Three Teas never ending teatime

[Threeteas]

Reached La Paz yesterday, but documents mean a day in line getting temporary import permits (it??s a tax), so missed the boat.

Came down the sea of Cortez side of Bahasd, on the 5. The 5 runs out and becomes desert, rocks, sand, lava, sand, gravel, sand, rocks...120 miles of the stuff. It took us 12 hours to cross and the day ran out of light after 9 of those, so we camped in the desert.
Fortunately one of us hadn??t posted camping gear back home.

Managed to find gas in the middle of nowhere, otherwise we??d still be in the desert mountains.

So, so far, only a lack of daylight and beaurocratic paperwork has stopped our onward progress to Tierra del Fuego, and the best they can do is a temporary halt.

Onward to Guadalajara for the weekend

www.unchainedworld.com

More video soon.

 

[Threeteas]

Finally posted some more video, but I'm over a week behind already. I had to stay in a posh hotel to get the wifi bandwidth I needed.
Tom is still in guadaljara waiting for parts. I'm nearer Acapulco at chilpancingo, having spent a few days in the gorgeous mountain area.
I need to leave. Mexico soon, as it eats into a budget far faster than I'd like
Check out the updates and leave messages via www. Unchainedworld.com.

 

[Threeteas]

Still riding nervously, but Guatemala's lago atitlan helped a lot. Lots of splendid video from santiago atitlan a nominee for one of the modern 7 wonders, with three volcnoes and mayan culture.
Missed a turn today and so I'm now next to the sea in El Salvador, but with Guatemala firmly placed in the must return list.

 

[Threeteas]

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Tom and Patrice passed me today.

Let's just say we must have different concepts of what travelling is about.
Personally I don't care if I dont make TDF, as long as I see and experience as much as possible along the way. It's a challenging journey of discovery and understanding, and that takes time and interaction with more than hotel staff, waiters and waitresses and gas station people.

I sat with an old lady two days ago, as she sewed up her shawl. It was a decrepit piece of material, but she was lovingly sitting on her front step, needle in hand. So I just sat by her and watched. Neither of us understood a word, but when she'd finished, she handed me the shawl for inspection and was happy that I smiled, even though she'd obviously still got some work to do on other holes.
Folks walking by, stopped to speak. Again my Mayan let me down, but we all seemed happy that we were spending a few moments together.

At the Toltec temple, I sat with the curator and security people. Posed for pictures, spoke to a couple of people who had some English and gesticulated a lot to those who didn't.
They didn't want me to pay, then insisted I only pay the local rather than foreigner fee, but I did give them the full $3 gringo fee, just to help keep this incredible structure intact.

I feel that I'm missing out today, because I'm in a proper hotel, (for the wifi and washing) and it's all a bit plastic and impersonal. Staff are okay though, just a few military bods from a foreign nation that have a base nearby, that have dropped in and monopolised the place. Loud and objectionable and with mouths that their mother's wouldn't be proud of.

So, tomorrow back on the road. Honduras calls.

 

[Threeteas]

Honduras is very narrow where I encountered it, so I have little to report on it with any insight.

Had my first and second encounters with the bribery concept here in Nicaragua though.

The first came when I was told my border crossing papers could be processed faster for $20. I said I was in no hurry, paid nada and was processed just as fast.

The second one got me though.

Managua ring road. Came to an island and went round it in the middle of three lanes. As I left a cop indicated that I come to the inside lane then the shoulder. He then accused me of swapping lanes on the island and that this was an infraction. What it was was a method of extorting money.
The game began.
I had an hour to waste, so was happy to play along.
400 cordoba to pay at the bank against a ticket. That's about $20.

As we watched other possible cash cows go passed, what little spanish I do have became even less. As they sweated it out, I drank from the camelback.

Then came the offer, "You can pay the bank 400 or you can pay us and not get a ticket".

Part two began.
400 to the cops and no ticket was still more than I was willing to pay. Dummy wallet time, with only a few dollars in it, plus 200 cordoba I'd swapped at the border in exchange for Honduras cash (that's another form of taxation by the way, but so nominal as to not be worth worrying about).

