Lobsters to Llamas, Maritimes to Argentina

It is weird being back in the US. After some hassle at MIA (Like who knew you can no longer exchange Argentina Money in the USA by law) That explains all the black market activity in BA. Warning, if you are leaving Argentina, change your money to USA bills before you leave. It took about an hour to find a motel shuttle that would actually pick me up at MIA. I waited an hour and a half in line at passport control after about 30 hours of traveling. I thought there was a law against cruel and unusual punishment.

The dirt on my bike is just road grime from the two really wet days riding into Buenos Aires. I like would have sprayed it somewhere given the opportunity, but in the end it went in a van to the BA airport. I hope it doesn't cause a lot of trouble today. I want to go to Key West.

I found someone who is going home to NB out of the camping area where my inlaws stay in Zypherhills. He is hauling a car north on a trailer and has etra room for my bike. Yay! He will take it right to my hometown, Saint John, about 90 miles from Shediac, for 200 bucks. He doesn't leave until March 15 but has a place to keep my bike in the meantime

I could have picked better weather in South Florida for the next three days rain and 10 to 15 degrees below average temperatures. Oh well! It is what it is. 80 degrees by Thursday, the day I'm likely to fly home to the snow.

Ride safe Paul!

Kedgi

Thanks Len!

I'm happy to be back in the USA.

If I can just get the bike back today and get going it will all be good.

Dwight

Glad you enjoyed it!

There will be more one day.

Kedgi

Looks like you'll have good weather in FLA.;

Thanks for reading.


Kedgi

My last night in BA I went out on the town with my friend Robin, the Sea Captain I had met. He bought me a great steak Without question, the best meal I had in SA




We had a few beers and even a few shooters




The next day I ran around BA getting ready to go and I saw a couple cool bikes on the street including this Royal Enfield



The woman that cleans at the Colonial Hostel had her little daughter with her and as I packed I had a helper. My God! She was so cute, I wanted to take her with me.









I said goodbye to my new friend, Lucas, the manager of the Colonial. He's a great guy. He sure made me feel at home for the five days I spent there. He was sorry to see me go.




So after saying goodbye. I began the epic flight(s) home or at least home to Miami. I saved a couple hundred bucks by taking one with two stops, and a 7 hour layover in Lima. Not sure I would do that again.

My friend Marduly, that I had met months before through Sebastian the manager of Houlihans in Lima came to the airport in Lima to see me and to break up the 7 hour wait. When we first met, months before, she was less than impressed by my trip or just didn't understand because of the language barrier. I'm not sure. It seemed though that once she understood the scope of the trip she became a fan of sorts. She and her friend Paula met me and we had a lunch and a couple drinks. That was nice and broke up the long airport wait.

Marduly



Paula




From what I can understand Marduly manages a professional dance group, and Paula is a singer for the group. In any case, it is hard to really have a conversation but it was nice to see them and we still managed to have a few jokes and laughs and between my little bit of Spanish and their tiny bit of English we talked as best we could. It broke up the wait and i'm glad they took the time to come see me. They are both real outgoing characters and a lot of fun.



In any case, the girls left and I checked back in to take my next flight to El Salvador. That's when I tried to pay a $31 airport fee. I knew I would have to pay it because I left the secure area. I would have left the secure area even if I wasn't meeting my friends because I had such a long wait and I had no problem with the associated fee but all i had was Argentine Pesos. What a cluster! No Currency Exchange in the Lima Airport would change them. The Lima airport has several ATM's but they are all the same brand, I think it's called GlobalNet and it would not work with my card. In, short I could not get back into the secure area because i could not pay the fee. WTF!

The girls were long gone or I likely could have borrowed some Peru Soles from them so I was really stuck. I had about 2 and a half hours before my flight was going to leave without me.

I asked Taka Airlines for help. I suggested to their station manager that they might give me a cash advance on my Mastercard. NFW. Or simply bill me for the fee and pay it. NFW They were so unhelpful it wasn't funny.

I didn't know what to do. I sure didn't want to miss the flight with the associated costs and delays and I would have been stuck at the airport in any case because I couldn't even get a cab to a bank, with no Peru Money and no USA money. WAPITA. In hindsight Peru may have a law against taking ARG money and I was in more of a jam than I even imagined at the time. Just when you think your "going home" another challenge presents itself.

I started asking fellows travelers if they would be willing to exchange just $40 for me. One couple from the USA turned me down. Then, I explained my plight to some young guys from Chile who were backpackers. They understood the ARG money difficulties and very generously agreed to change some money for me. Saved!

I was in such a panic to make my flight I never even thought to get their names. But this is the young man that helped a fellow traveler out of a jam. When I told them about my ride report, they suggested this great picture of me and him with the much needed $40. and his new ARG pesos



I got my flight, with little time to spare.

In four hours I was flying over the beach at El Salvador



The El Salvador Airport. It was funny to be there, about 30 miles from Playa del Tunco where I had met Steph and Wilson so many months before.



A change of planes there and three hours later I was in Miami, where this morning I am up early, as always, waiting to see what today brings when I try, first to find my bike, and second, retrieve it.

Wish me luck.

I talked to Angele last night and the excitement in her voice was absolutely palpable, now that I was back in the USA, 5 months after beginning this awesome adventure.

