Who would have thought 2 hicks from Wyoming would be sitting in Bogota, Colombia?

We made it to Bogota this afternoon. What a beautiful city, surrounded by mountains and the weather is nice and cool and comfortable. After Panama's 90+ degrees today 60ish feels great. Only problem is neither one of us have a jacket or even a spare shirt with us. When we readied the bikes for shipping we packed as much on them as possible and that included our riding gear and liners, after all we are only going to apart for 24hours. But when we got to the shippers we found out it was going to be longer.... Oh well, back to the story.

Day:  23   February 6, 2012  Santiago to Panama City, Panama

Miles ridden: forgot to write it down, not too many tho.

Gas: $61

Lodging: $70 Hotel CentroAmericano, Panama City 

We were stopped at the Mc Donalds in Penomene when Saul came in and we visited and he offered to have us ride to the city with him. Saul was a BMW rider headed to Panama City where he lived.  He gave us information regarding cargo shipper.   He led us to within a mile of the hotel. Great riding with you, Saul, and welcome to the journey! 

We had planned on staying at the Hotel CentroAmerican until we left for Colombia but changed our minds, thinking it may be nice to be closer to the airport for getting the bikes to the air cargo place and getting to the airport for our flight.  We, also, plan of taking a ride to the “end of the road” in the Darien Region and thought that if we stayed on that end of town it would take some miles off of that ride.  As far as we know the ride will be about 360 miles round trip so every mile saved will help.  It will also make it so we do not have to fight the early morning Panama City traffic.

Since we got into the city early,  we needed to arrange air cargo and flights to Bogata, Colombia.  We made some phone calls.  We had bids over the phone and via emails for over $3000 to $2000.  We were interested in using Girag as several people we know had used them and were pleased with them.  Unfortuneatley, when I called them, the person on the other end spoke no English and had no tolerance for my poor Spanish.  This process was getting pretty frustrating so we decided to go out to the airport in the morning and talked to them in person.

Day: 24   February 7, 2012  Panama City to Tocumen, Panama

Miles ridden:  240 miles today and yesterday.

We went to the airport to arrange transportation of the motorcycles to Colombia.  We were having a hard time contacting Girag, others had used them and were pleased with their services.    We arrived at the cargo airport after stopping and asking directions twice.  It is easy to see but hard to find!  Once we got to the airport there was a terminal and we asked in there where girag was and air cargo pak.  The guard at the door was very helpful in showing us where to go.  There was a young lady, Jacqueline;

at the Girag office that spoke good English and helped us to get to the person we needed to talk with about shipping the bikes on Friday to Bogata, Colombia.  We need to have the bikes there about 8am, the bikes will fly out in the evening and we need to pick them up by 4pm on Saturday and it will be $902 per bike.  She turned out to be the "go to" person for us. 

We took a ride out to Chepo which is out towards the Darien; a small village.  We were able to make our flight arrangements while sitting on a park bench with free wi-fi.  I noticed there were signs posted that it was a free wi-fi zone.   We fly out of Panama City at 9am on Saturday on Copa Airlines.

Lodging: $176 at Hotel Riande… holy shit we are only staying here one night. (about one year earlier Dean and Lisa stayed here but they have resently remodled and just about doubled there rates) It would be so handy to stay here until we leave Panama but the cost is prohibitive. Carl was visiting with a taxi driver who told him about a hostel that is close to the airport. He took Carl there to show it to him, it is $35, air-conditioned, secure parking and close to airport. We will move after our ride out the Darien.

Day 25: February 8, 2012 Tocumen, Panama from Hotel Riande to Yaviza, Darien Region, Panama  to Tocumen, Express Inn

Miles ridden:  331

Meals: meat on a stick in Yaviza for 25 cents each

Lodging: Express Inn, a Backpacker Inn, Hostel $35 in Tocumen, Panama

Today we had wheels rolling at 6:15 AM, it was not quite daylight.  We felt we needed to get a good start as it was going to be a big day for us to ride out to the end of the road and back. There were 3 military checkpoints going out the Darien.  The first one they waved us through but the next one we had to pullover and they looked at our passports and wrote down our information.  They asked us where we were going and how long we would be gone.  The next check point was at Meteti and at this one they brought us into the office, airconditioning was welcomed, questioned us and gave us a very serious talking to about the importance of staying on the road and not going past Yaviza.  We explained that was our intention.  The one young soldier spoke very good English and seemed very respectful of this matronly like motorcyclist so it was my opportunity to ask to us the bano. I had noticed several female soldiers and this seemed to be more of a post than just offices.  He escorted me over to the bano and it was very clean, needed and much appreciated.  He told us that we needed to check into the military post in Yaviza when we arrive there.  In ways this was unsettling yet comforting.  I do not suppose it would look good for tourism in Panama if the headlines read “Grandma and Grandpa abducted by banditos in the Darien”.
a little store we stopped at and had a soda and a pastry for breakfast!  Breakfast of Champions!One of the colorfully painted buses.  These are old school buses from the US.  some of the paint jobs can cost up to $3000!

 one of the many military guys along the road

The ride out to the end of the road was hot and humid.  The road was paved all the way with some areas of frequent potholes.  There was patch of construction that was about 10 miles long.  On the way out they were just starting to work and the road was fine, just needed to weave in and out of the heavy equipment.  On the way back, there was a section that they had just graded with these big hard, rolly dirt clods that were very difficult for me to do.  When Carl went through I noticed him fish tailing and that put me on guard and could not pull out in front of the truck that would have put me right behind Carl at the front of the long line of vehicles.  The thought of pulling in front of the truck, wrecking and him running over me stopped me dead in my tracks which meant all of the cars behind me passed me.  I thought that may be better because they would be breaking up these hard dirt clods.  No, they did not!  So here I go, both feet down, paddling my way through what felt like miles and miles, with Carl in my ear cheering me on “take your time, you’re doing good”  and the construction guys hollering at me and waving hurry up and me cursing “ you son of a bitch can’t you see I am an old grandma and my feet barely touch the ground!”   Carl defended them by saying that with my full face helmet and gear on they could not tell I was a female. Guess, he is right.

