tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40716577172629558222024-03-20T06:38:01.133-07:002 Wheels, 2 Weeks at a TimeOur passions are motorcycles and travel. We're not afraid to go off the beaten path, eat the food, drink the water, and hang with the locals. We usually fly by the seat of our pants, so it can get interesting... Traveling by motorcycle leaves us vulnerable and open to unique experiences, and that's what we thrive on. Join us on our adventures as we ride the globe, country by country between our every day jobs in the real world.Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-67426164847022197182015-07-13T10:09:00.001-07:002015-07-13T10:09:19.349-07:00Cusco, the Sacred Valley, Machu Picchu, and on to Bolivia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Waking up the next day, we had a quick breakfast of bread and coffee at the bus-stop restaurant close to the hostel and waited for the temperature to rise a bit before taking off.<br />
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Our second attempt at crossing the pass was much more enjoyable. The weather was a bit cold, but clear and beautiful. We could see the evidence of the last night's snow storm and were glad we decided to turn around.<br />
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At close to fifteen-thousand feet, we could feel the elevation, but it never got so bad that it was an issue while riding. On the way to Cusco we went over several tall passes, saw lagoons filled with pink flamingos, and tons of llamas and vicunyas on the side of the road. The scenery was beautiful.<br />
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Arriving in Cusco, we find the city crowded and just about every hotel and hostel booked. After much searching, the sun was setting and we got lucky and bumped into other motorcyclists that were staying at a very motorcycle friendly hostel, not too far from the famous Norton Rats tavern, a motorcycle traveler hangout filled with stickers and T-shirts from around the world. <br />
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Cusco is a very interesting city. It was the capitol of the Incan empire until the Spanish conquest, and is where the emperor lived. While it is probably the most touristy city in Peru, it still has a lot of awesome history and architecture to keep your attention.<br />
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In Cusco we lined up all our train tickets and entry fees for Machu Picchu. We used an agent, and negotiated a good deal. The plan was to ride up the Sacred Valley to Ollantaytambo (my favorite Peruvian town name to say), and make a day trip to Machu Picchu. <br />
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We took dirt roads on the way to Ollantaytambo from Cusco, and stopped the archaelological site at Moray. This site is very unique because there are large, terraced depressions in the ground that were supposedly used for the Incan scientists to test different orientations, depths, levels, soils, and condition for farming. These guys were so advanced for their time. Really mind-blowing.<br />
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Ollantaytambo was one of the biggest surprises of our whole trip. While it was touristy, most people are just passing through, and not really staying there. The tour buses from Cusco just use it as a place to drop tourist off at the train. Exploring the town you realize that this is a real Inca village, complete with the original streets and walls of the buildings. It is pretty surreal staying in a place that old.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Ollantaytambo's main square, the original from Incan times. In the background you can see the guard towers on the hills.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our accommodations in Ollantaytambo</td></tr>
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The next morning we boarded the train to Machu Picchu. When we took our seats, we couldn't believe our eyes: our friend Davish sitting in the seats across from us. We met Davish in Guatemala City, and traveled with him for a day before parting ways. What a crazy chance encounter a couple of months later. When we arrived at Machu Picchu, it was raining buckets, and there was a long line to get in, but we didn't care. This would be one of the highlights of our trip.<br />
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We'll spare you all the details about Machu Picchu, since it is probably the most well known destination in South America, but I'll just say this: this ancient site is even more impressive in person than it is in pictures. It is a very "modern" ancient city, having been built not long before, and during the Spanish inquisition. There is a lot of technology and engineering at this site. I'd recommend it to anyone. <br />
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On our way out of Ollantaytambo we stopped and hiked through more ruins in the Sacred Valley and made our way towards Lake Titicaca. Once again, we were stopped by a snow storm and had to double back and find a hostel. The next day we made it to the shores of Lake Titicaca, the highest lake in the world. It's not much to look at from the Peruvian side, but still pretty cool.<br />
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After stopping in the town of Puno and seeing it all packed with people, and all the lodging booked up, we decided to head somewhere closer to our border crossing that is a little smaller. One of the travel books we had suggested the town of Juli. When we got there, we were less than impressed. Off the path of the tourists, this place was pretty down-and-out. Nowhere to camp, and only a couple of dirty hostels were available. The one we ended up with was completely vacant (for a reason), run by a mean 8 year old boy, and was the nastiest room we had ever stayed in (our standards are pretty low too). The sheets had clearly never been washed, and the room was filthy. I guess you can't expect much for $8. Our camping gear definitely came into play that night.<br />
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We knew we were going to like Peru, but we really had no idea it would be this much. Between the history, culture, food, and people, it has been one of the biggest highlights of our trip. Tomorrow we gas up and head into Bolivia. We've heard a lot of things about the country, and really don't know what to expect. Having spent a lot more time in Peru than we anticipated, it'll be nice to be somewhere new.Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-33292293818475182542015-04-29T16:59:00.000-07:002015-04-29T16:59:01.077-07:00Heading to Cusco: The Nazca Lines and Peruvian Pampas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We tried to get an early start out of Lima, but it was hard
to break away from such a good time and amazing hosts. After getting a package sent home from the
post office, we hit the road in the early afternoon with our sights set on Nazca to see the famous and mysterious lines. Again, it was another boring
stretch on the Panamericana to get there, but it made for a quick day of
riding. We arrived at Nazca just as the
sun was setting, and climbed up into one of the roadside view towers to see a
couple of the figures in the dirt. It
was very cool, but we were excited to see more the next day from an
airplane. </div>
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After finding a hostel in the middle of town, we figured out
how to book a ride in a small plane from the local airport to see the lines
from the air. The hostel owner was very
helpful with booking a flight. She asked
us if we'd like breakfast in the morning and we said yes, before we left for
the airport. She said she would only
make us breakfast after the trip on the plane because she didn't think we'd
keep it all in during the flight. </div>
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Arriving at the airport we waited in line for our
plane, a small one that fit about eight people. The pilot took us up and flew us
over each formation etched into the earth, letting each side of the plane see by tilting
the plane sharply over on each side. I
can see why the hostel owner was worried about us eating beforehand. Every
maneuver the pilot did was aggressive and actually quite fun. Luckily, no one
threw up. The grand scale of the lines
and beauty of the patterns is something you can only truly experience from the
air; the roadside towers on the way into town really don't do them justice.</div>
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After returning to the hostel, eating breakfast, and loading up
the bikes, we took off through the desert and into the mountains, hoping to
make it about halfway to Cusco.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEims-0balOtj2rcTdHgkMEi0HgEoA7njO1kxiPGVPvQG21ldSQZbIUfZ3OLe0yAPOtDDpTl_3qPZJT3AjRQe7thXyEP4DfZTE3AM-CTyHH-9cvymmNNw_en3-Wnid4qWTP9EGebg0ODrn0/s1600/WillsonTDF542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEims-0balOtj2rcTdHgkMEi0HgEoA7njO1kxiPGVPvQG21ldSQZbIUfZ3OLe0yAPOtDDpTl_3qPZJT3AjRQe7thXyEP4DfZTE3AM-CTyHH-9cvymmNNw_en3-Wnid4qWTP9EGebg0ODrn0/s1600/WillsonTDF542.JPG" height="272" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World's largest sand dune outside of Nazca, Peru.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As we climbed in altitude, the terrain started to get more alpine and more beautiful. We passed through a natural reserve full of llamas and
vicunyas (a smaller, wild member of the llama family). The road climbed and climbed until, faster than
expected, we had gone from sea level to about 13,000 feet. We could really feel it. </div>
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When we stopped in the small town of Puquio for
gas and a quick snack, we noticed the weather starting to turn. The clouds ahead were ominous, and we still
had about 150 miles to ride before the next town. While we tried to make the break quick, we
couldn't help but ask the lady walking by with a baby lamb if we could see it,
and pretty soon, all her children were crowding our motorcycles taking turns
asking us questions. </div>
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What started as a
20-minute lunch break turned into an hour and a half of entertaining all the
local children in the church square. We
had so much fun that it didn't seem important that it was getting late and the
weather was looking bad. The questions
the kids were asking us were really funny, and we were having too good of a time interacting with them to be able to leave.</div>
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I think kids always ask the best questions when we travel:
"What do you eat?" "Do you have any pets?" "What do
your pets eat?" "Do you have any children?" "Why not?"
Why are you so tall?" Things like
that. It's a refreshing change from the
usual "How much did your motorcycle cost?"</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiKhwIfLy77kuVZQVZl-p67BnCzcbY64ImzS5qgEQdGrncXT23KhN5PjGUUjzVa8o16Ubqc629x6aWhoHSlovcJF4jB1PLtl82OIGdIOZ2rnN7UhHc72rLNdVkDrcqo0VPOxmo6YT_d8/s1600/WillsonTDF553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiKhwIfLy77kuVZQVZl-p67BnCzcbY64ImzS5qgEQdGrncXT23KhN5PjGUUjzVa8o16Ubqc629x6aWhoHSlovcJF4jB1PLtl82OIGdIOZ2rnN7UhHc72rLNdVkDrcqo0VPOxmo6YT_d8/s1600/WillsonTDF553.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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After answering every question from every kid, letting them sit on our bikes, and push every
button, we passed out stickers, cookies, and anything else we had to give and
hit the road. <br />
<br />
From Puquio, the road continued
to climb. At about 14,000 feet, we had to stop and put on every layer we had because it got so cold. Shortly after, at about 14,500 feet, it started
snowing pretty hard and the sun was going down.
Looking at the map, we still had
about 500 more feet to climb before the road leveled off above 15,000 feet for another 60 miles or so.
When the snow kept increasing in intensity, we made the call to turn
around and head back the half hour to Puquio.
If we had kept going, it would have meant riding for at least 2 more
hours in the dark in a snow storm.</div>
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We found an empty hostel on the edge of town and got a room
on the 3rd floor. Carrying our luggage
up the 3 flights of stairs at over 14,000 feet almost did us in with the
elevation definitely taking its toll.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-BZMWjutEHqfPzHkM8_MDbrZWhvUAxqKzC7yPDI8a0SZzhwkKhyqBrt5Z27HncDxVy4iixLe2VJpKW3OEPt1ODQMq7Ym8aEePSrNEaSYcEZDg3WpZi0riX2evfytmX8_eV08qbG3AZM/s1600/WillsonTDF554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-BZMWjutEHqfPzHkM8_MDbrZWhvUAxqKzC7yPDI8a0SZzhwkKhyqBrt5Z27HncDxVy4iixLe2VJpKW3OEPt1ODQMq7Ym8aEePSrNEaSYcEZDg3WpZi0riX2evfytmX8_eV08qbG3AZM/s1600/WillsonTDF554.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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You could tell this mountain town saw no tourists. All the buses must just blow by on their way
to Cusco every day. As we explored the old town square, everyone would stop and
stare at us like we were aliens. This
was the first time we had experienced this since being in China many years
ago. While everyone was interested in
us, it was a friendly curiosity, and people were very nice and happy to answer
all our questions.</div>
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In the morning, we will try the climb over the pass again and
hope to make it to Cusco to explore and figure out our plan for Machu Picchu.</div>
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Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-37366685917102701702015-04-06T13:25:00.000-07:002015-04-06T13:31:27.129-07:00On Our Way to Lima, a Journey through the Pato CanyonLeaving Trujillo, we ride down the coast for a few hours along the Pan-Americana and are reminded just how much we don't like this highway. We much prefer the lush green Andes to the dry and sandy coast, so that's the direction we head a couple hundred kilometers south of Trujillo.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OuNgJeG2KJs0NeVUEi41cahN4eywTE3SJAnoJ1Ka9Ga3QdBD8xkTCpR0IU_gewcjK_NdBYnhkP5NMdwToRpS0zdfAnUxooQgnvs3nngK4UdWVrpHzWqplzfKifqDCpN2lGExk_JJ07Nd/s1600/DSC00805.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3OuNgJeG2KJs0NeVUEi41cahN4eywTE3SJAnoJ1Ka9Ga3QdBD8xkTCpR0IU_gewcjK_NdBYnhkP5NMdwToRpS0zdfAnUxooQgnvs3nngK4UdWVrpHzWqplzfKifqDCpN2lGExk_JJ07Nd/s1600/DSC00805.JPG" height="140" width="640" /></a>Our goal for the day was to check something off our must-ride bucket list, the famed Ca<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">ñ</span>on del Pato. This route, which in English translates to <i>Duck Canyon</i>, is about 100 kilometers long, 70 of which are unpaved, and takes you through a very narrow canyon as you wind up into the mountains. The real kicker for this road is that in the 100 kilometers, there are somewhere between 35 and 40 single-lane tunnels carved out of the rock (depending where you read). This could get interesting.<br />
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As we approached the entrance to the canyon and passed through a few last villages, the road turned to dirt. We stopped to air down our tires for the day of off-pavement riding and were on our way. Upon entering the canyon, we were immediately awestruck by the beautiful geology.<br />
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The road conditions were pretty easy, just dry dirt, gravel, and sand. Nothing too challenging on the BMW GS's. The only real hazards on the route were the tunnels themselves. All tunnels were single lane and were just big enough for a tourist van or construction truck alone to get through. Really no margin for error. Since the canyon road follows a twisty river, none of the tunnels are straight, making the exit of each one invisible from the entrance.<br />
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The strategy for riding safe into the tunnels is to roll up to the entrance, stop, start honking your horn, then wait for a second and listen carefully for anyone else honking their horn from the other side. If you don't hear anything after a few seconds, then go for it, and just keep your fingers crossed that there's not oncoming traffic. Luckily for us, there was very little traffic in the canyon that day, and we only came head-on with a truck once inside one of the tunnels and there just happened to be enough room at that point to squeeze around him. I guess he didn't feel like he needed to honk his horn.<br />
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The weather was hot and beautiful, and we were loving the ride. Definitely the best road we had taken to date. After about 70 km of dirt roads, we came to the hydroelectric plant at the end of the canyon. At this point, the route turned to a single-lane paved road that quickly gained elevation with switchbacks and even more single-lane tunnels.<br />
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We arrived at our destination of Huaraz, a beautiful mountain town, just in time for the rain to start again. At least the weather was great during the day.<br />
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The next day we decided to make the long haul to Lima. The ride from the mountains to the coast was beautiful. Again, weaving up and down over multiple passes, climbing and dropping drastic elevation changes, and soaking in all the wonderful colors and culture. Along the way we passed through many villages, saw people herding goats and cattle, and really got the chance to appreciate the old way of life here. We noticed many rock corrals and fences that had to have been there for hundreds of years are still in use.<br />
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Once we hit the coast, it was back to the dry and windy Pan Americana highway. Four lanes wide, fast, and desolate, it was easy to make miles coming into Lima in the late afternoon. Lima is a huge city. They claim roughly ten million people there, and it appears that most of them drive cars because the traffic is the slowest and thickest we have encountered for a while. Luckily, Johan from Touratech Peru met us at one of the toll booths at the entrance to the city and guided us into their shop.<br />
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Touratech Peru just opened up their brand new shop not that long ago, and it looks great. Unassuming from the outside, once you enter the front gate, it is really impressive. Complete with a bike washing station, complete workshop, and tire changing and balancing machine, this shop is a traveler's dream. No more than 20 minutes after arriving, Ines and Johan had both our bikes in the shop and our tires swapped to brand new TKC 80's. I still joke that this was my easiest tire change of the trip. All I had to do is sit there and watch for 10 minutes.<br />
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Access to a nice, clean shop gave us the chance to address our first major mechanical problem of the trip: Brayde's F650GS water pump. About a week earlier, we noticed the water pump starting to weep coolant from the bottom, a sign that the impeller shaft had worn a groove. This is a common issue with the BMW 650, so fortunately we knew to carry a spare impeller and seals with us. After a little over a day of work in the shop, we had the water pump fixed and the bike was ready to roll.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friend Dagowin. Him and his buddy Jeri are headed North from Ushuaia on two Hondas and were waiting for parts in Lima.</td></tr>
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Lima is a city we probably would have ridden past had we not had friends to visit there. We're generally not big fans of huge cities, but in this case, we are very glad we stopped. Ivan and Ines took really good care of us, and showed us all the good things about the city. After 5 days in Lima we absolutely loved it. If you just rode past, you'd never get the same impression that we had.<br />
