Sun 4th 1120 Sitting on 1130 bus to Santiago. It's a coach style thing with aircon. Some ex-US school buses here at large terminal. No trouble getting metro over. Helpful English speaking guy at ticket booth, though I still don't understand how I was "supposed" to get thru turnstiles to bus platforms outside - he asked if I had a card, I showed metro one and he said no, then a driver tapped his card on turnstile to let me thru. Why would I have some random bus terminal card?! Where would I get it?
Woke up earlier than alarm, not saying didn't feel tired cos of lateish night but nothing major. Felt tiny bit cold and "scared" (massive exaggeration) in bed, but getting up to get ac remote felt too mucb work. Three coffees before leaving hostel about 1055.
Managed to squash bag into overhead rack, it's a smidge tight but not absolutely insane. USD12 for bus.
Feeling slightly "ffs, sick of rushing around, I need to relax" this morning - it does suck a bit (but you know, I'll deal with it, it's not end of world) to be having *another* two day stop and to not really know where I "can" go. Two day stop (but maybe I can extend) not ideal wrt washing/drying clothes either, but just maybe there will finally be a non-public sink so I can wash something (prob uw) with actual soap. I don't *think* I smell etc but of course it's hard to tell.
Not ecstatic about dorm but also need to remember it's just a minor faff not a huge deal.
1219 Got bag down - bus half empty and have double seat - and put headphones in. "O Lucky Man!" soundtrack album.
Elevated track? being constructed by road earlier - metro line 3??
Road good - it's the Panamericana I think - but we really seem to be puttering along. Meh.
Quite overcast. I *think* it was overcast bug muggy in PC but hard to be sure. Bus windows tinted which makes thing look a bit grey, the blue sky between clouds looks pale but I'd guess it's probably pretty intense blue if you're actually outside.
1305 Just been for piss in toilet on bus. Don't think I should have! It won't flush, there's no water and the bottom of the toilet seems to be closed off so all my piss was vibrating into a constant pseudo-fountain of urine droplets. But we didn't seem to be stopping anywhere for a piss. Meh. Got nasty feeling a few drops splatted onto trousers from the piss fountain but they're due for a wash anyway.
Hope no one "noticed" me doing this.
Listening to Bonzo Dog "Gorilla" .
Some fucker harangued us all for about twenty minutes flogging his liver and colon detox powder. I'd sometimes listen to this for Spanish practice but just kept headphones on. Ambulant vendors no problem and sometimes useful, but this feels out of order. Have to assume he's giving driver a kickback.
1914 On terrace. Been chatting to couple of German doctors and also some other guy who turned up on his bike I got back from dinner. Got to hostel no problem off bus, checked in fine, at least at that point had dorm to self, booking.com price seems to exclude tax but USD29 for 2 nights is still not too bad. Personally suspect they are not full Tue night but will wait until tomorrow morning before I ask.
Popped out into town, felt a bit rushed as wanted to be back before dark (tho sunset here is about 1830, prob due to being further west than Colombia but same time zone). Found Nonna Grazziela (sp) pizza and had very decent personal (yes, I learned) tres carnes pizza with a non-diet coke for 6.70 and made it 8 with tip - made a point of using some coins, need to get into habit and some are worth a dollar (whereas in Colombia coins were mostly kind of worthless). Came back, had shower and - yay - the sink is in the bathroom and washed 4 sets uw. Have also changed into other pair of trousers and will prob (maybe not if I am leaving after two nights) wash them tomorrow.
