Panama

Thursday 29th April 2010

Panama

21 Miles

Total PanAm Miles 9742

A trip to the airport this morning to collect the bikes, not that simple though. Because there are 18 bikes the process takes forever. The customs people seem to be unable to cope with a large group. Things weren’t helped by the heat and humidity here, so needless to say a few of our group were a little hot under the collar. We must have spent about 6hrs at the cargo terminal before the paperwork was complete and we were free to go. I can’t help thinking that a little bit of pre planning would have saved some time. But it’s no surprise as very little seems to have been organised on the trip so far.

After returning to the hotel and parking our bikes in the foyer we had just enough time to go to the Miraflores Locks on the Panama Canal. What a fantastic site to see the massive ship make their way slowly through the locks.

Panama City like all cites has variety of different areas. We were told not to turn left out of the hotel as the area is too dangerous! We went out in the evening to one of the more posh areas for a meal at a Mexican restaurant.

Tomorrow we start to make our way through Panama on our way to Costa Rica.

Colombia

Wednesday 28th April 2010

Bogotá Airport

0 Miles

I woke up this morning feeling a little under the weather; it must have been something I ate. It’s 3pm and I’m waiting in Bogota airport for the flight to Panama at 6pm. The bikes should already be on their way. We will have two nights in Panama, so hopefully we will see the famous canal.





Tuesday 27th April 2010

Bogota

0 Miles

We arrived at the cargo terminal at 8am sharp to start the customs procedure. We were not amused that Nick and Caroline didn’t bother getting there till nearly 9am. Thing didn’t move very quickly at all. Paperwork was required for each bike and had to completed across the road at another office. This was taking too long so they decided to bring the paperwork back over to where the bikes were. The last part of the proceeding was a police inspection of the bikes which involved opening all our bags for the sniffer dog to inspect. We eventually left the airport at 3.30pm.

Shortly after arriving back at the hovel we went out for a few drinks and food. I think I might have had one too many.



Monday 26th April 2010

Ibague to Bogota

130 Miles

Total PanAm miles 9720

Ibague – shit hole, like so many of the towns we’ve stopped in. The hotel was ok but in a grim part of town. We left at 8 o’clock in the morning in the pouring rain and slowly made our way to Bogota. Luckily the weather cleared up during the morning. We arrived at Bogota at lunchtime. Another grim looking city. The traffic here is chaos, making it difficult to make progress and stay in a group. We were guided part of the way by a doctors car with flashing lights, not that it helped us much. With chaotic traffic and allot of road works it took ages to find the correct area of the airport. Eventually we found it and soon we were preparing our bikes for air freight.

With the first part of the paperwork sorted we waited to put our bikes in the loading bay, this involved riding up a wooden ramp which looked a bit tricky. Jason road quite a few of the bikes up the ramp because some people were not confident in their ability to do it themselves. Needless to say I rode my own bike up the ramp. The bikes were all weighed, mine weighed 300kg!

The bikes are almost sorted; we have to return to the airport cargo terminal in the morning for the customs inspection. We took a taxi to the hotel, when I say hotel I mean grotty dump. We might look for somewhere better tomorrow. I complained to Caroline about it and she said it looked nice on the internet – beware of the internet!

Colombia

Sunday 25th April 2010

Pasto to Ibague

405 Miles

Total PanAm miles 9590

An early start this morning due to the delays getting into Colombia yesterday. I wasn’t convinced we would make it to our destination today, especially when the day started with rain and twisty mountain roads. We made slow progress with all of us riding in a group mainly due to the wet roads. Whilst I was following Jonny he had a near miss with a pickup because he was overtaking on the wrong side of a bend. It can be very difficult overtaking on these mountain roads with very few straight sections.

Today Roy was riding pillion with Nigel because he refused to drive the pickup due to its brake failure yesterday when he ran into the back of a truck, luckily at low speed. The pickup is an old nail and its surprising it’s made it this far. Mr Sanders should have put his hand a little further in his pocket when he purchased the support vehicle.

Nigel, Martin, Roy and I stopped for a break at a roadside cafe. Lovely food, friendly service and cheap. We had one more stop in the afternoon for chocolate and a coke.

There were some good stretches of dual carriageway roads past some of the towns which enabled us to make up some time. However, the last part of the route was again in the mountains with a climb up to 3600 metres. The climb and then decent down the other side seemed to take forever. The traffic on the road is difficult to pass due to the constant bends I long for some straight roads for a while! By the time we reached Ibague it was dark. We were directed to the hotel by a local man on a moped (a theme is developing here). Shower, food, beer, blog and bed.

Tomorrow we take the bikes to the airport at Bogota.

Ecuador to Colombia

Saturday 24th April 2010

Cayambe to Pasto

170 Miles

Total PanAm miles 9185

Another border crossing today which took about 4 hours for all of us to get through, apart from Joe who wasn’t allowed in the country because he is Bahrainian, and was told by the embassy that he wouldn’t need a visa. He’s now on his way back to Quito so that he can fly to Panama.

