"OBSTACLES CANNOT CRUSH ME. EVERY OBSTACLE YIELDS TO STERN RESOLVE. HE WHO IS FIXED TO A STAR DOES NOT CHANGE HIS MIND". Leonardo da Vinci

We set off this morning to customs arrived at the office and it was unbelievable but they actually sent us to another customs office further back. I saw a police officer there and told him that he had checked our papers he could have told us the exact office we needed to be at. We go to the supposedly, correct office at tell the bloke in there that we were sent her and he tells us he has no idea what for it was not the correct place. I exploded, couldn't take it anymore and told him that we had been sent here, there and everywhere for the past 2 days. All you have to do is stamp and sign all these documents, without hesitation he began. Shorty suggested we get the passports done too, so we did. We thanked him and left to the next place where we were okayed and passed thru. Now we were back at Girag, and the manager that was there yesterday was not there today, instead there was a lady. The manager had suggested we keep the bike there for a few days while we visited cartagenta and medellin and reunite in bogota. So now the lady was asking for all the papers needed and in addition our plane tickets to bogota. I mentioned that it was not asked of us yesterday, she said well that we needed it. I said well what if i do that return and the next person asks me for another document will i ever be able to get out of here, we argued a bit more i mentioned she says one thing the manager says another, she made us wait about an hour and then were asked to empty the petrol put of the bike. We paid $US551.50 (1.50 for the photocopy of 100 dollar bills that need to be signed by the payee). We didn't disconnect the battery, put the mirrors inwards, attached the helmets to the seats and loaded the side storage with stuff. I gave a security guard there some of my belongings (tent and inflatable matress) i had not used and was just making for heavy baggage. Finally, we put the bikes in the warehouse and we went to the international airport of Tecumen. At Copa Airlines we got two tickets, executive class was all there was available, $US300 each ready for take off at 3:10pm. In a way shorty and i are glad to leave Central America a place of heavy bribery. I must acknowledge that there are many friendly people as well, particularly Zully, who without her help things could have been worse. Besides when i called her and said i was the old dude in the motorbike from this morning she remarked that the only thing old around here was the wind.
When we got on the plane we were seated in tourist class then a little while later we were called on the loudspeaker to be seated in business, where we had some food and wine on a 55 minute flight. We took a cab to our hotel for 10.000 pesos ($US5). Hotel El Viajero had only two rooms left a single, which i took for 45.000 CoP ($US25) and Shorty took the double for 80.000 Colombian Pesos ($US43), we took a stroll on the boardwalk and everything was looking great, we felt gooood!
From the air i saw the Islands of San Blas, i had wished to spend some days there having the ferry carry Angelina and i to the place, luckily it didn't happen that way as i hear (from Zully) apparently the sailboat cannot get to the island, as portobello has no port, so they put the bike onto a dinghy, no thanks!
AT LAST SOUTH AMERICA - CARTAGENA
SAME TEXT HERE IN SPANISH: Dia 26 sabado 23

Salimnos a las ocho con todos los papeles a la aduana, de no creer, nos mandaron a otra aduana mas atras, regresamos a la primera garrita, le dije al milico nos pedistes el pasaporte y un monton de datos, nos podias haber dicho que teniamos que venir a esta aduana, entro en la oficina, le dije que nos habian mandado aqui, y el tipo me dice no yo no se nada tiene que ir mas adelante, ahi explote, le digo amigo nos tienen de aqui para alla desde ayer, estos papeles usted los tiene que poner un sello y firmar y empezo a sellar todo los documentos que le dimos y shorty me dice vamos a darle los pasaporte tambien y se los dimos y mas sellos, agradecimos y nos fuimos a la otra aduana que nos señalaron sigan sigan esta todo bien, fuimos a girag no estaba el encargado del dia anterior que nos dijo que podiamos dejar la moto por un par de dias y despues la mandaba cuando nosotros estemos cerce de Bogota, ya que queriamos conocer Cartagena y medillin
esperamos y llego una mujer con actitud diciendome que teniamos que haber comprado el pasaje a bogota y despues venir, y le digo y si hacemos eso y llegamos aqui y tu nos dice ahora necesitas este otro papel, y no podemos llegar a tiempo, discutimos por un rato le digo usted me dice una cosa y ayer el otro encargado me dice lo opuesto, esperamos como una hora nos pidieron que sacaramos la gasolina, le sacamos un poquito y ta pagamos 551.50 que le sacaron fotocopias de los 100 dols bill y me lhicieron firmar la copia,la bateria no la desconectamos y pusimos los espejos para adentro, las metimos en el galpon, le di a un negro guardia me carpa y el colchon inflable, atamos los cascos en el asiento de atras y los costados llenos de cosas, con el bolso de la moto y mi vieja mochila tomamos un taxi para el aeropuerto internacional Tecumen fuimos a Copa Airlines y sacamos dos pasajes en ejecutivos que era lo unico que habia por 300 dol cada uno, los dos contentos de salir de este continente de coimeros, tranquilos esperando nuestro vuelo a las 3.10.
Tengo que aclarar que encontramos mucha gente simpatica y honesta una pena es la minoria, Zully la tarde uqe la llame por el bote, le dije hola soy el viejo en moto de hoy de mañana, usted es un señor me dice viejo es el viento.
Al fianl nos pusieron en clase turistica pero comoda, al ratito por los altavoces mi nombre y el de shorty , nos ofrecieron ejecutivas, alli fuimos y al ratito nos trajeron comida y vinito por un vuelo de 55 minutos, la azafata pura sonrisa y agradeciendo que volaramos con ellos, nos tomamos un taxi por 10.000 al hotel El Viajero mi cuarto 45.000 el de shorty con aire y doble por 80.000 lo unico que le quedaba, salimos a caminar un rato por la costa y todo de entrada nos cayo bien. Desde el aire vi las islas San Blas que iba a pasar un par de dias en el velero pero con o que me dijo Zully que ponian las motos en un dinghy y despues como diez hombres la ponen en el velero ya que en Portobello no hay puerto, no gracias,