SORRY FOR THE BLURRED PHOTOS. THIS IS DUE TO RAIN DAMAGE TO MY CAMERA.

I FIGURE THEY ARE BETTER THAN NOTHING!

.

This is becoming a habit,more rain accompanied me across the border into Panama. As always the border officials seemed to be very interested in my run. The Panamanian officer just asked me if I was travelling by bus, when I said no that I was running I could see the astonishment in his face. A ten minutes question and answer performance ensued for the migration officers. I had noticed that before he stamped my passport with my 90 day visa that he had been fiddling with his stamper.

 

 

 

 Paso Canoas, the border town hadn’t got much to offer. I was a bit surprised as It looked big enough to have at least one grubby hotel. I went into an electronics shop to buy a charger for my ipod. I couldn’t remember the Spanish word for charger and do you think I could make the man behind the counter understand me.. Not a hope despite pulling out the ipod, pointing to the low power and then to the wall socket! I didn’t want to give up on this but finally did after about a minute of frustration! My first impression of Panama is that they are poor communicators. This impresssion lasted all the way to Panama City. I have also been told that the Spanish spoken here is a bit ‘ rougher ‘ than elsewhere in Latin America. Whereas before I have had few problems making myself understood even with my basic Spanish, here they seemed to have problems understanding me!

A money changer at the border told me there is a gringos hostel called the International Pension about 2km up the road on the way out of town. It was very dark as I ran over a flooded bridge in the torrential rain. Just before the pension I came to an immigration checkpoint. This was the first time since since the USA that I was asked to show my passport on the road. I was really pissed off when the officer pointed out in my passport that I had received a stamp for October 14th instead of November 14th. The officer back at the border had obviously knocked off a month while fiddling with his stamper. What with the rain and my sheer displeasure of ever having to make a backtrack (even if shorter!) I went into a minor tantrum. This officer was having none of it and told me to go back to the border before I got arrested for f***ing and blinding! I guess it was better for this mistake to be discovered here rather than the airport in two weeks time at Panama City airport when I am returning to Dublin for my timeout. The officer made a handcuff signal, so I just got the message and had a horrible thought about what if I had been deported there and then for my tantrum,what a disaster this would have been for the continuous route of my run!

Back at the border the officer was all apologetic, it was just one of those human errors I told him before running back to the checkpoint,where I was told all was in order.

 Five minutes later I arrived at the International Pension which first asked for 12 dollars. I often get a room for half of my first quote if I say I don’t want tv, just a basic room no ac which amazingly always assumed I need even when the weather is miserable. A cooling fan is always a bonus.  I will only use the air condition when I am desperate. I had air condition a few times in Mexico and really didn’t need it.  I got no intention of getting too used to this comfort, as then it may be difficult to survive when I don’t have it. This time I got my room for $6. I had eaten 5 skewers of lamb at the border and wondered if this caused my lack of energy the next morning. It took me a good two hours to get out of bed as I just kept hitting the snooze button,so shattered was I.

 

 

 

Out on the road I made several stops before calling it a day at 12km. I have an invitation to stay a night or two in a place locally called Cruz which is a crossroads between the two small towns of La Conception and David. I probably should have gotten a bus to Normans place last night straight from the border as it was only 40km and I could have returned to the border minus my bag this morning.. Yes another slip up!

 I hitched a lift with two paint ball delivery guys. I will return to this exact same spot in the morning. They were good enough to phone Norman for me. Back at Normans house he told me he was originally from the Coventry area of England and had been living here about ten years now. He is a great motor bike fan and likes to cruise around Panama and Costa Rica a lot. Over the years has had a lot of bikers stay.

 His house is very interesting. Built on about 4 or 5 acres the lower part is completely open, no doors or windows. You just walk in from the gate to his living room. His kitchen and dining room are also open.  A very nice fresh air feeling, he doesn’t worry too much about the mosquitoes or snakes,it never gets cold here. The monkeys are the main problem. A couple of friendly monkeys sometimes come inside for a chase!

