FERRY TICKETS
Rolled up to the ticket counter to buy a ticket for the ferry and had a Jim Galford moment. (Note: For those who don't know, Jim Galford is an author friend of mine who has been cursed by the gods to deal with amazingly inept people. He writes about these incidents on Facebook. Be sure to follow his page for many amusing stories which could - and perhaps should - be made into a sitcom.)
Logan: "I'd like to buy a ticket for the ferry for tomorrow please."
Lady: "We can't sell you a ticket."
Logan: "Er? Why not? You're here, I'm here, you are obviously open."
Lady: "It's not two o'clock! We can't sell tickets for the ferry for tomorrow until after two!" (She looked at Logan as though he'd just punted a cat after molesting it.)
"Ah. It's four minutes until two."
Lady: (After badmouthing Americans a bit in Spanish thinking I don't understand) "After two!"
Logan: "Why don't I go have a cigarette."
Cut to....2:01 PM!
Logan walks up to the counter. The lady looks at him as though she'd never seen him before.
Lady: "Yes?"
Logan: (Scrolls through his mind like the Terminator, examining various statements and discarding the 'fun' ones as this lady may represent the only way off this money sucking island of unbelievable heat and shitty wifi.) "I'd like to buy a ticket for tomorrows ferry."
Lady: "Passport."
Logan: "Shit. I'll be back."
SCHEMING
TJ came up with a chipper idea of 'well screw Colombia if they want proof of onward transit. This would normally be a good idea but other countries look about as bad down there.
Once I can 'break into' south America I should be OK for such things as border crossings and such, thanks to good advice from my personal travel mentor.
It's looking like I may be forced into taking a leisurely four day small boat ride through the waters of the Caribbean to get around the 'no road bandit infested you'd have to be mad to come here' area between Panama and Colombia overland route. Curse my bad luck.
It's looking like it will be expensive weighing in at about $500. This does look cheaper than the plane rides I've found which seem to route through the USA. Presumably, nobody in Central America has any real interest in visiting anyone in South America.
Perhaps they don't get along.
Perhaps the gorillas act as a 'great wall' between Central and South.
Not really sure but it is certainly looking more expensive than a $50 bus ride. Sure, more adventurous as well. Boats occasionally go down. Don't think we're going to be invaded by pirates because it's my understanding they pack the boat so full of people there won't be any room for them.
Doesn't appear that it is possible to catch a boat from anywhere other than Panama.
Sad.
If anyone has any ideas or wishes to contribute any information I'm grateful.
QUOTES
"I'd rather live a dangerous life than none at all trying to stay 'safe'." - Logan Horsford
Owner of the hostel after I came back from a long walk covered in sweat: "You're melting!"
Logan: "Yet the fat remains."
Later,
Logan: "Hey man, do you want this pizza? I bought it today, ate the other half and it's made me very sick."
Owner of the hostel: "I'll give it to Roberto (the cleaning guy). He eats anything."
TRAVELER'S LORE
Don't use the money exchangers to get local currency within Central America. The local populace sees US dollars as more stable and reliable and give better rates than that band of pirates. Note that denominations larger than $20's may be difficult for many places to exchange. Here, as in Asia you often come upon merchants who keep no change handy as they apparently weren't expecting to do any business.
Rolled up to the ticket counter to buy a ticket for the ferry and had a Jim Galford moment. (Note: For those who don't know, Jim Galford is an author friend of mine who has been cursed by the gods to deal with amazingly inept people. He writes about these incidents on Facebook. Be sure to follow his page for many amusing stories which could - and perhaps should - be made into a sitcom.)
Logan: "I'd like to buy a ticket for the ferry for tomorrow please."
Lady: "We can't sell you a ticket."
Logan: "Er? Why not? You're here, I'm here, you are obviously open."
Lady: "It's not two o'clock! We can't sell tickets for the ferry for tomorrow until after two!" (She looked at Logan as though he'd just punted a cat after molesting it.)
"Ah. It's four minutes until two."
Lady: (After badmouthing Americans a bit in Spanish thinking I don't understand) "After two!"
Logan: "Why don't I go have a cigarette."
Cut to....2:01 PM!
Logan walks up to the counter. The lady looks at him as though she'd never seen him before.
Lady: "Yes?"
Logan: (Scrolls through his mind like the Terminator, examining various statements and discarding the 'fun' ones as this lady may represent the only way off this money sucking island of unbelievable heat and shitty wifi.) "I'd like to buy a ticket for tomorrows ferry."
Lady: "Passport."
Logan: "Shit. I'll be back."
SCHEMING
TJ came up with a chipper idea of 'well screw Colombia if they want proof of onward transit. This would normally be a good idea but other countries look about as bad down there.
Once I can 'break into' south America I should be OK for such things as border crossings and such, thanks to good advice from my personal travel mentor.
It's looking like I may be forced into taking a leisurely four day small boat ride through the waters of the Caribbean to get around the 'no road bandit infested you'd have to be mad to come here' area between Panama and Colombia overland route. Curse my bad luck.
It's looking like it will be expensive weighing in at about $500. This does look cheaper than the plane rides I've found which seem to route through the USA. Presumably, nobody in Central America has any real interest in visiting anyone in South America.
Perhaps they don't get along.
Perhaps the gorillas act as a 'great wall' between Central and South.
Not really sure but it is certainly looking more expensive than a $50 bus ride. Sure, more adventurous as well. Boats occasionally go down. Don't think we're going to be invaded by pirates because it's my understanding they pack the boat so full of people there won't be any room for them.
Doesn't appear that it is possible to catch a boat from anywhere other than Panama.
Sad.
If anyone has any ideas or wishes to contribute any information I'm grateful.
QUOTES
"I'd rather live a dangerous life than none at all trying to stay 'safe'." - Logan Horsford
Owner of the hostel after I came back from a long walk covered in sweat: "You're melting!"
Logan: "Yet the fat remains."
Later,
Logan: "Hey man, do you want this pizza? I bought it today, ate the other half and it's made me very sick."
Owner of the hostel: "I'll give it to Roberto (the cleaning guy). He eats anything."
TRAVELER'S LORE
Don't use the money exchangers to get local currency within Central America. The local populace sees US dollars as more stable and reliable and give better rates than that band of pirates. Note that denominations larger than $20's may be difficult for many places to exchange. Here, as in Asia you often come upon merchants who keep no change handy as they apparently weren't expecting to do any business.
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