We are both looking forward to seeing a lot of friends at the welcome home party. The response has been absolutely overwhelming. We have had to rent the Club BoisHebert in downtown Shediac to accommodate the anticipated crowd.

Hope to see you all there.

Kedgi

sounds like you get the bike back in time to clean up for mud season....

glad you were able to get back with that Ag money...their economy structure has collapesed at the government level so no one wants to get stuck with the money...

More than that. The Fernandez seizure of YPF made Argentina a pariah government in the world.

Culture shock will be real Dwight. To help you out a bit, that flat bladed item in the garage with a wooden handle is called a shovel. Beware!! Loved your journey bro, the offer stands for riding the Great Lakes. Over and out! Hevy Kevy, et al. Unti we meet again!!!

Dwight:


Welcome back, you are nearly home . . .

I was on the edge of my seat wondering how you were going to get back into that secured area. Seems silly for credit cards not to work I mean having a credit card is better than having to change money all the time

one more hurdle overcome, and now your last hurdle of getting your bike released. What luck finding transport for your bike. You must have an Angele looking over you

Wished we could be there for your welcoming party. You are a true adventurer, a person I could look up to and admire. Thanks for taking us along

bob

Welcome home Dwight!


Been following since the beginning, excellent narrative thank you so much for taking the time to update regularly and letting us follow along!

And Thanks Again for the great RR! Enjoy your return home.

I have yet to figure out how it is that a man who hates the cold mountains of South America can be so happy to head north to Canada. Heck even your northern brothers have stated and I quote “that flat bladed item in the garage with a wooden handle” is waiting on you.

Must be something or someone very special, to endure more of that torture by heading north.

Thanks for the report, it kept me from working.

It's been good entertainment, Kedg.
Glad yer safe and a job well done...OLD MAN!:eek1

Getting close now buddy. By the way, not sure when your bike might arrive in Saint John but I am going down there from Moncton on March 22 if you want a lift. Of course the weather would have to cooperate and not blowing a blizzard for that day. Anyhow, let me know if that might work for you as the time gets closer.

Easy to understand. It's March, so winter in NB will be over in 45 days or so.

Welcome back to Norte Amricano Dwight!!!

Thank you all for your kind and flattering words.

I have been a little lax in updating the RR since my arrival in Florida.

My bike was supposed to fly on Feb 28th. It didn't. I went to Lan Cargo in Miami, in a taxi, dressed in my bike gear to pick it up on the 1st. No bike. Not there. Rats! I had wanted to ride it to KW to show it to my many friends here.

Lan said the bike would likely arrive Friday night at 11PM, too late to clear Customs which closes at 8PM for the weekend. Then she said to me if i failed to pick up the bike in two days i would be charged storage.

I have worked for several years in the truck transport industry. So I immediately said to her, very kindly and calmly, that I will deduct her storage charges from the considerable costs I will incur, and of course be billing back to them, as a result of their complete service failure. She shut up. There was no more talk about storage.

In the meantime, It's all good. I am in KW, (rented a car) found a room, nearly dropped dead from sticker shock at the price of a room,:eek1 but it's all good. I went to my favorite place, The Green Parrot, met my friends, Pat, Brig, Chicken, Dani, Kate, Buco, Gary, Lulu, Bobby, Kevin, Art, Bill and Lisa and many others.. Heard an awesome band two afternoons in a row. Got drunk, got sober, got drunk again. Met new friends Dave, Stacey and Valerie and absolutely reveled in being at my home away from home. I am so happy to be here! I love Key West.

Today I will try and find out if Trusty is waiting for me in Miami.

Oh! and I almost forgot to tell you I went to Harpoon Harry's ( a great spot for breakfast) and I had their Harry's Special. That's the one with two eggs, ham, and bacon, and sausages, toast and home fries and I devoured every morsel. First real breakfast since October. Man was it good!

I do have to admit, I hate the cold, the snow, the ridiculously long Winters of NB, but for now at least it's home and I am dying to see Angele.

By the way, my snow shovel is a 28hp diesel Kubota No shoveling for Kedgi.

We had more than our share at the Parrot and breakfast at Harry's - Key West is like coming home, all our friends are there! We found a nice little breakfast spot on Eaton called Sippin' has good coffee and low $$$ - our new favorite. You're there in high season - the only good deals are at the Parrot - tell everyone there we said hi!

Does this mean your going to make your next trip south on a Kubota. This one I want to see.

No road blocks, no bad roads, nobody in your lane. Hell if its raining you just flip the bucket and sleep under it.

This should really work out for you.

Kedgi - Have been an avid fan of your RR since October, it was my daily treat to find new posts, learn from your experiences and share your adventure. I'm heading south from NJ in April - Mexico via Baja, Guatemala, Panama and over to Colombia. One thing I have learned from you is the need to speak Spanish - I'm taking an immersion course locally and will take another one when I reach Oaxaca. But is there a list of recommendations or lessons learned - skills, equipment, communication devices, blogs, whatever - or generally things that you would do differently if you were to do it again? Would be of great value to me and I bet everyone on ADV Rider. And thanks again for all the effort you put into your report. Fantastic job.