We love to venture into the unknown
01 August 2008 | Rio Tuira, Panama
Marlene
From the Perlas islands DD steered toward the Golfo de San Miguel and we stopped overnight at La Palma, the entrance to the Rio Tuira for an adventurous trip. Last year we did the Orinoco, so this year we had the Rio Tuira on our plate. It is a wild stretch of water, forbidden jungle and not without some danger, we found out ourselves. Our plan was to go all the way up to the town of Yaviza, a wild west town with a special police detachment to stem the flow of trouble from the nearby Colombian guerillas. From Palma to Yaviza it is 52 miles of jungle river. DD with 4-1/2 ft draft still had to use the rising tide to navigate this river. Rising tide allows you to float free when you hit ground. In Yaviza, the Pan-American Highway stops. It begins in Alaska and ends at Tierro de Fuego, Argentina. Between Yaviza, Panama and Arquia, Columbia, are only 60 miles missing to link the highway. Stupid political reasons prevent this important road to be finished.