Start and El Salvador
The 6 days of travelling down to Panama and a staying in Panama turned out to be a very interesting time. It started with a 6am pick-up from Panajachel to take us to the TICA bus station in Guatemala City. Due to some saving in Guatemala and wanting to get to Panama as soon as possible to meet up with Elsabe we managed to buy bus tickets to San Jose in Costa Rica, the country next to Panama, only leaving us 800-900 km to hike and one border crossing in stead of the full 1700-1800 with 5 border crossings.
We got to the bus station with lots of time to sort out the tickets and also with time to announce the new restructured 2 teams in stead of 3 that we had. So no more green, purple and pink teams, now it was time for the new blue and yellow teams. The reveal of the teams was quite funny since we pasted the names on the back of blue and yellow recycling bins with bubblegum. The announcement went down relatively well with some excitement and some sadness all at the same time. That afternoon we got on the bus and we the evening at 8pm it stopped in San Salvador, capitol of El Salvador. We did not have enough money to stay in a hostel and in true Global style we sent out small teams to go looking for a place to sleep for the night on the street. We found a good place under a roof with bushes that created a screen to the street in front of a dental clinic. Once there with our luggage it was the food team chance to go see if they can find warm water to make our instant noodles in and perhaps a place to buy food for the next day. After some asking round it was found out that there is no supermarket, but there was a cluster of take away places still open that at least some warm water can be found, so pot and kettle in hand the 2 set out with myself to be the male presence. We got to the first fast food place and they went in to ask for water while I stood outside with the pot ans kettle trying to look inconspicuous.
The placed was willing to help us and they called me in and while we waited there was a older couple that started to speak to us asking what is up. We could explain to them what was us and when they heard we were looking for a place to buy food they immediately took out their car keys and offered to take us to a supermarket. We accepted but first had to take the water to the rest and would be right back. Chanan and myself went back and met the 2 and their 2 daughters at the restaurant. Rene and his daughter took us to the supermarket and on the way there we could share some more, found out that they are also believers and that his father is a pastor at a church in El Salvador. While shopping on our tight budget for the next day they kept asking if we want this or that, but we could not afford it so we kept avoiding it, but when they asked if wee did not want napkins and we started laughing and explained that was not needed something in the man broke and he was like “no I will buy you some, and some juice and what about some snacks for the road” so they took us round getting juice and picking out sweeties, cookies and some fruit and on the way to the till he said he will pay for everything. We could not believe it, we went from getting warm water to getting a lift to the supermarket to getting free groceries. They dropped us at the rest of the peeps and while we were still eating and preparing the rest of the food for the next day he and his family shows up and asks us if we would like to go sleep at there house and that they will have us back in time for our 5am bus. It was absolutely mind blowing. So we got transported in bathes to there house and got in a good 3 hours of sleep. The next morning it was back to the bus station in batches and the last 3 of us almost did not make it on time and the team that was there had to fight to keep the bus from leaving us behind. Day 1, mind blown at how God works and wants to use us.
El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua
The bus ride and border crossings were uneventful. The evening we got off at the bus station again with a few hours before our bus leaves at 6am and not enough money for lodgings. The bus station was very nice and we asked if we could stay there for the night, but it was not allowed. The security guard did help us find lodgings for $50 for the 11 of us that is quite cheap and we decided to take it as a last resort and as the bus station closed and we were kicked out and started moving to the hostel our scout team got back, they found us free lodgings in a Catholic church were we can sleep in their hall and they even had an shower. When we got there they went out and bought us dinner. The morning we got on the bus with no problems.
Nicaragua to Costa Rica
Once again we had a very uneventful bus trip and easy border crossing. We did get to see Green Mile and it stays a great movie. We arrived in San Jose capital of Costa Rica at about 14:30 and then we offloaded ate some and was sent out to find our way to Panama City.
Costa Rica to Panama hitch hike
So all 5 of us of the yellow team set out at 16h walking the 2 blocks to the main road that is also the Pan American Highway that would take us all 800-900km to Panama City. Since we figured that it was unlikely to find a lift out of the city to Panama City we made our sign for the next town (only 40km away) and started looking for a lift. We stood for some time since 5 people with a load of baggage is not the easiest to pick up, we did get a few people telling us we are crazy. The Miguel stopped on his bike and asked if he could help since he could speak English, we told our story and he said it would be better to get to the centre of the city where there is also buses that goes to the next town and then he gave us money to take the bus there, he also offered us a place to sleep if we could not get out of the city that evening. Waiting for the bus we met a lady that was going to the same town and we started speaking to her and she helped us to get the right bus ect.
