Kuna Territory Near Carti, Panama
We drove into Panama at night quite exhausted from ~500kms of driving from Uvita, Costa Rica and checked into a $55 hotel in a newer fancier neighbourhood. I was told by the skipper of the boat (Fritz of the boat Fritz-the-Cat) to go to a hostel to follow an 4×4 truck down the Pan-American highway and then 1.5 hours north through the jungle to the semi-autonomous Kuna territory on the coast. I called the Marmallena hostel owner twice and he was rude and seemed to be telling me to come to the hostel at 5am. Since that would mean getting up at 4am I left on my own driving through Panama City at 5:15am 6:15am (my alarm clock was still on Costa Rican time) and watched the sun rise as I drove out of town on the Corredor Sur toll road towards the airport.
Contemplating River Crossing
The drive was pleasant with winding hilly rough pavement until the unmarked turn-off into the jungle on a dirt road. I was expecting a really tough slog through muddy jungle roads. I drove fast on the hard-packed mud and slid across the gravel as the road rose steeply and then banked and dropped into deep red-mud hollows. As I rounded one bend I was going to fast and hit gravel while on the wrong side of the road. When a 4×4 appeared on my side of the road the bike fishtailed as I tried to cross the road, slow down, and turn the curve at the same time – earning a honk from the other driver.
Eventually the road came to a fairly wide river of indeterminate depth. I watched three 4×4′s drive through it to judge the depth and best
Kuna's Preparing To Load Bike
route. It was exciting but didn’t stall so I was proud of myself by the time I slithered up the other bank. A $6 Kuna park entry fee was paid, then I arrived at a gate by the ocean where I was told my very heavy bike required $30 for transit to the catamaran. I negotiated to $25 and my bike was lifted with the help of 4 others into a small fishing boat. We arrived at Fritz’s catamaran where it was winched on board.
Kuna Boy, San Blas
There are 4 other motorcyclists on the boat – Ben (BMW 1100A), Tom (KLR650), and Mark (Yamaha 250) from the US and Torban (KLR650) from the Netherlands. Three backpackers; Simon (Swiss German), Ernesto (Australia), and Ana-Marie (Finland) were brought an hour after I arrived. Fritz told me I made the best time he had seen and since most of the other bikers fell several times on the road – my ego was boosted.
Kuna Canoe, San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
Details on how to cross the Darien Gap with (or without) a motorcycle by sailboat
Kuna Territory Near Carti, Panama
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Kuna Territory Near Carti, Panama
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Contemplating River Crossing in Kuna Territory Near Carti, Panama
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Kuna's Preparing To Load Bike, Carti, Panama
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Kuna's Preparing To Load Bike, Carti, Panama
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Kuna Island, Panama
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Bike on Fritz-The-Cat, Kuna Territory, Panama
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San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Torban, Simon, Ann Marie, San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Panama Exit Immigration Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Kuna Fisherman, Kuna Territory, Panama
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San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Kuna boy and Tom, San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Simon,San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Ann Marie Being Sold Bracelets,San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Ship,San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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ToiletSan Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Kuna Boy,San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Kuna Boy,San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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MarkSan Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Kuna BoySan Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Kuna Girl Cleaning FishSan Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Kuna canoesSan Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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San Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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Kuna CanoeSan Blas Island, Kuna Territory, Panama
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