South and Back

2011-06-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Eduardo Andres Campos 1958 - 2011

2011-06-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

It saddens me dearly to lose such a wonderful person.

There are only a handful of people who come into your world and touch your life in a dramatic fashion. I can say with great certainty that Eduardo was one of these people. I first met Eduardo when I started my Co-op as a student. Eduardo soon took me under his wing and trained me the way Eduardo trains people. He was ever so patient with me and allowed me to make my own mistakes. He is one of the main people responsible for my interest in engineering and starting a career in this field. From being his trainee we then became good friends. As the friendship grew we shared many interests which included travelling. He would tell me all these stories of his previous travels and all the amazing experiences he had from them. I remember seeing in his house the many photos of his adventures with his family and could tell that he loved every single moment. He has taught me to never regret anything in life,to live out your dreams to the fullest and to always be willing to learn new things. His relaxed approach and positive outlook on life has always been a virtue Ive much appreciated.

I want to extend my deepest condolences to his family. Tamiko, Eduardo always spoke of you with such love and admoration. Midori and Tamo, your father was an amazing, one of a kind, inspirational human being and Im truly sorry for your loss. If the family requires anything, Colin and myself are here to provide any necessary help at your request. With Tamiko and Hectors permission we have decided to set up a road side memorial for Eduardo on the highway the accident occured.

Eduardo, I hope where you are there is lots of powder in the mountains, sunshine all around, and white sandy beaches to kick back on. Learn how to ride that big wave!

I will miss you.

Buen viaje mi amigo.

The End of the Journey

2011-06-03T11:00:00.000-07:00

Derrick and I parted ways with Eduardo the morning of the 31st after our wonderful breakfast on the lakeside. Derrick and I were going to make our way up to the Northeast of Guatemala and see the amazing sight of Tikal. Eduardo having already "checked it off" had his sights set for the Mexican border after which he was planning on making his way up the coast as he loved his "beach to beach" traveling style.

We made the short trip back up to the highway from the small town of Panahachel on Lago Atitlan. Upon arrival at the highway we dismounted our bikes and said our goodbyes. Shaking hands swapping the words of caution and care we said what has become our final goodbye. Derrick and I departed south on the road while Eduardo with his cautious nature sat setting out the best route in his beloved Lonely Planet.

Presumably Eduardo then attempted to join traffic running northbound and from what can be pieced together from the reports and what the Embassy has found, he was then most unfortunatly struck by a vehicle traveling northbound. Those surrounding the intersection attempted to help the best they could by attempting to get information of the driver and get help for Eduardo. He was then rushed to the small hospital nearby in Solola upon which we was transferred to the larger Hospital Roosevelt in Guatemala City.

Upon arrival at the hospital his information was gathered and the Chilean Embassy was contacted upon which the Canadian Embassy was contacted. The Canadian Embassy then informed Eduardos wife of the unfolding events which had occured. Eduardo suffered from head trauma and internal bleeding which the doctors worked on tiressly through the night to allow for recovery. Unfortunatly he succummed to his injuries and passed on the morning of June 1st 2011.

Eduardos father, Hector, and wife, Tamiko, arrived in town shortly after Derrick and I had discovered the most unfornuate news. Eduardo is being cremated and then will travel to Vancouver for his funeral at a later date.

I first met Eduardo during a day of back country skiing. I will always remember Eduardo showing both Derrick and I up as he lept up the mountain leaving us in our snowshoes behind. During the span of this trip which spanned 11 countries I have come to know and deeply respect Eduardo. Sharing many tables and hotel rooms we heard many stories of his adventures and family. He became a great friend and mentor to both Derrick and I in our adventure around the world and in the similar lives we lead. Eduardo´s adventurous spirit was the heart of this trip and is what made it reality instead of a dream. Eduardo consistently spoke of his beloved family around the table as we heard stories of both his son, Tamo, which he passed his adventurous spirit onto and his daughter, Midori, who has his strong willed nature. We also consistently were told of the great travel stories which him and his wife shared. I am deeply saddened by this most unfortunate turn of events but am also comforted in the fact that he left us in his element. We will always take to heart his outlook on life and his encouraging words for us to go further with our travels and enjoy the ride at every moment. The memories of this great adventure with Eduardo will comfort us as we cherish his memory. I send my deepest condolances to the family and extended family of Eduardo who will be in my prayers.

Derrick and I both agree that our trip has ended in Guatemala city with Eduardo and as such the blog will no longer be updated. Please continue to leave your prayers, condolances and words of support for the family in the guestbook.

Gautemala, Panahachel - Lakeside Breakfast

2011-05-31T17:00:00.000-07:00

We woke up early that morning and headed for the panderia around the corner from the hostel. We had finished the tasty pastries by the time we had returned and quickly fashioned the jackets, helmets and gloves and headed for Lago Atitlan.

We took the back road into the lake, which traversed its way around the volcanoes in the region, by several waterfalls, and over rivers. This stretch of road reminded me of the interior of BC with the abundance of Pine trees and the lush green vegetation. This was one of the most memorable roads on this journey.

We approached the lake at elevation which made for some beautiful shots of the Volcanoes and the emerald blue lake below.

On the way down to the main town of Panajachel we passed one of our favorite signs. The road wound tight to the green mountain side and slowly made its way to the lakeside.

Once arriving in Panahachel we parked our bikes and walked along the small pathway on the edge of the water. There was a great cafe just off the path which overlooked the Lake and volcanoes and allowed for an unforgetable breakfast.

