17.11.2017 Aguadulce. 6km /// 220,56km

I wake up before sunrise. With brick and piece of metal which I found before, I open last canned food, drink some water from canister, eat few bananas and prepared in that way I moved to meet city with beautiful name Sweet Water. Empty at this hour streets let watch carefully facade of buildings. Surprise are many signs of shops with name like from middle East. “Jahwe”, “Jerusalem”. Later someone told me that is because in Panama live a lot of Jewish and Arabs. And they don’t make wars. One by one are opening shops with clothes, toys and those small markets where owners are ALWAYS from China.

Finally gaffers with theirs lottery are turn out in a crowd. Like probably everywhere on the world also here is national lottery. Huge part of Panamanian society is taking part in that game. And sometimes they spend huge part of theirs salary. Gaffers are locating small chairs and in front small “Board” locked on padlock. Inside are hanged on strings tickets of lottery numbered from 0 to 99. Drawing have place two times per week and in every of them are choosing 12 numbers. So posibility of winning is quite high.

After drive round more and more crowded center, I rolled on main city square where I made real show show. WHITE MAN WITH TROLLEY! That day probably will have special place in chronicle of city 🙂 To city museum (probably the only place worth of seeing in that city) is waiting long queue of noisy and frolic as a kids students of University of Third Age. That’s why like them on exhibition I fall upon on free Internet in main square. It’s incredible that in Panama You can find free Internet for everybody even in smallest villages. And with bandwidght which can ashame even hotspots in Europe.

I connect with my friends in Poland when suddenly came daily dose of rain. I found place outside of small kiosk which traditionally is on main square. Man who all ready was inside helped me to bring my trolley inside and after few minutes… he brought me hot dinner! Maybe he could’t watch how I eat bread without anything. Incredible man! No man hero.

Exhibition wasn’t so interesting so with Daniel, who’s there guide, we talked more about modern Panama. Finally Daniel offer me place to stay in his home. We spend together night with his friend Toro and other 24 from box of beers.

18.11.2017 Divisa. 28,5km /// 249,07km

In Daniel’s place I cooked rye and eggs for next days, refill tanks with water and took shower (because You never know when be another opportunity) and I moved in direction of Santiago. I walk on wide and getting warm from sun side road. I pass rarely constructed near road houses when suddenly from one of them Erick went out and invited me for breakfast. Can I rebuff for this kind of invitation? 🙂

He live really chastely but he Host me like a king. He’s ex chef in Sheraton Hotel and with proud he show me his apron. Maybe because of that he fried eggs and plane like a real Master Chef. He offer me room for night if I only want (and if I gonna do something with mountain of dirty clothes). From shoe box, which he changed for treasury with pirate movies purchased on market, choose some with Van Damme. And that’s how, with screams of pain, our morning passed lazy.

Fully legal. 4 movies on one CD. Cost something like 1$. Easly to find on every market

Sun was worst and worst. Temperature with extremelly high humidity is changing in massive range weapon for gringos. Because local people seems to not caire about that. They dress long pants, huge boots and even gloves and winter hats! I pass village El Estero where guide of some building invited me for coffee. Finally I rolled to El Roble where I parked my vehicle inside some bus stop. I waited when sun gonna stop burning when suddenly I saw two cyclists who are glide slowly on side road. When they were closed I realized that those are Mariana and Igor who I met in restaurant in Coronado few days ago. Well that was obvious that finally they will reach me because in Panama in fact is only one road and they are on bicycles. But even that – that was huge surprise!globe to see that!”. That surprise on faces of people who I gonna meet on side road probably will be permanent part of landscape.

I also visited church in center of village when I charged my mobilphone. That’s incredible where I found socket. In main squares, under monuments, facade of buildings, in churches or even on trees with illumination. Well it doesn’t matter why they are there. It’s good that are 🙂

I made few kilometers more and covered my tent with foil, I spend night full of rain and thunders.

Colorful bus stop

19.11.2017 La Mata. 24,4km /// 273,46km

I woke early but only to put back foil and to let dry a little bit of tent. When finally I put everything on my trolley and started push it in direction of Canada, from some home Fran asked me if I want eat breakfast and drink beer. Day could start better? 🙂

I pass houses, no name villages, cross roads leading inside bloody red ground. Same view on road can disinterest but also is hypnotizing in good to walk mood. Palm trees, bushes, small rivers, often some home. Everything of that is passing in eyes and in mind thoughts what gonna be after next curve.

