South America and back on a 250 Super Sherpa Minimalist Adventure

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by lualca

Reading and wishing
someday I will figure out how to take my DR350 or the KLR out of this island (hispaniola)
Thanks for your previous report John, this one will be eagerly expected .

Hi Lualca,

Maybe I'll get to the Dominican Republic one day. Was reading Cavebiker's ride report from down there and it looked like some nice riding in the mountains.

In the mean time, glad to have you along for the ride!

Well okay, I'm not doing much riding yet. Although I did ride up to the courthouse yesterday and traded in my expired Oregon plates and got a fresh Nebraska title and license plate for the Sherpa.



In Nebraska the first two digits of the plate are the county number. I live in Rock county number 81. Only 1600 people and two small towns in the county. Mine is the seventh moto registered this year. So 81-7 plate. Easy to remember for a simple minded fellow like me.

People often wonder how to keep their soft saddlebags from melting on the high exhaust of a dirt bike. My solution was to go down to the thrift store and pick up a silver relish tray and screw it through the back of the right saddlebag into a short piece of 1x2 pine. It's held up through thick and thin. Although when I flip up the bag you can see it has taken a beating:



Believe me, I learned about melted panniers the hard way. Here's hoping this will help someone out there avoid smelling burnt cordura while they're riding down the trail.

Kindest regards,
John Downs

[twisted-hog]

I'm in, looking forward to reading a great RR to help me procrastinate all those boring chores my wife will want me to do this winter. Holy crap it's working already.
I've wasted a 1/2 hour catching up and you're still at home?

[lualca]

Originally Posted by JDowns

Hi Lualca,

Maybe I'll get to the Dominican Republic one day. Was reading Cavebiker's ride report from down there and it looked like some nice riding in the mountains.

In the mean time, glad to have you along for the ride!

,
John Downs

Sure there are many routes down here, you , and all advriders inmates , will be welcome by our small group of dual rides in the Dominican Rep.

[sin031]

尼玛啊，这也太爽了吧

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by sin031

尼玛啊，这也太爽了吧

I don't speak Chinese, so had to put this into translate.google.com to find out it says:

This is so cool!

谢谢！Thanks! sin031

Right back atcha. Kinda cool that folks around the world can waste time reading ride reports these days.

Which reminds me. I have been really learning a lot of Spanish on translate.google.com

I enter in something like:

May I camp on your land for the night?

And not only does it come up with:

¿Puedo acampar en su terreno para la noche?

But if you click the speaker button in the lower right corner of the answer window it will speak the sentence for you. Quite handy for figuring out proper pronunciation.

It's the only Spanish lessons I can afford at the moment. Although I hear it is well worth while if you have the money to spend some time at immersion schools during your Latin travels. It really does help if you can speak some Spanish. Although you can get along fine with sign language if you must.

Kindest regards,
John Downs

[JDowns]

So I dug out my tattered Mexico and Central America maps and laid them out to tape them back together before I leave in a few days:



went to the post office and a package came from my friends Jim and Ann. They had heard I was heading to South America and sent me this:



Wow! What a nice thing to do for a fellow traveller! It looks so nice, especially in my construction adhesive covered hand.

Anyway, who needs sponsors when you have friends like that! So I went out to the Sherpa and signed their names in permanent marker on the gas tank for good luck:



Thanks you guys. You're the best! Should be fun watching your names get covered in bugs and mud on the way south.

Best,
John Downs

[Misery Goat]

If you make your way through Phoenix I can load you up any CA and SA maps you don't have. They're exceptional for getting the user lost.

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by Misery Goat

If you make your way through Phoenix I can load you up any CA and SA maps you don't have. They're exceptional for getting the user lost.

Thanks for the kind offer MG,

It's still rainy season in Central America so why not head west to Arizona? But realistically I won't be hitting Phoenix until the return leg who knows when. I have to stop in Apache Junction and drive my sister's old truck that she is selling me back to Nebraska whenever I return.

My current idea is to head straight south to visit Throttlemeister in Oklahoma and other ADVriders in Texas.

The way I use a GPS is to get a lat. and long. reading and look at my paper map when I get lost and guestimate where I am. Never had a mapping one before.

Muchas gracias,
Juan

[crashmaster]

Originally Posted by JDowns

Thanks for the kind offer MG,

It's still rainy season in Central America so why not head west to Arizona? But realistically I won't be hitting Phoenix until the return leg who knows when. I have to stop in Apache Junction and drive my sister's old truck that she is selling me back to Nebraska whenever I return.

My current idea is to head straight south to visit Throttlemeister in Oklahoma and other ADVriders in Texas.

The way I use a GPS is to get a lat. and long. reading and look at my paper map when I get lost and guestimate where I am. Never had a mapping one before.

