I really enjoyed your trip, thanks for that.

Thanks! But, I am just getting started! Planning on southwest US in September (including HU California), then heading into Mexico in October.

~brentt

Hollah from Montucky!

Glad you enjoyed it.

Seattle, Washington to Farmington, New Mexico

And because it’s what I do, here my latest narrated video of this part of my trip if you prefer.



This episode covers nearly a month as I was quite busy recovering (and relaxing a bit) in Seattle from my excursion up to the Arctic Ocean and back, celebrating my Brother’s retirement from the Navy in Georgia, and moving household goods from Virginia back to Seattle.

So, after getting back into Seattle for a few days, Tracy and I flew cross-country to attend my Brother’s retirement ceremony from the U. S. Navy – 23 years!! The ceremony was held at the chapel at the submarine base in King’s Bay, Georgia. I was so proud of him and loved hanging with family and the other friends I knew from back home for a few days.





My Brother also humbled me by asking that I be his guest speaker. It was a real privilege as I had both been in the Navy and a submariner. Very humbling!





Afterward, Tracy and I drove from Georgia up to our old home in Chesapeake to load all our stuff that had been hiding in storage. I had some friends meet us at the storage unit to pack a U-Haul. And it was one damned hot day, too, with the heat index around 110! Whew! We had two large storage units and they quickly filled a 26-footer plus a trailer!

The next several days we averaged 450 miles a day crossing the country again back to Seattle.



Definitely not the same ride as my usual 2-wheeled mode of transport – it was like driving a whale! Crossing the country, however, no matter how I do it, cements in my mind that the U. S. really is a beautiful place, you just have to get out and see it! (But still not as nice when on the motorcycle!)

I was very happy to see real mountains again once we got into Montana heading west for the last few hundred miles.



Back in Seattle, we reversed the process and put almost everything back into storage with the help of some of Tracy’s sister, Wendy, and kids, and Tracy’s daughter Jacqui and her friends.

The next couple of days, I was preparing to get back on the road again. I had to get the bike serviced again, including replacing a bit of plastic that had cracked somewhere along the way. Other than that, I have had no problems with the bike.



It was hard saying goodbye this time as it will be some time before I see Tracy again.

The ride west from Seattle to the coast is beautiful, and it just keeps getting better as you enter Oregon. I think the Pacific Coast is one of the more beautiful places I’ve seen.



I spent one night in Lebanon, Oregon with Wendy’s family, another night in Montague, California with Tracy’s parents, and a third night in Reno, Nevada with Tracy’s brother, Kristian, all catching up with folks I’d not seen in a while. They were very pleasant visits and I love that Tracy is closer to her family now.

Montague is right up next to Mount Shasta, which provides stunning views 360 degrees.



And riding south through Northern California, I visited Lassen National Park. Wow!



Next, I was off to Yosemite National Park to camp. As ridiculous as it sounds, I had to make reservation to camp here five months ago, but I did score what I thought was the very best campsite in the park, just at the foot of Half Dome! The views in the valley are stunning, including El Capitan.









I spent several days there and one day took a ride up to Glacier Point, which provides an eye-popping view right down into the valley.



I headed east out of Yosemite over the Tioga Pass (9947 feet) and the geography really started to change east of the mountains, very dry, high desert like.



I spent a night in Tonopah, Nevada to get my bearings and plan out the days ahead. From Tonopah east, I felt briefly like I was back in the Yukon in terms of running into other living beings. I rode for a couple of hours before seeing another car or house.

The next night, I camped right up under Wheeler Peak (at 10000 feet) in Great Basin National Park.



It was very windy that night and so I didn’t sleep much, but the views were spectacular!



The Sierra Nevada mountains are interesting to me because they rise from desert scrubland and at altitude you have lots of Juniper’s and a thriving ecosystem.

My next goal was Moab, considered a center of the universe for adventuring, but I stopped short in Green River, Utah because it was the cheapest place I could find to stay the night. Moab, the next day, happened to be kicking off Labor Day weekend festivities and the place was packed – and expensive! But, I stayed two days so I could take in Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park and just get a sense of this culture.







In Arches, I rode some of the dirt roads to get better views.



The soft sand beds that underlie this area, along with a huge vertical shift, nearly a mile, started what was to become this beautiful area. With millions of years of water and wind erosion of the soft sandstone, cool buttes and arches formed. It was surreal!



I also ran into Greg and Melanie Turp, who I met first back in Virginia at the Horizons Unlimited Meeting. They’ve been on the road and “homeless” for many years. You can find them here: https://2wandrrs.com



After Moab, I made it over to Monument Valley just a few short hours south. The park is on tribal lands but run very much like a national park. I camped right in the valley up against three amazing monuments. I got lots of good pictures here.







My next aim point was Dixon, New Mexico to meet up with Ben Rainchild, co-owner and master craftsmanatf Green Chile Adventure Gear. I spent 3 nights there riding with Ben, hanging out, and just sucking in the adventure spirit.





I even let him take the Beemer for a spin.



Heading back west again, I stayed in Farmington, New Mexico. I’ve been developing some soreness in my right elbow, left shoulder, and now right knee that I wanted to give a rest, so I booked into a cheap hotel for three nights to take it easy.

The Southwest of the U. S. is far different than any place I’d been so far. It was dry, hot, windy, and dusty (during my trip), but the scenery is so unique and beautiful.

All in all, it’s been a very busy few weeks, but I still have so much more to see in the southwest U. S. before getting to Mexico in just three short weeks, including Natural Bridges, Escalante, Zion, Bryce, and the Grand Canyon.

Lessons learned:

1/ Riding around like this is not all vacation. In some ways, it’s like physical work, and you have to take breaks every now and again. Packing, riding, and unpacking every day is strenuous and I’ve gotten to the point after four and a half months that it has begun to take its toll on me. I think I should do some sort of exercises to overcome the repetitive motion problems I think I’m having.

2/ I gave myself exactly one month to visit all the parks in the southwest and I think that’s about right. You can spend 2-3 days in places you need or want to, whereas many of the parks and sights can be drive-throughs.

During a ski holiday, don't catch a cold, catch a warm ski lodge instead.

The Italian slopes are also a great alternative if you enjoy skiing. And like a wise traveller, you must also book an accommodation in advance to better maximize your time in the Italian slopes.

