Boats burst out of the locks Photo by Francis Zera Click on pic for race photogallery

Joey Zornes of Columbus, Ohio, was the team captain of the Baru, which finished 6th place in the open division. Zornes grew up in Panama, and last competed in the event in 1994.

"I have been paddling marathon canoes for three years and wanted to see how the two sports compared," said Zornes of his reasons for making the trip to Panama to compete.

Zornes said his favorite thing about the race was the people. "As always, it was the people. I met a ton of new competitors and my crew and I felt very welcome in the country. Cayuco has a certain spirit and camaraderie between everyone involved, " he said.

The heat was the most challenging part of the race for Zornes and his crew, who trained in frigid Ohio rivers all winter long, provided they weren't iced in. During the cayuco race, temperatures ran well into the 90s and the fierce tropical sun conspired to wear down competitors. Zornes' advice was this: "Drink water constantly, train hard. Drink water constantly; pick people you trust to paddle with you. Drink water constantly, eat a ton of bananas, drink water constantly."

"Passing through the famous locks is a memorable event; passing through them in a small craft is a once-in-a-lifetime treat..."

The race was divided over the course of three days. It began at Cristobal, on the Atlantic side of the canal, and ended seven miles later at Gatun Locks. Day two began on the other side of the locks and consisted of a long 21-mile slog across Gatun Lake, ending at Gamboa. Day three included passages through the Gaillard Cut (where the canal passes through the Continental Divide), and then through the Pedro Miguel and Miraflores locks.

Passing through the famous locks is a memorable event; passing through them in a small craft is a once-in-a-lifetime treat. The mechanisms that propel the large volumes of water from (or into) the locks creates great amounts of turbulence that required the use of row upon row of safety lines for the cayucos while they were in the locks. Each lockage took close to an hour in order to provide safe passage for all boats, and the ACP staff took great and patient pains to ensure everyone's safety.

Teams from Panama dominated the entry lists, although there is a growing cadre of international entrants from England, Costa Rica, Argentina, and the United States, many of whom return year after year.

Morris said he has high hopes for the cayuco race. "We envision promoting the Latin-American cayuco to the world and making it as popular and well-known as the outrigger from the South Pacific and the dragon boat from Asia. On a side note, all of the international crews who participated this year are already requesting cayucos for next year."

In explaining why the event is so special, Morris said, "There is a belief that once you taste the water from the Chagres River you will never leave it."

FactFile

General information:

CREBA (in both English and Spanish): www.cayucorace.com

Autoridad de Canal de Panama (in both English and Spanish): www.pancanal.com

Panama uses the U.S. dollar at a one-to-one exchange rate, so things are simple in this regard. They do have their own local coinage, called Balboas, but they're also in U.S. denominations and values. Expect staple items to be generally less expensive than in the states. A good rule of thumb is to explore at will, keep your wits about you, and simply stay out of Colon (it's sketchy there even in daylight) and the Darien Province near the Colombian border (it's mostly the province of drug traffickers and the like; kidnappings of foreigners are common).

Transportation:

Air: The national airline is COPA (which is affiliated with U.S.-based Continental Airlines), and offers daily flights to Tocumen International Airport in Panama City from Miami, Houston, and Los Angeles. Several other airlines also offer service from the U.S. A valid passport is required to visit Panama, as is the purchase of a $5 tourist visa from a Panamanian embassy, an airline, the border, or other point of entry.

Land: There are local buses in the major cities and some even travel routes between cities, but the buses are all privately owned and operated. They're colorful ex-school buses usually bought at an advanced age from bus companies in the States. Fares are cheap (usually 25 cents or so for local routes), but schedules are not always reliable. So, if you want to get somewhere in a reasonable amount of time, find a taxi or rent a car. Many hotels operate shuttles to and from the airport in Panama City, but don't expect them to be prompt or easy to find. Further, beware the usual Third-World scam artists outside the airport that will try all manner of schemes to lighten your load of cash.

Lodging:

During the race, we stayed at two fine hotels for reasonable group rates. You can find everything from hostels to five-star accommodations in the cities. We spent one night at the five-star Melia Panama Canal, ($65 p.p./d.o. and up) a hotel which was, in a former life, the infamous School of the Americas, aka "The School of the Assassins" where the U.S. military trained Central American dictators. Other U.S.-owned hotel chains abound; we spent the majority of our evenings in the modern and well-kept Country Inn & Suites in Amador, right on the canal ($110-$225 d.o.).

Area attractions:

Panama is considered to be the dividing line between North and South America, and has an amazing array of things to see, from the man-made engineering marvel of the canal to vast rainforests (complete with some stellar whitewater paddling and rafting), lots of wildlife, and pristine tropical islands.

Miscellaneous:

There are many good written resources about Panama; these two helped my travels immeasurably:

Panama, by Scott Doggett (©2001 Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, Victoria, Australia). This is a great packable resource to study before you leave and to take along on your trip.

The Path Between The Seas, The Creation of the Panama Canal 1870-1914, by David McCullough (©1977 Simon and Schuster, New York). A wonderfully detailed and readable history of the construction of the canal and the related politics that led to the establishment of the Republic of Panama. It's 700 pages makes it too cumbersome to travel with, but it's a must-read prior to your visit.

Take plenty of sunscreen (30+SPF) as well as some strong mosquito repellent. Forget about that backyard-quality Avon stuff; get hardcore 100-percent DEET. Trust me on this one.

Lastly, take the time to learn at least a smattering of Spanish. It'll make your life lots easier when you're there, mostly by showing the locals that you're not just another gringo tourist.

Editor's Note: For more of Francis Zera's photos, check out his site at www.zeraphoto.com.