There was concern about running out of gas on the way out the Darien and back so we packed our extra 4 gallons with us.  There were at least 5 gas stations out there with one on the very end. 
 

It was an uneventful ride out and back and now we can say we have been as far north in North America (Prudhoe Bay) and now as far south in North America as you can drive.  Now we must accomplish the same in South America so we will be shipping the motorcycles to Bogota, Colombia in the morning and we will fly out the following morning. Downtown Yaviza, Panama   How exciting!

We checked out to the Hotel Riande ($176 per night!) and checked into the Hostel Express Inn which is out in Tocumen between the cargo and passenger airport.  About 2 miles from Cargo and a 15 minute walk to the passenger airport.  The hotel is very basic but is air conditioned and clean.  The location is not very handy for shopping or finding something to eat, tho.    We will be here 3 nights. Wow, there is a loaded down Ducati parked here with Florida license plates!

Day: 26   February 9, 2012  Tocumen, Panama

Miles ridden: 10

Lodging: $25 Express Inn, Tocumen

Today is the day we planned as a cushion in case we needed two days to ride out to the Darien and back.  Since we did it in one, we will rest today.  Not much to see or do in Tocumen. 

While I was out in the lobby of the hotel out comes a young man carrying a pair of well used motorcycle boots.  I say “you must be the guy on the Ducati.”  He says, “how could you tell?”  Enter Ruy Nesti aka Gustavo to our adventure. 

Ruy is originally from Brazil, has been living in the US for 12 years and is on his way back home to Brazil.  He is using Girag to ship his bike to Bogota, also.  So, we go along with him to make sure our reservations and paperwork are all taken care of and take advantage of someone who speaks English and Spanish.  Ruy’s bike is being droped off on Thursday morning and shipped on Thursday nite ours will be droped off on Friday morning and shipped on Friday nite as planned.  We leave his bike at the air cargo and he rides my bike, I hop on the back with Carl and off we go back to the hotel.  Later that evening we went out to dinner at the Metro Mall.  It was a 3 story mall with as much glam and glitter as any mall in the USA. The food court had everything from McDonald’s to Dairy Queen, we went with a place that sold barbequed ribs and chicken.  Very good.

Day 27:  February 10, 2012  Tocumen, Panama

Miles ridden: 2

Meals: walked over to the airport to eat and use internet

Lodging:  $25 Hotel Express Inn Tocumen

We took the bikes out to the Girag early in the morning.  Took the antenna’s  and mirrors off, packed our riding gear into a bag and latched them down to the seat with a locking cable, packed our boots in the panniers, safely stowed the antennas and the “stick” and then found out that the bikes will not be able to fly until Saturday afternoon and we will not be able to pick them up until Monday morning.  Oh well, little bump in the road, we will have an extra day in Bogota.  Maybe we will do some sight seeing.

Both of us are on the home stretch of a cold so having these couple of rest days has been good.  We have gone to the pharmacy a couple times trying to get something to help.  The first time when I was hacking and coughing all night (for 3 nights) I got a bottle of pretty good cough syrup.  The pharmacist did not speak English and I was trying to play charades telling her my symptoms.  This seemed to help.  The next time we went to the pharmacy I had plugged ears, and Carl had been coughing all night (for 2 nights).  She gave us 6 pills that I think were a decongestant.  The liquid that she gave Carl for his cough did not help at all and I do not have a clue what it was but it did not help, much.  I was surprised how much it cost tho, about $20 for 6 pills and the bottle of syrupy stuff.

Day 28:  February 11, 2012 Tocumen, Panama to Bogota, Colombia Adios Central America, us at the airport in Panama

Miles ridden: 0 the bikes are flying today to Bogota

Exchange rate: $1USD=$1760.00 Colombian Pesos

Meals: Quiznos breakfast sandwich in the airport and then the airlines fed us breakfast.  Did not think that happened anymore!

Lodging: $72 or $349,600 Colombian Pesos; Hotel San Francisco, Bogota, Colombia

How many bottles of Oil of Olay does it take to travel through Mexico and Central America?  I bought a fresh new bottle before leaving home, left it in Todos Santos with the rest of our toiletries, replaced it and now got it taken away from me at the airport since it was over 100 ml, so I will be buying bottle number 3!  I completely forgot about the liquid thing so lost our shampoo, conditioner, lotion, that good natural soap Morgan and Eva gave me before we left home.  I remembered to remind Carl to pack his pocket knife in his bike, tho!

Now we are at the hotel in Bogota that Dean and Lisa stayed at.  It is in the middle of old Bogota hotel district. The hotel is under major construction in the lobby area, did not know if it was even open at first.  The desk clerks were standing there with masks on, the workers were painting and sanding.  It is pretty much a mess.  What is with these places Dean and Lisa went to now a year later need to be renovated. The room is very nice although I am not getting internet, yet.  Must venture down and get that figured out and buy Oil of Olay!