi, it was cheap. I said they'd rip me off as a foreigner and she asked some local guy what it ought to cost, he said 10k and she told me not to pay more than that.
I said goodbye to her and wandered off to the "secure taxi" area where there was a queue. I snapped a photo surrpetitiously and spoke to driver. I had to show him map with hostel marked but he seemed to know it after a bit of thought, told me about 10-11k and I thought if he's giving a range maybe there's a meter and I asked and there was. The meter worked on some strange units and I thought it was price/100 and it seemed to be ticking up slightly fast but not too bad. Driver didn't try to chat but I kept watching map and he seemed to be going right way. When we got near hostel he did seem to be doing a bit of an unnec loop (but yes one way streets) and he also seemed to be getting further away so I said (nicely enough) I'd get out there and he pulled over. Meter showing something like 125 and I'd been figuring sod it I'll give him 15k and if he has been playing games taking long route (which he prob hadn't) he's only stealing his own tip. But he then said 10.5k (hence me saying meter using some odd units) so I have him 12k and didn't ask for any change. (I understand it's not super common to tip taxi drivers but this sort of thing is "welcome" and also not unusual and he was OK TBH.)
While I was in taxi a "get ready for your flight" email turned up from Avianca (in Spanish, which is fine but vaguely worries me - still, it is a Colombia-Panama flight) and that vaguely shitted me up.
I don't think I got ripped off on taxi, 10k obviously a round-ish figure and what guide book says as well as I found on when looking tonight re getting to canyon.
1921 Finger break.
1927 Checked in OK, tho hostel desk woman asked where I'd come from (I had to think for a few seconds) and where I was going to and what my occupation was. She showed me round briefly. Some quite nice murals.
I then had a mini panic over the Avianca e-mail.
After that I figured I'd better go out for food and a bit of a walk and get water. Maybe 4pmish at this point. Somewhat at random I decided to walk north up carrera 33 - I spotted a small (slightly not-quite-surly staff) restaurant and asked and got a not bad carne a la plancha with an undressed salad and a soup to start and a small glass of rather watery fruit juce for 12k - really don't think I was expected to tip and I saw no tip jar at caja but I slipped a 2k under something in my usual semi-furtive way and left.
I snapped the odd surreptitious photo but tried not to look too touristy. Buc seems (at least this area) quite nice, not exactly beautiful but cleanish and tidy but busy and doesn't feel tremendously dangerous. By a nice bit of serendipity my walk took me past the Botero (I looked and thought "is that Botero?" - you don't need to be an expert to recognise his style...) statue of (from memory) "mujer con piel desnudal in the park, which was a nice little surprise (and this isn't mentioned in guidebook either).
I had a " latte sencillo" in a small coffee shop I'd spotted which had prices on wall after turning back down carrera 33 and retracing my steps, small but not bad. I went in a D1 near hostel but - it is such a fucking weird shop - they had no water, so I managed to cross the heavy traffic on Kr33 to get to an Oxxo nearby (there are quite a lot here) and got 2x1l bottles chilled Brisa water for 2k (Cristal 2.5k, more than the tiny shop in Barichara). Toyed with getting snacks but I hated the prices and figured I didn't really want anything anyway, be good to have a restrained-ish day.
Back to hostel for shower/shave and then out here.
I am waiting for midnight so I can fill an online form in. Fingers crossed.
I don't feel too bad right now. There is a decidedly "in transit" feel because I have to fly soon.
Guide book says fixed price for taxis from centre of 32k (poss out of date), but not sure if this is centre. Taxi colectivos go from Kr20 parque santander which *may* be a bit of a slog, but not checked. If this isn't an option, I may ask the hostel desk what their shuttle service costs. I do also need to review the transport situation and metro map for Panama City but not doing that tonight.
Bit peeved that I'm almost certainly gonna have to pay approx 10K (and expose myself to - prob minor here - security risk, and rip off risk) to get taxi to Papi Quiero Piña tomorrow to pick up a bus to canyon and ditto when I return (I saw what am 90% sure is PQP on bus in today). Can't be helped and not a fortune but I hate taking taxis even ignoring the money. This is just big city shit I guess. I don't think I could reasonably have had a hostel in a safe area near any of the bus points though. In hindsight - but bearing in mind I was already booked for Barichara when Tim told me about this canyon, more diligent reading of guide book might have clued in me but I hadn't anyway - it would have been so much more convenient to visit from SG, if only because everything in SG is more-or-less walkable. (I think there might even be buses to Acuaparque from local term which may well be the canyon, saving need to go to ld term.) *But* once I was no longer in SG, visiting canyon from there would realistically mean a two night stay, so coming straight to Buc and visiting from there probably is better (if sucky).