Guatemala, Antigua - Colonial Cobblestones

2011-05-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

We woke up bright and early after the wind strom that night and headed for our favorite beach restaurant we had gone to the night before. Unfortunatly they were closed, but the little boy which was hanging around the hut did offer to bring us to his home and have his mother cook for us. We declined since we didnt want to intrude and it was also a couple of km away. We sufficed that morning on the great coffee the hostess made up and used to energy to fix Derrick's chain. With the used master link in place with the chain that broke, we were good to go.

One of the nicest roads in El Salvador it supposed to be the Ruta the los Flores which is known for being lined with flowers up the brick walls of the narrow mountain road. At the beginning we could not figure out where the beauty was since we only saw the dense green forest and the lush sidings of the highway. Then after reviewing the book we discovered all the wildflowers bloom in November and only last a few months. So the Ruta the las Flores was a little sparse on the flower front, but nonetheless was a beautiful mountain road which wound its way around the abundance of Volcanoes in the area.

We headed for the border not knowing what to expect of Guatemala, although from the very start of it we were pleasently surprised. No one pestering you and only two offices, immigration and customs, and 20 minutes later we were onto the Guatemala side of things. Accross the bridge and we were surprised to again find things in order. Parked our bikes under cover, two air conditioned offices, a few fees (legit), and the road was open.

The first road we took off the highway turned out into a winding mountain road which made its way up most of a mountain and then traversed down to the opposing highway. Unfortunatly the beauty of the road up and down was shadowed by the garbage dump at the peak. By using this road we avoided the sprawling and dirty Guatemala City. A little bit of rain scared us into throwing on the rain gear and away we went to main colonial town; Antigua.

Upon arrival to our hostel we were again greeted with some fellow ADVers. An English couple, Mark and Allison, are two up on a BMW 1200gs. They traveled down through Africa from home, then across to South America and are now making it up into North America. Their blog is here: http://takingthelongwayhome.co.uk/.

For the evening we went out for some great pizza along one of the main strips in town. From there we went into the main plaza to soak up the town's atmosphere. There were big displays scattared about the plaza full of thought provoking photographs from international artists. We also marved at the fountain and the colonial church.

From there we just walked through the cobblestone streets slowly making the way back to the hostel.

El Salvador, Los Cabanos - To the Beach

2011-05-29T14:43:00.000-07:00

Leaving the our air conditioned room was a tough one. The morning was warm and humid and we couldnt wait for the air to be rushing inside our jackets to cool us down. El Salvador is known for its many beaches that provide excellent surf. We rode through many little beach towns and enjoyed the scenery. We made it just 10 kms outside of Los Cabanos, where we planned on staying, when my chain at the masterlink decided to split. Not knowing my chain fell off I started assuming the worst as I was in gear and going no where. I stopped on the side of the highway and did a once over on my bike. Noticed my chain was 10 meters back from where my bike was parked and picked it up. Colin and Eduardo eventually noticed I wasnt in their mirrors and turned around.

A kind local fellow stopped to see if I was alright and told me to follow him because he knew a guy who could fix my chain. Colin tied a rope to my crash bars and down the highway we went (not the first time hes towed me). We made it into town where we took a master link from an old o-ring chain and used that with my chain. With that solution we made it to our hostel. We walked along the beach to find a quaint little restaurant. Just a simple place with 2 light bulbs, palm tree roof, and a few tables and benches. The food there was probably the best food we have had all trip. The Mahi Mahi was wrapped around delicious prawns based in a amazing sauce. Was perfect. Then the tropic clouds came in again and we walked back to the hostel to call it a night.

El Salvador, Santa Rosa - Honduras in the Rear View, Where it Belongs

2011-05-28T20:43:00.000-07:00

In position to do the border which we had heard so much about; 100 km from border, early wake up and lots of small bills for bribes. The Honduras border story is one we have heard much from other riders we have crossed. ¨They asked me for 200¨ or ¨Wouldn´t let me out if i didn´t pay them 250.¨ We arrived at the border and were instantly surrpunded by the fixers we had heard of. We used one to show us the windows we needed to go to and paid the fees ourselves. It didnt seem to help a whole lot since it seems that everyone at the border is in on the scam. Even the lady behind the glass at customs we asked for money. After stalling and asking we decreased what one fee was and didnt pay the others. All in all we paid 50 each, and left with the proper paper work. Or so we thought.

We bombed through the shortest distance possible through the country 160km. We were stopped 6 times and asked for brides. The ADVers kindly refer to this stretch of road as the guanlet, and rightfully so. We paid a few "road taxes", as we began to refer to them, and bluffed a few off as we fought our way through the guanlet. Arriving at the exit 2 hours later, we thought this would be easy. As it turns out, we didnt get a reciept for what we paid upon entrance to the country, so we had to pay 15 each so they could turn their heads. Exhausted with all this stress, we paid up to put this country in the past.

With the Honduras stuff in order it was time for the El Salvador side of things. It was back to normal for El Salvador, no ¨fees¨ or hassles. This didn´t mean that the waits were over. 2 hours waiting for the customs to be done and well into darkness. We broke the rule of driving in the dark, as we proceded 1 km down the road to the Hotel del Aduana. Met some charming people at the restobar that night including a member of the Mara Salvatrucha and called it early to enjoy the air con and movie channel.