Skiing Italy is almost certainly the option of those in search of winter vacations with sun and fashion but often unnoticed as a ski holiday location versus neighbouring France, Switzerland and Austria. Italy comes with fantastic ski areas, idyllic alpine communities and upmarket skiing. To put it accurately the Dolomites Superski spot offers probably the most runs of any sector anywhere in Europe. Ski housing in Italy is customary, comfortable and sometimes in conventional village residences or some great early hotel. Primarily, ski lodging in Italy is tremendous value. Discover what makes ski housing in Italy special.

Travel around

Airline flight times are a little longer contrary to other Alpine locations. Milan, Turin and Malpensa Livigno can be contacted within just two hours, Venice and Brescia take a little longer. Even so transfer mileage to most ski resorts to help you still get through to your ski accommodation in under 5 - 6 hours from the UK. Ski transfer companies are readily accessible at all air terminals. Most often (if you don't drive to Courmayeur), driving a car will be a less helpful option. Car route times is often as long as 14 - 16 hours based upon your ski vacation destination in Italy.

Ski Housing in Italy

Italy happens to be identified for great catered accommodation and fine foodstuff. In Italy there's a simple good mixture of hotels and ski chalets and several living spaces. You will discover minimal purpose-build blocks and discover mostly demand a small stroll or a ski bus to go to ski lift and ski slopes. Italy is also endowed with awesome historic hotels, many boasting substantial terraces that you can like your lunch or apres-ski under the sun. Many of the so-called Pensions (larger B&Bs) recently improved to hotel standard, adding fitness services along the way. Catered ski lodging in Italy quite often comes with impressive cooking. Italian cuisine and in particular the various pasta meals are the ultimate skiing diet.

Skiing

There are several well known ski areas in Italy and many very large interconnected ski areas like the Milky Way composed of Cesana, Claviere, Sansicario, Sauze d'Oulx and Sestriere and presenting 400km of piste. The Dolomites Super Ski Area comprising Selva Val Gardena, Val Di Fassa, Folgarida, Madonna di Campiglio, Alta Badia, Arraba, Alleghe and Cortina has more than 1200 kms of pistes, but not all interlinked. Regardless of whether you're a skiing newbie or a professional skier, you will in all probability acquire slopes to cater for your needs.

Ski Housing Expense

Ski accommodation in Italy is usually good value and mostly more cost effective than neighbouring France, Austria and Switzerland. Very cheap cost preference is frequently other possible traditional exclusive B&Bs and Pensions delivering half-board deals. Eating out is not high-priced and fine Italian food is easily available in many of the conventional eateries and mountain refuges. If you have dinner out at night you will need to budget £15 for dinner, £4 for a pint and £2 for a soft drink.

Find to find your ski lodging in Italy. You finalize on single, quick request form, Your requirement is contributed with all appropriate and signed up ski accommodation companies. Managers can send a quote and you may select the one which may match you. Even if it is not ski housing in Italy.

There are other ski destinations indeed, but to ski in Italy and to savour the food and ambiance of the country is more than enough to give the Italian slopes a try.

Hello sir, how are things? Hope all is well, we haven't heard from you in some time.

David C.

Ride, Smile, Blink Slow
www.motopoet.com | Instagram: @motopoet | Twitter: @themotopoet

Farmington, New Mexico to San Diego, California

Yes, as per usual, here’s a video if you prefer not to read my dribble.



After hanging out with Ben Rainchild of Green Chili Adventure Gear in Dixon, New Mexico, I headed back west and stayed in the same little town I stayed in going east. I really needed the rest because not only was my right elbow bothering me (which it had since Newfoundland), not my left shoulder and knee were giving me troubles, too.



The next day was a “positioning” day up to central Utah, but I did ride through Glen Canyon on the way there and it was spectacular. However, I did dodge some mean black clouds for awhile before losing the battle and catching myself in a hail storm. The entire southern part of Utah is canyons, buttes, arches, and monuments.





After stopping for the night in Hanksville, Utah, I veered southwest toward Capital Reef and Grand Staircase-Escalante. Wow!







I camped near Bryce Canyon and the next morning headed off to see even more stunning scenery. For Bryce Canyon, you’re up on top looking down, like from 10,000 feet. It was a cold but beautiful morning.





Afterwards, I headed to Zion National Park, but this time you’re actually riding through the canyon. Just awesome! (I didn’t take any photos, so the video above does better justice).



After a couple of days in St. George catching up on admin (like laundry), I made my way over to Boulder City in Nevada. I stayed at the Boulder Dam Hotel, which has lots and lots of history, including building of the nearby Boulder (now Hoover) Dam. When the airlines opened up here, many famous people stayed here, including Bette Davis, the Vanderbilts, and Will Rogers.





I visited the dam (see video) and then took off to the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. Just more spectacular scenery. My jaw was hanging pretty low taking it all in.





The next two nights, I hung out in Sin City. One, just to take a break from riding, but also to rest my aching joints. Las Vegas is also a city that “never sleeps” and there is so much to see and do without ever seeing the inside of a casino.







https://photos.smugmug.com/Loving-Li...IMG_1573-M.jpg
From Vegas, I took the route recommended by the National Park Service to Death Valley. This was the Old Spanish Trail and then Badwater Road, which leads right through the valley to Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the U. S. at 282 feet below sea level, and the point of the highest recorded temperature in the world – 134F!!





There I met Leor and Domer from Israel who had been touring the U. S. for the last month. Great guys.



The next two days were transit days and I stayed in Ridgecrest and then Visalia California. I was on my way back to Yosemite for the Horizons Unlimited meeting. I know I have mentioned this before, but if you want to immerse yourself in the culture of overlanding by motorcycle, this is the place to do it. Great people, great lectures and seminars, just great atmosphere.



Some new besties, Sarah and Ginamarie!



Lots and lots of motorcycles, everything from Urals to GSs.



From Yosemite, I headed west to the coast going through Monterey, where I attended the postgraduate school there back in the early 2000s. Not much had changed – Monterey was still as beautiful as ever.



That night, I stayed in Morro Bay. It’s a small fishing town with a huge rock in the middle of the bay called Morro Rock.



Next was a stopover with family in Redlands, California. Just a beautiful place with amazing sunsets.



And the next day I stopped in to see the folks at Riverside BMW for service. Best bunch of people ever! I chatted with Dan Schoo for a long while the bike was getting worked on.



