TravelStream™ news feed for member 1life on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/1life en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 07 May 2008 10:52:58 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1174752480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1174752480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1174752480/tpod.html Wed, 07 May 2008 10:52:58 -0400 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

OAXACA, Mexico

We left our friends in Huatulco Mexico well rested, but more than a little home sick. A week with old friends reminded us of everything we love about our home and our friends in Winnipeg. We were certainly tempted to take a direct route back which would have us in Winnipeg in 8 to 10 days. The only reason we hesitated was that we realized that that is exactly what older people would do. And that is a slippery slope I do not want to start down just yet. Maybe next year.

My solution was to surround ourselves with young people as quickly as possible. I reasoned that this should get the silly homesick notion out of our heads. More specifically out of Karyn´s head. This resulted with us ending up in Hostal Pochon in Oaxaca, our first two nights out of Huatulco, which is a dormitory style Hostal. We took one of the two private rooms they have, which gave us our privacy, but still located us in this Hostal with a dozen other guests in their twenties or thirties. And guess what. Not one of these other guests talked about wanting to get home. In fact just the opposite, they all wanted more time to travel and more time to experience new things. This was exactly what I wanted Karyn to hear.

The hostal was everything we needed. Very clean, private bathroom, great breakfast, and I was able to drive my bike inside and park it in the TV room. The breakfast which was a very good omlete was free, but the requirement was that you had to wash you own dishes after. I think Karyn enjoyed the washing dishes part.

To further get us back into the spirit of travel, I took Karyn to an authentic Mexican restaurant. A little high end, but still authentic enough that I was able to order Chapulines. For those of you who do not know what Chapulines are (and I didn´t until this trip), they are fried grasshoppers. And they do not taste bad. They really have no taste. Now how could Karyn ever be homesick for Winnipeg while sipping a glass of wine and eating Chapulines on a patio overlooking the Zocalo (main square) in Oaxaca, Mexico. Well maybe a couple glasses of wine.

Oaxaca, Mexico --- Overlooking the Zocala

This is where we enjoyed Chapulines

Oaxaca is a beautiful colonial city with great arts, shopping and entertainment. This is one of Mexico's major handicrafts and arts centers. The oldest and maybe the most beautiful city in Mexico. This was planned as one of our must do stops, even before we left Winnipeg, and it has certainly not disappointed us. I would recommend Oaxaca as city a person should definitely try to "combine" with any Mexico vacation. It will also we a welcomed relief from the intense heat at the sea level resorts.

The Zocala is the heart of Oaxaca. A pleasant park with new paving around the central bandstand. It is a pleasant place to sit and watch the world. It is always active, and the surrounding cafes and restaurants are always busy.

While in Oaxaca made a point of visiting the Central de Abastos. This is the largest market in the state of Oaxaca and possible the largest market in Mexico. After wandering around for a couple of hours, and managing not to be talked into buying any live chickens (or anything else that needing killing) we were completely lost. We finally found a taxi in this market which was the only solution to finding our way out.

Central de Abastos -- Oaxaca, Mexico

Buy a live Turkey for dinner. Just tie the legs together and carry it home in a bag.

I wish we had more time to spend in Oaxaca, but tomorrow we leave. Our plan is to ride hard for 3 days to Mazatlan and then take the ferry from Mazatlan to the Baja on Wednesday. The ferry leaves Mazatlan mid afternoon on Wednesday and arrives on the Baja on Thursday morning. Sort of like a cruise, I told Karyn

Pictures to be attached in a later entry.


A FEW FACTS TO THIS POINT, re: times and distances. We usually left early and stopped early any day we did travel. We made good time with very few stops or breaks on those days. The average kilometers ridden each day may seen low to people who have not traveled extensively on the secondary highways in South and Central America. It is impossible to travel the same distance in a day as what you would in North America.

CENTRAL AMERICA---It took us 8 days of actual riding to travel across Central America from Panama City in the South to Mexico in the North. A more realistic time would be 7 days as we stopped early a couple of days in order to be a little rested before arriving at David and Monica's, outside San Jose Costa Rica. Total distance traveled through Central America was 2766 Kilometers. Longest day traveled was 467 Kilometers. and shortest day was 176 Kilometers. All roads were paved, with the exception of those areas under construction.... And with the exception of the millions of pot holes in the pavement.

SOUTH AMERICA---It took us 24 days of actual riding to travel from Ushuaia Argentina (as far south as it is possible to go) to Bogota Columbia in the North. This does not include the time on the Ferry from Puerto Natales to Puerto Montt, which should have been 4 days. The total distance rode between these two points was 10,167 Kilometers. Longest day traveled was 848 Kilometers. and shortest day was 174 Kilometers. All roads were paved except for 112 Kilometers in Tierra del Fuego, and roads under construction.... And with the exception of the millions of pot holes in the pavement.