Germans make out that peninsula to south is (depending where you go) quite expensive and maybe rather surf oriented. Have provisional recommendations for Playa Verao and Santa Catalina, but general thrust of conversation was that maybe Bocas del Toro more suited to cheap beers by the beach (tho apparently loads of tourists so not exactly quiet I suspect). Gut feeling is I am going to do a bit of checking of possible accom tonight/tomorrow, now I *am* here in Santiago the bus navigation to get to most places in peninsula in one day are probably borderline OK (Germans came up from Cambutal today via Chitre I think and it took them 5h) and if I can find something half affordable I may experimentally splurge or hope for cheap stuff not on booking.com and perhaps give this peninsula type bit (whether sunset coast or other edges) a few days and if I don't like it or it's too pricy or whatever then I can always head towards Caribbean side or maybe more westerly parts of Pacific coast.
Plan for tomorrow is probably to wander round town a bit - it's not huge but prob worth a look. If I am able to extend for two nights I will but I will prob consider eg day trip to San Francisco for one of the "extra" two days. If I can't extend I will prob not do any day trips from Santiago this time - tomorrow will be needed to sort out onward plans maybe. I also suspect that depending on what happens, if I make any sort of venture into that peninsula at all it will be somewhat natural to put in another night or two in Santiago on the way back from there to elsewhere.
Oh, I have a vague idea I saw something on web other day saying tap water is potable in most of Panama. Haven't formally started drinking it yet but I did get a glass of ice water for free without asking while waiting for pizza and I *suspect* it was tape water and I drank it - my general principle is that unless explicitly warned or somewhere grindingly poor, the locals presumably know best. And I am going to be here for a month so any minor hiccups caused by getting used to local water are probably worth it, and I also don't want to be the stroppy guy asking if the free water is bottled.
Oh again, absolutely no mention whatsoever of that second registration form I didn't fill in last night. Had to give passport (copy was accepted) but they didn't even ask me to fill the form in myself or anything.
Right, I dunno where it is or whether I want to go there, but Santa Catalina has dorm beds at about USD16-20 a night. This is hardly cheap (remember I was paying 26ish for a private room at PC hostel) but it also isn't insane.
OK, SC is 31km west of here. It may well be OK but it's the wrong way if I want to have a stab at the peninsula first.
2013 intermittent chat and web searching. There is another SC on the coast 61km SW of here, I suspect this is the right one. This makes it hard to search but gut feeling is this is worth a visit, and it *may* be a good next stop, but only if I decide I'm not doing the peninsula now (at all on this trip, or just poss consider it on way back to PC for boat). SC not super cheap but has affordableish dorms at least. But let's keep poking at peninsula.
OK, not formally giving up but gut feeling is the peninsula is expensive and/or hard to reach. SC may be a good destination, despite surf/snorkelling emphasis it may be a cheap-ish beach-y kind of place and there may be a little hiking etc on the cards. Guide book says bus requires change from Santiago in Sona, I dunno if there's any possibility or point in staying there. guide book only mentions Sona in connection with getting to SC.
I do have a vague feeling there are maybe not tourist-oriented hotels scattered around which aren't on booking.com. But a web search is generally value about Sona hostels. My inclination currently is to put in 2-4 nights here, skip the peninsula at least on this outbound leg of this trip and then go to SC with Sona as just a bus changeover, but if Sona looks intriguing or has a cheap ho(s)tel which I see maybe I would consider stopping there on way back from SC.
SC v dive heavy and guide books implies there are very expensive tours to nearby island/national park but there is also mention of some hiking and tho I don't surf and don't intend (even if it's an option there) to try learning yet (I have never even tried swimming in sea yet, and I suspect SC is no place to start if it has surf type tides), as I say it's possible it is cheap enough that it may be a nice little attempt at a quietish beach, and even if it's an absolute Tamarindo-ish tourist trap it is really not taking me far out of my way and is worth a punt. Let's just read guide book a bit more thoroughly and check accom in more detail.
Oh, Germans said bus schedules are vastly different (and worse) on Sundays. So worth trying to keep an eye on that as I continue trip. I guess I was either lucky or my route wasn't badly affected as it is a major route from PC (and I think based on chat earlier Santiago is actually second largest town/city in country, not David as I thought).
booking.com has private rooms for vaguely USD35-50/night in SC, with dorms from USD15-20. Gut feeling is to go for a dorm option and if I particularly like it but am not liking the dorm or whatever maybe splurge on a second accom.
