(^42) Torti – Meteti – 77 Kilometres
On entering the Darien province, the path deteriorated even further. Nevertheless,
the ride was picturesque through a densely forested area. Police stops were
frequent, and bags were searched. Precisely what they were after, I couldn’t figure
out. Drugs, I guessed.
Once again, I couldn’t believe ants bit me, and it appeared I had developed a slight
reaction to ant bites. I immediately started itching under my armpits. It seemed
worse every time it happened. How strange.
Luckily, we reached Meteti early and shortly before the rain came down. It rained so
hard we could barely hear each other, just the weather one could expect from one
of the last remaining wildernesses.
Meteti – Yaviza – 54 Kilometres
The weather wasn’t merely sweltering but also exceptionally humid. As with any
good jungle road, the area came with a few hills. At Yaviza, our route came to a
grinding halt. The village marked the end of the Pan-American Highway and the
start of the infamous Darien Gap. The assumption that there would be a boat from
Yavisa to La Palma was clearly incorrect. This meant we had to backtrack to Puerto
Quimba, from where we were told boats left for La Palma. The lack of information
made this more guesswork than anything else.
leana
(Leana)
#1