Nicaragua, Leon - Colonial town run around

2011-05-27T19:13:00.000-07:00

We awoke to hundreds of dead bugs littering the floor of our room and even more dead bugs just outside our bedroom door. We navigated our way down from the hostel and headed towards the ferry back to the mainland. We just missed one of the ferries so we were forced to wait. While we waited, Eduardo used the opportunity to have his boots shined up by one the locals. The shoe shiner told us he made approximately 4 to 5 dollars a day doing what he did. The ferry finally came at 11:00 am and we boarded to take the hour long boat ride.

Once we got to shore we rode off the ferry into a huge swarm of flies. They were everywhere so we got out of there quickly. We stopped at the first intersection in town and who did we see rolling down the street across from us. It was our Aussie friend Rossy heading towards where we just came from, Isla Ometepe. We chatted for a bit and parted ways as we didnt want him to miss the ferry.

We headed into a Colonial town called Granada for lunch. With our amazing (sarcasm) decision making skills as a team we decided to head to another Colonial town called Leon. Once we got to Leon we found a hostel called Lazy Bones. It had a nice little swimming pool, 5 computers, pool table and nice court yard to have coffee in. We had met a guy from our hostel who was from California and we all went out for dinner. As we ate dinner the thunder clouds rolled in and the a sheet of water dropped from above. We slowly waded our way through the downpour back to our hostel to sit in the courtyard to have a few beers and relax for the night. However that was cut short as the power went out. We all decided to hit the hay and have a early start to the next morning as we were planning on crossing into and out of Honduras.

Eduardo trying to camouflage himself in with the surroundings. Pathway leaving our hostel on Isla Ometepe.

Colin and our bikes admiring the graffiti work on the walls of the Lazy Bones hostel.

Nicaragua, Isla Ometepe - Jungle Stares

2011-05-26T08:58:00.000-07:00

Coming around the back side of Isla Ometpe, we would go through villagers who all managed to be outside along the road. The people would then all turn around from whatever they were doing and stare at us as we passed. Even turning so they could watch us leave. A few times they managed to wave back to our waves, but typically we recieved a somber head bob.

Starting off at the begining of the day, we got oursleves some fruit salad and a cup of cafe and lazed in the beach chairs unitl we managed enough energy to pack up. We were in no rush since we were only heading about 40 km away to Isla Ometepe where we would catch the ferry over and then stay the night. Derrick and I caught the 10:30 ferry while Eduardo stayed a little while to get his laundry. The ferry ride was rittled with Americans, all ready for their jungle adventure. Once we saw the mass amounts of gringos we were a little worried the island would turn out to be run over and not natural anymore.

Upon arrival we were assured of the non spoiled nature as the stares started instantly and the jungle became dense. We made our way out of the bigger town in search of even small towns; the natural ones. We found the place we were looking for at the base of Maderas Volcano in a small eco hostel. The road up was a little hairy, but similar to the main roads. Derrick and I had a quick lunch and then unloaded our bikes so we could go adventuring around the Volcano down the very rough roads.

While Derrick and I traversed to Island, Eduardo hit the beach on his rented bicycle. After our 2 hour adventure around the volcano, we set up in the hammocks for the rest of the sunlight read and ate fresh mangos off the trees which we were surrounded by. We then enjoyed a diner in the hut overlooking the opposite volcano; Volcano Conception.

The night was still young, but with nothing really to do in the middle of a jungle, we read for a while amongst the large bugs and ate some more mangos before turning it in.

Nicaragua, San Juan Del Sur - Border Crossing Fun

2011-05-25T17:33:00.000-07:00

Today our goal was to tackle the Costa Rica to Nicaragua border crossing. 3 kms out from the border we saw trucks lined up and we thought to ourselves that the border crossing would take forever. We decided to ride to the front of the line and see what was happening. Apparently, any trucks going North have to be completely searched, even unloaded, before they can cross. Fortunately for us we didnt have to go through this procedure. The Costa Rica exit was relatively easy.... Get passport stamped run around and photocopy then find Aduana and you are good to go for Costa Rica. Next is entering Nicaragua which is painful.

We ended up just using a border "fixer" to help the process along. The entire crossing took about 3 hours which is actually quick from the stories we have heard. The buildings to do certain paperwork to cross are all over the place. And money seemed to be flying out of our wallets for certain fees which we made sure were legit by researching before hand.

Fumigation

Anyone needing further information on where to go just send us an email.

Costa Rica, Quepos/La Cruz - Junglized America

2011-05-24T17:25:00.000-07:00

Departing from the dense jungle we encountered the same streams as our way in, except this time Eduardo's bike was dropped on the edge of the river, instead of in. The 30km of dirt road traversed its way through the dense jungle with a river, 4 streams and a little bit of mud. It was tame compared to other stuff Derrick and I have seen. Although Eduardo hadn´t been exposed to such conditions yet.

It was already getting warm when we got back to the Corcovado Penninsula entrance town Rincon. However once we hit the rough pavement outside of Rincon the rain began fall as we dodged the potholes which made up most of the roadway. 70km down and we were arriving back at one of our favorite gas stations which seemed to stock all of the parts we needed, including oil. We attempted to wait out the rain by changing our oil in the station, then fixed a few other things, and also had lunch.

After sitting in the restaurant after the meal for about an hour and a half we decided it was time to go and assembled our rain gear. We hit a few tame rainfalls, and then the mother of all of them as we entered Quepos.

Derrick and I waited in first bus shelter we saw in Quepos for Eduardo, and then we entered town once the rain subsided somewhat.

We found the hostel pretty quick, very nice and a gorgeous view. Only thing was the computers and free calls were not available do to some lightening strikes earlier in the day. Went down to the beach that night and relaxed then had a quick diner back the "Friends" cafe.

