Panama

Location:	Panama City
Mileage:	11,700

Picture - Bike freight

The first challenge of Panama is the second banana bridge. We ride around the corner and it is gone! There is a new bridge and the old one has been left to rot alongside it. Riders have a mix of relief and disappointment. So breeze over the new bridge and travel the beautiful road through Northern Panama, with sea views of Bocas del Toro and past tiny jungle villages. With only one night en route, we hit Panama City on Monday and get straight into the swing of bike freight.

The ride into Panama City takes us by surprise. Since we were here two years ago, the Panamanians have claimed around 300 metres of land into the sea, by building a completely new road into the bay! The Balboa Monument no longer looks over the sea but is in the central reservation. It takes some quick thinking to try and divert back to the hotel!

Freight is always an unpredictable beast. This time we have so many bikes, we have chartered our own plane for Bogota. But still it takes a hot and sweaty afternoon at the cargo airport to complete all paperwork and get Customs clearance for the export.

Panama City is always a milestone. We celebrate our achievement by going to a Panamanian folklore show and get ready for our flights to Bogota. There is palpable excitement. This would be the first Trans Americas group to ride in Colombia and we would be the first UK motorcycle tour company to take riders back into Colombia after a long period of overland travel being deemed too dangerous.

Costa Rica

Location:	Sarapiqi
Mileage:	10,900

Picture - Richard and Karen crossing the Costa Rica / Panama Banana Bridge

Beautiful and tropical Costa Rica. More developed than it's neighbours, and "americanised", with Burger King, KFC etc in many towns. Cars are more modern, but the roads are not. CR has some of the biggest potholes so far. Maybe its the heat, wet and humidity that plays havoc with road maintenance. Our first night is back on the beach, sandwiched between the palm trees and the ocean. The border had been horrific, with long delays issuing bike permits, so it was good to relax to the sound of crashing waves.
We then head for the central highlands and volcanoes. Arenal hides behind the clouds this year and it continues to be wet. And then we are stopped in our tracks again. An earthquake back in January had taken out the normal mountian road we use and so we had to do an impromptu diversion. Even this took us through the earthquake stricken region, as we slithered through roadworks, trying to rebuild the second road.

Costa Rica was proving to be more of a challenge than usual! But we all m ake it to the jungle lodge and more torrential rain. That's why it is the rain forest! The jungle clicks and buzzes around us and tiny brightly coloured poison frogs are dotted along the tropical walks. Most riders use their free day to go white water rafting or taking a swing through the jungle canopy.

Then it is border day! Everyone knows that the crossing involves two banana bridges - they have all seen The Ride DVD! These two rickety railway bridges always seem to claim a rider! Richard and Karen become the first riders to cross two up. Julia follows straight after (in 2004 she went down here, but now she's through!). Everyone tackles the challenge. Jim is the only one who struggles but he also makes it and we are all buzzing.

Its now Panama and the second banana bridge!

Honduras

Location:	Danli
Mileage:	10,100

Picture - Mountain roads in Honduras

It's tropical and sweaty in Honduras. We have a day off in Copan to visit the Mayan ruins, whilst Paul heads off to La Esperanza to return to a school that he helped years before as a charity project. Alas for Paul, his bike lets him down before he gets there. He manages to find local help and stays in a local hostal in San Juan, before being able to sort out the problem and meet us the following day.

Most of the dirt highland road in Honduras, has disappeared, except for a short 20 mile section of sharp rutted rocks. We bounce along it. Then its back to the Pan Am, a short stop for pizza, before the border town of Danli. The facilities aren't great and the hotel is basic. Three days in Honduras and despite the political instability, we see very little trouble. More military seem to be about than normal, but not giving us any hassle.

PS - The day after we left, ousted President Zelaya re-entered the country and all the fireworks kicked off again. We got out just in time!

Independence

Location:	Antigua Guate
Mileage:	9,700

Chichi is as delightful as ever and the riders wander through the Sunday market, but our departure the next day is delayed by the start of Independence Day parades closed the main road out of town. So we chill and watch the bands and dancers go by. It’s only 75 miles to Antigua anyway.

