Extreme sweating

Another sauna day - quite above 40 degrees... We also knew we had a rolling road, so we decided to leave after sunrise. Christian (the hostel owner from Saxony) made us coffee, fruits and a dish he called "Bennkeks", mostly known as pancakes, for breakfast - and off we went.
The first 20km were on the Panamerican Highway. Again, not too much traffic and a broad shoulder. Then we decided to go for the scenic route, highway number 5. What a beautiful alternative to the main highway! All day, we encountered more horses than cars on this road. Furthermore, we heard and saw many different birds, even a toucan. The route was green and shady and we enjoyed stunning views over the mangrove area.
The road was quite exhausting though, lots of ups and downs, all to cycle in this heat here. The area got dryer as well, so no more shade after 11am. A scorpion next to the road reminded us that camping spots have to get selected carefully.
We are also getting closer to Central Panamá which seems to be THE place to be for celebrating carnival. We only passed little villages, but even there they'll be partying 5 days in a row starting this Friday.
At about 2pm, we arrived in Soná. For the first time we are staying at the firestation. In many of the Central American countries, the firemen let biketourists for free, so it's often used by the guys who travel on a very low budget. As hotels in Panama are quite expensive, it's an option for us as well and it's actually a pretty good standard: we can camp on their 3rd floor under a roof and use their kitchen and their shower.Read more