As we got closer to the Colombian coast the waters finally calmed down and we could see the lights of Cartagena just as the sun set. Early the next morning the boat’s crew started unloading the bikes at a nearby dock until the workers decided to stop the process because some of the papers where…Continue Reading “Colombia: From The Caribbean Cartagena to the Highland Villages”
Last border crossing in Central America (yay!) into Panama was easy as pie, but still took 4 hours, due to the usual slow bureaucracy. Glad to have made it this far through Central America we were also looking forward to reaching a new continent. Our group sped along the straight and rater boring roads through…Continue Reading “Panama: Beach House & Stahlratte Sailing to Colombia”
Crossing the border into Costa Rica as a group was fun and went smooth until the border guys started fooling with us! They sold insurances to 3 of us, and then declared to take a 30 minute break just before Flo could get his. Followed by him having to make random copies of the outside…Continue Reading “Costa rica: Jungle Camping, Mountain Backroads and Beach Time”
Finally entering Nicaragua after the border hassle and a 100 km ride down perfectly paved roads, we reached the town of Esteli. But luck was not on our side. In the middle of the night Flo developed a high fever and after three days of no improvement and Kate having diagnosed him with every tropical…Continue Reading “Nicaragua Down-Time”
Leaving Guatemala well-prepared for the border crossing into El Salvador we were excited to enter a new country and also a bit tense because of the bad reputation. We actually quite enjoy border crossings, making it a game finding out where to go and what to do. The border guys were really friendly, but took…Continue Reading “Border crossing marathon through El Salvador, Honduras and on to Nicaragua”
The border crossing into Guatemala was easy going. Similar to entering Mexico there is a lot of going back and forth to different offices (see our border crossing guide for further details). The customs officers were really friendly and even gave us a map of Guatemala. After 2 hours we were ready to enter the…Continue Reading “Guatemala: Spanish at Lake Atitlán & Volcano Pacaya adventure”
From Oaxaca heading south down to the coast we were finally rewarded with an absolutely amazing ride. The road lead through the Sierra Madre del Sur leading over misty mountains along twisty roads passing many rural villages. This was the most beautiful ride so far in Mexico! Our stop for the night was in San…Continue Reading “Mountain twisties to the beach and ruins in the jungle of Mexico”
The ferry from La Paz arrived early and we rolled quickly off into the morning hustle and bustle of Mazatlán. We hoped on to the cuota (toll road) to head out of the city, along the coast to Ruiz. The last few miles on backroads we were expecting banditos or corrupt police to jump out…Continue Reading “A taste of Tequila and first steps in mainland Mexico”
Before crossing the border a short visit to GPR was on the agenda to get the steering dampers serviced. The guys were really helpful and after 20 minutes we were back on the road again. Leaving safe grounds of the USA new adventures where awaiting us! Crossing the border at Otay Mesa near Tijuana was…Continue Reading “The Baja California–Hello Mexico!”
After indulging in Las Vegas it was time to jump back on the bikes. The plan was to stay with a fellow ADV rider near Palm Desert to get the bikes ready for crossing into Mexico. Heading south through the Mojave Desert clouds were pulling up and a storm was forming in the distance. It…Continue Reading “Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree National Park & Palm desert”