The main road is good. It’s been extended to dual carriageway and has perfect bends, but they are still working on it in places and you can find yourself back on the gravel. Antigua is beautiful. Lines of pastel coloured colonial houses, narrow cobbled streets all against a volcanic backdrop. We have two days rest here. The first day is spent joining in even more parades. The whole town is out waving flags, dancing, running the streets with flaming torches. It's a group evening meal tonight, which degenerates into a lining up shots of "Aguadiente de Guatemala" - the local firewater. At US$1 a bottle, it just couldn't be ignored!

Today some are nursing hangovers, the more energetic are climbing the volcano and others are just relaxing and getting done the jobs of the trip – laundry, emails, post. Honduras tomorrow.

Soaked to the Skin

Location:	Panajachel
Mileage:	9,300

Guatemala! The change is immediate at the border. It feels more intense, chaotic, poorer, colourful and happy. There a blue and white flags strung up everywhere and kids selling Guatemala flags – we will be in Guatemala for Independence Day. There have been changes at the border. Passports are quick and there is no tourist card to complete. Even the two guys on Customs rip through our bike paperwork. You could almost describe it as quick!

Everyone squeezes up through the narrow streets lined with busy market stalls and onto our first ride in Guatemala. The view is incredible. Jagged green mountains with bands of cloud and mist. Then wet season kicks in again. The rain pours down and the fog over the mountain tops is thick – we can barely manage 20mph and pass numerous accidents where locals have overshot a bend and ended up in a ditch. Even Aaron ended upside down in a ditch – by trying to squeeze past a huge truck that had come to a standstill. We all arrive in Pana, wringing wet!

We have found out that the highland road we take from Chichi to Coban is probably impassable. A result of a previous mountain collapse and that the detour is treacherous, closed again by recent torrential rains. As the weather has continued to be very wet, we take the decision to ditch the highland route and from Chichi head to Antigua. From here, we have to cross Guat City – not a nice prospect. We normally avoid the big cities.

Adios Mexico

Location:	San Cristobal
Mileage:	9,100

Before we know it the end of Mexico is in sight. We’ve spent the past few days sweltering in bright shine and high humidity, we’ve eaten fresh shrimp in beach front restaurants, wandered through the Palanque Mayan ruins, drank margaritas by the pool, bounced over a frustrating and irritating number of topes, tangled with the city traffic of Villahermosa, been bitten by mozzies and even had a small crash on a left hand bend in the mountain (nothing serious).

Currently notorious for swine flu and drug shoot outs, what we saw of Mexico was nothing like the media hype. Sure, we got the wet season a little earlier and heavier than normal, but that just made the landscapes lush and green and not like “desert and cacti”, which had been some riders expectations of what Mexico would be like.

Nicaragua

Location:	San Juan
Mileage:	10,500

Our border crossing is pretty efficient and we are in Nicaragua by midday and riding towards Granada. The police saw us coming and had a field day. We were in small groups spread out over a few hours and one by one we were picked off, fined for technicalities and fleeced of our dollars. It was only by the time we reached the hotel that we realised the full extent - over US$260 had been handed over to the police between the group! One nameless person simply paid the opening gambit of US$80 by the police!

The small Pacific beach town of San Juan delivered us the best sunset of the trip to date, combined with great strawberry daiquiri cocktails and the best seafood you will ever taste. We're all melting from the humidity, but some dive into the ocean to cool off and some stick to the naked theme - on a public beach - really!

Cabanas and coconuts

Location:	Costa Esmeralda
Mileage:	8,500

By the time we come to leave San Miguel, riders are falling like files with Mexican belly. Nick is doubled up and can’t move from his bed and Ed “Rigsby” also spent the night up and down to the porcelain. Luckily Gerald feels recovered to ride and Ed, despite being weary wants to soldier on to get to Huejutla. Kevin has already dashed on ahead – Huejutla is not the sort of place that handles hotel bookings well! – and Julia, Al and Aaron stick with Ed for the day.

Ed manages valiantly, courtesy of Miss Jones’ homemade rehydration drink (8 parts sugar / 1 part salt in a ½ litre of water) and even eats a banana mid afternoon. The van carries Nick and Danielle rides pillion with Chris. We all make Hue before nightfall.

It’s a Sunday and we are in a small Mexican town not used to tourism. Most of the restaurants are closed, so half eat at the street taco bar, some manage to find take away pizza and others have a picnic on the hotel veranda.