TOTAL DISTANCE TRAVELLED so far, from beginning of trip in Santiago Chile to Oaxaca Mexico is approximately 22,000 Kilometers.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1167436200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1167436200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1167436200/tpod.html Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:41:48 -0400 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Puerto Natales, Chile

Karyn's turn at bringing you up-to-date!
We arrived a day early in Puerto Natales, that is good! Met up with Mike from Minneapolis at our Hostel Bulnes along with two other fellows, Jack from Oaklahoma and Tom from Colorado. Went out for a seafood dinner on the waterfront, raining and cold! Found out the Ferry could be delayed the next day, may have to stay 2 nights here! but this morning, all is good, ferry will arrive at 3:00 PM today and will sail tomorrow as planned. We must take the bike through taxes, customs, and then inspection by 7:00 tonight, but cannot board until 9:00. We will go for dinner and then board, tie down our bike. We sleep aboard the Ferry tonight and Friday morning we will set sail to Puerto Montt, our New Year's Cruise!
On little hitch to our plans, we went to wash and gas the bike at 9:30 AM today only to find a rattle and a small hole in an exhaust pipe, oh no!! Through broken Spanish and pointing fingers, the gas station attendant sent us off to a mechanic who perhaps could help us out. 2 hours later, here I sit, mechanic has gone for lunch until 2:00 and the bike's exhaust system is taken apart. He says the bike will be ready at 4:00 PM! We'll have to wait and see! While he was checking out the problem he found that one exhaust pipe was completely broken and the other was cracked. He appears to be an excellent welder with his female assistant (photos will follow as I did take some). So we will hope the job is done well enough that we will not have to stop in Santiago to get it replaced by the Harley dealer!

How did we get here as Leonard says!?? Xmas was wonderful in Ushuaia, we stayed there 4 nights.

VISITED NATIONAL PARK IN TIERRA DEL FUEGO

Any further South in the world is by boat only.


Karyn loves the rabbit, but not the accomodations.


Our cabina was beautiful, one full bedroom, bathroom, small kitchen with microwave and fridge and a sitting area - very warm, cozy and friendly! Our host, Amanda (Pitty was her nickname), put up a small Xmas tree and decorations scattered the cabina, she baked some beautiful coffee cake for us Xmas Eve! We shopped through the town, bought some warm fleece tops, booked a cruise to see the penquins Xmas Day. We found a small grocery store, it was a real treat to cook - microwave - in our cozy cabina. Eggs, coffee, juice in the mornings, and light suppers, fresh fruit! Xmas Eve was spent with 10 friends we had met along the way, some new, some from Viedma meeting and was very nice. Xmas day was very quiet, slept in, washed, gased and packed our bike, then off on our 5 hour boat tour! It was beautiful that day, Ushuaia does not see temperatures above 10 degrees, but we think it hit 12-15 that day. We travelled the Beagle Channel, stopped to look at sea lions, ship wrecks, and on to the island of penquins. The boat came right up onto the shore, but we were not allowed to disembark. Watched and took pictures for about 1/2 hour! Returned to our cabina about 9:00 PM and made our last supper before moving on Boxing Day morning!
Up at the crack of dawn the 26th to leave by 7:00 AM, cloudy raining cold again! However, by the time we reached the mountain pass, clouds had lifted, on thru Rio Grande, the sun came out! Now for our border crossing, which went rather well, just under 2 hours - the 100 klms of gravel is ahead of us! We did it in just under 3 hours - sunny and not as windy as the first time!

SECTION OF ROAD KARYN WALKED WHILE I RODE

KARYN VERY HAPPY TO BE OFF THE BIKE FOR THIS SECTION.

Arrived in Cerro Sombrero about 5:00 PM, very relieved! One more day and we will arrive in Puerto Natales for the Ferry!
Where we are now waiting for the bike to be ready! Have our bordering passes! Looking foward to a couple of down days on the boat - we found an English book store in Ushuaia and bought a couple of books, have our crib board and backgammon board! Our 3 Americans will also be on board. We will spend New Year's Eve on the Ferry and arrive New Year's Day at 6:00 AM in Puerto Montt!
We have been told to purchase our wine and snacks to take on board with us which we will do! 3 meals a day are provided! As Leonard has mentioned, we do have a cabin with a view! The trip will take us by some spectacular landscape including glaciers. We have been told we will see some ocean wildlife as well! Will continue with our photos!
Happy New Year 2007! Will continue our adventure tales in the new year!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1163488680/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1163488680/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1163488680/tpod.html Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:42:56 -0400 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

SANTIAGO, Chile

Karyn and I arrived in Santiago Wednesday Nov. 15th. Checked into the hotel, paid for with Safeway Air Miles. Our room was on the 16th floor of the Holiday Inn which was where we stayed for the first two nights of our vacation. After that we moved to a hostel which was very cheap and very clean, if somewhat small. In fact the entire room was smaller than the bed at the holiday inn. That is not counting our private bathroom, but that was only about 3 feet by 3 feet. The bathroom did have hot water, even if it was just a small stream. But when you plan to hotel for almost 6 months, staying at the Holiday Inn is just beyond our means. I might also add, that in two days at the Holiday Inn we met no one, while we have met all kinds of people at the Hostel.


