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Ron´s Trip
We live in one of the greatest
motorcycling locations in the US. Hundreds
of miles of relatively empty two lane roads that traverse some spectacular
scenery. Plus, there are plenty of
challenging dirt roads literally in the back yard.
The problem with riding in central Idaho, however, is our short riding
season. Hence, I began last fall to
search for the mid-winter riding vacation just about the time the Harley went
into cold storage. Originally, we
wanted to go on a ride in Patagonia, but despite the presence of suitable tour
operators and what appeared to be exciting possibilities, the logistics just
wouldn’t work out for this year. Seeking
an alternative, I was interested in Panama as a possible riding venue as this
country had been highly touted by International Living Magazine (www.internationalliving.com/panama/)
as an emerging retirement destination with excellent offshore banking and
investment potential. A quick
internet search led us to the only motorcycle tour operator in Panama (www.acs-panama.com).
After a few e-mail letters, which were promptly answered, we contracted
with ACS for a 10 day riding tour exclusively within Panama to go places even
most Panamanians haven’t seen. This
is a recap of our 8 riding day trip covering about 1600 miles on KTM 640s.
After
three airplanes and a full day of travel it was nice to be met at the airport in
Panama City by Taso, the owner of ACS, and his assistant Rene.
We were taken to the El Panama hotel in the center of town.
Because it was rather late when we arrived in Panama (also being Sunday
night), we were more appreciative of the nice room rather than the amenities
that this modern hotel could provide. The
next morning we met with Taso to go over the itinerary for the trip and get to
know one another. Taso Malakasis, a relatively recent immigrant to Panama, grew up in Corfu
Greece (see the ACS website for their planned motorcycle trip this summer to
that country), was educated in the US, and met his Panamanian wife in the 1990s
while working for an Houston-based oil company. Having a tour guide proficient in both English and Spanish,
not to mention having a passion for motorcycle riding, made this trip most
enjoyable and hassle-free. Prior to
starting our riding adventure, we spent an afternoon sightseeing around Panama
City with Rene in the SUV used by ACS as the trip support vehicle.
For anyone who has not been to Panama (or maybe who has only gone through
the canal on a cruise ship), the country is quite a study in contrasts:
ruins from the 1500s in Casco Viejo near downtown Panama City where many
modern buildings and name recognizable establishments exist, but also adjacent
slums and high density housing badly in need of paint.
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View
of Panama City from Causeway |
Abandoned
buildings San Felipe |
Anyone
concerned about safety issues in Panama should be re-assured that the most
dangerous thing in that country is a small poisonous frog; although the
ever-present garish “Diablo rojo” busses can be a challenge.
On our first day of riding
we were picked-up at the El Panama and taken to the ACS shop out on the causeway
to Isla Naos. This is an
interesting area of new establishments located at the mouth of the canal and
with a great view of downtown Panama City.
Also of note, there is a brand new convention center located in nearby
Mirador. The ACS shop, in addition
to headquarters for motorcycle trips in Panama and Costa Rica, also serves the
tourist business in renting scooters, providing drinks, ice cream, and internet
access.
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Red Devil Busses had great
paint jobs |
Taso
gives Carl a briefing on the KTM
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