chasingsummerp.019

Chasing Summer p.019

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Crossing the Darien Gap

Those last days have been quite frustrating for us. For the first time we just couldn't go on our motorcycles without other peoples' help. Not too many people are aware that you cannot indeed go from Central America to South America by land since they are separated by the 'Darien Gap'. To know more about it read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darien_Gap

We wanted to take a sailboat to cross it for many reasons and mostly because: it's cheaper ($550-600 for a person + bike, including food); a cruise (5 days overall) via the very unique San Blas islands would be awesome; and finally we would arrive in Cartagena instead of Bogota.

Unfortunately this is a bad time for this option: the sea is getting rough from December to March and so only the biggest sailboats can do it safely. We're also getting very close to Christmas which is a traditional break for the boats. Most of the boats we contacted were on their way back from Cartagena with no plan to go back there this month.

Then we tried the Cargo boat way which coasts about $300-350 to either Cartagena or Santa Marta. That process was frustrating too since the shipping companies are usually big and don't really care about us so it was slow to get quotes and not very convenient for the dates. And they could only take the bikes, not us.

When we finally moved to Panama City where the hostels are well connected with the boats' captains we got confirmation that we had pretty much contacted every sailboat worth trying and that the others were not available anyway. However a couple of them (the only remaining ones that could take motorcycles) are doing the trip in the next 5-6 days. Problem is they're not supposed to be reliable people according to the hostels' owners...

I almost flipped the coin on this one but finally decided to take the Air option: Girag Air Cargo for the motorcycle ($550 - not sure about additional cost) and Copa for me ($280 with tax). Expensive but the safest and quickest at this point: The bike and me leave tomorrow morning (the 12th) to Bogota and I'll get the bike the next morning.

I'm sure you've noticed that I used 'I' instead of 'we' and the reason for this is that, unfortunately, Teryk will not come with me and will travel instead for one more month in Central America. He feels that he rushed through Central America (which he did!) and because of money issue he might not be able to come back riding the bike though Central Am again. Rumor is that a girl might also be part of his decision

.

In any case I'm losing a great riding companion but I fully support his decision. This kind of trip is too important for the 2 of us so we need to live the dream fully, the way that seems the best, despite what ever plan we originally had.

Quick summary of those last few days… (2)

Panama City

Seeing that we had still no serious hints on how to get a transportation we decided to depart from our new friends to go to Panama City, closer to the action. There are indeed several hostels famous for knowing the boats, captains and all.

The road to Panama City was nice and in a great shape but nothing in the scenery really stood up for us. The city is huge and the traffic dense so it’s definitely not easy to navigate and find an address there. People are welcoming though and one guy insisted in helping us find an hostel (that had changed address), calling them on his cell several times and guiding us with his car. It’s also very modern, with many tall buildings and all the luxury chains of stores and hotels.

Again we focused on finding transportation. Here we are at the Girag’s place at the airport. Girag is a company used by many motorcyclists and there was a group of 7 bikes from Mexico ready to be shipped.

Interesting mix of bikes...

Similar to my South leg it looks like...

In the same time the reservation 'process' is quite strange: they would not even take my name, just telling me to bring the bike on Wednesday morning with enough cash for the payment. I was like ‘but are you 100% sure that there will be space because I need to take a passenger ticket too’. They assured me it was OK without of course giving me any paper or reservation number.

The transportation issue finally solved it was time to enjoy and do a bit a tourism. On the list, of course, the Canal of Panama...

The canal leverages a pre-existing lake, which is unfortunately higher than the sea level and so the boats have to 'climb' from the sea level to the lake level. That's the purpose of this installation (there are 4 of them I believe).

Here is a boat ready to go. The canal is now too small (they will enlarge it in a few years) so only boats built with the 'right' size can go through.

Those doors are almost 100 years old

The boat moves in the sas using his own propeller but tightly guided by 3 'locomotives' on each side.

As you can see it's pretty tight!

Now the doors behind the boat close again and the basin fills with water impressively quickly to bring the boat at the lake's level.

Children who came with their school to enjoy the show...

Then on the way back we stopped at the old part of Panama City. it forms a small peninsula with a nice boardwalk at the tip of it.

The contrast is almost chocking when looking on each side of the cap. On one side the rich sky-scrapers...

And on the other side a very poor and quite dangerous (even during the day) neighborhood

The 'rich' side again

The old town is called 'Casco Viejo' and reminds me of the images I saw from La Havana with a mix of beautiful...