View from the hammocks at the Hostel

Quepos Beach

Me riding with Der down to the beach

We have found Costa Rica to be incredibly beautiful, although it is far more americanized than all of the countries we have seen. TGI Fridays, McDonalds, and Burger Kings are scattered about along with the abundance of English spoken. This all feels a little easy once South America is in the rear view mirror.

We really wanted to beat the heat and rain so we braved the 6am alarm and packed up as fast we could. This was a little delayed by the dozens of spiders Derrick and I found in our helmets though. We made it to Liberia for lunch and couldnt resist the burger king, churches chicken and mcdonalds all packed into a cafe mall. We decided to hold up in La Cruz for the night before we head into Nicaragua tomorrow. This border may also prove to be a hectic one so we will see how it goes. For the night, we are stuck with the pool and beach for entertainment; I guess we will suvive.

Costa Rica, Bahia Drake - Into the Jungle

2011-05-22T14:51:00.000-07:00

We woke up early to tackle the Panama - Costa Rica border in the morning to avoid the heat and large crowds. We crossed the border in a few hours with no problems. Just the normal run around : immigration forms, find insurance, photocopies, wait, wait, wait, wait, aduana, wait, wait, wait, go eat, wait somemore, then sign the papers and you are free to go. As soon as we crossed the border it seemed like the jungle rose up out of no where. Panama felt so Americanized with its Mcdonalds every few blocks where as Costa Rica felt wild. We stopped at a gas station to grab some oil and fill up. This gas station had everything we needed! We got ourselves a tire repair kit (finally found one), some new tools, valve stem remover, and some hose clamps. After stocking up on some needed supplies we entered into the Corcovado National park to find Bahai Drake. We rode into the park through some very potholed roads. It started to rain heavily, as it normally does in the tropics, and we decided to turn around to hide out in a restaurant we had passed by.

Canadian Oil!

Very large beatle.

Getting caught in a tropical thunderstorm just before lunch.

Almost

After our delicious lunch Eduardo asked some locals how the road was to Bahai Drake. They told us if its raining the rivers tend to swell and can make the roads quiet difficult to travel over. The rain subsided so we decided to try the route anyways. We crossed a few streams and then the road tightened and traversed uphill. It was about 25kms of offroading before we finally got to the river the locals were talking about. When we got there the rain had completely stopped so it didnt look too intimidating to cross. Colin and I picked our lines and made it across. Eduardo decided to find his own line and ended up learning some essential offroading skills and he also got wet. A few more stream crossings and sketchy bridges to navigate through we made it to a hostel in the jungle.

As the night came the jungle came alive. The noises that came from the darkness was incredible....We crawled into our sheets, put the mosquito nets over our heads and called it for the night.

PS. Go Canucks Go!!!!!!!!

Panama, Boquete - The Beginnings of Central America

2011-05-21T21:22:00.000-07:00

Rode our first several hundred kilometers in Central America today. We rode from Panama City to Boquete which is a Volcano just south of the Costa Rica border. This morning we went over to visit Rossy to see if he wanted to head out of town with us. Unfortunately, the bank wasnt allowing him to withdraw any money so he had to stick around to get that sorted out. Fortunately, for us tho the hostel he was staying at provided us with some maps of Central America.

The highway was littered with police checking for speeding. The road was pretty easy to put down lots of KMs quickly so we arrived in Boquete around 4pm. Boquete is apparently known to be the fourth best place to retire according to something which we heard from someone... We walked around town and grabbed some dinner then called it quits for the night at a nice hostel on the side of town.

Panama, Panama - South Again?

2011-05-20T19:02:00.000-07:00

So apparently Panama runs East to West, not North to South, who knew. We have gone further south than where we were in Columbia now but thankfully on the other side of that awful Gap.

We rode out onto Panama soil about 100km Northeast of Panama City with our new friends from the cat and went on the search for the Aduana so our bikes would be there legally. 90km down the road, we arrived at the Airport where we were informed the Aduana was. They turned us down and sent us down the road. We arrived despite the awful directions and asked around for the office. Found the office and got the people working away and it seemed as though things were looking up. 2 hours later, we were having our doubts. I suppose when the workers keep making phone calls asking how to fill the papers, it is never a good sign.

After finally getting the papers, we headed into town. Rossy went to an overlanders hangout (way better than our hostel). Then we settled into our hostel.

The crew

Road from Port to Main Highway

Waiting for the Papers

Arriving in Panama City

We decided to spend the next day around the city. The first thing we did was see the Canal. This was convieniently right beside the hostel, so we didnt get too lost. Looked through the museum and watched the movie of the history. The canal is currently being expanded which you can see in the background of the picture. The boat pictured has a mere 24 inches of clearance on either side and is aided with the tug boats (behind my head) and the rail cars at each corner. Quite the sight to see the boats go through, although very slow...

At the Panama Canal.

After the museums for the day were done we set out on the town in search of a battery and some smaller parts. Along the way we were pulled over by the cops, and asked for documentation. This is no big deal usually, but I had unloaded my bike and along with it, all of my documetation. The officer was not impressed and said he was going to impound the bike, fine me 200 US and then get Derrick to go get my license all while I sat in the station. He called for a police escort for us and then it all seemed to sink in. Trying to kill time and relax the tension, we were asking about directions to the battery shop and talking about the trip. Then escort arrived and we thought our efforts had no effect. The officer then with a smile across his face with mine still in shock, gives me the stern warning. Then he instructs the escort to bring us to the battery shop and wishes us good luck in our travels. An interesting situation indeed.