So, 1 hour and about $10 lighter, I'm on my way, but not quite. Now they have my cash, they are my best mates. Questions about the bike, the GPS, the trip. Smiles all round.

It's a shame that an official arm of the government is allowed to tarnish the impression that the local people had generated with their warm welcomes.

More at www.unchainedworld.com

 

[Threeteas]

Costa Rica

Easy crossing and Costa Rica roads are the best so far, even saw a Harley riding on them without any bits dropping off. Ship your bike here and ride, it's very English friendly which may become boring, but has its plus sides.

Heavy rain and lightening cut short day one and I'm holed up in Palmares at a splendid "boutique" hotel www.hotel-casamarta.com

My first kit casualty today. A BMW GS glove fell apart across the palm.
Combination of throttle and wet rot.
updates at: www.unchainedworld.com as usual.

 

[BeerTeam]

My trip has come to an unhappy end.
I need to return to be with my wife.

Thank you.

Bogota Columbia.

Sorry to hear this, hope things turn out.

Jim

 

[tessler]

Okay,

Spent most of today, 10 hours in all at the police station in the airport cargo area. Seems that shipping a bike into a country, not taking it out of customs then shipping it somewhere else, isn't the usual thing to do.

Limited language to Ahora, Motobicicletta, espousa and loco doesn't help matter at all.
Two sniffer dogs (first one was either high or had a cold, couldn't quite make out the Spanish there either).

The paperwork and the lyncargo people were great. They even bought in Ingrid, a dusky maiden in tight fitting clothes, high heels etc, to distract the ever growing line of young police who wanted to get involved and thereby delay the process even longer. I know, I really do know, that all they wanted to do was look at the bike, but for 10 soddin hours. Then one wrote inflamable, instead of inflammable on a document, that some beady-eyed hat wearing pseudo important git spotted and said needed changing, requiring umpteen queues to be rejoined for new numbers, copies and signatures.

I can just hear the flight crew of an airborne inferno screaming, "It was that missing M, that's why we are all going to die".

So, anyway, bike flies tomorrow and so do I.
Back to who knows what and for how long?

Steve, Sorry to hear about the abrupt end to your trip, but glad to know you're ok.

 

[kantuckid]

Traveling for $$$$$$$$$????????

I have been both entertained and perplexed by this thread. I'll have to be hard to the point here- I honestly don't understand the concept of "riding for a charity"? Getting on an expensive bike and going on an expensive trip to raise money? I don't just intend to be critical of your intentions, I am seeking understanding. I go on a long trip for what are pretty much selfish if not moral reasons and try to be a "good traveler" along the way.I have a sister-in-law that works for the Shriners Hospital group. I really know the great work that is done there! Still, I have wondered about all these scooters and bikes and on and on that they ride in parades being a logical way to raise money.It is easy to say: why not just save the parade trinket money and give to the hospital?Their circus makes sense-funny scoots, I'm not so sure? Being a curmudgeon is not easy... Habitat for Humanity I understand. Walking for cancer I understand, it is your trip that I don't understand. When one travels to these places it is a selfish endeavor , and one I enjoy, but for charity?
I am planning a return trip to Mexico in Jan/09 and have the kitchen pass to do so. Truth be known, I'll never live long(same for lots of folks!) enough to travel to all the places I'd like to go! Also, my choice of work left me unable to afford to go some places that are very enticing! The thought of doing this trip to raise money never entered my mind; am I missing something? I read a recent article about Chris Mortinsen in Smithsonian magazine , his school crusade and the resultant book. It sounds to be a quite worthwhile cause.
I sincerely hope your personal life can recover to its better times.

 

[kantuckid]

Thanks for some well balanced reasoning and again I hope your personal life turns for the better soon!(even if you are given to prattle!) It's unfortunate that your personal life had to be on full display as a result of this trip... CHEERS

 

[knary]

Hey folks,

I'm okay. I shot this over a week ago now. I wasn't going to post it while I thought there might be a chance of reconciliation with Karen, but now I know there isn't and I'm able to cope with that outcome mentally. Financially and logistically it's a pain in the arse and I still don't think it's the right decision.

But whoever notified the suicide police to come round, doesn't really know me.
I'm busy packing and working on my new life.

