I thought number 93 from Putney to North Cheam was unpredictable, but it turns out Panamanian buses have the same problem.

Having woken in a Bocas Del Toro hostel at 7:45am - after partying til 4pm - with only 15 minutes to negotiate a 20 minute boat ride and five minute taxi to make the 8am bus to Panama City, it was a good job.

Hot, sweaty and hungover we get to Almirante bus terminal for the connection to the capital an hour late, only to find our chariot ready and waiting.

Had we missed it a more arduous journey was on the cards, which wasn't required having attempted to drink the bar dry at Hundido Barco in Bocas dry.

Five hours earlier we had hit the sack with, what we thought, was only two hours before we needed to rise to begin our journey to Colombia.

We had said farewell to Carsten and Iris - our Mannheim-based German travelling companions of the last week - in style and had almost paid the price.

It marked the end of a four-day stay in the region, which had included a potholing trip to a bat cave, a stay in a hut at Beverley's Hill on Isla Bastimentos, chocolate truffle tasting in the jungle, sloth spotting and a brief stop at the idyllic Starfish Beach - so called for obvious reasons.

The swift exit meant a nine-hour bus ride back to Panama City to meet our sail boat 'connection' to Colombia.

We had been fed and watered well with fresh Tuna at the Lemon Tree and Hotel Angela, and were ready for the five day journey to Cartagena.

Or so we thought.

To be continued.......