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Jul
14
Bocas Shuttle Services Running Again
July 14, 2010 | Tags: Transport | Comments Off
With the strike and protests over, regular service on the shuttles between Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro started running again today.
Current schedules can be found on www.geckotrail.com/shuttle.htm where you can also make a reservation for any of the shuttle companies.
More information on getting to Bocas either by shuttle or independently can always be found on the Puerto Viejo Transportation page.
Jul
12
Roads Reopen to Bocas as Situation Calms
July 12, 2010 | Tags: Government and Politics, Transport | Comments Off
Things have calmed down around Changuinola, Panama, as negotiations continue between union leaders, the Panamanian government and the Bocas Banana Company. The Changuinola Airport is open again. The curfew has been lifted and business are opening there doors again. The roads are open and traffic is flowing freely again for now.
The governor of the northern Panamanian province of Bocas del Toro, Bonifacio Abrego, said Sunday that he had decided against declaring a curfew for the city of Changuinola. Abrego said that calm had returned to the city after three days of violent confrontation between striking banana workers and police. The province of Bocas del Toro borders Costa Rica on the Caribbean coast.
Meanwhile, the Panamanian president, Ricardo Martinelli, vowed that he would uphold the controversial Law 30, which was the cause of the strike.
On Saturday, the Panamanian government ordered the reopening of the Changuinola airport, and police confirmed that the highway that connects the city to the rest of the country had been cleared. The road had been blocked for three days by strikers.
“The problems in Changuinola have been the product of misinformation and a series of lies,” Martinelli said in a press statement issued Sunday. “The intransigence of a group of trade unionists can not end with the banana industry in Changuinola.”
The conflict emerged when the Bocas Fruit Company withheld the portion of workers’ salaries that normally goes toward paying union fees. The company subtracted the union membership fee in response to a recently enacted law that makes such fees optional.
“The government regrets the misunderstanding on the part of this company,” the Martinelli administration said in a press statement. “It is not in the power of this business, nor any other, to retain workers’ salaries because it constitutes a violation of workers’ rights.”
Under the law, the employees must decide whether to pay membership fees and the decision cannot be made for them by their employers.
The protest ended Sunday, when the government signed an agreement with the striking workers. According to the document posted on the Panamanian government website, the original law will not be changed, yet, the government committed to providing more resources to help workers confront the high cost of living.
While roads and the border are open again, shuttle companies such as Caribe Shuttle are holding off on resuming service for a few days while they monitor the situation and make sure the route is safe to travel.
Sources: Caribe Shuttle, Tico Times.
Jul
10
Second Death in Bocas Province; Travel Advisory Issued
July 10, 2010 | Tags: Government and Politics, Transport | Comments Off
 Clashes have been reported today at Finca 4 and Finca 13. Photo courtesy of La Prensa |
La Prensa is reporting that a second person has died as a result of protests near Changuinola in Bocas Province, Panama.
According to the director of the Changuinola Hospital, Thusnelda Cruz, 123 persons have been admitted to the hospital for treatment of injuries as a result of the protests.
Meanwhile our friends over at Caribe Shuttle have let us know that the US Embassy in Panama has now issued a travel advisory for traveling to or from Bocas del Toro while noting that the islands themselves are calm. The travel advisory reads:
Bulletin from Bocas Warden
To those hotels/hostels this email sent to, please inform you guests.
Today, Friday 9 June: It is not a good idea to travel to, near or thru Changuinola or mainland Bocas Del Toro Provincia. It is not a safe to be in this area, and there are road blockages preventing transit, due to protests between Panamanians and their government.
If you need to travel from Isla Bocas to anywhere, it is advised that you leave only by air, to Panama City, David or San Jose, Costa Rica. Either, remain in Isla Bocas until the protests end, or change you travel arrangements accordingly.
When it is save to travel by boat/road from Isla Bocas, an advisory will be sent.
At 7pm, Friday 9 July: Per Isla Bocas Alcalde, Joe Anderson, and Isla Bocas Hospital Emergency, Dr Luis Mou, condition in Isla Bocas is very normal, no problems reported.
Larry Shane
Bocas Warden, US Embassy Panama
The land route between Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro remains closed leaving the only transport option the three times weekly Nature Air flights from San José.
Travelers who have already booked shuttle transport from Costa Rica’s Caribbean to Bocas should contact their travel agency.