Google Maps says PQP is 1h40m walk from here, it may be less but even so this is hardly a practical proposition and I have no idea how safe all the associated areas are. There may be local buses going to PQP and it may be feasible to pick one of those up near here - I will ask at reception, although I want to do stuff at midnight so can't go to bed early I may well go back to room 9pmish - but even so I suspect I'd still have to get a taxi back tomorrow evening.
Fingers crossed no crises arise which stop me going tomorrow at all.
I am *not* visiting the water park and not taking swimming gear. I saw it from road and Tim had showed me photos so I know it's same place. It might in theory be kind of fun but the main issue is that I'm not keen to be half naked out in full midday sun - yes sunblock, but I don't have *that* much and I wouldn't nec trust it not to wash off etc. I am also a bit intrigued-but-edgy about all these chutes and slides and things.
I am not out of sunblock and prob have enough, the issue is more around washing off and general exposure, not sunblock supply. I am gonna purchase a fresh supply (and treat myself to a new razor) when I'm in Panama, but don't want to buy anything before I fly due to liquid volumes and liquid bag space. Just to be clear, I am not not doing this because of limited sunblock supplies - even if I had a huge full container with me right now, I'd still not be doing the waterpark.
(To be scrupulously honest, Tim said it was quiet even at weekend and it looked v quiet from bus today as we passed. I could see "value" in experiencing waterpark for more or less first time in my adult life - feeling nervous about the slides and the general swimminess etc - when it's quiet and not packed with hordes of stroppy teenagers and screaming kids as I suspect most waterparks the world over are, but this value isn't enough to seriously tempt me.)
There is a biggish cat here, no photo yet. It may just be from the neighbourhood and jump up via the roof of course, rather than belonging to hostel.
Gut feeling is that the hostel itself is not actually super busy. The cafe next door is and it may be some hostel guests are there, but it is prob also open to public. Given midnight stuff and having a break after yday beers and wanting to start earlyish resolving crises or going to canyon tomorrow I am not going to try the cafe/bar type place tonight, but may give it a go tomorrow evening. The behind-the-bar entrance appears to be in a hostel common area near the showers with a "staff only" sign, but I see no entrance to customer side of the cafe from within hostel so suspect it has an entrance on street adjacent to main hostel entrance, but haven't thought to look as come in/out before. This behind-the-bar entrance is what makes me suspect a connection in ownership with hostel.
1951 So I think that's about that. Gonna sit here - no one else is around - and drink my increasingly warm water and maybe read on phone or stare at skyline meditatively and as I say maybe go back to room 9-10ish. I did yawn earlier, despite not "doing much" today and the buses being broadly easier than expected due to that custom connection at the garage in SG, I do feel oddly tired.
1959 OK, just had quick look on web and official (?) Panama City metro site has a handy usage guide. Looks OK, maybe bit of a slog to station near hostel but probably otherwise fine. You can apparently use credit cards contactless, but unless I'm desperate I will pay USD2 for a card and top it up, it is a souvenir and it saves me having to risk random charges or blocks on a credit card and means I don't have to be getting a credit card out when I use metro. It runs til 11pm which fingers crossed should be fine, obviously if I end up getting delayed (I mean, fingers crossed I'm actually allowed to fly in first place) I will just have to bite the bullet and get a taxi. (To be fair, airport taxis while expensive are probably licensed and restricted and generally safe. But I suspect it would be USD30 abs min to get a taxi.)
Still, this all feels borderline OK and is reassuring.
Just in case it's not clear, while I have printed boat ticket out, I am not intending to experimentally show it to any airline or immigration personnel - no point paying (in terms of stress and statistical loss) for the return refundable ticket and then risking jeopardising things by showing a boat ticket which might (tho Avianca are apparently OK according to SBA) raise suspicion and *then* showing the return ticket which at that point may be regarded as "fake" (tho it isn't, of course, and they can presumably check the booking status). I'm just showing the return flight when asked for proof of onward travel. I will prob also - since I have it - show the Bog-Lon return ticket, though I need to be careful to show the Pan-Bog ticket first as I don't want them to get the impression I'm trying to use the Bog-Lon ticket as proof of onward travel from Panama.
2022 Feeling vaguely edgy. GM says about 30 min walk to Parque Santander. Barring other rushing around (eg printing off stuff; I hope to be able to get electronic boarding pass but who knows) I may walk over there Thursday partly as something to do to see the city and partly to see how I fancy trogging over there with pack to pick up a colectivo to airport on Fri.