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Ivan and Ines are foodies like we are, so one of the biggest highlights for us was going to their favorite restaurants and eating the best of the best. We had some of the best meals of our trip with Ivan and Ines. Simply amazing. Fresh ingredients and awesome presentation. I think Lima nails it for gourmet food and fusion. Mexico still gets the medal for best overall, and street food.<br />
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One of the coolest places Ivan and Ines took us was this restaurant located at the base of ancient pyramids. While waiting for your table, you could go on a private tour through the pyramids at night, complete with Pisco Sour in hand. Pretty incredible!<br />
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After more days than we had planned of catching up on bike maintenance, tires, laundry, rest, and riding gear repairs, plus getting to know great people, we were ready to hit the road. It was a nice break from riding, but it is always good to get back on the bikes. Next stop: Nazca lines.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clementina, Touratech Peru's mascot tortoise.</td></tr>
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<br />Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-66503681040323794962015-03-01T09:30:00.000-08:002015-03-01T09:30:59.193-08:00Peru, Mountains to Coast<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span xmlns="">Going into this trip, I read about all these "cloud forests" throughout the tropics, which conjured up images of fairytale-like settings. Well, riding from Chachapoyas to Cajamarca in Peru, we spent plenty of time in a cloud forest, but it wasn't exactly a fairytale. We planned for about 200 miles for the day, not an amount that should have taken the majority of the day as it did. The scenery was indeed impressive as we rode along ridgelines, down into valleys, along the river, and through grasslands. That came with elevation changes from as high as 11,000 feet and as low as 3,500 feet multiple times over. The road we took through all of this landscape and the dense fog that came with it made the ride most interesting, though. It was a single lane, paved well but incredibly twisty as it wound over two mountain passes. This, we shared with two-way traffic that included tour buses, cargo trucks, and the like. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">From our trip to Kuelap in the minibus, we learned that the standard practice of handling blind corners along these roads is to honk while approaching slowly. If no honk responds, we're theoretically clear to proceed. With fog so thick we could practically cut it with a knife, the whole road began to feel like a blind corner. A bit hair-raising, to say the least! For this reason, the ride took quite a bit longer than originally anticipated. More than once, we had to come to a complete stop with head-on traffic and do the dance of moving around each other. Once, we did this with a big tour bus around a high mountain pass with no margin for error. Let's just say, there's a bus out there now with a Touratech pannier stripe down the side. Matt typically rides in front, and he actually used the horn so much that it temporarily stopped working.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Nonetheless, we emerged unscathed and reflected on the epic and dynamic views (between fog patches) of the day from the equally impressive town of Cajamarca. This is the historic place where the Incans fell all those centuries ago. We spent hours walking around the Plaza de Armas, taking in several museums, including El Cuarto del Rescate. The story follows that Atahualpa, the last Incan ruler, was taken prisoner after a failed attempt to ambush the Spanish conquistadors in Cajamarca. He marked a line on the wall of the Cuarto de Rescate, or "Ransom Room," and promised to fill the room once with gold and twice with silver in exchange for his life and freedom. Things didn't go so well for Atahualpa, but it was pretty surreal for us to see that line still there (supposedly) and walk the same roads that he walked. The historic clash of the indigenous and Spanish cultures is fascinating in this city.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Cuarto de Rescate, or "Ransom Room,"</span><span style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"> </span></td></tr>
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<span xmlns="">We left Cajamarca in similar weather as we'd seen the day before, a mix of fog and rain, but as we dropped elevation, things became clearer and warmer. We met the Rio Magdalena and followed it on a nice, twisty 2-lane highway toward the ocean… where we found the wind. I guess we could've expected that. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">As we pulled into Trujillo, we were a bit underwhelmed. It has a lovely, large plaza but is otherwise just another big city with a lot of traffic and pollution. In contrast, the hostel we stayed at had a bit of character. The entire establishment has been frozen in time for several decades, even including its phone system. We actually received a call from our friends in Lima while there and can verify that it still works! </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The city itself, though, is not why we came here. We came to Trujillo to see the local ruins. Trujillo is home to the pre-Incan pyramids Huacas del Sol and de la Luna as well as the ancient mud city Chan Chan, among others. Following our usual protocol, we knew what we wanted to see and went to the plaza to find who wanted to give us the best deal on a tour of it. We've found that in Peru you can find guided tours so inexpensively, it makes no sense to ride around town to the different sites on our own. Within an hour, we'd found a deal with our own personal, English-speaking guide and were on a minibus out to our first site. (Side note: we also preferred being in the protection of an enclosed vehicle with a local driver, as people seem to have a different definition of "right of way" than we do here.) </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Huaca del Sol is now closed to the public because of degradation, but Huaca de la Luna is open and displays an amazing level of preservation. The paint and reliefs in the inner temples look like they could've been put there last year, thanks to the terra cotta material they used. The Moche civilization built five different generations of temples on top of each other, creating a pyramid effect. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Later in the day, we moved on to tour Chan Chan. </span>The Moche finally gave up on the severe weather patterns in the area where Huacas del Sol and de la Luna were built and moved to a milder coastal climate. The new generation of people who moved out to the coast were called the Chimú, and they built an entire city of mud, now called Chan Chan. Like the huacas, the city's well-preserved in terra cotta.<br />
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<span xmlns="">Ruins such as these are exactly what we've been looking forward to in Peru. This was one of the most impressive days of our trip thus far, and we've only just gotten started!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traditional reed boats used at the beach at Huachaco</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plate of Peruvian Ceviche.</td></tr>
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<span xmlns=""><br /></span>Braydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368122431682528182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-65056855397513500212015-02-25T17:44:00.001-08:002015-02-25T17:44:41.997-08:00Kicking Off the New Year in Peru<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span xmlns="">Crossing into Peru was very easy and everyone was extremely friendly. We've continued to be impressed with how hard everyone tries to give us a great welcome and a good first impression of their countries, and Peru is no exception. We were wished a happy New Year as we pulled away from the border offices and began our day of riding in the hot, dry, and desolate northwestern part of the country.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">While riding down the PanAmerican Highway for an hour or so, we get an unfortunate next impression of Peru. The sides of the road are extremely dirty with garbage, moreso than we saw in Central America. We're hoping that as we ride into the mountains, into the less populated areas, this will change. Aside from that, the people are very friendly when we stopped for lunch, happy to chat and help out with advice. The scenery is beautiful, and the road conditions are good.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Our first destination in Peru would be the town of Chachapoyas, which is a fun word to say, and also is a great area to explore with all its famous ruins. On the way, we turn off into Olmos. It's a small town, and most of the streets outside of the main square are unpaved and very dusty. We find a hostel on the outskirts of town with a very friendly owner who was getting ready to throw a big party for New Year's that night. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">One tradition that we learned about while in Southern Ecuador, and apparently is also practiced in Peru, is the burning of a <em>muñeca</em> or life-sized, firework-stuffed effigy at the stroke of midnight to get rid of all the evil from the previous year. I couldn't wait to see this! Around 11:30 at night in the dirt streets of Olmos, everyone started hauling their muñecas out into the street and hanging them up on wooden stakes. We felt very out of place standing in front of their houses watching the tradition, but everyone was welcoming and didn't mind sharing with us. At the stroke of midnight, the neighborhood sounded like a warzone with all the fireworks being lit off. The muñecas were all doused with gasoline, lit, and quickly turned into very big fires with bottle rockets and other fireworks shooting out of them in random and often dangerous directions. It was awesome. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The next day, we decided to ride all the way into the mountains and rainforest of eastern Peru to the town of Chachapoyas. Chachapoyas is a beautiful Spanish colonial town from the mid-1500's and a great base for exploring many Chachapoyan (pre-Incan) ruins and sites. The ride from Olmos to Chachapoyas started out in the desert on ordinary roads, but once it climbed into the mountains, turned into one of the best roads we've ridden so far in the trip. The beautiful, paved road followed every twist and turn of the river and snuck under many rock overhangs. We were in awe the entire time, and as we had hoped, there wasn't nearly as much pollution and litter as on the PanAmericana.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Don't use explosives to fish." We asked and yes, this is an issue in the rivers.<br /></td></tr>
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<span xmlns="">One thing we were warned about was people on the roads posing as police, holding up cars for bribes. We hadn't seen this so far in the trip, but sure enough on our way up to Chachapoyas, we came upon two armed men in plain clothes who had set up a "checkpoint" in the road. Quickly assessing the situation, seeing no uniforms or official vehicles, I called out to Brayde on the intercom to pin it, and we sped around the checkpoint with the two men yelling after us. Many miles later, we came across another one. This time with one of the men holding a shotgun, and an oncoming car stopped, handing him some money. We blasted through that stop at speed also. We didn't know if they were official or what exactly was going on but didn't feel like finding out at the time.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A saddle made entirely out of a Goodyear tire</td></tr>
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<span xmlns="">We arrived in Chachapoyas just in time for a huge downpour and spent some time running around in the rain looking for a hostel. After getting situated in our room for a couple of nights, we do a bit of research on tours of the nearby Kuelap ruins. The tours are so cheap running out of Chachapoyas and some of the sites are so remote and far away, that it makes sense to take a break from the bikes for a day and go with one of the guides in a van. We lucked out on a great last-minute deal up to Kuelap from one of the guides in the square for the next day.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The next mission for the night was a beer and dinner. Chachapoyas has a few "touristy" bars and restaurants that we avoid and head straight into a divey little place filled with locals. After finding out they did not serve food, we decide to just have a quick beer then find somewhere else. They were playing good music anyway. After ordering a beer, I notice that everyone else in the place is drinking the same purple liquid from a carafe in the middle of their table out of little shot glasses. We couldn't for the life of us figure out what it was, so I got up the courage to ask one of the guys at the next table what they were drinking. One thing led to another and pretty soon we were sitting with a group of Chachapoyans who bought us drinks all night. These are the kind of random experiences we love, and even though they spoke no English, and we have limited Spanish skills, we had great conversations and learned a lot about the area. We asked them about the armed men in the road at the checkpoints and if it was legit. They explained to us that they were volunteers that patrol sections of the road to keep the robbers away and ask for donations for their services. It was totally safe and normal. Oops...</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The purple drink was a local specialty, liqueur made from blackberries and aguardiente, by the way. (I don't remember what it was called).</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The next morning, we took a van up the long and twisty road to the ruins of Kuelap. The ruins are located at 3,000 meters high on top of a ridgeline, and even though they are not far from Chachapoyas, the road is so steep, narrow, and curvy that it takes about 3 hours to get there. Because of all the rain, the upper part of the road was deep with thick, clay mud. We were secretly glad we didn't ride the bikes. It would have been a mess, and all the hiking at elevation would have been tough in riding gear. The road passed through quite a few nice, small villages, one of which we stopped for a lunch break at.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Kuelap is an ancient pre-Incan walled city on top of the hills built by the Chachapoyan civilization. It was eventually conquered by the Incas, but due to the remoteness of the city, was never found by the Spanish conquest. The walls are tall, and the hill is steep. It is a prime location for protection against attacks and has beautiful views. The hike up is steep and strenuous, our first real experience getting a workout at high elevation. We can definitely tell the difference, but other than being a bit out of breath, we do alright.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We met a few friends in the tour van, so all meet up for a drink and a walk up to a city viewpoint after we arrive back into town. The next day, we'll keep heading south towards the city of Cajamarca for even more Incan history.</span><br />
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Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-59257747297211308572015-02-23T07:08:00.002-08:002015-02-23T07:08:37.619-08:00Exploring Ecuador<span xmlns=""></span><br />
<span xmlns="">Naturally, one of the big milestones for this trip is crossing the equator. Neither of us has been in the southern hemisphere before, so it's a highlight for us. We were so close to it in Otovalo that it didn't take long to arrive at "the" point when we got back on the road after Christmas. </span><br />
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As we were doing the obligatory photo shoot at the globe sculpture on the side of the road, a local guy walked up to chat. He was driving a classic Mustang, and when Matt could talk shop with him, he got very excited. He asked for two of our trip stickers, and proceeded to proudly put them on his car. We felt honored. </div>
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<span xmlns="">That morning, we received an invitation from a contact in Quito to meet him and friends on the eastern, rainforest side of Ecuador in the town of Tena. The route to Tena would take us over the mountains to the "drier" side of Ecuador (which is a bit of a misnomer, being that it's in the tropics). The prospect of avoiding the big city of Quito and possibly drier weather sounded good to us, so we accepted the invitation and soon found ourselves crossing the highest pass yet: 13,250 feet. Things became foggy and rainy quickly, which made it a little interesting when the road just disappeared in a couple places. Still, there was much lighter truck traffic, which was a welcome change of pace for us, and we managed just fine.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Arranging meet-ups on the fly with fellow riders can be a bit tricky because we can't really be in touch while we're on the road, and that in combination with no mobile service leaves a lot of room for unknowns. We pulled into Tena by mid-afternoon without really knowing where to look or who we were looking for. We didn't see any signs of big bikes in the general downtown area, so we figured we'd arrived first. We'd read about a town further into the rainforest that was a launching point for cool Amazon Rainforest tours, so we pushed on to Misahualli. The area and prices didn't really strike our fancy, though, so we booked it back to Tena, checked into a cheap but friendly hostel, and discovered an email from our contact Ricardo. He and his friends had arrived to town and invited us out for dinner. One thing led to another, and before long, we found ourselves at a discoteca. Turns out that everyone goes to discos here, regardless of age, and everyone LOVES to dance! We relish unexpected cultural encounters like these, and everyone had a great time.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">After that, we headed for Baños, having been told it's fantastic for nature activities. Unfortunately, we arrived in a drizzle and aside from passing waterfalls along the way, we couldn't see a thing, not even the volcano that the town was built at the foot of. ::Sigh:: I really wanted to see the flora and fauna of the rainforest, so we did a little reconnaissance and discovered that jungle tours are typically several days long. While we could see the area and town are lovely, it just didn't seem to be a good choice to join a tour given our weather luck and time constraints. So, we pushed onward after eating a set lunch and taking in yet another holiday procession. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Riobamba was within reach, and we were hoping to take the Nariz del Diablo train in the morning. We tend to fly by the seat of our pants, and often—like the case of Tena—it works out well. In this case, however, a little planning and research would've been helpful. Turns out, the train no longer leaves from Riobamba. "Nariz del Diablo" is a mountain that looks like a nose, which the train climbs by taking switchbacks up it. It used to be a point along a regular passenger train route that started in Riobamba and ran through the Andes. It has now become a 2-car tourist train that runs out and back to Nariz del Diablo from the town of Alausi. We made plans to get up early the next morning and try again. In the meantime, we found a huge holiday display in Riobamba's main square. The scene was an attack on the senses: tons of street food stands, sections of sidewalk cordoned off for family pictures with everyone from Santa to the Simpsons, competing loudspeakers on every corner, huge Christmas light shows on the buildings lining the square… even mimes in the street! From the looks of it, the whole town had turned up in the square for the event. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">In our wanderings, we also discovered that Riobamba appears to be the place where all broken-down, creepy mannequins go for a second chance. Every store had at least one or two creepy mannequins missing limbs, eyes, or were pieced together like Frankenstein.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">As planned, we got up early the next day to try to catch the train in Alausi, but no dice. The train was booked 4 days out. Well, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. So, we realigned our sights for Cuenca. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Maps on the GPS aren't really complete in southern Ecuador, so we're going old school, relying on maps and road signs. The approach works perfectly, and we arrived just after noon. It's a pretty big city and has a really neat old town, which we enjoyed and probably would've enjoyed even more if more places were open had it not been the holiday. We stayed around Cuenca an extra day with hopes of securing tires, and our new friend Ricardo tried to help us from a distance, but it just didn't work out. The particular tires we want are sold out of Matt's size for the next 3 months, and no other brands carried in the town make an enduro tire the 1200's size. <em>C'est la vie.</em><br /> </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">With friends in Peru beckoning us on, we ended up spending our last night in Ecuador on the border in Macará after a nice day of riding a twisty highway past rice fields. After spending so much time in Colombia, it felt like one week in Ecuador was relatively quick. It's markedly smaller than any other South American country we'll visit on this trip, though, and we certainly didn't rush as we zigzagged through. They say you can experience great diversity here by eating breakfast on the coast, lunch in the mountains, and dinner in the rainforest here. We absolutely partook in all of it. As we said goodbye to Ecuador, we recounted our observations from this beautiful country:</span><br />