SC looks rather surfy but as I say poss a nice beach vibe by my standards, and if I'm willing to splurge (you basically have to go on a tour, I don't know if they are all water-oriented, and *maybe* I could do snorkelling if that's "all" they do) and treat it as a biggish ticket item hiking possibilities on Isla Coiba might be quite cool, at least worth considering.
So I think I'm pencilling in a dorm in SC next. But if I can extend here 2 nights more I will - at least one of those could be used for a daytrip to San Francisco and there's probably something else to use the extra day for, and if not the garden here at this hostel seems nice enough.
Mildly tempted by a beer but it would be good to have a day odd. Current thinking - Germans have (I don't think due to me) gone off to watch telenovela and prob bed, the bike guy went into town (I recommended "La Nonna" as it apparently is called, at least on GM) for food and if he comes back and we chat I may have a beer, but otherwise I won't.
It is a bit warm and muggy out. Crickets going. By no means unpleasant but not super comfortable either.
Bike guy is almost certainly European, I might guess Dutch but not at all sure.
I am feeling slightly tired. Just yawning now. I may move towards bed 2130-2200ish anyway.
Maybe also Isla Cebaco from SC. Can see how it looks when I get there. If (unlikely but possible) it turns out I want to spend 1-2 weeks there, that's fine. Tho by sound of it IC is mainly accessed from Sunset Coast (Mariato).
There are some USD30-40/night dorm options in Morillo on Sunset Coast but I'm not super keen. I suppose if time permits (nothing better has absorbed me etc) I could maybe pop down to Morillo for a couple of nights from somewhere on Pan/Interamericana (not sure correct name) on my way back to PC.
Kudos to myself for speaking to Germans and bike guy briefly as they were waiting to be let into hostel and asking if I could join them when I came out after shower.
2151 Lights been turned out and music stopped and just a few people in hammocks out. Been browsing web but was toying with going to bed anyway. Will go clean teeth and go to bed - dunno if still harm dorm to myself or not, so will send this now.
Woke up earlier than alarm, not saying didn't feel tired cos of lateish night but nothing major. Felt tiny bit cold and "scared" (massive exaggeration) in bed, but getting up to get ac remote felt too mucb work. Three coffees before leaving hostel about 1055.
Managed to squash bag into overhead rack, it's a smidge tight but not absolutely insane. USD12 for bus.
Feeling slightly "ffs, sick of rushing around, I need to relax" this morning - it does suck a bit (but you know, I'll deal with it, it's not end of world) to be having *another* two day stop and to not really know where I "can" go. Two day stop (but maybe I can extend) not ideal wrt washing/drying clothes either, but just maybe there will finally be a non-public sink so I can wash something (prob uw) with actual soap. I don't *think* I smell etc but of course it's hard to tell.
Not ecstatic about dorm but also need to remember it's just a minor faff not a huge deal.
1219 Got bag down - bus half empty and have double seat - and put headphones in. "O Lucky Man!" soundtrack album.
Elevated track? being constructed by road earlier - metro line 3??
Road good - it's the Panamericana I think - but we really seem to be puttering along. Meh.
Quite overcast. I *think* it was overcast bug muggy in PC but hard to be sure. Bus windows tinted which makes thing look a bit grey, the blue sky between clouds looks pale but I'd guess it's probably pretty intense blue if you're actually outside.
1305 Just been for piss in toilet on bus. Don't think I should have! It won't flush, there's no water and the bottom of the toilet seems to be closed off so all my piss was vibrating into a constant pseudo-fountain of urine droplets. But we didn't seem to be stopping anywhere for a piss. Meh. Got nasty feeling a few drops splatted onto trousers from the piss fountain but they're due for a wash anyway.
