The morning dawned clear and with no sign of the rain and cloud of last night.
A few miles up the road we attained the high point of the highway at just on 11,000 ft and then commenced the long decent on twisting and at times steep road to the town of San Isidro del General at an altitude of less than 3000 ft. The drive was spectacular with green jungle covered mountains all around us. From San Isidro the road followed the General River finally arriving at the border town of Paso Canoas, where we were confronted by a line up of hundreds of semi trailers. Fortunately we could by pass those and drive direct to Costa Rica customs and immigration to start the exit procedures.
The border procedure followed the usual pattern, Norm walks from one office to another getting stamps and signatures while we wait in or with the vehicles. While around us vehicles of all types come and go. The chaos of this border crossing was spiced up by the arrival of a very heavy tropical rain storm that quickly had the streets under 2+ feet of water. But the activity did not cease, people went about their business and just got wet - though they did try to keep those precious documents dry by putting them under their shirts - even the ladies. A couple of hours and a couple of hundred dollars and we were through and into Panama.
A few miles down CA-1 we turned off towards a mountain named Volcan Baru, and the town of Volcan, and close to the town of Boquete. Boquete was recently voted one of the best places in the world to retire. And at least from a climatic point of view we would discover why over the next 24 hours, as we experienced beautiful lush vegetation, 5000 ft elevation and consequently lower temperatures and lower humidity.
Volcan showed the evidence of interest in the area by retired gringos, with English language real estate and "land for sale signs" everywhere.
We called into the local office of the National Police and arranged to park in their backyard for the night. This is apparently a regular stop for Norm and the police seemed to know him.
