Riding the coffee country

I had an invitation to join some ExPats for an afternoon gathering.  I figured with some close attention to scheduling I could make it by bike.  Maritrini and I had rented a car to make the trip to David and it needed to be returned by 1PM today, the party started at 2PM.  The store in David was supposed to be open at 9AM, but being Panama, with its more laid back approach to life, it really didn't open until 9:55 AM.  Maritrini had to be at work in Boquete at noon.  This was going to be tight. We got back to her house in Alto Boquete at 11:55 AM.  I washed the rental car quickly and put the folding mtn bike in the back of her car.  We drove both cars back to the rental location, returned the rental car, then I hopped in with her as she drove back toward Boquete.  She let me and the bike out in San Francisco (not the one in California that we all know) where I rode up toward the party in Palmira in a steady rain.


There were reminders all the way up that I was riding in coffee country.



It was a 2.7 mile ride with 300 ft of climbing.




I arrived just a little bit early, but used the time to put on the dry clothes that I had brought along in a backpack.  The yard had Red Ti plants growing outdoors.  They grow like weeds here, not at all like the great amount of attention they need in NW Oregon.



We were treated to a wonderful 4 course lunch, prepared by a professional cook. http://latinamericancook.blogspot.com

It gets dark here just after 6PM local time, and the party was supposed to go from 2PM to 6PM.  I planned to leave a bit early so I would be off the busier road (relative term) and on to the rock road by dark.  I was happy when the gathering started breaking up just after 5PM.  I pedaled out under a heavy rain.   I had my Showers Pass raincoat on, but had all the vents opened up, and the front open.  With all the steep hills and warm tempuratures the battle was going to be keeping cool enough.  I had nylon shorts on and wasn't bothered at all by the warm rain.  It was just getting dark as I got back to Maritrini's home.

3.7 miles, 592 ft

Total for today was 6.4 miles with 892 ft of climbing.  11.4% maximum grade



........Road Bike........Rollers.......MTB..........Lifecycle......Total

Today ......0.................0..................6....................0............6

Jan.........0................ 0................0.....................0..............0

Feb.........0..................0................0.....................0...............0

March.......0.................0................0.....................0...............0

April.......0.................0...............0......................0...............0

May.........0..................0..............30......................0..............30


YTD..........0...............0.................30.....................0..............30