I was on the road for 07.00, and after a quick stop off for a can of Monster, pushed on until I reached the Bridge of the Americas. (For those of you who may be unaware of what Monster is - Monster is an energy drink. Follow the links for more detais !!) Monster has a strange effect on me, and whether or not its physical or psychological, it definately gives me a boost. I feel a lot stronger after drinking one. It wouldnt have the same effect if I drank one every day, so I normally reserve it for "City cycling". Of course, I could just be talking out of my arse... you'll need to make your own mind up !

On reaching the Bridge of the Americas, I was pulled to one side at the army checkpoint. The official line is no cycling over the bridge, but there is a 50/50 split of touring cyclists who manage to talk their way into cycling across. Unfortunately, I fell on the "no cycling" side today, despite me trying my hardest, and was put in the back of a truck for the span of the bridge. A bit annoying, but on the positive side, I got to chat with some randoms in the back of the truck I otherwise wouldn't have met.

On the other side of the bridge, it was back on the bike, and into Panama City. I had geared myself up for craziness, but I think because it was Sunday, the traffic was much quieter, and I had one of the easiest entries into a capital city yet.