No Fumar Español: South from San Diego

[japako]

Originally Posted by peter13

Ive really enjoyed reading this over breakfast for the last week. WTF do I do now its finished ??? Maybe start again !!!

I've read this twice. When I first started Crash was in the middle of the ride and it took awhile to catch up..

Vincent had a great ride and gave an even better report, now it may be time for you and me to do a ride to SA. I think about this every day and hope one day to make it happen..

[Leminkainen]

Ok... I am 100 pages in... CM is 16 months in... and I can't stop reading... awesome!

[erockmapquest]

I just finished the RR. After reading this and Misery Goat's RR I have decided that I will be doing something similar very soon. I just need to find a bike first! I'm definitely leaning towards a KTM 990 ADV for sure.

[Flyingavanti]

Hey Crashmaster........

You stated..... "Thanks for all the kind words. At times I go back and read my RR and it makes me homesick for life on the road, if that makes any sense. Although its only been a matter of some months since I finished my travels, it feels like it was a lifetime ago. "

I have some VERY bad news........ that homesick for the road feeling does not disappear! I, seriously, have been mildly depressed since our adventure.

Honestly!

It becomes a lifestyle. When you return to the states, the lifestyle, surprises, and adventures end. Tried some trips around the states, BUT, it is not the same, in this land of Wal-Marts, Shell Stations....etc, etc, etc.

In our report, I wrote that every nite was like Christmas, waiting to see what the next day had in store. I miss that excitement in life!

Now.... It is Obama's crap, corrupt city's, corrupt states, etc, etc,etc......

I read ride report of people that take 12 week trips to the tip of South America, and feel badly for what they missed, by not slowing down!

Anybody out there need a guide for a long adventure in South America?

[drrags]

I have to agree. It's been well over a year for me, and my ride wasn't as extensive as Crashmaster's and not even close to yours, but I've not been the same since I've been back, either. Traveling around in the States has no appeal to me now. Well... exploring the backroads here in Nevada is excellent though. But it's too safe here, too regulated, too many signs, too many cops, too expensive, too predictable, too sanitary, too convenient.

Yeah, I miss the road and the unknown.

[Flyingavanti]

Drrags and Crashmaster.............

I thought I was the only one that felt like this, seriously......

I spoke with Striking Viking and Worldrider, and that did not have the same feeling........

Maybe WE need a support group, and a 12 step program to get rid of the blues...........:

[Comrade Art]

Originally Posted by drrags

I have to agree. It's been well over a year for me, and my ride wasn't as extensive as Crashmaster's and not even close to yours, but I've not been the same since I've been back, either. Traveling around in the States has no appeal to me now. Well... exploring the backroads here in Nevada is excellent though. But it's too safe here, too regulated, too many signs, too many cops, too expensive, too predictable, too sanitary, too convenient.

Yeah, I miss the road and the unknown.

You're spot on! After riding through Vietnam, I feel like we are an over-regulated nation

[O'B]

Originally Posted by drrags

I have to agree. It's been well over a year for me, and my ride wasn't as extensive as Crashmaster's and not even close to yours, but I've not been the same since I've been back, either. Traveling around in the States has no appeal to me now. Well... exploring the backroads here in Nevada is excellent though. But it's too safe here, too regulated, too many signs, too many cops, too expensive, too predictable, too sanitary, too convenient.

Yeah, I miss the road and the unknown.

No hot ass latinas behind the counter at the smoothie shop

[Supergringo]

Originally Posted by drrags

I have to agree. It's been well over a year for me, and my ride wasn't as extensive as Crashmaster's and not even close to yours, but I've not been the same since I've been back, either. Traveling around in the States has no appeal to me now. Well... exploring the backroads here in Nevada is excellent though. But it's too safe here, too regulated, too many signs, too many cops, too expensive, too predictable, too sanitary, too convenient.

Yeah, I miss the road and the unknown.

I've gone from living my dream on a 6 1/2 month motorcycle tour of S.A., with each day bringing me something new, to working 12 hour days as an investment banker.

Some days I wonder if I really made a big time wrong turn.

[eakins]

Originally Posted by Supergringo

I've gone from living my dream on a 6 1/2 month motorcycle tour of S.A., with each day bringing me something new, to working 12 hour days as an investment banker.

Some days I wonder if I really made a big time wrong turn.

same thing for me. lived in mexico for a year now back in the US.
this feels like a foreign country at times. too many rules and a muted joy for life.

[slowpoke69]

Originally Posted by homme de fer

Now THAT is a ride report. Congratulations.

Truer words were never spoken. Thanks for taking us along for the ride! Stay safe, oh, and warm.

I gotta admit, the bike does look damn good for the HELL you put her through!

[crashmaster]

Originally Posted by slowpoke69

Truer words were never spoken. Thanks for taking us along for the ride! Stay safe, oh, and warm.

I gotta admit, the bike does look damn good for the HELL you put her through!

Thanks amigo. Well the bike is a little rough when you look at it up close, but it runs better than ever and is still as reliable as a Swiss watch. I was lusting after one of the new R models but can't bring myself to sell this bike with only 60,000 miles in it, and I'm kind of attached to it as well.

[motoro]

Originally Posted by crashmaster

After an uneventful flight to Bogota, I started the process to get my motorcycle through Colombian customs, AKA "DIAN". However, you have to do a little walking around. The international cargo terminal is about a 15 minute walk from the passenger terminal. However, DIAN, or customs, is at the domestic air cargo terminal (naturally) which is another 10 minute walk from the international cargo terminal. Go figure.

