RTW on a thumper... Round the World ADVenturization

Ryan had his helmet camera on for once so i dicked around with my new favorite toy imovies and here is a video of the ride down last night


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I don't want to turn your wonderful thread into a debate about Malaria because there are plenty of those around. I have done my research and will make my own decision.

But as a rider planning a South America trip I'm curious from the perspective of one who is traveling as much as you.
Have you or are you planning to take Malaria meds prophylactically? I have read ride reports from others who took insect precautions only. Just trying to get a feel for what other riders are doing.

Oh, and Happy New Year!
Loving the Venezuela stuff

You wouldn't happen to have the coords for that road would ya?

there are positives and negatives about malaria tablets, personally i took them last year down here, and this year i didn't, i listren to local knowledge nowadays they are very expensive and generally not needed everywhere, i have read ride reports from RTW riders in Africa who took them everyday as described and still got malaria, but when they did they were given a medication and told the tablets were virtually useless.

not unlike my response above - so the long and the short of it is - i think it is personal preference and where you are riding, the only definite place is think down hee are in the Amazon basin for sure and also if there are reports of Dengy fever then Malaria is usually close by too

you might want to read this ride report, John a fellow xt660z rider, his girlfriend got malaria and he details it all very well, not sure where in the report, but the whole thing is good reading - http://advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=710660

Thanks for that.
If I follow the traveler's health clinic advice I'd be on it almost every day for 6 months. Real world practice varies considerably and as you say it's a personal decision. I'm in sponge mode so I'll read everything I can get my eyes on. thanks for the link

D

he was on the Columbian side...everyone was amazed how he was acting...Ryan just had an off in the mountains outside of Pamplona..:huh he's not having too much good luck right now

as i said the road doesn't show on a map, on OSM it shows maybe 100 meters then ends, thats the road,

here's the coord's for the town, if you zoom out it will show you another road going in, that DOES NOT exist anymore, its now a foot path which starts/ ends with a bridge that a bike can't go over as it ends up in a private property



and the start of the road down, the one i used

It seems you can (barely) see the new road on Maps already:
http://goo.gl/maps/R7K28

thats it though, some is dirt/ gravel and lower down it is concrete and then back to gravel and then tarmac, then cobblestones...but you do show the correct entry point...

riding out fo Cepita, the sun was on the other side of the canyon so again fantastic views




took a very short ride to San Gil, Ryan was struggling with his ankle so when we got here we just decided to stay for a couple of days and take in this bustling town, full of Columbians on there annual vacation, enjoying the sun and people watching








Ryan says..."i don't have my phone turned on so who is she calling?"



the town is set in a very steep valley and some of the side roads are just crazy how steep they are, some have been blocked off because they are simply too dangerous to even try and stop on









very busy moto town, crazy things go by, unless they are stopped in the free bike parking areas around town

That looks like a typical American town in many ways.

i lived in Maine where you are years ago...which town are we talking about here, not one in your state, 95 degrees, hot chicks everywhere...i'll be back in the states in a few months, let me know so i can make a detour though there...:

It is all in the mind, Grasshopper!

Those pics showing kids on bikes remind me of when I was working in Paris in the 1990's. Every morning rush hour a guy on a Vmax would trundle past, where I worked, taking his son to school - he was sitting on the fuel tank facing his dad so they could talk - no helmet or anything either:eek1

>>......and starts screaming at the immigration guy that we had been inline for at least one hour and tourists should not be treated like this they are here to spend money in our country...with that every person in the line starts shouting at this one guy to stamp our passports, about 1000 people shouting at the top of there voices, can you picture that???<<

That's one of the funniest border crossing stories. Surreal.

In this photo, you have the police, you have the double yellow, the bike passing the car crossing the double yellow, AND the "no passing sign". That's pretty amazing! Question: was he speeding, going over 50kph as well?



And in this shot, is that the road cut into the mountain on the right?


I know it can't alway be easy to post photos and write-ups, but it's greatly appreciated!

Great "beware of the dog" sign. Did they have a vicioso perro on premises?

I picked up your RR a while back and have been catching up. Love the photos.

What do you use for the HDR shots? Does the camera bracket them or do you use software?

Was in Costa Rica - La Fortuna and Mal Pais - couple weeks ago. Seemed like a lot of Ticos like to put their trees out on the porch. It's even more jarring to me to see a big Santa Claus down there.

This has got to be one of the best ride reports ever! And with the best pictures! I al still sorry that we weren't able to connect in Panama. Now for the nitpick: It is my dream to somehow ride Colombia, and I cringe a little bit everytime somebody calls it Columbia.

+1 Now that I have been there I never make the mistake. Heaven on a motorbike. Viva Colombia

I've been lurking also following your RR and now I have a couple of questions.
But first, I love all the photos, especially those times where you are up on a peak and have to drop down to a town at the bottom via questionable roads!

What brand of bike is Ryan riding, is it also a Tenere'?

Being in the US we only have knowledge of the Super Tenere', a sweet bike, but expensive. From everything I've read, the 650 Tenere' is kind of like my Kaw KLR 650, a workhorse that you can go around the world on, just not as pretty. I do think the Yamaha engine is more advanced though. Shoot, my '79 Yamaha XT500's engine was probably superior, love thumpers!

Darren

*It's a KLR, I'll catch up*