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<li><span xmlns="">Everywhere we look, we see people dressed in traditional, indigenous clothing. Women wear colorful, long skirts and shawls with brimmed hats. Some men wear vests and jackets, others wear bright ponchos, all with brimmed hats. </span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">Women carry everything from children to groceries in big scarves folded over their shoulders. Men typically carry nothing.</span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">Truck taxis are available everywhere to carry people, furniture, or anything else you need.</span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">Life-sized <em>muñecas </em>are for sale everywhere you look. They're designed as politicians and superhero villains and stuffed with straw and fireworks. At the stroke of midnight on New Year, people light them on fire in the streets to get rid of evil luck/spirits over the past year. If Peru's anything the same, this should make for an interesting New Year celebration!</span></li>
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<span xmlns="">Much like Colombia, Ecuador exceeded our expectations in every way. As we move on to Peru, the country we've been looking forward to since the day we left, we're excited to see what more South America has to offer!</span><br />
Braydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368122431682528182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-76476095768579677262015-02-16T10:30:00.000-08:002015-02-16T10:30:01.157-08:00Christmas in Otovalo, Ecuador<span xmlns=""></span><br />
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<span xmlns=""><br /></span><span xmlns="">Our first South American border crossing was a breeze. The whole process from Colombia into Ecuador took a total of about an hour and a half, much faster than the crossings we got used to in Central America. To leave Colombia took six minutes! We couldn't believe it, and I had to double check with the customs agent that everything was complete and we were ready to go. He said, "Yes, that's all," so I told him we were just confused because some of our other crossings had taken up to four hours. He replied that they were much faster here in Colombia. We agree.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Entering into Ecuador took longer to register the bikes and get copies, but everyone was extremely friendly. Our welcome into the country was a warm one, and we could tell that Ecuador wasn't going to let us down. It's amazing what a difference a good first impression makes on your whole outlook and attitude when entering a new country. Also, it was a nice surprise to have no charges for entrance. Along with Colombia, South America has been "fee free" for us so far.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">It was Christmas Eve, and we wanted to ride somewhere nice to spend the holiday. Our destination was the mountain town of Otovalo, situated in the Andes between three beautiful volcanoes. A couple-hour ride from the border, with a pretty major detour for construction, and we arrive in Otovalo.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Outside of town there was a nice hostel recommended to us by friends, but unfortunately after a 6 kilometer ride up a rough, rocky road, we found that they are full. About one kilometer back down the road was another hostel with an equally beautiful setting overlooking the town and one of the volcanoes. Although pricey, the setting alone was worth it. We planned to stay a couple nights, relax, Skype with our families, and spend Christmas together.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">On Christmas morning, we woke up and took the six kilometer hike into the city to look around, have lunch, and buy groceries to make ourselves a Christmas dinner. The hike was beautiful through pastures and along a stream into town. We passed through several small communities that you could only hike into. </span><br />
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For being Christmas, the town was surprisingly busy. The market was very active, and we were able to buy all the vegetables and meat we needed to make a big pot of soup for dinner. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard to tell in picture, but these are bigger than basketballs!</td></tr>
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<span xmlns="">For just under two dollars U.S., we made a whole dinner of soup and bread that fed both of us and a couple of campers from Quito that showed up with no food. It turned out to be a very nice night of conversation with new friends.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We're really far away from home, friends, and family this Christmas. It isn't the first time we've been away for the holidays, but this time it'll be months before we return so we feel extra far away. We always manage to make the most of it though, and we couldn't have celebrated in a more beautiful setting.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The day after Christmas, we pack up and hit the road. Next, we head towards the rainforest and will cross the Equator in the process. Ecuador has been beautiful so far, and we're excited to see what else it has in store for us.</span>Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-14329665537739394062015-02-13T16:47:00.000-08:002015-02-13T16:47:20.389-08:00Colombia Part 3 – Bogota, Coffee Country, and South<span xmlns=""></span><br />
<h3>
Bogota</h3>
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Back on the road, we were able to take advantage of the
newly completed Ruta del Sol on the way to Bogota. It was nice to able to
actually ride at highway speeds for much of the time again, something we
haven’t been able to do much of since arriving in Colombia due to heavy
traffic. Once we got to the big city, we headed toward a hostel our contact let
us know about. Unfortunately, we discovered it was actually full for the night,
so back on the road we headed. After circling around Bogota’s maze of one-way
streets for a couple hours in the rain, we finally managed to score a decent
hotel with secure parking. Our purpose for making the trip to Bogota was to get
new tires for the bikes. The bad news is that that didn’t actually have the tires we had been told were there. The
good news is that they did have some replacement parts for the 650 that we
weren’t expecting. To get those parts, it took us 1 ½ hours to ride 12
kilometers in gridlock traffic. It doesn’t take a mathematician to see that we
spent more time sitting than riding. The effort was worth it, though, and after
a stop at Bogota’s Touratech shop, followed by more riding in the rain—seems
this is a theme in our trip—we installed the parts, and the 650’s in pretty
good shape again! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3>
<b>Coffee Country</b></h3>
<h1>
<o:p></o:p></h1>
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We’re not sure if traffic is always this thick in Bogota or
if it’s a symptom of the holidays, but it took us an hour to go 11 miles while
leaving town. Sheesh! Needing a break from big city life, we set our sights for
the small town of Salento in coffee country. Happily, as we got further from
Bogota and closer to Salento, traffic got lighter and lighter. We’ve been struggling
a bit with ATM’s accepting our debit card here in Colombia, so we started
pulling into towns well before Salento to make sure we had enough money on
hand. This process took us into the town of Calarca, where they clearly do not
get regular moto tourists: when we pulled into the central square, we were
swarmed by locals curious about us, our bikes, and the trip. People literally
lined up to ask each of us questions! We tried to leave politely a few times,
but each time, we were caught by more people wanting to chat. Sometimes, during
journeys like our own, it’s not about us and our schedule. Rather, it’s about
being open to experiences as they come, which makes everything richer anyway.<o:p></o:p></div>
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When we finally rolled into our destination, Salento, we couldn’t
have dreamed up a more quintessential setting. The town itself is small and
nestled on a hill surrounded by coffee plantations. </div>
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We stayed at a 100 year-old
coffee plantation turned hostel and were not disappointed with the experience.
In the morning, we took a tour of the plantation, learning about the coffee
process from start to finish. It was filled with bean tastings at every stage as
well as many cups of the final product, of course. Because coffee grown in the
traditional manner requires planting fruit trees every third row in order to
provide shade for the beans, we got to partake in bananas from the tree, too. Awesome.
If ever you get the chance to visit this corner of the world, we highly
recommend it!</div>
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Afterward, we jumped in a very full, old Land Rover out to Valle
de Cocorá. This unique valley is filled with pastures punctuated by extremely
tall palm trees. Someone forgot to tell the trees that they have no competition
for light out there, so the trees grow up to 200 feet tall, making them the
tallest palms in the world. The ride out, it was absolutely pouring rain;
luckily, that subsided shortly after we arrived. There are great hikes through
the valley, but because of the rain and time constraints, we stuck to the main
road and still felt satisfied with the trip. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>That night, along with some new
friends from our hostel, we tried our hand at the local game <i>tejo</i>. Who could resist a game of
throwing stones at explosives? Truly, the game is set on a clay “board,” where four
triangles of gunpowder are placed around a ring. Players stand about 20 feet
away (the local, hardcore players stand more like double that) and huck stones,
or “tejos,” of various shapes and sizes at the triangles and score points by
either exploding a triangle or getting closest to the metal ring in a round.
Think bowling on steroids meets shuffleboard, with some explosives thrown in. And
naturally, beer is involved on the side. A good time was had by all, indeed.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<h3>
Southern Colombia</h3>
<h1>
<o:p></o:p></h1>
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We could’ve stayed in Salento for a long time, but we are
starting to feel the pressure of the clock, so we begrudgingly head off. We’d
much rather stick to the small country towns, but we still need new tires for
the bikes and have been told we may find success in Cali, so that’s our
destination. The highway and lighter, Sunday traffic made the trip relatively
quick and painless and allowed time to both get settled and explore a bit. We
hiked up from our hotel to the top of Colina de San Antonio to enjoy some
drinks on a rooftop terrace and take in the view. Once again, we found
ourselves wrapped up in a Christmas procession, this time with a marching band
played by the local police. Later, we stumbled onto a whole section of the
downtown transformed into a Christmas wonderland. The Latin Americans really
know how to celebrate this holiday. In
the morning, we found a huge district dedicated to motorcycle shops and managed
to find one of the four tires we needed: a rear for the 650. It wasn’t the TKC
80 we were aiming for, but it was still an enduro tire that could support the
weight of a heavier dualsport. Turns out, the 650’s rear is a common size, but
the 1200’s rear is not, nor are either of our fronts. Given our recent luck, we
decided to pounce on the offer. 1 out of 4 is better than 0 out of 4.<o:p></o:p></div>
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With the new tire strapped to the back, we set off for a
smaller town further south. Around quitting time, we pulled into Popayan and
bumped into a hostel whose sign had a silhouette of a 1200GS rider—how could we
go wrong? The staff were friendly, helpful, and all riders themselves. After a
stroll around the old town center, which was packed with people Christmas
shopping, we headed back to change the tire on the hostel’s front sidewalk. Half
an hour later, the 650 had a new rear tire. That night, we were allowed to park
in the lobby, which is always appreciated. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The next day, we set our sights for as close to Ecuador as we
could get. The ride through the countryside was absolutely beautiful, although
it’s a little difficult to enjoy because the drivers here are so aggressive
that it takes 100% of our attention 100% of the time. There are also the random
distractions, like a Christmas procession of children marching down the highway
with traffic in a remote mountain village. Never a dull moment! That night, we
pulled into Ipiales, which unbeknownst to us, is home to the beautiful church Santuario
de las Lajas built on a bridge across a gorge. At the encouragement of our
hotel staff, we went to scope out the church out in the morning and must admit
that we were impressed. <o:p></o:p></div>
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With so many fantastic experiences in Colombia, it was
harder than we expected to finally say goodbye. Could anywhere else be as good?
Guess we’ll find out.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span xmlns=""> </span><br />
Braydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368122431682528182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-14928942905931120852015-02-03T10:00:00.000-08:002015-02-03T10:00:06.622-08:00Hangin’ at Pablo’s Place: A Weird Day at Hacienda Napoles<span xmlns=""></span><br />
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<span xmlns=""><br /></span>
<span xmlns="">On our way to Bogota, we had probably our strangest tourist experience so far in the trip. A little bit West of Puerto Triumpho, way off the road in the hills, is Pablo Escobar's old estate Hacienda Napoles. After Pablo's death, the estate was ransacked by looters looking for hidden cash. Walls were torn down and the estate was abandoned, complete with feral zoo animals. Eventually, it was purchased and turned into a Jurassic Park-themed zoo and waterpark with many of Pablo's original animals, including 19 feral hippos.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We paid our entrance and vehicle fees, then began riding around the dirt roads on the old estate. There are two hotels now on the grounds, so we decided to splurge and spend the night. Before dinner, we took a mini "safari" on the bikes, riding around and seeing the different animals left over from the Escobar days. Some looked to be in questionable health, so we felt a bit conflicted about the whole thing. Buildings such as Pablo's private bullfighting stadium have been repurposed as museums, gift shops, ticket booths, and other park necessities. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">There is virtually no sign or reference that this ever belonged to one of the most powerful and notorious criminals in the last century. If you didn't know going in, you might not even figure out what this park used to be. You can tell they are sort of covering up this "black-eye" in Colombia's history.</span><br />
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<span xmlns=""><br /></span>After returning to our hotel next to one of the hippo ponds and having a nice dinner, we get a good night's rest. Still pretty weird we're staying the night at Pablo's place. We woke up early in the morning and packed up the bikes to continue our tour of the estate. Past all of the animal exhibits and up a twisty road around a big ravine is what they call <em>Casa Museo</em>. This is now the defunct house of Pablo Escobar. Complete with a burned up car collection, overgrown airport, rundown helipad, and cracked swimming pool, this is where a lot of Colombia's worst events in history were planned and executed.<br />
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Standing in the middle of the broken up airstrip, I could only imagine what and who had flown in and out of the estate. Very eerie. The walls of the old house are covered with signs outlining Escobar's notorious legacy in Colombia, but not in the Robin Hood, glorified way we have seen before. There were many graphic pictures of the innocent citizens, policemen, and politicians who were killed by Pablo's actions from the 70's until the 90's, as well as uncensored photos of his ultimate takedown.<br />
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All in all, we weren't overly impressed with what this historic property had become, but we have to admire the Colombian people's desire to move on and work together to create a safer future for everyone. It is very clear to us now, after getting this unique lens on their history, why the police and military we meet on the highway are so concerned with our safety and how we feel about the country. They are trying to compensate for the past and have made tourists' and foreigners' safety Priority #1. We don't mind it one bit and feel just as safe here as we have anywhere else on the trip, if not safer. Tomorrow we ride on to Bogota, one of the biggest cities we will visit on our trip. We are not looking forward to the hectic traffic, but we need tires and a few parts, so onward we go.<br />
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Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-4290353190047457162015-01-07T10:30:00.000-08:002015-01-07T10:30:00.272-08:00Welcome to South America: Colombia, Part 1<span xmlns=""></span><br />
