on a bus in Naragua. Travelling between Panama City and San Salvador. Next time I will fly. Supposed to be an 'Executive Bus' but they feed you on the move. All I have been offered so far is crisps, biscuits, a big mac and some bloody awful rice and beans with some sort of egg. Only drinks offered have been fizzy sugary pop and coffee. Have to ask repeatedly for some plain water. Even airline food isn't this bad.
Good job I brought my ham sarnies and a couple of bottles of red :-)
Later.......
Border control by bus is a very different experience. Makes the airport experience seem a breeze, unless of course you go to the US!
Because you sre on a bus and crossing a border and not just arriving at your destination one is required tto go through both exit and entry procedures.
PAN - CR This entailed off loading luggage for exit checks (a dog sniff, and a visual check with bags unopened), reloading luggage on bus, getting exit visa stamp, walking 250m through the rain to next country, getting entry stamp, meeting up with bus, unloading luggage, Nother visual check of outside of bag and then reloading luggage.
CR - NIC I enjoyed this one as it allowed me to get out of the fridge. Bloody A/C seemed set on freeze, luckily I had a jacket with me that I hadn't worn since leaving the UK. Everybody on the bus had coats and hats as well as wrapping themselves in the miniscule blankets that Tica Bus supplied, about 3ft square. Before we arrived the bus conductor handed out immigration and customs forms and collected $21 supposedly for immigration fees, no receipt so of course I asked for one when the inability of conversing in the English language came to his rescue. He just shrugged and walked away.
Not sure exactly what happened where during this and the rest of the border crossings due to excessive cold on the bus causing brain functions shutting down, tiredness, coundn't give shittedness and 2 litres of red wine. Things that stick out were giving passports to conductor to get entry visa stamps in Nicaragua supposedly to save time. We still had to stand around after getting luggage checked, or just looked at, in another customs hall. After this we had to hang around for the bus to catch up with us to reload the bags and then for the immigration official to hand out the passports. Hondourae, no baggage checks. El salvador no entry visa stamp and luggage check about a mile away from border where they checked the bags of just 3 people. All very odd. Oh and I only received one receipt from any of the immigration points for $10! Whatever happened to the other $11 I wonder. Just like being back in Africa I suppose. :-(
Anyway arrived safe and sound in San salvador, very tired and stiff from 36 hours of being cramped in a short person's seat.
Not sure what was in the last meal they gave us as it was some local dish and it was dark on the bus. Didn't taste too bad but today I have what they call in Africa a 'runny stomach', anywhere else 'the shits'. Good job there are three Euro matches on so I have a reason not to go anywhere :-)
Sitting waiting for the CRO vs POR game listening to the theme from Monty Python on the radio which was preceded by the one from The Pink Panther.
The Canal
The only thing I saw worth taking a photo of on the whole trip.
Taking a plane next time !!!!
