A QUICK BORDER HOP - 3 COUNTRIES IN 30 HOURS

Greg and I recently did a quick border hop.  While tourists are able to stay in Panama for 6 months at a time, one's US driver's license is only valid in Panama for 3 months at a time.  Time was ticking, and Greg was needing a new entry stamp on his passport, so we decided to make a border hop with a quick run to Costa Rica and back.

We dropped the kids off at school early in the morning and drove to Paso Canoas, the Panamanian/Costa Rican border. After driving for about 1 1/2 hours we arrived at a roadblock and a Panamanian official told us that the bridge ahead was closed today until 4pm and that we'd need to turn around.  We turned around, along with all of the other vehicles, and started heading back to Boquete, feeling disappointed and frustrated that our plan for a passport stamp had unexpectedly fallen through.  After about 5 minutes we decided to turn around and head back to the border to ask the Panamanian official some addition questions, and we're so glad that we did!  The official remembered us, and was very friendly when I politely explained that we merely wanted to cross the border to get a passport stamp.  The official explained that the road was closed because there was a demonstration going on, but also said, "No problem, just leave your car right here and you can easily walk across from here.  It will only take 20 minutes".  Greg and I were thrilled, and since we had never been to the border before, we had no idea that we were so close.

The border hop and passport stamping process ended up being a cinch and actually sort of fun.  We walked to the border, stamped out of Panama, stamped into Costa Rica, paid an exit tax to leave Costa Rica, then stamped right back into Panama.  This entire process, including standing in a few short lines, filling out a couple of forms, and answering some basic questions, took an hour, and violá, we had our passport stamps.  In between Panama and Costa Rica there is 'no man's land' with duty-free stores selling everything imaginable.  We took a bit of time to check it all out before heading back to Panama.

Greg and I had come prepared with the necessary items that others had told us to bring (original passport, copies of passports, $500 cash or a bank statement, and exit tickets out of Panama...etc.).  While all of these items weren't needed, we were glad that we had come prepared and were both relieved when the Panamanian immigration officials let us back into Panama with stamped passports after having only spent one hour in Costa Rica.  Monica and Matt were at school in Panama and needed to be picked up that afternoon.  If there had been any problems at the border we would have been up a creek.  Thankfully, it was a smooth process for us that day.  Such is the life of a perpetual tourist!

The day before our border hop I had flown from the USA to Panama after having returned to California two weeks earlier to spend time with my Mom who had some unexpected medical problems.  After calculating the time after our border hop, we realized that I had been in 3 counties (USA, Panama, Costa Rica) within a 30-hour time period!

We passed this colorful fruit stand during our drive from Boquete to Paso Canoas, the Panamanian/Costa Rican border.

Walking along the highway towards the Panamanian/Costa Rican border in the sweltering heat, along with others who have chosen to walk that day since the road was closed due to a demonstration.

A small group of demonstrators, including young students, teachers, and parents, march along the highway protesting the government's proposed removal of their public school for a development project.  Since Greg and I were walking to Paso Canoas, we inadvertently ended up walking along with the demonstrators.  Little did we know earlier that morning when we decided on a whim to get our passports stamped, that we'd end up walking with local Panamanian demonstrators - a fun cultural experience!

Paso Canoas happens to be Panama's largest border crossing.  Greg and I were both amazed that a small demonstration by a local public school such as this one, could cause Panama's largest border area to be completely closed down to vehicles.  Wow!  As it turns out, within a few hours, the Mayor showed up and negotiated with the school and demonstrators.  We were told that they came to a mutual resolution in which the demonstration stopped and the road was re-opened.  

Greg stands at the Panamanian side of Paso Canoas, where we initially stamped out, then stamped in again an hour later.

Welcome to Costa Rica!!