Hey everyone, it's Alexander.
After a week of rest in Nosara, it was time to get back to the adventure of making my way down to Ushuaia. Katy flew back to Toronto, and I jumped on the bike, ready to make my way south through Costa Rica and into Panama. What followed was some of the best riding so far, some of the worst driving I’ve encountered, and figuring out how the hell to get myself and the bike across the Darien Gap.
From Nosara to Panama: A Ride to Remember
Leaving Costa Rica meant riding through La Palma—miles and miles of palm oil plantations. Not the most thrilling scenery, but once I veered onto some back roads, things got interesting. Twisty gravel routes, jungle-lined curves—absolute riding bliss. Being a Sunday, it seemed like every biker in Costa Rica was out. At one point, I passed a restaurant with over 200 bikes lined up outside. It looked like they were having a great time and I was tempted, but I knew if I stopped, I’d never be able to leave so I pressed on.
From there, I hopped a ferry straight across the Gulf of Nicoya to the mainland, instead of backtracking. Nothing beats people watching on a ferry ride–exposed body parts, booze flowing, and some questionable decisions being made in real-time. I met some bikers heading back to San José, had a great ride after that, and made it to David, Panama by nightfall.
Crossing Into Panama: Smooth Sailing (For Once)
The border into Panama was super easy—one handler, $25, and 45 minutes later, I was through. Honestly, after the nightmares in Nicaragua, it felt too good to be true. David itself is named after King David from the Bible, which feels ironic given the absolute insane drivers I was about to encounter further down.
The ride from David to Santiago started off like any other—hotter than hell, sweat pouring down my back. Then, out of nowhere—rain.
Not just a sprinkle—a full-on downpour. The first real rain I’d seen since Tallahassee. And let me tell you—it was wonderful. The temperature dropped from a soul-scorching 37°C to 24°C, and I rode through it like a kid playing in puddles. I was already soaked in sweat, so why not let nature handle the rinse cycle?
Oh, and let’s talk about the crocodiles. Nothing like riding over a bridge, glancing down, and seeing giant prehistoric reptiles chilling in the river below. Later, at a gas station, I stopped for fuel and realized the monkey chatter behind me wasn’t just in my head. This place is alive in ways you don’t see from inside a car, and it was great!
Then came Route 5—and I’m calling it now: Best. Ride. Of. The. Trip.
As I made my way down from David to Santiago, the Pan-American Highway spat me onto a winding road running alongside rivers, ocean views, and rolling hills. It was dream ride with speeds ranging from 30–60 kmh which lets you really enjoy the scenery and wave at everyone. If you ever ride through Panama, take Route 5.
From Santiago to Panama City
Of course, that serenity didn't last long. Santiago was my next stop—home to some of the most aggressive drivers I’ve encountered and navigating the city was a headache. But the real adventure was trying to get my laundry done. The only clean clothes I had left were bright green yoga shorts, a couple of t-shirts, socks, and underwear. Picture me, rolling into town in full motorcycle gear—helmet, boots, and yoga shorts. A sight to behold.
But the real nightmare? Panama City drivers. I wake up every morning and tell myself: "Try not to be an asshole today." But that mindset doesn’t work here. The traffic is ruthless—nobody lets you in, brake checks are a way of life, and I saw three bikes down in one morning.
I found an amazing hotel outside the city, away from the madness, right next to an amusement park. I'm really just a kid so this was perfect and settled there as my home base while I sorted out my next steps.
The Darien Gap: The Final Obstacle
So, here’s the deal—the Darien Gap is a lawless, roadless jungle between Panama and Colombia. You can’t ride it, so I had to figure out how to get the bike across.
As a motorcycle film festival supporter, I've watched two movies about people trying to cross the Darien Gap on their motorcycles. One guy built a raft and used his bike to power the screw (propeller)–he was lost at sea for weeks. The other involved a group of army vets who used local "sherpas" to literally pull their bikes through the jungle in the most horrible conditions–the bikes never made it. None of those seemed remotely attractive to me.

I had three options: ship the bike, sail the bike, or fly the bike form Panama to Bogotá, Colombia. The romantic in me seriously considered sailing the bike across, but thankfully by the next morning I snapped out of that! What the hell would I do for five days alone on a sail boat?
Luckily I found E-Cargo Logistics. These guys were fantastic. I dropped off the bike in the morning and it was going to be in Bogotá by the next day. If you ever need to get a bike from Panama to Colombia, these are the people to call.
With that out of the way I was able to explore Panama City and it was wonderful. I took in a few museums, did some sightseeing amongst the beautiful old building and modern sky scrappers, had a delicious lunch, checked out the Panama Canal, and made some new friends along the way.
Next Stop: South America
Tomorrow, I fly to Bogotá. With the custom's office closed on Saturday, I’ll have a full day to explore the old town. From Bogotá, I’ll be backtracking for two days to Cartagena, where my friend Mora is waiting to help me sort out badly needed maintenance—new tires, fresh brakes, and oil change, and filters. We’re now 11,000 km in, and the second half of this adventure—South America—is about to begin.
It’s been a hell of a ride so far, and now it’s about to get even wilder.
Stay savage my friends.
MotoAgent out.
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