Diary & Travel Reports from the saddle

Panama looking South - 6th May 2003

Well

It doesn't always work out, trying to do all sorts of things from a succession of internet cafes and floppy disks. Your very own far better-written update was lost as well as several hours on finding virtual millennium ride adventurers who have got lost along the way. And these floppies like the rainy season even less than me - whilst getting wet is now very much part of my life they can't even tolerate a humid ambiance.

So much for planning a world trip to avoid rainy seasons. This seems to be my first prolonged soaking (I'm talking at least a month of prolonged heavy showers daily usually in the afternoon) in three years though so I have not done too bad. WD40 seems to be in bountiful supply.

It rained all day yesterday, though I dashed out in the afternoon when it let up a little. The plan was to ask Kodak and Canon for a free replacement digital camera and I got: a better appreciation of the dimensions of Panama City, wet and absolutely nowhere else! I fell off on some wet tram lines the other day up by the Canal, how silly, these were a daily ocurrence in Brussels where I fell off on them only once in seven years.

I'm hanging out here in San Felipe, in my view the nicest part of the city despite its bad reputation. It is on a small peninsular between the modern part of the city and the Pacific entry to the canal. The cathedral, several museums, (notorious) Noriega's favourite former bar (still in ruins after they got him I guess), a few high class restaurants and the French Embassy, are all just short blocks away from the streets where even at mid day police direct you elsewhere. Wednesday nights is shooting night in the park in front of my hotel, a fellow traveller said he was sat on the hotel balcony and saw the white flash of the gun - from the front! Most of the houses are old two or three storey and made of wood, many looking very rickety and leaning over the cobbled street from the second floor.

Food is cheap, a dollar for a plate piled higher than I've ever seen, clothes too. However the arms of my $4 raincoat seem to leak. I've seen only one person wearing a Panama hat and I think he was a little inebriated. Perhaps they don't wear them at this time of year! Nose picking seems to be the national activity and women proudly wear their massive hair curlers out in the streets. There is a rich mix of intermingled races - orientals, blacks, indigenous Indian and those mixed with Spanish European colouring, and a few whites here and there. The minority of full blood indigenous women wear colourful costumes as their daily dress (I was reminded of Guatemala) with hundreds of tiny multi-coloured beads wrapped around their lower legs.

Tonight I'm doing my presentation for the Associacion Panamena de Motociclismo at their marvellous clubhouse. The President seems to understand some of the problems for motorcyclists if the consumers voice is not heard loud and clear during globalisation of laws. Then I'll be off again to the north of the country.

Before I tell you about the Panama Canal I want to say thank yous to some people in Costa Rica. To the Asociacion Costariccense de Motociclismo Recreativo (ACOMORE) for their support for both the aims of the Millennium Ride - I think the global bikers rights community will be meeting these guys soon. Also to all the riders I met and especially Greg Adem and Pedro Vargas. Pedro noticed my rear wheel was about to collapse just prior to our trail ride - me with no boxes and hence vastly reduced weight. My bike is simply the dogs danglers in this state. The following night I spent in a ditch, next to my bike, because I was too ambitious about climbing a steep rocky hill at midnight. Long story but fantastic morning view, out over the Pacific at Playa Dominical. Also along this coast I had a surfing lesson and am pleased to announce my ability to stand up for a full five seconds. However I'm not so pleased to announce that the shortcut Aggie and I took along the beach in several places ended with the waves lapping around my sinking bike. (Stop cringing John, she's OK.) This practice can only be justifed as a means to clean filthy rear wheels.

The Panama Canal...

... is a true engineering wonder. One can sit or stand watching at Miraflores locks, about 10km north west of the city, for hours. There are three sets of locks, two at the Pacific side and one at the Atlantic side. They are two laners ­ two locks side by side acting independently. Most of the canal's length is in fact the world's largest man made lake, fed by lots of rivers, 26 metres higher than the Oceans. Morning traffic is from the Pacific, the rest of the day the other way. About 30 vessels per day go through on the 9 hour voyage and it operates at full capacity. It can cost up to $100,000 depending on income generating cargo or passenger space ­ a tenth of the cost of going round South America. About 4% of world trade routes use it.

Eight small locomotives or ‘mules’, four at each end of the ship, keep it from touching the canal sides during passage in the locks through correct tensioning of cables. The least amount of clearance ever was an inch and a half ­ it was a military ship ­ usually there is at least a few feet. Ships move forward under their own power.

The canal was opened in the early 1900s, the project having been completed by the USA who needed a short ocean route to the West coast from the East. Panama was chosen over Nicaragua because there are no earthquakes. The old stone archway used by the country to convince the engineers of this still stands a block or so from my hotel.