At the city centre we started again and once again we had the same problem, what and who can pick up 5 peeps with big bags. We stood at a large traffic light and had the opportunity to talk to people in their cars, we got a few people saying they would take us if we were 2 or 3, but some did start giving us money and we had enough for 3 of the 5tickets when along came Matheo all alone in his big new SUV and he picked us up not going all the way to the town but at least out of the city so we got in. What a cool guy and as we started sharing he opened up and started sharing his walk with Christ. He then bought us really good ice cream and decided that he will take us all the way to the next town and dropped us of at a big gas station next to the highway. We prayed for him and were really encouraged. So we decided to take it chill at the gas station, we used the money we got for the bus to buy some food (we got 2 cookies each) and since we had the food bag with a kettle in it we made some tea, the gas station also has free wifi for some reason and we could check in with the other teams. We got an empty box at the gas station shop and wrote down the next big town on the way to the border and started asking for lifts with it while tea was made, no success. But after we ate a big dark green truck full of gas canisters pulled up and since one of our team got the word that a dark green truck will pick us up they went to ask for a lift, they said it is ok, but will need to ask the boss. So then the boss came and his whole family and some friends. He said we can go and that they would be leaving in an hour, so we chilled some more. In this time Kasia went to speak to the dude behind the fast food counter at the station to find out if there are any food they were going to through away and then the guy made as subs, very very good subs that he just gave to us for free. All of us were in a bit of shock due to that. The truck took us through the night to a small town 33 km from the border and dropped us at 05:30, there were not a lot of traffic going. So we made some new signs for the border and a very optimistic one for Panama City.
We spent more than an hour there before we got the first lift, but the lady could just take 3 people and we had peace about it since it was not far and we could not miss each other at the border post so 2 of us stayed behind. About 30 min later a catholic priest picked us up and took as to the border, it was interesting talking to him. At the Costa Rica side of the border we crossed quickly and then we got to the Panama side... To get stamped into the country they asked us for our flight tickets out of Panama and back to South Africa, neither of them in our possession. We asked them to see if there were any other way out and they said no, so I went to find some internet and see if I could get hold of the people back in South Africa to see if they perhaps have it since Elsabe that does our travel arrangements visited us the previous 2 weeks and she was in Panama waiting for us and had no access to mail. So after some time we were back at the post with nothing more to do than wait and stare at the unfriendly man. And then Carlos came into the picture, he was manning one of the desks and we went to ask someone else if there is no other way that we can get into the country. He told us that if we could prove that we each have $500 that we could pass, we then twisted his arm that we are a group and our money is together and he said ok. I went to print a bank statement and after some clearance from his manager we got in. In the end we took a cheap bus from the border post to the first big town on the Panama side due to people not wanting to pick us up due to some serious police checks not far from the border. In David we still only had a board that said Panama City and while some were taking a bathroom break and finding out what the next town is so we can get there I optimistically took the Panama City sign and stood with next to the road, in 3min there stopped a double cab Hilux and after some talking off we went to Panama City. It was still a long drive there and the man spoke english and was raised in America, he had some interesting stories, but he was very closed to listen or us asking questions. He did not know Panama City and thus did not know where the church was that we were going to, but he left us at the main bus station, it was big. We found out that the last bus to Gamboa is leaving at 21:30, that left us 15 min to get there from the other side of the terminal, so we ran with our big bags to make it, and when we got there they told us at the gate that the bus leaves at 22:00. So we bought the card to swipe out the gate and put aside the bus money and took to rest of the money to eat, at 22:00 there was no bus and when we enquired the lady at the gate changed and the new one told us it is at 22:30. We went in and waited, there was a few others also waiting and at almost 22:30 I asked one of the people of the bus is going to Gamboa and he told us no it was not, a few minutes later the bus stopped and we asked the driver and he told us that he does not, but he does go to the next neighbourhood 30min drive away, it was a bummer. At the same time the drivers 7 year old son started speaking to Chanan and then his wife, we explained our situation and they said that if we get on the bus they will take us there after the route is done since it is the last bus of the day. It was such a relief. We got on the bus and after its rounds it took us to Gamboa and we found the church at almost 23:30 and there was Elsabe to greet us. We were the first team to arive yeah. We settled in and just before we went to bed at 1am Maxine and Henk got there. So 2 of the 3 teams got there.
Panama
Our first day in Panama was chill, we slept really late and had lunch. Then we did some washing and writing and chilling, I took a afternoon nap. At 5pm the blue team got safely home. We had dinner and watched a movie and went to bed. The next morning Pastor Bill gave us a visit and invited us to take a boat trip up the Panama Canal to go feed some monkeys bananas, so we went out and did that. Wow I went on a boat on the Panama Canal and then got to feed a money a banana :) the afternoon we had a visit from Andrew who was visiting his parents, but has met Elsabe and the Work your Way guys earlier the year, it was really good to speak to him. Some of the team got to record snippets for Pastor Bill's radio slot sharing some of their testimonies. That evening we ate had some quite time and went to bed. Pastor Bill has been in Panama for 37 years and for 35 of them has been doing prison ministry, the previous year the group got in to see General Noriage and Pastor Bill got in with them to see him for the first time. So on the 3de day there we were going to go in and see if we could get in again, but unfortunately we could not, but in the end we went into the normal prison and had a great time. After the prison visit it was the final packing and saying our goodbyes and off to the airport we went. Andrew went with to the prison and spend some more time with us and it was a blessing, he also rented a van for the day so he could take us to the airport. At the airport we had no problems and got on the plane to Ecuador and the waiting Luke 10.
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