Setting Sail from Central America

When I started this journey just over a year ago, my plan was to drive and surf my way to Panama, then turn around and drive back. After I got to Panama just shy of 10 months of driving and camping, I was reflecting back on my time on the road.  And I rather quickly came to the realization that I was not eager to undertake that return drive.  On the one hand, I would miss meeting back up with friends I had made along the way and stopping in the great places I had enjoyed on the way down--Las Flores, Barra de la Cruz, la Saladita, etc.  But on the other hand, I have been living in a camper for the past year, and notwithstanding my newfound respect for small space living, I'd like to spread out a bit and enjoy a hot shower every now and then.  I know, I sound spoiled, but that's just how I feel, and the one thing I am in control over is when and where I go.

Additionally, after I began investigating shipping options back to the US, it became clear that driving back would cost quite a bit more $$.  My shipping quote turned out to be right around $2,000 from Panama to Miami, whereas my V-10 camper, averaging 10 miles per gallon, with gas costing between $4 and $5 per gallon in this part of the world and a trip back of around 8000 miles,  comes in somewhere around $4,000, which I can also validate from what I spent on gas on the way down.  That also doesn't include places to stay and/or camp, food, BEER, etc.  You can make a case either way on the financial and fun side of the ledger, and I did wrestle with the choice for awhile.

In any event, I made the executive decision a month or so ago to put Nookie on a boat and ship her back to the US.  And, so, this past week, along with help from my shipping agent Juan, I put Nookie onto the "Seaboard Costa Rica" which is setting sail for Miami sometime today (tues, May 22).

Pic of the ship Nookie is scheduled to sail on--pulled from the web. The camper will be somewhere on that ship, not in the containers but maybe underneath them or in that area towards the stern of the ship.

I also found this handy website which allows one to keep track of pretty much any ship via their AIS (automatic identification system) used by ships around the world.  I plan on tracking Nookie's progress across the Caribbean to Miami this week on this WEB SITE.

I don't really have any firm plans, but will assess things when I get back and have spent some time in the states.  I may take Nookie on a tour around the country, I may sell her, I may drive back down to Mexico again, or something else entirely.  It has been a true adventure in all meanings of that word, and I hope to keep on that experiential path in the future.

Since the ship will take around a week to get to Miami, I decided to get out of Panama and take a bus up my old stomping grounds in Esterillos, Costa Rica.  I spent nearly 3 months here back in the winter, and have been coming here on vacation for 5 or 6 years now.  It's good to see old friends again, and I'll fly out of here next tuesday for Miami, where I hopefully will be able to negotiate the US customs process and get Nookie on the road in short order.

I'm not sure how much more I'll be posting here, but probably less frequently than before.  If I see or experience something interesting then I will post it here.  Thanks for coming along on this ride, and I'll keep everyone who is interested posted.