Panama city
It´s a much more cosmopolitan and very developed city than first envisioned.
It´s not very cycling friendly but like any where else where they are rush to play catch up in traffic management, one can pretty do anything on a bike. The only place is new roads that are like highway but not designated as so, chaotic traffic is not an issue foe cycling, fast moving chaos is.
The old colonial part of Panama city is fabulous, but come and see it soon before it´s all bought up by yuppies. As of right now, there are still a heathy amount of working families living and partying there on the street, once the yuppy takes over, it´ll all be trendy cafes and expensive shops and private residents, very private.
I am about 200km outside of Panama city by now, it´s hot, hot and very hot!!! Freelance camping is good thus far, getting to sleep at night in the heat is tough but eventually one passes out. The roads are generally good with good marging of well surfaced shoulder, but being the only major hiway connecting the country, one can imagin the traffic. Eating is good, lots of rice and beef and chicken and beans. There are lots of chinese here in Panama and they seem to have a monopoly in the supermacado business here. Very bizzar.
I am heading toward Buca del Toro on the Atlantic side of the ocean...it suppose to rain less on that side.
cheers
