I am here for a few days and doubt if anyone is around these parts, but just in case... A nice spot for sure.

Larry

Hey Larry,
I see you made it to Colombia! Nice! Did you stop in Medellin yet? So you found the city with a murder rate 24 times that of NYC! Looking for adventure, are you? Have a good time and let me know how the trip is going. I wish I was back there instead of shoveling snow here!

Kevin

haha that's me. I am heading to Cali today. Will be in Medellin next week some time I guess. May pass on Cartagena. Have not met up with a single rider going my way yet...maybe in Equador/Peru.

Cheers
Larry

Make sure you at least stop by Hostel Casa Blanca while you're there. If there's any bikers around town they will either be there or Mike will know how to find them!

thanks I will...do you happen to have an email address for Ruta 40 in Med.? Did you need an appointment or just ride in?
Larry

Hey Larry,

I don't have email for Ruta 40 but I just showed up and they took me right in as they did with a friend of mine 2 days later. They stock lots of different tires (if you need them) and they seem to be very accommodating to travelers. They've also got lots of great maps and pics on the walls to check out while you're waiting. [ Ruta 40 ]

Kevin

PS. Stop in and say hi to Albert at the Barking Spider for me while you're in town too. It's in El Poblado right behind the Juan Valdez coffee shop in Parque Lleras, Medellin.

I survived Bueneventura and had a night in nearby San Cipriano where they use motorbike powered rigs on the train tracks to Cordoba on the highway, neat.
Setted in to Cali and second day here was jumped by two guys during daytime stroll though a public park. One huge strong guy with a buck knife and another smaller guy. Amazing how quick and efficiently I was set up in a situation I couldn't really escape from, and I am not small. I thought I was gonna get cut for sure but kept yelling no, **** off and doing a crazy dance with the guy holding me by the shirtfront with a death grip and the other arm poised high with the knife and me circling away from the smaller guy trying to get behind to get my wallet (when I go out at night I generally do not take my wallet). I kept the wallet and compromised by throwing some pocket bills at him. This was scarier than the time in Nairobi when two cops on a dark night got $20 from me, using machine guns to pursuade me. Bastards, wish I had a gun I would have fertilized that park for sure.
All well in general though. How long in total did your trip take? And where is Casa Blanco in Cali?

Cheers
Larry

wow man sounds like things could have got bad.i though cali was a safe place when i was there.even of a night.hope things go better as you head south.

Might not get to Peru for a couple weeks. Where would you recommend for Equador? Yeah things turned out ok relatively speaking, no cuts and small cash loss, kept my wallet and watch. It was a wierd kind of rapid negotiation thing...
Larry

Holy shit! That could have turned out a whole lot worse! It's strange, isn't it? When you feel like you're in a dangerous place you usually aren't and when you are totally at ease is when the shit goes down. Glad to hear you made it without getting hurt.
Here is the info for Casa Blanca
CASA BLANCA HOSTEL
Avenida Sexta Bis, Calle 26N, #57
Santa Monica Residencial
Cali, Colombia
Tel. (+57) (2) 396 38 49
Telefax. (+57) (2) 668 99 86
Email: booking@casablancahostel.com
Skype: casablancahostel
GPS coordinates: 03°28′09″N, 076°31′47″W

In Ecuador, Quito is pretty interesting (I consider Quito the most dangerous place on my trip) aside from my hostel being robbed at gunpoint (I was across the street having a ) and meeting several different people who had, at some point, been mugged. I stayed there for 3 days and had no trouble, even walking around at night. I would recommend stopping in Otavalo to see the amazing market there. There are several hundred vendors there on any given day but on Saturdays there are over 3,000! It's an incredible town to walk around on a Saturday and I'm not much for markets! Check out my friends' website www.moto-treks.com for more info on Ecuador. He and his wife spent quite a bit of time there doing different things and loved it.
Have fun and play safe!!

Kevin

thanks for the info, Kevin. Yes my little mugging could have been a lot worse, no cuts and lost about $50, kept my wallet...and learned a lesson about listening to that little voice in my ear.
How long did you have? I am thinking I might have to extend from May 2 flying from BA to May 10...

Larry

I was just over 3 1/2 months but I was stuck in Cuzco for two weeks and I stayed in Medellin for 8 days. I stayed in several places 2 or 3 days but I blasted through the desert in northern Chile and up the east coast of Argentina after leaving Ushuaia. I had two 1000 km days there. Not much to see other than stopping at Monte Leon National Park and Peninsula Valdez on the way up. It would have been nice to have a few more months to play but the time I had was the time I had.

Kevin

my time available/defendable works out to be close to 3 1/2 months too. Once you got to BA how long did it take to arrange with AC to fly your bike back?

Larry

Not very long. Sandra from Dakar Motos went with me to the airport to arrange everything. She does it all the time so she made it very easy for me. Then you just have to get downtown to pay for the shipping at the broker and you're done. Probably 3 hours at the airport and 2 hours to get downtown (you can jump on a bus right at the airport and it drops you off 8 or 10 blocks from the broker). I was delayed for 3 days because of the quake until Air Canada put some direct flights on the schedule.
I don't know if you're looking for any off-asphalt riding but if you are I have a suggestion. If you head east from either Trujillo or Chimbote in Peru you can ride through Canyon del Pato. It was an excellent ride! Dozens of rock tunnels, waterfalls over the road in a couple places, pretty hard-core in a couple spots but it was one of the best rides of my trip.
Enjoy the coffee while in Colombia. That's as good as it gets! The women too! As soon as you hit Ecuador the quality of both takes a steep dive!!

haha ok, on the quality of coffee and women... too?
I will keep those riding options in mind when over there. I guess that is not something you would do solo... I am at the Casa Kiwi in Medellin now, nice ride over from Cali. Nice to chat with some other bikers here. To RUta 40 shortly to give them the bike for awhile. Bike has been super so far, good old 93 R100 GS.\\
cheers\Larry