Welcome to the jungle of Panama with its hard to reach roads… Something I will encounter more often, but I have never experienced it as bad as here. This may well be my last trail in the jungle of Panama, because the small trail I follow is barely passable due to the slippery stones, clay and deep mud. I've even ridden roads on ice when I had more grip. Despite this bad trail, I do enjoy nature to the fullest. I see great trees, but also wild animals. That is of course fantastic to drive in.

You should not take a trip to Panama without going to the Panama Canal. I can finally escape all the mosquitoes in the jungle and get out there! The miraculous piece of engineering of the canal lock was designed more than a hundred years ago to reduce sailing time and the distance between the Atlantic and the Pacific Ocean.

Camping along the canal was a noisy overnight stay to say the least, but nevertheless a unique experience to have ships over 350 meters long just a few meters past your tent.

However, crossing the canal proved to be difficult. If you're by car it's easy, just cross the bridge and it's done. But this turned out not to be the intention (read: forbidden) for cyclists. I decide to do the good old 4AM bridge cross because no one is there. Even when security saw me driving, they decided to let me go. Fortunately, because I saw no other option.

Panama is not known for its cycling routes. Most people travel through this in a week by car or public transport, but what I'm curious about is to find out if there is an alternative route for cyclists. I have mapped out a route via a satellite map to experience this for myself. My focus will be on the trails that have not yet been covered by bike, of course that can't go wrong… right?

The opposite is true. Slopes that are too steep and full of rocks. Plus, it's all way too slippery to drive over. Time to turn around... Because if it starts to rain now, I won't get anywhere.