A few overlanders we met in South America that are heading north are planning to meet in Panama for Christmas 2002.

Erin & I are shipping in from Venezuela, and the others are shipping in from Ecuador and Colombia. If you want to find out where/when, or can suggest a good meeting hotel, please send us an email by clicking the icon above.

Not sure about New Years -- maybe Costa Rica if not too expensive...

Suerte,
Chris & Erin Ratay


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Ride safe, ride far, ride often,
Email: bmw @ ultimate journey .com (no spaces -- wrote to avoid spam mail)
Website: <A HREF="http://www.UltimateJourney.com
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</A> 1999-2003 World Tour on 2 BMW motorcycles

Hi Guys, Sounds like an interesting trip.
Dont miss Porto de Galinhas just 40 minutes south of Recife for a fun relaxing beach stop with lots of inns and restaurants. Also Tibau do Sul and Praia de Pipa just an hour south of Natal. Have fun!!!!
By the way I live in Costa Rica now and would like to invite you all for a drink while you are here so keep in touch. As well I am planning on heading north for california on my XT600 the first week of january.
Jim
[/B][/QUOTE]

Thanks for the invite and the info! Already spent a few days in P.Galinhas -- nice place during the week, but had to pull out Friday when the beaches started to fill up :-)

Erin & I will reach CR by the first week of Jan to meet my folks for a few days(they leave the 9th), then we only have 2 months to reach the Mexican border.

What are your plans?



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Ride safe, ride far, ride often,

Email: bmw @ ultimate journey .com (no spaces -- wrote to avoid spam mail)
Website: <A HREF="http://www.UltimateJourney.com
" TARGET=_blank>www.UltimateJourney.com
</A> 1999-2003 World Tour

Our esteemed Chris Bright has offered a suggestion for meeting in Panama:

..when in panama, stay at the hotel 'central' in the seedy old town. the
neighbourhood is a bit dodgy at night (but then again, where isn't in panama?), but take a taxi and you'll be fine. bike parking in foyer. get some house bricks from the park oppisite to build ramp to get onto
sidewalk to get into front door. from 3rd floor front facing balcony you can see right into cathedral opposite.

he sent me another email to confirm parking
...you could fit 100 bikes in the foyer, although there probably aren't 100 rooms. the hotel was 5 * 100 years ago when panama was in its prime. not much has been done since, so it is a bit basic if you expect a lot of luxury. it has a very bohemian feel to it. the woman at the reception is miserable, but everybody else is fine.
---

So, looks like we have a meeting place for Xmas 2002 in Panama -- hope you can make it!

Chris & Erin Ratay

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Ride safe, ride far, ride often,

Email: bmw @ ultimate journey .com (no spaces)
Website: <A HREF="http://www.UltimateJourney.com
" TARGET=_blank>www.UltimateJourney.com
</A> 1999-2003 World Tour

Got out of Caracas before we got stuck there and just arrived in Panama yesterday -- Chris & Simi (Belgium A.Twin) arrived this afternoon from Ecuador. Waiting on news from a few other travellers...

The Hotel Central has closed down, so we are looking for a new site for our Xmas celebration -- hope to update this space in a few days.

For the rest of you -- Feliz Navidad!!


------------------
Ride safe, ride far, ride often,

Email: bmw @ ultimate journey .com (no spaces)
Website: <A HREF="http://www.UltimateJourney.com
" TARGET=_blank>www.UltimateJourney.com
</A> 1999-2003 World Tour

We will be in Boquete, north of David on the way to Bocas del Toro. Boquete is some 150kms from the CR border.

Pension Topaz -- Camping for $5/tent, Rooms are $10 (2 person) shared bath, and $20 private bath.

Otherwise, Feliz Navidad!!

------------------
Ride safe, ride far, ride often,

Email: bmw @ ultimate journey .com (no spaces)
Website: <A HREF="http://www.UltimateJourney.com
" TARGET=_blank>www.UltimateJourney.com
</A> 1999-2003 World Tour