26 October 2011A 240 mile day with two border crossings. The crossing from El Salvador to Honduras was OK but slow. The real problem was the crossing from Honduras to Nicaragua. We were ripped off by the police with a phony $45 road tax. Fancy paperwork and all. This was the Honduran police. Once we cleared in to Nicaragua I went through the paperwork and realized they had pulled all the 'fancy' paper work. A real slight of hand.
29 October 2011A day to remember. They are celebrating the founding of the city with all sorts of stuff going on in front of the hotel. Walking back from getting a haircut I was pushed from the back by what I thought was a drunk. This was about noon. Stopped at a local coffee shop for a coffee and discovered when I went to pay that my wallet was gone. Then it became clear to me what had happened with 'the drunk'. And this was with all kinds of cops working the event.
27 October 2011A 262 mile day and enty in to Costa Rica. No rip offs but 3 1/2 hours due to long lines at every window. Gas is very expensive in Costa Rica.
30 October 2011Today we rode 113 miles from Quepos to Ciudad Neily. Came down the coast on Highway 34 and then merged with Highway 2 to Ciudad Neily. Departed at 09:15 and arrived here at 12:35. No rain but clouds building for the afternoon showers.
We're staying at the Hotel Centro Turistico Neily. Its about the only decent hotel in town. Good Wi-Fi. The hotel restaurant is closed on Sundays so we ordered chicken dinner from a local chain we're seen for the last few days. Good dinner and not too expensive for Costa Rica. The gasoline is very expensive.
31 October 2011Today was 67 miles, in heavy rain, from Ciudad Neily, Costa Rica to Boquete, Panama. We departed at 09:00 and arrived in Boquete at 12:30.
The border crossing from Costa Rica in to Panama took 2:10. We were just ahead of the swarm or it would have been maybe 3:30. Dumb luck.
They required a $2 fee to fumigate the bikes, in the pouring rain, so they could be brought in to Panama. Go figure.
We staying at the Valle Del Rio. Nice place and good Wi-Fi but only in the lobby.
2 November 2011We left at 07:00 today to beat the afternoon thunder storms. Its about 25 miles from Boquete to highway 1 and the road is being made from a two lane to a four lane. Slow going but it'll be great when its done.
Heading to Panama City we saw National Police Moto Cops every three to five miles. They have handheld radar guns. Doesn't much matter as they decide to pull you over and come up with a reason. We were five miles under the speed limit and most everyone was passing us and they'd pull us over for 'speeding'.
2-8 November 2011We'll be here November 2-8.
Tired to go to the airport (PTY)_on 3 November but its their Independence Day and so many of the roads were blocked for parades that we couldn't make it. Hard to believe but the road to the airport was closed. We tried again on the 4th and made it. I spoke with the Girag Air Cargo folks. We'll bring the bikes out to the airport on Monday, the 7th, pay the $902, (cash only) they'll put them on pallets, do the paperwork, etc. and the bikes will 'fly' to Bogota (BOG) on the 8th at 06:00.
1 November 2011Today is a rest day in Boquete. We tried to make it to the volcano but when we got to the view point, about 8 miles, it was clouded in. To get to the base of the volcano was another 7 miles on a very poorly maintained, twisty mountain road and we figured it just wasn't worth the risk. And it was no fun to ride.
Had a great Italian dinner with Dan Porter at his favorite restaurant.
We stayed at the Valle del Ria Inn. Nice place but the Wi-Fi only worked in the lobby. No fun.
7 November 2011Took the bikes out to Girag Air Cargo today for shipment to Bogota on Tuesday. The process took from 10:00 to noon. Not bad as some border crossing have taken over four hours.
Total cost $902 (cash). Required two copies of: title, registration, passport and aduana.
The fee is set so they don't weight the bike. Put it on a pallet so the windshield, mirrors and panniers can stay on.
Easy process. No help needed. The hard part is finding the air cargo area of the airport.