The house itself is on stilts with the bedrooms upstairs but the rest of it is wide open. He has employed a live in caretaker to look after the place when he is not around. Next day I returned to my spot on the road.

 

 

 

 I felt a lot better today and ran 36km as far as the junction at a town called David. I wanted to run a bit more but as David was 3km off the highway and all buses went through there, I just didn’t want to be messing with two buses when one direct on to and from Cruz will do. That night in Norman house I discovered he has a large music collection, so I filled up my blank 32gb usb stick with some great classic rock tunes. I am going to have great fun sorting through this on my timeout.  I think I will carry around spare usb’s with me from now on.

Speaking of my timeout, Stephen my contact in Panama City tells me that I might lose my parcel of excess baggage I sent there. I had his address and just sent my parcel on a whim. The very next day he told me that there as there is no door-to-door mail delivery in Panama.Most people use post office boxes.

 

 

 

Before leaving I called out to Norman.. ” Hey Norman what’s this you are saying about monkeys coming to visit you?  Where are they? “

 ” Out in the garden… You want to see them? “

 ” Sure, get over there beside one and I’ll take a family group shot! ”

Next day I struggled to run 20km again. It was another very humid day.Just as it started raining  I stopped at a roadside fruit sellers stall in a hamlet called La Pita for a snack. The owner Catalina and Anna his wife told me I could sleep on the floor of the stall that night, easy decision. After having my fill of bananas they asked me if I was hungry as they were going to cook their own dinner. I said not now but later. I was feeling very hungry. Later that evening Catalina came out with a big bowl of rice and meat and gave it to the dog. I smiled and nearly passed out!

Around 8pm I settled down to sleep on the floor in my sleeping bag. Two dogs slept nearby. The stall was covered up with tarps for the night. Just as I was settling down in my bag about twenty fruit bats came out and were flying around inside the stall all night, at least till I eventually fell asleep a couple of hours later.

 

 I had a return to form getting a couple of good days after that running 38 and 40km days. Stopping in a restaurant in a village called San Juan and absolutely soaked I had dinner. The good people there let me sleep outside on the step beside an ice storage chest. First I got some cardboard to lie on and also to put up my shirt. I will have a problem drying my clothes tonight as it looks like the rain is down for the night. I don’t have any change of clothes now as remember I am running with just a backpack and a lightened load. Body heat, newspapers and cardboard will have to dry my clothes out as I sleep in them. My sleeping bag smells of ammonia, I don’t know what means. In the middle of the night the ice delivery man arrived to refill the ice  storage chest. Rudely he kicked my water bottle out of his way and just pushed past me lying on the ground spraying me with cold ice as he restocked the ice chest without even an apology.

Further on up the road two Californian motor bikers stopped to shoot an interview on their camera. One of them is wearing a cam-corder and records everything live which is relayed back to their website. Cool if you can do it, many people asked me if that is possible for me. I think it would be,but the technology would be way above me and probly use huge amount of bandwidth on the site. These guys are surfers and are cruising down the coast renting surf boards as they go.

I ran on another ten km getting another drowning as shortly after I started running it started raining yet again. I finished at the Crossway Bar and Restaurant in Tole at km 338. It was another one of those open air restaurants. In I went like a drowned rat shivering as I went,for the rain was cold. I asked the man behind the bar for a towel to dry off. His name was Julio but he bore the resemblance of Woody Allen.