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Our next blog post may very well be titled "Why We Never Left Colombia." So far, we like just about everything about this country, and we're not even half way through it.<br />
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<span xmlns="">After a nice overnight ride on the ferry, we landed in Cartagena. We took advantage of the restaurants and bars on board, and had a great time with the other motorcyclists making the same trip. This time when docking, the crew was able to lower the car ramps, so unloading the motorcycles was as easy as riding them off the boat. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Once we were off the boat, it was time to complete the Colombian side of the customs and immigration process. We could instantly tell we were going to like this country when we stepped into the immigration office. All the staff were friendly, quick, and competent. There were no excessive fees or red tape. Even though there was a long line of ferry passengers, the whole process only took about two hours. The port was clean and well run. There were even blue and yellow Macaws flying around. Bienvenidos a Colombia!</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We decided to stay in the historic part of Cartagena. The rich history of the city is very apparent in these neighborhoods, surrounded by tall sea walls to protect from pirate attacks. It is a great city for walking around in with beautiful buildings everywhere, street food, museums, and things to see and do. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Spending a couple days in the city, we noticed a few things: </span><br />
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<li><span xmlns="">Everyone we've met is extremely nice. Always smiling, saying hello to us, and offering to help when we were lost. The restaurant and hotel owners are some of the friendliest we've met.</span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">The police are all polite, friendly, and very helpful. We've been lost on the bikes, and they've never hesitated to help us with directions. At one point, we were walking around Cartagena and passed what looked like some kind of museum with statues in the lobby. We asked the police officer near the door if this was a museum, and he replied, "No, it's the police station." When we said, "Oh, thank you," and walked away, the officer insisted we come in anyway and look around. He proceeded to show us around the police station and ask us all about our bikes and trip.</span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">Motorcycles make up the majority of the traffic but are much smaller than ours, so we can't "hang" with the locals when weaving between cars. There are bikes everywhere here.I can tell Colombia is going to be a motorcycle country.</span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">The streets are clean, and the food is good. Doesn't get much better than this.</span></li>
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<span xmlns="">Leaving Cartagena towards Medellin, the traffic is heavy and hectic but has a certain flow to it. We make decent time and are quickly out of the city and into the mountains. There are military stationed along the highways every twenty kilometers or so. When you pass them, they all give you a big thumbs-up signifying that the road ahead is safe and clear. So far, we feel very safe on the road. About once a day, we get stopped by the police on the highways. After waving us to the side of the road, the officers will immediately shake our hands and introduce themselves. After checking our passport and vehicle documents, they ask us how we like Colombia, if we feel safe, how everything has been, and if we need any help. They couldn't be any nicer and more polite.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We stop for the night halfway between Cartagena and Medellin in the small town of Caucasia. Again, everyone is unbelievably nice to us. It is starting to get a little weird. Where is Colombia hiding all its rude and mean citizens? The whole country can't be like this… can it?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSAlddiAmF6YMAcROCC2ZJU8WDqBrSGBn31mNAtnxkMEvlq_Hzekr8F-JI52W4744Yye_tzkpzaYFddlO4sYIUl8Qvqk4nTmVSNKarawTz1EFsUnNtV8hqFGb2yMJHV9zCBK5-D5kcZ4/s1600/DSC00585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvSAlddiAmF6YMAcROCC2ZJU8WDqBrSGBn31mNAtnxkMEvlq_Hzekr8F-JI52W4744Yye_tzkpzaYFddlO4sYIUl8Qvqk4nTmVSNKarawTz1EFsUnNtV8hqFGb2yMJHV9zCBK5-D5kcZ4/s1600/DSC00585.JPG" height="342" width="640" /></a><span xmlns="">The scenery riding into Medellin is breathtaking. We were stuck behind lots of heavy trucks moving very slowly, so the view was welcome. Huge green mountains and valleys are reminiscent of Switzerland, and the descent into the huge city is drastic enough that people hang-glide from the top. Along the way, we saw people running makeshift car washes made possible by sticking hoses in the river further uphill. The pressure was so good that the water shot probably 10+ feet in the air.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Being one of the biggest cities we've ridden in so far in the trip, Medellin is a little overwhelming. There is a nice neighborhood called El Poblado, which is a little calmer but still close to the center, so we decide to find lodging there. While making a u-turn trying to find a hostel, a Scottish fellow named Albert flags us down. He is a fellow motorcyclist and has a small hostel above his British pub. He lets us stay in his own room above the bar for a couple days, and we get to park our bikes in the bar every night after closing. Crazy coincidence that we happened to be making a u-turn at the right time in front of his bar. Over a couple days, he helps us with our route, finds us some parts we needed, and was delightful to hang out with.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Medellin has a bit of a sordid past, being the headquarters of one of the largest Colombian cartels, run by Pablo Escobar. Thankfully, that was about 20 years ago. There's still evidence of its mark on the city, such as in the Parque San Antonio: Fernando Botero's sculpture <em>Bird of Peace</em> was severely damaged in one of the many city bombings that killed and wounded several people. Botero requested that the city leave the disfigured sculpture exactly as it was and install another, pristine version beside it. The juxtaposition made a powerful statement that we could still feel today. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We rode the city's metro line around to see Plaza Botero (full of 23 other sculptures by the same artist), Parque de Bolivar, and the botanical gardens. Being that the Christmas holiday just began, the city was <em>packed</em>. We actually got separated once when Brayde squeezed onto a train that I didn't have a chance to get on before it left, but we met back up at the next station without stress. It was impressive to see so many people out and about.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">With new tires lined up in Bogota, next we head east and plan to stop at the infamous Hacienda Napoles on the way.</span><br />
Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-996318676229688492014-12-29T10:15:00.001-08:002014-12-29T10:15:40.536-08:00Rained Out in Costa Rica and Panama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_gTTnoS9VPPYpN2cbaUdvcbh1LeZDomp3hG_hf-9KKokxZ5w6gxDn9hL-zYFTz7UldkDmaFMd3qB96_Yq0JRaXvWVENebtBbGoY95MoqgYsSaKSrwN_P_fy8p93gk8vOX4xbLUmR5io/s1600/DSC00372.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_gTTnoS9VPPYpN2cbaUdvcbh1LeZDomp3hG_hf-9KKokxZ5w6gxDn9hL-zYFTz7UldkDmaFMd3qB96_Yq0JRaXvWVENebtBbGoY95MoqgYsSaKSrwN_P_fy8p93gk8vOX4xbLUmR5io/s1600/DSC00372.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once we entered Costa Rica, the clouds opened up and unleashed rainstorm after rainstorm. We thought we had missed the rainy season in Central America, but we were wrong. This was the kind of consistent rain that turns streets into rivers, dirt roads into mud, and finds the weak points in any kind of riding gear. Costa Rica was one of the countries in Central America we were looking forward to the most due to its vast jungles, beautiful beaches, mountains, and volcanoes.<br />
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The border crossing from Nicaragua to Costa Rica was the first one where we had to hire a "fixer" to help us through. While the fixers work for "tips," their service really isn't optional. In our case, the fixers we hired were very good, and got us through the thick lines of tourists quickly by pulling a few strings. They ended up costing about $20 USD, but we didn't mind paying after seeing how quickly they got us through. The Costa Rica side was another story. While we made decent time getting through immigration and customs for our motorcycles, we had to wait a couple hours while getting the mandatory insurance for our motorcycles. The process was so slow due to the handwritten forms, lunch breaks, and long line of truckers needing the same thing. Overall, the total crossing took about 4 hours, the longest one yet.<br />
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Our first stop in Costa Rica was Lake Arenal and its nearby volcano. We decided to splurge on a room at a mountaintop lodge that night because you could see the volcano, and even its lava flows at night. This would be one of the highlights of the trip. The first night at the lodge was too cloudy to see anything beyond about 20 feet, so we figured we'd take in the view in the morning. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were greeted in the lobby by gigantic butterflies</td></tr>
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In the morning, it was still clouds, and torrential downpours. Rather than waste the opportunity of a great view like this, we decide to stay another night and give the weather a chance to clear up. We spent the day waiting out the weather inside the lodge, watching rainstorm after rainstorm come and go, drinking beers, and watching the wildlife out the window.<br />
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After a day and a half of trying to see the Arenal Volcano, and racking up a hefty hotel, restaurant, and bar tab, we decided to give up and hit the road. We'll have to return another time to see the sights.</div>
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Looking at the weather maps online, it looks like the rain is unavoidable, but possibly less on the Pacific coast. So, rather than stay in the mountains as we planned, we decide to head to the beach town near Manuel Antonio National Park. On this ride, we get our first taste of Costa Rican driving. It is much different than anything we've experienced so far. Cars drive the speed limit, or slightly under. Large trucks drive about 20 mph, and unlike everywhere else, no one really passes them. This made for about double the travel time we had expected, but I guess in the end was much safer than a lot of the other traffic we've been in. On the way to the beach, we cross a bridge over a muddy river with what appeared to be many small logs. We finally realized that the logs were actually crocodiles in the wild. By the time it had clicked in our minds, it was a little too late to turn around for a photo.</div>
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The beach was very nice, and the water was much warmer than in the Pacific Northwest. This was our first beach experience so far on the trip. Although very touristy, the town was still nice and we enjoyed the stay and a brief pause in the rain before it resumed the next day.</div>
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Tired of riding in the rain, we figure we'll have to experience the beauty of Costa Rica another time. It's easy to fly to from the U.S. anyway. In the morning, we ride a nice dirt road to the town of Golfito, where we'll stay before crossing the border in the morning and possibly do a jungle tour or something. We were welcomed in Golfito by some of the hardest rain of the trip. No jungle tour for us with this kind of weather. I guess our whole ride so far has been a jungle tour of sorts anyway.</div>
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Again, in the Costa Rica - Panama border crossing, we were "required" to hire a fixer. In this case, our friend Roland had been through the border a couple days before and recommended the fixer Luis for us. When we arrived at the border, Luis was ready for us, spotting our motorcycles. The border crossing was straightforward, and Luis helped us get through quickly. His services cost us about $15 USD. The total border crossing time was just over 2 hours.</div>
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Shortly after crossing the border, the rain started again. The road was pretty straight, with construction for miles. It was not the most fun ride, and all things considered, we made the decision to push on to Panama City as fast as we can and try to make an earlier ferry. We spend our first rainy night in Santiago, then make it to Panama City the next day to stay with our friends Carlos and Alison.</div>
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Panama City is a very large and international city. Much different than anywhere we've stayed so far. Our hosts Carlos and Alison take good care of us, and take us to some great sites and food. The city is the bottleneck for all travelers headed south to Colombia, so during our time there, we run into many other motorcyclists doing the same trip, including Roland. There is no road between Panama and Colombia because of a reserve called the Darien Gap. Anyone with a motorcycle or overland vehicle has to either hire a sail boat, ship by plane, or take the new ferry that just started sailing in late October. The new ferry is by far the cheapest and fastest option but lacks the adventure of the sailboat which makes several stops at islands along the way. For us, the ferry is the way to go with our limited time and budget.</div>
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Unfortunately we weren't able to bump up our ferry reservation, but fortunately we had a nice place to stay for the extra two days, and great hosts. We spend the weekend exploring the parks, reserves, and historic areas of the city.</div>
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Our ferry reservation was on Wednesday, and Monday was a public holiday (Mother's Day), so we would have to do all our paperwork for the motorcycles in Panama City on Tuesday. On Monday we have time to change the oil on both of the bikes and do a little maintenance. While we planned to spend the first half of Tuesday taking care of the paperwork and the afternoon exploring the locks, instead we spent the entire day with the ferry process.</div>
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The routine was similar to the Central American border crossings we were accustomed to, but with the bureaucracy amplified greatly. We spent the whole day riding between offices on opposite sides of the busy city, getting stamps, waiting for offices to open, and getting final approval for the export of the bikes by boat. On top of all that, we learn that we are required to be in Colon the next day to start the customs process for the boat with the motorcycles at 8AM for our 7PM sailing, instead of the 3PM that was listed on the website. Tomorrow is going to be a long day with an early start.</div>
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We woke up early and rode the hour and a half to Colon, only getting lost a couple of times, and arriving at the port about an hour late. It turns out it really didn't matter, and we could have shown up much later. We spend the day sitting in a sunny parking lot, waiting for the agents to process our paperwork. </div>
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By the time our bikes were inspected and bags searched 3 times, our and the rest of the motorcyclists' patience was stretching thin. After riding the bikes up the passenger ramp and waiting for another couple hours, we finally board the boat and set sail around 8pm.</div>
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Once on the boat, the crew was so nice that we instantly forgot how frustrated we were that day. The food was good, the room was nice, and everything was great. We get a good night's sleep in our cabin, and wake up the next morning for more relaxing before arrival in Cartagena. We are excited for the next leg of our journey. Everyone says that once you hit South America the whole trip feels a lot more real.</div>
Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-51716159121688066032014-12-22T11:00:00.000-08:002014-12-22T11:00:00.720-08:00Adventures in Honduras & Nicaragua<span xmlns=""></span><br />
<span xmlns="">With our friend Roland, we arrived at the Guatemala-Honduras border around noon and spent the longest time crossing yet: three hours. Most things are written by hand, some with carbon paper, always with several stamps and signatures. Also, we decimate a forest at each crossing with all the copies required of each important document we carry along with new important documents created. The copying process at this particular border was even more interesting because, as Matt learned after trying unsuccessfully at three different <em>tienditas</em>, the power went out on the Guatemalan side of the border. Evidently, this is a regular occurrence because the Honduran side had backup generators, so with a cheerful attitude and a little finesse, everything worked out. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The destination for our first night in Honduras was the large Mayan ruins at Copán, which were happily just a few miles in from the border. The town of Copan Ruinas itself is quite small, all hilly cobblestone and quaint. We stumbled onto a nice, family-run hotel, who even greeted us with complimentary coffees! Soon enough, we were all enjoying some Honduran beers and complimentary nachos. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">In the morning, we hiked to the ruins, and they did not disappoint! Before we even reached the remains of the archaeological site, we were struck by all the macaws flying—and shrieking—around. Turns out, the Copán ruins site is also a macaw refuge with the goal of restoring the macaw population to its former glory. Macaws were clearly worshipped by the Mayans, as we saw repeatedly in their ruins, so it'd be great to see more of these beautiful (and noisy!) birds around. We spent several hours wandering all over and even through some caves that archaeologists have dug into the temples as they investigate what's inside. A very neat morning indeed.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Eventually, we got back on the road and soon pulled off to put on our rain gear. Turns out, the whole country is flooding with landslides everywhere, making for a wet ride. We didn't have a firm destination in mind for the day, which was helpful because between the morning at the ruins, the weather, and a minor mishap I had on the bike made for a short riding day. My bike got a little beat up, but the neat thing is—as has been the case this entire trip—the locals were helpful, curious, and lent us a covered workspace for some quick, roadside repairs. Our friend Roland was very helpful, too. Something we love about traveling by motorcycle is the unique situation it puts us in to meet people, and we have certainly been doing a lot of that along our way. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Back on our way, we thought it'd be poetic to end in the town of Gracias, Spanish for "thanks," as today was Thanksgiving. No turkey and potatoes for us this year; carne asada and enchiladas instead. Nevertheless, we all recounted what we have to be grateful for, all of our friends and family being chief among them.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We got to know the family running our hotel there, and the next day, Matt and Roland went over the map for route recommendations… and then we proceeded to accidentally go down the route we were warned against. The highway quickly turned from pavement to gravel to mud and beyond. At some point, Matt noticed that no tire tracks were present, probably around the time we had to negotiate around a tree across the "road." After navigating through mud, sand, rock, and water, we finally connected back up with paved highway. What appeared to be a shortcut on the map ended up taking a couple hours. Adventure! </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYCtcZdmzM74VIADAE0ysiA95LjQulsuEL7NtVQQpO1ny7ra734VpR5en7h0hZbt3oNS4c3BzTJp2F0MtqCtpF7LXEQsrfYzx-rQlSlBI73bEpIfZxe3e8dw_EDpLb72DKjplFJmBLmj5/s1600/DSC_0115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxYCtcZdmzM74VIADAE0ysiA95LjQulsuEL7NtVQQpO1ny7ra734VpR5en7h0hZbt3oNS4c3BzTJp2F0MtqCtpF7LXEQsrfYzx-rQlSlBI73bEpIfZxe3e8dw_EDpLb72DKjplFJmBLmj5/s1600/DSC_0115.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo by Roland Traub (http://<span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.9636354446411px; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.fiveelementstour.com)</span></span></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83z8EhZd4z2L8yV5IOPYyzXDk0RqV8rJzvWnhXOm2rRhRdyrAf49YcoinlMadL8Ro8kZCc2WIaC3boqGIBR6DNAK50lNepRx9sQ97L12ZnqWJpJMLIb5xkxBTYlMGP7-w6CRRrpuxAf0e/s1600/DSC_0121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83z8EhZd4z2L8yV5IOPYyzXDk0RqV8rJzvWnhXOm2rRhRdyrAf49YcoinlMadL8Ro8kZCc2WIaC3boqGIBR6DNAK50lNepRx9sQ97L12ZnqWJpJMLIb5xkxBTYlMGP7-w6CRRrpuxAf0e/s1600/DSC_0121.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: left;">Photo by Roland Traub (http://</span><span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.9636354446411px; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.fiveelementstour.com)</span></span></i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eo4wRNp3EVPPKI-mczqUemhLBQf1eGlsxEFJaZA_Uxpjn7zD53NyB4zeDrVeDkCxdOeeBUfmUdeT7UblwQVMn-p_yfBWqclcw0NiNBIiyQDcRrwH-X2-OwSaI1MkD3ccr_bHtIDvFRcF/s1600/DSC_0132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1eo4wRNp3EVPPKI-mczqUemhLBQf1eGlsxEFJaZA_Uxpjn7zD53NyB4zeDrVeDkCxdOeeBUfmUdeT7UblwQVMn-p_yfBWqclcw0NiNBIiyQDcRrwH-X2-OwSaI1MkD3ccr_bHtIDvFRcF/s1600/DSC_0132.JPG" height="458" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="text-align: left;">Photo by Roland Traub (http://</span><span style="color: #373e4d; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, lucida grande, tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #f6f7f8; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13.9636354446411px; white-space: pre-wrap;">www.fiveelementstour.com)</span></span></i></td></tr>