Cruising the streets of Panama

After getting the battery we headed out for the docks in the point where all the fancy boats come in.

Out to the ritzy part

From the point looking onto Panama

On the way back from the point we were taking a right turn and I braked for the red light in front of me (no right turns on reds down here). At this point I saw an SUV coming at me in the rear view then the tires squeling against the pavement. Bam, the SUV hits my tail, I jump off and the car comes to a hault just before running over my bike. The people got out too see if I was alright (fine, not a scratch). Then I asked if they could just back up so I could get my bike up to see the damage. A bent license plate, bent shifter lever and hand guard. No big deal in the scheme of things. Shake his hand and drive back to the hostel. I repaired everything before night fell. Then it was off to diner at the mall (Air con) and then a movie (Fast 5). Awful but entertaining movie. Would recommend to the car nuts out there.

Ready to tackle Pamana, lets see what excitment is waiting for us now.

Panama, San Blas - The Caribbean on Fritz the Cat

2011-05-19T19:51:00.000-07:00

I am very glad that the plane option was out of our budget because we would have missed out on this amazing boat ride through the San Blas islands. These islands make up part of the southern area of Panama and consists of over 300 tropical islands.

After 2 days on the open water we awoke to a beautiful sunrise in the San Blas islands. We had breakfast as the sun rose and were eager to jump into the clear warm water. Everyone grabbed snorkling gear and explored around the islands the Catamaran was anchored near.

Colin and I decided to try our hand at spear fishing. We both set off to the shallows to hunt for some barracudas. There was an abundance of tropical fish swimming around and the barracudas were amongs them in the shallows. We swam around for awhile trying our hand and spearing a few. The Aussie, Rossy and Kiwi, Adam made it look easier than we thought. After shooting at a few barracudas and missing lots we were defeated and made our way back to the boat for some dinner and relaxing while the sun set. The inside cabins of the catamaran were hot and humid so we decided to sleep on the trampolines at the front of the boat. We had the tropical clear water below us and beautiful moon lit starry night above us as we slept.

The next day we headed towards another small island and set up anchor once more. Around this tiny island there was a ship wreck which Jose, our chef/crewsman, worked upon. Long story short apparently the captain was addicted to cocaine, sank the boat, and took out another captain stealing his boat. For our last dinner Jose cooked up the fresh fish speared by Adam and Rossy.

Colin driving the boat under the sea.

El Capitain, Rolly, diving down to take a closer look.

Around the island we bumped into this fella swimming around.

Eduardo doing what he does best. Locals would come up to our catamaran in these canoes and tried to sell their goods.

Our new Aussie friend, Rossy, checking out the kitchen.

The next morning we woke up on the trampolines to Rolly firing up the engines. The sun was just peaking above the horizon and we crept forward between two islands. Next thing we know we hear Jose yelling the captains name out and we came to a halt. We had ran a ground onto the reef. The right side of the catamaran was stuck and the engines werent getting us anywhere. Rolly sprang into action. He tried first pushing the cat on the side with the zodiac with no luck. Next he with Jose´s help grabbed the catamarans anchors and plopped them down behind a rock several yards from the boat. Jose then began winching the ropes connected to the anchors which eventually unlodged us from the coral below. Free flowing we headed towards the coast of Panama to unload the bikes and ourselves.

We highly recommend taking Fritz the Cat if you are planning on travelling between Colombia and Panama. Loading and unloading of all 5 motorcycles was easy and they were secure the entire ride. We also recommend covering your motorcycle when onboard to keep the salt off the bike as much as possible. Greasing the electrical connections is also a good idea.

Caribbean - Seabound

2011-05-16T05:38:00.000-07:00

Waking up at a respectable time the morning of the big trip, we repacked our things and loaded up the bikes. In typical South American style the boat was delayed by a couple of hours, so we sat back with another cup of the Columbian tinto (coffee) and soaked in the last moments of South America.

Heading into the docks of Boca Grande we were again stunned by the wealth in this part of town. Designer outlets and luxury highrises, all surrounded by the white sand beaches. After waiting on the docks for an hour or so, we were greeted by the Fritz the Cat along with the crew. Rolly, the Austrian giant at about 6'10", is our Captain. Jose, at about 5' is our First Mate. The crew consisted of a couple of Kiwis, an America, two Brazilians, four Brits, an Aussie, a Swiss, a Fin, and us three. There were two other motorcyclist along for the ride, the Aussie, Rossy, a bang up guy with a DR650. He took a similar route than us through South America and is now embarking on North America. Blog here: http://www.followtheakubra.com/. Might ride with him in the coming weeks, if we can manage to meet up again. The other riders, Heinz and Beth were two up on a BMW 1200GS from Brazil. Two very kind people with a great trip planned.

Rolly the giant Captain man-handled the bikes aboard and then efficiently strapped the bikes down. We wrapped them up with whatever we could to prevent sea spray and settled in for the 40 hour journey to San Blas. With the 5 bikes, 16 people and 2 crew on, we set course and Jose cooked up the first of the many great Austrain meals we ate.

Boarding and Loading

Rolly and I

Rolly and Derrick

Our room

After they fed us, the sunset made an impression which displayed the beauty of the open ocean we would be enjoying.

They then signed us all up for the night watches. This consisted of making sure the nav was still under control of the boat, looking for other boats, and monitoring the boat itself. These 40 hours went by surprisingly fast as we occupied ourselves with books, magazines, uno, cards, chess, and of course some basking in the sun. The water was unusually smooth for this trip, allowing for minimal salt spray on the bikes and a steady boat. This meant no sea sickness and operable bikes!

