Fiedler wrote:
Vip propina ? perhaps i did not explain, passage works best if you pay runners or helpers $ 20 to deal with where to go, ( ticket gate ) and who to pay. The crossing is a bit disorganized .
As far as chicas in Panama, I have no idea, perhaps CRT Tman can advise, or bring your own from San Jose.... my first time was a month ago, its a fun adventure, No se on chica friendly hotel, just show up with one chica- a girl friend and don't get out of line, should not be a problem.
Fielder, I hate to "bust your bubble" but!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
$20 for someone to help you at the border?? Man I KNOW they (all the 5 -10 "runners" scamming people at the border love to see guys like you get off the bus!! I have made that trip (visa run to David) probably 25+ times and yes, everytime it has been a little different procedure, but there is nothing complicated about it and certainly nothing any one could not figure out in a few seconds. AND EITHER WAY YOU HAVE TO STAND IN LINE JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!!!! Hell if nothing else there is almost always other people going thru that have done it many times and can, and will be glad help you if you get totally confused. But, anyway unless inflation has really taken a BIG leap, $20 is at least double the "runners" normal fees (for doing almost nothing)!!
As for as chicas in David: There are usually a few to be found in the casinos at night. Occasionally you will find one on the streets or in the park-all are going to ask a minimum of $100 and in 10 years I have not seen one that was worth (based on looks) $50. There are (last time I was there) a couple of MPs, one very expensive for a mp (More than most AMPs in the States) and one that was about $25 if I remember correctly. In neither one have I ever found a doable chica. It is so bad as for as P4P there that I have actually "taken sand to the beach" (taken a chica from SJ with me) several times!!
Hotels: Many in David are NOT chica friendly (including the one you are using). By the way that hotel is the second most expensive hotel I know of in David and in my humble opinion is far from worth the price when compared to others that are half the price.
I do have a question since you were recently there and did not mention it in your posts! Is Panama not still requiring a ticket back to your country of residency?? In other words not back to Costa Rica if you are doing a visa run, but back to the USA or what ever country you are a resident of. If that is the USA or Canada that meant an airline ticket and it had to be good for within 90 days of entering Panama!! The last time I was there many of us had to buy an airline ticket on the spot before entering, Even one woman who was on her way to Panama City to fly to Europe for 2 years and she had her ticket to Europe and her 2 year itinerary, but still had to buy a ticket back to the USA from Panama. Most bought refundable tickets and got their money back, but it was/is just a big pain in the ass, and has cost Panama millions in tourist dollars. Many of us "old timers" just quit going to Panama and only go to Nicaragua now.
Either way being a perpetual tourist is getting to be a real problem once you have enough stamps that Costa Ricia officials can see that you are a perpetual tourist (usually about a year). They are reducing the number of days they give you and eventually (after being threatened a couple of times) will stamp your passport for review and only give you 21 days. They will tell you that next time if you have not started the residency process you will not be allowed back into the country. I know this because it happened to me and to a buddy (He had only been living here about a year.) the last time we entered and I know of others who are having the same problems.
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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!
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