The roads through Ecuador were a bit tedious, there are so many buses and lorries that you are constantly overtaking to make progress. However, allot of the scenery is outstanding. Its a shame there isn't more time to take photographs. We had to change our destination today because of the long border crossing so tomorrow will be a long day. The plan is to get to Bogota, about 800km's away, but I thing this will not be possible on these roads and safety will be an issue.

Friday 23rd April 2010

Azogues to Cayambe

310 Miles

Total PanAm miles 9015

Thursday 22nd April 2010

Mancora to Azogues

240 Miles

The day started off very warm, it must have been in the mid 20’s at breakfast time. We set off at 8.30ish and the temperature on the bike display was 28 deg C. We filled up with fuel at the edge of town and made our way to the border post 85 miles away. Leaving Peru was the easy bit, a quick look at the passport and a stamp and we were done. At the entrance to Ecuador things were slightly different, the first form was completed quickly then we had to go to another office to complete the paperwork for the bikes. Luckily the office was air conditioned but we must have been in there for more than three hours. After that was completed we went for lunch at a roadside restaurant just up the road.

A few of us still have the insect bites on our legs from Lima. Brian’s were so badly swollen that he was struggling to walk. He wasn’t sure whether he would ride today or not. In the end he did, but without Suzanne who went in the truck with Roy and Eric. She was riding pillion with Jason but the heat was getting to her. We were off on our way with 155 miles to cover. The scenery was starting to become very green with mile upon mile of banana trees. The road continued into the mountains with some stunning scenery. The city of Cuenca thankfully had a bypass. We arrived at the Rivera Hotel in Azogues at 6.30pm. Food, beer and off to bed.



Wednesday 21st April 2010

Trujillo to Mancora

375 Miles

We were in quite a good hotel with a pool last night, unfortunately we got there last and there wasn’t enough time to enjoy the facilities. Just time to do my washing, eat and have a couple of beers.

Today we left the hotel at 8am. By that time Barry, Pete and Jo had been on the road for an hour. After fueling up we were on our way to Mancora. The roads to day have been quite boring, especially the hundred miles of desert we road across with nothing to look at but small bushes and sand. This part of the journey was very tiring due to the heat of about 35 degrees. After passing through the desert we stopped at the first town for lunch, a friendly little place with very tasty food.

After a short time back on the road Jonny had an accident, a moto taxi crossed the road in front of him and there was nothing he could do to avoid the accident. Luckily Jonny was not hurt and the bike only suffered a small amount of damage, a broken light and indicator. The last part of the journey was a little more interesting with some nice twisties through the hills. The hotel was found quite easily for a change and what a great place, right on the beach front with a pool. It’s a shame we weren’t hear earlier to enjoy the facilities. I’ve had a swim in the pool and in the sea, the Pacific Ocean no less, nice and warm unlike the sea in England. Another border crossing to look forward to tomorrow – Ecuador!

Peru

Tuesday 20th April 2010

Lima to Trujillo

370 Miles

I've been bitten!

Monday 19th April 2010

Lima (Jorge’s house)

0 Miles




Sunday 18th April 2010

Nazca to Lima

370 Miles

Saturday 17th April 2010

Cusco to Nazca

403 Miles

A longer journey than we thought today. We were told it was 480km, not so, it was 403 miles and all of it was twisty. Great biking roads but 12 hours of twisties was just too much!

Chile, Bolivia and Peru

Friday 16th April 2010

Cusco

0 Miles

Rest day today. We were going to see Machu Picchu today but after investigating it at various travel agents in town last night it is not possible. We would have had to leave at 3am to take a 4 hour train ride and possibly not return train available. Besides that it was going to cost up to $260! It’s only a pile of old bricks anyway.

Thursday 15th April 2010

Copacabana to Cusco

325 Miles

After a fuel fill up and a short ride out of town we were at the border with Peru. This process took about two and a half hours with a bribe of 20 Peruvian soles (about £5) involved because I didn’t have insurance for Peru. At 10.30am we were on our way. The first part of the journey was up the eastern side of Lake Titicaca. To give you an idea of how big the lake is it took about an hour and a half to reach the top of the lake. The road went through several small towns which were full of activity. Vehicle repairs were being carried out by the roadside in the dirt and there was livestock and dogs everywhere. All along the route you could see people working in the fields, mainly women tending their crops and animals.

The road surfaces varied allot from perfect smooth tarmac to a very bumpy pot holed surface. One section involved road works which consisted of the road surface being covered in loose soil with ruts where vehicles had driven. I proceeded to drive in one of the ruts but not quickly enough and the front wheel washed out. I tried to hold the bike but it fell to the ground in slow motion. I managed to lift it up with the help of two people in a car behind me. Luckily I just managed to stay upright for the rest of this section which was only about 100 meters long. . The last part of the journey into Cusco was another crazy ride similar to the one into La Paz. With the sun just going down and right in my face it was difficult to see anything. After filling with fuel and getting some money from the ATM the sun had gone down a little more making riding easier. It was very busy with cars, buses, trucks and taxis all fighting for space on the road. There is no lane discipline here and the roads are in a shocking state. After getting near the centre Martin, Nigel and I asked a local man on a small motorbike for directions, he kindly led us to the hotel (Hotel El Rosal). On reaching the hotel we had to ride up a plank of wood over some steps outside and into the foyer of the hotel and then park the bikes outside in the courtyard/garden.


