hello there,

i want to ship my bike to cartagena columbia, not bogota, does anyone know of any companies that will do this, air or water, from panama city or colon

muchas gracious for any info

mareestu

See the "Shipments by Travellers" section - link on left - lots of info.

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

__________________
Grant Johnson
Seek, and ye shall find.
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Inspiring, Informing and Connecting travellers since 1997!
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

shipments all going to Bogota, but got some names in Shipping co´s will try those

thanks
mareestu

After riding from Chile all the way up to Oregon and across to Miami, I'm now back in Cali, Colombia with my bike and Colombian my soon to become wife Diana and we're expecting a baby in December.

1st of August 2008 we started a super nice hostel in the good and secure part of Cali.

If you head this way its cheap, quiet and safe and we´ll help you in any way we can.

We have airport pick-up and since I have flown my bike in and out of Cali, I can help with all the legal matters of arriving or leaving Colombia.

Casa Blanca Hostel, Avenida 6 bis, Calle 26n, #57, Santa Monica Residencial, Cali, Colombia. Tel. (+57) (092) 396 38 46 Fax. (+57) (092) 668 99 86 or mail me at mikkel@mfthomsen.dk
GPS koordinates: N 03.46925 W 076.52967

Check my travel video diary at YouTube - kaiserkyhl's Channel

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Keep On Ridin' In The Free World

- Mike

If you take the Colon route, be careful. The town is seriously dangerous. I shipped south from Colon to Cartagena on a small inter-island banana boat in 2006. They were smugglers and dumped two of us and our bikes into an open boat in the middle of the night (see Blog at home). As the great sage (and great friend) Ang-Wei Ming remarked. We said we wanted an adventure.
Ming got robbed by four kids with knives to his throat half a block from his down-town Colon hotel. I stayed out at the Harbor Inn next door to the Melia in what was the Canal zone. Reasonable price and safe.
Riding north last year, I shipped the bike from Cartagena on a yacht into Portobello. The crew was an alcoholic, turned off the motor in the middle of the night and lost the key!

Yep I heard of many others (backpacking mates) who experienced similar ridiculous (ie life threatening) sailing stories on smaller yachts. Sails failing, motors breaking down, running out of food and water, disputes, overcrowding, using fishing canoes to be shuttled to mainland mid-journey etc etc. I went with a German sailing association (ie not-for-profit) boat called the Stahlratte (www.stahlratte.org: Logbuch) which is a comparitably large 38.5m ex-fishing sail boat, with motor obviously when there´s no wind. Awesome experience. Friendly crew that speaks English and understand your bike is important. Good food, lots of space, good beds, water purifier equipment etc and they have a guy at each end that does all the immigration and customs stuff. The last section of the ride to the San Blas Islands from Panama city was a good challenge (half was wet clay) and the dugout canoe shuttle to the Stahlratte ´interesting´ enough me thinks. At the other end they used their dingy to Cartegena. No worries! The price ended up being slightly more than flying all across but then you miss the San Blas experience which was great.

Ok, so the only trick is they are soon leaving the Panama-Colombia area and heading down to Australia. They apparently are not liked in the region by their competitors as they have kept the same prices for some time and keep strictly to their max numbers for example, so they are everyone´s first choice. So post Stahlratte, I believe your options will soon only be container shipping, modern-day pirates on said small yachts or to fly...

Goodluck!

Just checked contact info with Copa Airlines, who flew my bike from Cali, Col to Panama City.

In Panama City you can go straight to the Airport Cargo terminal (Tocumen, a bit further down the road from the passenger terminal) and talk to Manlio Lara at tel. 507 238 4510.

Flying from Colombia is possible from Bogota, Medellin and here in Cali. Less frequent flights from Baranquilla on the coast and non from Cartagena.

From Colombia you always need to go through a cargo agent to get a Airway bill!

__________________
Keep On Ridin' In The Free World

- Mike

It is definitely not worth doing the Colon route. There are way too many shady people there willing to stick a knife in your back. A rider I know and his gf were robbed in broad daylight. He chased them down and had a gun pointed at him. The captains there are shady and do not care a damn about your bike. (ask me how I know)

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http://www.journeyrider.net Latin America blog (07-8)

Does the Stahlratte go from Colombia to Panama as well or only the other way around?

I checked out with different airlines here in Colombia and they all say its NOT possible to fly Panama-Cartagena.

But there's a plane once in a while Panama- Baranquilla (also on the coast). Only other options by air are Bogota, Medellin and Cali.

5 also just found out there's a freight boat to Cartagena, Colombia every Friday from Miami!!?

OCEAN FREIGHT MIAMI-CARTAGENA..........................$416.00
EXPORT DOCUMENTS AND US CUSTOMS CLEARANCE..............$150.00
INSURANCE (OPTIONAL) $0.010 OF THE VEHICLE COST........$

Anyway, let me know if you need help, I live in my newly started hostel here in Colombia now and can check out different stuff for you if you want!

__________________
Keep On Ridin' In The Free World

- Mike

I,ve recently sailed with the Stahleratte ( yestreday ) from the San Blas islands to Cartagena.

First word about the Stahlratte , ROOM.
Second word is its Historical.

Your bikes well above any sea spray given that theres isn,t a storm.
Its a 120 foot boat and hence theres plenty of space to wander around.
You never feel cramped at all and if someone needs quiet time while been at sea they have places to lay around.
You,ll meet more people as they take more people and I had my own bunk all the way where as on smaller boats you might end up sharing.
They don,t try too over load with people.
My bike is a BMW K100 Road tourer with all that wrap round fairing that doesn,t offer much places to lift from but its wasn,t too much trouble at all.

