We're back in Panama, and it's a mixed bag. Prices drop like crazy as soon as you get over the border; the quantity of trash goes directly through the roof. The air quality stays good until you get over the hills and start coming down towards David, at which point you can see precisely how disgusting the air really is. This should improve considerably as soon as we head up into the hills towards Santa Fe in our rented Toyota Yaris - what a shitpile. It takes FOREVER to get up in RPMs, and this one has a stick, so it's going to be a complete nightmare to drive. I killed it twice getting it out of the parking lot, luckily before getting onto the street. I miss the Almera already, and I haven't driven for weeks.
We're back at the hotel Gran David in Santiago, which was very nice last time we were here. This time, it's a big failure. We paid for a room with two doubles, then ended up with a single and a double. Then they moved us to a room with two queens. Then they moved us again, to a room with two doubles... and broken A/C, a broken over-bed light, no mirror in the room, and very loud neighbors. Time to write another hotel review... I just hope our favorite Parillada (Sazon Latino) is open tonight. It ought to be, though, on a Friday.
Here's some interesting (to me) observations about Panama vs. Costa Rica. The cars are better-maintained in CR, and more varied. There were Piaggi three-wheelers and diesel land cruisers rolling around, and neither blew out as much smoke as the typical (diesel) Corolla or what have you in Panama. Toyota and Nissan are cheap in Panama, while Hyundai is cheap in CR. Drivers are FAR less considerate of pedestrians in CR than in Panama, probably they don't have the pedestrian-is-always-right law there as they do in Panama. They are however more considerate of other drivers in CR. The construction equipment in CR is mostly JCB, while in Panama it's mostly Cat, probably due to the American military influence. American vehicles are expensive to purchase and maintain in both countries.
The people are more rude about sidewalks in Panama, and just refuse to get out of your way unless you strongarm them, but they're more polite about smoking, and you usually don't even have to ask them to move, because they're already not someplace disgusting. Prices are ridiculously higher in CR; We only really went to Puerto Viejo, which is the most expensive part of CR, but we've also been to Boquete, which is the most expensive part of Panama, and the prices are far lower.
In Panama, they have great beef, but don't know what to do with a chicken. In CR they have great chicken, but are lost when it comes to cow. Both countries have great fish. In CR we were apologized to for only having Corvina... a fish which you practically can't get in the states. Panama is putting in roads as fast as they can, in order to support the people. Costa Rica is dithering on building infrastructure, although there seem to be new high-tension lines going up to bring power to the Big Fruit organizations (mostly Bonita, which is still called Chiquita down here, and Del Monte) near the border in CR. CR has all the avocados, and Panama has all the cows. I'm still undecided as to who has the better deal there.
After this visit to CR, I'd definitely choose to live in Panama over Costa Rica. At the same time, I'd rather vacation in Costa Rica, where the beaches are neither toxic nor covered in garbage as they seem to be most everywhere in Panama. But then, we only found that affordable (even on a generous budget) by renting a bungalow with a kitchenette, and with free breakfast to boot. On the other hand, while city lots in Panama go for $100k or more, there were beachfront (well, nearly -front) lots in CR for around $50k. Otherwise, land costs seem comparable. Whether this is due to a crash in the land market there, or the lack of a crash in Panama, it is interesting.
I suppose that's enough potentially ire-drawing comparisons; back to other things.