We then arrived in San Blas for the sunrise on the 17th. This was an incredible display of what we would be enjoying for the next few days.

Across the Derian

2011-05-14T08:05:00.000-07:00

We are going to be loading onto the boat in the morning, hopefully no bikes end up in the water. Then we are off the the San Blas islands and then Panama. We are on the catamaran for 4 nights, open water for two (lots of gravol). We will update the blog in Panama!

Colombia, Cartagena - The Road to the End of SA

2011-05-12T10:03:00.000-07:00

Waking up to a torrential rain, we hide under the grass roof of the hotel, ate some breakfast and watched the latest Columbian news which was interesting to say the least. After a few hours waiting out the water, we put the rain gear on and headed off. After about 40km of slick roads, the rain stopped and the cloud cover began and it became humid and hot once again.

Another flat; I am going to stop writing about these; becoming far to often, but it was Derricks back tire, again. This wasn`t so bad since we got some coke and cookies from the families house we were outside. After getting back on the road, immeadiatly my back tire came to a halt and skidded for a moment and then I heard a snap and a bump as I ran over something. Pulling over not having any idea what was going on, I looked around to see one of my bags on the road with a semi approaching. Trying to hop off my bike quickly, the bike became off balance and fell over onto the roadway. After collecting my bag and picking up my bike and looked at the damage. My strap holding that bag on had somehow got tangled in the spokes and tore itself free. Wound tightly around the hub, Derrick treaded into the long grass and cut out the ratty strap. Not a huge deal thankfully, just put my bag back on and headed for some lunch.

Thinking we could calm down after all this morning excitment, we sat around joked for a moment about the additional flat and my incident. Then looking down at Derricks leg I saw a huge spider which had presumably hitched a ride from the long grass. Most likely unwisely, I yelled at Derrick, he panicked and then I calmed him down, to take a photo. Sorry Derrick, but that photo was important...

We picked up the pace for the last 160 km to town to make it before night fell. Only one short break where I refresed myself with a bag of water, great deal... The landscapes one the way were a beauftiful contrast to the mountain roads; lush plains. Arriving in traffic we used some of the SA moto tactics and bypassed much of it. We knew of a hostel in the old part of town and set our sights there.

Only asking for directions once, we arrived within a block. We had stopped on the side of the road where the police after chatting with us, kindly escorted us to the door. Beautiful city, sort of reminds me of Vancovuer the way there are bridges everywhere and downtown is on a penninsula. But a very different landscape and sights. We will tour around the city more in the coming days, as well as get all the details of the boat sorted out.

Colombia, Caucasia - Too much excitement

2011-05-11T09:42:00.000-07:00

A little bit of a late start, after the fine columbian coffee was downed, then we set out into the hills of Medellin where many of the drug battles were fought. After speaking with the hostel owners we were very cautious as we heard the absolutly alarming statistics of how many motorcyclists die in the city every day... We made our way onto the highway and once again climbed up into the cooler and much more comforatable air. Peaking at 2800m it was the coldest we had felt in a while, almost to the point where I may have considered doing the rest of my jacket up. We had an early lunch at the top to take advantage of the elevation and cool down before heading down to sea level into the plains.

The plains were faster,straighter and much hotter. The highway speeds were welcomed to keep the air flowing through my heavy black riding gear. Coming into the small town Caucasia, we lost each other in the bustling traffic. Being a smaller town, I wasnt to worried and just stopped at the end of town to wait for the guys behind so we could regroup. Knowing Derrick was behind me, I was quite confused when I saw Eduardo first. Waiting another 15 minutes, and still not seeing Derrick, I continued on figureing I may have missed him. After catching Eduardo 15km down the road, he went forward and I went back since neither of us had seen him. Searching and finding nothing, then Ed and I connected again and it was growing dark, still having no idea where Derrick was, we found a hotel near where we last saw him and sent him an email. Dark at this point and still no Derrick, we were getting worried. An hour later, 4 emails come in stating he is right down the road. Waiting and waiting, I decided to go look for him but still with no avail. But upon return the lost member had arrived. We learned our lesson on that one, no more loosing teamates in the dark in bad towns for hours at a time. After the stress had subsided, we had a swim and played some pool before hitting the air conditioned rooms for a nights sleep.

PS. THE BUGS ARE HUGE

Colombia, Medellin - Birthday Present from the Policia

2011-05-10T10:25:00.000-07:00

After 4 days of waiting and resting in Cali we were itching to get some miles down. We said our goodbyes and took a photo infront of the lovely Casa Blanca Hostel.

The road out of town was straight and double laned. We made good time for the first 100 kms then the road gained elevation and we began to climb into the mountains. There were plenty of large semis to slow down traffic and the Colombian thing to do is to pass them on a double solid line on a turn. So I decided to fit in and follow a car passing a semi. Well next thing you know there was two police officers sitting on the bend waiting for me. They let the car go infront of me and jumped infront of me pulling me over. Thought about taking off then thought twice as they had very large rifles strapped around their shoulders. They approached me and asked for my documents. I handed over my fake license and registration. Next thing I know he is asking for my passport. Well I really did not want to give him that but decided it would be in my best interest as he has a much bigger gun than I. Eduardo pulled up behind me a few minutes later and the spanish talking began. Apparently, the officers were threatening to impound my motorcycle and give me a ticket. Eduardo gave them a soap story that we were trying to make it to Cartagena in three days to catch a boat. Eduardo then said he had to find Colin and rode off to wait down the road. The officers came back over to me with a large smile and gave back all my documents. He then said how old are you? Looking puzzled I replied then he said Happy Birthday and we chit chatted in broken spanish about music and motorcycles for a few minutes. Then he let me go. That was a good birthday present....