... and poor/unmaintained places

We really liked this neighborhood and even though it's still unsafe at night that should evolve rapidly. It's after all the only colonial part of the city and several buildings were in complete restoration which indicates that they're betting on tourism money here.

As usual in the afternoon we get totally soaked by a heavy rain on our way to the hotel

Dec 12th - Panama to Bogota

Tight schedule this morning since I need to, almost at the same time ship, the bike and myself to Cartagena. To put more chances on our side we leave very early and arrive at 7:15 at the Cargo airport in front of the Girag office. Of course no one is there besides the security guard: the office opens at 8 AM.

We decide to go to the international airport (about 20 minutes away) to check in my flight (departure 9:50) which goes smoothly and we come back to Girag at 8 AM. Most of the employees have arrived except, of course, the one in charge of motorcycles

.

20 minutes later she's still not arrived and so I insist on having someone else to help me. A young, not too experienced guy goes for it but it takes quite long to get the papers ready.

Teryk waiting patiently. A big thanks to him since there was no way I could have caught my plane without him.

The rest of the process is however very smooth and easy: they just want the bike as is, with no gas and with the battery disconnected. I left about 1/2 gallon in it and that was no problem.

We hurried back on Teryk's bike to the passengers' airport and I got there just in time to go through security and all...

... Colombia, finally

Speak about lack of preparation! Coming from the very hot Panama City I had only taken a T-Shirt but Bogota being at 2,600 m of elevation it's actually quite cold. It's a good thing that I was not able to fit my MC jacket on the bike and so I had at least that to wear.

The street where I'll stay for 2 nights, at the welcoming Platypus Hostel.

There are many narrow and beautiful streets like this one in this old part of the city called La Candelaria. However, Bogota is huge (over 8 millions people) and the rest is modern and lacks a bit of charm in my eyes.

There is a funicular going to this building on top of the hill that offers a great view of the city, but not with this cloudy weather. Oh well, it could always get worst, right?

The dry season starts in December in Colombia and the people I met in Bogota said that it usually never rain after December 5th but I guess that it's one more consequence of the world climatic changes.

I don't know if it's because of the weather but Bogota appeared to me as being a bit dark and austere, quite different from the image I had of Colombia...

Dec 13th - Bogota

The program of the day is to pick up the bike at the airport and then to replace the rear tire. I really hope that everything went fine with the bike…

Bogota is full of taxis and buses.

I decide to try a bus, almost 20 times cheaper! It’s quite an experience and I’m mesmerized by the dexterity of the bus driver First the bus stops almost anywhere as soon as someone makes a sign to go up or down so that requires a lot of attention, especially since all the other buses around do the same. But the most amazing is that the bus never really stops, it just slows down enough so the people getting in have to pay the driver while he’s still riding and with a drive stick too. Too make things worst the amount is 1100 pesos (55 cents) which means that most of the time he has to calculate and make change while driving.

Arrived at Girag the good news is that the bike arrived. I need to clear the customs first which takes a bit of time. Finally I pick up the bike and negotiate the stairs to get off the Girag building.

Direction KTM dealer now. I called yesterday and although I was happy to learn that they had the tire in stock I was also shocked to learn that the price was twice more than in the US because of very high importation taxes. Nice shop…

There I meet the owner who like most other KTM dealers is really passionate about motorcycles. He has traveled around South America twice already and I’m drooling all over his bike.

We spend a good time talking with him, his brother (on a Super Duke) and a cool sales guy. They end up giving a great discount on the tire and want also to show me the town, on our bikes of course. Unfortunately it starts to rain so that doesn’t happen.

Since this was only the sales place he recommends a small shop close by to change the tire. For $2.50 (wheel off) I think that’s worth it. It’s the first time I see someone putting back the tire in place only with a rubber hammer, no tire irons! At least there is no risk to pinch the tube.

Leaving the tire place the rain becomes extremely heavy

The incoming buses splash huge amount of water on 2 lanes on each side. It’s crazy!

Drying up, back in the Hostel I meet some French people and we spend the evening together. It feels good once in a while to be able to speak effortlessly

Dec 14th - Bogota to San Gil

Interactive map: http://www.gpsxchange.com/phpBB2/download2.php?id=1534

First thing in the morning is to connect the switch to allow the bike to run on low octane fuel as recommended yesterday by the KTM boys who said that all over SA the quality of fuel is really low.