Muchas gracias,
Juan

Most of the South America maps are outstanding for getting yourself so freaking lost that you have a great time. When you add the maps and the GPS together and neither one remotely resembles what you are seeing on the ground, its an added bonus.

As I'm sure you learned in Central America, you get pretty good at smelling your way through big disorganized cities. For some reason when I was lost in a big city, I would always wind up finding my way to the zona de las putarias.

[Pedro Navaja]

The ADV gods are here! MG and Crashy.

[Redhed]

Originally Posted by JDowns

Hi Cal,

Yes its the same Sherpa. It keeps on keeping on. Great little bike. Yes I went to the dentist in Guatemala last trip. Mario Recinos in Quetzaltenango (locals call this town Shayla). The GPS co-ordinates are in my last ride report. I am indebted to Drrrags who listed them in his ride report. Mario did a great job on my teeth for a fraction of the costs of North American dentists. I hadn't been in 20 years. Top work. I intend to drop by and say hi on my way through and get my teeth cleaned again. Third world dentists rule.

While I find a 250 great for third world travel others think I'm wacko. Who cares? It's easy on gas, lightweight to lift up and perfect for rough backroads.

I had thought about flying down to Chile and buying a 250 until I looked at chileautos.cl and saw how much bikes costs down there. 1500 bucks for a Honda CG125 which I would have to sell at the end of the trip or a cheap Chinese 250 was all I could afford. And then 800 or so airfare there and back. So I decided to just ride down what I have and take the slow cheap cargo scow and launchas around the Darien. The Stahlratte saiboat sounds divine, and if I were better off I would go that route. But 900 bucks each way? Yikes. And if I won the lottery I would fly my bike over on Girag for 900 and 350 for me each way from Panama City to Bogota.



In my dreams. Alas, it is the high seas and puking over the starboard bow for me.

Best,
John Downs

John, I am currently in St. Juan de Laguna, and eventually will hit the Darien. I am very intersted in your plans for the "slow, cheap cargo scow and launchas". Do you think that a overburdened F800 could manage this option? Could you elaborate on this plan some more, as I was unaware of this choice, in terms of the Darien. Any suggestions are much appreciated....

Gracias,
Redhed

[Misery Goat]

Originally Posted by crashmaster

.. For some reason when I was lost in a big city, I would always wind up finding my way to the zona de las putarias.

fucker.

If you want to get real good and lost, JD, be sure to pick up the ITMB maps those are the bestest.

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by Redhed

John, I am currently in St. Juan de Laguna, and eventually will hit the Darien. I am very intersted in your plans for the "slow, cheap cargo scow and launchas". Do you think that a overburdened F800 could manage this option? Could you elaborate on this plan some more, as I was unaware of this choice, in terms of the Darien. Any suggestions are much appreciated....

Gracias,
Redhed

Hola Pelirrojo (Redhead),

I'm practicing my Spanish.

Now please understand. When I say cheap it is all relative. For me it is worth saving 500 bucks each way to go down the sketchy Pacific as Nick Jones did. His report is here:

http://blog.talesfromthesaddle.com/2...rien.html#more

Or down the Carribean side as this couple did on cargo boats and launchas as reported towards the bottom of the page here:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...=675841&page=8

But believe me, if I had the funds I would take the Stahlratte like Misery Goat did and enjoy a nice cruise through the San Blas Islands as he points to here:

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showt...=675841&page=8

Tell me that doesn't look like fun! And it's cut and dried. You can make reservations on their website. My way is the hard way that has no definition. I have to go find boats and negotiate with locals and hang out waiting. Probably take way longer than you are interested in.

The harsh reality is that I don't have the 900 bucks each way to sail on the Steel Rat. I will probably spend twice as much time taking scows down for 400 bucks each way and hanging out in sketchy towns along the way. If that sounds like fun to you then I'm your dream travel agent.

But if you have the fundage, I would go the luxury route.

Enjoy your time at Lago Atitlan. It's a beautiful area between storms this time of year.

Hope to see you down the road.

Kindest regards,
John Downs

[JDowns]

Originally Posted by Misery Goat

If you want to get real good and lost, JD, be sure to pick up the ITMB maps those are the bestest.

I live to get lost. ITMB all the way baby!

Well okay, I also look forward to cursing my new GPS as Señorita Garmeen sends me on the left hand path down narco backroads.

Best,
John Downs

[rtwpaul]

Originally Posted by JDowns

I live to get lost. ITMB all the way baby!

Well okay, I also look forward to cursing my new GPS as Señorita Garmeen sends me on the left hand path down narco backroads.

Best,
John Downs

when do you think you'll be crossing the Darien? i know we'll meet up before then but i'd like to be on the otherside as you come across...you need photos of that for sure

maybe you want to find a movie called "four strokes of luck" some Aussie guys did it a few years back too in a converted lifeboat...great amateur movie