Colombia!

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'Nuff said - simply being able to come and ride through this fantastic country is a major result, as up until recently, there's no way that Foreign Office advice would have allowed an overland bike trip like this to take place (insurance etc). Here's the story since Panama...

Crossing the Darien Gap

This is one hundred miles of swamp and jungle that separates Panama from Colombia. For economic/geographical/logistical/political reasons (choose one or more of the above), no-one has yet built a road through it, so we had to park ourselves (and our bikes) into planes for the one hour flight to Bogota.

Riding Colombia!

The tourist industry for Gringos is steadily trying to get back on its feet here, after a number of years of 'issues'. Hence, the BMW bike dealerships in Bogota and Medellin were so pleased to see us that they got together and arranged for a posse of Colombian bikers to show us around the country for a few days. They strung together some fantastic routes linking Bogota, Medellin, Cali and Popayan, before escorting us to the border. We did a big PR event at Bogota BMW, where I gave a short speech in Spanish. No-one in the crowd took offence, so I'm guessing that I managed to avoid inadvertently suggesting that the group were enjoying their wives' and girlfriends' warm hospitality.

When on the road, there is some evidence of ongoing problems (ie sections of highway heavily guarded by the military), but the people are genuinely delighted to see you, and in some ways it's a pleasure to come to a country where the tourist industry hasn't yet been commercialised and commodified.

Ecuador next - hasta pronto!



Footnote - A great moment in the BMW dealership in Bogota. A local BMW bike owner (you have to be extremely rich, they are twice the price of the UK), speaking immaculate English, came up and warned me to be careful in Peru, as it is riddled with crazy drivers, crooked money changers, corrupt police etc etc etc. I explained to him that this was exactly what:

The Americans had said about Mexico.
The Mexicans had said about Guatemala.
The Hondurans had said about Nicaragua.
The Costa Ricans had said about Nicaragua.
The Panamanians had said about Colombia.

Classic stuff - I expect exactly the same thing will happen all the way down to Ushuaia!

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Photos

Meet Maurizio...
... king of bikers in Medellin. Do not trifle with this man.

Welcome to the Andes
Get used to the funny shaped mountain pictures - you've got two months of them to come...

A chat with the locals
Plenty of these guys by the roadside to make you feel safe. But strangely, they all seem to disappear when dusk descends...

Parque de Esculturas, Medellin
A superb modern city, with a fantastic collection by Colombian artist Fernando Botero

Load carrying, South America style
Has he fully risk assessed this situation?

Comments

[JMR]

You're blog has followers at Folio now! Re: what your BMW biker friend said about Peru, colleague issues warning. Don't go to Trujillo - it is, apparently, a nest of thieves ...

[Pablo Escobar]

I told you last time...
You get outta my damn country! Whoops, forgot I was dead. Sorry.

[Stephen]

Fantastic
Maxie, did anyone record you giving your speech on film? Priceless. Those Nicuraguan People's Popular Liberation Front lessons really paid off, and your new career as an international diplomat awaits - you wuz robbed by Obama for that peace prize. By the way, some advice for if/when you get home to Brook Green and Hammersmith: that area really *is* riddled with crazy drivers, crooked money changers, corrupt police etc etc etc.... Adios!

[Sophia Robb]

Keep on bloggin'....
Just a quick note to say thank you so much for the fantastic travelblogs - really enjoy reading them, even if not always able to fire back a note of appreciation from Prisoner Cell Block Slough. We did escape for a week to Corsica where [Note from Editor: This is my travel blog - forget your pale European, lily-livered trips.] Came back to mice nesting in my slippers (not cute, just unpleasant) and maggots falling from a beam on the landing. Anyone for a rent rise? Love to you both, S.x

[Mary/Harry]

Your bog from Blogota
Just thought we'd let you know that autumn must be on its' way over here, because your fish have asked for their autumnal rations which they now enjoy. Good luck to you both - keep on keeping on! XXXM and H

[Fat Debs]

Hey
Nice to hear you're still embarking on lots of adventure. In your "Chat with the locals", it looks like they are all wax works and you have just plonked yourself in the middle of them! I have no gossip this end, you are missing nothing back at work (apart from the fact that Wendy had a stroke but as far as I am aware she is well on the mend now). Ali is still Ali and I think Rich is settling in quite nicely. I am never in the office really, which suits me as the business plan still seems to be "Make it up as you go along"! Looking forward to seeing you next year. Lots of love to you and the mrs.. Fat Debs xxx

[Alison]

Glad to hear your spanish ... or your confidence is better than mine after a few weeks - whilst I was still speaking spanglish after 14 months living in Majorca!