These last couple of days I have been hanging out in San Diego finalizing all my preparations before entering Mexico. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but entering Mexico to me is different than hopping over to Canada. I am expecting a culture shift with great people, beautiful lands, and awesome food, but something about heading south makes me feel I really need to prepare for it.

So, yes, sure, there are some special preparations – like getting insurance (my U. S. policy doesn’t cover me there), getting Pesos (20 to 1 exchange at the moment), getting all my documentation in order for all the border crossing, letting my bank know I am heading south, and so on. I am sure it’ll work itself out just fine, but nonetheless I am putting a lot of thought into it.

So, that’s it for now. I am crossing the border tomorrow, September 30, 2016.

Lessons learned:

1. So, some bike issues have presented. I’m on my 3rd set of brake pads now and had to replace the rear rotor (I am at 50K miles now). Seemed excessive to me but have been told by three dealers now that it’s normal. I also blew out a seal on the steering damper. For heading south, I am taking spare pads and an oil filter. Overall, maintenance on the BMW has been the biggest part of my budget.

2. I mentioned this in the last post, but I have been doing exercises related to the repetitive motion problems I have been having with my elbow and shoulder. I suppose I can’t emphasize enough the importance of exercising, and perhaps more importantly, stretching, to keep the aches at bay. It really has helped me.

San Diego, California to Chetumal, Mexico

The video is presented first for those of you with that preference. I will tell you, though, for this episode the video is a bit different, and likely somewhat more substantial. In the video, there is less of a timeline perspective and more of a thematic outline.



I suppose I should preface this by saying I could never do Mexico justice in my writing or video. From the time I entered Mexico at Tecate until the time I left 22 days later, I was blown away every single day by a friendly and welcoming culture, beautiful scenery, and amazing food. But, I’ll give it a try.

After a couple of days in San Diego, I was ready and raring to get into Mexico, my third country after five months on the road. I had several “chores” to do before entering Mexico, such as buying some Mexico insurance online, hiding some cash about the bike, getting a fake wallet prepared, and ensuring my Open Street Maps were loaded and working on the Garmin.

I decided to cross at Tecate as I’d heard it was not very busy, and it wasn’t. I was also shocked to learn that there is no one waiting for you on the Mexico side, you could literally drive right through and into the country and I’m sure no one would stop you.



But, knowing I need to get myself and my bike stamped in, of course I stopped. This is where I saw my first of many types of topes, evil little methods for slowing down vehicles. These turned out to be my least favorite, the bike always hopped nervously between the bumps, although I could always see these coming, unlike most of the topes in Mexico (which I talk about later).



Stopping in at immigration and at the banjercito to get the bike permit, I quickly had to summon all the Spanish I’d learned, but they were friendly and helpful and patient and soon I made it through and was on my way.





My first stop for Mexico was Ensenada, a very touristy town a couple of hours south of Tijuana. The Spanish language, music, and taco truck smells filled the air and I knew I was finally in Mexico.



Ensenada had a cruise ship port visit feel to it with lots of small colorful shops selling a lot of useless stuff. I didn’t stay here long.



The next day, the goal was El Rosario, but I stopped off at La Bufadora just outside of Ensenada first. La Bufadora is a natural marine geyser, meaning that waves break into an increasingly smaller space and once a very high pressure is achieved, the water is blown up and out to 180 feet.



Ooops… couldn’t read the sign until I parked there…



On the way to El Rosario, I experienced my first military checkpoint. By the time I left Mexico three weeks and a day later, I think I went through at least 15 military or police checkpoints. They were always courteous, friendly, and curious about my trip.



El Rosario is a tiny town famous at least two reasons: it’s the first checkpoint on the Baja 1000 and is home to Mama Espinoza’s, an awesome restaurant and hotel full of sorts of Baja memorabilia (Mama passed away last year).



After El Rosario, it was time to cross back towards the Sea of Cortez for a stop at Bahia de Los Angeles. Along this route, I had my first taste of Baja Desert. This is also when the heat really started to climb and I was sweating bullets and drinking liters of water. Bahia de Los Angeles, as is all of the east coast of Baja, is beautiful, especially as you catch the sun rising.



MEX-1, which runs the length of Baja is a pretty good road. It zigzags across the peninsula, so each zigzag takes you up and over the mountains. In my opinion, the east coast of Baja is much more scenic.



The next few days took me through Santa Rosalía, Loreto, and finally La Paz, where I holed up waiting for the ferry. All of the towns in the Baja are unique and the vibes excellent.







No, this is not “the” Hotel California.



I will tell you, I was challenged on the some of the roads where construction was happening, particularly right outside of La Paz. There was a stretch of about 10 miles of this sandy, dusty crap.



Waiting for the ferry was bad planning on my part, really, as I’d wanted to take the ferry to Tolopobompo, which is supposed to run daily, but it was all booked up. The ferry to Mazatlán is longer, but only runs three times a week, and is a bit more expensive. So, I ended up staying in La Paz for four days (I didn’t want to leave after only one day in La Paz). It was a nice resort place, but only about $40 a night.





Next was the ferry over to Mazatlán, where I booked a cabin for about $50 for the overnight sailing. The total time onboard was about 16 hours, so it was well worth it to have a place to hang out.





The next several days were a blur as I visited Durango, Zacatecas, Guadalajara, Guanajuato, and then finally Pátzcuaro. These cities, all modern and most large, share several common attributes:

Lots of motorcycles, mainly 125cc,

a main square with at least one elegant church,



lots of people walking around, smiling, and having a good time,





great food (that’s Mole on the left, a chocolaty chili sauce),



and a really positive vibe that you can feel.



I absolutely loved visiting and hanging out in these cities. I just wish I’d more time.

In Pátzcuaro, I met up with an old shipmate at her house there. Pátzcuaro is an arts scene full of vibrant colors and open air markets.



I took a morning while staying in Pátzcuaro and visited nearby Tzintzuntzan, where I found another cool church and some ruins dating back to the 12th century.





The next few days, I went through Puebla, just east of Mexico City, Oaxaca, Tenuantepec, and then San Cristobal. Again, all of the cities were exceptionally beautiful, full of colonial architecture, and smiling, happy people.











In San Cristobal, I ran across a pair you might know… Ed and Rachel. We had dinner, some laughs, and then some chocolate that I think gave me an orgasm.

