"j": start of construction 1975, finished 1976 … and still running

23.09. – 24.09.

Border crossing number 8 on my trip. I ‘m about 11 weeks on the road, not a bad average. A guest in the Hostel told me, that they want to see 500 USD in cash for entering Panama. For whatever reason. I’ve already withdrawed enough USD in San Jose to pay the transport of the motorcycle to Columbia. I open my wallet and let the 20$ bills slip through my fingers. The officer was satisfied and stamped my passport.

IMG_0368I make two stops to Panama City. David and Chitre. Chitre has the charm of a cockroach .. and it is humid. Just while sitting on the balcony sweat is running down my body. I stay at Mike’s hostel. When I looked at the homepage days earlier, I thought: Looks pretty good. But the photos are probably from the opening day. The hostel is quite runned down. Mike is a nice corpulent Americans around end of his 40. He is chaning place between the couch behind the desk, on which he has naps from time to time and which is also his bed, his laptop and a chair on the balcony. I’ll grab some food and a few cans of beer in a close grocery store. Since the running around is impossible, I sit down with Mike on the balcony. I give him a beer and listen to his story.

DSCF1268President George W. Bush made him come down here to Panama. Bush started a war, led the United States to the abyss and made ​​his friends rich. He tells of strange guests. In between, he points out to people passing by and tells me what they do for a living. He came to Panama five years ago and opened the hostel. He wants to stay no longer than a year, hire someone who runs the hostel and move on. He still thinks about how he can do it, that the employee wold not work in the own pocket.
In the hostel there are also three local youths with a baby, two boys and a girl. Mike told me that they have partied all night yesterday and have not paid for todays night. He did not see that they have eaten. Mike is worried about the baby and bought milk from the store under the hostel. Apparently they have no money. They wait for some relative to bring money. Sometime later that evening, after another nap, Mike discovered that they have left the hostel. One of the teenagers has thrown his mobile phone against the wall. It is spread in several pieces on the floor. Mike is happy that they are gone.

25.09. – 28.09.

DSCF1265Panama City has changed a lot since I was here more than 10 years ago. Skyscrapers jumping up like mushrooms. Banks , banks, banks … at each corner. Seems to be something like a financial center. The old town I see only at night when we go out.

On Friday I go to the cargo terminal at the airport and drop off the motorcycle. It’s pretty easy. A little paper work, I have to disconnect the battery and remove the mirrors, I pay 902$ and can leave. I can pick up the bike in Bogota on Monday .

The days in Panama are fantastic. Again, I see (unfortunately) not very much of the city. The time is spent mainly with socialicing. Very nice people from all over the world are in the hostel, we drink, go out and have fun.

IMAG0326I see more motorcyclists now. Even in Chitre, Mike told me that a few days ago another one stopped there. In the cargo terminal two other motorcycles were already wraped in plastic. A German guy, Tobias, stops at the hostel as well. He is traveling now for around 1 1/2 years, open end. He told me that he is going with the ship to Colimbia and that he had to “fight”, that they take him with them, because the boat is alread full with 18 motorcycles. I am sure that I will join someone soon again.

South America, here I come! And I ‘m really looking forward to it.

Thank you for reading, Jürgen .


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