I'm not tired but given this sense of frustration it might be nice to go to bed early, but I really do want to see if I can do this form at midnight.
2042 OK, it is nice enough up here on rooftop and quite nice to be alone but I'm feeling edgy and I need a piss. Gonna go have quick chat with reception about canyon and then go into room - I will be listening to music from cafe type place just the same there anyway!
2056 Back in room. Cleaned teeth.
Had chat with woman on reception (in Spanish). She suggested getting taxi (7k) or bus to terminal from Kr33, then from there (I knew this bit) getting a SG bus and asking to be let off at canyon. I asked about PQP and she said that's the same (not quite sure precise wording) as it's the same bus. Guide book makes out PQP is maybe better. She said bus to PQP would be Floridablanca bus, prob also from PQP. I asked (she seemed quite surprised) and it's safe to take a (yellow) taxi in street - she also suggested Uber or some other app, but I don't have those and would rather avoid them. (Does PQP *really* mean "Dad I want pineapple" or is it just a name?)
Gut feeling is barring crises I will try to get up 8amish, I will see if I can get a bus on Kr33 to Floridablanca or terminal and if I fail or am hanging around more than maybe 20-30 mins I will look for a taxi. I am probably resigned to getting a taxi *back* (and I suspect I'll get off bus at PQP), I'll probably ask the taxi driver to take me to Kr33-C56 intersection rather than the hostel given I now know the area a bit and won't have my backpack with me.
2103 Right, if NC headphones make it feasible over music (which is slightly suckier than earlier but not terrible) I will watch a bit of YT.
I suppose I could ask taxi to take me to Parque San Pio where I think Botero statue is. That's obviously walkable and probably also shorter to say and hopefully known to taxi drivers.
Oh, there were a few small groups at tables or a few guys sitting around solo in lower common area(s), but it really didn't look super social wrt meeting anyone and TBH I half wonder why they sit down there instead of on roof. (The few small groups gave the impressions of being two/three-ish women who were all together at tables, and the tables were somewhat isolated and sort of in a different side area to the main area with the unused table tennis table and the shower/toilet block.)
Wed 31st 0008 Done checkmig, got pdf downloaded. I started a few mins before midnight and 2nd Feb was available to pick (it wasn't this afternoon 4pm ish) so just maybe I could have done this an hour or so ago but anyway. Very straightforward really, and it didn't ask me any of the covid questions some websites seem to suggest. Seen some stuff on web saying this is not in practiced checked on exit and I can't help feeling - since the information provided seems to be exactly what they would also get from regular airline ticket and immigration checks - this is maybe one of those leftover covid things and Avianca shoved it in the email telling me to do it but it isn't required (and the fact the web doesn't say this reflects the same kind of issue where searching for eg mask restrictions in Panama turns up all sorts of out of date documents but nothing stating actual current (I hope) situation). It may technically or even in practice be required but in any case I have done it.
The PDF is actually just some sort of pre-registration but given it takes 24h+ to go through and you can do this an hour before your flight I guess the pre-registration is all you need!? Anyway, fingers crossed but this doesn't appear to be the horror I had feared.
I also clicked on "gestionar tu reserve" on the Avianca e-mail and it doesn't obviously appear to be offering me the chance to check in online or add ID document numbers of anything yet, but it does at least show the flight as confirmed still.
So fingers crossed things are OK. I *still* have a (possibly irrational) bad feeling about this flight, but really there is no specific reason to expect problems and I will make a point of getting to airport as early as reasonably practical. (Given there's no free food on flight - fair enough - and eating in airports is expensive and shit and that by the time I get into - touch wood - hostel it will probably be gone 10pm, my inclination is to try to get up early enough on Fri to have breakfast and/or snacks at restaurants/shops near hostel before I check out, and I may see if I can buy something suitably snacky to take with me and eat during the day - I will have to buy overpriced liquids at airport, but I assume I am fine to take more or less as much food as I want right up until I clear customs in Panama.)
So while I do still have these lurking worries, I don't feel too bad and so far things seem to be OK. Anyway, to bed, have alarm set for 8am. I need to be careful not to milk the canyon tomorrow, if I see and do all I want and haven't blatantly rushed round, if it feels natural to come home after spending 2-3h there that's fine.
0017 So let's go to bed. I have ceiling fan on max setting (5) and while noisy it is pleasantly cool. Not that it's stiflingly hot here, at least in evening, but room perhaps a smidge stuffy at least when I arrived.
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