I left Panama by Sailboat after 6838km of riding through central america

…and this is another overview of the 7200km I rode, still my 4th longest trip I made.

Well, what a question! I thought I’ve seen many, perfectly beautiful beaches until I went to San Blas. The most commen way how to get there is by airplane, or you cruising from Colon or Montebello around. Some tough backpackers choose the rough way and get a ride for 25 Dollar with a AWD. Lots of possibilities to find access to a small dream world. But neither of them fit me, that’s way I went back to caribbean shores on my bike. Everything was easy to handle until the road turn off at El Llano. 45km and a entire day of workout were ahead of me. The road was well maintained the first 25km. It goes up with more then 20% slope pretty often, but nothing to give up about. I was up 512m in elevation when I reached the continental devide and a bunch of mud holes. I watched cars who were getting stuck and towed each other. I couldn’t really pass them, because I was afraid to get drowned in mud besides the main trek.

Now it’s over, I though, when I saw the ocean. Still almost 20km away, but at sealevel. I was wrong, then most of the day I spent on that stretch. The "downhill" had about 20 ascents whitch most of them were impossible to ride and almost impossible to push. I sweat the most of liquid in such a short time in my live that I ran out of water and refilled at a jungle water hole. Not the best taste, but it’s water though.

arrived at the autonomous terrirory of the Kuna Yala

I managed to come through within daylight. I camped on indigenous land right at the beach. No one lives there. All the Kuna indians live on these small approx. 370 islands. But there is still a bunch of inhabitent islands. On a few islands they have something like towns. There is no palm tree to find, because the Kuna on the town islands like to live crowded. It’s weird though, because on other islands is sometimes just one family living.

typical dressed Kuna women

Kuna men offers fish

I got my ride with two dozen other backpackers who arrived that morning. We had to go to our sailboats what we’ve booked in Panama City. I was happy that the Estella Luna, the sailboat from captain Hernando was close by, because the huge dugout canoe had a major leak and started sinking. We were 6 people who got on Estella Luna, a 32ft. sailboat. That was our home for the next 5 nights. Three of them we spent cruising around the San Blas Archepelago. The Panama exit stamp as made in El Porvenir, (one airstrip, one hotel, the police station & a bunsh of coconut trees).

El Porvenir, Immigration Office

These days we spent time with chilling, swimming, fishing, snorkling, exploring islands, crushing coconuts just with your hands and some others were kiting as well. Wish I had my gear to practice. After having the biggest dreem of island romantic, we went sailing across the caribbean sea for the next 50 hours along 10 degree latitude north, eastbound - towards Catagena, Colombia. Oh, what a ride, I’m telling you. El capitano Hernando was well relaxed, because the sea was with 10ft. waves pretty calm. It was enough for me and I handled to vomit only one time the second day. I think I just missed to take the seasickness pills right on time.

kite surfer launching

The captains job was checking the gps coordinates and give us instructions where to sail. Is was us, the 6 passengers who drove the boat in 2 hour shifts day and night. Everybody had to make 4 shifts and tried to sleep somehow the 10 hours in between. But this was another challange, because of the angle of the sailboat. Obviously was there no cooking during the traverse. All wee ate were ramen noudels in a cup with hot tap water over"boiled". Half of it went in the stomac and other half all over the place. To pee was quite an adventure. The men had to pee over board and women at to toilet. But just then, when the boat was angeled towards the toilet side, because of the hand water pump system. I was happy of not using the toilet ones the traverse, because the bathroom was a nasty mess, overflooded & stank. But we came across and saw the first buildings rising above the horizon on february 29th.

thank you "El Capitano" Hernando