South America by Geezer

Ride Report Index:
March 3, 2017 - Well many thanks to Adventure Rider for providing a place to stash our Ride Reports. Unfortunately, they decided to change some software a couple of years ago that doesn't tolerate composing in MS Word and transferring the contents to the Forum pages. The result is what you are probably seeing now: A bunch of smiley faces and formatting code. Was supposed to be fixed but never was. I'll now start to manually fix it but, it'll take a while. Just finished my first Mexico Ride Report and that seemed to take me forever.

Steve

Feb 6, 2022 - Another update. Just finished fixing about 98% of the formatting issues of the second half of this ride report. As my motivation permits, I'll work back through and try to pick up the remaining punctuation weirdness.

Steve

Index for this Ride Report - click on the page number to be directed to the relevant page
INDEX LINKS ARE BROKEN - This is apparently something to do with ADVRIDER.COM. They are working to repair it. You can still manually find the correct page.

Mexico
Oct 19 Entering Mexico - Post #29 - Go to page Two
Oct 20 Highway 16 - Post 33 - Go to page Three
Oct 21 & 22 #1 Basaeachi - Post 41 - Go to page Three
Oct 21 & 22 #2 Creel - Post 49 - Go to page Four
Oct 23 Almost Copper Canyon - Post 52 - Go to page Four
Oct 24 On to Saltillo - Post 57 - Go to page Four
Oct 25 Real de Catorce - Post 58 - Go to page Four
Oct 26 Real de Catorrce - Post 68 - Go to page Five
Oct 27 Leaving Real - Post 73 - Go to page Five
Oct 28 The day I hoped would never end - Post 75 - Go to page Five
Oct 29/30 San Miguel de Allende - Post 77 - Go to page Six
Oct 31 to Nov 2 Guanajuato - Post 80 - Go to page Six
Oct 31 to Nov 2 The City - Rivers and Tunnels - Go to page Six
Oct 31 to Nov 2 Mexican History - Go to page Seven
Nov 3 Cuota Hell - Go to page Seven
Nov 4 Taxco - Go to page Seven
Nov 5 Hiking Taxco - Go to page Seven
Nov 6 – 8 Oaxaca - Go to page Seven
Nov 9 -11 Zipolite - Go to page Seven
Nov 12 Reluctantly leaving Zipolite - Go to page Seven
Nov 13 Cañon de Sumidero and San Cristobal - Go to page Seven

Guatemala
Nov 14 Into Guatemala - Go to page Seven
Nov 14 – 17 San Pedro - Go to page Eight
Nov 18 Antigua - Go to page Eight
Nov 19 More Antigua - Go to page Eight

Honduras
Nov 21 To Copan Ruinas - Go to Page Eight
Nov 22 Copan Ruins - Go to page Nine
Nov 23 Into Honduras - Go to page Nine
Nov 24 Last day in Honduras - Go to page Nine

Nicaragua
Nov 25 Into Nicaragua - Go to page Nine
Nov 26-28 San Juan del Sur - Go to page Nine

Costa Rica
Nov 29 Into Costa Rica - Go to page Ten
Nov 30 More Costa Rica Ten
Dec 1 Across Costa Rica Ten
Dec 2 - 4 Puerto Viiejo Ten

Panama
Dec 5 - Crossing into Panama Eleven
Dec 6 - Panama City Eleven

Colombia
Dec 7 Over the Darien Gap Eleven
Dec 8 – 9 Bogota Eleven
Dec 10 Pick up bike day Twelve
Dec 11 Manizales Twelve
Dec 13 Into coffee country Twelve
Dec 14 Medellin Thirteen
Dec 18 Leaving Medellin Thirteen
Dec 19 Bucaramanga Thirteen
Dec 20 Chicamocha and Barichara Thirteen
Dec 21 Zipaquira Thirteen
Dec 22 - Armenia Thirteen
Dec 23 To Cali Fourteen
Dec 23 – Dec 28 Cali Fourteen
Dec 28 Pasto Fourteen


