Panamá has a higher per capita income than Costa Rica, but a trip halfway across it suggests to me that what wealth there may be is distributed a fair amount less. Panama City is incredibly Americanized (which sure does make sense), but in a way retains a certain charming tropical uniqueness that San José, equally Americanized, entirely lacked. The presence of half the world`s goods passing trough, along with a thriving off-shore banking idustry mean lots of consumerism and the money to support it. But, with plenty of things to see (including of course the canal itself), relatively safe streets, and relatively few tourists, I have found it to be a very friendly town to spend a few days in.

And I have a had to spend a few days in search of passage to Cartagena, Colombia. I originally didn`t want to fly at all, but I was really close to giving up. Until even this morning I was really thinking I would fly. There`s no regular boat service, and to get to Colombia from Panama without flying you just about three options: chartering a boat, paying your way on cargo ships, or walking across the Darién gap.

That gap would be the break in between North America`s and South America`s road networks. It`s also a narrow stip of hot swampy completely undeveloped jungle full of Colombian guerillas, paramilitaries following them, old-fashioned bandits, and drug smugglers. Panama is happy not to have the Panamerican highway go through; they don`t want Colombia`s wars, drugs, and diseases (foot and mouth disease, specifically).

If I wanted to go on cargo ships, I would have to hope all of the following: that they didn`t take two weeks stoppìng at every island, weren`t smuggling drugs up and guns down, and didn`t slit my thoat and toss me to the sharks halfway out in the open ocean.

Last of all, chartering a boat means finding one. That was what I wanted to do, but was so far terribly unable. All my leads were not working out. I was starting to see why so many people who say they want to take a boat just end up flying. Yesterday I headed out to the Caribbean and asked around in person. Everyone told me that my best luck would be island hopping on whatever I find. Discouraged, I returned to Panama City, ready to pop into the Avianca office across the street from my hostel as soon as it opened today and buying a seat on the 6pm flight. Taking a boat was going to be too dangerous, take too long, and cost as much as flying. Why should I be so stupid just because of a silly idea of not flying at all. Anyway, it wouldn`t be entirely illegite because I would be flying North, and the original original goal was to get as far South as possible without flying.

In the end, as with everything in life, the best way to make something happen is to stop waiting for it. David, another person at this hostel interested in making the trip by boat, said that as soon as I left the guy with the sailboat and an ad here finally did call back. So, he and I along with our Brazillian captain are heading out tomorrow morning, to arrive in Cartagena days of sailing and one day of islanding later. The owners of the hostel say they know him and that he`s been doing this for a while, so I feel safe with it. While it does mean I will have some 3 days less in Venezuela and Colombia, for the same price as the air ticket I have food and lodging for those lost days, and a very interesting trip. Best of all, my “peregrinatory integrity” (to use my mommy`s term for it) is still intact.

What I thought would be my last day of hiking turned out just to be a morning of hiking. That was fine with me, I was quite ready to relax a little, especially after crossing that damned river 28 times.

Today I`m on my way to Panama City. I`ve been to a damn lot of border crossings lately, and this one today was the worst. I must have gone across the border back and forth 4 times. First the bus actually dropped me off on the Panamá side, and after some trouble figuring that out I had to walk back to get my exit stamp. After I headed back to Panamá, on the way changing my last 4,000 Colones into $8.00. A mediocre rate, but I didn`t care. Then I had to walk in a few circles to find the Panamanian immigration office conviniently located down a dirt sidestreet. I waited in line, got up, gave my passport, and was asked to present my onward or return ticket. Well, I didn`t happen to have one, so I had to go all the way back to Costa Rica and buy one. Ten minutes of waiting – the one employee at the bus company shuffled boxes that obviously were more time sensitive than a gringo – and he didn`t have change for a 20. That was a problem. The ticket was 3,750 Colones, or $US9.00. I had the aformentioned US$8.00 and a twenty. He wouldn`t take $8.00 and the 400 Colones a lady with pity offered me. If I pay in dollars, I have to pay it all in dollars. “Because I`m an asshole and I hate you” was his explanation. So, back to the money changer. Back to Bus company. Back to little dirt sidestreet. “Ahorita tiene que ir comprar tu tarjeta de turista…” in the building a few blocks away. Because it just does make sense to sell the turist cards in the building for searching cargo trucks and not at the immigration office. Finally back to immigration, and another charge for some paper stamp that didn`t even go in my passport and just disappeared and… whew… can I go now?

At least I got to sit shotty on the next busride.