Karyn is standing outside our first Hostel in Chile. In fact this is our first Hostel we have ever stayed in. What makes this type of accomodation so special, is the people you meet.

During our stay at this Hostel we met a man who spends 4 months a year at his home in London Ontario, 4 months at his home in France, and 4 months travelling on a tight budget. We also met a couple from Germany who are traveling through South America. And we met an attractive young women who is a vet in the UK and is taking 3 weeks vacation traveling through Chile and Argentina by herself.


Santiago is a beautiful city, very modern and exceptionally clean. The transit system is great and we made great use of the Subway system during our first 5 days here. We felt very safe wandering the streets, and enjoying the outdoor cafes. Seafood is excellent, and affordable by North American standards. However Chile, and Santiago in particular are the most expensive places in South America, so from here on things should just get better.

I could not really start enjoying this trip until my motorcycle arrived. And it did arrive on Monday November 20th. The box looked like it fell off the airplane, but the bike was fine. I was almost crying as I tore open the ctn to get a look at the bike. I guess Harley Davidson knows a thing or two about packing a bike for shipping, as it was a factory shipping ctn that we used. I can not believe that the bike did not have any damage based on what was left of the cardboard ctn.


THE HARLEY ARRIVES SAFELY IN SANTIAGO CHILE

In this picture, Karyn thinks all those guys are standing around her because they want to be in the picture with her. I am not going to be one to tell her that the only reason she is getting all that attention, is because these guys want to get close to my Harley.



Karyn's Spanish lessons sure paid for themselves as we processed the bike through Customs. I just sat in background and let Karyn do all the communication. I do not know what she was saying to all these guys, or want she was promising them, but I really didn't care, as long as I got my bike. And she did get me my bike, with her lousy Spanish and her great smile.

They let me do the needed assembly on the bike and then fill the gas in the warehouse. We certainly created a little attention as we drove the bike through and out of the warehouse. Couldn't resist giving a couple of extra blurbs on the throttle, just to hear it echo through the entire warehouse. Everyone in that warehouse now knew we were in Chile.


In Leonard's mind, the adventure starts tomorrow. We are leaving Santiago Tuesday morning and crossing the Andes into Argentina. From here on in the Vacation should hold a lot more adventure, which comes from a lot more uncertainty.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1177544400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1177544400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1177544400/tpod.html Tue, 08 May 2007 19:10:03 -0400 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Canada

This will be our last entry as this trip is now over.

It warmed up enough for us to leave Albuquerque New Mexico on April 08 as planned. However we only got 304 kilometers to Tucumcari where we had to stop due to the sub zero temperatures. On April 09, with a little better weather and a lot of help from our electric heated vests we rode 711 kilometers to McPherson Kanas. The next day we only managed 388 kilometers, all of it in poring rain, before we had to stop as the temperature was dropping below the freezing point. We were then stuck in Columbus Nebraska for two days as I became quite sick. (Must have been something I ate. Just can't trust that North American Food) We finally got going again on April 11 and arrived safely back in Winnipeg on April 13. In time for our Welcome Home Party on the 14th, hosted by Ross and Shirley Stimpson with the Mickey Moose group!


I HAVE LISTED BELOW ANSWERS TO THE MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING SINCE WE ARRIVED BACK HOME.

HOW LONG WHERE YOU AWAY?
We left Winnipeg on November 14/06 and returned on April 13/07. 150 Days.

HOW MANY KILOMETERS DID YOU TRAVEL?
We put 29,500 Kilometers on the bike. That is in addition to distances traveled by ship, plane, train, bus, truck and van.

HOW MANY DAYS DID YOU RIDE?
There were 70 days where we rode and changed locations (towns & hotels/hostals). There was very little other riding, as once we checked into a hotel we used public transportation for the most part.

WHAT WAS THE FURTHEST DISTANCE YOU RODE IN A DAY?
Furthest was 1032 Kilometers from Buenos Aires Argentina to Viedma Argentina
Second was 864 Kilometers from Las Vegas Nevada to Grants New Mexico
Third was 848 Kilometers from Taltal Chile to Iquiqu Chile.

WHAT WAS THE SHORTEST DISTANCE YOU RODE IN A DAY (where hotels were changed)?
Shortest was 174 Kilometers from Machach Ecuador to Otavalo Ecuador (spent 3 days there)
Second was 176 Kilometers from San Isidro Costa Rica to San Jose Costa Rica (spent 2 weeks there with our grandchildren)
Third was 184 Kilometers from Tehuantepec Mexico to Huatulco Mexico (spent 8 days there with friends from Winnipeg)

WHAT WAS THE TOTAL COST OF THE TRIP?
$37,000. Absolutely everything included, broken down as follows.