Jul
8
 Banana Workers setting roadblocks near Changuinola. Photo courtesy of La Prensa |
Travelers are out of luck if they are trying to go to or from Bocas del Toro, Panama, or want to use the Costa Rica / Panama border crossing at Sixaola / Guyabito / Changuinola on the Caribbean Coast. Just over the border in Panama is one of a reported 11 sites where local banana plantation workers are striking and erecting road barricades.
In addition to the clash at the border, road barricades near Chiriqui Grande will keep travelers from getting to Bocas del Toro or gettting away from Bocas del Toro in that direction. For now, options appear to be by sea or air, or travelors can walk, but a VERY long way and around reportedly angry mobs with machetes, axes and rocks and police in riot gear and tear gas launchers! We do not recommend it.
Another strike of 700 workers in the province of Colon is paralyzing work on the Panama Canal extension.
These strikes are the latest in a series of strikes which date back to the government of ex-President Mireya Moscoso Martín Torrijos revolves around labor law and criminal codes which were voted into law in September 2009. Panama’s current administration reportedly stands by the laws, claiming they will encourage development and bring investment.
So far, the government of Panama has responded by sending military to the 11 strike sites throughout Bocas Del Toro and Colon. With 28 current arrests, the threat of escalation, and the local report that strikers won’t stop till the president comes (who is reportedly in Italy), no end is in sight.
At the moment, the strike has frozen all traffic between Costa Rica and Bocas del Toro, Panama. This effectively cancels the shuttle routes between Costa Rica South Caribbean and Bocas del Toro.
The Talamanca News will continue to monitor the situation. Please watch for updates here. Shuttles will start operating from Puerto Viejo to/from Bocas again as soon as it is safe to do so.
 Article by John Wheatley. John is a long time resident of Costa Rica’s Caribbean and owner of Adventuras Bravas, providing surf classes and adventure tours, and Caribe Shuttle, providing transport to/from Bocas del Toro in Panama. More information at www.caribeshuttle.com |
Jun
29
Route 31 Closed Again This Morning and Thursday
June 29, 2010 | Tags: Transport | Comments Off
Once again, route 31 through Parque Nacional Barulio Carrillo, will be closed again this morning from 6:30a.m. to 12:30pm and again on Thursday morning. The route which is the most direct link between San Jose and Limon has been plagued by mudslides.
The highways ministry has brought in experts from Spain to evaluate the route and this requires its closure.
So cars, buses and trucks will again be routed via Turrialba, which will add at least an hour extra to your trip.
Jun
24
Puerto Viejo gettting a new road
June 24, 2010 | Tags: Community News, Transport | 11 Comments
If you have lived more then just a few months in Puerto Viejo over the past 10 years, I’ll bet you can’t count on your own 2 hands and feet the number of times that we have heard the good news: the road will be fixed soon! Yet….time after time, it never happened, and the road has just kept on getting worse and worse – to the point where it has become downright embarrassing, dangerous and for some – costly!
When the residents scream enough and protest to the local municipality, we sometimes got the potholes filled with material from the nearby Sixaola River, only to watch it get washed away in the next downpour and the potholes getting bigger and deeper each time.
As a local resident and owner of a vehicle, I can personally attest that our biggest expense is THE CAR….and I am not talking about the gas! With horrible roads, it is impossible to stay away from the numerous highly trustworthy and knowledgeable mechanics – on average monthly! I could easily say that I have had to revise, update or change most parts of my suspension at least 4 times a year – every year!
A few days ago an unbelievable site appeared from the horizons: a caravan of heavy-duty road building equipment rolled in through Puerto Viejo, past Cocles, past Playa Chiquita, through Punta Uva and down to Manzanillo….”could it be” we thought to ourselves?
The answer is mostly yes! As it turns out, they are redoing the road (in reverse order from Manzanillo towards Puerto Viejo), with the best material and thickness these roads have ever seen. Unlike the first coat from 10 years ago which was a mix of gravel and tar, this time, we are getting a full 5 cm of hot asphalt…compressed and rolled on top of the bad road. Upon speaking to the “engineers” on the side of the road, we are learning that they are fixing only the stretches that need it most, and supposedly they will return in “about a month” to do the remaining (that part is the remaining mystery!) We don;t know what the final product will be….but at least we already know what we are seeing: The new road is slightly narrow…and leaves very little room for bicycles or pedestrians – in fact cars will even have to slow down when oncoming traffic is approaching – but a mostly smooth ride should be expected from Puerto Viejo down to Manzanillo.