Today is a landmark – we reach the ocean for the first time since leaving Anchorage. The rain in Huejutla was torrential. The sort that soaks you to the skin in a matter of seconds. Over breakfast, we think about sitting it out, but the skies are black and, if anything, it gets even more like a raging waterfall, so we just get on with it. The mountain roads need great care. There are a load of trucks, split diesel, tight bends and unsigned topes.

But the skies lighten, the roads widen and before we know it, the sea appears on our left. It’s the Caribbean! A row of white cabanas await, fronting the beach and the crashing waves of the Pacific. Fresh coconuts welcome us to our first tropical beach night.

Andy – our Australian – having ridden 9,000 miles to get this far and having just decided to continue the trip to Ushuaia (he was to go home in Panama) almost ends his trip prematurely by running out of breath trying to swim to the sand bank just off shore to play in the waves with some of the others. Luckily three came to his rescue and pulled him to safety. It would have been a bad way to end a bike trip!

Margaritas at Mama Mia's

Location:	San Miguel
Mileage:	8,000

It’s the morning of Day 7 in Mexico. Mexican Delhi Belly has started to strike at the group. Gerald has spent all night up and down to the loo and is too weak to take his bike off the centre stand. He goes into the support vehicle for the day, along with his bike. It’s a snug fit but two 1200GS’s are squeezed into Charlotte (our name for the support van). Danielle decides to ride pillion with Chris, her other half, leaving Gerald and his belly to sit in misery. At the same time, one of our American riders, Jim, is suffering from a trapped nerve and is finding riding miserable.

Despite all this, we crawl into San Miguel. This is no mean feat, given the amount of road works and diversions we had to contend with today, along with some poorly signed but essential turnings that the group had to make and some inaccurate mileage on the notes (our fault – sorry peeps!). It’s great to have a group that can think on its feet and still make the destination when things conspire against them.

We love San Miguel and spend the first night in our usual haunt “Mama Mia”. Even more tequila, margarita and beers are consumed. The music blasts and we are all on a roll – we have a day off here and so no need for an early start!

Bull Shit

Location:	Zacatecas
Mileage:	7,800

There is no rest for the wicked! We celebrate our Copper Canyon victory with a couple of bottles of tequila and the following day have 410 miles to ride to get to Zacatecas. It is only a few miles down the road when Danielle and a cow have a brief meeting. Enough for the cow to shit itself over the front of the bike and shunt a few bits out of place. Somehow Danielle keeps the bike upright, but in the process sprains her right wrist badly and cannot ride. So we now have one bike in the van.

Getting to Zacatecas is donkey work. There’s too much long straight road! Once we get to the city, it is party night and a huge fiesta is being held in the main plaza right outside our hotel. Some manage to get into the show, others watch from the hotel balconies. It gives a real insight into the Mexican fiesta!

Up and downs in Copper Canyon

Location:	Parral
Mileage:	7,300

From Creel, the destination is Batopilas, deep into Copper Canyon. This is a first for Trans Am. There’s no doubt that Copper Canyon is risky. It’s a small single track road descending steeply into the canyon and running the valley. In some places is pretty good and in others just loose stones and rocks, lumps and bumps. It’s very narrow and there are plenty of steep drops to mess with your mind. At the top, there air is fresh and we ride through pine forests. At the bottom, it’s humid and sticky, almost tropical.

Danielle (our only lady rider) valiantly gets her bike to La Bufa, only 15 miles short, before she is too tired to keep her R1200GS going. It’s a wise decision for her to go in the van. The rest all make it to the bottom, but not without a few mishaps. Thankfully nothing too serious and involving wounded pride more than anything else. Jeff bangs a few panniers straight and we have a day off in the canyon to explore ready for the ride out. However, despite all making it down, there is an underlying tension about making it out again!

We leave very early, whilst it’s cool. Even within the first half hour, three riders have already dropped their bikes. Kevin is doing one to one coaching and chasing back and forth to check on everyone. Andrew drops his bike in the fresh ground up earth laid on the road (thanks to a busy bulldozer on our day off), Paul ends up in a ditch (still upright), “Rigsby and Miss Jones” (Ed and Lorraine, so nicknamed because he was her landlord when they got it together!) come off three times and twice in one muddy patch, Gerald goes down twice, Nick is down (but just the once this time!). But we do all make it out, a bit battered but all on a high.