Nomadic Narrative

Many people look at the travel time between destinations as a necessary evil — the real fun beginning when you reach the planned last stop. Traveling with two friends this week, I was reminded that even if you only have a few days to visit a country, *how* you travel can make a huge difference.

From San José, Costa Rica we jumped on a Nature Air flight to Bocas del Toro, Panama. As we peered out of the Twin Otter’s large windows, we got a birdseye view of the tropical landscape we would later cross by boat and bus.

After two days of sampling Caribbean food, motoring between tangled mangroves and dancing at the local hot spots, we left Bocas on a public water taxi. With 15 other men, women and children, we departed from Colon Island at 9:30 a.m. and embarked on a quick, 30-minute journey across the Caribbean Sea to the port town of Almirante.

Pulling into Bocas Marine’s two-slip, wooden dock, a man on bent knees announced his taxi service to the Costa Rica/Panama border. Signaling interest, he offered his hand and helped us squeeze out from under the boat’s canopy. Ten balboas to the border, he said. (Even though Panama uses the U.S. dollar, the currency is referred to as “balboas.”) After a little bargaining, we were off in his gold, mini-van.

Winding through lush tropical forest and banana plantations, we arrived in front of the Changuinola bus station and parked behind a black, four-wheel drive taxi with female decals on the rear window. Out jumped a portly man in a baggy, red t-shirt and a baseball cap who waved us into his taxi. He’d be taking us to the border. We all swayed back and forth listening to Latino rock. Once at the Sixaola border, he left us with a heartfelt: “Thank you for visiting my country.”

We navigated the tiny border crossing, trekked across the 100-year-old “bridge of death” which stretches across the wide, light chocolate-colored river separating the countries, and grabbed a bus on the Costa Rican side. (Read about border crossing options here.) By noon we were on our way to Limon driving through banana plantations and later along the palm-studded coast.

From Limon, we took another bus at 3 p.m. to Guápiles passing river after river and munching on typical home-made snacks sold at bus stops along the way. Once in Guápiles, we thought we’d see how much a taxi would cost to La Fortuna. At 50,000 colones, we decided that a taxi ride would definitely form part of our road-trip adventure.

Two hours and just one, deep pothole later, we arrived to the bustling tourist hub of La Fortuna at the base of the active Arenal volcano. We dropped our things off at the hotel and headed straight for the luxurious Tabacón hot springs.

Soaking our well-travelled bones, we reflected on our amazing day. Not a boring stretch of scenery. While we had reached our destination and the natural hot springs were a soothing treat at the end of a long day, it was the journey that made us smile.