Jo both legs down, panniers too close to the safety nettingJo both legs down, panniers too close to the safety netting
We were on the road shortly after first light and found a local food place where we got coffee and boiled eggs ,,, we wondered just how bad the bridge could be. We had read blogs about this bridge with one biker in hospital and another falling twice on it. Another biker told Gareth we may want to avoid this section all together just due to this Panama – Costa Rica border bridge.
We figured that as we had crossed the awful bridges of Anapa State in Northern Brazil we must be able to do this one, even if it is quite long.
We wound around obscure corners to the Panama exit, where a couple of stamps released us legally. The border formalities are right on the bridge access. Quite a few boards are missing on the sides and down the centre well is a train track and has to be avoided. I ask a local which side is better and he indicates left so off I go, Gareth is already feet down on the right side but nearing the end. Dave arrives safe too, “What was that fuss about” we all wonder. But all knowing a wheel caught between two planks could have been nasty.
Next, to do the entry formalities into Costa Rica ,,,,, the vehicle entry documents take 3 hours to get. The polite almost lady (Dave’s opinion) doing the work doesn’t seem familiar with the machines or requirements. We do a few trips to the pharmacy / photocopy /insurance shop to get insurance papers and copy the whole of the contents of each passport. We drip and drip as it is over 30 degrees but eventually, our day of travel ruined, we are free to go.
A cool pool and hidden Italian restaurant run by Luigi, an arm waving noisy Italian, revives us with garlic butter fish and fresh bread and sorbet.
Onto the port of Limon to the Park Hotel with a dirty room and ant’s nest in the bed and hanging under it. This town could be a gem if they would pick up some rubbish. Some hotel machine’s alarm beeped all night. Between the towns the jungle bird life is superb and we are on our way to spend a night on the side of an active volcano.
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