Road to Panama: Part 3

In the fertile Southern Zone of Costa Rica, the road is lined with enormous pineapple farms. They seem to reach the base of the mountains.


It's time for lunch in Buenos Aires, Costa Rica. We get a half-hour to rest and eat in the mid-day sun. Typical buffet options are rice, black beans, pineapple or watermelon slices, chicken or beef, vegetable salad or potatoes. It only costs about $3 for a plateful and a drink.


Julie chats with friend Ian Phelps during the lunch stop in Buenos Aires. Only about four more hours until the destination — Boquete, Panama.


We arrive at the Costa Rica-Panama border after about six and a half hours on the bus, only to stand in three different lines for about an hour. One to leave Costa Rica. Another to buy a tourist visa for Panama. And one more to enter Panama. Apparently the system has not yet been streamlined. Maybe it's an excuse to get foreigners to buy more snacks and things from the poor vendors. While in line, a woman forces you to pay for a $1 sticker, which she fastens to one side of your tourist visa, only to have the immigration officer rip that half off for her records.

Almost there.