Clouds are comming. Alter few days on road I know how much time I have to first drops. I run my awning scanner when few meters in front of me stopped som car. That were Paraguaian with his wife who have restaurant in Coronado where I met Mariana and Igor! World is really small! They have me adress of place in Santiago where I can stay for free and where I can meet my friends on bicycles. I was only 20km from Santiago, but maybe because of beers, kilometers which I allready made or Sun, I didn’t had energy and that day finished in front of closed church. In front because everything was closed but covered patio in front fully open 🙂

20.11.2017 Santiago. 12,7km /// 286,16km

Another time my inner tube was broke. In first seconds I look for vulcanizer but even before I found that there is less of them in Panama as in countries of South America. Finally I decided to be a real warrior and I bought stuff to repair everything myself, and opened F1 service in parking lot.

I walk to Santiago full of fears. I realized (what shouldn’t be huge surprise) that every big city is connected with violence. Here, like probably in whole Panama, that rule don’t exist because I felt truly safety even scale of that city. A lot of shops, old guys with lottery and even more Police. One of them asked me if I need anything and he told me where are principals places – even that I didn’t asked about that. That was really cool 🙂

Thats interesting how people in Panama are changing words. Easly You can hear here on streets how they are using “Prity” or “Kul”.

Football Mother of God

Also really cool was Salo, my host from Couchsurfing, with who I met that evening. Or even he and his boyfriend. He bought me room in hostel, and later ate together massive amount of fried chickens and stories from road. It’s interesting if they wanted to have new friend to play? Well who cares 😀 I had roof over head, full stomach and nobody took me 😀

21.11.2017 Rincon Largo. 11,4km /// 297,57km

I tried to catch contact with my bicycle couple. I don’t have any receive information from them, home about which said me Paraguayan looks empty, so I decided to move on. Salo confirm what I already read from map. In from of me are around 200km to next city called David. 200km with palm trees, bushes, rain, sun and small villages 30km from each other. I should prepare food to pass that distance. Make reserves is one thing but second how to put them into my trolley?

Finally I done that somehow. But now my trolley like transformers changed into tank and lose some of maneuverability. On suburbs some farmer stopped next to me and have me full bag of apples. Extra weight?! Well… I love that kind of weight 😀

I pass entrance to village La Pena and I saw clouds which came in my direction. I need to find quickly son place to stay. I rolled into Rincon Largo when… I saw cemetery with open and encouraging carport or chapel in building. I never spend night in cemetery and even thought about that made thrill on my skin. But cemetery was really small, and clouds big and dark, so I excuse all of them who lie under ground and I camped under roof. Whole night I heard when rain knocked to cemetery graves.

Someone gonna ask info that night something scared me. No. Maybe no. If yes that wasn’t so scary in fact. In the middle of night something hit few times in my tent. Maybe that was bat. Or maybe small hands of kids who are entombed here. Who knows 🙂

Inside that small home was place for me 🙂

22.11.2017. La Mesa. 20,2km ///  317,77km

I started strong, because wanted do some more kilometers today. Sun was really strong and first hills grew under my feet. I walked without t-shirt completely wet. When I stopped in shadow, in few seconds I had layer of salt in whole my body. I looked as a Golem or something. Few more days and I gonna walk with few horses on my back which will think that I’m theirs feeding rack.

On my way I found plantation of rubber tree. Near entrance was table with full information in 3 languages: what kind of trees are they, how many years is necessary to fully grow etc etc. But why in 3 languages if it’s not a tourist information, because next to that table I found information that is prohibited to entrance. Well who cares. I step around whole that information and went inside to check carefully how that trees looks like.

I made in good time 20km and had good mood to do another 10, but rain at 2pm completely soften my plans. Rain which till sunrise wanted to sink whole world. Thankfully I found my Ark under roof in front of church.

I’m lying based on frontage and I watch how angry rain chopping hot asphalt. Water is jumped out like when you put it on hot fry pan. Cars which have behind them blear of steam looks like comets with veil. Hills looks that they are fuelled by constantly evaporate hills covered with trees which names I don’t know. And I think how strange that country is where to midday sun want to ashes, and after midday rain sink. One day and two different worlds.