 ” Sorry I got no towel. ” said Woody. ” But this is a bar, restaurant and that’s your house there and you have no towel! ” I asked for some newspapers to dry off and ordered a beef steak, fries along with a portion of a type of fried banana plant. Almost everything in Central America is fried, usually in the cheapest frying oil. I also ordered a mug of hot milk. I changed into my driest of damp clothes and waited and waited and waited as Woody talked and talked serving the odd bottle of beer to the locals. I continued to shiver as I was just wearing only my thin MSB singlet.Three girls walked in and ordered chicken dinners. So eventually Woody comes over to me and tells me he has no beef, only chicken. Nice and convenient I think, don’t put yourself out and what about my hot milk. Everyone is watching me dry off with the newspapers. I even stuffed them up my shirt and down my shorts. I am shivering. I look across at a table where five men have their coats hanging on the back of their chairs. I was very close to asking one of them if I could wear one till I warmed up, but I didn’t.  Eventually I got my warm drink.I wondered if this was a bar in the USA, Canada or even Ireland would the people have offered assistance,maybe even a coat to wear for an hour or two. I am certain they would, as they are generally more compassionate societies. Here it seems people are only interested in what’s in it for themselves. Many times when I am in need,that’s when the staring stops and the indifference starts. The three girls were served before me. I got my two piece chicken dinner which was just one small chicken drumstick cut in two, a popular scam here. No fries I was told, and was just given a double dose of the tasteless rubbery banana plants! I was of course grateful I could shelter for the night. Woody showed me a quiet corner where I could sleep on the floor. ” Hey Julio, that cushion behind the bar, can I use it as a pillow please? “

 ” No! “

 ” What about that tarp lying over there can I sleep on it as we got a concrete floor here? “

 ” No! “

 I was grateful for the dry place to sleep.

Next day I met the French motor biker I met last month in Nicaragua. He has teamed up with Andy from Switzerland. They are crawling along visiting every corner of the country. I also had severe diarrhea today and struggled to 18km before I called it a day and commuted to Santiago and got a haircut. Talk about an invitation to lose your strength!

 
When I checked my emails there was great news from Stephen in Panama City. He told me he got a phone call from the post office asking him to pick up my parcel

 Luckily I addressed it care of him and also put his cell number on it otherwise it would have gone missing. Stephen is an American pastor who has been living here for about ten years. Yosi, his Panamanian wife is due their second baby in a couple of weeks time, probably when I am on my timeout back in Ireland. So between the parcel, the hassle with the Spot tracker.Stephen has been very helpful in communicating with the office in Panama City,also my arrival and other issues we have exchanged over 50 emails! Not exactly the right time for all this extra workload for him, but you know what he said to me… ” No problem Tony, We are here to serve…. ”

Thank God for gringos! I am about 320km away from Panama City now. Stephen mentioned that he wanted to introduce me to some of his friends if I could make the city by Saturday afternoon. That is in six days time, really five and a half as he wanted to feed and wash me first as he put it before the meeting! So no more time for any wimpy energy crisis, time to put the boot down! I owe it to Stephen to try and make it. I am sure this is the last running I will do before my surprise time out for my sister Ann’s 50th on Dec 1st. I fly on Nov 29th from Panama City to Dublin.I will arrive in Dublin on the 30th and hide till midnight!

SEE THE VIDEO AND HER SHOCK OF MY ARRIVAL AT HER HOUSE ON THE STROKE OF MIDNIGHT PRESS > HERE

 I based myself for three nights in all in a cheap hotel in Santiago, so was able to run the next two days without my pack.

Next day November 21st I got off to a decent start with a 51k. I got off to a better start than the poor dog I saw in Santiago bus station when I was commuting back to yesterdays finish in Vigui. The poor thing had its paws tied and was put in a sack with it’s head sticking out. It was then put up on the roof of the bus. This lack of compassion is rife all through Central America. Many times I have seen unwanted dogs tied up, sometimes sacked and left in the middle of the road for the next truck to flatten them. The biggest problem I had today was burning the back of my neck where I had long hair only yesterday! It was very hot. I usually try to push on through the hot mid-day heat but,usually slow up significantly.

I stopped at a roadside fruit stall to buy just two bananas and the girl there was going to wrap them in a plastic bag! I told her not to bother as I was going to eat them on the spot. In every store I go to they want to wrap up everything I buy and on two occasions even my ice creams!

Then a 56km day in which I had some diarrhoea issues! I just rushed for the nearest hedge or covering and droped my pants, not really caring too much about passing traffic, been doing this too long now to care!

 Outside Magazine say the interview I recently did will appear in the February issue. This is a very big American publication.

