Colombia and Panama have a land border but the Pan-American highway running through the continents terminates near a town called Yaviza in Panama before starting again 150 km further on in Colombia. Big brother USA doesn´t want the road to go all the way cause of illegal immigration and drug traffic. The transportation break is called Darien gap and some parts of it is really dangerous to try to cross it by yourself. The flight from Cartagena is expensive cause of high airport taxes. Getting by sail boat for few days even more pricey. So I chose the cheapest way and I´m proud to say the most interesting one.
Naktinis autobusas i Turbo, miesteli prie Karibu juros, ´pamalonino´garsia salsa ir nuolatiniu kratymu, purtymu bei sukiojimu kalnu keliais. Turbo (geras pavadinima, sudina vieta) atsiduriau anksti ryte, nusipirkes bilieta i lancha (greitoji valtis), kelias valandas pralaukiau mini uoste, gurksnodamas kava ir stengdamasis neuzmigti.
Prasta vieta, daugybe siuksliu, pinigu prasytojai, gangsteriais (bent jau 5 centais) save isivaizduojantys uoste dirbantys pacukai, atliekas vandenyje rusiuojantys pelikanai, burbciojantys po nosimi: maistas putinas maistas putinas.
Kelione i Capurgana, kaimuka toliau pakranteje link Panamos, uztruko pora valandu, lancha skrido kaip bite, skrosdama bangas, vis pakildavo i ora ir, sustingus mini sekundei, pilvu trenkdavosi i vandeni. Po ´smagios´keliones autobusu toks dauzymas mano vestibiuliarini aparata nuzude galutinai, o pilvo organai ´sukrito´i kulnus. Capurgana negalvojau pasilikti, bet lektuvas turejo isskristi tik po poros dienu ir, itikintas kaimuke gyvenancio Joseph is Havaju, apsistojau jo hostelyje. Capurgana, pasirodo, geriausia vieta aplankyta Kolumbijoje.
Pagrindine transporto priemone - arkliukai bei dviraciai (birbia du motociklai, bet ju nori atsikratyti).
Turistai beveik vien is Kolumbijos, pagrindiniame papludimyje vaizda gadina keletas dideliu viesbuciu, bet siaip gyvenimas juda letai, zmones sveikinasi gatveje, sauguma garantuoja kareiviai, automatus atmestinai pasikabine uz nugaros.
As gyvenau toliau nuo centro didziuliame kambaryje su buriu drieziuku, ivairiu dydziu vabzdziu ir bailia varle duse. Salia esantis akmenuotas papludimys kaip ir baseinas su vaizdu i pakrante priklause man vienam (sezonas dar neprasidejo).
Po dvieju dienu gero maisto ir skaidrios juros dietos anksti ryte lancha nusikraciau i Puerto Obaldia,pirma kaimuka Panamos puseje. Daug kareiviu, vargingi pastatai, tiesiog vieta uzsitikrinti stampa pase ir uzsiregistruoti skrydziui. Avialiniju ofise, t.y. darzinej, diedukas negalejo patiketi, kad mano pavarde Lukosevicius, jo padejejas karuciu nugabeno lagaminus i pagaliau paskutine lancha, nuplukdziusia i Tubualu, sala, kurioje isitaises artimiausias órouostas´.
Visa teritorija atrodo taip:
Laukiamasis
Tualetas
Sala priklauso Kuna indenams, kurie kaip tik tuo metu smagiai kvatodami trauke tinklus. Priejes seniunas, akis slepiantis po terminatoriaus akiniais ir pasidabines iseiginiais auliniais, is visu penkiu keleiviu pareikalavo vieno dolerio orouosto mokescio.
Pradejo lyti, atskrido nedidukas lektuvas, pilotai patare sestis priekyje, nes nuo vidurio sedynes buvo sulytos. Pakilus i ora, antrasis pilotas laikrasciais dziovino vandeni praleidzianti priekini stikla, lektuviuka mete i sonus, as po tokios kekekekeliones lanchomis susirangiau miegoti ir akis praplesiau jau Panamos sostineje Panamoje.
First I took a night bus to Turbo, seaside town on Caribbean coast. Cool name but the place is a shithole and waiting there for a lancha (fast boat) to Capurgana (village on the coast closer to Panama) was boring.
The boat is really fast and very often it flies in the air for millisecond before crashing into the water. After bumpy bus ride all night the journey on the water twisted my stomach completely. Capurgana is by far the best place I visited in Colombia.
It´s so relaxed, no cars (two motorbikes in whole village), friendly people, beautiful beaches, good food.
Main beach has a fair share of ugly big hotels but near the hostel I stayed the beach with the pool was totally empty.
Had a blast and after two days I took a lancha again to get to Puerto Obaldia, military village on Panamian side. Ugly, get your stamp and register for a flight place.
The last lancha to Tubualu, the island where the nearest airport is. It´s difficult to call it airport. Two shacks - one for waiting lounge, smaller for a bathroom. The island belongs to Kuna indians who were fishin there and one of the indians asked for a dollar airport tax.
It started to rain, small plane arrived, half of the seats inside were wet, the water was running through front window but somehow we made to Panama city.
Panama ilga laika kvepavo po sunkiu JAV padu (kanalo valdyma jankiai vietiniams perdave tik pries desimt metu), tad miestas pergrustas mcdonaldais, valiuta - doleriai, cia vadinami balboa.
Keista po Kolumbijos gatvese nematyti kareiviu ir policijos ant kiekvieno kampo. Atsizvelgiant i tai, kad elektronikos prekes ir smutkes kainuoja kapeikas Panama prikimsta prekybos centrais. Alkoholis - nerealiai pigus (gero romo butelis tekainuoja penkis eurus), transportas ir maistas kisenes taip pat netustina.
Hostelis, kuriame apsistojau, stukso verslo rajone, tad kaip ir visur aplink plastikines korteles ant kaklu, blackberry rankose, kinieciu restoranai (cia daug gyvenanciu azijieciu) ir heinekeno reklamos baruose. Trumpa eskursija i kanala, kur pries keleta savaiciu praslinkes storasiknis laivas sumokejo rekordini 375 tukstanciu doleriu mokesti.
Senamiestis - simpatiskas, nutrupeje kolonijiniai pastatai, ryskios spalvos.
Deja, nuolat po pietu pliaupiantis niurus lietus neleido issamiau paklaidzioti.
Panama lived under heavy USA influence for a long time (panamians got the rights to the canal only ten years ago) so city is full of mcdonalds, the currency used is dollars (called baboa). Merchandise from around the world is sold very cheaply in Panama city and shopping centres are on every corner.
Alcohol, transport and food is cheap too. The hostel I´m staying in is in business district and it´s like everywhere in the world, doesn´t matter if it´s IFSC or London City.
I went to see the canal where some fat ass boat paid a record 375 thousand dollars tax to use it.
Panama is just allright but the oldtown is really cool - colonial buildings, bright colours.
Unfortunately heavy rain that starts every day at lunch time wouldn´t let me to explore it more.
Eurovizijoje sikart Panama atstovaus du biciukai:
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