March 31, 2006

My New Home Aboard an Actual Sailing Yacht

DAVID, PANAMA - I haven´t been idle. Within 24 hours of my last post, I had been aboard no less than 3 ocean going yachts. And had succeeded in securing passage on a German boat transiting the Panama Canal. Yep, things were moving along quickly in Panama City. Maybe too quickly.

With Brian back in Canada, Tommy Toman, a good friend who´s been travelling with us off and on since Mexico became my partner in crime for several excursions to various Marina´s and Yacht Clubs in the area. We´d succeeded in making ourselves known and in the confusion Tom, who´d never really even entertained the notion of sailing was offered position as crew for a 7-month journey to New Zealand with a salty old sailor from South Africa. As far as I know, Tom left today on his impromptu oddessy. Good luck, and God speed Tommy. You´ll be a sailor by the time you´re finished.

In the wake of Tom´s luck, I began a streak of luck to match him. It would be a matter of hours before I was on a bus to the town of David (7hrs), in the Western part of Panama to meet with a Captain, looking for two crew to leave in ´3 weeks´ for Australia.

I´ve been living on this boat now for a two days, helping to prep it for crossing the Pacific. We are painting, plumbing, oiling and cleaning constantly. All the while my mind is racing. I´m experiencing some culture shock and perhaps nervousness at the sudden prospect of sailing halfway around the world. Is the boat safe? Is the skipper competent? Will we get along? What will it all be like? These are some of the questions running around my head at the moment. I´ll post more about the boat soon...

In completely unrelated news, you might enjoy this: For context have a look at this article by CNN, then check out this eBay auction before looking at this eBay auction. The seller is my roommate from Toronto. Clever or stupid? My vote is clever.

March 27, 2006

Panama City - Police Escorts and Pouring Rain

If the world had to choose a capital, the Isthmus of Panama would be the obvious place for that high destiny.

Simon Bolivar, 1826

PANAMA CITY, PANAMA - We finished our trip with as much style as can be mustered in the pouring rain, stopping just long enough at the peak of the Bridge of the Americas for some quick photos of ourselves, the giant canal below and a big ol' high-five. Cheesy, I know, but what else could we be expected to do at the symbolic end of a 6-country cycling trip? It felt appropriate.

Once actually over the bridge and in the city we experienced some of the usual navigational confusion one would expect. When faced with the choice of taking the Avenida de los Poetas along the waterfront or the Avenida de los Martirs, we chose the poets, preferring them to martirs. This, of course, is not a scientific way to navigate and led us to a rather sinister city slum. Not to worry though, the policia called for back-up the moment they saw us and arranged a truck with sirens and all to escort us through the slum and into the neighborhood we wanted. Problem solved.

It's been a few days since. Brian and the bicycles are safely back in Canada (he'll be back in Panama on April 9th... the bikes won't). I've had a chance to have a closer look at the fabulous canal. I've seen quite a bit of the city, sampled the thriving nightlife and simply relaxed.

The big question looming now for us is what happens next? Where do we go from here?

The road South physically ends in Panama. It's impossible to drive to Colombia from here due to a gap in the road called The Darien Gap. Where you'd expect there to be a road there is jungle, Marxist Guerrillas, drug runners and the Boogy Man. Continuing overland is not an option for us.

Other than that I don't think we could be in a better place. This city is pretty much the worlds biggest intersection. There are boats sailing west. There are Boats sailing east. There are even boats sailing around the gap in the road south to Colombia and beyond.

My task, while Brian is away, is to come up with a plan. I'm to look for an opportunity. Something to help us along the way on this trip around the world. I'll start as soon as I get some breakfast in me.

March 22, 2006

Broken Bikes and Killer Bees

SAN CARLOS, PANAMA - The last few days have been an adventure to say the least. The Panamerican didn´t turn out to be the dream highway I imagined, just because we´re close the end of our cycling trip, doesn´t mean it gets easier. I was mistaken on that point.

Brian´s bicycle is suffering in the heat and his chain seems to fall apart at least once each day. What we considered a crisis a mere 3 days ago, is now not much more than a minor nuisance as he´s becoming very good at putting chains back together with random bits of steel, and stones found exclusively on the side of the road. Who needs proper tools when we´ve got desperation on our side?

