travel

Panama's public transportation system has its drawbacks and people like to complain, but if you have ever had to depend on buses in a small town or rural area in the United States, the service you get here is wonderful by comparison. You can go almost anywhere in Panama using public transportation, even to places without paved roads. Of course, ordinary buses won't make it over winding dirt roads in the rainy season, which is why there are various kinds of chivas --- trucks converted for public transportation. Here at the bus terminal in Penonome, a locally built passenger cabin sits on back of a flatbed truck and provides service to the mountains of Cocle province. Photo by Eric Jackson

Also in this section:
A rainy season Saturday in El Valle
Colon, continuity and change
The chiva

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