The End

So there they were, Jeremy and The Rooster riding through Panama on the final leg of their journey. Not much was said between the two of them. Not much needed to be said. Jeremy's mind was too tired to be thinking about thinking anymore. And the poor 'ol Rooster was just rusting away, oblivious to his surroundings anymore. So they just rode down the one and only Interamerican highway, towards Panama city and the finish line. A rather uneventful and boring ride to say the least. But a quiet ride, where the road slowly slipped behind them, loosening the grip it had maintained on the Rooster's tires for the last six months. The final day proved to be one of the toughest- 140km, headwinds, terrible roads and hill after hill after hill. But they were not to be denied. Over the last hill they caught a glimpse of their final obstacle- The Bridge of the Americas. On the other side of this bridge was Panama City, their final destination. This was it. The last stand. One final climb across the river, where further upstream the Panama Canal worked its magic. However, as they neared the beginning of the bridge, a policeman blew his whistle and waved them over. After a frantic conversation in Spanish, in which Jeremy had no idea what was going on, he finally realized that the Panamanian police were not going to let him ride across the bridge. Why? Who knows. Even after offering to walk the bike across, the piggies still refused. So instead, Jeremy and the Rooster were escorted across the bridge into Panama City on the back of a police truck. And so that's how the trip ended. A Panamanian police escort across the finish line.

So, an adventure that began six months ago has now come to a close. Originally, the plan was for myself and Chad to do a 2-month road trip by car through Mexico. But that somehow evolved into the bike trip that was to be. We sustained a casualty up in Mexico when Chad was taken outa commission by the Puerta Vallarta nightlife. But hey, one outa two of us getting to Panama isn't that bad. For those who may think of doing a bike trip like this, I say just do it. It's been one of the most amazing, unbelievable, humbling experiences of my life. The situations you find yourself in, the characters you meet along the way and the intimacy with nature all add up to one thing - FUNFUNFUN! So, for everyone following our path, I hope this blog has been somewhat enjoyable to read. For the rated NC-17 version of this trip, you'll have to see me in person. For the rated R version, I will take Visa or Mastercard. And only after I speak to an attorney.
So in a couple days I fly back to Minneapolis. However, it will have to be without the Rooster. I'm hurting inside having to leave him here, but it can't be helped. In the spirit of the Godfather, sometimes you just have to axe one of the family for financial reasons. It's cruel, but hey - that's life.

THE END

p.s. If anyone wants to see the pics from this trip, just send an email to this address and let me know: henr0129@yahoo.com. I'll send out a mass email when I get them on the web. maybe in the next few months or so. cheers