Riding thru South America
hey just trying this thing outHola chicos. I hope all is well with you. For first time visitors I am currently riding a motorcycle from Cusco, Peru to San Francisco, California.
In Lima we had a guy fabricate boxes to the side of our bikes. These boxes have caused us to hit many thing in our travels so we decide to play a game for everything you hit you owe the other person a beer and if you hit the other person you two. We have not had an accident since. On the road we head to trujillo 12 hours later we arrive. The next day we go to huanchaco beach, supposedly the longest left in the world, but there is no surf to be found. Next day we head(hungover) to mancora, 10 hours on the bike. Sweet little beach town.
Next day not much going on, decide to leave for Ecuador the next day. That morning hung over we get ready to leave......but the surf is firing. Head high and perfect. I surf twice, eat tons of cebiche, go to mud baths, see live reggae band, smoke bowls on the beach with some muisicians. What a wonderful day. The next day we head to Ecuador we stay in Cuenca. two days later we are in Quito. Run a bunch of errands meet tons of beautiful woman. We leave for a four day excursion in the jungle. It was Nathan´s Idea, i figured it would be cool. Man was I wrong, it was insane. We did it all. We swam in the same waters as coral snakes, crocodiles, piranhas, while were fishing for them. I ate piranha sushi. In one day we visited a shaman medicine man who does ayahsca ( halucinigen) to heal people, we bought some for the night. Continuing, I held an Anacanda, swam in a lake in the Amazon, climbed lake trees, and did some Tarzan action. In the night, we got within a couple of feet of a crocodile ( in the water I might add, check out the pics) and finished the evening with hours of visions and halucination. What an unbelievable epic day. We left the jungle refreshed and free of all worries in the world. I know it sounds cheesy, but I feel so free on this trip, like im growing as each day passes. I wish I could pass the feelings I have to each and everyone of you. In two days I will be crossing the border into Columbia. They say it is very dangerous, but I feel if its your time to go, go happy. right.
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3500 km so far
A quote from someone well travelled in Columbia.
Colombia suffers an average of 3,000 kidnappings every year more than the rest of the world combined. Thats 80% of the kidnappings in the world. The ELN and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC, have been battling the government for 39 years and are responsible for most of the abductions. Violence pervades every part of Colombia and it is nothing like New York. In Cali an attempted assasination (five bullet fired from the back of a moto through the windscreen of the target's vehicle) went down 1/2 a block from where I was buying t-shirts... There were murders happening every few days within six blocks of where I was staying, in one of the more relaxed parts of town. In Medellin, Baranquilla, Santa Marta, Cartegena and Manizales I continually witnessed incidents of violence which, while unexceptional to the locals, are unnerving to westerners. Stay on the main roads.
F uck the free world
Colombia
We left Quito refreshed and ready as we will ever be for Colombia. We stop at the border town of Tulcan. Not much there but only 6 km away from the border now. We wake at 5:30 for what is said to be one of the more dangerous portions of the trip. Southern Colombia is said to be wrought with dangerous guerrilla factions. Nice ride and no problems. Around noon I realize I left my ATM card and my ID in the hotel. Since I have a credit card I can get cash with, another ID and since it was a dagerous part to ride in, we decide not to go back for some stupid ATM card. We arrive in Popoyan around two or three in the afternoon. Its a sweet little college town. We meet an angel in the first ten minutes we are there. Hang with her for time in popoyan, she is Nate and I´s tour guide. At night I end up in the street partying with like thirty locals well into the morning and have no Idea where Nate is. In the morning we leave for Cali. On the way nate was hit by a semi truck. It totally screwed up his side box, but at least he didnt go down and wasnt hurt at all. Spend about four days in Cali. Party hard in disco´s buy some junk, but its sweet junk because its colombian(yea im claiming, *** you can claim when you come to colombia. Im buying the colombian yo yo for goodness sake.) Go to crazy house parties, last night I meet rad black girl, looks like a barbie doll. cool chick. The people in this country are so nice its unbelievable. Nathan got a flute for free, vendors dont give out stuff for free, its not normal. Next we leave for Meddllin, the second largest city in Colombia and the drug traffic capitol of the world, whew hew. The ride from Cali to Medellin was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, I cant even put it in words. The dangerous part was keeping your eyes on the road it was so beautiful. It was like, lord of the rings at the end where they have bright amazing colors and green rolling hills (the shire) thats kinda what it was like in hollywood, but real and ten times better. I think its like in California how we tell foriegners that we have lots of Earthquakes to keep them away. I think Colombians do the same with Guerilla's. Oh yea on the way this truck trying to pass another truck on a mountain road almost smaked Nate and I. No shoulder nothing staring down the barrel of a shotgun called Dodge Mack. We run into the side of the mountain very narrowly escaping a head on collision. A little shaky! Finally decide to use lonely planet to find a hotel, bad Idea. Spent forever looking places didnt have what we needed (garage for bikes). Lonely planet sucks, dont ever buy it my friends. Not much to do in Medellin but party. First night we get into a fight in the bars. Nate got lunged at, but handled the dude very well I might say. I came in from the side to "break things up if you will". The guy had no buisness or reason for doing it but whatever the guys here are real machismo sometimes. That sounds so sweet, my first fight in Colombia, hopefully the last. We have been partying like rock stars and man what a place to do it. Today sept 17 we are going to check out this sweet water park, should be fun. I have to say Ive been to about 25 different countries and Colombia.........takes it. We may be riding blades edge by being here but this place is the most epic place ever, its got it all. Im coming back for sure and understand why people fall in love with it. Its got such a mystic I cant even explain. I will be heading to the famousa Cartagena soon. From there it is impossible to pass to Panama. There no roads in the Darrien pass and heavily "guarded" by Guerillas. We must find a ship or take plane will figure it out later. I will post pics in cartagena in about five or ten days. Feel free to e-mail me or leave comments below on the website. Iove hearing from you all, it keeps me in reality if you will.
siempre verdad
Rien Send Picture as a PostCard.
hanging out with Nate in the amazon
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Side of the road in Colombia