How most of the Policia look in Colombia.

Feeling lucky and relieved we headed up and over the mountains towards Medellin to a hostel that catered to motorcycles. We went out for some pizza and came back to the hostel. The hostel owner gathered up the people at the hostel and made a cake to surpise me for my birthday. Very nice of her. Had some great cake and everyone enjoyed a shot of Medellin Rum.

Colombia has so many motorcyclists. Everyone lane splits and no one wears any gear. They do wear helmets but they dont exactly look like they fit. Seems like if you ride a motorcycle the law doesnt exactly matter. They line the side of the highway as their bikes are all of smaller displacement. The shoulder seems to be a lane for slow moving motorcyclists.

Also on a side note. Canada is very mutlicultural so to us Canadians seeing a group people of different ethic background together is normal and no one would look twice. However, when we were in Cali we had an English fellow, Japanese, Chinese, Chilean, and Colin (hes a lot of things) all hanging out together. Needless to say we got a lot of different looks from the locals.

Colin enjoying the bendy roads.

Birthday cake.

Columbia, Cali - Apparently there is more to Columbia

2011-05-09T21:45:00.000-07:00

As Derrick was hinting towards, we were looking for options to get across the only missing portion of the pan-american, the dreaded Darien Gap. Thanks to everyone who gave us ideas, helped a lot and gave us many contacts whom we could try. Also a huge thanks to Mike and everyone at Casablanca Hostel (http://casablancahostel.wordpress.com/) in Cali, helped us out immensely, getting parts, directions, road tips, and of course looking into all of the flight info for us. Would recommend it to all bikers, they have had numerous bikers through here over the years and is displayed on the wall.

Over the last few days, we have done a lot of maintenance on the bikes, valves, spark plugs, oil and air filters, chain and sprockets. We also did some laundry and watched a lot of movies, well needed.We also took some time out of our busy schedule the last few days to do some sight seeing around Cali. Went to a few of the larger churches (very beautiful and interesting), and the Museo del Oro (Gold Museum).

After emails and hunting down numerous captains and ships, we found Fritz the Cat (http://www.fritz-the-cat.com/v1/index.php?id=4&L=1), a 30´ catamaran that is sailing on the 14th and has room for the motorcycles on board. We are choosing this option to allow for some better sights, but may delay us a little and may push back the arrival date by about a week. But we figure this is well worth it since this saves us about 1000 US each. We will all feel better once we get on the boat and are on our way out. We get to go through the San Blas Islands and then arrive in Panama 5 days later. Should be nice, the catamaran sways less in the ocean and apparently has an actual chef for breakfast lunch and dinner.

We met two other pretty awesome bikers, Adam on a DR650 from the UK (www.shortwayaround.com.uk), 5 years into his trip, just circling the world a couple times, no end planned yet. Adam gave us lots of good tips from his experience thus far, and lots of ideas of how to make the bikes perfectly set up. And Yoshi on his 1200gs from Japan, who is 9 months into his 3 year trip. We believe Yoshi the Japanese Che Guevara, so keep an eye on the news, we wouldn't be surprised if he was taking over Japan on the BMW in the next fews years. These two gave us a lot of insight into the trip ahead and lots of good laughs over the last couple of days..

We are on our way out of Cali tomorrow morning and heading for Medellin. Then from Medellin to Cartagena where we get on the boat. Will update as soon as we can on our route to the Caribbean.

The Darien Gap Troubles

2011-05-09T11:54:00.000-07:00

We have got news today that the flight from Cali, Colombia is going to cost around 1500.00 USD for just the bike which is a lot more than we were expecting. We thought from all the rumors that it was going to cost around 900 for the bike and 3-400 for ourselves each.

So now we are contemplating if we are going to travel to Bogata to save a few hundred bucks and fly to Panama City or to go to Cartagena where we can find a sail boat. If has experience of travelling from Colombia to Panama feel free to message us to help us with our decision! Basically, either boat or plane, Cartagena or Bogata. Either one has advantages or disadvantages.

Its funny how the cost of shipping our bike to Panama City is the same price as to ship our bikes to Miami. The cost of bikes to ship a month ago from Cali was 650 USD.. now its 1500 USD which makes the decision even more troublesome.

Ideas welcome.

Columbia, Cali - Planning the Gap

2011-05-06T08:43:00.000-07:00

After a morning of wondering around the plaza and scouting out the best place to enjoy the Columbian brew, we packed up the bikes and set off for the last stop in South America; Cali.

A short journey into Cali of 130 km, we still enjoyed ourselves with the lush green mountain ranges and the curvy roads that ensued. The road straightened and became a separated highway and we actually got over 100km/h for the first time in quite a while. Using the techniques we learned on Ruta 3 in Argentina we tucked behind the small windshields to achieve better mileage. The pre-determined route we made helped us make our way to the up and coming wealthy neighborhood of Santa Monica. Found the hostel; Casa Blanca, and made it our home for the evening.

We chose this hostel since they cater to adventure motorcyclists and is shown by the walls in the dining room which are plastered with pictures of riders who have come through. They do everything from booking tours for those less inclined to booking shipping of bikes over the Derian. We are going to be using them for the shipping of the bikes over the Derian Gap, and the owner, Mike, is already been a huge help. Not only getting quotes for shipping but also getting parts we need such as another chain and sprocket set and guiding us to a fabricator to get the crash bars fixed.