Hope no one "noticed" me doing this.
Listening to Bonzo Dog "Gorilla" .
Some fucker harangued us all for about twenty minutes flogging his liver and colon detox powder. I'd sometimes listen to this for Spanish practice but just kept headphones on. Ambulant vendors no problem and sometimes useful, but this feels out of order. Have to assume he's giving driver a kickback.
1914 On terrace. Been chatting to couple of German doctors and also some other guy who turned up on his bike I got back from dinner. Got to hostel no problem off bus, checked in fine, at least at that point had dorm to self, booking.com price seems to exclude tax but USD29 for 2 nights is still not too bad. Personally suspect they are not full Tue night but will wait until tomorrow morning before I ask.
Popped out into town, felt a bit rushed as wanted to be back before dark (tho sunset here is about 1830, prob due to being further west than Colombia but same time zone). Found Nonna Grazziela (sp) pizza and had very decent personal (yes, I learned) tres carnes pizza with a non-diet coke for 6.70 and made it 8 with tip - made a point of using some coins, need to get into habit and some are worth a dollar (whereas in Colombia coins were mostly kind of worthless). Came back, had shower and - yay - the sink is in the bathroom and washed 4 sets uw. Have also changed into other pair of trousers and will prob (maybe not if I am leaving after two nights) wash them tomorrow.
Germans make out that peninsula to south is (depending where you go) quite expensive and maybe rather surf oriented. Have provisional recommendations for Playa Verao and Santa Catalina, but general thrust of conversation was that maybe Bocas del Toro more suited to cheap beers by the beach (tho apparently loads of tourists so not exactly quiet I suspect). Gut feeling is I am going to do a bit of checking of possible accom tonight/tomorrow, now I *am* here in Santiago the bus navigation to get to most places in peninsula in one day are probably borderline OK (Germans came up from Cambutal today via Chitre I think and it took them 5h) and if I can find something half affordable I may experimentally splurge or hope for cheap stuff not on booking.com and perhaps give this peninsula type bit (whether sunset coast or other edges) a few days and if I don't like it or it's too pricy or whatever then I can always head towards Caribbean side or maybe more westerly parts of Pacific coast.
Plan for tomorrow is probably to wander round town a bit - it's not huge but prob worth a look. If I am able to extend for two nights I will but I will prob consider eg day trip to San Francisco for one of the "extra" two days. If I can't extend I will prob not do any day trips from Santiago this time - tomorrow will be needed to sort out onward plans maybe. I also suspect that depending on what happens, if I make any sort of venture into that peninsula at all it will be somewhat natural to put in another night or two in Santiago on the way back from there to elsewhere.
Oh, I have a vague idea I saw something on web other day saying tap water is potable in most of Panama. Haven't formally started drinking it yet but I did get a glass of ice water for free without asking while waiting for pizza and I *suspect* it was tape water and I drank it - my general principle is that unless explicitly warned or somewhere grindingly poor, the locals presumably know best. And I am going to be here for a month so any minor hiccups caused by getting used to local water are probably worth it, and I also don't want to be the stroppy guy asking if the free water is bottled.
Oh again, absolutely no mention whatsoever of that second registration form I didn't fill in last night. Had to give passport (copy was accepted) but they didn't even ask me to fill the form in myself or anything.
Right, I dunno where it is or whether I want to go there, but Santa Catalina has dorm beds at about USD16-20 a night. This is hardly cheap (remember I was paying 26ish for a private room at PC hostel) but it also isn't insane.
OK, SC is 31km west of here. It may well be OK but it's the wrong way if I want to have a stab at the peninsula first.
2013 intermittent chat and web searching. There is another SC on the coast 61km SW of here, I suspect this is the right one. This makes it hard to search but gut feeling is this is worth a visit, and it *may* be a good next stop, but only if I decide I'm not doing the peninsula now (at all on this trip, or just poss consider it on way back to PC for boat). SC not super cheap but has affordableish dorms at least. But let's keep poking at peninsula.
