IHANA.COM big trip - diary - March 2002 - Panama, Volcan Baru, Tole

Once across the border we followed the pan american highway and drove straight past the customs checkpoint 10kms after the border. TWR weren't so lucky and the by now angry customs officer ran into the road and stopped them, knowing that they had crossed the border with us. As we innocently waited for ages by the next crossroads, TWR were told how they had to go and tell us to go back and have our papers checked otherwise we'd be arrested. When they arrived to tell us the news we decided to take our chances and not bother as no new stamps or signatures had been added to their papers anyway.

We arrived at the Volcan Baru national park after a nice steep climb in low box. As the sun set we were treated to a stunning view into the valley below. Unfortunately, the subsequent lack of sun and altitude of around 2500m meant one of the coldest nights of the trip so far. Long forgotten hats, jumpers and fleeces were donned and we had a game of scrabble (becoming a seriously uncool habit), surrounded by hastily tied tarpaulins flapping in the wind. A brisk walk the following morning in search of the quetzal bird was unsuccessful, although their strange wind chime like call was all around us. We did find a huge golden beetle which flew with its body vertical, well wicked.

Jorge and his taxi...

...his house...

...his view

Curious kids

Dusty Landy

Women at the shop

After a stop in David for lunch, we set off for Tole where we'd heard there was a good off road trail heading north into the mountains. By the time we arrived it was dark. On the way through the town and into the mountains we caught a pickup driven by Jorge who kindly invited us to park on his garden. His parents made us coffee and yucca 'chips' and we all chatted about Panama. Jorge was home from university and spending the days driving his dads taxi, an $18000 toyota pickup which, together with 3 more pickups, is the only form of public transport in this area. The following morning Jorge started work at 4 and tooted each time he passed, fully loaded with villagers paying a dollar each for the round trip. Now we realised how they could afford a brand new pick up.

We landied up the mountains, taking in the stunning view and a bit too much of the dusty track. After fairly mild driving combined with a couple of river crossings and some very steep sections, we arrived at Guayabito, the end of the road. Here is just a collection of shacks around a huge field with one serving as a shop. A couple of cokes for 30 cents each was all we bought.

Cop gets a push instead of a bribe

Wicked drive through beer shop

We headed to the Azuero peninsula to try and find some waves. Unfortunately the sea was flat and the whole area pretty dull with parched grassland dotted with cows. The journey there was livened up by a couple of encounters with the police. The first one came running out of his roadside shed and stopped us for not wearing seatbelts and speeding through a pointless 40kmh limit. After a bit of banter we were let off with a friendly wave. Only a few kms later T over took a big lorry on a bridge. A motorcycle cop ahead noticed this rule-breaking incident in his mirror and pulled us over. He said it was a $50 fine, on his ticket book there was a list of offences and fines and overtaking on a bridge really was $50. He seemed reluctant to write the ticket and asked if T was really sure he wanted to pay the fine. Of course we didn't. After the usual banter T was called over to the guys motorbike where he promptly put away the ticket book and got on his bike. After more attempts to get a bribe he gave up, saying T was 'too hard'! His bike wouldn't start so he had the indignity of having to be pushed along the road to get going, no cash in his back pocket!