After chatting with Mike for a while he was telling us of how two cartel got ´ liquidated ´ a block away in a cafe. Then he shows us a stray bullet which pierced the umbrella situated directly above us. He then goes on to explain why two guys are not allowed to double on motorcycles; since they had to made drive by shootings. Columbia is an interesting one; still feeling safe and amazed by the incredible scenery but leaves you wondering what is around the next corner.

To make a long story short, we are going to be making this our home for the next few days until Monday, when the bikes ship off. We are going to be doing some day tours, fixing the bikes, and most likely reading and relaxing a good portion of the time.

We will keep you all posted on the status of things, but don´t be alarmed if little orange isn't moving on the map.

Also Itinerary updated: http://southandback.blogspot.com/p/itinerary.html

Columbia, Popoyan - Into Guerrilla Territory

2011-05-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Before we made a b-line for the border we figured we would get immersed in some of the Ecuadorian culture and go to the world famous Otalavo market. The main attraction to the market are the fine weavings of blankets, carpets, scarves and others. Although, not having a whole lot of room for the carpets, we sufficed with some things for ourselves, Derrick coming away with some pants, paintings, and toque, Eduardo with a Panama Hat and myself with some paintings and a panama hat. The great Panama hat, made in Ecuador, are a great find, keeps the sun away and keeps you cool, but also packs away nicely.

Once we had our fun for the day, it was time to tackle the border. First doing the Ecuador side of things was not so bad, stamp, sign, exchange some money, and spend the remainder of coins on some chocolate and off to the Columbian side. On the Columbian side of things it got a little lengthy, stamp, photocopies, sign and then inspection. The customs agent was very nice, after taking the imprint of our engine serial numbers and looking over them carefully, he let us enter without insurance and then gave us some tips on where to stay in town.

Epiales, another border town which we are coming to have a falling out with. The towns tend to be dreary and have lots of people who want money or to sell you something. But when borders are an afternoon affair, a stay in these places are inevitable. We got some insurance at the local supermarket, most expensive yet at 40 loonies, and found us a hotel around the corner.

A fresh start to a fresh country. Woke up at a decent time and after some amazing Columbian joe and cheese pastries we set off for Popoyan.

The introduction to Columbia was an incredible one, the scenery turned green, the landscape grew rougher and the roads tightened. It was smooth, curvy riding all the way to lunch at Pasto.

The Colombian soldiers which were scattered along the side of the roadway made for an interesting sight. Full cammo with fully auto rifles, who would all give us the thumbs up. A little astounded by the sight of things, all I could usually manage is a meager peace sign back.

Had the typical Almeurzo de hoy for lunch, fillet de pollo con arroz y ensalada (about the extent of my Spanish). We also met some crazy pedal bikers that were on their way of the ´Transcontinental Triathalon´ meaning they kayaked the inside passage (2000km), walked the pacific cost trail (4000km) and now are bicycling from the us to Ushuaia. Very nice and friendly folk but we feel like we are definitely cheating when see dedicated travelers like these. Blog is here: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/hobos/1/tpod.html

After waving goodbye the our new friends, we headed to to do the remainder of the road we had been warned about. As the km drew onward we began to understand why. The road was in dire conditions, with first hitting the boulders, rock slides and washouts. The going was slow, ensuring that the only one direction of traffic navigated around the obstacle. This we have become accustomed to in the south, and we know our place, not in right of way. But then the potholes began. The potholes not presenting much of a challenge for the bike, but the trucks seemed to have an absolute fear of them as they would completely cross into our lanes, and not move when they saw us. Several times each of us had to jam on the brakes or squeeze on the shoulder to avoid the large object coming towards us. Definitely one of the most exciting roads we have ridden thus far, and I hope it remains that way. Derrick captured video, although there is no way we would be able to upload the 200mb masterpiece, so pictures and your imaginations will have to do.

Once we got into Popoyan, everything seemed possible after surviving that road, and we found a hostel for a good price, parked the bikes in the entrance way and hit the town for some diner.

Popoyan was a beautiful town, with white buildings within 2 blocks radius of the plaza and the intermixed stone overpasses. Time to recuperate after that treacherous day.

Ecuador, Cayamba - Middle of the Earth!

2011-05-02T21:18:00.000-07:00

We ate our breakfast in bed while watching the Crocodile Hunter movie then packed up and rolled back onto the Pan American to head north. We decided to bypass Quito as we did not feel being in a big city and getting lost trying to find our way around. As soon as we rolled into the entrance of Quito there was a traffic jam. We sat in traffic for about half an hour while smaller bikes were able to lane split their way to the front. Unfortunately, our large rears of our bikes prevented us from getting between the cars so we had to wait it out with all the others.

On our way to Quito we also passed Cotopaxi Volcano which is one of the highest active volcanoes in the world.

Eventually we got through traffic and through Quito to the other side. Colin watched his GPS as the latitude read 0 degrees. We made it to the Equator! There was a somewhat of a tacky turisty site to visit so we had to pull in to check it out.

Panama hat!!! yes they are made in Ecuador..

After a bunch of goofy pictures and a walk back and forth over the equator we headed into Cayamba to find a place to stay for the night. We just rolled in while the sun was setting. Apparently, Cayamba is famous for its Bizcoches which are a breaded buttery pastry. Amazing with coffee.

Bizcoches shops all over Cayamba. At this one all the big buses would stop and grab a bag for the road.