Goodbye South America

From Cartagena we rode along the Caribbean coastline heading for the turn south to Bogota and some cool mountain air. This area is unusual in that you have cacti growing to the sandy shoreline on the left of the road with mangrove swamp to the right of the road. Many small fishing villages have taken up fish farming in the lagoons to supplement what they catch naturally. This whole coastline is undergoing a massive development with apartments and condo complexes popping up everywhere that has beachfront.

We met a Canadian couple who were travelling south on two Kawasaki 250s and it was great to talk English again and also catch up on the Central American border process. The day was also the hottest days riding we have done, at 45 degrees it was too hot, so a place to stay with a pool was on the cards. One found, job done, the water was so warm it was like a bath but the good thing was the room had air con, brilliant.

The following two days took us through some magnificent canyon country. With high passes and jungle covered hills and a very pleasant riding temperature. The one high pass saw a massively long line of traffic at a stand still, had to be a couple of kilometres long in each direction. Two trucks had cut the corner and had become tangled together. We squeezed up the side of the line to the front and found two other bikes waiting. We would be here all day with this mess. After sizing up the ditch on the hill side I decided to do the Dust Devil side manoeuvre. Up on the pegs and a wave to the crowd and we were gone. Once we were through the other two bikes gave it a go with varying results. One chap was Carlos from Bogota, an airline pilot. We rode with him for a way, stopping for an ice cream and a chat before he carried on home. We turned off for a night at Villa de Leyra , an old historic village dating from the early 1500s. Very nice but quite expensive.

Bogota was next on the list and it was time to organise the bike for the flight to Panama. But first it was a visit to the famous underground Salt Cathedral. Deep underground the salt miners, as they extracted the salt, had created a vast cathedral and numerous chambers all dedicated to Christ. Was an interesting place and being underground, very cool, as in not hot, which was some relief. Then onto Bogota. Riding in this city was the most I have had to concentrate anywhere. Road works everywhere, detours and buses that wait for no man or machine. With so much going on we had to hire a taxi to follow, bad choice of driver. We ended up with one who would not stop talking and all he wanted to do was rake up the cost by taking us on the long scenic route showing off the city highlights. In the end Annette told him what for and we were back to normal. Then trying to find a hostel was not so easy, all full, no parking for the bike etc etc. So in the end we had to bite the bullet and check into an over priced and over our budget hotel in the middle of the city. We were going to stay here for a few days but at these prices it was get out as fast as we can. At least the hotel had their own driver who helped take us to the right places when we were organising the bike shipments.

Girag were the cargo handlers who would fly the bike to Panama for us and Lyncargo were the freight forwarders who would take care of the paperwork, so we steeled ourselves for what was to come. This is South America still.

Turn up at 9 o’clock we were told. We did but no one knew what was happening. Then the Lyncargo rep turned up and we were underway. “Ok, I will ride the bike round in front of the cargo shed.” “No, sorry, that’s cordoned off for security reasons.” “Ok, so how am I supposed to get up that 5 foot high loading bay?” Up the concrete stairs silly.

NO NO NO that will not happen. I could just see everyone hauling up the bike and it fall over the side.

Hang on this will do. Out comes the fork lift with three 6x1s all of 10 feet long. The guy puts them side by side for a wide platform. “Here you go,” big smile.

Sorry, this bike loaded weighs 250 kgs and it will go straight through that.

Head scratching. In the end I thought this is going to take all day and we had a plane to catch at 2.30pm. I grabbed all three planks and strapped them on top of each other and thought this will either work or I will end up spectacularly tipping off sideways onto a heap in the loading bay. What I wasn’t counting on was the large crowd which had now gathered to watch the expected end result, with none offering to stand beside the plank bridge to help the stupid gringo get the bike up. Annette hid in the shadows with the camera ready. I had to get up the ramp and then stop suddenly before I smashed into the office wall.

RIGHT YOU BUGGERS, here we go and in true Dust Devil style it was up on the pegs, a quick warm up lap round the yard, focus on the plank and keep your eyes off the grinning crowd and up the plank with a wheel stand, a quick 90 degree spin at the top and parked daintily next to the office, all with one hand and sitting side saddle, not. It was up and stop real fast, get off and think, That was close. I didn’t even hear the clapping.

So, the process begins. Paperwork, lots. Drug dog, all ok. More paperwork, this time correcting mistakes from the office girl the previous day, she had the bike going to Miami !!. Over to customs to get the bike clearance. Done. Next the police check to go through the gear. Sorry but they are at lunch and it could take three hours. THREE HOURS!!!!!!!!!. We have to be on a plane to Panama in one.

Long story short, we ended up leaving the panniers unlocked and headed off to Panama hoping all would be well and the bike would arrive as it should, in the right country.

Colombia has been good. It is a country on the move. The people are very helpful and friendly and tourism is growing. If things stay on the current course this country will become a true powerhouse of South America, blessed with many natural resources, a good climate for agriculture and a willingness to overcome the drug and guerrilla blight that has marred it for so long. It cant fail.

So it is goodbye to South America. A truly fantastic place that we will never forget. We have made some great friends along the way and have ridden some great roads with magical scenery. Forget the bad press. It is a place well worth a visit.