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<span xmlns="">After suffering through the traffic of Tegulcigalpa, we decided to push on to a small border town for the night and crossed into Nicaragua the next stay. This crossing into Nicaragua took the typical 2-ish hours, and then we were on our way again. The first thing we noticed was the greatly improved road conditions! It also got hot and sunny, which was certainly a welcome change. As the sun started to set, we pulled into Granada, set on the edge of Lake Nicaragua.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Our usual protocol is to pull into the central plaza and then look around for lodging. One of us scopes out options while the other stays with the bikes. While Matt was checking with nearby hotels and hostels, I met a handful of folks interested in our bikes and travels, which is always fun. One group was fellow riders headed down to Ushuaia on the same timetable as us. I'm sure we'll all bump into each other again along the way. Another person was a local Deaf guy who offered advice on where to find affordable lodging. While I know American Sign Language, I definitely don't know Nicaraguan Sign Language. Still, we got along at least on a rudimentary level, and his advice was much appreciated!</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We spent a night on the town with Roland, stumbled onto an opening ceremony of Christmas festivities, and ended up enjoying the town so much we decided to stick around for another day. Roland's timetable is a little tighter than ours to get to Panama, so we bid farewell. After spending the last nine days together, it felt a little sad. Again, though, I'm sure we'll bump into each other again down the road. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Our rest day in Granada was a mix of sightseeing and a more complete workup on the 650 with the luxury of time on our side. We even wandered down to a <em>ferreteria</em> to help straighten some parts, which was a very local experience and pretty fun. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Tomorrow, we cross into Costa Rica. It's ironic that Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America, yet we spent the least amount of time in it. It's no slight on Nicaragua—we enjoyed our time here and see its beauty. Perhaps we'll have the opportunity to return and explore more in the future. For now, though, we'll have to settle with two-ish days and look forward to more adventures in Costa Rica and beyond. </span>Braydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368122431682528182noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-73643766198016265522014-12-10T10:00:00.000-08:002014-12-10T10:00:03.754-08:00Colorful Guatemala<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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All said and done, our first official border crossing into Central America went well. We arrived at the Mexico-Guatemala border at about 10:30am on a Sunday, and the whole process took about two hours. Compared to the US-Mexico border, it felt slow, but everything was straightforward. We just brought copies of our documents, patience, and friendly faces, and everything went smoothly. As will probably happen many more times along this trip, we also bumped into more riders heading down to Tierra del Fuego like ourselves. We know we're by no means pioneers on this trip of ours, but we're still excited about it and can tell everyone else we meet along the way is excited about their own adventures, too. We even got permission to leave one of our Willson 120 stickers on the bulletin board in the Guatemala immigration office!<span xmlns=""></span><br />
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<span xmlns="">As we get further into the country, we notice what the towns may lack in repair, they make up for in color. Everything is painted in bright, bold colors—even the public buses, which appear to be hand-me-down school buses from the US. These buses, by the way, do not ever come to a complete stop; people just hop off and on while it continues rolling. There are also workers who periodically pop out the rear emergency exit to scale the ladder (while the bus sails down the road, of course) and pitch down the large items like 50-pound bags of beans, luggage, and furniture. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">After getting through the usual border towns, we enter a lush canyon with a river flowing at the bottom and little houses dotting up the sides. The scenery is impressive, although we also have to always keep one eye glued to the road because the conditions are noticeably worse with frequent, severe potholes. Then, just as the road started to become more pothole than street, it turned into a veritable 4-lane raceway through the mountains! We reached the highest elevation so far on this trip: 9,700 feet above sea level. This highway was truly a treat, a curvy and perfectly paved surprise.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">On recommendation from John in Palenque, our first destination was the little town Panajachel on the edge of Lake Atitlán. After the border, Roland took off for his own ride, and we weren't really sure when/if we'd see him again. But, after pulling into our chosen hotel for the night, who should come strolling by but Roland, of course! Guess our bikes are unique and kind of hard to miss. Lucky he happened by when he did, though, as the hotel owner let us park them in his locking storage unit for the night—very cool. So, it was the three of us again for an evening of street food and local beer. Good times.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We spent a lazy morning wandering Panajachel and scoping out Lake Atitlán and its surrounding volcanoes. Supposedly, there's a whole city underwater that fell in centuries ago. We'll have to check out the Discovery Channel when we get home, as they apparently made a documentary about it. While the lake was lovely, Panajachel itself was a bit touristy for our taste, and we felt we had to be on alert for people trying to take advantage of us <em>gringos</em>. We set our sights for Antigua and hoped for a richer taste of Guatemala, which we luckily found.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The route to Antigua, though, was an event in and of itself. What should've been a quick, 50-mile ride became a 2- or 3-hour affair. We followed a small mountain road back to the highway, which turned from asphalt to mostly patch to dirt… to a shallow river crossing! Everyone made it through without incident, and we had a good time doing it. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">After that, road conditions improved considerably again, and we finished the rest of the route at a good clip. Along the way, we passed by a few different instances of large, outdoor pools where women went to hand wash their laundry and people took public baths. Very interesting!</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Antigua is a cool, old colonial town with interesting sites of rubble all over from the multitude of earthquakes it's experienced over the centuries. We even toured one main church that's been partially restored and partially left in shambles. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The whole town is a very interesting scene. After getting lost in one of the largest markets we've ever visited and grabbing dinner, we spent the evening chatting (read: practiced our Spanish) with our hostel manager and a local guy, learning about everything from Mayan football to cultural customs. The manager was incredibly gracious and helpful, and we highly recommend Hotel Mi Casa to anyone who finds themselves in Antigua!</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We originally planned to head close to the Honduran border from Antigua, but some bike maintenance issues brought us instead to the BMW dealership in Guatemala City. The 650 needed a few parts, and Roland needed new tires and brakes. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">After all of that was taken care of and catching up with friends, most of the day was eaten up, so we ended up spending the night in the capital city. Finding a hotel that was budget-friendly and nearby was a bit of a challenge, but on a tip from a random lady on the street who was an excited fellow rider, we secured a place. Shortly after Roland chatted up the general manager of the place, we found ourselves with free beers in the lounge and ultimately a ride to the nearest ATM. The ATM wasn't far, but we were informed under no uncertain terms that walking was not an option. Evidently, Guatemala City is not as friendly as Antigua after dark. We were therefore thankful for the armed guards and locked gates of our hotel, and as a result, never experienced any safety concerns.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Thanks to our friend Jose at the BMW shop, we got a great route to leave the city and avoid most morning traffic. Also at the BMW shop, we met yet another motorcyclist headed to Tierra del Fuego who also happens to be registered on the same boat as Roland to get from Panama to Colombia. So, off all four of us set for the Guatemala-Honduras border. Heavy rains overnight led to several mudslides along the highway. At one point, all traffic was stopped by road crews cleared a section that was completely washed out. Another section was detoured into oncoming traffic lanes with just a sign at the beginning and a half tire or cone every once in awhile as indicators. That seems a bit minimalistic by US standards, but all the traffic reacted calmly and appropriately, so this is obviously par for the course in these parts.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">By noon, we made it to the border for the next installment of our Latin American adventure!</span>Braydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368122431682528182noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-14204777965098550532014-12-05T11:00:00.000-08:002014-12-05T16:41:22.855-08:00We Meet “La Ventosa,” Montezuma’s Revenge, and ChiapasAfter our rest day in Huatulco, we have a quick breakfast of dried fruit and some pan dulce we picked up the night before at the market. We hit the road early with the goal of making it to San Cristobal de las Casas in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. The route along the Pacific coast was very nice, but we were warned by a friend that it could get extremely windy. In fact, there is even a city named La Ventosa, which translates to "the windy" in English. Well, after almost getting blown off the road several times, and literally getting blown over at a standstill, we decided to do as the truckers were doing and take refuge under the next overpass with hopes that the wind would calm down over time. We have ridden in a lot of wind, but never like this. <span xmlns=""></span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The wind was still an issue, and after such a long delay, we decided to give up on the idea of making it to San Cristobal that day. We found a place to stay in Tonalá and immediately after checking in, Brayde got very sick to the stomach. After several hours of that, I became just about as sick. This was clearly Montezuma's revenge, probably from the dried fruit in the morning, or possibly the tacos we had for lunch. It was only a matter of time. Without going into any details, we were both incapacitated for about a day and a half, not really able to leave the hotel room. We drank nothing but Gatorade and water, ate nothing but saltine crackers. Luckily, we had prescription strength "traveler's diarrhea" medicine that worked wonders. After two days in Tonalá we were feeling a little better and even though pretty weak, decided to put in a short day of riding.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Upon entering the Mexican state of Chiapas, we could sense some political tension. We had to weave our way through a couple protests and roadblocks that were backing up the highways for many miles in both directions. The weird thing is that it never felt unsafe or threatening, and the protesters were perfectly fine letting motorcyclists through while blocking all the trucks, cars, and buses. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We arrived in San Cristobal de las Casas in the late afternoon and could understand why everyone speaks so highly of it. It had the same bright yellows, reds, and oranges of many of the other colonial cities we've been through in Mexico, but it had a different kind of "mountain town" charm with a little more rustic architecture. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">There were a few more political rallies, and we learned that that day was the holiday celebrating the Mexican Revolution. Again, despite the political excitement with heavy police presence and news of a burning OXXO convenience store, everyone was nice, and we never felt in danger. We were able to have a nice dinner and visit the market before getting a good night's sleep in hope of beating the last of the sickness.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">In the morning, we started on what we thought would be a short, half-day ride to the famous ruins at Palenque.The road turned out to be extremely twisty, remote, and rough with a lot of truck traffic and landslides to ride around. It was a beautiful ride that wound through the mountains of Chiapas and ended up taking us about 4 hours to get to Palenque. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We found a cheap hostel in the La Cañada neighborhood of Palenque, unpacked the bikes, then quickly rode them up to the ruins to get some pictures before dark. Unfortunately, upon arriving, we discovered that we only had 15 minutes until they closed. So, we walked around a bit and decided to return first thing in the morning to get the most out of it. After all, we rode about 4 hours out of our way to get there. In the parking lot of the ruins, we ran into Roland, a German motorcycle traveler that I had actually met in Seattle a couple months before. Small world! On the way down from the ruins, we bumped into yet another motorcyclist from the Seattle area, John, who had just spent a couple months in Guatemala and Mexico and was making his way back north. They both followed us back to the hostel, where we spent the night sharing travel stories over beers. These were the first travelers we had run into and it was kinda nice to compare notes.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Returning to our room, Brayde found one of the biggest spiders we've seen outside of the zoo, and it was on the floor next to our boots. It looked like a mini-tarantula and we really didn't know what to do with it. It was much too big to smash with a shoe, and we didn't know if it was dangerous. We asked the front desk guy if it was an issue, and he came by with a broom and just swept it out of the room after laughing about it. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We got up early in the morning and took a mini-bus back to the ruins. Palenque is home to some of the most impressive Mayan ruins in Mexico, built around the 300 AD and lasting through 800 AD. The complex was complete with a palace, several temples, village-style living quarters, a game court, and directed running water. And that's just what they've uncovered so far; there's still tons yet to be excavated. It was impressive just how big everything was, and the history of it all. We got some good pictures, did some hiking to a waterfall, and caught another bus back to the hostel. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Our goal for this day was to make it to the city of Comitán, which would put us in a good location to cross the Guatemala border the next morning. The route from Palenque to Comitán doubled back on about half of the road from the day before, then split off on an equally great but rough road. After all these rough Chiapas roads, we were very thankful for good suspension on our heavily loaded bikes. One thing we noticed along the route was groups of people washing clothes and bathing in roadside creeks. They also left their laundry out to dry along the guardrails. About 45 minutes outside of Comitán, we bump into Roland once again, this time on the side of the road taking a break with a Coke. Our plans for the next day line up, so we decide to all ride together into Comitán and then cross the border in the morning. Roland is a good negotiator and ends up getting us all a great deal on a couple rooms in Comitán. The next day, we get up early and cross our first Central American border. This should be interesting.</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">-Matt</span>Braydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368122431682528182noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-27760015197071885672014-12-01T10:00:00.000-08:002014-12-07T07:30:39.663-08:00Southeast of Mexico City: Cholula, Puebla, Oaxaca, & Huatulco<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After planning a route through the rest of Mexico with Juan's help, we bid <em>hasta luego</em> to our wonderful hosts and hit the road once again. About 100 miles down the road, we discovered a hole in the sprocket cover of the F650GS. Matt searched around and found the nut had come all the way off the sprocket and managed to settle into the footpeg. Lucky break! With some creative roadside maintenance, we discovered the one tool our toolkit was missing: a wrench big enough to fit the sprocket nut. Thankfully, a friendly gas station attendant loaned us one. With a little more work, we were ready to hit the road once again.<span xmlns=""></span><br />
