4-22 

We are just ending our 7th month and we have been healthy for about 3-4 weeks in a row! As we try to arrange mail from home, we are coming to the realization we have to ‘go native’ to avoid $200 charges for items worth less than $60.

And tomorrow Judee turns 60!

1. Customs 2. Panama 3. Cashew nut - fruit

We are celebrating all of these milestones in the tropical rain of the Caribbean Sea in Bocas Del Toro archipelago located at the northwest end of Panama.  From David by bus and boat we travelled the 5 hours to spend several days snorkelling, beaching and boating this ideal location.  There is the mix of descendents from the West Indies, English, Spanish, and Indigenous groups decked out in patterned native dress.  The rural people live in stilted, thatched huts scattered in the lush jungles that climb up the on Continental divide from the Caribbean.  The town of Bocas, built by US banana companies, is comprised of brightly colored shuttered wooden houses with tin roofs, many set up on pilings.  On this rainy morning on our hotel porch we watched the population ride by on bikes holding umbrellas.

Bocas Del Toro Images 1. Vulture on house 2. Water restaurant 3. Dug out 4. Watching the fish 5. Fish friends 6. Red Frogs 7. Red Frog Beach 8. Porpoises playing 9. Waiting for the water taxis

4-25 

Panama is the bottleneck for cyclists travelling up and down the Pan American Highway.  Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica offered many options for diverse interests.  But there is only one road here and we are meeting more cyclists.  Everyone knows or has heard of everyone else that is travelling this road and we all have shared the stories: the thefts, the drop-outs, the various routes, and other details.  In Bocas, we said goodbye to Vreni and Joe, the Swiss couple we have spent time with periodically on the road.  They are taking a banana boat back to Belgium.  The German, Ryan, rolled into town as we arrived, so we “broke bread” together and hope to meet him tomorrow or the next day as we all head into Panama City.

Native Housing - Panama

              We have checked the internet and several of the people we have met on the road have flown into Quito, Ecuador in the last couple weeks.  We will follow them on May 6 by air.  Some hearty and more courageous souls are riding through Colombia.

 
             We’ve heard about others who are still behind us because they took loops through the Yucatan or stopped off for a month or more Spanish lessons or diving excursions.  We belong to a community travelling on bikes through the Americas!

4-26 

We are back on the bike again…Hurrah!  The last three weeks have been sight seeing ones so it is wonderful to have sore butt and palms again.  Today was a 80km ride of rolling hills through topical vegetation with cloud topped mountains (rain forests) in the distance…green, blue, white with splotches of red, yellow and orange flowers and trees….sounds of birds all around…little traffic and a good road with a ridable shoulder brought smiles to our faces.

  
            We joined up with Ryan who we met in Bocas.  The miles flew by as we chattered and shared more of our biking experiences.  This is the first time since we started that we have ridden with another tourist – a delight as Rainer speaks English like a native North American and Spanish, too.  He thinks that he will ride through Colombia.

Note: We need your thoughts on a subject that Judee & I have been debating…should we discontinue our COBRA medical coverage through my old employer.  We have purchased international coverage which will cover us for emergencies, plus air flight to the closest facility able to care for us properly internationally and coverage up to 30 days should we return to the US.  The COBRA coverage runs out in Dec 2006 and we will be offered a policy not through the employer group, so it will be much more expensive than we are currently paying.  Art will not be eligible for Medicare until March 2008 and Judee until April 2011.  We do not presently plan on returning to the States until after 2008 or 2009 or later.  Cutting the security net is scary, but the monthly cost of over $700 for medical coverage we are not using seems crazy, too.  Any words of wisdom??

4-28 

We are a three-some!  Ryan is good for us – strong, good sense of humour and encourages us to complete the LONG stretches we are now facing from San Felix to Santiago was 117km with 15,000 feet of climbing.  Art-s legs cramped, my bottom suffered rashes, but we climbed back on the bike for today’s 97 km into Penenome.  There are places along the way we could stay to break up the miles, but this is fun.  We have enjoyed a couple of nights in nice hotels with pools, TV and a-c.  We should arrive in Panama City in 2 to 3 more days – having loads of time to look at the sights and take care of things we nee3d to do before we fly to Quito.  Ryan will set up a boat ride to Cartegena, Colombia.  - Judee

Hooking up with Ryan

              For me, (Art) the last two days of riding were very difficult…hands sore, butt sore and yesterday I cramped every which way: feet, legs, hands, and fingers!  Today no cramps…a delight, also no real climbing.  Today, we averaged 12mph for the 60 miles, but the butt, hands and legs are talking to me.

