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Looking good Paul.
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took off from Cartagena as a six pack
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3381-XL.jpg rode by all the Ant eater signs...no ants around so i guess they are good at what they do :lol3 http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3382-XL.jpg thru the banana plantations and into Riohacha http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3385-XL.jpg we had problems finding a hotel for six riders so with a little help from the Policia, and then an escort we eventally got some where...the cop sitting on the bike wouldn't let me take the photo until he had his cap on...:huh http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3393-XL.jpg took a stroll at night down to the 1.2km long pier where there is a statue of Fatima that all the locals have there photo taken with or just stand and admire...to me she looked like she was in a Ma Bell phone booth http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3394-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3396-XL.jpg left in the morning and got some street gas at 50% on the side of the road from the locals and headed to the border http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3400-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3402-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3406-XL.jpg plan was to leave CO and ride into VZ but there were elections on and the VZ border was closed because we were told a lot of columbians have a VZ ID number which allows them to vote and guess what...those votes can be bought, so no one was allowed over, we did try the "but we're gringo's approach" no go, hasta manana http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3409-XL.jpg kedgi (dwight) was supposed to the on the steel rat but missed it, he made time out to come to Cartagena and ride with some of us, super nice guy, he was stoked about leaving Columbia and heading to VZ, as the photo shows, right up to the point when we were told no! so he headed south and doesn't get to enjoy free gas http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3410-XL.jpg so we headed back to Maicao to get a hotel now as four riders, when we stopped for a drink Bubbletron (alison) was an instant hit with the locals http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3411-XL.jpg and this is the place we found...hotel frontera...$15 a bed, 12 kms from the border...SOLD http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3412-XL.jpg took a walk into town and found a small bakery open at night, watched a motorcycle wreck happen right outside and three body fly (no photos) when they eventually got up lots of shouting and pushing was happening, so at a border town this is the time to disappear while doing the paperwork (not doing details on SA borders as there are way to many and they are so easy) me and President Chavez had a chat http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3416-XL.jpg and then somehow bubbetron talked into giving her a head massage http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3418-XL.jpg the migration on both sides was a breeze, no fees, ten minutes for both, aduana a little more involved, they didn't officially open until ten am. we were there at 9 am...now get this...they opened the door, let us into the AC, preprocessed all the paperwork and copies, but could do anything until their system was on, then again no fees, super friendly and real easy, no insurance required, didn't check the bikes out of Columbia, we told them we are coming back and they said OK...central america take notes :rofl:rofl so into VZ http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3420-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3427-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3424-XL.jpg a little late but here, destination was Carora, we had to ride thru Maricaibo and this was the first place we hit a gas station, it was packed, everyone in a car and truck told us to go to the front of the line so we did, four bikes all on fumes, all were filled and then we were told... felix navidad, bien viaje y via con dios - happy christmas, good travels and go with God, a hand shake and we left with free gas...liking VZ already http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3429-XL.jpg stopped grabbed some food, then found a hotel for $6 with four beds, looked like something from goldilocks and the three bears, we all laughed when we walked in...hers momma bear (bubbletron) moving to fast, try ing the firmness of all the beds http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3434-XL.jpg so as John Downs would say...todays expenses on gas (a 300 mile day) food, border fees and lodging $9.03...beat that John!!! |
Hi Paul keep the pictures and write up going nice one.:newspaper: Safe riding.
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i was sent this...a mexican cop leading a parade, he sees a speed bump (topes) to late and hits his front brake perfectly to push his front wheel in the the bump and not go over it, talk about perfect (bad) timing, guess we are not the only ones who hate topes, hey officer???...will this slow down the building of new ones????
