6.11.2017, Ciudad de Panama, Bridge of Americas, 13,33km.

I need to move. After month in hostel where I worked is not so easy to start once again bite dust of side road. I became accustomed to water, electricity and roof over head. I became accustomed to sense of security! But I didn’t move from home to seat right now in four walls. Owners of hostel where I garage my trolley said goodbye with disbelief when they heard what I want to do. Even for me it’s sounds crazy, but… someone need to believe in my plan! And it would be good if it will be who gonna make it real 🙂

First I needed to left capital. When someone need to walk across whole city with trolley can see how modern cities sometimes are not adapted to people with or on trolleys. Disabled persons always have upslope! All right, but step by step I walked through and I learned how to manage with my monster.

I reach Bridge of Americas, in symbolic way connecting South and Central America, and in physical two sides of Panama Canal. Here problems are starting, because side, which I chose to walk, almost… don’t have side road! But when I came here from windows of bus I saw side road on both sides! Someone stole my side… I don’t wanna go back almost 2 kilometers to change side, so I decided to walk through. On my way I found used hat! Aaaalll right that’s why I walked here! That’s good sign which I should have. But that was last good sign. Later only mountains of rubbish completely covered my side. I spend some time to declutter my way. Besides my trolley are going litters, furniture and even two car’s bumpers. Well people are throwing away absolutely everything.

My side of bridge is so narrow that one wheel of my trolley can’t fit, so I need lift it all the time. If I will not do it whole trolley can collapse, tip over on road and it’s obvious that someone gonna crash because queue of horning cars have no end. I was so stressed there! Bridge have something like 300m, so on the end I was completely wet – because of tiredness and fear.

I don’t have my own picture from bridge, so I found some in google maps. That is right side of it, where was side road. On my side, left one, side road was like a middle of that which You can see here 🙁

Night under bridge. That time not lonely but with thousands of mosquitos which wanted to tear me on pieces. Inside my tent! There was so much of them that I even couldn’t open my mouth to say curse. Finally I used almost all my repellent to kill them (and to commit suicide).

7.11.2017, La Chorrera, 42,8km

First kilometers in Central America. On roadside I found old cellphone. Unfortunately was broken but inside I hope that was good SD Card. Few meters later I found old number plates which I putted on back of my trolley. Police guys, which I met on road, laughed many minutes later after I showed them that.

First kilometers are passing well. But after I saw problem which will be with me during whole my travel, and about which I didn’t thought before. This curves on road are profiled. That’s why pushed trolley is pulling off on one or other side, depends if road is heading left or right. Countering it is tiring arms.

Sun is burning me on ashes. My thinking why I decided to do that are cancelled by Ronaldo, police guy. He couldn’t believe what I want to do, so he told about me on police radio station. But beside fame in local police he persuaded girl in McDonald to fulfill my 5l bottle with water from distributor 😀

Few steps later I met Arturo, who was selling beverages directly from barrow, and who invited me for dinner! That means lucky! Last thing which I found in that day was fingerless glow. It can help because managing with trolley on curves can chafe hands.

Barber shop on raod side

When is so hot that when You find metal casque Ypou wanna find contact with aliens 🙂

Now I understand why I bought 8 years ago so huge tent! Because is not only tent, but also garage! There is enough space for my trolley and for me 🙂

What is interesting sun is waking up always around 6am and set at 6pm. 12 hours of light. Well that’s magic of countries around equator. But different magic with questionable value is daily rain around 3pm which is end 2 hours later. Day by day.

This kind of rain caught me under spread tree in La Chorrera. Near by was some small abandoned cabin, so I pulled there my trolley over bushes and branches. I dropped in and same quick dropped out. Inside waited for me two, big hives with strange, buzzing animals which probably could hurt me well. Decision – I will camp under tree. But until I made that inside my tent and shoes was huge lake. God damn it! Why I didn’t wait for end of that rain? Good thing is that temperature of that rains are often higher than water in tap 🙂

8.11.2017, Sajalices, 72,59km

I woke up in slurry. Everything soak through by water and everywhere grass which I tear away when I wanted quickly bring in m trolley to tent-garage. It resembled me days in Isla Grande in Brazil when during 5 days in row I met only rain, and I woke up with my head in small lake inside my tent.

I took my things, ate canned food and hit road. Someone shouted that I looks like a guy with body of dead kid under that foil. Well connotations are similar to neighborhood, so I walked quickly away from there. I reached Coronado and hostel where I worked during last month.

Yuri and Bart, polish guys with who I spend almost month in hostel in Panama

I feel quite good, my shoes hurt me a little bit, wet clothes. But biggest fear I have because of calories. I should eat a lot to have good dietetic balance.  I had plan to cook on road but because everyday wood is completely wet on road only I can cook myself.