This video was just to complete that chapter of the trip. When the bike arrives with all the external hard drives where most of the footage is, then I'll be able to pop some lighter stuff on this thread, but this was what was left on the camera's hard drive, so I used it.

They aren't happy days at present, but neither are they suicidal days and tomorrow is even better as there's turkey to look forward to.

Lamble,
Most of us at some point thought we knew someone well enough to know that they weren't on the brink only to find out how wrong we were.

 

[oldhway]

Llamble, sorry to hear how this ended. All I can say is that I have been in a similiar spot and there really is life in the other side so just hang in there, there are better days too come!!

In the mean time, you got all us cranky olpharts at the MOA forum to hang out with

 

[FredRydr]

Lamble,

Just know that we care, and even if your messages were mixed, the decision by your motorcycle buddies at MOA Central was to act quickly and resolve all doubts in your interest. After all, we do more than just send a tow truck after a rear end failure!

Hang in there. Life is so cool when you compare the good bits with the not-as-good bits.

Fred

 

[Threeteas]

Edited this thread for no other reason than I've discovered there are people in MOA that I'd rather not share anything with. Not those who expressed concern by the way.

Just pillocks!

 

[Threeteas]

fly or sail

Tom, the guy I set of with, was adamant that he could save money by sailing round the Darien Gap, rather than as I did, fly over.

Flying over: went with Girag for the bike-$900 and relatively simple. Ride to Panama Cargo Airport (not the same as the International) pay CASH, so have CASH available, no cards, no cheques.
Take the mirrors off, drain the tank (almost) and disconnect the battery. Leave the bike with them, come back with bits of paper that they give you, to what looks like a guard hut at the entrance to the Cargo airport main gate (by the bus stop), get some more paper and stamps from the guy with the hat and badges who lives there, then that's it until Colombia as far as the bike goes.
Booked a personal flight with Copa Airlines, pleasant enough, $300.

The bike is shipped either that day or the following day (depends on what's ahead of you, oh and Girag will tend to um and err about any specific time, but that's just to cover their bums). In Bogota, collecting the bike involved a couple of walks across from the import to customs building, and for Javier, my new riding buddy, a quick reconnection of battery and mirrors, then off into the city to get the obligatory bib and license numbers.
My case was different, due to the change of plan and need to ship back to Seattle, where my new adventure awaited and is still ongoing.
Bogota and the immediate rural areas and mountains around it are biking delights (I know I was in a car, but you do recognise these things).



By boat. From Tom:

#3 From Norte America to Sur America
We arrived at the moment of transition from one continent to another. How to bridge the Darian Gap? There are 51 miles of impassable (in any practical sense) jungle between Panama and Colombia. The options are to fly or to boat around ÔÇ£the DarianÔÇØ. Reasonable people put their motos and themselves on the plane and go. Cost about $1,000 or a bit more all total to get from here to there.
But, there is another way; for the not so reasonable people. Find a guy with a sailboat and hire him to take you across. Cost about $700, takes 5 days including a 2 day stopover in San Blas Islas to enjoy snorkeling and partying on the pristine beaches ÔÇô and get passports stamped out of Panama. We found an Italian with a boat ÔÇô 18 meters with 2 masts (the better to tie the bikes to). The bikes are loaded from the beach ÔÇô onto a small boat and out to the sailboat and lift it over the side with some muscles and a winch from the main mast; then go get another one until up to 5 bikes are loaded and tied in place for the trip to Colombia. Our boat had 5 bikes and 6 passengers including one backpacker.
There are lots of different people here in Puerto Lindo (East from Colon, Panama about 50 kilometers): French, Italian, German, Dutch, American, Colombian, and Panamanians mostly Black rather than Brown or Indios. The common language is, of course, Espanol, but everyone is mixing their mother tongue with their version of Spanish.
At the Wunderbar Hostel where we stayed, the German/Austrian couple who own it are also bikers (used to have a biker bar in Greece) and he runs his 18 meter boat also back and forth to Cartagena, Colombia with bikes and passengers a couple of times a month. They lived on their boat for 16 years and now have a baby ÔÇô and land base to go with it - lots of stories to tell over long breakfasts and long evenings with no TV. They bought the baby a Honda Monkey (a real, but very small bike) even before she was born.
After waking to the sounds of Howler Monkeys off across the river and competing roosters off in every direction, Patrice and I rode off in the morning to a very nice beach about 5 kilometers down the road. A swim  sunburned again  and lunch at the little home style restaurant near by then back to the hostel for a quick shower and a siesta in the hammocks. Life doesnt seem to include a lot of stress here. There is an island for sale if youre interested  see picture. Looks very nice from our beach; might be kind of expensive to keep all white and shinny.
Loading our bikes was easy  if you are very strong and have great balance. Lucky we had a lot of help from locals.
In the morning, we just climbed on board and off to San Blas Isla about 9 hours away ÔÇô except that the guys who were supposed to put water in the boat tanks didnÔÇÖt. Instead of leaving in the morning, we left at noon. Instead of arriving before dark, we arrived after dark in a narrow channel into a small harbor ÔÇô but, we lived to tell about it. We stayed for 2 nights and then moved on two other San Blas Islas enroute toward Cartagena across open ocean - for 2 days ÔÇô we all got to steer the boat in the crossing ÔÇô 2 hour shifts at night. There are 5 bikes on board and 8 people including our Italian Captain Leonardo, his Panamanian girl friend, Lilia an Israeli ÔÇÿbackpackerÔÇÖ (anyone who isnÔÇÖt riding a moto) who sells real estate in Israeli and 5 male bikers ÔÇô two Canadian, two American, and one Venezuelan. This boat trip was wonderfully absurd in the mix of cultures and interests and, in the relatively disorganized nature of it ÔÇô sleeping on the deck until it starts to rain very hard at 3:15 in the morning then a mad scramble for non-existent comfort inside, for example - and in the simplicity of it ÔÇô very relaxed pace, no apparent schedule for much of anything, messy boat and messy passengers ÔÇô the life of Caribbean values and timeframes ÔÇô way of living.
In the end, after the unforecast 60 knot windstorm half way across from Panama to Colombia in which we had to turn around to run with the wind ÔÇô or run out of fuel fighting it, after an extra day at sea with frayed nerves and tempers, after the lack of basic cleanliness and food and comfort had taken its toll on the passengers and captain alike, we arrived in Cartagena on a nice calm sea in the sunshine. We were all very happy to have survived and to once again be on land. Removing the bikes from the boat proved another occasion for argument and emotion. But, we all live to tell the tale as each of us experienced it.
The Venezuelan and the Israeli went off together to explore their newfound relationship. The Americans and the Canadian hung out together for a couple of days licking their wounds on land and trying to get clean and rested for the bike trek south.