Ed checking out someone’s handiwork. Rachel guiding us to dinner…



Gorging on delicious chocolate…



Next, I made my way to Palenque, site of some decent ruins, where I walked around in the jungle heat for a couple of hours.





Finally, I arrived in Chetumal, a staging point for crossing into Belize. I spent 22 days in Mexico and I could honestly say I would live there in an instant. The people are amazingly friendly, the culture vibrates all around you, the food is excellent (although a bit fattening for me), and is as diverse in landscape as any place I’d ever been. Interestingly, much of Mexico (mainland) lies on a plateau rising between two and eight thousand feet, so in my trip across the country in October it was quite cool. It is hardly some hot, dry desert country.

Lessons learned (I talk about them in the video a bit more, too):

1/ Mexico is a wonderfully inviting place full of friendly people, beautiful scenery, and great food. Stay away from the tourist areas, like Cabo, Mazatlán, and Cancun, and Mexico is also very cheap to travel around in, about one-half to one-third the costs in the U.S.

2/ Driving in Mexico is an odyssey. They have several different customs, shall I say, that took some getting used to. 1) The speed limit signs are ignored for the most part as far as I could tell; 2) topes… they are everywhere and most are not marked. It’s the quickest way to bite your tongue off if you’re not paying attention that I know of; 3) You will encounter animals being tended alongside and in the road nearly everywhere you go; 4) Cuota (toll) roads are great and fast, but expensive; 5) people will indicate it is OK to pass them with a left-hand blinker – are they turning or telling you it’s safe… ? Usually context provides this answer; 5) in some places the lane to turn left through an intersection is actually in the far right lane – confusing as hell, just pay attention to the signs; 6) In towns near topes you’d often find people asking for donations or handing out pamphlets. This just slows things down a bit; 7) Stoplight entertainers and windshield cleaners are everywhere; 8) Yes, I think dogs might outnumber people in Mexico, and they all live beside or in the road…; 9) I encountered demonstrators blocking the road three times – once, I was rerouted through a town with burnt out buses, once, I managed to slip through the trucks that gave me just enough space, and once, I had to pay 50 pesos (about $2.50USD) to pass. In no cases did I feel in danger or threatened; 10) I skipped the state of Guerrero – too many warnings from the locals (and the US State Department). There were stories (from the locals) about severed heads in the streets of Acapulco now that the town is no longer on the gringo tourist trail. I could be all wrong about this, but I went (or didn’t go) where the locals suggested; and last, 11) Military/Police checkpoints are everywhere. I think I went through at least 15 crossing Mexico. They were always polite, even friendly, and sometime curious about my trip. No worries here – they are mostly young kids and trying to make Mexico safer.

3/ Learn the language!! I found in every case where I tried to speak Spanish, I would see the other person light up, take a pause, and in turn, get much more receptive to my communication, even helpful, even if my Spanish was horrible. I said frequently, “Yo creo que puedo entender si hablas mas despacio” and always got a smile. (I believe I can understand if you speak more slowly). I learned a great deal of Spanish before I left, but I still have more to learn. I learned a lot of slang terms in Mexico, too, like chela for , and ¿Qué ondo?, for what’s up. I got chuckles every time I used those, but they understood.

4/ Open Street Maps for Garmin. They worked great for me almost 100% of the time. And they are free!!

Hi Brent,
Another great report, thanks for sharing. Hopefully you feel better before too long, and on to the next part of the adventure

Chetumal, Mexico to Panama City, Panama

As I like to do, here’s both a video and a write-up of my adventure through Central America. Actually, in this episode, the blog and vlog go best together, kind of like peas and carrots.



I did not give myself enough time in Central America. I had three weeks almost to the day to visit seven countries. See, I had a date with the Stahlratte to cross the Darien Gap that I had booked many months before, so I carefully laid out a plan to get the most out of each country in the limited time I found myself with.

Crossing the border from Mexico was painless enough except that I was missing the receipt for my tourist visa. And it didn’t matter that I had a tourist visa either. So, off I went to the banjercito to pay (again?).



Anyway, once in Belize the first thing I noticed was much more expensive it was than Mexico, nearly twice as much! But, I settled into a hotel in Orange Walk and had a few Billikens.





After a terrible night’s sleep interrupted by nearby dogs barking and being right next to a busy street, I headed off to San Ignacio in the western part of the country. I learned that almost all of Belize’s income is derived from tourism and sugar cane, and since I was travelling away from the ocean, I witnessed a lot of poverty.

But, San Ignacio is a cool, touristy town situated on the edge of the Guatemalan jungle. All manner of folks seems to come through here on their way to other points. I spent two nights there relaxing and gathering myself for the border crossing with Guatemala.



The ride to the border was a short one and before I knew it (less than 10 minutes), the bike and I were stamped out of Belize. After getting the bike fumigated, I was in and out of Guatemalan immigration and customs in under an hour. My first stop in Guatemala was Tikal, the site of some ancient Mayan ruins. It was hot and humid that day, and the mosquitoes were terrible, but the 30-minute hike into the jungle was totally worth it.





One thing I noticed about Central America was the scale in terms of size. I easily drove across Belize in a day (east to west), and visited Tikal and made my way to Flores in Guatemala by 2PM in a day. These countries are simply much smaller than the U. S. and Mexico (duh!). You do travel slower, however, with the traffic, small towns, and people congestion on the roads. I think my overall average through Central America was at best 40mph (70kmh).

I stayed on Isla de Flores in northern Guatemala, only an hour or so from Tikal. It was all very modern and a welcome change from the Belize I visited. It’s also neat because the island is surrounded on all sides by Islote Santa Bárbara.

Next, I headed south through eastern Guatemala to Rio Dulce. During this ride, I noticed a sharp, persistent headache pain behind my eyes. I’d never had this kind of headache before. What the heck? But, the scenery was nice with rolling green hills, so I just started slurping water thinking I was dehydrated.

Rio Dulce is an up and coming touristy area along Lake Isabel. I stayed in a really nice hotel overlooking the lake. That night, I started to think I may be getting a cold with a bit of a fever and a slight cough.



The next day, I headed back west to Antigua, a very touristy town definitely on the gringo trail. I booked for a couple of nights to relax and take a day trip up to Lake Atitlan. That night, I walked right into some huge celebration where everyone was lighting paper balloons. It was quite the site!





