Panama

Panama was a strange country to cycle through…the contrasts between rich and poor were never more evident. With so much North American influence we began to see huge strip malls and shopping centres popping up everywhere…and they were teeming with people who obviously had money to spend. There were not many options in terms of route and where it was possible, we tried to get off the Pan Americana which could be very busy and noisy and made for stressful riding.

But there were some beautiful parts…we went to Isla Boca Brava for Sam’s birthday…a gem of an island with untouched, beautiful, tranquil beaches on which we had only the crabs and monkeys for company. The paradise took its hold and we stayed an extra day…we could have stayed a month, it was one of those places!

We took a detour from the pan Americana and travelled a loop along a beautiful quiet road in the countryside…allowing us to witness the other side of Panamanian life….mostly people on horseback or on foot and all with a friendly smile and wave for us. We got to about 3pm on our first day on this road and the heavens opened, Sod’s law that we had just passed a perfect bus shelter, we took refuge under a tree instead which provided little shelter and really meant that we were standing in the rain rather than riding in it. After half an hour of getting wet while stationary we though we may as well get wet while making some progress…and wet we definitely got! We reached the only turn off the road and our eyes lit up as we noticed not one but two bus stops and a church…perfect refuge for two very damp cycle tourists! The church made a ideal camping spot, miraculously there were no mosquitos and overnight my broken speedo was fixed…God seemed to be watching over us!

We had a little while longer on this beautiful road before joining the pan am once again…and it was not the most pleasant experience so we put our heads down and powered through for a day and a half, this included a brief spell on the equivalent of a motorway which was decidedly dodgy and crossing the on/off ramps definitely got the adrenaline pumping.

With 10miles to Panama City we pulled into a McDonalds(of which there seem to be many in Panama) for a drink and what should we find outside but the heavily loaded touring bike of Adam, a kiwi cyclist we met in La Paz (Mexico)…followed by Adam himself. So together we entered Panama City across the bridge of the Americas, over the Panama Canal…a momentous moment for all of us.

Panama City was a shock, with high rises, people and noise everywhere, we were rabbits in the headlights. We walked to the supermarket, only a couple of blocks from our hostel and were told by a local that we shouldn’t be there as it was dangerous…this continued to happen throughout our stay, one street is fine and the next we will be warned off…an experience that hasn’t happened anywhere on our entire trip so felt strange and we were discouraged from just wandering around which we like to do in cities.

Once we had adjusted to the metropolis we managed to rest. We met up with Lizzie and Ali one night and Anko another to collect spare parts that they brought for us from Germany…it’s nice to have friends so far from home!

Then we all left the city (Adam, Anko and the two of us) for Portobelo, we camped with the Bomberos (fire brigade) on the way who were very friendly and even gave us a meal when we arrived. Portobelo is the small town where our 60ft yacht would depart from the next day. ‘Wildcard’ was a solid steel affair, taking our five bikes, an English couple’s motorbike and odd bits like a cooker for one of the islands and an engine for someone else! With all this stuff, our baggage, fifteen passengers, captain, cook, first mate and the captains wife and son, it was cosy!

We motored all the way, only using the sail for a helping hand in the last leg, this was a shame and made for a rolly ride but with so much cargo and the wind in the wrong direction it was probably a wise choice. The captain and crew were brilliant, the food was delicious (highlight of which was fresh lobster) and the San Blas islands paradise.

The thirty seven hour crossing from the islands to Colombia was not so much fun…the swell was big, nothing like we have experienced in Britain before, and most people felt wobbly or were sick. It was impossible to do anything and Sam and I spent pretty much all the time (two nights and a day) in our sweat box of a bed, from the small window all we could see was the mass of Ocean and the occasional flash of lightning…still, it could have been worse and the feeling of the calm sea as we arrived into Cartegena at dawn was beautiful! It’s fairly safe to say that we won’t be planning a sailing trip round the world and will be happy to stick with our two wheeled friends from now on!

So Hola Colombia, new country and new continent…and the last leg of our trip.