Food/ Liquor $5500.00
Hotel $6000.00 (124 Nights-Not incl. nights on ship, with family, etc)
Gas &nb sp; $1700.00
Gifts/Entertainment $3800.00
Air Fare/Shipping/Ferry &nbsp ; $7800.00
Bike Repairs/Tires/Service $6500.00
Insurance & Fixed Costs $4000.00
Miscellaneous $1700.00

WHAT WAS THE LEAST YOU PAID FOR A HOTEL?
Least was $11.20 in Macara Ecuador
Second was $12.77 in Nasca Peru
Third was $16.46 in Azogues Ecuador

WHAT WAS THE MOST YOU PAID FOR A HOTEL? (Outside North America)
Most was the 8 nights we spent with friends at a Villa in Mexico.
Next was $90.30 in Lima Peru (Hotel booked for me by Harley Mechanic)
Second was $76.16 in Cerro Sombrero Chile
Third was $69.63 in Comodoro Rivadavia Argentina

WHERE YOU EVER IN DANGER, FELT THREATENED, OR WERE FEARFUL?
Yes but all our fears were associated with a vehicle accident.
Most fearful was being lost in the freeway traffic in and around the large cities.
Second was the dense fog often encountered through mountain passes.
Third was the blinding sandstorm we drove through in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

We never felt threatened with any physical harm, with being robbed, or with being kidnapped. Possibly because we took all the reasonable precautions and did not put ourselves into a position where this would be likely. We found the Spanish people, including all police and military, to be very friendly and very helpful. We were treated extremely well in every country we visited.

DID YOU EVERY GET SICK?
We were very lucky in this respect.
Leonard was sick and in bed 1 full day in Cusco Peru and 1 full day in Columbus USA.
Karyn was sick and in bed 1 full day in Oaxaca Ecuador and 1 afternoon and night in Pasto Columbia.
Karyn also suffered on and off with headaches for several days in Bolivia and Peru as a result of Altitude Sickness.

WHAT WAS YOU FAVORITE COUNTRY?
Argentina is the country we would most likely make a return visit to. Colombia is the country where we were most impressed by the friendliest of the people.

DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER TRIP PLANNED?
This is a secret. Need to wait for the right time to tell Karyn about our next trip.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1160177760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1160177760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1160177760/tpod.html Tue, 08 May 2007 18:56:00 -0400 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico, United States

Spent a great 3 nights in Las Vegas. Saw a few shows and did a little gambling. The bad news is that my plan to pay for this trip with my winnings did not work. The good news Karyn won half as much as I lost. So it could have been twice as bad.


Also took the bike in for an Oil Change and a few little repairs while in Vegas. As usual the bill is measured in the thousands. In this case about $1200. American funds. But this included a brand new side stand (now that we are away from the Mexican speed bumps). Kind of nice now that I no longer have to use a bungy cord to hold up my side stand every time a ride.

We would have liked to spend another night in Vegas, as this is not a destination we plan to return to. But we decided to move on after three nights as this should have easily got us to Winnipeg by next Saturday, just in time to attend a party. However, it looks as if we just might miss that party. I pasted a copy of an email I sent which explains what we have encountered.
*******************************
EMAIL SENT BY LEONARD TO FRIENDS IN WINNIPEG

We are having a little difficulty keeping to a schedule that would have us home next Saturday. We stayed in Grants New Mexico Friday night and did not get away until late Saturday morning due to rain and sub zero temperatures. We finally got away at 11:00 AM in 34 degree weather, but after 114 Kilometers had to stop in Albuquerque, New Mexico to warm up. I might also add that it was snowing during the last 25 Kilometers into Albuquerque. The mistake I made was stopping in Albuquerque. We had an excellent lunch, we did warm up, and it did stop snowing. You would have thought everything was perfect. Well it would have been if I could have coaxed Karyn back onto the bike. I will not give you all the details, but suffice to say, we are presently booked into the Days Inn hotel here in Albuquerque New Mexico. I am trying to find a route around this snow, but even if I am successful there will probably be a problem when I get up into South and North Dakota. The long term forecast for that entire area is for Snow on Wed and on Friday. At this time it looks as if there might be a window of opportunity on Thursday but that could change. Will keep you informed, but it is very possible we will not be able to make it to your party on Saturday. Thought I should give you as much notice as possible. PS>>>I could probably make it if I didn't have my passenger. Mind you if we are stuck in this hotel for couple of days, I may just end up without a passenger. Karyn started looking up AIRLINES in the telephone book when I was trying to convince her to continue riding today. Karyn will send you an e mail later. Leonard
*******************************************

Since that email, not much has changed. It is now Sunday morning and we are waiting until 11 AM to leave Albuquerque. The highways report indicates that the ice should melt off the highways east of here by noon. (Good thing we did not continue riding yesterday - Maybe Karyn was right in this case).
My plan is to ride to Tucumcari New Mexico - 175 miles - today. We can not continue to Amarillo Texas as the weather gets colder and the roads possibly more slippery.
With a little luck we should be able to get a little north of Oklahoma City tomorrow. It will depend on the weather and what time we are able to get away in the morning.

Karyn and I can easily ride 1000 kilometers in a day under ideal conditions and with an early start. I just do not know if we are going to get any ideal days this week.

