One of the interesting parts of our life in Costa Rica is that we are required to leave the country every 90 days to have our visas restamped. Because we must be gone for 72 hours this is a chance to explore other nearby countries. We could not believe that our first three month period is already up!
So last Friday we boarded a bus in San Jose to travel east over the mountains to the Caribbean side and on down into Panama. This was the first time we had seen the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. It was beautiful -- broad flat plains filled with banana plantations, rushing rivers from the mountains and many little towns along the coast. Five and a half hours later we arrived at the Panamanian boarder where we faced a series of memorable challenges in order to be allowed to enter Panama. This could have been a reality show! It was an adventure that included one bus, one taxi and two boat rides to get to our hotel. The methods of transportation are one story, but the experience at the border was another. Let me describe in detail. The bus pulled up into a small border town called Sixaola where we exited the bus and began to look for the border crossing. All we could see were food stands and clothing stores, but eventually we followed some Europeans who had done this trip before. We climbed a staircase and checked in at the Costa Rican side first to be "stamped out". Then we followed the crowd across the river between the two countries, which is spanned by an old wooden bridge with missing slats. Below was a raging river reported to be filled with crocodiles. Successfully crossing the bridge is step two of the border process!
Following this test of strength and skill we entered a street lined with offices where we needed to complete the next steps: buying our return bus ticket (necessary in order to show we intend to leave Panama), buying our tourist visas, and finally being processed by immigration. But, without any signs to guide us, and since the offices are not in any obvious order, this next test before entering Panama was one of wit and endurance (it was 95 degrees in the shade). But, thanks to God, Emily's abilities with the language, and locals who were happy to guide us through (asking for a small tip, of course), we finally got into our taxi and headed to the port town of Almirante where we caught a water taxi to the Bocas Del Toro islands to stay for the next three days.
What a beautiful place! Because it is low season for tourism the hotel and other activities were inexpensive and uncrowded. We enjoyed a peaceful little hotel, time by the water reading and relaxing, snorkeling (Mark's first time) and walking along the beach. We were slightly afraid of the crabs that were EVERYWHERE. In the nighttime the big blue ones came out and you could just hear them skuttling all over the place. Tough to see them on a mostly dark island.
It was a nice break break from a busy couple of months on the job with Roblealto's International Department. In our first quarter Emily worked hard on numerous reports and translations for Roblealto, including a promotional mailing to Roblealto child sponsors inviting them to come visit their sponsored child. Mark has focused on fine-tuning the website and contacting all the churches that support Roblealto financially by way of phone call and an e-flier. The goal is to invite these churches to consider bringing a mission trip. These tasks along with many others have made for challenging but exciting days.
Those projects having been accomplished we look forward to another productive two months before Christmas. Only two months away!
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