Speaking of desperation, I can talk about it now that the crisis has passed; for poverty is embarrassing and best kept secret. After losing most of my wallet in Honduras, I´ve now lost the rest; My credit card, this usually wouldn´t be a problem except for the fact that through some complicated logistics, Brian also has no access to money. So there we were, two Gringo´s moving slow motion toward Panama on less than $7 per day each; eating bread, cheese, peanut-butter and water and sleeping on the side of the road (in a tent). We lived like this for three full days until we were down to our last $5 USD before we managed a stroke of luck. A bank in Santiago, finally agreed to manually do a cash advance on his credit card at the dramatically appropriate time. Now we´re back in the money (well sorta, we´ve got some decision making to do when we arrive in Panama), and ready for anything.

Umm... oh yeah, Killer Bees. I don´t know much, but what I´ve heard is that they can outrun people and sting so much that one can die from them. That´s pretty much all that was running through my mind as the swarm descended. As the stinging started, I could hear Brian yelping behind me and new something awful was happening. Flight or Flight. Those were my choices. There is very little 'fight' in my nature. So pedal I did, with Brian hot on my tail... 2 km later and heavily winded, we finally slowed to a stop to assess the damage. I was left with 4 stings across my back and Brian was unscathed. (Why was he screaming then? I´m not sure.) In truth, we´re not sure they were actually killer bees, but it makes for a better story, so that´s what we´re sticking to. Killer Bees.

We're hiding from the heat at the moment after having put in 100km already today. A this pace we´ll make Panama city sometime tomorrow.

March 18, 2006

The Continental Divide

BOCAS DEL TORO, PANAMA - I keep trying to tell myself that the reason we've been hanging out so long (5th day)here in Bocas Town, is because of ease of life here. I genuinely like living in a building that hangs into the Caribbean Sea. You know the kind, made completely from wood and built on stilts in the water. It makes for easy fish watching from bed. All one needs to do is close one eye and peek between the floorboards.

I know though, that deep down, part of our hesitation to leave this place is tied up with the fact that we've cycled ourselves into a geographical corner of sorts. With the only road out of here leading straight up and into the clouds.

Panama is described in some circles as a cyclists dream. The only major highway, the Panamerican, runs along the hot Pacific Plain straight toward the capital. People who run in those circles obviously don't start from the remote Bocas Del Toro province. In order for us to reach this dream highway, we first need cross the continental divide. That's right; up and over a giant mountain range. Allegedly 40km run straight up. The fact that it's meant to be some of the most spectacular virgin rain forest in all of Central America is little consolation.

All along we've maintained that we weren't going to be purists about the cycling. If the going got tough, we'd simply throw our bikes on a bus and zoom ahead to flatter (or friendlier) terrain. Thus far we've made all our forward progress solely by bicycle except for a short 30km stretch of road leading to the capital of El Salvador. I'm certain the reason was valid though, as Brian was suffering, at the time, with Dengue Fever. It's easy to say we'll attempt the climb, as I sit here at the computer, but it's an entirely different matter when we're out there on the mountain. I'm not sure how this one will play out...

March 15, 2006

Bocas Del Toro

BOCAS DEL TORO, PANAMA - After racing through Costa Rica, I´m happy to say that we´ve made it safely into Panama and are currently holed up on the Carribbean side at the extreme Western edge of the country on Isla De Colon; the main island in the Bocas Del Toro archipeligo.

Yesterday we spent the day touring the islands and putting our new Dive Certifications to use. On route we spotted some playful dolphins and of course, everybody went for their cameras, myself included. I, having more luck than skill, managed this action photo from our boat. For a brief moment, I was the hero as all other cameras turned up nothing more than splashes of water.

March 11, 2006

Puerto Viejo

PUERTO VIEJO, COSTA RICA - 'Necessity is the mother of invention'. Or motivation in our case. After the sights, sounds, and people we met in Nicaragua kept us in the country much longer than anticipated, Ryan and I sat down to do some math. Numbers crunched, we came to the desperate realization that in 17 days we would have to cover nearly as many kilometers as we had done in the previous two months combined. Seventeen days and I would be catching a plane from Panama City for a brief sojourn back to Canada for a medical school interview. Travelling a the speed required was clearly possible, yet having a deadline, let alone knowing where we are going or what we are doing every day when we wake up in the morning, wasn't something either of us had much familiarity with.

