August 2006

PANAMA
VENEZUELA

One more I have to say
1st it comes different and
2nd as you think!

Bla bla bla…
Is the talking and promising ..?..
It seems not to should be.
First the promised boat doesn’t come and then it seems never to leave.
Once more it is Monday or Wednesday, Wednesday it is Friday, Friday –
Thursday, aso. aso.
But at the 05th of August I really see the promised boat.
It is on anchor off shore the harbor of Vaca Monte.
To see the freighter and talk to the crew I can go with a shrimp boat out there.
Mean while I know between Panama and colon every harbor and harbor master.
Here in Vaca Monte is Saky the boss.
He has 52 Fishing boats and it seems to be a little favor for him, but for us (Hubert the French and me) it is amazing.

I see the 1st time the promised boat.
That that’s all it is I have never dreamed of – seeing only once.

Also the permanent plan changing (Columbia, Ecuador…) I do not mid that much – study maps, make new routes and get it in my head.
The ‘waiting’ time I also use for exploring more of Panama.

An old fort close to Colon and other locks of the Panama Canal are on my list.
At the same day I get the information that an other boat is going to Columbia.
There are also 2 motorcyclists on board.
The absolutely ‘uneven couple’ paid for the crossing 200 USD.

Ming an interesting US-Asian and Simon a 70 year old English writer (www.simongandolfi.blogspot.com) which travels on a ‘Pizza’ scooter.

Shit not enough time for me to join, but as I know later, the crossing is everything else then recommendable. The smuggler boat goes 4 days along the coast to Columbia and drops his ‘guests’ at night somewhere at the beach.
To enter illegal a country like Columbia and the circumstances on the boat!?!
– I’m glad that I ‘missed’ it.

While I wait from day to day and week to week I try everything and –where, but nothing!

Instead of freaking out the central European way I take it easy and go with the Latino motto – tranquilo tranquilo.
In the city of Panama there is all the time something going on, in the hostel are sweet people and the members of the motorcycle club come up with some new.

Also there are fairs and festivals to visit.

But then it’s enough.
Mid month - my body strikes.
Bad pain at my upper back. The right shoulder and arm let me ‘winer’.
Night after night I can’t sleep of pain and finally I go with Moritz (german-austrian med. Student from the hostel) to the doctor – inflamed nerve at the spine.
OK – drugs.
Cortisone injections and tablets. As soon as it is a little bit better, I go with Fusae for a Sunday ride.
The road and scenery to the mountain village – El Valle – is marvelous, the road good and the market color full.




It is like socking energy and a try to kill the thirst of traveling.

On an other excursion to the island Tobago close to Panama City I enjoy an other beautiful day of exploring.
Hiking thru the jungle up to the top.
It is fantastic, far away I can see the city but myself I’m in the pure nature.

Nearly I forgot how traveling tastes – too long I’m already here.
For the end of the month I set a deadline for a boat and a crossing to South America in style.
Sooner or later I do give a damn about style, know Panama enough and go if it doesn’t work out on the last Tuesday to the Airport, put Fusae on a pallet and off we are after 2 month waiting.

But as I say fist it comes different and 2nd as you think.
The pride of some motorcycle club members make it finally possible and an Monday I get the information’s – there is a boat!
Tuesdays we really go on a board, till then I run around to do the paperwork for the motorcycle and me correct and legal.
Ciao APM (motorc. club), ciao Casa de Carmen (Hostel), ciao Central America, Ciao Panama with all his nice and crazy residents and freaks.

Leonard M is the name of the boat.
It is only a 30 meter (93ft) ‘towing’ boat which comes form Alaska to his new port in Venezuela.

The Captain Cruz and his crew call me welcome on board and so we are now 7 people.

At night we cross already the legendary Panama Canal with my Fusae on board!

8 hours takes the lake crossing and lock system part.

From the next 3 days I hardly know anything – I’m sea sick!!!!
I throw up till I hardly can move and don’t know where is up and down.

My ‘landratt’-body strikes and cramps that bad, that I cant feel my arm of pain any more.

Fusae also seems to be on the wrong place on earth, she get washed by the sea.

As we reach at the 5th day the harbor of Maracaibo / Venezuela I nearly start to cry when I see my baby – rust, all over with rust!

As soon my passport is checked and I can more or less stay – I give her a quick wash and oil Fusae. Start her up and... – Yeah, what a devil machine – she runs!
Saturday is of course everything closed and the custom papers will be done at Monday.

Adnan the new boat owner treats me minimum like a crew member.
I stay in the same hotel, eat with the guys and spend the weekend.
My body takes some more days to recover and switch back to normal.
I hope it can go on ‘normal’ with my travels.
But as you know, an other month – an other story.

For now I can only say;

South America now you have me!