Panama has been much the same for us as the previous country, Costa Rica, with its clean rivers, lush vegetation and friendly people.
We rode 10 days from the border of Costa Rica to Panama City along the Pan American Highway. We met the Klaff family taking a break from the driving they are doing, had a snack of fresh coconut as we chated away. They are on an inspiring journey, showing that having children can be a great excuse to go travelling all over the world.
http://www.thenomadicfamily.com/
We also met the ¨Con Bigotes¨ team for a road side lunch date on the Pan American, they are also headed toward southern South America, I look foward to seeing if you auction those beards when you get back boys!.
http://conbigotes.wordpress.com/
In 3 days time, a sailboat will take us to Cartegenas, Colombia, to start the journey on South American soil.
This boat ride seemed so far away from pre-rainy season heat when we started in central Mexico. But here we are, waiting to sail through Caribbean Islands on the way to the country most loved by travellers now but most feared by travelers a decade ago.
Some thoughts on Central America, travelling and the future.
Looking back at older posts I wrote for other countries reminded me of how I felt travelling in each country.
Every day, we are faced with the same basic problems; to find water, food, and shelter for a place to rest at night. The latter often feels like the hardest and most challenging.
A lot of people are surprised when we say we camp every night, even I was worried about camping by the side of the road in Central America before arriving. After a long day in the saddle, a dry, flat and most importantly, a safe place to camp is most important for a good nights rest. During these times of need, we must step outside our comfort zone and often ask for help, but sometimes help finds us.
Just as it did when Jose flagged us down in El Salvador, he yelled ¨STOP¨! as we rode past his house. He wanted to meet us and hear our story as he too rode a bicycle from Vancouver in Canada back to his birth place in El Salvador. After exchanging names he offered us a place to stay for as long as we wanted, and we stayed with him for 3 days, enjoying he and his families warm hospitality and showing us around the local area.
Since Southern Mexico, we have had the added challenge of finding a dry place to camp, as sometimes it takes 3 days to dry even a t-shirt during rainy season in the tropics. We are now in the wettest time of the year for Central America, it sometimes rains for days at a time. So, we have started to look even harder for a place to camp, and have asked a lot of people to use a garage, a shed or a warehouse, and sometimes around a church or at a fire station; we restrain ourselves on the last option because almost every other bike traveler weve met uses fire stations, some arguably too much (free accommodation with a shower, toilet, and even access to a kitchen sometimes is too much to resist). We have asked at our fair share of fire stations however, and have been well looked after with the just mentioned hospitality.
We also feel like its a great opportunity to be meeting people when we ask to camp around their house. As so often is the case, we ask to camp near by someones house and the reply is "you can camp there if you want to, or you can stay in our house". People have been so kind to us time and time again, we are constantly humbled how people can be sympathetic and understanding to our cause, and we often say goodbye with them feeling like they owe us something.
Typical of the people we feel so priveleged to know, those who help us on our journey. Above Carlos & Ariana with their daughter. They found us camping next to the road under the patio of a caferteria when they offered us to stay in the spare room of their house.
Mr & Mrs Domingo, we asked if we could use the patio of their old store, they gave us the keys to it and said ¨make yourselves at home¨, with a toilet and shower out back. We stayed with them for 4 dyas waiting for the boat in Portolindo.
This journey will no doubt be defined by these kinds of people we meet, and we are both better people for having met their genuine kindness.
Central America has had its challenges for people used to a different way of life; the dogs, noise and pollution. But, what has been challenging has also been very rewarding. I feel privileged to have witnessed a part of the world where family is a very important fact of life, and where life is about simplicity & necessity.
I´m lucky to have the opportunity to be in the situation where I am concerned with only the things I mentioned before, where I can live a life so simple without the usual happenings in my day to day life at home.
Seeing so many other ways of life, in different cultural contexts, has made me think of a problem we are faced with today. With all thats available to us, and the infinite number of opportunities its easy to be distracted away from what is important. Ive realised even more so since starting to travel how important water, food and human relations are. How we chose to satisfy the last of these things, seems to me like its a personal thing, but i have learnt that basic necessities like food and water are not negotiable.
Good food and good water is never taken for granted as it is sometimes hard to come by. So when it does, I am reminded how important it is, and of the situation we are faced with today. The challenge it seems, is with so much food, and the future of water supplies in speculation, how do we feed ourselves? So many diets, fads, $3 bottles of water, opinions on what we should and shouldn't eat, what about real food, enjoyed in the company of those we trust and love?
The people who have helped us with satisfying our basic needs will be remembered for a long time to come, and I want to repay them by challenging my own opinion on what is importnant in life.
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