The captainÔÇÖs girlfriend was first ashore (sheÔÇÖs Colombian) and was quickly disappeared to find a fix for her suffering cocain habit. The captain found new girl friends on shore and was back to his ex-pat ways. The dog was happy to be again on terra firma and soon forgot being almost lost at sea and being constantly wet and uncomfortable ÔÇô like the rest of us.
Together we experienced more than just a crossing of some ocean and the pleasures of the beauty of San Blas Islas, we were close and sometimes too close to each other and to the threats of weather at sea. Life slows down on a sail boat. Six days to cover the distance that one could do in 2 or 3 hours on a moto on land. I wouldnÔÇÖt trade the trip for anything! (An overstatement to be sure, but it was wonderful ÔÇô some of it at the time and some in hindsight. I would definitely recommend to my moto riding friends that they detour around the Darian Gap by sailboat ÔÇô just not with an Italian Captain. There are lots of boats doing it, find one with a good reputation for clean and efficient and go for it.
The salt water has caused some problems that I am now trying to resolve. Patrice and I road from Cartagena to Medellin then on to Bogota and then Cali ÔÇô from which I am filing this report.
PatriceÔÇÖs wife, Christanne, flew into Bogota from Montreal to ride two up for the rest of the trip - maybe. Patrice wanted to be there when she arrived, so we left Cartagena after only 2 nights on the beach after the boat and got to Medellin late at night ÔÇô me with no headlights. Medellin is a big city, beautifully spread out into the mountains all around. We stayed at a $12 a night ÔÇ£habitacionÔÇØ that had no place to safely park the bikes over night. But, the women downstairs that ran the little caf?®, let us park the bikes in the caf?® which was tightly locked up for the night.
In the morning, we woke early and walked in our biker suits into the town Centro where we found an ATM and people having their early morning coffee and chat; we joined them. Then we went to church (it was Sunday) and listened from the back of the crowd to some singing which sounded fabulous in the big cathedral then left for a leisurely walk to a place selling fresh orange juice and hot sugar donuts. We waited not too patiently for the ladies to come and open the caf?® so we could get our bikes and be once again on the road. Back into the mountains.
After the first couple hundred miles out of Cartagena, you get into the mountains ÔÇô beautiful and fun on a bike. There are thousands of trucks to dodge and try to pass. The roads are not generally too pot holed, but the rain and ÔÇ£geological instabilityÔÇØ of the region make for many large and small mud slides and road subsidences ÔÇô keeps your attention. The vegetation is lush tropical, there are little communities and homes scattered along the route, the roads are constantly twisting and uping and downing ÔÇô it is a bikerÔÇÖs dream. From this initial mountain section between Cartagena and Medellin on south to the Ecuadorian border (weÔÇÖre told) there are mountains ÔÇô steep with coffee plants growing on the sides and mules and carts and little motos mixing with the biggest trucks fully loaded. These are the best moto mountains in the world ÔÇô or maybe this side of central France or Switzerland. Then again, Peru is still to come.
Two days ago, I left my bike at the magnificent facility that is Autogermania Moto Rad in Bogota. They have all the best equipment and tools that BMW Motorad has to offer. Edgar Gomes, the moto division manager (in Latin America BMW dealers sell cars and bikes out of one operation) is a fantastic guy ÔÇô he loves practicing his English. I highly recommend this place for any servicing or repairs you might need on your BMW moto when in Bogota.
My headlights were working intermittently, the gas had water in it, the tack sometimes registered about twice the RPMs of the engine, a piece that I had welded on in Cartagena to add strength to the pannier rack disappeared somewhere in the mountains between Medellin and Bogota, the air filter is water soaked . And, the homemade bags for tools that Ive roped together and draped over the front of the tank for better weight distribution on the bike (it handles much better in curves and rocks) started to tear apart. I asked Jeraldo, our family style hoteliera guy, if he knew someone who could sew it  5 houses down a susteria  works great now. With a lot of back and forth in Spanish and laughing and pointing, I left the bags to be not just sewn up where coming apart at the seams, but improved with new straps and some Velcro to secure in place at the sides.
Just arrived in Cali after a rather trying day of constant rain and washouts and mud slides and wet mountain roads with too many big trucks ÔÇô 12 hours in the saddle from Bogota. This was a baptism of fire for Christianne ÔÇô her first day of riding behind Patrice on this trip. They have done many other trips 2 up.) WeÔÇÖre staying at the Casa Blanca Hostel ÔÇô great place with very hot showers!
Tomorrow on towards Ecuador.
Tom
tom@mathperspectives.com