I was not planning on making entries to this blog during our ride through the US, but there is not much else to do while we are waiting for the weather to warm up.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1176248040/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1176248040/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1176248040/tpod.html Tue, 08 May 2007 18:55:22 -0400 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Have arrived safely in Las Vegas, USA. Now that we are back in North America I will have to start being more careful with my bike. It will now need to be chained and locked every night.
My plan in Vegas is find a way to pay for this trip. I know I am dreaming, but everything else has gone so well on this trip, I almost expect to win enough gambling to pay for the trip.

The ferry ride from Mazatlan to La Paz was uneventful. A little different from our Ferry Ride in Chile where we got stranded at sea.

All vehicles had to go through an inspection when we docked in La Paz. I was told that the US is pressuring the Mexican goverment to better control the trafficing of drugs. Every vehicle was thouroughly searched. Under the vehicle, through the engine area, everywhere. All luggage or Cargo was removed. In some cases lens covers were taken off lights. The search included using rubber hammers and banging on the body areas and inside panel areas checking for a sound indicating that something was stashed inside. Also wire was used to push into tailgates etc to check if drugs were hidden in this area. We were stuck there for hours as took approximately 20 minutes for each car. There were a number of other searches at highway checkpoints through the Baja, but nothing this thorough.

INSPECTION AFTER DOCKING IN LA PAZ

This was the most thorough search we witnessed in all of our travels. Obviously there is a concern with drugs moving onto the Baja and then up through Tijuana into the US. We were told this type of search is demanded by the American Government.


The Baja is a great area to ride, lots of twisty roads with good pavement through desert like country.




But the Baja not a part of Mexico that I would personally return to visit. Firstly it is very expensive, secondly it is very American and touristy, and thirdly there were a number of occasions where people tried to shortchange us. Where as in the rest of Mexico we found the people to be very generous, considerate and patient; in the Baja, we found the people more interested in seperating us from our money. Because of this we did not spend as much time in the Baja as we had planned.

On the positive side, the weather on the Baja is fantastic. It does not have the extreme high temperatures with high humitidy that the west coast of Mexico experiences. There are also many absolutely beautiful undeveleped beaches where people drive onto the beach and set up tents or park their campers. Absolutely beautiful areas.

BEACH IN BAJA MEXICO

People camp right on this beach. Park a Motorhome right where the bike is.

Most of the beaches were quite empty as the winter season is coming to an end. However as we rode North we passed hundreds of SUVs and truck campers all loaded up, and heading south for the Easter break. We got lucky as we arrived in the Baja after the busy winter season and just prior to the Spring break season.

What I found strange was a lack of gas in Northern Baja. This is the third time we crossed Mexico and the only time we travelled through an area where is was necessary to carry gas to buy gas from an individual selling out of the back of a half ton truck. Anyhow, we were told there would be a problem obtaining gas, so we knew where to look for the guy with the half ton truck.

A GAS STATION IN BAJA MEXICO

FIRST THEY FILL A 5 GALLON METAL GAS CAN, AND THEN CHARGE YOU FOR WHAT PART OF THAT GAS CAN YOU USE. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT I PAID FOR THE GAS, BUT IT IS NOT AS IF I HAD A CHOICE.

The line ups crossing into the US from Mexico were miles long with wait time measured in hours. After waiting in line for a couple of hours, I used all my Spanish driving skills and drove between the lanes of traffic right up to the border crossing. I was told by people in line that this was acceptable for a motorcycle as they do not need to be search as thoroughly. Obviously a lot of people waiting in line in their cars did not know this rule as we passed them. Any someone swearing at me did not hurt much.,
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1175357880/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1175357880/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1175357880/tpod.html Tue, 08 May 2007 18:53:39 -0400 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

MAZATLAN, Mexico

We are presently in Mazatlan Mexico and are taking the ferry to the Baja, Mexico this afternoon. Below is a summary of what has happened in the last couple of days.

We left Oaxaca at first light Sunday morning with the intention of riding hard and arriving in Mazatlan on Tuesday late afternoon. (which we did) I was determined to find a way around Mexico City as I was concerned that if I tried to find my way through Mexico City, I would get lost and probably waste an entire day. I mean how hard can it be to take a few secondary roads around a large city. Well for starters, our Highway Map of Mexico in no way resembles the actual roads. We got so lost in Cuernavaca , a city about 60 Kilometers south of Mexico City, that we had to stay there for the night.

AUTO HOTEL Cuernavaca Mexico -------SEX HOTEL
Early in the Evening, but open for business


Safely Parked in the Garage....Karyn, on her way up to our Sex Suite.

