Mon 13/03-2023 Day 790

Pos: 09.2906,-80.0399
Loc: Past Los Morillos
Acc: Hilleberg Allak tent
Dist: 6,00 km
Start: 13:45 End: 14:50

I spent the las two weeks with Peter in his cabin in Sweden. We were working online most days, but took some time in the short light of the day to hike with crampons on the thick but lightly snow-covered ice of the vast lake in our backyard. Or we took our snowshoes and hiked where the snow was the deepest in the forests. We also enjoyed cross country skiing on the lake, and refreshed our skills on the downhill slope.
The contrast could not be stronger to Panama, where I am now. The average temperature difference in Sweden was minus twety to minus ten degrees Celsius, with a dry air and snow. In Panama it is twenty-five to thirty-five degrees, and the air is humid. But a regular afternoon breeze makes the climate in March more bearable and friendlier than when I left in December.
Two days in planes and on the airports of Stockholm, Milano and Istanbul with six hours of jetlag should wear me out. But thankfully, on the long Atlantic flight, I can stretch out on three seats and get some good sleep when the plane was not shaken by scary turbulences.
I unpack everything the same night after I arrived at ten in the evening to merge the gear I left in well-maintained shape in Panama City. I packed my bags at home with all the food I need for six weeks, and some itemy to replace or top up. I like to reach the island Roatan in Honduras this section. I glue a small spot on the hull early next day, check footrest, seat and back band, and the kayak is ready to go.
A tiny shopping run for only four items completes the preparations for this section. Why staying longer at the house? Alberto has time to drive my to the Atlantic side where I turned right last time. Now I go left! No need to paddle the Panama Canal twice, as the locks are still off-limits for a kayak. The drive to the tiny launching ramp besides the ancient Fort Sherman leads us through lush natural jungle, but all road banks are like a colorful trash dump. People are pigs here, throwng their food boxes and drink cans simply out of the car. At least I saw an animal – an ant eater, a rare sight for me.
The ramp is occupied with two happy families having a picnic while fishig. They – what else – play noisy Latin American music. Nothing for my overtird state, I like a quiet campsite to launch tomorrow! I better quickly pack, and paddle my heavy, freshly glued kayak on bumpy seas in fifteen knots following winds just six kilometers up the coast to a private calm beach in the wilderness.
That is all for today, the sea is low, no tides, and landing is easy. But I missed out to copy all my waypoints to my GPS! I have a blind date with the new coast, but I knew there are enough landing options among mellow cliffs. I did not expect to launch today already at all. I set camp, fix and organize this and that, and will crash to a reasonable time of the day to work on my jetlag. I will be up early tomorrow anyway! My body I sore, but sleep will cure.