Cutting through the spine of the Americas was achieved with various contraptions. Many workers from all over the world lost their lives to yellow fever. I met a guy who operates the simulator for training the 300 pilots ­ the guys who take over control of the ship for the duration of the canal and those who work the tug boats which keep the ship in position. Dredges work the canal full time. The US apparantly operated the canal on a non-profit basis. Since they handed control over in 1999 the Panamanians made it more efficient. But he said that the income generated is not benefitting the most needy in Panama.

The road passes fairly close to the canal. It is amazing to look over and see a fully laden container ship moving slowly through the green rolling hills and a lighthouse partially hidden by a tree at the side of the road.

North coast and Colon

I rode up to the old town of Portobelo on Panama's north coast. This is the region’s only deep water port so it was from here that Spain shipped home all the gold plundered from the Indians. Or at least they tried to. English pirates like Sir Francis Drake often relieved them of it. How nice it was to wander over the walls of an ancient castle again! I rode on up the coast through the jungle to Isla Grande whilst soaking up some rain.

In Colon (named after Christopher Colombus), at the Atlantic end of the Canal, thought to be the most dangerous place in Centro America, I came to the port of Coco Solo. A captain offered to take me and the bike to Cartagena in Colombia for $200. There is a 80 mile section straddling the borders of Panama and Colombia where the Inter American Highway is not connected, due mainly to pressure from environmentalists. I'm not interested in winching my bike through a jungle for two weeks.

Colombia …

… and whether I go there or not. Well it’s time to deal with that question and after considering all the aspects I have come to the conclusion that in fact there was probably never any real question over the issue.

Reports suggest that Colombia is one of the world’s gems, the people I mean. Then there are the very interesting reports about the motorcycle culture. Cartagena itself is said to be the most lovely city in South America, where a day or so’s ride East, mountains rise to over 5000 metres within 50km of the Carribean Sea. Incredible. Furthermore Ricardo in Equador told me of four riders who came through Colombia whose biggest problems were being chased by women!

Once in Cartagena I have two options, the most likely one is to go south as per advice from Tiberio in Medellin. Or if it seems bad go East to Venezuela and then south to Brazil to pick up the Amazon River (paved road all the way), and go up it by boat to Peru.

Anyway, if the worse happens, the bottom line is that I’m a Bible believer so there is really no need at all to worry because however things turn out it will be OK.

Ride free
Simon

Simon Milward, on the road

A solo fundraising round the world ride on a handmade motorcycle.
Supporting Doctors Without Borders and Health For All.

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Safety advice from a motorcycling friend in Medellin for your interest.

Also a must-read for bikers rights activists, brings a new dimension to the phrase “targetting motorcyclists”.

Hola Simon.

No Simon you Espanish is good and I understand all, no matter how bad you write or speak as long as you get to know of what you need. About the safest way to get from Cartagena to Ipiales (border with Ecuador), .............. (route available).

Special notes: depending on how long you like to travel in one day I have suggested on where to sleep. There are 2 places to look out leavin Cali do it in the morning maybe 8 am. And leaving from Popayan to Pasto have your bike ready the day before, gas, air, get up and leave at 6 am to Pasto, in this road if you stop look everywhere before doing it, try to stop for pictures and no more, this is because sometimes there are Bandidos, it has been very quiet this year but for you better to be cautious, the rest of the trip do it in the morning and try not ride after 4 pm. at the max.

Do not forget if you get stopped to get arround on what you are doing and your nationallity (Britanico no Gringo), too bad to say it but Europeans are safer then Americans here.

No problen on this route, allways travel in the early morning hours, as we say now the night was made to sleep not to ride. The guerrila activity is everywhere in Colombia but if you follow my instructions the chance is very low, call the people I recomended you here in Medellin and Cali, they will help you in anything.

The man in medellin has a service shop, his friend runs the motorcycle magazine in Colombia and he is willing to help you in any matter about motorcycling. You will see many bad rules for motorcyclists, licence plate number in the back of the helmet????, hi viz vest with licence plate in front and back, some towns no male back rider is allowed, in other towns no motorcycles in the night time, you will see. In La Pintada you will see the moto-taxis very popular there and is getting to get big in Colombia.

On the road try not to stop in restaurants that atends buses, there are many robbers there, if you see only trucks is ok to stop, but park the bike where you can see it. Be aware of the water specially in the north coast, Too bad I will not be here when you get here, but my friend will take care of you and your needs.

oh it has been raining like hell in Colombia.

Feliz estadia en Colombia.
Tiberio.

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