Day 645
The people under the stairs
So it was back on the road. We headed first to see the lock system of the Panama Canal and hopefully see a boat or two going through. As we approached, we could see a vessel high above us sailing through the locks. However, by the time we had worked out we had to pay to get close to the boat was long gone and not wanting to wait an hour or so for the next one we continued with our journey. Several times we nearly turned back. I mean we were at the Panama Canal for goodness sake! I think we both regret not turning round but during the next hour of so whilst we rode with the Canal in view all was quiet so I guess we didn’t miss too much!
It was another hot day. We had been warned that it was a busy road and with no hard shoulder we were worried it would feel dangerous. It really wasn’t too bad and we even had a police escort for about 5 miles keeping us safe, though the ever-growing tailback must have been fed up. Tom then took us on a back road past the Maddon Dam. Completed in 1935 it helped control the Charges River and created Lake Alajuela, a reservoir that is an essential part of the Canal’s watershed. It can store a third of the water required to operate the lock system. So we felt we hadn’t completely missed out and apart from one car we had it all to ourselves unlike the locks which had bus loads of tourists wandering about.
The heat was really getting to us so we decided there was no better place to spend the night than at a fire station, or Bomberos. We know that so many places such as churches, petrol stations and fire stations are happy to help cycle tourers by offering a safe place to sleep. The Bomberos in Sabanitas were happy to help. They let us set up camp inside under the stairs, so we didn’t need to put up the tent. We both had a great night’s sleep, thanks guys!
We were now just 30 miles from where we catch the boat to the San Blas Islands. We headed off early to avoid the heat. It was a stunning route by the sea. Tom spotted a sloth in a tree. It must have been lunch time as it was pretty active reaching up to pick leaves to eat. We were so close we had a fantastic view, a real treat!
By early afternoon we had reached Portobelo meaning beautiful port. Established in 1597 during the time of the Spanish Empire. It’s natural harbour serving as a major port to transport goods from the Americas to Spain. The city was repeatedly captured by the British privateers and pirates, which led to a successful siege by the British Navy during the War of Jenkin’s Ear. The Spanish had lopped off said ear some years back and we decided 7 years later it was as good a reason as any to go to war!
Today all is calm. The remains of the fort still stand overlooking the harbour, home now only to sea birds. We visited the local church, Iglesia de San Felipe, famous for its statue of a Black Jesus. Legend has it that a black slave spotted a large object floating in the sea. It was a statue of a black Jesus Christ. Immediately it appeared to be a sign of good for the town. A plague that was sweeping the area seemed to disappear with the arrival of the statue. So the decision was made to display it in the local church, where it remains, over 200 later.
We’re now in a £10/night hostel, Tom is lazing in a hammock, one of the dogs that live here is happily nudging the hammock so it gently swings back and forth! All is well with our world.
