Surf's up!

let me know if you can see thepicture please. Got up ok on board 1st time out. We upgrade to hard boards today. Having a blast. Had experience with guaro sours



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Breakfast

Totally USA style, but I'm not complaining. I also like the pan dulce and fried mashed plantains from panama and the mystery meat empinadas from both costa rica and panama.



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First cup in Tamarindo

I am very relaxed and happy because I am enjoying my first cup of coffee in Tamarindo, to be followed with breakfast. Banana pancakes and bacon! Yum



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Terminal velocity

Terminal velocity



I've spent the last 2 days as follows. Airport, layover, competent customs, incompetent overpaid taxi, look for lodging, find out lonely planet is wrong there are more buses to San jose, 15 hour bus ride augmented by 3 hour incompetent customs circuit, bus terminal pox complicated by overpaid incompetent taxi, bus terminal layover augmentet by very kind soda shop worker and baggage clerk who escorted me to Internet cafe ( wasn't on crap lonely planet map) and explained that I was in for a really long indirect trip to tamarindo. On overpriced bed now, don't care am no longer in transit! What I've learned: Don't bother with taxis if they can be avoided My Spanish needs improvement Don't take long bus rides It's worth it to fly Border patrol aren't going anywhere so why should you It is safe to walk in San jose between bus terminals! Oy vay! The only people who know the bus schedules are bus drivers Information is an oxymoron But hey, I got to see some awesome views of rainforrests and sit next to elvis (who is apparently a huge black man). I'm pretty sure I did something to amuse the natives. Oh ya! And I can use my iphone for wifi! So ha! Sent from my iPhone

great free travel info

I'm leaving for the airport in 2 seconds. My flight departs at 7:35 pt. I'll have a lovely view of George Bush International for about 50min of layover in Houston. Then on to Tocumen International in Panama City, where I am scheduled to arrive around 6:50 pm (est). Woo Hooo! I'll try to refrain from making any pyrotechnical comments en route (TSA gets sooo fussy about that). Must book hostel for tomorrow night, still. Get up on the 23rd and hit the TICA buss for San Jose, Costa Rica.
Incidentally, here is some relatively good, free travel advice for my destination.
http://wikitravel.org/en/Panama

more R&D

So I didn't really do any more planning as I should have today. But I do plan to go to Tamarindo right away. Apparently the Tica buss leaves around 10 or 11 am, every day, which goes to San Jose from Panama City. According to the guidebooks, this trip should take about 16 HOURS, so I will need serious entertainment, because I am not the most patient person on earth, and I HATE driving, sitting, being crowded, stupid people, and I will be fresh off a plane. So if anyone has awesome ideas for entertainment, worthless, mindless reading materials as well as low budge lodging suggestions near the transit center, please share. I am also taking suggestions for activities, trekking, sight seeing under consideration. Also, I'm working on figuring out how to get into the releasing baby turtles thing. I like turtles, I'm told they taste like chicken :P
Which brings me to my next item, food. I've already been instructed by my sister to bring back some green salsa that is probably available in the ethnic food isle anyway. I also intend to try all the tropical fruits, and judge them. If anyone hears about strange/bizarre foods of this region, please advise so I can judge them too.

R&D

It occurs to me that I know very little about Panama and Costa Rica, so I thought it would be prudent to learn a bit before showing up with my ususal lack of preparation.

So here's a map. Note that it has a lot of blue, that's because panama is an isthmus, a narrow strip of land that connects two large land masses. I'm just glad that I can easily find Panama City by looking for the big star. This is where my trek will begin and end.


And, here's another map of Balboa's travels to the pacific c 1513. Really, I just wanted free maps on my post. There will be more.