So it was that we left on the night boat from Ometepe four days ago. We bade farewell to all the good people we had been travelling with, and we started to move. Ten rocking hours through the night on a soaked and vomit smelling boat may have been too much to bear; were it not for some help. Always thinking, Lewis (who decided to join us for the ride) suggested we bring some drinks aboard, and with him, the drinks, and another travelling trio, the night passed fairly quickly away. We managed to sneak up to the first class deck to avoid the dead air/vomit ambiance below, distributed Gravol to those in need, and managed some sleep after we had exhausted our supply of beer and yarns (mostly of love lost).

Morning found us on the boarder town of San Carlos, eating one last breakfast with Lewis, when the time came to catch a final boat into Costa Rica. I had my fifth (clearly not my last) axle installed in the town of Los Chiles, while such mundane tasks as laundry were taken care of for the day ahead. Since then and until today, travelling became a routine which made the days quickly blend into one. Statistically, we covered 370 kilometers, 85, 125, and 165 sequentially over three days, but it seems of little importance now. Having essentially whizzed through the country, our asses are now sore, we are in possession of two liters of red wine, Puerto Viejo seems like good fun, and we have the vague notion of striking off to Bocas del Toro (mouths of the bull) in Panama tomorrow. Stay tuned.

March 06, 2006

The Land Before Time

ISLA DE OMETEPE, NICARAGUA - I woke up this morning with a fearsome volcano staring down at me and realized that Nicaragua, of all the places we've visited, most resembles that old Disney cartoon The Land Before Time. Immediately upon crossing into Nicaragua our horizon became filled with steaming peaks and we've yet to find a vantage point that doesn't include a volcano as it's chief point of reference.

This island, Ometepe is about as exotic a place as I've visited. There are dramatic views from the mainland of it's two magical volcanoes rising steeply from the waters of Lago de Nicaragua. The peaks are bare of vegetation due to recent volcanic activity and almost always appear to have snagged a piece of cloud that has long since passed. From crater lakes to lush cloud forests filled to the brim with exotic birds, monkeys and treacherous snakes the island is a must see for anyone travelling to Nicaragua.

The surrounding waters are equally fascinating. Lago de Nicaragua is the tenth largest body of fresh water in the world. They say it was once part of the Ocean until volcanic eruptions and earthquakes created the Pacific plain that has been both a blessing and a curse while cycling (flat but hot). The part that excites me is the marine life in the lake itself. Over millennia the lake water gradually lost it's salinity, while the saltwater fish trapped in it evolved into some of the most unusual types of fish found anywhere on earth, including freshwater tarpon, swordfish and bull sharks. Imagine that. Freshwater sharks.

Our plan is to catch an overnight ferry (10hrs) tonight to the Rio San Juan, which forms the border with Costa Rica. We're not sure when it leaves as everybody we ask gives a different time and it can often be an unpleasant ride as the lake isn't very deep (60m). It's waters are notoriously rough. If the ferry doesn't go, it won't be the first time we've been stranded on an island this trip, if it does go, we'll be crossing into a remote part of Costa Rica sometime tomorrow morning. Either way, it'll be an adventure.

March 03, 2006

Ometepe Bound

SAN JUAN DEL SUR - NICARAGUA, We don't have much time. If we move with just a little more gusto than usual there's a chance we'll make the last ferry out the volcanic Isla De Ometepe. It's just past noon and after a very groggy start we've only travelled 14km. 50 more to go; in what is promising to be a strong headwind and a consitent, but slight, climb.

The slow start isn't really our fault. We're coming off of three (or was it four?) days lounging, eating and drinking at a spectacular and secluded beach North of San Jaun Del Sur being about as lazy as the sloth that became a fixture in the tree above my tent. It didn't move the whole time, and neither did we. We can't be expected to jump back into the grind, without at least a little hesitation, after such a perfect holiday from life.

There are a lot more photos, but they'll have to wait until tomorrow as every minute counts. We need to be doing more cycling and less typing.

Hasta Pronto