Staying in Cuernavaca turned out to be a bit of an adventure. We grabbed the first good looking Hotel we could find. It was an Auto Motel. For those of you not familiar with an Auto Motel in Mexico, these are typically used for only part of the night. They are not inexpensive, and they are usually super clean and well finished. Anyhow, we were not interested in the 4 hour rate, so our cost was $46.00 for the entire night. These places are very private with a large Private Garage for each room. My motorcycle was very happy staying in a Sex Motel, as the garage had a beautiful tiled floor, nicely finished walls, was spotlessly clean and is super secure.. The same high end tile was used in both the garage and the hotel room. The room was very large and also spotless, with a giant bed. The only thing missing was that there were no chairs in the room. Giant room, 6 foot make-up mirror with a dresser on one wall, but no chairs. Large bathroom with over sized clear glass shower, but no chairs. Obviously these rooms are not designed for sitting on chairs, but only for lying in beds.
Anyhow the room was great and the large TV had 4 special channels. I suggested that Karyn look at these TV channels as being educational TV. But she had no interest. Some people just are not open to learning new things. Probably for the best anyhow, as I do not think her body could bend in that direction.
The one drawbacks to this type of hotel is that they are not made to leave until you are finished with the room. Karyn and I needed to go out for supper which was a bit of a complication. First there is no room key, as we were told no one ever leaves the room, until they are finished with the room. After discussions with the person on duty, it was decided that we could leave the room, which automatically locks and he would let us back in when we returned. Karyn found away for us to get out of the garage without leaving the large garage door open, which made my motorcycle very happy.
Anyhow, it was a great experience.

PARK SOUTH OF MEXICO ----Great Riding


We left Cuernavaca at first light Monday morning to find our way across country (around Mexico City) with the help of a Map I downloaded from the Internet. Hard to believe this map was for the same area as my highway map of Mexico. Our route to Toluca took us through a national park and half a dozen small towns. The park area consisted of a narrow mountainous road, with steep hills and all curves. The pavement was excellent and ride was absolutely fantastic. The only problem was my back brakes failed again. I am not sure what the problem is, but anytime I ride aggressively with a lot of braking, I completely lose my back brakes. It is as if my brake line broke and I have no fluid. I had this completely checked at the Harley dealer in Costa Rica and they could not find a problem. Possibly my brakes lines have deteriorated from boiling brake fluid at high altitudes in Boliva and Peru and they expand every time my brakes and fluid get hot. I am not sure, but I will get this checked again when I get back into the US and possibly replace the line.

From Toluca to Tequuila, a distance of over 500 kilometers, was all toll roads. Mexican toll roads are fantastic for speedy travel. Usually a 4 lane divided highway, fenced on both sides with great pavement. They also have very little traffic as the tolls are so expensive that many of the Mexican people can just not afford to travel on these roads. The 500 Kilometer trip from Toluca to Tequila took us through ten toll booths with a total cost of $60.00. The next day the 466 Kilometers from Tequila to Mazatlan cost us $40.00 in tolls. We held the bike at a steady 130 Kilometers per hour on these toll roads, slowing down and stopping only for the toll booths. At 130 kilometers per hour we were being continually passed. Other than transport trucks, I felt like we were the slowest vehicle on the road. It took a alot of will power on my part not to speed up on this beautiful empty highway that apparently has no speed enforcement. . My will power was sitting on the seat right behind me..

All dollar amounts I refer to in my notes are always US dollars. US dollars conversions are more easily recognized in foreign countries, and easier to calculate.

On Monday night we stayed in Tequila Mexico. Tequila is the main place where the famous Mexican drink is distilled. There are 12 distilleries around Tequila. 10 of these distilleries produce 75% of the country´s tequila. We had a great evening wandering around town and took part in some of the free tequila tasting.

Restaurant/Bar in Tequila Mexico

Karyn doing her best a Tequila Tasting


We have a suite with a private bath booked on this afternoon´s ferry which will arrive in La Paz Mexico tomorrow morning.

Today I hope to get bike washed and once again fix my side stand. These Mexican Topez (speed bumps) are giving us some problems. My bike will just not clear the Topez and the side stand spring is the lowest thing on the bike. Thank goodness for bungee cords.

Paste the link below to view some pictures.
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8EZMWrho4bMhY
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1175441100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1175441100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1175441100/tpod.html Tue, 08 May 2007 18:52:12 -0400 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Plan - SAN JOSE DEL CABO, Mexico

We will take a ferry from Mazatlan to the Baja. Depart 3 PM and arrive 9 AM next day. Then we get to ride the BAJA
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1173542280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1173542280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1173542280/tpod.html Tue, 08 May 2007 18:48:25 -0400 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Santiago Atitlan, Guatemala

We spent three nights at the Tiosh Abaj resort on Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. The resort is a little high end, but a welcome change after the hotels we ended up with the two nights before we got here. This is one of two Higher End resorts located in Santiago Atitlan.

Lake Atitlan is said to be the most beautiful lake in the world, swathed in mystery and surrounded by volcanoes. Formed by an explosion that blew the lid off the top of a volcanic mountain, Lake Atitlan and its three volcanoes are truly breathtaking.

Santiago is a fascinating town, as much for the stunningly beautiful embroidered clothing of the locals, as for the history and character of the place with its mix of Roman Catholic, evangelical and Maximon worship. There are 35 evangelical temples in town as well as the house of the revered idol Maximon. The Easter celebrations here are some of the most curious and reverential ceremonies in the world. Unfortantely, we do not have time to stay here and experience this.

Like most of Guatemala the women all wear fine traditional clothes, but the men here all wear striped, half-length embroidered trousers (the most beautiful in Guatemala).

