Bocas del Toro, Panama
I don’t like winter. I don’t like snow. Or ice. Or anything involving multiple layers of clothing.
When I realized that my current travel plans of continuing in a southern direction until Argentina had me traveling through the southern part of South America during winter my plans had to change. Instead I will travel south to north and be in Argentina and Chile during summer and work my back towards the equator as winter sets in. Buenos Aires or bust! I want steak, red wine, and a never ending night life.
The sticker shock of $770 for a flight that involved three separate flights and twenty-one hours of travel wasn’t appealing but possible. The $140 American reciprocity tax for flying into Buenos Aires made this trip impossible. I refuse to pay a tax that’s only charged to Americans because of a bad American visa policy.
Maybe I’ll start in Chile. Same reciprocity tax. Bolivia? More reciprocity problems. My plan was quickly being thrown out of the window. But then I saw Uruguay. Ahhh…Uruguay. Surrounded by countries that charge reciprocity fees or require expensive visas Uruguay is a safe haven from bureaucratic B.S. and isn’t looking to suck the life out of my bank account. To sweeten the pot the flight is direct and cheaper than a similar flight to Buenos Aires. Once in Uruguay Buenos Aires is a ferry ride away from Montevideo or Colonia. I’m sold.
As of yesterday this country was never a place I would have even thought of going. Now I can’t wait for my February 1st departure.