Ecuador
Dec 29 Into Ecuador Fourteen
Dec 30 To Quito Fourteen
Dec 31 – 4 QuitoFifteen
Jan 5 – 12 Galapagos Sixteen
Jan 14 Amazon Rainforest Seventeen
Jan 16 Baños Seventeen
Jan 18 To Puerto Lopez Eighteen
Jan 19 Puerto Lopez Eighteen
Jan 19 - 26 Puerto Lopez and Mandála Eighteen
Jan 26 Up the coast Eighteen
Jan 29 to Jan 31 Last time in Quito Eighteen
Feb 1 The trip resumes Eighteen
Feb 2 Cuenca Nineteen
Feb 3 Cuenca and Super Bowl Nineteen
Feb 4 & 5 Last days in Ecuador Nineteen


Peru
Feb 6 On to Peru Nineteen
Feb 7 To Jaen Nineteen
Feb 8 Rio Utcubamba Nineteen
Feb 9 - 11 Kuelap Twenty
Feb 9 - 11 Gocta Waterfalls Twenty
Feb 12 Back to Jaen Twenty
Feb 13 Chiclayo Twenty
Feb 14 - 16 Huanchaco Twenty One
Feb 17 Cañon del Pato Twenty One
Feb 18 - 20 Huaraz Twenty Two
Feb 21 To the Coast and Huacho Twenty Two
Feb 22 – 25 Lima, Huacachina and Nazca Twenty Three
Feb 26 On the way to Cusco Twenty Three
Feb 27 & 28 The ride to Cusco . . . but first, lets ride to Abancay??? Twenty Four
Mar 1 & 2 Cusco Twenty Four
Mar 3 - On to Machu Pichu Twenty Four
March 4 Machu Pichu Twenty Four
March 5 Ollyantombo and Maras Twenty Five
March 6 Heading to(wards) Colca Canyon Twenty Five
Mar 7 Finally to Chivay Twenty Six
Mar 8 Colca Canyon and Arequipa Twenty Six
Mar 9 - 10 Arequipa Twenty Seven
Mar 11 To Puno Twenty Seven
Mar 12 Lake Titicaca Twenty Seven


Bolivia
Mar 13 to La Paz and Bolivia Twenty Seven
Mar 14 La Paz Twenty Seven


Chile
Mar 15 to Chile Twenty Seven
Mar 16 Arica Twenty Seven
Mar 17 Iquique Twenty Seven
Mar 19 Antofagasta Twenty Eight
Mar 20 San Pedro de Atacama Twenty Eight

Argentina
Mar 21 Jammin the Jama - to Argentina Twenty Eight
Mar 23 Tafi del Valle Twenty Nine
Mar 24 Catamarca Thirty
Mar 25 – 27 Braving the flatlands to Buenos Aires Thirty
March 28 – Apr 5 Buenos Aires ThirtyThirty One

Home
Apr 6 – 15 Home Thirty One


You could have followed along by following my up to date position generated by my SPOT. The map now provides a good picture of a summary and detailed positions of my trip. Go here to see the SPOT MAP

First Post:

My quest to avoid flakes

After a successful three month trip around Mexico last winter, the old bug to ultimately travel through South America resurfaced and, here we are.

Taking a few steps back in time, here is a bit of background leading up to this trip.

For a number of years I have had a lot of fun exploring the paved roads of North America on my Harley (Yah, I know).


Always looking for new places to go, a couple of years ago, I thought "Why not ride that big ol red Hog down to Mexico and meet my wife there for a little lollygagging on a beach?" What a great time and, fantastic riding.


But, after that trip I knew that a travelling bike that could accommodate topes (speed bumps), gravel and crappy roads with a bit more class would make sense. So, with a lot of research, wringing of hands and gnashing of teeth, I settled on a BMW 800GS as the ideal traveling bike for me.

I have the right bike and I've dipped my toe in the water of adventure riding so the next step was to put two toes in the water. It started to come together when I retired almost a year ago and I was able to convince my wife that it would be a good idea for me to spend the first 3 months of my retirement wandering around Mexico on my new bike. Had a fabulous time sampling the beauty and culture of the many diverse parts of Mexico and my wife was able to join me for part of it. Mexico by Geezer

After returning in the Spring and assimilating myself back into "normal" life, the idea of a longer trip to South America resurrected itself. A casual discussion with my wife received a reserved agreement so, I decided I had better "make hay while the sun shines" and get planning before she realized what she had agreed to and changes her mind.

Having said that I "got planning" . . . well, there has been a lot of bike preparation, getting more gadgets but actual trip planning has been incredibly sketchy . . . for me.

