Lessons from the road 2: Border Crossings

Borders, they've existed for hundreds of years and are, in almost all cases, the first experiences you will have of the culture and people of the country you are entering. Because this is the first opportunity a country has of impressing you, and they've had so much time to perfect it, you could expect that borders would be beacons of efficiency, designed to make your progress into the country quick, easy and pain-free; leaving you feeling happy and energised for the time you are about to spend in that country. While travelling in Europe or the USA you may have experienced such borders, and you may even imagine that this is what you should expect at all borders; however, such borders are merely a fantasy in Central America..

To date, we have spent almost 48 hours at border crossings in Central America borders. They seem to have been designed with the same logic that a three-year-old uses when he decides to eat crayons; although, perhaps that is unfair to three-year-olds. Generally they tend to follow a commonly illogical process, involving a zig-zagging pattern of movement (see attached map), going to one counter to get a piece of paper which you then have to take to another counter to get a stamp, then back to the original counter with the stamped piece of paper only to be told that you now need to produce a photocopy, but the only working photocopier is half a mile away in the nearest town, inside the country you are trying to enter. So you come back with your photocopy, get a signature on both pieces of paper, head to the nearest motor insurance company to pay for insurance then head to customs; at customs they throw the photocopy you just got in the bin, print off another piece of paper and tell you to get that photocopied (because they can't press the print button twice apparently).. Several hours later, after navigating the maze of immigration counters, insurance agents, customs inspectors and photocopiers; paying the six different fees you are required to pay (in US$, even though there is no ATMs to get US$ from); you emerge from the border into the afternoon sun, exhausted, hot, hungry and dehydrated, but incredibly glad to have finally made it through another Central American border.

General layout of a Central American border crossing.