We didn´t clear customs full stop because we were not planning to go back to Panama in the near furture. Its not a big problem there. We got our passports stamped in the San Bla Islands on the crossing which was the only point we needed to worry about.

If you are planning to take your bike back to Panama in the near future it may be something you will need to look into - otherwise don´t worry about it.

Note that Colon is a Sh.. hole. You´ll be lucky to make it out of there with your balls if you go there let alone the bike.

The bigger consideration is getting the bike cleared in Customs at the Colombia end. I take it you´re going to Cartagena? If so call in at Club Nortica and ask around for agents who havfe experiance of clearing bikes. The other consideration is that your boat/captain will not have a licence for carrying cargo. Its not a big deal but you will need to make sure you don´t mention HIS boat when at customs to avoiud any complications. You will need to unload the boat in the early hour to avoid the police too. Look into unloading at the Shell Station where the boats get there gas. Its easy to get to a hotle from there quickly. All this sounds scarey but it isn´t really a big deal - its just the way it is.

Finally - DO use an agent to clear the bike as its a hastle if you don´t know the ropes but be careful about how much you are goiung to pay. We had an argument with our agnet as we agreed $15 US but at the end of the day he demanded $50. We didn´t even pay the $15 but that´s another storey. Just be careful. Non of thisd is a big deal so don´t worry. We were as nervous as hell but all was fine.

Chris