Dark. I all ready ate small dinner when Cesar came to me with light. He’s owner of that ground so I asked if I can stay here for one night. “Sure, why not. Do eat rye? I gonna bring You something to eat”. Cool! People are great! But in same moment I had strange think: why people want to give me good when I all ready ate?! 😀 Cesar brought me food as in imperial dinner. He’s asking at which hour I want to move next day. I said that early. He shouldn’t be worry, I don’t want to take his ground in law of prescription. “No no, don’t worry. You don’t need to walk up. You can sleep as much as You can. Hey, do You drink coffee? Do You wanna breakfast?”. “Yeah, sure! At which hour You wanna come?” I asked. “Around 6am I think”. CURTAIN 😀

23 – 30.11.2017, David. 157,04km /// 460,01km

Next days in my memories are mixing in one mass. Mass full of never-ending curves, small villages, churches, accidentally meetings and goodness, which people gave gratuitously.

Days were quite similar. I woke up enough early to be at 6:30 on side road and harnessed to trolley start till Panamanian ground. Morning fogs going up above still wet, sleepy forests foreshadow hot day but still have shelter before sun which later wanted to turn me on ash. Under feet I had first mountains and hills which I started to dew with sweat. I need to find some way for them because familiarity which I just started with that mountains gonna end in… Mexico. Whole Central America looks like one huge volcano and probably worst part will start in Costa Rica. But I need to be strong!

Good side of mountains is change of monotony landscape. Because how many days I can watch for same palm trees and bushes covered whole view? Bad side is moved early time when daily amount of rain is coming. Sky change color for metal steel around 12-13, so weather window for any gambits on side road is cutting. Now I have only 5-6 hours of weather.

Rain, rain, rain. Sometimes to find shelter I run…

… even under bridge 🙂

Sometime it’s good to slow down and find Paradise 🙂

That’s why much more early I launch my awning’s radar and I start scanning nearest field to find place to camp. Fee times I put my tent in long, empty and, what is most important, covered school’s corridors. That places, builded in American way, sometimes are not fenced and always they have water and toilet. Nobody is coming, disturbing, only sometimes light on corridors is a problem. But was enough to walk along aires with electricity to find main electricity board in village. On small walk are hanging fuses to all buildings around. They are not signed so until I found that from school, I turn off for few seconds shop and two homes in village. But finally also school draped by darkness.

Few times I slept in or in front of church. It’s surprise for me how many chapels are along PanAmerican highway. Sometimes even every few kilometers is possible to find chapel builder by same template. Main chamber which have 3 entrances and even smallest sacristy which looks like locker for besoms. But what is more interesting for me is awning in front of. Small, big, but there is always something. And also socket which I don’t know why but always hang on one from walls. And I don’t ask about aim of that construction but eagery charge everything what I can 🙂in San Felix I slept in temple of Jesuits with garden looks like from magic land. Not ending trails across kempt forest. Ornaments, paintings, details. Everything planned and perfect. European. Another day faith gave school where were retreat. There they have me diner and even my own room with shower!

And in San Lopez teacher from local school invited me to his home! Guy with funny hay and scratched voice, as a result of many years of work in from of students, made everything that I felt like a king!

People in passing by cars still send greetings for me. They blink lights, nothing, showing me thumb up. In every village I’m reall tourist attraction. Guys are almost blow over with goggled eyes and opened face when they look at me. And there is no exaggeration in that sentence.

Sometimes simplicity of that people is really cornball. We are talking from where, why and where is my destination. Thousand times that I walk. And then finally ask me where I have my bicycle. “I walk. Look here I have my trolley”. They walk around, look closely and ask: “But how You ride on that?”. In theirs simple life is no place for vision of guy who is walk even to another city. Man who’s walking to another country is like an alien.

Indians with pure Panamanian blood they don’t say any words to me. Even when I ask about something they responds only with few words a little bit shamed and scared. Thankfully they are also opened and helpful people who will give water, plate of food and nice talk 

And how I feel? Good, let’s walk forward! My shoes are broking and scratching me feet, what do that sometimes I don’t give other people smile but grimace of pain. I think and worry seriously about North. I worry if that trolley will go across more stony ground. I worry if I can hike on even higher and more hilly mountains. And I worry if my good passion of meeting good people on my road will end and someone finally will not want to rob me.

We gonna see 🙂