That night, I was feeling much worse, with a noticeable fever, body aches, and now a rash! A rash? Oh no. What is going on???? I got on Google to see if I could find what was up. All indications pointed to something like Dengue. I knew I had been eaten alive at Tikal by mosquitoes, so decided to put Lake Atitlan on hold and go see a doctor the next day. He ordered some blood work, which thankfully all came back negative for Dengue and “thought” it was likely Zika, as they share symptoms (although Dengue, he said was much worse).



So, I extended my stay a couple of days to get rest and drink plenty of fluids. The local pharmacy gave me a bunch of packets to mix with water that they said would help. I only got out of bed to go to the bathroom. Remember I said I did not plan enough time in Central America? Well, that time was getting shorter every day with me bedridden. Ugh!

So, after four nights in Antigua, I decided I was feeling well enough to get back on the road and head for El Salvador. Big mistake. HUGE mistake. Within four blocks of my hotel, I rolled through a tight intersection and was t-boned by a lady in a SUV.





I just didn’t see the stop sign. Banged up the bike pretty bad, it threw me but I was OK (sore as hell the next day, but not so much as a scratch on me). The accident was totally my fault and I was not carrying insurance in Guatemala (not required). The lady called her nephew who spoke excellent English and we all waited for their insurance adjuster to arrive to assess the damage to her car. After 3 hours and paying $1000, I was on my way.

I knew afterward I should not have been riding yet. I was still sick. On any other day, I would have been ten times more careful on the cobblestoned, tight streets of Antigua. In other words, I made a bone-headed mistake and am thankful there was not a worse outcome.

So, with my El Salvador plans scrapped for the day, I punched in the nearest BMW dealer to get the bike checked out. There just so happened to be one in Guatemala City, which was just 45 minutes away.



They took me right in and got to work figuring out if the bike was OK. Meanwhile, I sat in the garage with a rubber mallet trying to fix both panniers into something usable. Turns out the bike was fine, but I did replace the mirror. I booked into a hotel in Guatemala City for two nights to rest some more, both from my pestilence and now the accident. More days gone and the Stahlratte is not altering their schedule for me… Damn!

It was at this point, after losing a full week, that I realized that I have no choice now but to draw essentially a straight line between Guatemala City and Panama City, and move pretty quickly. With border crossings potentially eating up entire days, I was quite pissed on having to miss some things I knew I wanted to visit along the way.

So, several cool places ended up being just a blur as I raced to get to Panama City: San Salvador and San Miguel in El Salvador, San Lorenzo in Honduras, Chinandega and Granada in Nicaragua, Liberia and Uvita in Costa Rica, David and Santiago in Panama.

I was able to build up and store only a few memories from this whirlwind tour:
-All of Central America is candy to the eyes – amazing scenery.
-While San Salvador is as modern a city as any I’ve seen, I know I heard gunshots and screaming in San Miguel at 2AM… and it was very close to where I was sleeping.
-Granada is an amazing town with lots to see and do
-southern Costa Rica has more signs in English than Spanish



In Panama, I booked into the Panama House Hostel. The place is recommended by Ludwig, the skipper of the Stahlratte. Not long after, several other folks taking the same trip showed and for several days thereafter we had a blast. But, that story is in the next episode. I plan to do one post just about the experience of the Stahlratte, starting in Panama City and ending in Cartagena, Colombia.

Lessons learned:

1/ Border crossing are a pain, plain and simple, and you go through seven of them. To ease the process, I suggest the following: Do a little research to see what is required at the crossing – number of copies you need and of what, costs for immigration, fumigation, customs, order of things in the process, insurance yes/no?, to name just a couple. I’d tell you, but I think it changes from time to time. Show up early, smile, and be patient. You can get help for a couple of dollars, but be very careful you don’t let them fleece you – know the costs to cross! Here is an excellent resource from Shannon and Mike for each of the borders that will get you started: Border Crossing – S&M Boiler Works

2/ I never felt unsafe in the places I travelled. Actually, I should say, the most dangerous place is the road. Traffic is bad and unruly, and everything shares the road – people walking, people selling things, bicycles, animals, tuk tuks, cabs, cars, 18-wheelers, and 4.6 billion 125cc motorcycles. It really does keep you on your toes. I suggest paying attention to what’s ahead and try to ignore what’s behind you. Unfortunately, I think you do have be somewhat aggressive because everyone else is, otherwise it’s hard to get anywhere.

Panama City, Panama to Cartagena, Colombia (via the Stahlratte)

Of course, here’s the accompanying video of this odyssey.



As I understood it, while planning my trip, there were options to get me and my motorcycle from Panama City, Panama to Cartagena, Colombia.

Why not just ride over, you ask? Well, owing to the marshy and dense jungle terrain, named the Darien Jungle, or Darien Gap, and lack of political support, there have been no roads to date constructed connecting North and South America.

So, the options are you can ship via air or cargo ship, or like Dylan Wykham, convert your motorcycle into a power plant for a self-built raft. And, I’m sure some adventurous souls also have traversed the Darien Gap via motor-vehicle, but not me!

For me, I chose the Stahlratte.

The Stahlratte is a 110-foot, Dutch-constructed schooner built as a fishing vessel. It was first put to sea in 1903. Yes, that means this boat is well over 100 years old. But, don’t let that fool you into thinking it’s not seaworthy. It’s been very well kept over the last century.





For the last several years, it’s been operating under a German flag as a ferry between Panama, Colombia, Cuba, and Mexico, and because it has a large deck and spacious accommodations, it can carry several passengers and motorcycles (for my trip, we had 24 people and 19 motorcycles onboard!). The vessel is crewed by Captain Ludwig (affectionately known as LuLu and quite the character), and three volunteer deck hands.

Here’s my experience from the days leading up to the sailing from Carti, Panama to finally setting off on my own in Cartagena. In all, it took six days to get me and motorcycle to from Panama to Colombia and cost me 200EUR plus $980USD.

First, I booked my crossing several months in advance, nearly six-months if I remember correctly. I started at their website: Stahlratte There, you’ll find an email link to Captain Ludwig.

Captain Ludwig is quite responsive via email, despite being underway most of the time. I booked the latest trip scheduled for the year, which was November 14, 2016. To book my passage, I had to PayPal a 200EUR deposit to the Stahlratte. Simple enough, I thought, and now I had a reservation.