Prior to this boat trip, Tom had spent everyday avoiding contact with people, their cultures and history, by riding through their country's as fast and as directly as possible.

From another guy on the boat:When we got to the hostel there were five other bikers there. Two of them were older guys, one from Bellingham and the other from Quebec. The other three were younger guys traveling together who told us that they had rode through the last five countries before Panama in four days just to get to the hostel on time to get on the boat . They were drinking hard and had spent one night sleeping at the border.

The captain of their ship came by the hostel the next morning when they were ready to go and all five of the bikers told him that they didnt have the money to pay for the boat in advance and that they would pay when they got to Cartagena. This isn??t the normal practice because the captain can??t prove they didnt pay him if they decided to screw him on the other side. One of the guys supposedly didnt have money to pay for the hostel as well so he had to borrow money from the captain to pay for his bed. Right before they left the same guy came around asking everyone if they had seen his $100 pocket knife, no one had so he started making a stink about it getting stolen. When he couldn??t find it they left and I figured we wouldn??t been hearing anything else about them unless we crossed paths on the way down to South America.

Charles and I were already VERY bored so I tuned up my bike and we rode into Sabinitas for money, food, and internet. Nothing of note happened that night, we just sat around and talked with the people who were on our boat that had just arrived.

The next morning we got up and realized that a shitstorm was rapidly brewing. The captain had called Guido because one of the guys on the boat (the one who claimed his knife was stolen) was now saying that his laptop and a bunch of cash had been stolen as well. Guido immediately thought this was bullshit and when Silvia told him they hadn??t paid for the boat, and one needed to borrow money to pay for the hostel he was positive the guy was trying to commit insurance fraud to pay for the boat trip. On top of that the guy fingered us as the ones who stole his laptop.

So Guido asked us if he could search our things and of course we agreed. Sure enough there wasn??t any laptop. He called the captain back and told him to wait for him in Porvenir (the island with Panamanian customs). Guido would sail there first and sort out the whole thing.

We didn??t hear anything else about it, other than that the captain had worked out a contract with the guys to make sure they paid on arrival in Cartagena, until the last day of our sailing trip. It turns out that once on the boat one of the guys offered the captain??s young girlfriend (about 30 years younger than him if not more) some coke in exchange for sex and the captain found out. Then they hit a 6 hour long storm and the dog on board got so scared it **** all over the floor in the boat so they were walking through it until the storm let up and they were able to clean it. Four of the guys paid when they got to Cartagena but the guy who accused us of stealing his laptop took another 3 days to pay, and ended up having to borrow the money from one of the other guys. I have no idea how he plans to make it to Ushuaia if hes in Colombia now and already out of money, other than coning people of course.

So, it looks as though the boat offers the adventure, where as Girag will ensure that you do actually get to the next stage of your journey.

Costs seem to equal themselves out when you factor in time, extra gas, food, lodgings etc...

So, take your pick.
__________

 

[Threeteas]

happier memories

I just noticed, on this pic, that my oil and spare gas bottles have already fallen off the bike (r/h pannier).

Then the bottles miraculously re appear. Or, this picture series is not sequenced correctly. Depends on your faith!

 

[Threeteas]

out of sync Granada Nicaragua

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[Threeteas]

just sign mother!!!

Bike arrived in Seattle today, just in time to be sent on to Liverpool tomorrow by boat.

Passed through US customs, although I must confess to being confused why a group of customs officials processing paperwork in an office on an industrial estate are required to carry guns and coshes?

"Sign at the bottom y'goddam mother luvin' limey, or we blow y'r ass away. Do you need to borrow a pen?. Thank you have a nice day Sir."

$1500 in total from Bogota to Seattle, plus $55 handling fee at this end.
Be aware if you use centurion air cargo, that they don't accept personal cheques, so you'll need a bankers draft/cashiers check.

 

[Threeteas]

Guatemala Atitlan Santiago.

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Edited while stuck at O'Hare Chicago, due to a plane having frozen to the gate we were to use. Missed my international connection, then got diverted to Copenhagen.

Every delayed, unpleasant minute, I cursed my soon to be ex wife. Then I pulled myself together and threw a few clips into a rough cut.
The smiles returned along with the memories. It was a good trip. It was a good cause.
It will be continued...

 

[Threeteas]

20th April!

That's the day I'll finally get to see my bike again. First time since shipping it from Colombia. It spent ages in the USA and now the UK seems determined to add as many hurdles as possible too. Customs took two weeks to clear it. Now the shipper has "nothing coming your way" until the 20th. They are 150 miles away at the most. I've paid in advance for delivery. I can't pick it up and ride it, because it's not legal in the spec it's in to ride in the UK (as a potential registered bike). If I were a tourist, I could just hop on it and ride around, couple of hours paperwork in customs at the worst.

It's being shipped to a dealers, who can adapt it to the higher Euro specs required, then MOT it (a road worthiness test), then I can register it, insure it and ride it.

So May.

I'll start riding three teas again once it's on the road. I've just been emailed by an Aussie I met in Canada...2010 up to Scandinavia and the Arctic Circle.

Now just get a job and some funds...