Adventures in Panama City

Leaving David, we put in some decent miles and ended up sleeping behind the police station of a small town. That night, we looked at the rest of the map and realized we could either dramatically draw out the next few days before catching a flight on November 23rd, or we could make a huge push for Panama City and try to find something fun to do. Opting for the latter, I decided to make the push official and see if I could pull off a century ride (100 miles). Believe it or not, Kai and Jon were not as convinced 100 miles in Panamanian humidity was a good idea, so the next morning I took off alone.

Costa Rica and Panama

Waking up to an early morning filled with oats and chai tea, we were ready to seize the day. Cruising to the nearest town on the coast called Jaco, we stopped in a coffee shop to indulge in some WiFi and feel like less than super dirty travelers in desperate need of laundry. Jon went off to find a bike shop to see if he could find a way to remove a grinding sound, and by the time he was back we were all in a similar mood. Entranced by the calm beach life, word of a 3 day mountain bike race leaving in the morning, and the possibility of an air conditioned room, we decided to stay for the night. Fully relaxed, we kept VH1 playing old songs in the background all night, thoroughly entertained by the strangeness of early music videos.

Turtle Saviors

Back on the road, we kept rolling until a couple people made the worst mistake in the world--looked friendly and waved. Needing a place to stay, we circled back and once again got a yard to camp in. These peoples were way easier to understand and incredible hosts. A perfect combo of Spanish and English, curious but still gave us our space, and super helpful offering chairs, water, a place for our bikes, and even coffee that the man got specially roasted in the morning with tortillas and cream, as well as a local crisp pastry. Energized, we were able to ride all day to a town called Samara. The road there was literally a roller coaster, both in terms of hills and emotion. Every time we started a downhill we thought was the final push to the ocean, we'd round a corner and climb right back up. Nevertheless, before it was too late in the day, allowing time for a swim, walk on the beach, nap/reading time in the hammocks, and dinner. Besides a palm branch and coconut falling and scaring me half to death, it was a wonderful stay.

Steep Climbs and Beautiful Views

Leaving our little piece of paradise at Greensurf was a little bittersweet, especially when we remembered there wasn't any breakfast food left in our panniers besides coffee and a couple tortillas which we gratefully ate on the beach. Fully caffeinated, we took advantage of the first store we saw. However, the selection was incredibly limited so breakfast turned into Oreos and off brand Doritos.

A couple hours down the road, riding got tough. A combination of small dinner, a smaller breakfast, 100 degrees by 10:30 in the morning, a strong headwind, and a continuous, gradual uphill all attributed to us feeling amazingly crappy. Low on energy, we took some breaks in the shade and popped electrolyte tablets, but the steady climb in the sun was relentless. Not sure when we would have another chance, we took advantage of the next store we found. This time, our nutritious snack consisted of donuts and coke. Funny how when you fill your body with only sugar how quickly it burns through. Luckily we had all downhill to the next town and rolled into a little restaurant, so hungry thoughts weren't operating quite right in our heads.