In the past, my road trips on the Harley tended to have the entire trip researched and planned down to the exact roads to take and the specific places I want to see before I left home. Some people (like me) rely heavily on a trip laid out turn for turn on their GPS while others like to wave paper maps in the wind to figure out where they are and where to go, while others have no maps, no GPS and no clue . . . they just point and go and see what happens. I envy that.

This time my planning has consisted of getting some paper and GPS maps . . . determining that I want to go south until somewhere in Argentina, have my wife join me in the middle and then fly back to the US. That's about it. That's the RexBuck equivalent of point and go. Purists will scoff . . .

I'll be relying on my lady friend, my BMW 800GS, a pretty tough old broad complete with dings, scratches and the bottom layer of grim and bug shit - the rest being removed in my half-assed attempt to wash her. Here she is ready to go


And saying goodbye to her buddies who get to stay home and freeze their mufflers off for the winter.


Oh, for those of you who do not experience snow in the winter, those machines to the right of her buddies are called snow blowers and are a product of the devil . . . their use should be avoided whenever possible. Remember, one snow flake is a beautiful thing but many together are best avoided. Ergo, the subtitle for this post.

As I post this I've started the trip having worked my way down to California to visit my Dad, my Son and his wife and get some new suspenders for my lady friend.

More on all of this and stuff I've done to my bike later.

There should be a stickied post for reports on how to gain approval from, or a least break the news to, wives of riders who plan to take off on an adventure. Sometimes that's the hardest part of planning, and maybe even the trip. For me, the "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" line has worked well. I just don't know how many more times she'll believe that line.

Sounds like a great trip! Perhaps our paths will cross on my way back north in 2013. Subscribed!

Have a great time Steve
Stay upright and be safe.
Look forward to future posts.
Ciao
Mario

good luck on your trip!!

I enjoyed your last ride report and I'm looking forward to following you all the way to the bottom.

Ride safe and take it all in!

Johnnydarock

Thanks Parcero, hopefully we will run into each other along the way.

No brilliant ideas in the "asking the wife dept" other than having one that is very tolerant and is good at the rolling of the eyes thing and shrugging her shoulders everytime we come up with some new idea.

Thanks for that Mario - also, congrats on the new GS.

And, welcome to the forum.

Thanks cy

Thanks for that Johnny and I appreciate you coming along again.

Enjoyed learning about your trip over breakfast this morning, thanks for making the effort to look me up and for stopping by to say hello.

Great memories of our dinner in Oaxaca.

Looking forward to your RR.

Safe Travels

Remember, take the time for lots of photos along with your great discriptions (the "verbage"), and stop to smell the roses - like you won't !!! Stay safe, Stevo - shiny side up, gooey side down. See you in the spring. Mi esposa will be contacting tu esposa (or words to that effect).
Pedro

Estaremos pendientes de tu ruta !!!!!!!

the answer to the wife question is to have me around to spend too much time with her while you are gone. wasn't hard to convince her to let you go. safe LONG trip Steve

Sounds like a great adventure , ride safe and maybe our path will cross somewhere down the road !

Another BC Boy seeking the sun...I am currently in Antigua, trying to figure out the difference between estoy and ser.
Riding Blondy, the first F800 series. Had a great time in Baja and Mexico. Highly recommend San Juan de Laguna de Attilan if you have time. Guatemala is great. Perhaps our paths will cross. Subscribed..

It was great seeing you again Holckster. And, thanks for the road tips down the foothills.

By the way, ate some of that jerky from that sausage shop in your town. Really good!

Thanks buddy, I appreciate that. Will try to keep my verbosity under control . . .

See you in the Spring

If you ever figure out that esoy / ser thing, let me know. That is one of the many parts of the language I struggle with.

Hoping to hang around Attilan a bit - is that where you are taking Spanish classes?

Thanks for joining in

Thanks GuateRider. Holckster mentioned that he had a great time with you. Maybe we will be able to meet up down the road.

Yah, yah . . . I know your wife will keep that under control

Thanks for the well wishes Billy and welcome to the forum

Gracias Emiliano

Well, I'm back for this years adventure...... Looking forward to not getting much done at work.......again!

Be Safe,

Sleddog

Great to have you along again. I have so many people to thank for messing up my work day, I guess it's payback. I highly recommend retirement.