Cartagena – Medellin

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Kev

After a two-day ride through the mountains we arrived at the one time murder capital of the world and home to the infamous Pablo Escobar. As we rode into this huge city built in a valley we were abused by a local taxi driver. Well at first we thought we were being abused but as he got closer it turned out all he was yelling was ,”WELCOME TO MEDELLIN”.

The first days ride here was cold wet and tiring, it took us six hours in the pouring rain to ride 300km. The roads through the mountains are like frayed twisted ropes that have just been dropped into place. There is a hell of a lot of traffic, mostly trucks shipping stuff to and fro, to the port of Cartagena.

Riding in Colombia is a lot like riding in Asia. The road rules are only there for a guide, the only rule obeyed is the one that states ” the bigger vehicles make the rules”. It’s not uncommon to ride into a corner and find two trucks fighting for position,  heading straight for you as they try to overtake each other on these narrow strips of bubbling concrete. You just have to do your best to try squeeze between them and whatever ending may be on either side. At times you have to jam on the brakes altogether and pull over off the side of the road. Its ok in the dry but in the wet bikes don’t stop too quick.

The next days ride was more exciting, the rain had almost stopped and there were dry  patches of road we could ride hard and fast on,  we were putting these trucks into the rear view as soon as we came upon them. We have also been sucked into the madness of Colombia driving, overtaking at speed into blind corners hoping for a meter wide space to open up if there is on coming traffic.

Along route we were stopped by the police a few times. The first time was so that they could detonate a live hand grenade that was found outside some ones house, about 200 meters down the road. They must have used TNT to blow it up because there was one hell of a explosion. The locals must be used to such sights because they didn’t flinch a muscle as the surrounding sand bags were blown to bits. We were soon on our way through the smoke-filled village. The next time we were stopped was because the police simply wanted a chat, they were only interested in the bikes and where we were going. They were searching other cars and frisking there drivers but laughing and joking with us. The only problem was that while they held us there chatting about twenty trucks we had just overtaken on these narrow mountain roads had passed us again. As soon as they let us go we overtook or should I say undertook a massive truck right in front of them but they couldn’t care less, we were causing no harm to anyone. Why cops in other country’s can’t use similar judgement for stupid road rules I’ll never know.

As we entered Medellin the chaotic city traffic engulfed us like the city smog. In no time at all we switched to “city riding mode” and prepared for the upcoming battle, and what a battle it was. Medellin, a city with a population of 3.3 million people is built in the middle of a mountain pass, it’s pretty narrow and incredibly long. The traffic is all squeezed together and funnelled down this central corridor. We met up with a crazy Russian a few days ago. He has ridden from NYC to here in two months, He can’t speak a word of Spanish not to mind English but has some how made it this far. We bumped into him again as we entered the city. He was bringing up the rear as we rode through the city chaos as fast as possible. Suddenly Mark who was leading (and who had the only working GPS) took a quick left turn without any notice. This left myself and Andre with no choice but to fly across a few lanes of traffic just to stay on track. If we lost Mark we would be swallowed up by Medellin. Unfortunately for the Russian he didn’t make it, he was funnelled into the unknown and we never saw him again. Medellin has him now, she may never let him go…

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Panama – Colombia

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Kev

Thirty countries over Five continents and counting…

We had to ride the bikes up a 200mm wide plank to get them on the catamaran. It was a little hairy to say the least, the boat was bobbing up and down and swaying from side to side all the while this was going on. It took about five guys to get each bike aboard. They were then lashed down to everything in sight. This made walking from the back to the front of the boat nice and difficult too, especially in the rougher seas. Our captain cleared immigration for us but I don’t think he bothered doing anything about the bikes. I think I’d better stay away from Panama for a while. 

We set sail for the San Blas Islands along the coast. There are hundreds of these islands on route to Colombia sheltered by coral reefs. Once we entered the reef the seas were calm and gentle. The Islands them selves range in size, from a bit of sand with a single palm tree to larger islands that contain a few houses inhabited by the Kuna people. These people live real primitive lives, existing on seafood and coconuts. They get about, travelling from island to island in dugout canoes. They can move surprisingly quickly in these tiny hollowed out trees when they want to trade with passing vessel’s for coca-cola and beer, mainly beer. We also purchased a bucket load of crabs and lobster off some of them for 20$, a pretty fine deal too.

