Prairies To Penguins Alberta to Argentina

The video was fun to make, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
If you have any DR questions, fire away. I'll be doing a mid-trip bike update sometime soon.

I'm glad you made it home safely but sad your trip is over. I was really enjoying your report too and it gave me some up to date info to go by. It seems like such a short time ago that you were visiting us in Edmonton.
Stahlratte is only 4 days away now!

Cheers!
D

"The oil leak is definitely gone".

Congratulations! Reading some other reports I'd say your bike has been well prepared and relatively maintenance free. Good DR, well set up! Suspension problems seem to occur to some trips in remote areas (of Africa) and are awful - sometimes with well known brands which were new.

Good luck with the jump from central to southern America!

Late to the party , but an excellent ride report ! I will be following along the rest of the way . Thanks for letting us "ride along' with you . I may never make such a trip , but with great reports like yours I almost feel like have been . Have a safe and great trip !

I think I covered as many of the maintenance items as I could have. However there is always something that can fail.
I met a woman today at my hostel that is Riding her 25 year old BMW to Ushuaia. I think she said the bike has close to 500,000km on it. Unfortunately she is having an unexpected ignition problem in the rain and is having difficulty finding plug wires for it.

I am really looking forward to the ocean crossing and a new continent!

I didn't think I'd ever do a trip like this either but with some effort and a loving wife I'm actually doing it. I constantly feel like I need to pinch myself.

Day 78 San Vito Costa Rica to Santiago Panama

Click to View Map

For my last border crossing in Central America I chose a lesser known location. The crossing at Rio Soreno is not used by cargo trucks and is very low key. So much so that it is difficult to determine exactly what buildings are the official Immigration and Customs office. In order to get there one must travel on about 5 miles of gravel from Sabalito to the border. It was raining this morning so I waited until about 8 before moving. I have read that finding the gravel road out of Sabolito is challenging but I located it with only one U-turn required.

Arriving at the frontier I found an official looking place with a few people queued in front of a “Migracion” sign.



After about 10 minutes I looked at the brightly colored rock being used as a door stop. It had “Panama” written on it. Oops, I need Costa Rica first. I back tracked down the road about 100 meters where there is a building that looked likely so I entered and found I was at the right place.



The Migracion building is directly across from this place



A quick stamp in the passport and I needed to turn in my vehicle permit. There is no Aduana on the Costa Rica side so the agent merely takes your document from you. He warned me that I could not re-enter Costa Rica here if I do not have the permit. I said no problem, I’m not coming back.

The view from Costa Rica Migracion to Panama



Once again in the queue at the Panama Migracion building I met a couple from Switzerland who are on a two year adventure in a huge 4x4 monster truck. www.thirdgear.ch They were going north into Costa Rica and we briefly chatted about the road into Panama. While in line I wondered if I should get my insurance first. Turns out I should have because after the 20 minute wait they said sorry go get insurance then come back. Okay where’s the insurance office? “Not far” they said, so I went looking. I found it after asking a few more people and the guy made copies of my passport and registration. I had to go back to the bike for some cash and while there met the Swiss guy again who had just been to the Costa Rica building. They were being turned around and sent to a bigger crossing because there is no Aduana (Customs) at this location.

After paying my $15USD for 30 days insurance I trudged back to the Panama Migracion building and got back in line for the third time. Mind you the “line” was only 2 deep each time. I got my passport stamp which I double checked for the correct entry date. Then off to the Aduana, a tiny shack with a dirt trail leading to it. The wooden step below the door has a faded “Aduana” painted by hand.



In the cramped little office a man sits behind a tiny desk on which a computer rests. In front of the desk is a printer/copier and beside it is chair for the victims. In one corner of the office is a fridge with contents unknown. The man requested my passport, registration, drivers license and insurance document. He made copies of all of them and started entering information one finger at a time into the computer. He produced two copies of a form which he stamped and then I signed. I carefully reviewed the document to find a big mistake. He had entered the VIN wrong. In place of the letter S he had entered a 5, twice! I pointed it out and he started all over again with me looking over his shoulder at all of the entries this time. It is absolutely vital that all the information is correct if I want to leave Panama in a week. After my approval he produced 3 copies of the signed document. One I gave to the fumigation dude who collected $1 from me and gave me a receipt. Two copies I gave to the military guy who was inside the Migracion building. He just took them without even a glance at the papers or my bike and continued chatting on his cell phone.

This whole process took about 2 hours but was so much nicer than the hectic major crossings.

The road on the Panama side is paved and beautiful. I was lucky enough to ride it for about an hour while it was dry. The rest of the day was mostly rain and some sun but I enjoyed it despite the moisture.