OK, not formally giving up but gut feeling is the peninsula is expensive and/or hard to reach. SC may be a good destination, despite surf/snorkelling emphasis it may be a cheap-ish beach-y kind of place and there may be a little hiking etc on the cards. Guide book says bus requires change from Santiago in Sona, I dunno if there's any possibility or point in staying there. guide book only mentions Sona in connection with getting to SC.
I do have a vague feeling there are maybe not tourist-oriented hotels scattered around which aren't on booking.com. But a web search is generally value about Sona hostels. My inclination currently is to put in 2-4 nights here, skip the peninsula at least on this outbound leg of this trip and then go to SC with Sona as just a bus changeover, but if Sona looks intriguing or has a cheap ho(s)tel which I see maybe I would consider stopping there on way back from SC.
SC v dive heavy and guide books implies there are very expensive tours to nearby island/national park but there is also mention of some hiking and tho I don't surf and don't intend (even if it's an option there) to try learning yet (I have never even tried swimming in sea yet, and I suspect SC is no place to start if it has surf type tides), as I say it's possible it is cheap enough that it may be a nice little attempt at a quietish beach, and even if it's an absolute Tamarindo-ish tourist trap it is really not taking me far out of my way and is worth a punt. Let's just read guide book a bit more thoroughly and check accom in more detail.
Oh, Germans said bus schedules are vastly different (and worse) on Sundays. So worth trying to keep an eye on that as I continue trip. I guess I was either lucky or my route wasn't badly affected as it is a major route from PC (and I think based on chat earlier Santiago is actually second largest town/city in country, not David as I thought).
booking.com has private rooms for vaguely USD35-50/night in SC, with dorms from USD15-20. Gut feeling is to go for a dorm option and if I particularly like it but am not liking the dorm or whatever maybe splurge on a second accom.
SC looks rather surfy but as I say poss a nice beach vibe by my standards, and if I'm willing to splurge (you basically have to go on a tour, I don't know if they are all water-oriented, and *maybe* I could do snorkelling if that's "all" they do) and treat it as a biggish ticket item hiking possibilities on Isla Coiba might be quite cool, at least worth considering.
So I think I'm pencilling in a dorm in SC next. But if I can extend here 2 nights more I will - at least one of those could be used for a daytrip to San Francisco and there's probably something else to use the extra day for, and if not the garden here at this hostel seems nice enough.
Mildly tempted by a beer but it would be good to have a day odd. Current thinking - Germans have (I don't think due to me) gone off to watch telenovela and prob bed, the bike guy went into town (I recommended "La Nonna" as it apparently is called, at least on GM) for food and if he comes back and we chat I may have a beer, but otherwise I won't.
It is a bit warm and muggy out. Crickets going. By no means unpleasant but not super comfortable either.
Bike guy is almost certainly European, I might guess Dutch but not at all sure.
I am feeling slightly tired. Just yawning now. I may move towards bed 2130-2200ish anyway.
Maybe also Isla Cebaco from SC. Can see how it looks when I get there. If (unlikely but possible) it turns out I want to spend 1-2 weeks there, that's fine. Tho by sound of it IC is mainly accessed from Sunset Coast (Mariato).
There are some USD30-40/night dorm options in Morillo on Sunset Coast but I'm not super keen. I suppose if time permits (nothing better has absorbed me etc) I could maybe pop down to Morillo for a couple of nights from somewhere on Pan/Interamericana (not sure correct name) on my way back to PC.
Kudos to myself for speaking to Germans and bike guy briefly as they were waiting to be let into hostel and asking if I could join them when I came out after shower.
2151 Lights been turned out and music stopped and just a few people in hammocks out. Been browsing web but was toying with going to bed anyway. Will go clean teeth and go to bed - dunno if still harm dorm to myself or not, so will send this now.
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