About three weeks out from sailing, Captain Ludwig emailed me asking me for copies of all of my paperwork – passport, registration, title, and driver’s license. He also asked if I would want insurance in Colombia and for how long. One of the perks of taking the Stahlratte, and a service you no doubt are paying for as part of the fare, is that he handles all of the steps of the “border crossing” for you. He arranges stamping you and the bike out of Panama, and handles all the immigration, customs, and insurance on the Colombia side. This was a very welcome relief from doing all of that myself through the seven Central American countries I just traversed.
He also asked that I email a copy of the Panama import document once I crossed into Panama.

About ten days from sailing, I received another email from Captain Ludwig explaining how the embarkation would go. I was surprised at this point because the bike loading actually occurs one day prior to sailing, or November 13. But, that was OK I figured, I did not have a lot of time to burn, but I could make it to Panama City by that weekend (Friday was November 11).

Also in his email, he provided instructions on how to get to Carti, about three hours from Panama City, suggested where to stay in Panama City (the Panama House Hostel), and said he’d have lunch waiting for everyone after we were picked up by small boat and ferried to the Stahlratte after we arrived in Carti. My excitement was growing rapidly at this point (I was still in El Salvador at the time). I’d read so many ride reports about the Stahlratte and I was less than two weeks away from doing it myself!!

Next, I booked a room at the Panama House, which is located in central Panama City. I reserved a private room with shared bathroom for $35/night for the weekend. They also have dorm rooms for $18/night.

I made my way south over the next several days and finally made it into Panama City on Friday, November 11. I had to go through very heavy Panama City traffic to the hostel, and of course, it was raining cats and dogs. I was the third bike there after friends I’d been following all through Central America. Parking is secure.



I think this was the best decision I made during this crossing – getting to the hostel early to hang out with some people who ended up becoming some of my best friends during this shared adventure.

The Panama House Hostel is a cool little dive with great food and vibes, and a very affable staff, but very poorly managed regrettably. I had booked a private room, but was informed one day prior that they had overbooked. They asked if the dorm was OK with me or if I would like a private room in a nearby hotel, which they would book for me at the same price. I said nothing and after arriving did not want to leave after meeting up with my fellow riders, so I settled on the dorm (for the first night, the next day, I moved to a private room). If you only knew how loud Scott Pfeiffer, one of my new friends, snores, you would understand.

We all had an absolute blast for two days and nights, drinking into the wee hours getting to know each other, and exploring Panama City during the day as a group. We really, really bonded. I loved every minute of it. Again, I think it is totally worth getting to Panama City a couple of days early to hang out and relax.









---Day One---

So, the day came to head to the Stahlratte, Sunday, November 13, and we decided we would all travel as a group. Even that was great fun, even though it started out a bit frustrating. A local, who had been following one of the group on Facebook, offered to guide us on his motorcycle to the highway leading to Carti. We agreed, and he proceeded instead to take us on a 20mph tour of Panama City. My GPS kept saying to turn in the opposite direction he was going. After he made a U-turn at one point, we all stopped, said forget that, and all drove in the direction our GPSs said to go. Adios and thanks, amigo!

Panama is situated east-west, but the highways are still labelled north-south. Once we were finally on the Pan-American Highway heading “south,” we settled into a group formation, with every conceivable type of bike – BMWs, KTMs, a VStrom, and even a Honda 250 – and that was a blast, too!!

A couple of hours later, we reached the turnoff toward Carti. This road, only about 25 miles long, twists through the Panamanian jungle to the sea and takes over an hour to cover. The road is not great, but it is all asphalt. It has some serious curves and steep inclines, and with the corrugations can really give your ABS a workout, especially in the corners. I nearly overshot a curve because the bike refused to slow down over the undulations.

Along the way, you enter lands governed by the indigenous Kuna people. There, you are stopped and have to pay $20 per motorcycle and $3 per person to pass. They were very nice and curious.

Finally, you’re up on top of the mountains and you can see the ocean off in the distance. Not long afterward, after still countless more curves and up and downs through the jungle, you reach Carti where the asphalt runs out for the last half-mile or so. And there, waiting as promised at anchor right in front of you, is the mighty Stahlratte, it’s diesel engine exhaust filling the air with thunder. I was fist-pumping with my riding mates as we’d all dreamed of this day for so long.



After several other riders showed up, a member of the crew approached us and directed us onto the pier, all in single line. There, we waited thinking the Stahlratte would come alongside and take our bikes. Instead, we unloaded our bikes, all panniers and bags, into a smaller boat that ferried our stuff to the boat. Then, with our bikes still on the pier, we were all shuttled to the Stahlratte for lunch. Before leaving the pier, I switched on my GoPro attached to the bike to capture the loading. This, I learned after, was pointless as the tide was low and the Stahlratte would not load the bikes until the following day. So, why were we here today?





Once onboard, we were greeted by LuLu, and fed, we were assigned bunks. There is more than enough room for everyone, including for couples who share double-sized bunks.



We were then taken off the Stahlratte via small boat to one of the nearby islands, maybe 30 minutes away, where we’d stay for the night in Hotel Porvenir.

There was nothing on this island but an airstrip and an open-air hotel, but they did have cold ! We relaxed for the evening in hammocks while chatting, wondering about our bikes and what the Stahlratte was up to.











---Day Two---

The next morning, maybe an hour after we’d been told we’d be picked up, a small boat arrives to take us back to the Stahlratte, which had been out of sight this whole time. There, we discovered our bikes onboard, lashed and covered in tarps topside. We ate another meal and got underway to yet another island further out amongst the San Blas Islands.

We anchored amongst some other yachts on a very tiny island. We spent the day swimming, snorkeling, and exploring the tiny island. The San Blas Islands are truly magnificent and beautiful and I felt like I was on a vacation.



That night, we had a bonfire where Ludwig cooked lobsters bought from the local Kuna folks, smothered in butter and garlic. It was delicious. That night we celebrated a couple of passenger birthdays.







---Day Three---

We awoke still at anchor with plans to set off late that evening. So, we had another day of swimming, snorkeling, and swinging off a rope affixed to the boat into the water. We relaxed all day chatting, some of us starting to get a little bored.