Santiago Lake Atitlan

Women of Santiago Lake Atitlan


Men of Santiago Lake Atitlan


The streets are cobble stone and most of them are unbeleivably narrow. Small cars can barely fit down, and certainly no room for a car and a bike to pass. There are a lot of these 3 wheel motorcycle taxis in town, and there is not even enough room for them to pass each other on some of these roads.

Santiago Lake Atitlan

TWO CARS, OR EVEN TWO 3 WHEEL TAXIS CAN NOT PASS ON THESE STREETS. ONE MUST ALWAYS BACK UP TO AN INTERSECTION.

Not many tourist stay in Santiago Atitlan so we did take a boat trip to Panajachel, a town on the other side of the lake. Panajachel is a gringo magnet, and if you want to fill up on international cruisine and drink, then it would be a good place to stay. But we were happy that we chose to stay in Santiago Atitlan. The town is very safe and we wandered around after dark with the streets full of families visisting and children playing. Getting to Santiago Atitlan was a great ride with amazing views of Lake Atitlan and the surrounding volcanoes, on a narrow road with several steep hills and many hairpin turns.

Overall, Guatemala is my favourite country in Central America in which to ride. The roads are good, but with lots of curves and hills. The people are great, and still maintain their ancient manner of dress and customs. And like every other country we have visited, we feel very safe.

Tomorrow morning we will be leaving Guatemala and crossing into Mexico. By Wed. or Thur, we will be in Huatulco Mexico where we will be meeting our good friends from Winnipeg. We will spend over a week at a Villa with Shirley and Ross, and with Pat and Bob. I am quite sure Bob will make sure our diet changes from traditional Central American foods such as rice and beans to something much more North American.

We took very few pictures during our travels through Central America as we previously did this trip on the same bike in 2005 and have hundreds of pictures from that vacation. We have taken a few while in Guatemala and will share these with you in a later entry.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1171985640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1171985640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/1life/americas_06-07/1171985640/tpod.html Tue, 08 May 2007 18:46:22 -0400 From Tierra del Fuego to Canada on a Harley. This couples idea of retirement travel.

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Bogota, Colombia

Today (WED) is our last day in South America and we spent it exploring downtown Bogota. We arrived in Bogota Monday afternoon and had a hotel booked in the North End of Bogota which is considered the safest area. (This is one of the very few times we booked a room prior to arriving in a town) The area is indeed very safe, but also a little boring as there is not much to see or do within this neighborhood.
Upon our arrival in Bogota we got completely lost and finally hired a taxi to lead us to the Hotel. A couple of hours later, and with a much better understanding of the city traffic system, I decided to visit the Harley dealer to buy a couple of shirts. Karyn had had enough of the Bogota traffic and decided to stay at the hotel, even after I assured her that I would have no problem finding the Harley dealer and we would be back at the hotel within an hour. As luck would have it, I passed the turnoff for the Harley dealer, and what should have been a simple exit from the freeway, ended up with me traveling miles out of my way and getting completely lost. Another hired taxi (about $4.00) solved the problem and I followed the taxi to the dealer. Had a great time visiting there, everyone wanted to know about our travels and how the bike ran, and I even got a free shirt. (Harley Davidson Colombia - We Live Dangerously). Every Harley dealer I visited in South America would have a number of employees and customers who spoke English. These bikes are expensive in North America, but they are a lot more expensive in South America with all the import taxes, so they are generally associated with the wealthy who typically have higher education which often includes an understanding of English. Anyhow, about 3 hours later I finally got back to the hotel, and tried to make Karyn understand that the reason I hired a Taxi was to support the Colombia economy and not because I got lost again. (Impossible to find a place to buy a map of the City)
KARYN AND LEONARD WITH THEIR NEW HARLEY SHIRTS


Tomorrow morning we fly to Panama City, Panama. Unfortunately there is no road connecting Colombia to Panama. This hundred miles or so is the only section of America that can not be driven. Other than this impassable section, we have now ridden a Harley from the Southern tip of South America to Chicken, Alaska.

