Sarigua

Colon

Because of the strike movements on the port of "Colon" Théa suggests that we be on site at 6 am before the blocking of access to the port and that we go to "Netpune" for the delivery of the "Bill of Landing".

We are there at 5:30 and we are waiting until 8:30 for the offices to open.

Then we go to the customs office to put on Christophe’s passport the stamp authorizing him to leave the country without the motorhome.

Then we go to another customs office for registration of documents and payment of the port tax.

To finish : anti-drug inspection of the motorhome ... a dog that dirty all the inside of the camper ....

We take more than 3 hours to make these steps under a small thin rain while looking for the right offices and in a very dense traffic where dozens of trucks enter or exit at full speed....

We leave our companion on the road and take a taxi to the bus station with all our luggage.

This one is in one of the most seedy areas of the country where the atmosphere is not engaging.

We connect Panama City in 1 h 30 then we take a taxi to the international airport to catch our flight in the evening

Long, very long day .... we land in Cartagena des Indes at midnight !!!!

Colon

We plan to visit the Agua Clara locks a few kilometres from our bivouac.

Again, it’s the wrong day.... It’s Monday closing day...and we can’t stay along the canal.

We find a parking lot and spend the day cleaning and pre-tidying the motorhome for its crossing.

Back by the police station. it’s raining all the time!!!

Théa contacts us to tell us the steps to be taken for the delivery of the motorhome tomorrow.

Portobelo / Colon

We leave this quiet little stop where we meet a very welcoming pastor who tells us the history of the canal while inviting us to his office ... We decline his invitation and he gives us two prayer books !!!

We head towards "Portobelo" while avoiding the town of "Colon".

On 20 March 1597 the city of "Portobelo" was founded by Francisco Velarde y Mercado under the name of San Felipe de Portobelo.

For a long time, it was one of the most important ports in Central America for the Spanish galleons who transported gold and silver from America to Spain. To protect itself from pirates, Portobelo built fortifications but it was attacked by the English admiral Edward Vernon, demonstrating the vulnerability of this port which was gradually abandoned by the Spaniards.

We do not stay on the spot : the atmosphere and the environment do not give us confidence, also we land at "Colon" on the parking lot of a police station ... This is as safe as it gets!!!

We spent most of the day driving ... with a bit of rain and through unfriendly areas." Colon " is not a tourist town.

Jason contacts us to inform us that he received an email from his freight forwarder announcing that his scheduled boarding is cancelled ... it is the same "RORO" as ours.

Little moment of panic .... We contact Thea ... this does not surprise her with the freight forwarder "IVSS" but for us, no problem, we are well registered on the "Torino".

Miraflores / Gamboa

It is time to leave the capital to reach "Colon" where we must drop off the camper.

Our route follows the iconic canal and its locks.

“You don’t know Panama if you haven’t visited the canal,” Panamanians say with pride.

Watching the gigantic ships transit through the jungle along narrow waterways, then crossing the locks, is rightly an unforgettable sight.

The canal was one of the greatest and most incredible engineering feats in history. The ships no longer have to go around the continent but can cut straight through the 77 km long canal, thus allowing a huge saving of time and money.

The French were the first to attempt to build a canal in 1880, but their efforts failed. During this construction, more than 20,000 workers died of diseases such as yellow fever and malaria, and the project was abandoned. Between 1904 and 1914, the Panama Canal was completed by the Americans, who then ensured that the new waterway was under American control. Panama did not become the official owner of the canal until noon on December 31, 1999.

To pass from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, ships must fill a height difference of 26 metres. The ships pass through three locks: Miraflores, Pedro Miguel and Gatún. An ingenious system lowers the ships using gravity. The journey through the Panama Canal takes about 8 to 10 hours in total and more than 14,000 ships a year make this crossing. They pay an exorbitant toll, but it is still much cheaper than going around South America.

Among the three locks in the canal area, the one in Miraflores has an overhang and offers an unobstructed view of the current operations.

We are witnessing the fabulous spectacle of a "RORO" using the lock.

Then we go up the canal to "Gamboa" where we spend the afternoon admiring the broom of the boats on the canal.

ROAD BOOK 111

MAVROS ODYSSEE