Oh, that remind me also about the crazy prices for bikes here: a KTM 990 costs $22,000! They said it was pretty easy to sell anyway considering that the BMW 1200 GS costs $35,000

. They are always some rich people in poor countries...

I feel happy and excited to be riding today and discover a new country. Unfortunately, 10 minutes later I realize that my old faithful (until now) Garmin 176 GPS is dead! I think that the battery door got slightly bent and with the torrential conditions of yesterday water got in. That's a major bummer: even if I'm pretty good with orientation and maps it's still difficult to navigate around here, especially in big cities or for example in the desert of Salar de Uyuni.

Oh well, for Colombia it shouldn't be too much of a problem since I will stay mostly on main roads.

My first stop is for Villa de Leyva founded on the 16th century. It has a Spanish style with wonderful balconies, arcs and main doors.

I really like the location, up in the hills and the fact that the whole village has the exact same style. It also has one of the biggest (120m x 120m) cobbled-stoned squares in South America.

It's surprising though to see it entirely empty but for a small 400 years fountain:

The scenery continues to be beautiful despite the threatening clouds

A couple of hours later, in a turn, just after passing a truck, I get one of those 'Oh shit' moments when I feel the front wheel washing under me

. Luckily I manage to make the turn and stop soon after to confirm what I thought: flat front tire.

It doesn't take too long to repair and add one more patch on my poor front tube and so I'm able to reach San Gil by daylight. It's funny how, often, it's possible to guess if you will like a place or not as soon as you get in. For San Gil, it's a very positive feeling! The temperature is ideal, the streets are narrow and climbing the hills, everyone is in the plaza enjoying themselves...

.

Anyway, tonight I'm going out with the locals, friends from the person taking care of the hostel, like those 2 young musicians:

They played and sang Manu Chao (who I love) with quite some talent. When it became too late to party at the hostel we took our bottle of aguardiente and continued to the plaza etc. A great night even though my Spanish felt very limited considering that very few Colombians speak English.

Dec 15th - San Gil

Since I'm staying one more night in San Gil I enjoy a leisurely morning wandering the beautiful streets, almost steeper than in San Francisco. This is the one where our Hostel is located:

The upper part of the street is like Lombard street, but for pedestrians.

Most doors are wide open, music flowing from them... I peek inside to see the Xmas decorations which are a very big thing here. I like the quite atmosphere.

One of the many things they transport on mopeds

Another steep street...

... seen from the bottom

Looking for a breakfast place I go down to the main plaza (300 yrs old) and its 2 huge trees (called Ceibas) that I imagine just as old.

The 18th century Cathedral Santa Cruz

Of course the narrow streets also have some inconveniences, especially on market days!

Having breakfast in some small place I'm surprised to see quite a few men already drinking beers...

At the conjunction of 2 rivers and a 3rd close by, San Gil offers a lot of white-water rafting from grade 2 to 4+ as well as canoing etc. Even if I love that I choose instead to ride and visit the villages around. Back in the hostel other people are planning their afternoon too but it's quite different when you don't have a vehicle: ''So, since there are 2 buses a day to go there and that...'' Definitely more complicated and 2-3 times slower to visit the same places. It feels good to just jump on my bike and go. First stop is Iriqui, a nice village...

But definitely very laid back...

Next are the Cascadas de Juan Curi, beautiful 180m high waterfalls.

It's a very nice 30 mn hike to get there. First amongst the cows...

Then in a nice forest

Between impressive trees and roots. I really like the very 'natural state' of the trail besides a rope attached here or there...

Here it is!

To get to the 'pool' you first have to cross this! Luckily it was not too slippery...

Here is Peter from New-Zealand executing an impressive dive

On the way down we follow some locals on another 'trail' along the river. It could almost be called canyoning

But it's very beautiful

With water coming from lateral waterfalls too

That was fun! I just have time now to head to the villages of Barichara and Guane. The road to get there is awesome: twisty, narrow and offering a nice scenery

Even the sky was beautiful...

Guane is a charming and remote pueblo

It's also minuscule, with just a few streets...

In one of them I met this guy...

... who very nicely invited me for a chat in his (almost empty) house

Barichara is comparatively much bigger but also very homogeneous in style: all the houses (most in adobe I think) are painted in white with similar tile roofs.

Time seems to have stop long ago around here...

Too bad that the light is already too low...

The Cathedral (there are 2 other beautiful churches in the village)

Beautiful town and surroundings, lot of activities: I definitely recommend stopping at San Gil if you're around

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