Around Panama City: Motorsports Suzuki dealer, Panama Canal (taxi), Girag Air Freight
Mileage: 20 miles
Lodging: Hotel Riande Aeropuerto, Via Tocumen | PO Box 6-999, Panama City, Panama ~$94 USD
The Panama Fish Market
Dean: Today at 7AM we rode over to the fish market to see all the action and … there was no action. The ride through Panama City traffic to the MotorSport Suzuki dealer, Via Ricardo J Alfaro was bumper to bumper. While this is a large Suzuki dealer, it is very obvious they do not work on large cc bikes. Everything in the enter showroom was below 250cc. Our bikes with Jesse bags did not quite fit into their service bay. We now have some new character scratches.
They told us it would take till 4PM for the oil change and adjust Lisa’s clutch. Lisa convinced them that 11AM would be better.
We then took a cab to the Panama Canel. We got there as two cargo ships were passing through the locks. What an amazing story!
Back to the Suzuki dealer to get our bikes – $43 USD for oil change. Since we are heading to Girag to leave our bikes, we hide all our aerosol cans – WD40, silicon chain lubricant, fire extinguisher (wrapped and placed at bottom of Jesse bags).
Rode the 13 miles from the MotorSport Suzuki Dealer in Panama to the Tocumen Airport, 13 miles. There are two ways of getting to the airport from Panama City. Libra and Costa. Libra = surface streets with bumper-to-bumper, honking, cussing, life-flashing-before-your-eyes, honking, ADVrider salutes everywhere, honking, fist shaking, close calls at every signal light, etc. Costa = “Corridora Sur” toll road which you pass through 2 toll booths @ $3 at each booth.
Mirrors off, windshield off, antenna off, everthing locked up!
We arrived at Girag with fuel cell empty and only one bar showing for the main fuel tank, we took off the mirrors, windshields, and CB antennas. We place our riding gear (boots, jacket, pants, armor, etc into a plastic garbage bag and bungeed everything onto the back of the Tanji Flatbed fuel cell. The entire load was then PakSafe 140 and locked. Lock the Jesse bags. Take the keys to everything with us.
Lisa: Notice Dean looking all fresh and happy in the photo? that’s because he just walked up so I could hand him his paperwork that was already completed and he acted as though he had done everything. this is getting old!
I don't know why Lisa thinks this custom's paper work is so tough. Mine is all done! But the Girag Air Cargo cost $901 smakeroos.
Dean: The Hotel Riande Aeropuerto was 4 miles away and a taxi cost $10 USD. We could have stayed in town but the taxi was $25-30 USD per trip and 30-45 minutes on the “Corridora Sur” toll road. There was a free shuttle to the airport terminals.
We are out of here!!
PacSafe 140 cable locks everything in a cable bag.
The TFB is looking good with that Pacsafe.
Uhmm, TFB could mean something else…..
Is that a Beemer I see in the background?
Dean, I’ve seen that look. Use caution!
is that a gerbil I see under all that netting? You know that you can’t export or import furry animals into our out of or through Panama or any place else south of any border? I’m just saying……..
gonna miss you guys at White Stag long time since we had a good food fight. All the people now days are too “considerate of others” to pelt anyone with nice hard buttered roll, much less a jus from the prime rib.