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leaving Carora in the morning the plan was for some back roads out of town, nice easy day riding and roll into Valencia or Maracay late afternoon...that idea kind of happened but not exactly as planned
Still in Carora on a road leading to the outskirts we were stopped by the military, he picked me as the person to speak to, initially he seemed agressive and as soon as i showed on my tank bag where we were going he tone changed and perfect english started, "no you can't do that" i questioned why and showed him the roads were looking to take heading east on a map and also on the GPS. once he saw the GPS he moved it around like he had be trained on it at Garmins headquarters, switching screens, zooming in and out, then another soldier came over and he did the same. they pointed to multiple roads and and said very clearly "there are guerrillas here, here, here, here and here, avoid this area, don't take this road, this road, this road, this road, this road...for you gringos go back to town and exit from the west get on the auto pista and stay on it until Valencia, if you don't you will be in a lot of danger" ok so off we head, on a basically boring ride down a freeway for the day, not much to see as expected, minimal photo ops, one of the minute highlights was seeing who had the most kitchenware for sale at the side of the road!!! http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3437-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3438-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3443-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3444-XL.jpg in the afternoon we stopped to fill the bikes ups, all of them at once and used almost 51 liters that cost 4.93 bolivianos, or 33 cents US http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3448-XL.jpg heading thru VAlencia the traffic was absolutely nuts, no one gives and inch so we lane split for about 10 miles, a real good place to get side swiped and then crushed by another driver by the afternoon the mountians appeared but it was too late to head out there http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3450-XL.jpg smile moment of the day riding by a truck full of pigs, the truck hit a major pot hole and all the pigs bounced up about 2 or 3 feet in the air...glad i wasn't behind the truck :puke1 http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3452-XL.jpg the going thru a tunnel there was this...hopefully not a VZ version of Mt Rushmore, if i was one of these guys i would be pissed at the likeness and i don't even know what they look like, if that makes sense http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3455-XL.jpg we ended the day in Maracay, a guy stopped called salvador who spoke English and wanted to tell us about his 1000cc Honda he has at home, Ryans eyes lit up hearing about a big bike, "so big bikes means big rear tires, right?" he said i'll show the shop with the best selection, get on...and off they went into rush hour traffic http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3457-XL.jpg we ended the day in the second best hotel in town for $11.75 a person and went for a Chinese dinner!!! Chinese speaking Spanish was just a little weird but a good way to end a basically boring day |
it was strange leaving maracay and its crazy traffic, we expected to have the same for the rest of the day, but no, in minutes we were riding thru banana plantations and down a quiet country road with virtually no other traffic
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3459-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3462-XL.jpg even though there seems to be a lot less mopeds and motorcycles here, probably due to the low cost of gas most we saw were new...hence the delivery trucks full http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3466-XL.jpg within an hour or so the mountains were on our right, the very northern end of the Andes, but no way to get up there yet http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3468-XL.jpg skipping in and out of little towns you are always reminded that things are just done differently south of the border http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3469-XL.jpg our last big town for a while would be San Juan De Los Morros, then it was into the Savannah's and the heat of midday http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3473-XL.jpg a short break at a road side bar in the middle of no where and the owner served us with honey dew melon juice, very refreshing...it didn't last long enough to take a photo of, a big glass full was 90 cents http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3474-XL.jpg then back to more Savannah's, it was very similar to scenery of places near where i used to live in Kenya http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3480-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3487-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3495-XL.jpg as we closed in on a big town the trucks started to appear but when they are 1960's Mack trucks thats kind of cool especially when they are in this condition...the driver was looking at me strange wonder why i would want a photo of his truck - dude its *****in, that why...:clap http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...AM_3492-XL.jpg riding down a steep hill we spotted a great view thru the trees of the Savannah's below, stopped the bikes and ran back up the road to get the shot http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...MG_4406-XL.jpg traffic was coming down the hill at crazy speeds as seems to be the way everywhere in Venezuela, and then we saw these, we were on a deadly bend where more than one driver had missed the turn and plummeted to there death down to the valley below...time to get out of the way before there's a monument with name my on it http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...MG_4410-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/d...MG_4411-XL.jpg |
Hi PAUL have a MERRY CHRISTMAS:redwine:.Safe riding.:028:
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...and to the rest of the very silent readers, yes i know there are a lot of you who never comment and thats OK, have a great christmas and lots more to come in the new year |
Merry Xmas from a "silent reader"
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I'm normally part of those "very silent readers" for fear of polluting quality ride reports, especially this one that is filled with excellent photos and backed up with an enjoyable story! So, I'll have a :beer[1]: and toast you a Merry Xmas and look forward to more coming in the new year when I will go back to being "silent" :) Cheers, Dale |
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