We delivered the bike to Girag (shipping company) yesterday and it should have left Bogota at 11:00 PM last night. That entire experience was very good, assuming the bike arrives safely in Panama. The cost was $350.00 American which was about a third of what I expected. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the weight of my bike did not increase the cost of the air shipment. Bikes half the weight of mine cost the same. I do know that everyone who shipped a bike from Panama to Colombia (the opposite direction) paid twice as much. Hopefully, there will be no additional charges when we arrive in Panama. The entire process to this point was.
1. Drive towards the shipping company.
2. Get completely lost and hire a taxi to lead me to the shipping company.
3. Ride like hell between lanes of traffic on the freeway to keep up to the taxi (Karyn has the number of the taxi and is my second set of eyes).
4. Taxi stops within sight of shipping company, but not on same road.
5. Pay taxi, and ride bike over curb, across 100 yards of lawn, then 50 yards going the wrong way on a one way road, across another grass boulevard, through an empty gravel area and then through a hole in a fence, and finally into the parking lot of the shipping company. This all takes place in an area next to the airport with lots of security, police etc. But motorcycles are treated differently in South America. More like a bicycle where the laws applying to a car do not exist, or are not enforced. Passing on right, riding between lanes of traffic, ignoring flag men on the highways who are stopping all cars and trucks, is normal and accepted.
6. While Karyn is completing the initial paper work for the shipping of the bike; I accompanied this beautiful young lady who is directing me to bring the bike into the building. She informs me that I must bring the bike through the front doors and down a couple of halls into the warehouse. I point out that there is a problem because of a set of 8 stairs going into the entrance of the building. The young lady, gives me the sweetest smile, says (no problem) she will get me a ramp. I indicate that this will be great and I will do anything she wants. Another great smile. The ramp turns out to be 2 large pallets. Another even sweeter smile, a light pat on my arm, and her offer to personally hold the building doors open for me, I say no problem, I can ride up the pallets. Another smile -by now I think she wants to take me home. Half of me wishes Karyn was here to get pictures of riding up these pallets being used as a ramp, but the other half of me knows that these smiles and the encouragement from this beautiful young lady would be somewhat diminished. Anyhow, all worked out well, the pallets held, and with enough speed the bike stayed upright. I even managed to get the bike stopped when I hit the polished tile floor inside the building.
7. Now weigh the bike, disconnect the battery and tape the terminal ends, remove the windshield and antennas, drain the gas, and leave the bike for the shipping company to tie down onto a form of pallet.
8. Next Karyn and I go to customs in another building for more paperwork.
9 Now to the airport to purchase our flight tickets to Panama. Problem: can not buy a one way ticket into Panama. An hour later, and after the airline phones Panama immigration, and based on the fact that we were shipping a bike which gives us the means to leave the Panama, we were able to buy our tickets.
10. Next step, go to the police office to compete more paperwork required to ship a bike out of the country. (Police were on Lunch from 11 AM to 2 PM)
11. Then back to the shipping company with the completed paper work from Customs and from the Police. Pay the shipping costs.
12. Then the final step, down to the warehouse to meet with the police for an inspection of the bikes.
13. But we know the procedures for getting the bike out of Customs in Panama will be more complicated. We only hope we can get it completed the day we arrive.

We had a great ride through Colombia getting to Bogota. All the people we met were great, the roads were good, and the scenery was spectacular.

There was a strong military presence around Pasto (where we spent the first night) and the 100 kilometers to so before we entered Ibaque (we we spent the third night). We were stopped by the military 3 times within the 100 kilometers before Ibaque for checks. They were all very young, all very pleasant, and all well armed. The soldiers at the roadblocks wore florescent vest over their Camouflage, but all the solders spread out along different areas of the highway only wore the camouflage. One of the soldiers at the first road block spoke English and he welcomed us to Colombia and was generally interested in how we were treated by everyone we met.

KARYN AGAIN CHARMING SOLDIERS AT ANOTHER ROAD BLOCK

I THINK KARYN IS STARTING TO ENJOY THESE STOPS A LITTLE TOO MUCH

Everyone we met seemed to be going out of their way to make us feel as comfortable and welcomed as possible. Our impression was that the people of Colombia wanted to welcome all tourists to their country. They are also very proud of the improvements made in their country in the last few years. The present government, which has just been re-elected have made great improvements to the overall safety and economy of the country. Colombia and Argentina were the two most friendly and welcoming countries we visited in South America.
HIGHWAY TO BOGOTA - A STOP FOR BREAKFAST

THE HARLEY DRAWS ATTENTION EVERYTIME WE STOP. EVERYONE IS ALWAYS FRIENDLY. ESPECIALLY IN COLOMBIA

Now that we are safely pass the Pasto area (where we spent our first night), I am pasting below the travel warning issued by the Canadian Government for this area. First time Karyn gets to see this.

The Galeras Volcano, near the city of Pasto in Narino department, has reached a critical stage of volcanic activity where rocks and ash are being emitted. Evacuations have been ordered in the region and there is a high risk that air travel might cease, however overland travel in and out of Pasto City is not recommended without extreme personal security measures in place. Canadians in the area should pay careful attention to all warnings issued, avoid restricted areas, and follow the advice of local authorities

Keep in mind, if you follow all advice in these travel warnings, you would never leave North America. Kind of like highway signs in British Colombia that say (Watch for Falling Rocks). You do not want to ignore these signs because falling rocks can definitely kill you, but also, you do not want to avoid riding through BC because of the risk of falling rocks.

South America was great. About 19,000 KM on the bike in the 3 months we spent here. Would definitely consider returning to spend more time in Argentina---but there is still so much more of the world that we have not seen.

This time next week should have us in Costa Rica at David and Monica's. Really looking forward to some down time off of the bike, and to enjoying the best cooking in all of South and Central America (Monica's). Real anxious to visit Cassandra and Ethan, our grandchildren.

Paste this link below to view some pictures from Colombia.
browser:
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8EZMWrho4bMfs

]]>