They prefer you to go a day earlier than the other passenger,s so you get in a extra day . I spent the extra night on a island been fed by the Kuna people and been shown around other islands straight out of cartoons. ( ie one palm tree on sandy island ).

I,ve also done a post on the San Blas road but there,s another option to the road. Namely a longer canoe trip.

The Stahlratte crew didn,t count how many bikes they,d taken but estimated at around 30 bikes altogether on various trips.
Word was theres a organised tour of eleven bikes booked in soon with the Stahlratte too cross over.
check there site www.stahlratte.org: Logbuch

Hi All,

Just shipped 3 bikes from Panama to Columbia 5 weeks ago. I found a great contact in Puerto Lindo just south of Colon. A german couple called Guido & Silvia who run the hostel Wunderbar there. Guido took us over but more importantly, Silvia is trying to coordinate the boats that leave from Panama to Cartagena including the Stalratte & a few others.

I would highly recomend them, great folk & great service. They charge $700 for you & the bike. They have a website Backpacker Hostel Wunderbar - Home give Silvia a shout & I am sure she will be able to get you a sail boat to Cartagena. There are a few oter boats that were offered to me in Panama City but stay clear of them as did not hear good stories about the skippers & the boat from other travellers.

The journey takes in the San Blass Islands which are just amazing. If you have any trouble getting hold of Silvia then PM me & I will call them for you. If you do get through then do remember me to them.

Happy Travels, Cheers Mojo.

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If life gives you lemons then make lemonade & find a friend whose life gave then Vodka & have a party. Mojo

Here is a great website that gives a current schedule of all reputable boat leaving and how much they charge.

Current September Schedule:
Panama - Cartagena, 1rst,complete booked
Panama - Cartagena, 2nd, still room for 4 person
Panama - Cartagena, 4th, still room for 8 person and 1 motorbike
Panama - Cartagena, 6th, complete booked
Panama - Cartagena, 6th, still room for 12 person
Cartagena - Panama, 6th of Oktober, still room for 10 person and 2 motorbikes

SY Seeadler
Captain: Guido
Captain Guido offers you a safe and comfortable trip from Puerto Lindo,Panama, to Cartagena,Colombia or Colombia Panama with the 50ft steel ketch 'Seeadler'. During the 5 day trip we spend 2 days in paradise of the San Blas Islands - snorkling - BBQ - FUN!!!
We have place for 10 persons and 2 motor bikes. All meals and the clearence fee are includet.
Price: 350 US$

SY Esmeralda
Captain: Oliver
The trip to Cartagena,Colombia via San Blas islands start at Puerto Lindo,Panama with 2 days in San Blas and 2 days sail to Cartagena. The 42 ft Esmeralda is a beautiful sailing boat with an all wooden interior and comfortable berths for 5 pers. The experienced capitan makes passage safe and fun. All food included.
Price: 350 US$

SY Tango
Captain: David
We start from Puerto Lindo,Panama have a stop in the San Blas islands for 2 days and continue from there in a 2 days sail to Cartagena,Columbia. There we will visit pristine white sandy beaches, hang out with the Kuna people, swim, snorkel, and have lots of fun. The boat has 2 private cabins, plus 3 other beds, bathroom, refrigerator, stereo and an experienced captain. All meals included.
Price: 350 US$

SY Odysse
Captain: Lucho
The trip to Cartagena,Colombia via San Blas islands start at Puerto Lindo,Panama with 2 days in San Blas and 2 days sail to Cartagena. The 42 ft Odysse is a safe sailing boat with wooden interior and comfortable berths for 7 pers. The experienced capitan makes passage safe and fun. All food included.
Price: 350 US$

SY Melody
Captain: Marc freshaircharters@yahoo.com
The SY Melody is a 44 foot sailing cruiser, very secure and sails beautifully. Marcs wife Paula prepares the deliciosus meals during this trip. Spend 2 days in San Blas, beautiful beaches and having lots of fun! 2 days sailing from San Blas to Cartagena,Colombia a great experience of the deep blue! We provide food, ice and a boat ready to sail.
Price: 350 US$

SY Papillon
Captain: Tom
Tom starts in Puerto Lindo,Panama with his 33ft sailing boat you make a real sailing trip with 2 days in San Blas and then to Cartagena,Colombia directly. He takes 5 passengers on his vojage. Tom is a sailing istructor and skipper and used to run his own sailing school in Germany. 5 days on board - all meals and all fees included.
Price: 350 US$

SY Stahlratte
Captain: Luis info.steelrat@les-raisting.de www.stahlratte.org: Logbuch
The German flagged 40 meter schooner 'Stahlratte', equipped for worldwide highseas navigation and with full safety equipment offers very comfortable and safe sailing on the biggest sailboat cruising in this area. It's big, comfortable and a lot of fun.
Price: 385 US$

SY Da Capo
Captain: Mats
SY Da Capo, 36 ft, has got six beds in three separate compartments. She is a Najad 360, a high quality yacht build in Sweden, well maintained, comfortable and safe. The Trip start from Portobelo,Panama or Porvenir, stay one more day in San Blas for snorkeling and/or visiting a Kuna Village, and then sail to Cartagena,Columbia as quick as possible.
Price: 350 US$

To book any of these ships visit Hostel Wunderbar's website here
Backpacker Hostel Wunderbar - Sailing Trips

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http://www.journeyrider.net Latin America blog (07-8)