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<span xmlns="">On Juan's advice, we took the free road north of Mexico City through the foothills then south to Cholula to check out the archaeological site and colonial town of Puebla. In the morning, we woke up to tour the pyramid at Tlachihualtepetl (which means "artificial mountain" in Nahuatl). It was really neat to walk through the tunnels that Aztecs created thousands of years ago. According to the archaeological signage, three different civilizations took up residence at this pyramid structure and added or modified sections to make it their own. In the end, it was reclaimed by nature, and Spaniards eventually built a church on top of it. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">After exploring the ruins, Matt couldn't resist the chance to try <em>chapulines</em>—fried grasshoppers—from one of the street vendors. After some coaxing, I was even convinced to partake. They're not too bad! We liken them to sunflower seeds but maybe chewier. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We had planned to do a little sightseeing in Puebla on our way out of the area, as we'd heard great things about the city, but it turned out that we got caught in heavy Saturday traffic and felt the need to get on the move. We made the tough decision to keep moving and promised ourselves we'd visit Puebla properly the next time we come south. So, off we set for Oaxaca. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Here are some valuable lessons we learned along the way:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span xmlns="">When you notice that you are starting to run low on funds, take advantage of banks/ATM's available at that time. You never know when you'll run into the next one. </span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">When taking a toll road, be sure to have enough money to get you through all toll booths to your destination. </span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">Trust your eyes, not signs, for an ATM. Especially if you're at a gas station in the middle of nowhere.</span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">If you're nearly out of cash and have not yet hit the ATM, do not get unnecessary amounts of gas and buy snacks with your few remaining pesos until you have secured funds.</span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">If you find yourself out of dinero between toll booths, only try to take the free road if you actually know where it is and what condition it is in. </span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">Upon deciding to try for the free road, make sure there is enough daylight left to really make the try in earnest. Don't leave yourself in a pinch and second-guess yourself such that you have to turn around and double back all the way to the toll road anyway.</span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">Even though a toll booth may say it accepts credit cards, have cash on hand. That sign may merely be in preparation for future plans to install said technology.</span></li>
<li><span xmlns="">Do not reserve hope that people in southern Mexico will have any interest in exchanging pesos for American dollars. And who can blame them? That's more work to go get it changed to a currency they can actually use. </span></li>
<li><div>
<span xmlns="">Never lose faith in the kindness and generosity of Mexicans to help others in need. Even if the need is as silly and one's own fault of getting stranded on a toll road between booths. In short: Mexicans are wonderful people.</span></div>
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<span xmlns="">After some trial and tribulation of our own making, we finally made it to Oaxaca—somewhere we'd been looking forward to for its cuisine. Fitting with the rest of our afternoon, we arrived on a weekend in the midst of a rally, which made pinning down a hotel a little tricky. We did finally secure a motorcycle-friendly hotel, though, and Matt got the added bonus of exercise by running up and down a few blocks in riding gear. Lucky him! </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Too tired to check out the city that evening, we were happy to find everything in full swing the following morning, too. We grabbed a breakfast of tamales con mole in French rolls, champurrado, and aguas frescas, then wandered all over the city's big street market. All the sights, sounds, and smells let us know how far we've already come from home. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We finally pulled ourselves away from Oaxaca's street life and headed back out to find our way to the Pacific Coast, to the little beach town of Huatulco. What started out as a slow road through several small towns later turned into one of the best roads we've ever ridden. Ever. Over the course of the day, we traveled through desert-like conditions to tropical rainforest, and everything between. The road turned into a mountain highway full of twists and turns that took us over several passes and through the clouds. It was breathtaking. What was equally impressive to the natural beauty of everything was the presence of houses and farms dotting the steep terrain all along the way. We even ran into (almost literally) turkeys at 9,000 feet elevation!</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Just before we got to the good part of the road, we pulled off for lunch at a roadside stand and some very nice locals tipped us off to take a shortcut to Huatulco, but we never saw said turnoff and ended up riding this highway for about five hours. By the end, we were about ready for a break but still in awe at how amazing the ride was. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Based on another recommendation from Juan, we set our destination for a hotel run by yet another fellow rider and couldn't have been happier with the lodging at the end of another long day. With laundry piling up and our own energy levels running low, we decided to stay an extra day in Huatulco to play catch up. Being on the water, we couldn't pass up the opportunity for some ceviche, either. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Next, we head back inland to make our way to towards Chiapas and the famous Palenque ruins. </span><br />
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Braydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368122431682528182noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-4814967259393362202014-11-20T10:30:00.000-08:002014-11-20T17:28:36.920-08:00Relaxing Times in Zacatecas and San Miguel de Allende<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span xmlns=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We woke up early and packed the bikes so we could head to Zacatecas. Hector's family insisted we stay for breakfast before heading out. Rosa Maria, Hector's mother, heated up some tamales for us and made coffee—some of the best tamales we've ever eaten, actually! She also packed us a to-go lunch with more tamales and some fresh fruit in it. After gearing up and saying our goodbyes, we hit up the gas station on the way out of town. There, we were intercepted by Rosa Maria once again as she found us filling up and gave us all of her contact information just in case we had any trouble anywhere. This whole family was unbelievably nice.</span></span><br />
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<span xmlns=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Once we hit the road, the clouds started looking ominous. It wasn't exactly warm, but the temperatures were nice. We got lucky and made it to Zacatecas without getting wet. On recommendation from our friend Juan, we found a hotel with indoor parking in the historic downtown. We realized as we checked in that this was our first time at a hotel since our first night on the road, thanks to all of our wonderful friends along the way. </span></span><br />
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<span xmlns=""><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We spent the afternoon exploring the centro histórico, markets, cathedrals, and other buildings. Zacatecas is an extremely picturesque town, known for its silver mining and deep historical significance. We highly recommend visiting if ever you're in the area. </span></span><br />
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<span xmlns="">One thing we've enjoyed as we've moved further south is the decreasing presence of English. When we arrived, we arranged everything in Spanish (those classes have already paid off!), and were proud of ourselves. The next day, at breakfast, we realized we still have a way to go: the server asked our room number, and we answered that we'd like some orange juice. </span>Oops!<br />
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That day, we also woke up to rain. Lots of rain. The storms move in quickly, and there was no way around this one. Being from Seattle, we're no strangers to riding in the rain, but the steep cobblestone streets proved to be quite tricky to navigate while making our way back to the autopista. The entire ride to San Miguel de Allende was a wet one. Our gear is waterproof, but it still isn't ideal riding.<br />
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<span xmlns="">When we arrive, we're happy to have a warm house to stay at in San Miguel de Allende, another beautiful colonial style town. Our friend Juan and his family live there, and we have been meaning to visit him for some time. Unfortunately, he was delayed with business in Mexico City, but his gracious wife Grisel still played host to us until he arrived. They were good sports and ever so patient as our conversation partners while we continued to practice Spanish. While our stop in San Miguel de Allende was only supposed to be for one or two days, Juan was delayed yet another day, so we made the choice to stick around and catch up on some work on the bikes and to let all our riding gear air out. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">While in Mexico, we've been trying to train ourselves to just relax and go with the flow. This was a good exercise in that. We spent three nights and two whole days in San Miguel relaxing, exploring the city, and eating really great food. A couple of the highlights were <em>champurrado</em>, a drink made of chocolate and atole (finely ground corn rehydrated), and <em>la bandera</em>, a sequence of lime juice, tequila, and spicy tomato juice—yum, on both accounts! Juan showed up on the last day and showed us some of his favorite restaurants and hang-outs. He also gave us some great advice on things to see during the remainder of our trip through Mexico. </span><br />
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<span xmlns=""> The next day we leave for Cholula, Puebla. The weather looks nice, and we've successfully waited out the storms.</span>Braydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368122431682528182noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-51438501682665635852014-11-17T10:26:00.000-08:002014-11-17T10:26:01.219-08:00The Riding Community is a Beautiful Thing<span xmlns=""></span><br />
<span xmlns="">We bid farewell to Alfonso and Maria, then set off for the long haul to Mazatlán, Sinaloa. We were warned that the ride would be straight and boring with lots of tolls. Boy were there tolls! Matt estimates we spent around 500-600 pesos in total, and some toll booths were only a few kilometers apart. The 400-mile trip was broken up with several construction zones, where we watched guys pour steaming tar from milk jugs cut in half and hand shovel hot asphalt from the back of a dump truck. Gives some perspective on how much money and technology has changed construction methods in the US. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Along the way, we stopped for a lunch break in Guasave. While Matt ducked into a corner store for taco fixin's, I sat with the bikes and met a lovely father and baby boy who came up to chat from their house across the street. The guy was incredibly patient and helpful with my rudimentary Spanish, and we "chatted" about motorcycles (he was a fellow rider) and our trip. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">While I was making friends outside, Matt was making friends inside. He emerged with chicharrón, limes and avocados, which we proceeded to wrap in enormous tortillas that Maria sent us off with, called "bed sheet tortillas." To give perspective, one tortilla made four tacos. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">When we were done, Matt asked the little shop if they had a bathroom, and before we knew it, they let us in the back to use their private baño. To sort of say thanks, we gave them our card and stickers… which they brought back out to us to sign, along with free cokes and lollipops! We walked over to the family across the street and gave them the same sticker, and they invited us to join them for dinner. Such sweet people; I hope they weren't disappointed later when they discovered we aren't famous. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">As we rode through sunset again (oops!), we were bummed to think about the view we were missing from our friend Glen's spectacular penthouse condo in Mazatlán. We made it shortly thereafter, though, and enjoyed the impressive view nonetheless. Glen has traveled the world on his BMW 650 Dakar and now lives part time in Mazatlán. He generously let us spend the night there with him, and we shared quesadillas and travel stories until the wee hours. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The next morning, after almost convincing Glen to ride with us, we set off for our first short day of riding so far. While planning the trip, Matt figured we could make our goal of Ushuaia in four months by riding about 150 miles per day. We've been putting in long days so far in an effort to bank the miles for future days when we want to have short or no riding. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">This day's ride was scheduled for Mazatlán to Durango, a distance of 165 miles. We wanted to take the free road, known as the "Devil's Backbone," but many locals warned us against it for its narrow lanes, blind corners, and heavy use by semis pulling double trailers. It was hard to resist (and we almost ended up accidentally taking the free road anyway!), but we opted for the toll road and enjoyed wide, new roads through several tunnels and over the tallest bridge in North America, the Baluarte Bridge. The scenery changed from an arid climate with sand and cacti to a temperate one with lush, green forests. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We eventually left the road for gas and lunch in El Salto, which ended up being another fortuitous stop. While we munched down our food stand gorditas, we watched a BMW F800GS pull up and proceed to come over to us. Turns out this 20-something guy rode to Tierra del Fuego himself last year. Small world! As we chatted more, we learned he lived in Durango. Before we knew it, he offered to ride the rest of the way with us and put us up in an empty apartment at his family's house. He kept saying how much the success of his own trip last year was enabled by the generosity of others and this was his opportunity to give back. How could we say no? So, off we went to finish out the ride into Durango on the tail end of the Devil's Backbone, which was nice and twisty through hilly pasture area. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">When we arrived at Hector's house, his family graciously invited us to a BBQ and wouldn't take no for an answer. The food was simple and delicious, we participated in a mezcal taste test, and we got more Spanish practice in! Afterward, we walked to Durango's historic city center and took in all the live entertainment local families were enjoying in the plazas on this nice Sunday evening. We both absolutely adore the plaza lifestyle of Mexico, where everyone—young and old—comes out to socialize at the end of the day. It's something we're looking forward to for the next four months. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">- Brayde</span>Braydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368122431682528182noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-85582300791475271122014-11-12T18:42:00.002-08:002014-11-12T18:42:52.567-08:00Viva Mexico!<span xmlns=""></span><br />
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<span xmlns="">Following advice from friends, we took the truck border crossing from Nogales, AZ into Mexico. Things went incredibly quick and smooth… except for the part where we thought we'd missed the immigration office where we needed to buy our vehicle permits. We pulled off at an intersection on the highway and tried to contact our friend Alfonso, whose house we were staying at that night. When that didn't work, we rode across the highway to the airport and tried out our Spanish on some gate guards. While we knew how to ask what we wanted, we had limited skills to understand the answer. We basically heard that we needed to go back across the highway, where we would find a customs station and could ask our question again. Unfortunately, we discovered this station was for going back into the US. After probably breaking a few international laws doing U-turns at a checkpoint, we learned that all of this effort and confusion was for not: we were going the right way all along and just hadn't gotten to the immigration office yet. Back on the highway we went, and sure enough, there was no way we could miss it another 8 miles down the road. The process involved a lot of paperwork and stamps, but was painless, and then we were on our way to our first Mexican destination of the trip: Cócorit, Sonora. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">The ride was long and straight, reminiscent of our day across SoCal and Arizona. We put on about 480 kilometers (330 miles) on the way to Cócorit, only stopping for fuel and occasional breaks. At one stop for gas and lunch, we started talking to a man who was hitchhiking his way South to Hermosillo after recently being deported from my hometown of Yakima, Washington. We had a nice talk about the farms and country back in Washington. He had a pretty fascinating story and had lived and worked in many parts of the United States. Small world!</span><br />
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<span xmlns="">One of our major rules we set for ourselves on this trip was not to ride at night. Unfortunately, we broke this rule on Day One, arriving in Cócorit at Alfonso's house about 45 minutes after dark. Luckily, we knew where we were going and already had a place to stay. No harm done. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We had a very warm welcome from Alfonso and his wife Maria who took us out to our first dinner in Mexico, one of my favorites: tacos al pastor, from an open air restaurant in Cócorit. What a great way to end an otherwise tiring day. After that long ride, we were pretty worn out and made the decision to stay another day with Alfonso and Maria because we like their company so much, and it gave us a good chance to get acclimatized to Mexico and take care of a few things. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We spent the next day relaxing (Brayde even got in a siesta!), shopping, and helping Alfonso and Maria get their restaurant and bar ready for the night's festivities. We started the day off right with homemade machaca y huevos for breakfast—fresh huevos, in fact, from Alfonso and Maria's chickens. One of the very important things we accomplished was unlocking my U.S. cell phone and buying a Mexican SIM card. Now we have a Mexican phone number to text and call with while we're in the country. Because the phone is unlocked, we should be able to buy new SIM cards in other countries we travel through if we feel we need to have a working phone number. </span><br />
