World - BRIDGET THE MIDGET

Stuck in Panama

8th July 200914th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

There is rapidly increasing tension in Panama City caused by two really stupid shipping agents. Unfortunately until they calm down and sort themselves out Bridget is held captive. My plan had been to collect her today and do a 6,000 mile service tomorrow before driving on to the border with Costa Rica. So unless they get a grip there is every chance of a major eruption from me shortly. Although still a few miles away, I am also keeping an eye on the situation in Honduras which I hope will be peacefully resolved before I get there. Personally I am backing the BRIDGET for PRESIDENTE campaign although she will have to fulfil several overseas visits before getting down to sorting out the domestic issues. We now seem to have wrested the attention of our North American cousins and several invitations have been gratefully received for Bridget to visit. It remains to be seen, however, if they are anywhere near as generous as...

Panama – Gateway to Central America

4th July 200914th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

It’s a funny old life, sometimes it would be better to just go back to bed and wait for tomorrow. My first day in Panama and I came down to breakfast early; I had too, the traffic noise outside my bedroom window made it impossible to sleep any longer. The hotel agreed to move me into a quieter room and I should have realised then that it would be best to stay there. Breakfast is normally a very straightforward affair, cereal, fruit juice, toast and marmalade, and coffee. Toast; the most common breakfast item anywhere in the world except Panama. They have a kitchen where the chef will prepare all sorts of delicious dishes from around the globe, but he can’t do toast. I took a taxi to the shipping agent, my first priority, so that any paperwork problems could be sorted out before Bridget arrives on Monday. The agent wants money before he does anything. I explained that all costs have...

Farewell South America

1st July 200914th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

My last days in Ecuador have been spent in Guayaquil. This is Ecuador’s largest port and an intriguing city in that nothing is what it appears to be. The cathedral at first glance is a magnificent structure probably from the 18th or early 19th Century. In fact when you look closer at the detail you will notice that the beautiful stained glass windows are in fact modern, what I would refer to as printed. As late as 1915 the building was little more than a large brick-built warehouse with a reasonably imposing frontage. There is also a clock tower which would not look out of place on the esplanade of an English seaside resort; indeed the clock was purchased from England in 1842 and is still keeping good time. Teach the Swiss a thing or two about timepieces. Although I am guessing I would say there are very few, if any, buildings here that are a hundred years old and in...

Short and Sweet – Ecuador

25th June 200914th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

We had crossed the border into Ecuador with my feeling uneasy about the route I had chosen. I should have researched the Pan American more deeply but having looked at the map I believed that the route I had chosen was the Pan American. However the condition of the road does not comply with any description I have seen of the Pan American Highway. Bridget has just undertaken the toughest challenge she has faced so far. The road surface no longer exists on much of the route taken, but I have checked my maps and this really is the Pan American Highway. The conditions are as bad as those between Cusco and Nazca when I refused to take her further. In this instance I have little choice short of returning to Peru and trying the other route, but in Australia I established the policy of not going back because it was tough. The road climbs thousands of feet and then plunges down...

Birthday Special

22nd June 200914th March 2020 By roychinnorNo Comments

It is precisely one year since Bridget and I left the UK on this adventure. I had no idea of the challenges and experiences ahead of us or even if we would get much beyond Germany. I have been fortunate enough to meet hundreds of beautiful people and made some marvellous new friends. My thanks go to all those I have met, especially those that went out of their way to help so much, and in particular all the MG’ers in Oz. My thoughts recently have also been very much with those new friends that I made in Iran and Pakistan. I hope things improve for you all so that you are free to live your lives the way you want. Finally my special thanks go to my family who have been so supportive rather than just humouring the poor old man....