But, that night, around 10pm, we finally got underway toward Cartagena. As a Navy guy, I really liked the feeling of being underway on the open ocean, so I stayed up well after everyone went to bed to watch the stars and feel the ocean air washing across my face.

---Day Four---

The entire day was spent steaming/sailing toward Cartagena. We were told we’d be arriving near midnight, but the expected time of arrival constantly changed with the changing winds (we had the sails up). So, we did what we’d done the last two days and just relaxed. Eventually, we arrived in Cartagena harbor around 11pm and dropped anchor. We then all headed off to bed.

---Day Five---

Sitting at anchor, we were all very happy to finally be in Cartagena. It’s a beautiful city, especially with our vantage point at anchor. We had another excellent meal and then were briefed by Captain Ludwig on what to expect next. He said that immigration was not completed yet and he highly doubted that immigration and customs would be completed this day. He told us all to go into town to find a place to stay for the night as the Stahlratte tour had “ended.” He then told us to come back at 2PM to collect our passports and bags/panniers.

We all trudged off to find a hotel without our passports, or having been officially allowed to enter Colombia. The hotel I’d booked refused to accommodate me without my passport, so I waited in the lobby and across the street at a Burger King for hours until I returned to the boat.

Well, when we returned, the passports had still not been stamped. Boo. We were told to return the following day at 1000 and everything should be in order. So, back to the hotel, where a new staff member was working and took a copy of my passport that I happened to have and let me to my room. Thank goodness.

---Day Six---

We all returned at the appointed time, but then waited for the small boat to ferry us out. When the crew showed up, they brought bad news – our passports still had not been stamped. That meant that customs processes could not start and so we were all waiting again. Half of us went to the Stahlratte to hang out. Eventually, by mid-morning we all had our passports and by 2PM, customs and the insurance folks showed up on the boat. By 3PM, we were good to go save getting the bikes off the Stahlratte.

Shortly thereafter, we were underway again to a small shipyard about 10 miles away. We eventually tied up and the unloading of the bikes began, taking no more than about 30 minutes.



Even though the shipyard is only 10 miles away, it would later take us over two hours to return to Cartagena by road in heavy, rush hour traffic. On my return, I even got pulled over by the police for riding a motorcycle in Old Town (which is prohibited, but where my GPS took me). They were understanding and escorted me to the hotel.

My overall impression of this adventure is very positive; despite the negative tone I may have used in the closing days. You do a lot of waiting around for things to happen and I think near the end we were all just ready to get on the road again.



For the positives: First, the logistics of getting a motorcycle across a “water” border I’m glad I had someone handle for me. Even with the delays at the end, I am so thankful Ludwig took care of all the details. Second, the camaraderie that I shared with my travelling companions I will never forget – these are the greatest people I’ve ever come to know and look forward to lifelong relationships with all of them. Third, everything about the Stahlratte is adventure – getting to it, exploring the San Blas Islands, sailing the ocean with your motorbike, entering a new country, and building great relationships. For these reasons alone, it was definitely money well spent. And the food – you will eat and drink to your heart’s content on this boat!

So, just to close on the costs. As I mentioned, I paid a 200 Euro deposit for my slot. Once onboard, you are asked to pay the remainder. For me, I asked for two months of insurance in Columbia, so my balance was $980USD ($930 fare + $50 for insurance). Total cost roughly $1180.

And the Stahlratte keeps the frig stocked, if you know what I mean. Beer and sodas are $1/each and they never ran out, even for me.

Recommended? Absolutely.

Cartagena, Colombia to Pasto, Colombia

In this episode, I spent six weeks exploring beautiful Colombia. Colombia is a gorgeous, safe, proud, first-world country full of incredible people and scenery. Much like my account of Mexico, I am sure I’ll not be able to do it proper justice. But, I’ll try.

Let me begin by saying this post is a bit long. I spent nearly six weeks in Colombia and loved every minute of it. I consider it a first-world country, full of amazing scenery, culture, and people. I always felt safe in Colombia. In the end, I did not want to leave Colombia.

So, here goes. Yep. You guessed it. It wouldn’t be an episode without a video to accompany my drivel.



Now that I’d broken free from the Stahlratte with my moto, it was finally time to relax and take in Cartagena. Several folks from the Stahlratte, who I’d bonded quite closely with on the Stahlratte, and I shacked up in the Holiday Inn in the Boca Grande section of town. We took a couple of days to just go out and explore the city. The days included checking out the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, a fort built in 1537 by Spain to protect their gold interests in South America.









We also visited the La Popa Monastery, which provides an amazing view of Cartagena from 150 meters atop a nearby hill.



And these huge boots… Los Zapatos Viejos. The bronze sculpture is dedicated to Colombian poet Luis Carlos Lopez. Apparently, he had written a poem called "A Mi Ciudad Nativa" (To My Native City) where he talked about missing Colombia so much after being away, he left his boots there. Here’s my friend Karen doing what all the tourists lined up to do.



Afterward, we walked around the Old City where I found a Willy Jeep converted into a coffee stand!



And a worn-out tourist…



And some art?



The Old Town really is beautiful, yet geared for tourists. And you can’t ride your motorcycle there!!



Finally, after several days in Cartagena, it was time to get back on the road and head to Santa Marta, north and east along Colombia’s Caribbean coast. Leaving Cartagena is a nice ride as you are moving along the ocean.



I was also very happy to learn that in Colombia, motorcycles do not have to stop at toll booths! You actually have your own bypass lane!! I never understood why exactly, but if I were to guess, I think it is because there are 4.8 gajillion small motorcycles here, and if they all had to stop at toll booths, the country’s traffic would probably grind to a halt.



Santa Marta is a nice touristy town, but I think not so much for Gringos. Instead, to me anyway, it seemed like the town was full of Colombian tourists.







Santa Marta is also beautiful because everywhere you look, you see the Sierra Nevadas rising all around you. Colombia is mountainous I am learning!



Next, I made my way up to Minca. Minca is a small village up in the Sierra Nevadas. It is surrounded by dense jungle and home to an artsy scene and to several backpacker hostels.





Here’s the view of Santa Marta from the hills near Minca.



Over the next three days, I headed inland, mostly in a southerly direction, and stopped in the town of Aguachica, the huge metropolis of Bucamaranga, and finally Barrancabermeja. These were more or less transit towns to get me to Medellín.