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<span xmlns="">We had a lot of fun and were glad to have another rest day because the next day's ride would be even longer and more tiring, as we would have to ride 640 kilometers (400 miles) to Mazatlán to stay with our friend Glen. </span><br />
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Braydehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13368122431682528182noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-72602118210109198922014-11-06T10:30:00.000-08:002014-11-06T10:30:00.893-08:00And it Begins...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRJHak4QTe4-LmIF_vUXuBk72qnihUQK2DGCjYCeDCe-4YyUZ2wpaq1QoMVg7P7nMQf_WPI9UbexYSYObOlu4BfgACtItOvAH3a86aS-CuZoZj52RPvZ1FYpLj11QYi97Uhw76zKe0VM/s1600/_DSC8163+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRJHak4QTe4-LmIF_vUXuBk72qnihUQK2DGCjYCeDCe-4YyUZ2wpaq1QoMVg7P7nMQf_WPI9UbexYSYObOlu4BfgACtItOvAH3a86aS-CuZoZj52RPvZ1FYpLj11QYi97Uhw76zKe0VM/s1600/_DSC8163+(2).JPG" height="400" width="640" /></a>Well the week leading up to our departure was just plain crazy. Here are some of the highlights:<br />
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One week till departure, roof starts leaking, ruins downstairs bathroom door. Had to fix the roof, and take care of the water damage, as well as replace the door. Two days later, a huge wind storm blows down our fence. Two days of pouring concrete and setting posts, and our fence was rebuilt with the help of our friend John. 11:30pm, two nights before departure, the sewer line backs up into our house, flooding one of the bathrooms and filling all the toilets and bathtub due to a tree root clogging the line. One early morning and an expensive plumber bill, and that was fixed on Friday. It was really good that we had started our packing earlier in the week, or else we would have been screwed. The lesson to be learned here is that we really should have just sold the house and bought a new one when we got back. It would have been much easier.<br />
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After a couple weeks of not sleeping, building fences, and mopping up our bathrooms, we were able to finally get on the road. It was a somewhat liberating experience taking off and not looking back, but neither of us have had that overwhelming feeling of freedom that should have come. I think it's going to take a week or two, or maybe a border crossing for it to really hit us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cashing in the change jar for $93 in gas money.</td></tr>
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The first four days were long, tiring, and boring. We rode I-5 all the way down to LA from Seattle in 3 days, then on the fourth day, we rode 500 miles in a strong cross wind along I-10 to Tucson. Along the way, we have stayed with friends and at a couple hotels. The stays with friends have really been the best. Nice conversations over a hot meal every night with good people. In Sacramento, we stayed with friends Kelly and Steve; in LA, Nikolas and Jessica; and, in Tucson, our friend Josh. They really helped us make the most out of an otherwise long and boring stretch of freeway.<br />
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With over 1600 miles already behind us, we decided to stay an extra day in Tucson. There was a hurricane that was supposed to hit Mexico around Mazatlan, and by delaying, we were able to watch it fizzle out before landfall and become a non-event. At the same time, we were able to sleep in, pick up some last minute necessities, get a hair cut, and ride into Nogales for a nice early start across the border the next day. After 4 long days on the bikes we were both pretty relieved to have a "rest day" before crossing into Mexico.<br />
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After changing both of Brayde's tires in the hotel parking lot, eating dinner, and doing laundry in the bathroom sink, we're exhausted and will get some much needed rest before our first border crossing of the trip. All our paperwork is ready, and we have a plan, so wish us luck!Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-24414602725728883882014-10-24T09:34:00.000-07:002014-10-24T09:34:05.748-07:00What Tools to Bring for a Four-Month Motorcycle Trip?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The boy scout in me really enjoyed this part of the trip prep and planning process: <i>Building a tool kit that would get both our bikes through four months on the road in South America.</i></div>
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We already have a great set of tools we carry on our other trips, but I realized that riding this many miles, we have to consider that we will be performing regular bike maintenance along the way, not just roadside repairs. My normal <a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-070-2101/Cruz-Tools-Roadtech-B1-On-Bike-Toolkit-for-BMW-RTB1" target="_blank">Cruz Tools roll</a> with a few additions isn't going to cut it. Our trip will include oil and filter changes, valve adjustments, and other tasks. I'm going to need more--and better--tools...</div>
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First thing I did was dump out all the contents of my usual tool roll onto the workbench and start picking out the tools I like using, noting any tools that were missing or could be better. After doing an oil change, tire change, and a bunch of other pre-trip service, and setting aside the tools I used, I had a pretty comprehensive list. Time to get out the credit card, hit up the Craftsman website, and shop some local hardware stores. You can see my--<i>almost--</i>final tool and spares list below.</div>
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Before anyone makes any comments: Yes, my tool kit is overkill for most trips. I realize that, but I didn't want to have to do a valve adjustment in a hotel lobby in Cusco with a Leatherman and a set of spanners. Having tools that are nice and easy to use will keep me from putting off the necessary maintenance and repair that will get our bikes through the whole trip.</div>
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Next, I wanted to dedicate a space on my bike for tools, and only tools. Normally this is a pouch or roll at the bottom of one of my panniers, but in this case, I wanted to do something special. My friend Dave from <a href="http://advgear.net/" target="_blank">ADV Gear</a> offered to weld me up a one-off, aluminum tool box that clipped in place of my passenger seat. He made it the same height as my fuel cell so that I can still strap a dry bag on top of it and keep a low profile. It turned out perfect, and he even installed a lock that matches my Touratech panniers.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBEBY6SeeQskFlMxp24aP8qe1pZ3CY7ExhhMEL3_TKPlc0Kb_4x-b_OeI3wjnF92dnPEjY7O3U0LN3Q1S67XAnakh01_0dw7Hr1GksgH6L7eGG9xp89IWjWny45NsBFajnjHLn8tx8yc/s1600/IMG_9674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBEBY6SeeQskFlMxp24aP8qe1pZ3CY7ExhhMEL3_TKPlc0Kb_4x-b_OeI3wjnF92dnPEjY7O3U0LN3Q1S67XAnakh01_0dw7Hr1GksgH6L7eGG9xp89IWjWny45NsBFajnjHLn8tx8yc/s1600/IMG_9674.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBEBY6SeeQskFlMxp24aP8qe1pZ3CY7ExhhMEL3_TKPlc0Kb_4x-b_OeI3wjnF92dnPEjY7O3U0LN3Q1S67XAnakh01_0dw7Hr1GksgH6L7eGG9xp89IWjWny45NsBFajnjHLn8tx8yc/s1600/IMG_9674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBEBY6SeeQskFlMxp24aP8qe1pZ3CY7ExhhMEL3_TKPlc0Kb_4x-b_OeI3wjnF92dnPEjY7O3U0LN3Q1S67XAnakh01_0dw7Hr1GksgH6L7eGG9xp89IWjWny45NsBFajnjHLn8tx8yc/s1600/IMG_9674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSBEBY6SeeQskFlMxp24aP8qe1pZ3CY7ExhhMEL3_TKPlc0Kb_4x-b_OeI3wjnF92dnPEjY7O3U0LN3Q1S67XAnakh01_0dw7Hr1GksgH6L7eGG9xp89IWjWny45NsBFajnjHLn8tx8yc/s1600/IMG_9674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
Unfortunately, none of my tool rolls or bags would fit in the box, and I didn't want my tools to rattle around loose inside the box. This would cause noise, damage, and disorder. I wanted my tools organized so that I could always know where the 10mm wrench or T30 torx bit was. Brayde's mom happens to be very good at sewing and has made some really nice bags for Brayde in the past. For my birthday, she offered to make me a custom tool bag with loops and pockets for all my tools that would fit exactly in my new tool box. Awesome.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyElQLhnG4Q5Rb8TmGDhIJZN0sRe5mqidsmQZYtfO8lb-4K8gRKK_1-pAAYXIhDofLdzt9k4ymX7cesdxHyjOmYEbeOL1QrhmTFHHb4e2eZP7dXDHMGK17cd7quFYifx-5F9KHn_dXZbM/s1600/IMAG0445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyElQLhnG4Q5Rb8TmGDhIJZN0sRe5mqidsmQZYtfO8lb-4K8gRKK_1-pAAYXIhDofLdzt9k4ymX7cesdxHyjOmYEbeOL1QrhmTFHHb4e2eZP7dXDHMGK17cd7quFYifx-5F9KHn_dXZbM/s1600/IMAG0445.jpg" height="466" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMO0BJ3zSdDFkufd7Lg37gi6RxSgcIo_uQjwBsqqAwzyAb4nz_CMKZWenPBIV8yaS-IFm4hdTJePmG4yrMOBuijcZi5EKzjyMmyk8HSf7HuEEorkaOxQXBMZGzgJ7SybkhiiInDlPG1U/s1600/IMAG0447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMO0BJ3zSdDFkufd7Lg37gi6RxSgcIo_uQjwBsqqAwzyAb4nz_CMKZWenPBIV8yaS-IFm4hdTJePmG4yrMOBuijcZi5EKzjyMmyk8HSf7HuEEorkaOxQXBMZGzgJ7SybkhiiInDlPG1U/s1600/IMAG0447.jpg" height="382" width="640" /></a></div>
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After a fun weekend of canvas material shopping and lots of measurements, what she came up with was far beyond my expectations. Now I have something I've always wanted on my motorcycle: my own custom tool bag, for my custom tool box, for my custom tool kit. I've been using it to perform daily work in the garage and finding a few things here and there to add and subtract. All-in-all, I'm pretty confident I'll have just about everything I'll need for this trip.</div>
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<b>Some photos of the finished product:</b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipwtQeEWRybgrxYyUxxoIRFKhUPY0As49G3OCrlQxoAxVxZ8xi5_f1UQL6iWnxwgRDXQgbnB6CIVoSse6sJB3IWjcQc4FjxXTFBvAph_NEdbBAu3HIrKTyTUasIxpfDLpgjFtQaILxKI/s1600/IMG_9676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipwtQeEWRybgrxYyUxxoIRFKhUPY0As49G3OCrlQxoAxVxZ8xi5_f1UQL6iWnxwgRDXQgbnB6CIVoSse6sJB3IWjcQc4FjxXTFBvAph_NEdbBAu3HIrKTyTUasIxpfDLpgjFtQaILxKI/s1600/IMG_9676.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YNL3mIc-uSY8pmQzrkUujjP0Vyf0sN7TITXmCcWiHBBebZ8-xxI0zNAPfhvhLMlYcJb8G-tHF09Joxf06RfyuzQd-Fh5vcTv_OjLV1e7K30BGIzYrZEt57YlIGVMsyYleQITHbMTqT4/s1600/IMG_9680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0YNL3mIc-uSY8pmQzrkUujjP0Vyf0sN7TITXmCcWiHBBebZ8-xxI0zNAPfhvhLMlYcJb8G-tHF09Joxf06RfyuzQd-Fh5vcTv_OjLV1e7K30BGIzYrZEt57YlIGVMsyYleQITHbMTqT4/s1600/IMG_9680.JPG" height="640" width="568" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bag opened with top layer for wrenches.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvd22iUXPQZcCJdVMUpPb411gcTLa1zQ28SoGYznLc59LDVawE-EeNGEcXhOolvz6jwzwAnYaPAqWYsKdAvFn2OLoitIGhtSP_4eU3ahJ6Cd3nYTZ4F7UXnT8xn_av1ztSFkCGiV4RTBk/s1600/IMG_9682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvd22iUXPQZcCJdVMUpPb411gcTLa1zQ28SoGYznLc59LDVawE-EeNGEcXhOolvz6jwzwAnYaPAqWYsKdAvFn2OLoitIGhtSP_4eU3ahJ6Cd3nYTZ4F7UXnT8xn_av1ztSFkCGiV4RTBk/s1600/IMG_9682.JPG" height="640" width="410" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Top layer removed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZddLPEwaZLT8Lwb9K38M1qMoUgZfbESEPFGX0LwRPfFkaL5QtF0hFFje_GvJra6MvDjD_m1LUUyNgtO3IMSRb0wLiE6o4zC6bn8-94KI4VU0493sDt7WBStxYphzgGJ9Tc_bCsfQCac/s1600/IMG_9683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ZddLPEwaZLT8Lwb9K38M1qMoUgZfbESEPFGX0LwRPfFkaL5QtF0hFFje_GvJra6MvDjD_m1LUUyNgtO3IMSRb0wLiE6o4zC6bn8-94KI4VU0493sDt7WBStxYphzgGJ9Tc_bCsfQCac/s1600/IMG_9683.JPG" height="640" width="624" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bottom of tool bag</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b><u>Tool List:</u></b><br />
<ul>
<li>Combination Wrenches: 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, <a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-RW17-24/Wheels-Wrench-F650GS-F800GS-17-24MM" target="_blank">17/24mm</a></li>
<li>Allen Keys: 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8mm</li>
<li>Torx Keys: T20,25,27,30,45,50</li>
<li><a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-CT-T50BM/BMW-T50-Torx-Rear-Wheel-Wrench" target="_blank">T50 Torx Lug Wrench</a></li>
<li>1/4" Drive Hex bits: 4,5,6mm</li>
<li>1/4" Drive Torx bits: T20,25,27,30,40,45,50,55, E8</li>
<li>1/4" Drive Sockets: 8,10,12,13mm</li>
<li>1/4" Drive Screwdriver bits</li>
<li>1/4" Drive Ratchet</li>
<li>1/4" Drive Slide Bar</li>
<li>1/4" Screwdriver Handle</li>
<li>1/4" UV Joint</li>
<li>1/4" Extensions: 3", 6"</li>
<li>8" Adjustable Wrench</li>
<li><a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-22-19HEX/22-19mm-Hex-BMW-Axle-Adapter-Tool-R1200-and-F800" target="_blank">22mm Front Axle Tool</a></li>
<li>Tire Levers</li>
<li><a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-VS-FISH/Tube-Valve-Stem-Fishing-Tool" target="_blank">Tire tube valve fishing tool/core remover</a></li>
<li>Small File</li>
<li>Hacksaw Blade</li>
<li>Small Punch</li>
<li>Small flat blade screwdriver w/ magnet</li>
<li>Small Pick</li>
<li>Side Cutters</li>
<li>Small vise grips</li>
<li>Small ruler</li>
<li>Metric Taps: M6, M8</li>
<li>Screw Extractor</li>
<li>Feeler Gauges for R1200GS valves</li>
<li>Spark Plug Socket</li>
<li><a href="http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104114" target="_blank">Mini Digital Multimeter</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-070-6003/Stop-Go-Motorcycle-Tubeless-Tire-Plugger-Kit" target="_blank">Tubeless tire plugging kit</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-070-0282/Motorrad-Tube-patch-kit" target="_blank">Tube patch kit</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-SG-RCP/Stop-Go-12V-Mini-Air-Compressor-for-Motorcycles" target="_blank">12V air pump</a></li>
<li>CO2 inflator</li>
<li><a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-CT-DTPG2/Cruz-Tools-TirePro-Digital-Gauge" target="_blank">Tire Gauge</a></li>
<li>Bic Lighter</li>
<li>Leatherman Multi-tool</li>
<li><a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-070-0692/Fuel-Siphoning-Adapter-Line-R1200GS-MALE-up-to-2007" target="_blank">Fuel Siphoning Hose</a></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u><br /></u></b>
<i>All the tools in the world won't do you much good if you don't have the spare parts and materials to work with. Here is a list of some of the spares that we'll be carrying with us during our trip.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<b><u>Some Spare Parts, etc.</u></b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Inner Tubes</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Zip Ties</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Fuses</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
<a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-53-6120/Blue-Loctite-Stick" target="_blank">LocTite</a></div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
<a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-53-6119/Loctite-Silver-Anti-Seize-Stick" target="_blank">Anti-Seize</a></div>
</li>
<li>WD-40</li>
<li>Liquid Gasket</li>
<li><a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-SG-5040/Replacement-Tubeless-Rope-Plugs-Qty-25" target="_blank">Rope style tire plugs</a></li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Jumper wire</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
R1200GS Alternator belt</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Common metric nuts & bolts</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Duct Tape</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Electrical tape</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Oil Filters</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Chain lube</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Drive chain clip-style masterlinks & short section of chain</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Safety Wire</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
<a href="http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/stoves/stove-accessories/expedition-service-kit/product" target="_blank">Stove rebuild kit</a></div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
<a href="http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/tent-accessories/maintain/fabric-repair-kit/product" target="_blank">Tent patch kit</a></div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Tent pole repair sleeve</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
<a href="http://www.cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-rest/accessories/instant-field-repair-kit/product" target="_blank">Air Mattress patch kit</a></div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Silicone sealant</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Skid Plate rubber mounts</div>
</li>
<li><a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/PN-15-0914/Compact-Motorcycle-Jumper-Cables-8-ft" target="_blank">Compact Jumper Cables</a></li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
Pannier mount spare parts</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
F650GS water pump seals, impeller</div>
</li>
<li><div style="display: inline !important;">
R1200GS fuel pump circuit board bypass cable</div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<b><u>
</u></b></div>
Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-38264622280142816842014-10-17T10:05:00.000-07:002014-10-17T10:05:21.901-07:00Brayde's Bike Gets New SuspensionIn preparing for our trip to Mexico last March, Matt and I tried to set the rear sag on my 2007 BMW F650GS with a light load of luggage. Even with the shock preload turned all the way up, there was still too much sag. Sure enough, as we rode through rough terrain in the Copper Canyon, I could feel every rock and hole, and bottomed out on my fair share of 'topes' (huge Mexican speed bumps). After an especially rough section in Baja, we discovered my fork seals were blown. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmAhLwIgFNAMJoqbzFrzT017mU9cpQbY205pScWFBW4MUNTFMrCz6zGZhCfIxIYaR8VpUzydDM7D7lPS0aw9tQ9vLVH41MqIn6StaHxYyO4HT-wuphhwVCqXv7vJ9v4sLnzHWFXUs0Y4/s1600/_DSC7614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmAhLwIgFNAMJoqbzFrzT017mU9cpQbY205pScWFBW4MUNTFMrCz6zGZhCfIxIYaR8VpUzydDM7D7lPS0aw9tQ9vLVH41MqIn6StaHxYyO4HT-wuphhwVCqXv7vJ9v4sLnzHWFXUs0Y4/s1600/_DSC7614.JPG" height="344" width="640" /></a></div>
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When we returned, we reached out to Alex at <a href="http://www.konflictmotorsports.com/" target="_blank">Konflict Motorsports</a>, a local suspension shop with the reputation of being experts with dual-sport and adventure motorcycle setups. With some quick measurements and assessment of riding style, Alex reworked my front forks with cartridge emulators, new springs, seals, and fluid. The difference was immediate, like night and day. This was my first time getting customized suspension, and I couldn't believe the impact it has on riding. Things as obvious as better endurance because my arms aren't worn out, and better braking and handling, to subtleties like better visibility because my mirrors aren't blurry from shaking. Well worth it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAQKzX1Dw3e9jectmoImLZqY_s1T6c30fH2Rs8YcvODSO5I-JHkClCVPr6iUvRqApd1MGEHbNGe9jex4bTwl89sQNj0g9LbsCO2AKJD8oRCzYDyB9hTAa2c9gK5EKk4YKbk7AmnA-VKU/s1600/_DSC7649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAQKzX1Dw3e9jectmoImLZqY_s1T6c30fH2Rs8YcvODSO5I-JHkClCVPr6iUvRqApd1MGEHbNGe9jex4bTwl89sQNj0g9LbsCO2AKJD8oRCzYDyB9hTAa2c9gK5EKk4YKbk7AmnA-VKU/s1600/_DSC7649.JPG" height="420" width="640" /></a></div>
