I just sent a letter via the post office here in Panama, to the US. There was no one in line at the only post office in Las Tablas, a town of 25,000 or so people. There was one lady at one window (well, her desk was near the window) and she had to write out this receipt manually and then took my 35 cents. And of course, there was the requisite stamp. Ker-chunk!!!!
Oh, and that was AFTER another guy had to take my letter and weigh it and then bring it to this lady, because she was the only one who could handle money, I guess.
I get a laugh here almost every day.