Capurgana
Seeing Capurgana housed a small Panamanian Consulate, I decided to wait out the
weekend and see if staff could help. I doubted whether it would help, but it was
worth a try as I knew South Africans didn’t need a Panamanian visa.
My money was running dangerously low. We, therefore, booked an inexpensive
room in Capurgana and discovered more people were having problems getting into
Panama. One, an Argentinian, was refused entry into Panama due to him having a
guitar and as a result deemed a working musician and couldn’t enter as a tourist.
The reason might’ve been that immigration officers wanted a bribe, but most of us
were oblivious to such things.
In the meantime, I emailed the South African Embassy for details regarding our
visa status in Panama.
Our abode was an intriguing setup featuring bare and basic wooden rooms. The
communal kitchen was outside under a gazebo. Due to the lack of gas and
electricity, one had to make a fire. I’m sure the fire-making exercise was why
guests gathered around, making the kitchen a popular spot. Unfortunately, the
rooms were sweltering, and though fitted with a fan, the electricity was only on for
a few hours per day. As a result, the breezy outside kitchen area was where
everyone hung out.