While most, including myself, are thrilled to have a new road, there is also a new fear that the tourists and our children will be less safe walking or bicycling on the road, as drivers a will be tempted to drive “super fast”.
In an ideal world – we would love to see some bike lanes or trails and speed bumps along the way……perhaps this is something our local community can work towards!
Drive safely!
 Article by Manuel Pinto. Manuel, along with his wife Emmanuelle, are long time residents of Costa Rica’s Caribbean and owners of Caribe Sur Real Estatem a full service real estate company on the southern Caribbean coast of Costa Rica, assisting clients to buy or sell eco-friendly properties and businesses to people from around the world. More information at www.caribesur-realestate.com |
May
31
San Jose – Limon Highway 32 Reopens 24 Hours a Day
May 31, 2010 | Tags: Transport | Comments Off
The highways ministry (MOPT) has announced that Highway 32, the main route linking the capital with the Caribbean Coast, will now be open again 24 hours a day, weather permitting.
Travel had been restricted to daylight hours so that police and others stationed there could see landslides starting and halt traffic.
The 24 year old highway is frequently closed due to mudslides leading to criticisms of the way the road was initially planned and built. When the road is closed, residents, tourists and the large amount of truck traffic bound for the port in Limon are forced to take the safer but very slow and winding route via Turrialba which adds 1 to 2 hours to the trip.
This aerial photo from MOPT shows clearly how vulnerable the road is to slides.
May
14
Census in Panama Sunday will Disrupt Tourist Schedules
May 14, 2010 | Tags: Community Calendar, Tourism, Transport | 2 Comments
| May 16, 2010 |
This Sunday, May 16, is census day in Panama.
Panama has an interesting census system that counts the entire country in one day. To do so, the government requires that everyone, even tourists, remain in the building where they slept that night until they are given a document confirming they have already been counted.
If you are in the street, you will be ticketed and possibly arrested and detained until counted. This applies to captains of the boats, drivers of minibuses and tourists, everyone.
As such, the entire country shuts down until this process is complete. Sort of like putting the whole country under house arrest, but is the only practical way for the government to count everyone in one day. Most people should be counted by noon, so that businesses can open and life can return to normal.
Shuttle and boat services from Panama to Puerto Viejo will therefore not operate on Sunday morning so travelers planning to leave that day will have to do so later in the day.
Caribe Shuttle which normally operates a morning service from Bocas del Toro to Puerto Viejo has advised that they will pickup passengers who are booked for that service for their afternoon service instead. Hotel pickups will begin at approximately 1:00pm.
Mar
28
Area’s First Gas Station Opens
March 28, 2010 | Tags: Local Business News, Transport | Comments Off
After years of locals and visitors having to drive all the way to Penshurt or get gas from one of the unofficial places in town that filled you up from a plastic container, a new gas station is now open in Hone Creek.
The station’s location Hone Creek is just 5km from Puerto Viejo near the crossroads of the Limon-Sixaola highway.
Feb
24
Bus fares on the rise
February 24, 2010 | Tags: Transport | Comments Off
The regulator of bus fares has approved price increases for some 560 routes nationally averaging 5.1%
The fare between San Jose and Puerto Viejo will increase from 4,290 colones to 4,545 colones (that’s $8.30 at current exchange rates). Some other new rates are:
| Route | Fare |
| San Jose – Cahuita | 3,690 |
| San Jose – Sixaola | 5,265 |
| Puerto Viejo – Limon | 1,420 |
| Hone Creek – Limon | 1,195 |
| Cahuita – Limon | 950 |
The fare increases take effect next Tuesday, March 9.
More:
- La Nación: Tarifas de bus subirán 5% en promedio en todo el país
- Autoridad Reguladora de los Servicios Públicos (Aresep)
Nov
21
Minister announces paving of 18km between Puerto Viejo and Manzanillo
November 21, 2009 | Tags: Government and Politics, Transport | 5 Comments
Marco Vargas, the Minister of Public Works and Transportation, will being inspecting today emergency patching done on the 60 kilometers of the highway between the Limon airport and Puerto Viejo.
May travelers had been reporting the poor state of the road, which was loaded with potholes that made driving hazardous.
The Ministry (MOPT) has also announced the continuation of work on the 18 kilometers on road from Puerto Viejo to Manzanillo. The ministry release did not specify the amount of money to be invested in the project or the timeframe.