Anyway, go take care of all the paperwork and get your vehicle permit over at DIAN, then walk back over to Girag (international air cargo terminal) then get the bike out. Plan on at least 3 to 4 hours to take care of all of this as there could be delays over at DIAN and delays at Girag as well. For example, when I was at DIAN, no one there at the time knew what to do with my paperwork, so I had to wait for them to call in someone who knew the procedures, and that alone took a couple of hours. Once all your paperwork is done, you will wait around Girag as well since it is a constant stream of trucks getting uploaded at the docks where you need to ride your bike down the ramp and out of the building. This will take time.

All said and done, I started the process at 11 am, and was on the road at 5 pm. So the whole thing took six hours from the time I walked into the Girag office. Absolutely no one in the Girag office so much as lifted a finger to help me out. They acted like they didn't know anything. Who knows, maybe they didn't actually know shit about anything. I've been around air cargo joints for the better part of 2 decades, so this doesn't really surprise me. I had to find out what to do from one of the guys loading trucks at the docks. One would figure that after spending almost a grand to ship the bike that the service would be a little better. Nope, what was I thinking? I should know better.

Just before dark I managed to free my moto from captivity, and headed toward the old historic centro of Bogota in shockingly horrible traffic to find a hotel. It took about an hour and half to go 10 miles since I could not split lanes with the boxes on the bike. Welcome to Bogota.

Bogota is home to some 8 million people, so its a big, crowded city. The climate here is cool all year long. At 8500 feet elevation, the days are in the low 70's and the nights require a jacket. Very nice climate. At the west end of town at the base of some mountains is the financial district and historic centro, which is a nice place to walk around and reminds me of upscale old neighborhoods in the States.








Complete with a nice park.















Lots of motos in Bogota. The cops ride Wee Stroms so I can smoke em pretty good on the 990.







Even the local hotties ride.








Only a couple blocks from the upscale historic centro, things start to change a little bit. First you notice the graffiti. Had no idea the skinheads were down this far.















"This shit is not democracy." And "Yankees get out of Colombia." A not so friendly public service announcment from your local anti-imperialist brigade. Uh Oh, the only Yankee I see around here is me!








Then the scenery starts to change a bit in another block. I instantly feel more at home.








A lady showing her wares at one of the numerous houses of ill repute on this street.








Hey man, I see you have plenty of BMW parts in there, but have you got a KTM front sprocket as well?








"Hey buddy, you know where I can find................ah nevermind."



Sorry for the short walk around the hood. There were plenty of more interesting sights but I didn't have the stones to take pictures of them. But, you get the idea what the hood is like around my hotel.




Anyway, I met a local girl in Bogota the first day I arrived. She offered to show me around town. She also said that she liked motos, and wondered if I would be able to give her a ride sometime. Ah, now the truth comes out. It definitely was not my charm that she was attracted to. However a local tour guide sounded great to me and as a bonus, my Spanish would get quite a workout as well.

So on Friday night, she took me to the cockfights. But first, we had a few roosters to pick up at her house and take to the fights.








Well come to find out, the girl, Agueda, has a few brothers that raise fighting roosters, and they come into Bogota every weekend to try and make some money at the cockfights.

Its a much more upscale place than the ones I have been to in the little towns in Mexico. You mean I cant bring in my guns? Can you say, "no fun allowed here?"









Weighing in the birds on a specialized rooster scale. I learn something everyday. I never knew that there was actually was a scale made for the sole purpose of weighing in fighting roosters. Life's little surprises.......









Getting Agueda's brothers' birds stored for the fights.








The business ends of these roosters are made out of polycarbonate and taped up to the bird's legs. They can inflict serious damage.








I'm not saying whether this is right or wrong, it just is what it is, and I was there. So please keep PETA debates in Jo Momma where they belong.








And in this cage, weighing in at a whopping 4.7 pounds, the undisputed Heavyweight champion of the................."








Lets take some bets..........








This poor guy wound up getting cooked in the lobby food stand, right outside the ring. Bad day for him.








The boys didn't win much here. However, they went to an after hours cockfight place where they won almost $1000 bucks, which is a big payoff for these boys.



Interesting times at the old cockfights. This was actually one of the most tame cockfight places I have been. Everyone was relatively sober and a bit reserved actually. Although it was a late night, the next day I had to rally because I was supposed to take Agueda on the bike and go up to the finca where her brother and his family live.

WOW you even went to the free tolerance zone in Bogota, where you on the 990 in that part of the city?

[DirtBikeGirlRider]

Hey Crashmaster - you probably get a zillion of these messages,but here's another one anyhow - was inspired by your ride report, so donnh and I are getting on our bikes January 1, and heading through central and south america for a 4 month ride - not epic, but fun nontheless - an as part of our planning, we are re-reading your ride report - it seems to be a what not to do as well as a what to do - besides making me laugh out loud, you have great photo's and an interesting writing style. Here is a pohot of my ride prep - this is on the way to the chinese wall in Idaho.

[crashmaster]

Originally Posted by DirtBikeGirlRider

Hey Crashmaster - you probably get a zillion of these messages,but here's another one anyhow - was inspired by your ride report, so donnh and I are getting on our bikes January 1, and heading through central and south america for a 4 month ride - not epic, but fun nontheless - an as part of our planning, we are re-reading your ride report - it seems to be a what not to do as well as a what to do - besides making me laugh out loud, you have great photo's and an interesting writing style. Here is a pohot of my ride prep - this is on the way to the chinese wall in Idaho.

Thanks! Its going to be the trip of a lifetime.

Buen viaje!