 My friend Jesper Olsen who is currently running through South America  is in Colombia at the moment. He says his support vehicle driver would be willing to crew for me in the Andes Mountains for the next 5 months or so. Unfortunately due to my timeout we will not be meeting on the road in Colombia because by the time I get back he will be in Cuba. His driver Alexander is from Colombia and the whole deal including the hire of his vehicle, his pay, petrol,tolls and daily allowance works out at around 2,000 dollars a month. A huge amount for me. My fundraising has not gone well. To date I have only raised 50 euro! Thanks Ciaron! Jesper has had support vehicles for over 3 years in total now on his two runs and warns me that due to excessive heat and conditions,that his running right now in Colombia was even more difficult than his Sahara Desert crossing! So I guess I got to get it either way as I will be pounding those same roads in about three weeks time!

 I’m still motivated and loving the dream, loving the challenges, it will be something to tell the grand kids, or even kids if I stay still long enough first!

The Panamanians are still having huge problems understanding me! Can you believe one didn’t  understand me when I asked for a Coca Cola!! Twice I stopped on the way to Divisa a 56km run and had this problem. There are also many Chinese serving in the shops.The  Chinese came here during the construction of the Panama Canal almost 100 years ago, and then they just stayed. I don’t seem to have this communication problem with the Chinese!

 Then another great day, a 59km to just outside the town of Penenome. I took a bus back to Agua Dulce (Sweet Water) where I had left my bag this morning at the Protection Civil, or Civil Defence as we call them back home. I had arrived there this morning looking for a new base and met these great guys who were very excited by my run. Tonight when I got back after my run I was fed, given a bed and the use of a computer. The boss brought his wife and family back to the base for photos and a nice chat. Nice Panamanian hospitality!

 

 

 

 I got an idea and asked the chief if there was a chance they could deliver my pack in their office in La Chorrea. No problem. That is 120km away, I will have to make there in two days. I wont even take my sleeping bag with me, will just have to find a squalor dollar room tomorrow!

The next day 61km was reeled out, I am getting really tired now and looking forward to my timeout It was also Thanksgiving day here which seems to be celebrated by many Panamanians. I met some Americans in a Pizza joint in San Carlos when I stopped for the night.

Next morning before running out of San Carlos I stopped for breakfast and briefly spoke to an American from Illinois. He told me he loves living here so much as the American government did all it could to make it difficult  for him to run his construction company. He told me his opinion of the so called Patriots Act, introduced after 9-eleven is just an excuse to interfere with his and other peoples business and a way of raising extra taxes. He went on to tell me.

” Here the climate is great, I can do what I like, I bought a cheap house seven years ago. I worked on that house extending it a lot and it’s now a mansion. I am married to a drop dead gorgeous Panamanian woman.”

He went on. ” Here I got a paint company. You know the Panamanians paint everything by brush, they don’t use compressors even though they have them here.

“So I got an advantage, I spray everything and can do a fast job and earn a lot of money. You know I can’t even get the heads for my compressor here. I got to send off to the States to order them.”

I followed up yesterdays good run with a 58km finishing up at the La Chorrea Civil Defence office. On the way I passed through some very dodgy territory. La Chorrea gives me the creeps, a very dangerous place with some unsavory characters, not a place to hang around long in. I am glad I am staying with my friends in the Civil Protection. Everyone keeps telling me not to talk to anyone once I near Panama City.

 

 

 

 

Do not stop to speak to anyone around here, I was warned, It’s very dangerous around here.

 I also stopped at a bar-b-q place near km 55. It was frequented by gringos so I guess the staff have developed a rip off mentality. My timing was perfect. I went in just as a heavy rain shower lashed me off the road.  I saw delicious beef steaks, large chicken breasts, and larges strings of sausages on the grill. A dollar each I was told. Eventually the food arrived. It was cut up and served in a basket, about one third the amount which was displayed. When the bill (minus receipt) came I was told 9 dollars, well there was a $2 milk shake but even still. Less food than one expects is a common Panamanian con here. In other places when I picked them up on this and asked for a larger serving as they dished it out, I was charged on the double! Here shocked I just meekly payed up and did not even get a bill or receipt. I left with the impression that the staff were just pocketing this. Later when I left I was very annoyed with myself that I didn’t question the bill. So many transactions in Panama leave you wondering if everyone is trying to pull a ‘ fast one. ‘

For instance the next day when I stopped for a tub of ice cream at a store behind bars. The ice cream tub had the clearly labeled Neapolitan label with the distinctive pink, lemon and brown stripes on it. Inside the very loosely closed tub was homemade plain ice cream packed in a used tub, with just a few currants tossed in! In fact it was much more delicious than the Neapolitan!