I must have horse shoes in my arse. Hoping to wait out the rain I stopped for lunch in Volcan but it didn’t relent. After eating I stopped for fuel but my routine was disrupted. You see, I normally record my fuel stop data on my helmet camera but I put the camera away due to the rain. I started reciting the information over and over in my head so I would remember it. I kept repeating the numbers as I rode away in the downpour. The rain was so heavy my speed was quite slow and the turns required caution. I felt something drop on my left thigh...when I looked down I saw the fuel cap lying in my lap and fuel sloshing out of the opening. “Holy @#*&” I can’t believe it didn’t drop on the road. Finding it would have been a nightmare.





I arrived in Santiago at about 4:45 and started looking for a hotel. After driving up and down the main street a few times my first stop was a $65/night place. The second stop was $85! Neither of these hotels could suggest an economical alternative. Finally I pulled in to the Hong Hotel which I had seen but dismissed due to it’s run down appearance. An economical room is $17.50 and I can live with that.

The Hong Hotel! I stayed there on my way down, saw lots of large unknow bugs crawling around on the floor....on the way home I treated myself to the hotel accross the street and walked down to the McDonalds for supper. I found the roadside food in Panama to be not as good as other countries. There seemed to be alot of buffets. Thanks for the regular updates as it is full on winter in Alberta!

Hi DRrambler,

Thanks for the memories. Rio Sereno still looks the same. Lento y tranquilo. And how about that Hotel Hong in Santiago. But what are you gonna do when all the hotels in Santiago Panama are asking more than Motel 6 prices. WTF. I just had to shake my head. But it is the place to stop if you are booking from San Vito on down the way.

Keep up the good work. I give this report 5 stars. Hope to see you across the Darien when you get to Colombia. I'll probably still be in Medellin if you come this way.

Suerte,
Tio Juan

I came close to eating at McD's, but found a place on the same side of the street where they served me all ten of some poor chicken's fingers.

Hey J thanks for the kind words. I couldn't believe the prices of those hotels.
I'll be in Cartagena around the 20th and will be making my way to Medellin...gotta have a beer at the Shamrock! I'll let you know when I get closer.

D

Hi DR im on the same sailing as you. Am in panama city and planning to ride to Carti on the morning of the 14th. If you are in town let's grab a beer(s).
Trevor

Hello DR,

I've been enjoying your RR for a couple of days now, thank you for taking the time to post.

If your plans include Venezuela, here's a heads up... If not, it might as well be posted for anybody else planning to come down here.

MONEY EXCHANGE:

The official exchange rate at the present time is 6,30 Bolivares for 1 USD.
THAT is the rate that your bank will apply if you use you use your credit/debit cards.
BUT
The black market rate for CASH goes around 60-65 to 1. (That is not a typo, there is actually a ten times difference... and growing)

"Black Market" meaning anywhere that is NOT official.

So, bringing USD cash means huge savings. As a matter of fact, if you use your credit card, at the official 6,30 to 1 rates, Venezuela will appear to have outrageously expensive prices, since everybody adapts to the approximate value of the black market exchange rate.

Obviously the money changers at the border will try to lowball you with the official exchange rate. Let them know up front YOU KNOW the exchange rate for cash is 65 to 1 and haggle from there... you will probably be able to get anywhere between 45 to 55 from them which is still very good.

Changing cash in-country outside of an official Money Exchange Office is "technically" illegal, but everybody does it, so be discreet about who you ask. Hotels (preferably posadas) and Stores in smaller towns would be a good place.

If you plan to do some riding in Venezuela, I would suggest you exchange about $200 at the border (where its easier). $200 will take you a long way here, especially with gas being practically free at less than 10 cents a gallon.

Be advised that Paraguachon (border town opposite to Maicao in Colombia) is an absolute shithole... As a matter of fact, IMO it is the worst shithole in all the country... The area from Paraguachon that is close to the Colombian border towards the San Antonio del Tachira / Cucuta border crossing is barely a little bit better.... So if you just intend to do this short loop in order to scrape a little of Venezuela, I would advise you to stay in Colombia as it is not worth it.

If your intentions are to see some of the nicer areas of the country, you will need to head more in-land. If this is the case, drop me a PM and I'll gladly help with border crossing information, route suggestion, GPS maps and beer (if we manage to meet as I'm traveling abroad for work a lot lately).

FUEL at the border (any border).... There are always shortages of fuel within an approximate distance of 200 kms from the borders... Simply because "free" gas is smuggled across to Colombia or Brasil and sold with huge profits, so anybody with a 5 gallon can will try to make some money.
The very abundant POS 70s American cars all have huge 80-100 gallon tanks that they fill to ride across the border and resell. This takes time. This means HUGE lines at the few gas stations that are open (when I mean huge lines, I'm talking about several hours wait)... so my advise would be to fill your tank in Colombia... Once you are approx 200-250 kms in-country, fuel can be purchased normally at "free" prices without much delay.

People ask about safety in-country... Things are a bit chaotic right now. Insecurity levels have risen a lot in the last years, but this is mainly true in the cities. My advise is stay out of the big cities unless you absolutely need to go there or you have some "chaperon" (local guide)... The big cities are nothing to write home about anyways and the nice areas are away from them...

You will be safe on the roads and smaller towns and people will be friendly to you.

