Itineraries Are Really Just Rough Drafts

As Amanda and I find ourselves deeper in Central America and further along in this trip, the more we are convinced that itineraries are silly ideas. An itinerary is more a rough draft that should be scribbled down, and then tossed aside, to be referred back to from time to time.

Emerging from the Comarca dirty, damp, and muddy, we sat on a bus to David, a small city close to the border. We had planned to spend one night doing laundry, showering, and catching up before heading north to Costa Rica to complete our drying-out process on the beach. Yet as we cooked our stirfry and drank cheap red wine in the hostel kitchen, the evening news flashed images of landslides across Costa Rica.

While we had been hiding out from the downpours in Klaus' hut, Costa Rica was experiencing even more rain. Hurricane Tomás swept through Central America last week, showering Costa Rica with 37 inches of rain in just four days. As of this evening, 12,000 families are stranded without clean water, food, or medical help, and 27 people have been killed in the storm. 100,000 people are without clean drinking water due to the rupture of pipes from flooding.

123 roads and highways across Costa Rica were declared closed last week because of intense flooding and landslides. The Inter-American highway – the main drag connecting Panama to San Jose, Costa Rica – was one of them. Thus, a glitch in our plan.

We decided that we should leave the not-so-dashing city of David rather than sit around and wait for the road to be cleared in Central American time. Joining forces with two other travelers, we boarded a small shuttle bus to Changuinola, the very Northern corner of Panama. From there, we hopped in a taxi to the border town of Sixaola, were we physically walked across the “frontera” over a bridge comprised of abandoned railroad tracks and wooden planks. After a (too easy) pass through immigration, we were able to catch a bus headed straight from Sixaola to San José.

In summary, the $15, 6-hour bus ride from David to San José that we had marked in our itinerary did not happen. What did happen was an epic border crossing that included: 2 buses, 3 taxis, 1569 stops along the side of the road, $22, and 12 hours.

And here in San José, life seems normal. The only commentary our taxi driver had to offer was: “It's stopped raining here, I'm glad of that.” And: “Oh sure the water's still safe to drink.” Not sure about that one, Sir, but thanks.

Needless to say....Beach tomorrow? Yes please. Oh wait, only after a 2 hour bus ride from San José to the coast. Then a supposedly short ferry ride to the Nicoya Peninsula. But...we will see what happens!