 

 

 

 It was very hot that last morning as I ran towards Panama City.The traffic was very heavy and not helped by about ten kilometers of road works. Many times cars and trucks just drove in the hard shoulder running me out of it and into the rough grass verge. The passengers even reached out their windows and moved the red traffic cones in order to pass other traffic on the inside, driving on in a work in progress part of the road as they went.

In the 525km from the border I must have run over at least 100 bridges. Almost every single bridge was built by the Americans in the 1950′s. I wondered if this was a price they paid for the use of the Panama Canal the construction of which drastically shortened many shipping routes around the world, cutting out the necessity to sail down to the stormy waters of the tip of the South American continent, some 11,000 plus kilometers away. It also means the cargo ships can just zip right through the center of the Americas.One of the largest and most difficult engineering projects ever undertaken, the canal had an enormous impact on shipping between the two oceans, replacing the long and treacherous route via either the Strait of Magellan or Cape Horn at the southernmost tip of South America.  A ship sailing from New York  to San Francisco via the canal travels 9,500 km (5,900 mi), well under half the 22,500 km (14,000 mi) route around Cape Horn

More info on the Panama Canal.

  Stephen had given me excellent directions the night before. He told me it was not necessary for me to cross the Bridge of The Americas and instead I ran onto a road called Via Centenario which will get me around the heart of the city without going through it. I ran on down Via Centenario for about an hour before deciding it was time to call Stephen to come and pick me up. I needed to use a phone but the trouble was there was nobody about and my phone was out of order due to the rains. After 9km I spotted three truckers working on a broken down truck. They were in the shoulder. I asked one of them if I could use his phone. He had none, neither had the second man.The driver reached inside his cab and passed his mobile to one of the two men to dial Stephens number for me. I had told the owner I would give him a couple of dollars for the call.  He dialled, Stephen answered and told me he would pick me up at a police checkpoint at a junction a further kilometer down the road. Without thinking I handed this man the two dollars, which he pocked in a flash. I realized he was not the owner of the phone and as I departed told the driver I had paid his friend but don’t think he understood. It seems everyone here in Panama is out to make a buck, even on their own friends,it happens too often here.

At the junction I photographed my finishing spot.This is where I will return and restart running from after my timeout. Stephen arrived after half an hour, we returned to the Civil Defence for my bag. 26km today, a short day. 14,106km in 323 road days. Too bad I didn’t get to the end of Panama before my timeout. Had I not gotten the athletes feet and lost those five days I would have made it. That would have been nice and neat. So I went back to Stephens house and met his Panamanian wife, Yesi and their 18 month old son, Joseph.

 

 

 

 These people are really so good to me. Yesi is heavily pregnant and expects to have their baby when I am back in Ireland! Despite this busy time they are helping me resolve many problems including the missing package (which has been delivered), picking up a Spot tracker and dealing with the many emails I sent them. Thanks so much, great people. That evening I went to the meeting which was a gathering of their church friends in a house. It was a pleasant evening, about 20 showed up. We had a nice dinner there. I was added to another couple of prayer lists.The list is growing and growing, must be almost as long as the Panama Canal!

 On the way back we noticed that the car in front was driving very slowly with his hazard lights on. When we got closer we realized he had no headlights or tail lights! Just then a cop car passed and just drove on! Stephen and I wondered why the cops didn’t stop.

 ” That’s easy said Yesi… They are on their way home at the end of their shift! “

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 24th, 2011 at 7:26 pm and is filed under jogging. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.