Yup, the Cucuta border is the only problem. We arrived to Venezuela with a near empty tank and had to sneak back into Colombia to buy Venezuelan gas on the side of the road because absolutely nobody will sell to you in that border region without the card.
Just a quick note to anyone unsure about the Venezuela ride: don't be scared away by all the horror stories about safety, corrupt cops, scowling people, horrific border, etc. We heard so many of these tales from other travelers that we almost changed our route. So glad we didn't, the people are absolutely amazing, the riding is dirt cheap (2 cents for a full tank of gas!), and the police were not only unthreatening but super interested in our bikes and our trip. If you want to get off that usual Gringo Trail down the West coast of South America, go and go NOW!
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