After getting cleaned up we went out for a meal. This is a tourist city and you are harassed frequently on the streets by people trying to sell you stuff you just can’t carry on a motorbike. Whilst eating our meal we were approached by a couple of young girls of about 7 years old trying to sell us dolls and small knitted bags. Tim gave in and bought one. I’m sharing a room again with Martin and Nigel, unfortunately Nigel snores but last night I didn’t hear him but Martin did.

Wednesday 14th April 2010

La Paz to Copacabana

96 Miles

From the hotel in La Paz we followed a taxi which was leading us out of the city. La Paz is a crazy place that stretches right up the hillside. Some of the streets were cobbled and quite steep, I don’t know what we would have done if it had been raining. It took us an hour and a half to get out into the countryside. It was a relief to leave the city and the choking fumes from all the vehicles which clearly don’t have and emissions checks. Allot of the vehicles were belching out thick black smoke.

The ride around Lake Titicaca to Copacabana was stunning. We took a small ferry across part of the lake; this consisted of a deck of wooden planks of which there were allot of gaps and rotten wood. Getting on and off was a bit tricky, especially having to reverse off with the help of others. Copacabana is a small lakeside tourist spot, but at the moment it looks like it’s the end of the season.

Tuesday 13th April 2010

Arica to La Paz

330 Miles

Monday 12th April 2010

San Pedro de Atacama to Arica

450 Miles



Sunday 11th April 2010

Tilcara to San Pedro de Atacama

270 Miles



Saturday 10th April 2010

Cafayate to Tilcara

220 Miles



Friday 9th April 2010

Catamarca to Cafayate

220 Miles

A nice easy day today through some wonderful mountain scenery.



Thursday 8th April 2010

San Jose de Jackal to Catamarca

360 Miles

Another nightmare day as far as towns are concerned. Sign posts here are few and far between, along the main roads there are signs with town names and mileages but when you get to the towns there are no signs! The locals are very friendly but when you don’t understand much of the lingo it can be quite confusing.



Wednesday 7th April 2010

San Rafael to San Jose de Jackal

350 Miles

Tuesday 6th April 2010

Zapala to San rafael - 490 miles

Another long day. We took one of the most boring roads, flat and straight and nothing to look at. This route was chosen because one of group didn't want to do any off road. Heated discussions about that were had later in the day.
We had a bit of a delay riding through Neuquen where some sort of protest was in full swing on the main highway.
At the afternoon fuel stop we encountered a problem, a power cut so no petrol. We decided to try and make it to the next fuel stop riding as economicaly as possible at 50mph. We stopped along the way to give some of our spare fuel to Clive who had ran out. Eventually we made it to the next fuel station with about 6 miles to spare.
We arrived at hotel Vinas, San Rafael at 9 o'clock, tired and pissed off.

Random pics

Back on tarmac after 80 miles of piste.

Glaciar Perito Moreno

Sunrise from the campsite somewhere on Ruta 40

Mountain scenerey

Still in Argentina

Monday 5th April 2010


230 Miles

Rode from Bariloche to Zapala

Nice relaxing day, easy on the mileage. We left at 10am, it took us a while to get out of the town because it was busy and confusing. After leaving the town the scenery was instantly beautiful, a photo opportunity on every corner. Myself, Nigel, Martin and Brian and Suz were riding in a group. The pace was steady, about 65mph as there was no rush with only 230 miles to cover. We stopped a few times for photos and to eat.

In the early afternoon we were all getting low on petrol, so the pace slowed down a little. However, I was confident my bike would make it, which it did with 4 miles of fuel left when we arrived at the petrol station at Zapala.

Ruta 40

Saturday 3rd April 2010


Sat outside the hotel at Porto Moreno waiting for the insurance company to sort out John Hemmings who had a bad crash yesterday. He fell off after hitting the gravel road at about 75 mph. He has cracked his pelvis and three ribs, he is just walking though. Surprisingly enough the bike survived quite well. Roy has now repaired the bike to a drivable condition.

We’ve been sat here for more than five hours. We’ve checked over our bikes, mine has a small oil leak from the sight glass. Bolts have been tightened and chains lubricated. The bikes have suffered over the last two days because of the crap roads we have been riding on; it feels like the bike is being shaken to bits. It is very hard riding in these conditions. Sometimes there is hard compacted gravel which is not too bad other times you get a compacted rut about a foot wide with a pile of loose gravel either side. This is scary because of the wind which is so strong and it can blow you of track without any warning.

There was another accident last night. Eric went ahead to find the truck and on his return he hit a cow which has knackered the bike big time.