Clear, hot, sweaty.  Flat road early on in the day…easy riding then the rollers started…steep ups, short downs… on and on… the day worked me and I had to get tough with my mind…after 79 km we reached our destination, Nueva Gorgona, and look for a place to stay.  First stop was a room for $95; second stop, $55; third stop nearer the beach, $65.  We split up and went looking for options.  Ryan found a place we could set up a tent for $5 p/p near the beach with pool, showers, bath rooms, hammocks and a warm hostess who said she would cook us dinner if needed.  Ryan went back to town, shopped for dinner and breakfast ingredients as we set up our little used tents and got out the cooking gear.  It is good to be back in the tent and cooking again!

4- 29 Nueva Gorgona 1. Can you find our tent? 2. Pool views 3. Beach views

4-30 

Sunday, a rest day at the pool, doing laundry and grocery shopping for lunch and dinner.  We dozed in the hammock, watched the pelicans skimming the waves and diving into the sea for fish….sun and thunderous surf and rest!!

              Business, long distance:  We reviewed our income tax returns on the net, fired off some questions to our CPA and hope to complete this process in the next few days.  This has not been easy, but doable via internet and snail mail.  The last few days we have been working on getting supplies sent by Fed Ex from REI and Rough Guides.  Tomorrow is a holiday in Panama so we will check on these packages Tuesday.

5-1 

Labor Day in Panama – Holiday.  With Ryan in the lead, we ride the last 50+ miles into Panama City over rolling hills through green vegetation under hot sun with increasing traffic as we near the city.  When we crossed the Bridge of the Americas high over the Pacific entrance to the Canal, ships appeared as tiny toys awaiting their turns for passage.  The town skyscrapers loomed like NY City in the distance. 

Panama City 1. Bridge of the Americas 2. Balboa Statue 3. Skyline

            We dropped Ryan at a hostel with single private rooms for $8 and we went hunting for something a bit different: a/c and hot water.  We found a great place in the Caledonia area: the Monaco, for $15 per night.  The owner, Martin Garcia speaks English and gave us a special place to lock the bike and assisted us in making arrangements for the airport when we leave on Saturday.  (Pension Monaco – marting@cwpanama.net 225-0777/2573).

Street scenes - Panama City

              We spent Thursday day tripping to see the CANAL!  Miraflores is the first set of locks on the Pacific side.  Comprised of two increases in height totalling 54 meters.  It only takes about 30 minutes for a ship to proceed through these and head into Lake Miraflores and into the next lock only 2km away.  At Miraflores the Panamanian Canal Authority (who now manages the canal as a sovereignty) built a very informative visitors center in 2000 with several observation decks.  Guides give detailed accounts in several languages of what the tourist is watching.  There are exhibits that explain the history of the area, of the building of the canal, including the medical discovery concerning mosquito-born diseases of yellow fever and malaria which debilitated the French canal building efforts in the late 1800´s.  There were exhibits on the importance of the water shed and its flora and fauna.  There was a virtual passing through the locks from the helm of one of the large container ships and explanations of all types of ships and cargo that pass through and information of various shipping routes.  Of course, there were numerous models of equipment used in the building of the canal and examples of how the canal operates – its inner working.  We spent over half a day reading, listening and watching several ships and a couple of small boats pass through the two Miraflore locks (there are actually two sets of locks, side-by-side).  One alarming fact: mega sized ships built today….the Panama Canal cannot handle many of the larger ships that have been designed since 2000.  Plans of expansion are being distributed to the Panamanian voters to move forward with major construction of huge, new locks to accommodate ever-larger ships!  The money the canal generates affects 85% of the Panamanian population, raising the standard of living here quite a bit above the rest of Central America.

Panama Canal

              After a morning of locks, we headed to San Felipe, the historic city of Panama built in the 1600’s.  It has been declared a UNESCO site and a lot of dollars have gone into renovation and tourist facilities (eateries and souvenir shops and explanative signs).  San Felipe has been left to decay for many decades and it houses a very poor population, therefore, tourist police are ever-present.  The architecture and narrow brick streets, opening onto lovely parks or squares had the feel of New Orleans, also displaying French influences, such as wrought iron work on balconies and windows.

more canal pics 1. Mule and Rider 2. Thanking the guards for watching Bici 3. Canal Railroad

             Tomorrow we take the bike downtown to the bike shop for packing.  It must be boxed for the flight to Quito.  We have to dig out some warm clothes for our arrival in the high cool mountains there.

    
          On to the next continent: South America!!

to Quito, Ecuador