Halfway

It has been 8 countries, 56 days, and 7000 miles since we left Utah. Don’t think 7000 miles is far? Try driving from Seattle to New York to Miami to San Francisco. You still wouldn’t be at 7000 miles, but by then you would get my point. Through blasting heat in Mexico, and pounding rain in Costa Rica half-throttle has made it halfway!

During our journey the only real danger we have experienced has been the traffic. We haven’t been robbed or chased by bandits. Crossing borders was tough, but I don’t think we paid anything that wasn’t due. We haven’t been pulled over by crooked police and intimidated for bribe money. In fact the only place we have had police problems was in Utah.

So where is the party? What did we do to celebrate crossing the Panama Canal, and getting to Panama City? We checked into a hotel and slept for 12 hours, woke up and took a siesta. Then we went to see Transformers and watched some giant robots tear up a city.

Reaching halfway in the trip has brought me no relief, or sense of fulfillment. Panama is the only country on this trip I haven’t seen before, the only new frontier. Thinking about turning north and heading home makes me feel empty. To the south is the Darien Gap and a continent I have never seen. After driving this far, I feel adventure pulling me south, south across Darien.

--Ryan