Today’s MOPT inspection coincides with the visit of President Arias to the Puerto Limon, where he will be on hand to receive the first racers of the Transat.
More: La Nacion: MOPT realiza bacheo de emergencia en ruta Limón – Puerto Viejo
Sep
1
No sign of an airport for the Caribbean Coast (even Limon no longer is seeing scheduled flights) but if you want to fly anywhere else in Costa Rica, Nature Air is offering incredible deals on domestic flights within Costa Rica for just $15.
The prices are only available for tickets booked on their website by Sept 15 for travel completed by Oct 31 and is subject to availability. But there are real tickets for sale on this deal: I did a quick search for a flight between San Jose and Tortuguero in September and sure enough a $15 flight was offered.
Go to www.natureair.com, put in your flight search details and look for the “Locos” fare category.
Remember that these are small prop planes with strict luggage limits of 30 pounds (13.6 kg) per person. If you exceed this, expect to pay more for your excess luggage than you paid for your ticket!
Mar
1
Bus Fares Going Down 5%
March 1, 2009 | Tags: Transport | Comments Off
The regulator of public services (Aresep) has declared a 5.13% rollback in fares affecting some 3,600 routes.
The fare from San Jose to Puerto Viejo will be reduced from 4,535 colones to 4,290 colones (about US$ 7.65 at current exchange rates).
The new rates take effect on Friday.
Source: Diario Extra: Pasajes Bajan Entre ¢10 Y ¢360
Jan
29
Getting a Fair Deal on a Taxi
January 29, 2009 | Tags: Community News, Transport | 1 Comment
A common complaint of tourists in almost any city is taxi drivers who overcharge them. It can be a tourist’s first impression of a place and so it leaves a sour taste in their mouth. Tourists are often vulnerable to this because they don’t know how much something is supposed to cost. But I’ve often run into travelers who thought they were overcharged but when I questioned them it turned out they paid the going rate.
Since the taxis in Puerto Viejo operate without meters this is especially true. There are customary rates that exist between points in the area. The taxi company Transportes Privados Jireh has made their rate sheet publicly available to Puerto Viejo Satellite and others for some time – we have just updated it on the transport page where you can find the latest rate sheet at any time.
This doesn’t necessarily negate the need to negotiate and confirm the price before you start your ride. Knowing the rates will make people feel more comfortable in this process. The owner of Transportes Privados Jireh assures local businesses that if drivers charge you significantly more than is shown on the price sheet, call it into the office and they will be disciplined.
Transportes Privados Jireh can be reached at 2570-2073. They located on the main road in town just in front of the Sunrise backpackers lodge.
The other taxi company has categorically refused to publish a fixed price schedule and has not responded to complaints of customers being over charged. So if you use them, you’re on your own.
In the spirit of making travelers feel more welcome and comfortable with taxi service, local business owners are encouraged to print out the list of taxi rates and also avoid patronizing taxi drivers and companies who are charging exorbitant rates.
Dec
31
Update on Getting to Bocas del Toro
December 31, 2008 | Tags: Transport | 3 Comments
The usual route to Bocas del Toro from Puerto Viejo is to go by car or bus to the border, then shared taxi to Finca 60 near Changuinola then a boat service from Bocas Marine through the banana canals and then onto Bocastown. See the detailed route descriptions here.
Unfortunately, the high water the coast had back at the end of November has messed up the banana canals and they now need dredging so the boat from Finca 60 is not running until further notice. So the alternate route is required which is a shared taxi from the border to the somewhat more distant town of Almirante then a boat or ferry from there to Bocas town.
Please expect to pay a little more for the shared taxi between the border town (Guabito on the Panama side) and Almirante – the distance is further. The standard fare there is typically $10 per person (insted of the $5 per person to Finca 60). The boat ride at $3 each is a little cheaper though. There were various emails circulating that people though they were getting scammed by the taxi drivers in Guabito who wanted to bring them to Almirante only to get a larger fare and telling them Finca 60 was closed. Well it wasn’t a scam, it is unfortunately the truth.
The biggest lost is that it was a very pretty ride through the canals and so we hope this route will be reopened.
Please remember that there is a the option of booking a complete transit including pickup at your hotel in Puerto Viejo all the way to the dock in Bocas town for only $34 per person – this includes the vehicle transport on both sides of the border and the boat ride. You can book that on Gecko Trail Adventure’s shared ride shuttle form (just select Puerto Viejo as your pickup city and Bocas del Toro as your destination):
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