Extracts:

28 January:

"It is great to be back here. Feels wonderfully familiar."

"I forgot how dusty it is here so my daughter now looks like a grubby little urchin."

4 March:

"We're having a super journey. Cycling a lot of hills and very slowly, 25 - 30 miles a day. Making new friends daily, well Tigerlily is."

27 March:

"Deciding whether to go straight into Guatemala or head to the Yucutan via Palenque, some of Mexico's most glorious ruins and then into Belize."

13 April:

"Tigerlily and I have Salmonella. She was not very well at all for several weeks. It's been quite a journey with doctors and finding out what's wrong."

14 April:

"I've decided to take us to Palenque, then down throught the north eastern corner of Guatemala, passing Tikal (more Mayan ruins) then into Belize. The road to Palenque is notorious for its attacks on cyclists so I have decided the only option for us is to take bus along the dangerous stretch."

6 May:

"Cycling in Guatemala has been hair raising. Too many abusive truck drivers who even manage to run cars off the road. So we mostly cycle along a terribly bumpy sort of hard shoulder that caused us to puncture because the path is strewn with glass and metal."

24 May:

"Distance wise we are just over half way. I have been clocking up the miles lately (67 miles the day before yesterday) and now I have a pretty rigid agenda to stick to in order that we arrive at pre-arranged dates to Plan offices and so that we can arrive at Panama to take a flight on Friday 7th July."

28 May

arrived at Managua, capital of Nicaragua.

We have covered 1506 miles
only 800 to go till Panama.

So far bike has punctured 4 times, the trailer twice. After making it from the US to Central America my favoured Nimbus tyres wore themselves out with all the weight bearing, heat exposure and some rough riding. Most roads are pretty fine but most countries have their fair share of terrible stretches. It isn't always funny cycling downhill dodging stones and potholes and who likes to put the brakes on a nice downhill when you've been slogging for an age to get up?

1st June:

We are so fortunate. Everyday we are met with kindness in so many ways; someone offers to escort us somewhere, someone else takes my shoes to be mended while someone else lets me use their computer. Of course Tigerlily is most spoilt, usually with sweets and loving attention.

After all the delays in Mexico we have got into a flow regarding cycling, particularly since getting to El Salvador. I think reaching halfway really spurred me on. Instead of 25 - 35 miles we were covering a day in Mexico, it's now at least 40 - 50. Must say it's been easy riding through Nicaragua. No real climbing. Costa Rica is going to be a bit more arduous, all those mountains and even glaciers. Oh well, it'll be somewhere to cool off!

2 June: - We get to COSTA RICA

From the Nicaraguan border into Costa Rica it was uphill for more miles than I fancied; not a nice way to enter a country by bike.

If another person cries ' povrecita' (poor little thing) at Tigerlily having to 'endure' this trip I could turn violent!.

18th June:

We are super fine; on the final days of our cycle venture.

Now in Santiago, Panama.

6th July:

Thursday 6 July The girls arrived in Panama city 28th June. Can't believe it's over so quickly.