Hola from Santa Marta Colombia,

thought I tell you what is new on the road between Gorgetown (Guyana) and Boa Vista (Brazil).

Road conditions are very good in the dry, and that was the time I went (mid February 2004)

Gorgetown to Linden, paved. Than a good dirt road all the way to Lethem. There are now regular bus services from Lethem to Gorgetown. Lethem to Boa Vista paved. Ferries are for free. The logging company, and there is a lot of logging, charges about 1 Euro roadtoll. One police post, they only wanted to see my passport and bike import paper. Only fuel for maybe 500kms from Linden to Lethem is at Annai at the Rock View Lodge (expensive)

Leaving at Lethem was no problem, but I could not find the customs in town and left without giving the import permit back to them. Immigration is at the airstrip in Lethem.

And now the problem I had:

Again Brazil. Immigration no problem.

Customs: Refused to issue a temporary bike permit, because I had not visited the brazilian embassy in Gorgetown, and asked there for permision to take bike into Brazil. I was sent back to Gorgetown. Very unfriendly and arogant custom officer.

I did not go back to Gorgetown, I rode into Brazil without a permit and left one day later riding past the customs building in the rain into Venezuela.

Travelling the Guyanas is fun, but prepare for showing some kind of insurance paper to the customs.

Hasta pronto

Mika

------------------