July 2006

PANAMA

The canal and what else?!
This great country has way more to offer…

I’m arrived in this mountain village Boquete.The cool and rainy days are just great after all this heat. Walks thru Café plantations and the village are really inspiring to explore. The very friendly locals like it too when a foreigners acts like ‘normal’.
It is totally normal to do your daily needs by walking an with this temperatures it’s also not a problem.

Back at the beach the story looks right different.

With my little girlfriend I prefer to paint and ‘work’ in the shade. Walking during the afternoon is not recommended, it’s just too hot.

Thru nice rides in the countryside I reach the city.
P A N A M A . C I T Y – wow, what a surprise!!

For me it is the only real world city in Central America. Skyscrapers, Road systems, Road signs, Downtown, Save & unsafe neighborhoods, history, recreation areas……

Here I meet Hubert.

He is a 58 year old French American and is traveling with his sidecar. That we ‘crazy’ people get along isn’t really a surprise – have a look at this web page; www.thetimelessride.com

He left 3 month earlier (feb.2005) NY for his ride to the arctic circle (in winter!!) and so on… here in Panama we meet and search for a boat to Columbia.

We are cruising from harbor to harbor, talk with the port’ chiefs, Agencies, at the morning boat radio….

All the possibilities we try, to put the motorcycles and us on the same floating thing.

All the time we get the same answer, motorcycle OR you…we keep on trying.

We are hunting up to Colon, ride thru the ‘backest’ back roads where ever there is a possibility!!

After a long day of searching and riding in this poluted areas I get home really tired. The busses seems to have the octopus - syndrom, every time they when they leave there is a big black cloud, and they are gone!

In the 2nd week we get a positive answer.

There is a boat which takes us with it.

Once more we are riding to Colon where we can talk to the captain (on the pic - guy right).

His boat is a bit scary and have a look at his safety boat behind him….anyway the whole story is dubious…to bring TV’s to islands, we should get dropped with a 2nd boat off on a beach in Columbia – no port no nothing and then the prize…no. no. no

We keep on trying.

From Sport to Shrimps boat everything. Evenings we are back in Panama where we meet members of the motorcycle association.

Even when it is poring rain – we are on the way.

Put the rain gear on and we are fine till the daily evening drink at the ‘Viva el Pan' (name of the bakery – café)

And if there are some days with no rain – we find other action…with all this freaks…culinary…sights ...!?

..
Even one day at the beach brings me action – a sunburn again!
The only thing which really helps is the aloe gel.
I walk to the veggie store around the corner and get a fresh peace – cut it and put the 100% fresh gel on the burn, it will help.

At the motorcycle association of panama (APM) we get treated like members. If there is a question, not a problem – someone will try to help us. We are part of the family!!!

On one of the last July Sundays I go with an Australian couple (which are traveling on their V-stream) for a ride.

We are off to the Darien.

It is known for ‘the end of the road’.

That’s the reason we look for a boat to get to south America.

The boats of the natives Kuna are to small for a sidecar so we keep on trying.

To put everything in a plane is not ‘romantic’ at all, and we want to travel in style.

It would be a possibility, but we prefer to keep on searching.

The last July week we get from a APM member good news – he has a tanker to Columbia!
If everything finally workers out I should be at the end of the month on a little tanker thru the canal on the way to Columbia.

How the canal thing works..?

Here a example from a big tanker passing thru.

And then we can say;
Columbia we are coming!!

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!