So far, the roads in Colombia had been great. But, once while leaving Bucamaranga and once while leaving Barrancabermeja, I had my first tastes of how bad the roads could be.

After Bucaramanga, I experienced my first road closure due to a landslide. Apparently, in November, the rainy season is winding down, but by this point everything Is saturated, so even the slightest rain can bring down the side of a hill right into the road.



Next, leaving Barrancabermeja, I decided on a shortcut back to the highway and the road, while certainly passable, was exciting as 1) the road wasn’t good, 2) there was heavy traffic, and 3) it was raining. Plus, I was only going about 30mph and my GPS was telling me this road went on for another 78 miles!



I’d been looking forward to Medellín ever since I read friends Neda and Gene’s account a year or more ago. I was also planning to spend some time here, at least two weeks, so I could take more Spanish lessons and get some repairs and service done on the bike. I rented an apartment on AirBnB all to myself in El Poblado, the part of town where most things are happening, or so I heard. Well, when I arrived, I was blown away. Medellín is a laid-back, huge, sprawling city nestled in the mountains. It’s at 5000 feet in altitude and, owing to its proximity to the equator, and being in a valley, has an excellent climate all year around.

With my Spanish school, I arranged some tours. First, the group went out into town to play Tejo, which is considered Colombia’s national sport. No not fútbol, or soccer, it’s Tejo. Tejo is a very old game, over 500 years old, somewhat like horseshoes in principle, where you try to get closest to the target. But, instead of a sand or dirt pit, heavy clay is used in Tejo’s pit.



Also, instead of horseshoes, you throw a heavy stone, called a Tejo (hence the name), trying to hit a metal ring in the center of the pit.



Now, here’s where it gets interesting. The metal ring is surrounded by small bits of paper inculcated with gunpowder. So, when a well thrown Tejo strikes the metal ring right where one of the bits of paper are, it goes off like a shotgun! (watch the video for this!)



And to add a twist, the game is played while drinking alcohol, which is encouraged, haha. I had a lot of fun that night!



The next morning, I had arranged another tour out of the city to a town called Guatapé, about two hours east of Medellín. On the way, I stopped briefly to see La Iglesia Roca de Peñol, a church built almost entirely from a huge, free-standing stone.



The town of Guatapé is a cool artsy town with street performers and lots of color. Also, interestingly, is the town has preserved its history with art that has been incorporated into every building.









I also visited the La Piedra de Peñol (the rock of…). It’s a huge, monolithic piece of granite soaring into the sky with incredible views from the top.





No one is quite sure how this rock got here, because there is nothing like it anywhere close by. There are 675 steps to the top, I heaved through everyone considering the 7000ft altitude. It was worth it!



The next couple of weeks I spent taking Spanish lessons – they said I was advanced!! – relaxing, and seeing different parts of the town and surrounding areas. Yes, I loved it so much, I extended my stay here a week – I did not want to leave Medellín.





I also waited patiently as the local BMW dealer serviced my bike. I asked them to replace the panniers that were crushed during the accident in Guatemala, as well as the steering dampener, which gave out somewhere along the way. The hardest part about having to get new panniers was losing all of my stickers!!! Ughh… yeah, I am a sticker ho’.





I went out exploring another section of Medellín called Comuna 13. Comuna 13 was a battleground in the early 2000s between government forces, guerillas, paramilitary, and drug lords. It has a very bloody history. But today, the area has been revitalized with a new spirit as shown by its cool art scene that attracts a lot of tourists.





Well, it was finally time to get moving again. I honestly did not want to leave Medellín, but there were other places to see in Colombia. So, with sadness, I next headed to Jardín, an amazing small town hidden in another valley up in the mountains.







I also met up with Frank again who I first met on the Ferry from La Paz in Mexico. We then met again in Flores and Antigua in Guatemala, and then again in Panama City where we journeyed on the Stahlratte together. Central America is much like a funnel for those heading south.



While in Jardín, I decided to completely risk my life and go paragliding for a different perspective on Jardín. Wow, was I rewarded! Riding the wind was probably the most thrilling thing I have ever done in my life.





The following days were a just for transit and I first chose a nice quiet hotel outside of Cartago and then a place in downtown Cali.



I finally made it to Popayán for a couple of days. Popayán is mostly known for its old town which is called the “White City.” It was a cloudy day, but I enjoyed taking in the scenes.





My last stay in Colombia was Pasto, near the border with Ecuador. It happened to be over Christmas, and seeing I was by myself, I booked into a nice hotel for the weekend. I did not spend much time exploring, but Pasto is another of beautiful places along the Andes in Colombia.







I knew the day would come and when it did I was not ready. I did not want to leave Colombia. You know when you can feel positive vibes from people that you meet, it’s a good place. And I felt those positive everywhere I went in Colombia. It’s a place I know I’ll want to return to someday.

So long, Colombia!

Lessons Learned:

1) In Colombia, motorcyclists do not pay at toll gates, which there are a lot of. As directed by signage, you stay to the right and have your own lane to pass right through.

2) For the most part, I found the roads in Colombia to be excellent, and very, very scenic. Especially the main roads. Then again, I visited Colombia in November and December, which is the height of rainy season. Now, rain itself is not the problem, it what the rain causes – derrumbes, or landslides. Because Colombia is so mountainous, and almost all the roads go through the mountains, these landslides can quickly choke off traffic in both directions and there is rarely a detour. So, you have to wait. The good news is that Colombians are prepared and I always had a front loader showing up and clearing the road within a half-hour or so.

3) I’ve developed a scale in my head about the places I have visited. First, there’s the friendly and curious, which describes all of the places I have visited so far. Then, above that, are the inviting and welcoming countries, which I’ve only really felt in Mexico, Costa Rica, and now Colombia. But, now I have a new category for Colombia, above all the other categories – ambassadorship. Seems people in Colombia, at least most of the ones I met, are genuinely interested in you having a positive view of their country and go out of their way to show you and tell you about it. I mean that literally, they overtly want you to know about Colombia. I could only surmise this was due to the country’s turbulent, and recent past, but I bought it, all of it. And everything I heard turned out to be true in my mind, the country is awesome and the people of Colombia are friendly, curious, welcoming, inviting, and… great ambassadors!

That's a crazy inspirational story man, I can't wait till I can follow in your footsteps (or biketrails).

Keep up the awesome travel and stories!