During the last two weeks the Ferrari Panamerican 20,000 tour has travelled through Colombia and Panama and has now arrived in the city of San José in Costa Rica. The two Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano sports cars are being driven by teams of journalists on a 20,000 mile trek that is taking them through the South, Central and North American regions. The journey started out from Belo Horizonte in Brazil during late August, and it will end in New York next month.

Medellin, 24th September 2006 - The Panamerican 20,000 expedition left Cali at around 6.30. The destination was Medellin for a date with the Italian Consul in Colombia. A large group of cyclists on its customary Sunday ride accompanied us out of the city as the road snaked its way to Tulua. This type of road differed to that which climbed the slopes of the Cordillera, with its curves and dips. Many varieties of flower appeared along the roadside as the crews enjoyed their weekly rest day. The 599 GTB Fioranos were then caught out by a tropical storm while they crossed a coffee growing area. The last stage of the day was windy and uneven for the last 60 km into Medellin. The city was reached in the afternoon and the team members settled into their hotel, one that enjoyed a privileged position over the city.

Cartagena, 27th September 2006 - The Ferrari Panamerican 20,000 expedition today enjoyed the final day of its stopover in Cartagena. Tomorrow the crews will board a ferry for Panama, crossing the famous canal that divides the American continent in two. The two days spent in this city have given the crews a chance to rest after the heat of the Brazilian coast, the winds of the Argentinean pampas and the swings in temperature experienced in the peaks and valleys of the Andes. Now came 48 hours of doing next to nothing and even the 599 GTB Fioranos took a break. The Prancing Horse cars have performed admirably and proved to be more durable than the crew on the tour.

Cartagena, 28th September 2006 - It was a very busy day for the Panamerican 20,000 crews during their two day pause in the city of Cartegena. The passing of the berlinettas generated much enthusiasm with the locals crowding around the 599 GTB Fioranos, if only to touch the livery. The city of Cartagena, was the setting for the passage of the vehicles and put on a spectacular show that re-enacted the battles between pirates that have taken place here over the centuries. Today the crews completed the customs procedures that will allow the 599 GTB Fioranos to board the transport ship 'Anna K'.
 

Tomorrow the tour will touch down in Panama, a destination the crew members will reach by air. Then the Panamerican 20,000 will continue its journey through Central America.

Panama, 30th September 2006 - While the Ferraris boarded the ship that would take them to Panama, the team members were on a flight to the same destination. There they took the chance to visit the famous canal. In the meantime, the new group of journalists that will accompany the tour on the next stage joined the expedition. The canal that links the Atlantic with the Pacific Ocean is now almost one hundred years old. Construction began in 1904 and the canal was inaugurated ten years later. Today, it is still widely regarded as one of the most imposing structures on earth and, recently, a plan to build new locks was approved meaning that even larger ships will be able to transit through the canal.

Panama, 1st October 2006 - The Ferraris left a little late on their journey to Panama. The crew benefited from the enforced stop to meet a community of Indios from the Emberà ethnic group in the Rio Ciagre river basin. These peoples moved to the area from the Darien region, a mountainous area covered in rich vegetation that divides Panama from Colombia. Even though the signs of modern society are evident and inevitable, the group jealously try to guard their traditions, culture and language.

Panama, 2nd October 2006 - The ship with the 599 GTB Fioranos on board has arrived in the port of Colon. As it was unloaded in the afternoon, the crew made the most of its free time by visiting the city. The expedition saw colonial buildings, historic churches and remains of the store rooms where the riches from the south were kept. There were also incredible attractions like the presidential palace, testimonies from the struggle for indepedence, modern skyscrapers, and the popular huts that surprised the crew members waiting to restart. In the afternoon, under the daily tropical downpour, the vehicles were unloaded and the expedition returned to Panama as dusk fell. The stint on the road was the cars' first in Central America.

David, 3rd October 2006 - The two 599 GTB Fiorano leave the hotel in Panama at 8 o'clock in the morning to reach the lock of Miraflores at the channel where the Italian Ambassador is waiting to greet us before we proceed to the road for our seventh stretch. The rain season continues to accompany us and our Berlinettas through Central America. The downpours settle in, and heavy rain drenches the cars along their way until the hours of the afternoon. The tour hits the highway, direction Santiago where the landscape features cultivated land, farms and villages scattered along the road. Beyond Santiago you can find the tropical rainforest and the road which runs like a tunnel through the forest where people are few and far between. After more or less 20 kilometres driving on a straight and non-asphalted track, which turns into a new and very pleasant road ride, taking the team to David.