9.11.2017, Coronado, 96,13km

Panamanians. Closed, hided. Even in smallest villages. Sometimes they looked at me like nazi nationalist on black guy. I can almost forget about talking. When in church I asked some ladies at which hour are holy masses, they looked at me like I besmirch that place only because I’m inside church. I want to understand that and only explain I can find in many years of occupation of that countries by Americans soldiers.

Here I have something interesting. Normally Panamanians don’t want to say a lot of good words about white guys from United States (that why is hurt with ricochet in all gringos). But they love American’s culture! In capital You gonna find more McDonalds that patrol stations, everyone love Halloween etc. Well dissonance.

I said goodbye to my hostel, I walked only 4km and… some guys drag me inside some restaurant! Around one table met guys from Paraguay, Poland, Panama, Brazil and Argentina. That was really nice meeting for everybody I think! But everybody want to seat and kilometers will not make themselves alone.

Shoes after one month of using have small wholes and hurt a little bit 🙁 but when I walked in trans I can make 15 kilometers without any problems. Night I spend under some old abandoned roof.

10.11.2017, El Higo, 120,05km

Another kilometers besides me. Good cheers I received many times from drivers who passed by me. They waved, blink with lights or horn. That’s really cool but sometimes I don’t have free hand to salute them, because I need to push my trolley up hill 😀 But biggest fun should have drivers of intercity buses, which pass me many times during one day 😀

Side road is really good in Panama. But I still think about other countries in north, like Guatemala for example. I’m wondering if that baby trolley will handle with bumpy roads there?

11.11.2017, Anton, 150,04km

That night I wanted to spend in Anton, in our second hostel. There I wanted to stay for two nights so I needed to do 31km in one day. First time I made in one day more than 30km. On my road I met giant, crashed snake. Now it will be scary to sleep somewhere in grassland Few meters later I saw how some Panamanian rolled with his car inside meadow. Next time when I will camp somewhere I will need to watch out for snakes and camp on the other side of anti-tank barrier to be not hit by car.

Snake!

Meals painting on restaurant’s wall. It will never be boring for me 🙂

I’m going across small, looks same villages. Bijao, Santa Clara and constructed with few houses and cross road Rio Hato (but here it can be even small city). I walk like a snake under airstrip of some local airport (it’s incredible that there is so much free field around but they needed to construct that airport exactly here). But finally with looong curve I’m rolling to center of Anton.

People are throwing away almost everything. Even wristwatch 😮

My legs hurt. On right feet I have huge blister. That’s good that I can rest here a little bit.

14.11.2017, Penonome, 169,92km

Those few days under safety roof from one side are like salvation and from other like a trap. Because I quickly feel comfortable and it’s really difficult to leave that hostel’s trap. I take with me a lot of doubts and even more fears. Why I’m telling myself so many negative things? I still walk across civilization (not only material but also mental) but I think as I walk through dark valley. Dangerous can be more in North but not here.

After 10km was happened what finally should. But why so quickly? I brake tire. Because I’m tourist’s amator so I didn’t had any tools to repair it, so 11km to nearest vulcanizer I walk with trolley on two tires. Like in circus!

Whole cost of repair? 50 cents! I paid two quoters to repair in professional way whole tire!

True is that I came there only because I found somethink really interesting on map. In Penonome is located geographical center of Panama! That means that now with every step I more close to end than to beginning!

Happy lions on bench with name of his fundador. I was scared to sit here

Traditionals hats with is easy to meet on every market and on every head of villagers.

Traditional rainy time came so I looked for shelter in church. How surprised I was when in office I met girl who was in Cracow during last World Youth Day! We said Hello in polish language and she took book with numbers to probably all villagers. After 10 minutes I put my tent under roof in Christian seminary in the middle of tropical forest 

16.11.2017, suburbs of Aguadulce, 214,53km

Last night I spend in abandoned building which became not so abandoned that I thought. I was informed about that by surprised faces of workers who went next day to do some things. Thankfully surprise didn’t changed in anger, and after few words with owner of that place I assure him that is really good place to sleep 🙂

I cross really fast Rio Colca, small places with soundy names like Ciruelito and La Candelaria and I rolled with dash into Nata. There accidentally I stood in front of most old church in Central America! What a surprise! I passed classic buildings with nothing special inside, but on main square I found real pearl!

White facade and tall bell tower with palm trees around, 400 years old stony flooring and old pales lifting high vault. That place is looks like from movie “The Mission”!

I need to move. Passing by no names villages where people are greeting me from side road. Maybe they are not so closed as I thought? I reached other side of river on narrow bridge, with accompaniment of horns of angry truck drivers. Since some time I feel wind bloomed only from my back. That wasn’t problem because in front of me I saw blue sky. But in one moment I made turn. And why I done that?!

I spend that night one kilometer before Aguadulce, in abandoned building of some company. Building was without owner since short time, because I didn’t found inside graffiti, trash and other characteristic elements for places abandoned since long time. I turned whole night from one side to another, because permanently I had feeling that someone want to rub me.