Neil
I´ve just left Colombia, and now in Panama (by plane!). I was hoping that the ferry would be up and running by now - but no such luck.

As part of your research you might like to take a look at Nick´s website. He rides places others strain to reach - and he had an interesting(!) encounter in Colombia. Not the Darien, but perhaps an example of what can happen when you stray too much from the usual travellers´ routes. His stuff is well worth the read anyway, and he has nice pics!

Blog - Tales from the Saddle - Solo Motorcycle Tour Around the World on a Yamaha YBR 125 and Honda XR125

There is a thread under ride tales covering my travels (plus link below)
Hope that helps
Pat

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Pat
www.patonabike.blogspot.com

I'm no expert, but I think there could be reason(s), why the Interamericana has never been built between Panama and Colombia? But like you said, you'll probably need to do more research on the subject, before you decide. It certainly is "off the beaten track", and personally I'd skip it, as I think there are more tempting and less risky adventures to be found.

Helge Pedersen crossed it (if I'm right, the 1st to do it). Google his name to find more info. So it's doable.

I'll add a short (or long) story: I know as well an Spaniard who made it in the late 70s by foot (which to me looks easier), I don't know how much it has changed. He went with a Quebecois and got a couple of indian guides in Panama. Half way, the guides desisted, they said "no way, this is mad". They kept on machete at hand. Run out of water, desperate left the backpacks, kept going and after long hours walking found their backpacks again. They had made a circle! Imagine the desperation (don't tell me about compass and navigation, I don't know how your brains works in that situation). The had to drink the water from a source (but no great katadyn as now), kept on and were found by indians (loincloths, blowguns, etc) who took them and told them the way. Arrived to the 1st village in Colombia, went to the church and met the priest, another Spaniard, who said "you don't need a bed, guy, you need a hospital, you look too bad!". He got a very bad dysenteria and almost died, spent a month in hospital and finally recovered. I asked him: "Carlos, would you repeat it?" He answered "NO WAY, almost died, such a tension the Quebecois and I never talked again, it was not really accomplishment". I can assure you he's a tough guy and he says he was still lucky not to get a mortal malaria (I heard of a fatal case when I was travelling in Panama).

If I were brave enough to try something like that (and I'm not), I'd choose to go on a monkey bike, so that you can more easily put it no a canoe and the like. No joking.

I searched a bit and there is an old thread about it and low tide and so, although the language is sometimes offensive: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...rien-gap-13294

Happy travels and please take a well pondered decision,

Esteban

Esteban, creo.... (y estoy suponiendo), que sabiendo algo de español tiene que ayudar un poco. Yo personalmente soy de doble nacionalidad y me manejo bastante bien en los dos idiomas. Me gustaría conocer aquel tipo quien lo hizo en pie, de donde es?

In English,

I was saying that I believe knowing the native language/culture would help a lot.


Anyhow, I don't propose riding the monorail in low tide don't worry; the hovercraft will do just fine.

I did read on wikipedia that...
Which is encouraging, that was only last year! I skimmed my eyes over the 17 armed soldiers bit, it didn't seem too encouraging on my pursuit of doing it in 2 days.

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Indeed, you do speak/write absolutely perfect Spanish. But you'll still probably be a gringo, even me I was sometimes a gringo and I look very Spanish!

I don't want to discourage you (you meant it in your post), since probably everyone did so with Helge at the time. I just wanted to provide info for a solidly based decision.

It's a long story, to cut short: the guy is Spanish, after lived long yearsin the jungle in Peru and later worked in the UN and recently retired. He's humble and doesn't tell about it, his wife started the topic. Then I dug on it and he told me the details.

I'm no expert, so I cannot tell you, I've never done anything close to that. I mainly go to the supermarket after work, don't cross jungles machete at hand, so I cannot provide any advice.

If you are Mike Horn, who crossed by foot the whole Amazon jungles following the Equator, no worries, for sure (btw, I strongly recommend his book Latitude ZERO, not sure if it is translated). Or this guy (odyssey home page, what an awesome trip). But risks are something to consider twice before you embark on that; I dare that the bike would be more a burden.

PS: Didn't mean the low tide regarding you, it was just "interesting" to read.

Just curious, how does someone "look Spanish"?

Spanish is a language, do you look like a language?
Spanish can also be a nationality, but how does someone "look" like they are from Spain?
Maybe you mean that you look "Hispanic" but that is a little bit difficult, too, and not to mention it involves a great degree of stereotyping.
It's like someone saying they look "Swiss".

MikeMike,

I meant it as a contrast to someone looking very gringo, such as blonde, blue eyes, white/rossy skin and the like. The fact that I speak native Spanish and don't look like that didn't mean that they wouldn't say to each other "el gringo no quiere pagar más por el taxi" (=the gringo doesn't want to pay more for the taxi). I'm not a gringo and I understand all you say each other!!!

But trying to answer your... question, I can recognize some Spaniards fom miles away, as they can do with me. There have to be some patters, physically or attitude, I don't know. As well as some Brits can be recognized very easily, due to milky skin, freckles, etc. Other people look Dutch. I guess that in the US, being more of a mixture is less obvious, so you would base more on clothes (New Balance Trainers?).

Yesterday I asked one guy I see in a language school if he was Iranian, since he looked veryh Iranian (I feel great sympathy for Persians). "Yes, how do you know it? My parents are both Iranians, but I never lived in Iran". "Well, you look very Iranian anyway". Maybe you consider it stereotyping. I don't intend that, but still find it more probable that "looking like a language", though.

Hehe, there is a mountain of information on the Darien on the net, so I'd say you haven't began researching yet!!

I met a guy who documented a trip with 4 germans who made rafts and used their bikes to propel them down the rivers to Colombia...they overheated due to the engine working the same but having no wind to cool it. Later some others made another raft and floated the amazon, successfully by setting up a water pump to cool the engine.

So good luck and post info on what you decide!


Here is a yahoo answer why there is no road:

The Darien Gap as someone mentioned is the existing gap in the Pan-American Highway. At the time the road was being built it was unfeasible to build as the jungle and the terrain were to harsh to build and the gap was deemed to expensive.

Later the presence of guerrilla groups around the Panama - Colombia border has made this difficult for Panama to accept, as they believe it will allow Colombian Guerrillas to do more frequent incursions in Panamanian territory, and that may encourage them to start operating in Panama, who has stayed guerrilla free for most of their republican life.

Another situation being debated is that Panama is one of the Latin American countries that is free of aftose (food and mouth disease). Opening the gap may allow for the easier transfer of cattle and therefore the presence of the disease in Panama.

Trade has never been affected and the opening of the gap won't develop more trade. Most goods are shipped from country to country, and recently Panama had a serious grievance filed at the WTO about Colombia not accepting Panamanian imports from the Colon Free Zone. So again the gap is not an issue for present trade.

Panama is not flexible on opening the gap, while Colombia has been trying for quite sometime now. I seriously don't believe it will take place until the guerrilla situation is under control. Other than that things will stay the same.

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How much did it cost to get you and your bike across?? Thanks!

I haven't crossed but there are several who are booking passage on the Stahratte from Panama to Cartegena on December 8th.

We're going north on the 10 Nov aboard the Steel Rat, $900 US for moto and rider.

Cheers
Pete & Caf

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How much did it cost to get you and your bike across?? Thanks!