June 11, 2022 to June 12, 2022
June 11-12: San Diego to Panama City, Panama
After many months of daydreaming, planning, packing, minor panicking, and finessing the details, my departure day finally arrived. I loaded my bike into my parents' car and together we drove to San Diego for my 10:30pm redeye flight to Miami. But before getting dropped off at the airport, we enjoyed a delicious homemade meal with my aunt and uncle in North Park. What an excellent way to kick off this trip.
Once at the airport, check-in was a breeze, and it turns out my bike box weighed a measly 41 pounds! Clearly we have some recalibrating to do to our home scale. Security was also quicker than anticipated, so I got to my gate with time to spare. We departed on-time and I settled in for the overnight flight.
Restless and yet also excited, I arrived into Miami at 6:15 AM. I had a couple of hours to kill before boarding my flight to Panama City, so I napped a bit and filled up on breakfast.
The flight to Panama City took just over two hours. Upon arriving, I cleared customs and immigration and retrieved my bike from the oversized luggage carousel. I dragged it to a quiet corner of the airport and began the tedious process of reassembly, hoping I hadn't forgotten any crucial parts or tools to do so.
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Once reassembled, I rolled my bike outside, where the stifling Central American air immediately reminded me of the year I spent teaching English in Campeche, Mexico. The weather was foreboding, with afternoon thunderheads slowly amassing and promising a coming deluge. But, feeling charged and ready to go, I mounted my bike and pedaled my first of countless pedal strokes that would take me to Ecuador.
The streets around the airport were chaotic, and a steady rain fell as I biked four kilometers to my AirBnB on the outskirts of the city.
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Brian, one of my cycling partners, would be arriving later in the evening. In the meantime, I decided to roam the neighborhood and pick up a few snacks for the road to Sabanitas tomorrow. I also got a hamburger and milkshake from a little roadside stand for $4.50. Not bad, Panama. Not bad at all.
Today's ride: 4 km (2 miles)
Total: 4 km (2 miles)
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2 years ago