PANAMA

The Bridge at the border the other one was a lot worse

12-3-06
Its been a while since I’ve had a good rant so I guess I’m due. Yesterday my last day in Cahuita Costa Rica, I was enjoying surfing on the northern beach. I was done for the day and heading back to return my rented board. On the southern beach the waves are much bigger and more difficult. I had been watching the locals surf there for the past few days. After my morning session I was feeling pretty confident and instead of returning my board as planned I thought would try out the southern break. As I walked by the surf shop heading for the southern break, Daniel the guy who I rented from asked me what I was up to, upon telling him my plan he shook his head and laughed and told me if I broke the board I would have pay for it. That should have been a good hint right there, but one I didn’t heed. Daniel followed me to the beach and told me if I was going in not to get greedy and bail off the wave early instead of riding it all the way in, hint number two not heeded. As I paddled out I should have realized what I was getting into just making it past the break was testing my skills. After a few attempts I finally made it out past the breaking surf. I caught the first good sized wave that came, it was a great ride my best yet and you guessed it I rode it to far in. The wave soon crashed down upon my head and my whole world went dark. I have spent plenty of time on rivers so I have had my share of poundings; this one was up there with the best of them. My body was being twisted and crushed I bounced off the bottom several times, I lost track of up and down, just when I thought I was going to drown I popped up just long enough to see another wave come crashing down, this one soon spit me out close to shore. I dragged myself to the beach and all that was left of my board was about a one foot section my dangling from my leash around my ankle. Several large chunks of board were drifting out to sea, I just sat on the beach and watched them get smaller and smaller and they soon drifted out of sight. At about this time Daniel with a big grin on his face came over to check on me. I tried to explain to him it the board he rented me was faulty and it was no way my fault, he didn’t buy it, he did give me a discount seeing I was able to return the leash.
I woke up this morning pretty sore from my beating in the surf; I think I am reconsidering my pro surfing career. The ride to Panama was wet; it has been raining for about four days now. The border crossing was one of the easiest yet. Maybe after six crossings I am finally figuring it out. I was warned by several people of the scary bridge crossing I would come across. As soon as you exit out of Costa Rica there is a bridge, it used to be a railroad bridge so they put some 2 x 10’s down over the ties. Some are nailed down some are not, several of the railroad ties are rotten or missing completely, and many of the boards are cracked and splintered. It was gripping but not as bad as I was expecting. Turns out that is not the bridge everyone was warning me about. After getting myself and my bike checked into Panama I proceeded south in the pouring rain. About 10 miles south I came across another old railway bridge with a similar set up but much scarier. This bridge was about five times longer and about fifty feet above the river. This bridge also had no rails or sides and the boards were in much worse shape. I was extremely gripped, I even contemplated turning around plus the rain was coming down in sheets. After staring at the bridge for a while I finally got enough courage took a few deep breaths and started crossing, I slowly made my way across, I slid one foot along the rail and the other I dragged on the broken 2 x 10’s. I was trying not to look down but you couldn’t help but see the river passing way below through the railroad ties especially in sections where they were missing, it felt like it took an eternity but I finally made it across, I was mentally exhausted from the crossing and due to the heavy rains I didn’t take my camera out for a picture plus I didn’t even want to look back at it. With the bridge behind me I took off south to the town of Adelinte to try to catch the ferry to Bocas Del Toro. Bocas is on the small Island of Colon off the north eastern coast. Rob and Wiley two friends from Vail are now living in Bocas so I am looking forward to visiting with them. I arrived late and missed the last ferry for the Island, I checked into a hotel in this shitty port town were I am typing now. My ferry leaves at 5 a.m. so I should get to bed, hopefully it will not be raining when I awake, but I doubt that will be the case.

View from where they are building the house

12-8-06

It was raining the next day and continued to rain for a few more. I overslept but just made it to the ferry as it was pulling out.
Life on the Island is good. Rob and Wiley met me at the ferry and have been showing me a great time. They have a boat so we have been going out surfing everyday. The surf breaks way off shore on the reefs so you need a boat to get to it. Rob and Wiley have been doing their best to drown me but I somehow survive our surfing trips. The waves are very big and powerful here and they break over shallow coral, so if my blog postings stop you at least know what happened to me.
Rob and Wiley have a beautiful piece of land here. It is in the jungle with a great beach front over looking Bird Island, it is a little slice of paradise. They are just starting to build their house that will sit upon a little hill with amazing ocean views. If they cut their time surfing down they may actually finish it. I think I will hang out here for a few more days and than catch the ferry mainland and start heading south again.

R & W working the land, anyone with building expierence is welcome to come down and surf and live for free in exchange for labor, I imagine you will be surfing more than working.

Some tough banditos stole my motorcycle at the border, I was able to buy it back for a dollar.