There are a limited number of services in town. Ferrateria California changes US dollars to colónes at a decent rate. (☎2754 2030. Open daily 7am-10pm.) The nearest bank is in the town of Bribrí. The Costa Rican police station sits opposite the migration office. (☎2754 2160. Open 24hr.) Telephones are just before the bridge on the left-hand side of the tracks.
Few travelers spend the night in Sixaola, but if you do stay there, you can head to Cabinas Sanchez . From Soda el Buen Sabor, walk toward the bridge, turn right for 20m, go through the tunnel, and head straight for another 100m. It is an orange building with barred windows on your right. Though a walk from immigration, this small hospedaje has many amenities, such as TVs, private cold-water baths, and fans. (☎2754 2126. ¢6000 for singles and doubles.) Soda El Buen Sabor will make you a casado for ¢1500. (Open daily 5am-6pm.)
The Panamanian side of the border in Guabito is open daily 8am-6pm (☎2759 7019). The Costa Rican side, in Sixaola , is open daily 7am-5pm (☎2754 2044), but because of the time zone difference, both places are always open at the same time. The Panamanian side of the border closes each day for lunch; the Costa Rican side closes for lunch on weekends only (noon-12:30 or 1pm). To enter Panama from Costa Rica, visitors fill out a Central American entry card at the Costa Rican border indicating their intention to enter Panama. The border guard at the office will take this card, stamp the passport, and you can continue on across the rickety wooden bridge, being sure to avoid the holes in the wooden planks on the old railroad track. On the other side of the bridge, there are two Panamanian entry offices. All visitors must pass through the long, slow-moving line of the first office, where passports are stamped. However, travelers from most countries will have to pay a tourist tax (US$5) at the second office and then get a ticket stamped at the first office again. To avoid standing in this office’s long lines twice, head to the tourist tax office first to pick up a ticket before getting in line to have your passport stamped. Travelers from the UK do not have to pay the tourist tax. Visitors from South Africa need a special visa to enter Panama; make sure to get one before entering Costa Rica as there is no South African embassy in Costa Rica. To enter Costa Rica from Panama, be prepared to show proof of finanical independence (about US$500 will suffice) and a ticket or itinerary showing how you plan to leave the country. There is a US$5 entry tax to Costa Rica. Remember to get your passport stamped on the Panamanian side (the same line used to enter) before crossing the bridge. The Panamanian currency, the balboa, is directly linked to the US dollar (and effectively is the dollar). US bills are quite often used, though Panama mints its own coins. Panamanian telephone numbers are preceded by the code 507, and most cell phone numbers are preceded by a 6.
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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