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This also made my worn out rear suspension extra apparent. Luckily, I know just the guy to help me out with that! Two years ago, Touratech came out with a new suspension line that Matt has already been testing thoroughly on his R1200GS. We saved up our pennies, and by mid-summer Matt had a Touratech Suspension <a href="http://www.touratech-usa.com/Store/3485/PN-300-5882/Touratech-Explore-HP-Rear-Shock-BMW-G650GS-F650GS-single-2001-on" target="_blank">Explore HP rear shock</a> re-sprung and dialed in for my weight and riding style.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iTqaVAQA_uDapRumU8A7IyKRJxMUMWYesnroepSxzMaFAebEIsjCKdO4wHHj8I8Utse13qrCF9AquojX7rJBwtr20y_63G97pQAj1vE5MZ5qP19nUzWBZnsaSPD2DKCYWZtgpvG15mc/s1600/_DSC8107.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5iTqaVAQA_uDapRumU8A7IyKRJxMUMWYesnroepSxzMaFAebEIsjCKdO4wHHj8I8Utse13qrCF9AquojX7rJBwtr20y_63G97pQAj1vE5MZ5qP19nUzWBZnsaSPD2DKCYWZtgpvG15mc/s1600/_DSC8107.JPG" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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With a couple hours and beers and a mechanically-savvy husband, my F650GS now rides even better than new. My friend Angela and I recently took advantage of a beautiful afternoon to go ride around some dirt roads in the Cascades, and once again, I could not believe the difference I experienced. We got incredibly muddy and had a blast. Suspension that is dialed in to my size gives me the ability to ride faster and more comfortably in all terrain, from railroad tracks to gravely washboard and everything between.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9d3-6mp0MNCmvzF-wPy98sHvSCAxA1VHkPHsz4AllIdbLea9mrcH4B-Iza3wrpm-fGLhEIuxB33WwpMqIZ0hg9T5-DQtWP46rbmbLvFNrbGdWXGItpeZomDTyq6tAEocU30XjY7KORlA/s1600/IMAG0462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9d3-6mp0MNCmvzF-wPy98sHvSCAxA1VHkPHsz4AllIdbLea9mrcH4B-Iza3wrpm-fGLhEIuxB33WwpMqIZ0hg9T5-DQtWP46rbmbLvFNrbGdWXGItpeZomDTyq6tAEocU30XjY7KORlA/s1600/IMAG0462.jpg" height="382" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just a few weeks left before I get to really put everything through its paces on our big trip--can't wait!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KEmfaBIH3i8VPekOMrbFJjdlGXaE4xZRtVUD1HDAbKrzw-b4L0ngPZCoF7G1AaU9OYS4-8sDYseVWLD1aGA5WrS997vu-UL0sy_u_V268pghFi_c51oTIoH5jRBI2Fuw5pgdI7Q9gig/s1600/_DSC8021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9KEmfaBIH3i8VPekOMrbFJjdlGXaE4xZRtVUD1HDAbKrzw-b4L0ngPZCoF7G1AaU9OYS4-8sDYseVWLD1aGA5WrS997vu-UL0sy_u_V268pghFi_c51oTIoH5jRBI2Fuw5pgdI7Q9gig/s1600/_DSC8021.JPG" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
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BraydeMatthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-10246136878267649732014-10-08T13:57:00.001-07:002014-10-08T13:57:11.544-07:00Coming Up with Our RouteWhile we don't want to have too strict of a schedule and route for this trip, our usual "fast and loose" attitude to travel probably isn't going to cut it on a huge trip with a set amount of time. Looking at maps and tracing routes happens to be one of my favorite pastimes, so I don't mind doing a bit of research.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHgXdCJUyUFnkL823da5BAxcFANk4PPRYmQgaue7Sj3aQhq8UYY47IBy0xKMp53BgRKmwtOBB-0W7AJlQhrEurfivqjilVGBd537sMHDUtt0rjbv11cPqRIsga6ltc7pJ-ehKO8_k27E/s1600/IMG_0520_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHgXdCJUyUFnkL823da5BAxcFANk4PPRYmQgaue7Sj3aQhq8UYY47IBy0xKMp53BgRKmwtOBB-0W7AJlQhrEurfivqjilVGBd537sMHDUtt0rjbv11cPqRIsga6ltc7pJ-ehKO8_k27E/s1600/IMG_0520_crop.jpg" height="369" width="640" /></a>First thing we did is buy the biggest, most detailed, Mexico, Central, and South America maps we could find. We had them laminated, then dedicated a wall in our home office to trip planning. Using color coded stickers, we began to mark all the cities where we had friends, and all the sites we wanted to see along the way. Doing this alone, just about traces a route for you; simply connect the dots.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BHt1ei1lCuHURTLaA1xPBtoQbLdUK2GelJ4p5lK50RDJrtGlBi6rqv-qJpFIDgzRqUwx7G8N6dzsCKn6ET_A9MorYHqHMd0NAvwj4xQkOjLwS4XpVUiZrLiUwHTMrP-Up58NUTcCYjo/s1600/_DSC8126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6BHt1ei1lCuHURTLaA1xPBtoQbLdUK2GelJ4p5lK50RDJrtGlBi6rqv-qJpFIDgzRqUwx7G8N6dzsCKn6ET_A9MorYHqHMd0NAvwj4xQkOjLwS4XpVUiZrLiUwHTMrP-Up58NUTcCYjo/s1600/_DSC8126.JPG" height="454" width="640" /></a></div>
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The rest of the route planning has involved talking to a lot of our friends and contacts that have done similar rides in the past. Our friends Hank and Alfonso who have ridden extensively in Mexico and Central America, gave us great tips on which roads to take, and which border crossings to avoid. Our friend Dan sat down with us one night in his map room and traced out all the roads he's ridden during several trips to South America in the last few years.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiW_R4svt2tKhVzHfJd0wb2RJGRctpU9kPMx31deA_sE2Cb9qwtBY1IXyeANG5P2Gow1i5XcjjH4lGDIMWDKhrnxn29ZJ-bCZkTSoDg8HQ0BxHrtBvAGDYXKvwtpYypzJYMqBCOBHHUQQ/s1600/IMG_0557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiW_R4svt2tKhVzHfJd0wb2RJGRctpU9kPMx31deA_sE2Cb9qwtBY1IXyeANG5P2Gow1i5XcjjH4lGDIMWDKhrnxn29ZJ-bCZkTSoDg8HQ0BxHrtBvAGDYXKvwtpYypzJYMqBCOBHHUQQ/s1600/IMG_0557.JPG" height="400" width="293" /></a>While in Germany on a business trip, I was also able to connect with some friends and South American distributors for our company that gave me great advice and help planning the route. Ivan from Peru stayed up late with me one night, just looking at maps. The next night my friends Martin and Katja traced their route from their South America trip in 2008. Talking to people with first-hand experience has been instrumental in the planning of our trip.<br />
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Brayde purchased several helpful guidebooks including <em>The Adventure Rider's Handbook</em>, and the <em>Central America Handbook </em>and <em>South America Handbook</em> by Footprints. The Footprints handbooks have been very helpful. They go into more detail than you can imagine, have a variety of city, region, AMD country maps, and even go as far as to tell you which documents you need for each of the border crossings. We highly recommend these books.<br />
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At this point, I think we've put together all the pieces of the puzzle and a rough route has taken shape. This is by no means a set plan, and I'm sure we'll deviate from the route often as we find new things to explore. Having a rough idea of where we're going will be helpful in planning mileage, budget, bike maintenance, and other important details of the trip.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH26l4nsAcsNN24jqa_VwnC9s8IxH6mGh-YR25Fizyow0SNNZuii44Dpw1DqhkJBsVFo72zSsA0BH5hehuQHEIefaf11u4BirCdIm6rtlEdEp-7l_u5XHxsd8BskDagD4ZO2uMWvD0vl0/s1600/IMG_0558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH26l4nsAcsNN24jqa_VwnC9s8IxH6mGh-YR25Fizyow0SNNZuii44Dpw1DqhkJBsVFo72zSsA0BH5hehuQHEIefaf11u4BirCdIm6rtlEdEp-7l_u5XHxsd8BskDagD4ZO2uMWvD0vl0/s1600/IMG_0558.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<img height="55" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHgXdCJUyUFnkL823da5BAxcFANk4PPRYmQgaue7Sj3aQhq8UYY47IBy0xKMp53BgRKmwtOBB-0W7AJlQhrEurfivqjilVGBd537sMHDUtt0rjbv11cPqRIsga6ltc7pJ-ehKO8_k27E/s1600/IMG_0520_crop.jpg" style="left: 687px; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 590px;" width="96" />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNOtbmeJi-c0DbLZnpl5o4O2lAceYpTld3waMNKlBib6BhPRTbVzRwfvoonDnWkw78q5D2pAa9AfIcQtLe9shJwkmHU6z-FwAjo2d8fsgjAsvh1epAmiBG1warI9JVFbWD894b-l6rhQ/s1600/IMG_0482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieNOtbmeJi-c0DbLZnpl5o4O2lAceYpTld3waMNKlBib6BhPRTbVzRwfvoonDnWkw78q5D2pAa9AfIcQtLe9shJwkmHU6z-FwAjo2d8fsgjAsvh1epAmiBG1warI9JVFbWD894b-l6rhQ/s1600/IMG_0482.JPG" height="454" width="640" /></a></div>
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Brayde did a bunch of research on the <a href="http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel" target="_blank">CDC Traveler's Health</a> website for our upcoming trip. It took a lot of time, but she was able to compile a list of the countries we'd be visiting and the immunizations we'd need to be safe. It was a pretty big list.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0a5eqF1weCoyRUntD87UqGW5btOicUa3nqnCYUwnRXIzvUM2jmg4vwqug-owUjw4-irx4c75TsGktrORWWI9H6Yhofc3LhwITF3KBATCOrTLjuVcsjKIdRrL-3ClGIGzlXuik9sT3u8/s1600/IMG_0478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI0a5eqF1weCoyRUntD87UqGW5btOicUa3nqnCYUwnRXIzvUM2jmg4vwqug-owUjw4-irx4c75TsGktrORWWI9H6Yhofc3LhwITF3KBATCOrTLjuVcsjKIdRrL-3ClGIGzlXuik9sT3u8/s1600/IMG_0478.JPG" height="406" width="640" /></a></div>
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While trying to find my immunization records, I discovered that I had none. It has been many years since I've had any, so I have some catching up to do. I wasn't excited to get a bunch of needles stuck in me, but I made the appointment anyway for an advisory meeting and immunizations after. I brought in all the research Brayde had done, and the doctor also had his own computer system with recommended vaccines for different countries. He was very good about explaining which ones I need, which I didn't, and how it all was going to work.</div>
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Some of the new immunizations I was getting included Typhoid, Tetanus, Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, and Yellow Fever. To my relief, the shots were virtually painless, and some of the immunizations like Malaria and Typhoid come in the form of pills. The Hepatitis shots have one or two followup shots needed, so best to get these done well before your departure date.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjnzjCUySzmG10VyzxBkTrXf5plde6tnO6UiISayRZvW6l0JG1mLQLbVsEgU3mgT2X7g2_0MxJGutEhyphenhyphenA18hjGqRgaLiyUdfg1c2BCrUpR6qp9C_qSctJyojjT29K9d9EwjY52f_NoSI/s1600/IMG_0485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjnzjCUySzmG10VyzxBkTrXf5plde6tnO6UiISayRZvW6l0JG1mLQLbVsEgU3mgT2X7g2_0MxJGutEhyphenhyphenA18hjGqRgaLiyUdfg1c2BCrUpR6qp9C_qSctJyojjT29K9d9EwjY52f_NoSI/s1600/IMG_0485.JPG" height="448" width="640" /></a></div>
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The shot for Yellow Fever has to be administered by a certified shot-giver person, so I had to walk down to another office for that one. Some countries require proof of immunization for Yellow Fever if traveling from countries with known cases, so this was a good idea to get. You'll end up with this official-looking document to carry with you:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6z2-6Pj9p7CZTHRYY-itTINoMouA53WDoGbMWQ1OG_BlgSFT9cpk7ZYK7kmX9P1XBHjyZNN8CDuLM8dKMePgs_ApVO8t5gLx_6x09thEyYKBlb6ne0kLJvlfahdQvLT-C2n4KfXNPtE/s1600/IMG_0492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij6z2-6Pj9p7CZTHRYY-itTINoMouA53WDoGbMWQ1OG_BlgSFT9cpk7ZYK7kmX9P1XBHjyZNN8CDuLM8dKMePgs_ApVO8t5gLx_6x09thEyYKBlb6ne0kLJvlfahdQvLT-C2n4KfXNPtE/s1600/IMG_0492.JPG" height="640" width="494" /></a></div>
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Malaria pills can be very expensive depending on the type you need (i.e., in the hundreds of dollars). Luckily mine will be covered by insurance, so in the end, after a couple copays, I'm right on track. </div>
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With Brayde's insurance, her experience was a little different. They did not cover travel related immunizations, so everything had to be out-of-pocket. This is quite a bit of money, so had to be added to our budget. We'll both be much safer having the proper vaccinations though, so it is worth it.</div>
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When going on a big adventure, immunizations and health records might be the last thing you'd think of when planning but definitely a good idea, and something you'll want to start sooner rather than later.</div>
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<br />Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-47835789077106260372014-09-23T11:00:00.000-07:002014-09-23T11:00:03.544-07:00Brushing up on Spanish Skills<br />
More important than wrenches, spare parts, waterproof bags, or GPS units, <i>COMMUNICATION</i> is going be the most used tool during our trip. Without knowing the language, you're put at a huge disadvantage, especially when you get into situations that require negotiating, asking directions, or dealing with emergencies.<br />
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The last time we were in Mexico, we realized our Spanish skills were adequate for basic conversation, ordering food, and reading road signs, but if we were pulled over by police, stopped at a checkpoint, or had to get repairs done, we would be in trouble. This prompted us to start researching local Spanish language course options that would be compatible with our busy work schedules.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyWb4GQuABP4oVunXlWq4u1fCQOCxl-TJRXUO36I3gkpISR91PsFwYJow_5kqTIf0eXVE1uZg5JfE1GnI12LuP7fiS08umrAp_RGiZL2_MYUZ6TrLBB8hvsOKDeS7GBLuOEKB9x9Ih8k/s1600/IMG_0494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMyWb4GQuABP4oVunXlWq4u1fCQOCxl-TJRXUO36I3gkpISR91PsFwYJow_5kqTIf0eXVE1uZg5JfE1GnI12LuP7fiS08umrAp_RGiZL2_MYUZ6TrLBB8hvsOKDeS7GBLuOEKB9x9Ih8k/s1600/IMG_0494.JPG" height="400" width="332" /></a></div>
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After much online searching, we found a great fit in the Seattle area. We plan on taking 2-3 months of weekly classes with Marta from <a href="http://www.thespanishclasscafe.com/" target="_blank">The Spanish Class Cafe</a>. Marta's method emphasizes conversational use of language, always prompting us to speak Spanish, and participate in dialogue. I think she's as excited about our trip as we are, and she has made it a point to teach us how they say things differently in the various countries we'll be traveling in. This 1-on-1 attention is a definite bonus. After one month of classes, we noticed our vocabulary and comfort level growing and were excited to continue for another month or two.<br />
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Classes typically cost about $150 per person for a one-month session, including the book. For the two of us, this ends up using a significant portion of our budget, but in the long run, language skills should prove to be invaluable along our route. In fact, having stronger Spanish skills might even save us money along the way with price negotiations and more efficiently finding the good deals and places to stay.Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4071657717262955822.post-29867605330392097772014-09-18T11:00:00.000-07:002014-09-18T11:57:07.027-07:00Funding the TripProbably the biggest hurdle in our trip prep has been coming up with enough money to pull this off. No matter what anyone tells you, and no matter how frugal you are when you travel, it is still expensive--especially being gone for 4 months. Costs like food, gas, lodging, tires, ferries, flights, and border fees are unavoidable and add up real quick. Combine that with a home mortgage, taxes, car payment, utility bills, health insurance, and plenty of other monthly costs that don't go away when we leave, and our trip has become very expensive. This brings us to our first task: <i><b>Raise enough money to ride through Central and South America for 4 months.</b></i><br />
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Being an engineer in my previous life, I like to make Excel spreadsheets for everything. This actually came in handy for setting our budget. I was able to calculate our budget for the whole trip, including daily costs, the "back home" costs, flights, bike shipping, accessories, camping gear, and all other associated trip expenses. It was a BIG number. While this was a helpful tool for planning, I do realize that it will by no means be a reality, especially when s*** goes sideways. Anything to get us on track though.<br />
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While we could have created a Kickstarter campaign or put feelers out for sponsorship money, that just didn't feel right to us. This is our dream trip, an extended vacation if you will, so we didn't feel it was right to ask for anyone to pay for it but ourselves. As for ways to save up enough money for a 4-month trip, here are a few of the things we did:<br />
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<b>1.) Create a separate savings account.</b><br />
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A long time ago, we made a separate sub-account with our bank titled "travel." This is where all the money we saved up would live and only to be used for preparation items or the trip itself.<br />
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<b>2.) Liquidate.</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP97l2LxBzpcZM80VlxG9KPDqyGD2KuZdlD65oGBvhIs5WYSdo2-1N_J4rNc4Ea3mRA6qgMosWkAcrrZioqXijM3BAtL0HPSGuOsTjhQV55lxWxTHEfLcuOV27KYb6uIHnzsfreucL6Qs/s1600/image004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP97l2LxBzpcZM80VlxG9KPDqyGD2KuZdlD65oGBvhIs5WYSdo2-1N_J4rNc4Ea3mRA6qgMosWkAcrrZioqXijM3BAtL0HPSGuOsTjhQV55lxWxTHEfLcuOV27KYb6uIHnzsfreucL6Qs/s1600/image004.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a>
We may not have much in savings, but being motorcycle and outdoor enthusiasts we have quite a bit of "rolling stock" around we could liquidate. It's amazing how much money we all have tied up in "stuff." This was probably the hardest task for me, emotionally, but the fastest way to reach our goal. Through hours of work cleaning, photographing, posting, and haggling, we were able to sell our beloved Toyota truck, 4-wheel camper, dirt bikes, riding gear, and some other items, This put a HUGE dent in the total amount we needed to save. I kept telling myself each time someone drove away with one of our vehicles that we could always get another one when we come back, and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Easy to justify when you think about it.<br />
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<b>3.) Cut down on spending.</b><br />
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We realized that in order to actively put money into our savings account, we'd have to make a few changes. These included not eating out so often (also good for our health) and cutting back the purchases that aren't needed for the trip. We just have to keep telling ourselves, "I'll get that [new phone, pair of shoes, power tool, etc.] when we come back."<br />
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<b>4.) Rent out our house.</b><br />
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This one was a big deal. Not only does renting out our house help pay a part of the mortgage while we're gone, but it also puts someone there taking care of it and watching our cat. As far as trusting someone to do all that, we got pretty lucky, and a friend/coworker was looking for a place to rent at about the same time we announced our trip. In fact, he was even able to move in before our departure and will stay for several months afterward to further help with saving up for (and recovering from) the trip.<br />
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Those were our biggest tactics for coming up with the money, and it has been pretty successful so far. As of the time I'm writing this, we're just about to our goal. After this post about saving money, we'll have <em>plenty</em> of posts coming up about spending it. Stay tuned as the Willsons support the economy.<br />
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-Matt</div>
Matthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11282202359985124099noreply@blogger.com5