I would advise against bush (stealth) camping. Except in the Gran Sabana N.P (border with Brasil) where wild camping is not a problem and actually a great thing in a spectacular area of the country.

Do not leave your bike or luggage unattended and park your bike in a locked garage at night.
Basic common sense precautions.

Anyway, I hope this info helps (you or others).

Have a great Darien crossing.

Buen Viaje!

um ... no beans of any kind in Argentina !

as pne sez .... asado ! ... washed down with great Malbec

Thanks for that GREAT info. I don't think I'll make it to Venezuela but plans can change in a heart beat so I may yet need to reference this stuff.

Rice...there has got to be rice. But then Asado and Vino tinto sounds pretty good

Day 79 November 10 Santiago to Panama City

My spot at Hotel Hong



A day riding your motorcycle is always a good day. Even if the highway is four lanes the whole way.



The big bridge on the way into Panama City







The 250km ride was fast and easy today with only a spot of rain. Not a bunch to report other than riding into Panama City is quite impressive.









It is certainly unlike any other Latin America city I have seen so far. For the next 4 nights I’ll be here awaiting the departure date of the ship. I’m staying at the Panama House B&B Hostal which is centrally located and a good headquarters for exploring.

Great reporting Dave. I have been along since the ride to Onoway - on green klr in your pic of riders leaving Riverside. Probably seems long ago. I hadnt known about your ride til that day and was incidentally at Riverside to trade klr for a tenere having just returned on it from a trip to PEI. It seems your trip is going well in part because of your approach. I know you'll enjoy continued success as you were clearly well prepared to start and to react using resources as you find them including the applicable advice on the forum. Once you have finished the entire trip, I look forward to buying you a beer or two in St Albert as thanks for this window on an excellent adventure. All the best. Jeff

and some of their awesome ice cream for dessert. mmmm. I gained quite a few pounds in buenos aires :dg

Hey Jeff,
Thanks for the support and joining us on the ride out. Did you get that Tenere yet? Too bad riding season is over for you. I'd love to meet you when I get back and tell you some of the stories.

What an awesome trip! Thank you for sharing!

Day 80-82 November 11 - 13 Colon, Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal, Panama City

I stayed up rather late (for me) chatting and drinking beer with three of the more long term guests at the Panama House B&B. Two of them are from Panama and one from Venezuela. It was fun practicing my Spanish and learning about their home countries. I was advised to skip Venezuela which was my intention anyway due to some time constraints.

I have four days in Panama City so I need to find some things to do. Today I rode to the city of Colon and then back to the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal.

There are two routes to Colon. I rode north on the beautiful toll highway which was almost empty of traffic and cost almost $5 in tolls. Although the speed limit is 110kmh I rode about 90 taking in the scenery.



I started catching up to two big bikes loaded for adventure. I waved as I passed them and in Colon we found each other and chatted about our trips. They are from Denmark and started in Alaska with Ushuaia as their goal. We will likely meet again in South America.

Colon is not a pretty city. Old rundown buildings and garbage dominate the city centre. It’s a port town and it looks like a different planet compared to Panama City.









After Colon I found the Gatun locks and the nearby construction of the new locks. There is a visitor center at Gatun but I didn'’t go in.





One of the huge gates for the new locks



The new locks under construction



The ride back took me on the free road that passes all the communities along the way. The speed limit is 60kmh and the going slow but I have plenty of time. The sight and smell of garbage is everywhere along this road. Kind of depressing and frustrating to see things like this.







Miraflores was busy with bus loads of seniors and tourists. But I expected nothing less, after all this is the Panama Canal. I was there during a ship’s passage and got to see the locks in action. I especially like those cool little Mules that keep the ships in the centre of the waterway.













Skelly hopefully parked safely



The day was a nice 160km round trip and well worth the time.
I spent the rest of my time in Panama City getting ready for the boat trip. I needed cash so I decided to take a walk downtown and look for a bank that would accept my debit card. The small walk ended up being about 10km but I got a lot done.







I found a salon to get my golden locks cut. And I purchased some sandals to replace my broken down units.



I also bought a cheap set of ear buds to replace the pair I lost in Mexico.

Tomorrow morning all of the bikers sailing on the Stahlratte will meet here at the Panama House Hostal and we'’ll ride together to the dock.

For the next 5 days I'’ll have no internet but I will try to operate my Satellite tracker. My location can be seen on the map by clicking this link Where is Dave Now?
Talk to you all when I get to Colombia!

Ahhhhh ! Panama House...happy memories !!
You will hate The Stahlratte ! Beer, rum, good food, the islands, swimming, warm sea. I am beginning to dislike you, Dave.
Try to sleep on the BBQ island...you will probably be alone and it will be something you never get the chance to do it again.
Enjoy it all and I look forward to reading and seeing the pics when you return.
ps. It may take some time to get your bikes released at the Aduana by big Manfred/

let me guess .... Dulce de Leche helados .... hmmmmm