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Week Three

Day fourteen, Sunday 12/2/2007

I drove 483km from Caldera, Costa Rica, N9 55.899 W84 43.171 to Ciudad Neily, Costa Rica, N8 38.901 W82 56.547

 

 

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The Hotel at Caldera did not have hot water. The shower water was warm but not hot.  With no obvious restaurant open early in the morning, I again went without breakfast. I changed the oil in the parking lot, and went on my way. There was a road shown on the map going south along the coast, but it looked like it was not paved. So instead I stayed inland on the CA2. This road took me into the highlands of Costa Rica which is beautiful but slow driving.

 

 

 

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Several hotels and restaurants at Caldera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Caldera Bay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Caldera has a container ship terminal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sunday Morning Marathon in San Jose, Costa Rica.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The marathon blocked the main road, I took city streets and found a good local place for a late breakfast, "McDonalds"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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McDonalds security guard.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A five car traffic jam on the mountain road in Costa Rica.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sunday morning Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The inland road was very scenic, but there was almost no place to pull off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mud and rock slide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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No traffic control for this truck in the roadway.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A fender bender can close a road for hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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My Hotel in Ciudad Neily all dressed up for Christmas.

 

 I did not get to the Panama border until just about dark. Rather than take a chance driving at night again, I turned around and drove back, 18km to Ciudad Neily. What I found was a nice hotel all dressed up for Christmas. I got a room with wireless internet for $45.00. Tonight I ate at their restaurant.

 

 

 

 

Day fifteen, Monday 12/3/2007

I drove 538km from Ciudad Neily, Costa Rica, N8 38.901 W82 56.547 to Panama City, Panama, N8 58.607 W79 32.078

 

 

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Nice room in Ciudad Neily. I did have breakfast at the hotel restaurant. It was plain but good.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The hotel stairway decorated for christmass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I thought I got up early, but the parking lot was almost empty when I left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panama

 Going into Panama was the easiest border crossing yet. Panama uses the US dollar for money, no need to exchange currency. The roads in Panama are in good condition. 

 

I made it to Panama.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Panamanian Official posing by the car.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Panama looks like all the other countries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A field full of Cattle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I did have a lot of trouble finding my way around in Balboa and Panama City. There are lots of one way streets. I did not have a city map, and the GPS does not show city streets in Central America. After several failed attempts to navigate the toll roads and in a panic, just about dark I found an old Hotel. This cost me $44.00. they did have a mediocre restaurant, and an internet connection in the lobby.

 

 

 

 

 

Day sixteen, Tuesday 12/4/2007

I drove 216km from Panama City,N8 58.607 W79 32.078 to Colon and back to Panama City,N8 58.607 W79 32.078

 

 

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View from my Hotel window. I had breakfast at the hotel before I went to Colon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I don't know why all the concrete has reinforcing bar sticking out of it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A colorful city bus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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This Hydroelectric dam was created when the river was dammed for the Panama Canal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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It rains a lot in Colon

 

 

This morning I headed toward Colon. When I arrived in Colon, it was raining too heavily to do any site seeing and picture taking. The weather maps showed rain for the next several days. I decided to return to Panama City, where it was not raining. 

 

 

 

 

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Statue of Balboa, in Panama City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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On the waterfront in Panama City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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High rise buildings in Panama City.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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After driving around and getting frustrated with the traffic and street system I went back to the same hotel as the night before. For dinner I stopped at a McDonalds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

End of week 3-south, continue on to week 3-north