We spent two days and nights sheltered in the reef snorkelling and spear fishing. As I was returning to the boat after the last hunting session I happened to spy something stir in the sand about ten meters below. I dived down quickly to get a closer look, there below me was a stingray hiding and half buried in sand. I wasn’t sure if there was any point in killing it, I didn’t even know if it was eatable. I returned to the surface and pointed the prize out to (the cheese eating surrender monkey) Kerman. He gave me a thumbs up so I dived back down. I knew I had only one chance and I knew the shot had to be between the wings and body. I got to within a metre of it and fired the trigger, nailing the stingray to the sea bed. They have a poisonous barb that was flailing about wildly so I just towed it back to the boat holding the gun firmly in my hand all the while making sure to keep an eye on  the barb making sure it didn’t get too close. Once we climbed on board and hauled it in Kerman quickly threw a towel on the barb and stood on it. I took out my knife and cut away the danger. The ray was then butchered and served up for dinner along with crab and lobster. I have found myself a new hobby I think.

After dinner we set sail for Colombia, the crossing was surprisingly calm and even enjoyable. Fritz had sea sickness patches, one of which I put behind my ear and I was almost perfect the entire crossing. We arrived into Cartagena around 1am but spent the night on the boat. That day we spent strolling the beautiful streets of the old city. It’s a beautiful city full of friendly helpful people. The next day we went back to the boat and removed our bikes. Getting them off was nowhere as hard as getting them on but it was still a difficult process. we then spent the day clearing the bikes through customs and getting insurance…

Tomorrow we head out to explore the country in the direction of  Medellin…

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Costa Rica – Panama

Posted on November 24, 2011 by Kev

I bid Chip Hasta la Pasta around 8am and headed off towards Panama. About ten minutes out-of-town who did I pass only Pierre, He must have walked most of the previous day and night to make it to where he was. I briefly stopped and exchanged pleasantries before hitting the road at the break neck speed of 80kph. The roads here are fine but there are cops everywhere, the speed limit is very low and enforced with 300$ fines.

I crossed the border with relative ease, it only took an hour for the whole crossing. I just gave a kid 10$ and he done all the running around for me, he came back periodically with forms for me to sign and to stick me in some cue of other. Best 10$ I ever spent. I was free in Panama and across the last difficult border in the last country of Central America. It’s also the 29th country on planet earth I’ve ridden my bike too or through.

I rode on through the lashing rain for another four hours until I finally reached a little town called Pedsai on the southern most tip of Panama. Here I meet up with Andre and Kerman, two other adventure riders I met in Guatemala. We had dinner swapped stories  over a few beers and planned the next stage of our Adventures.

The next day was spent swimming, eating coconuts and riding bikes on beaches around the peninsular. It was the first full day without rain in a long time. The first beach we came across was totally deserted; we had it all to ourselves. There were coconuts a plenty so lunch was free and delicious too. Pedsai is a nice little town full of friendly people, a great place to stay if you ever get a chance. Panama as a whole is a bit different from the rest of Central America. It’s more developed than all bar Costa Rica, the roads are mostly fine and the people are pretty friendly. So far the cops seem honest as well which is a big plus for us.

Tuesday morning the 22nd we took off at 8am after a hearty breakfast to Panama City. It was about three hundred km away and a very easy boring ride, two-thirds of which were on a motorway. Kerman got caught speeding and over taking on a double yellow line, apparently you’re not allowed to do that here. The cop that pulled him was nice and let him off with a warning. That didn’t stop us trying to make the most out of the ride, at one stage Andre was standing on his seat, motorways are so boring for motorcycles but it was the only way to Panama City. We entered the hot and humid city, crossing over the bridge of the Americas which spans the Panama Canal on route. We then spent an hour riding around in the 30 degree heat looking for the hotel we booked, when we found it I think we all wished we didn’t. I didn’t even go inside, I could tell from one look at the outside I wasn’t staying there. We searched a heap of other hotels in the area until we found one with a vacancy and safe parking for the bikes. We are all stuck in the one room, we can hear our neighbour’s TV,  and every move they make and the smell is just delightful. Being stuck on a boat with twelve other people for five days should be easy after this…

Our last day in Panama City was spent wandering about like idiotic tourists with cameras taking photos of anything that looked out of the ordinary. Unfortunately Panama City is just like any other Central American city. The old part was nice so we spent the afternoon there watching life pass by. The business district is the usual concrete jungle consisting of towering monstrosities engulfing the skyline. We didn’t even go there; a view from the distance was enough. It turns out that three out of the four of us don’t really like cities and would rather be anywhere else.

We did however go and visit the Miraflores locks on the Panama Canal. It was a little impressive for sure, there were a few ships passing through when we were there so we got to see them rise and fall like the Irish economy as the locks opened and closed. To be honest though we only went there for something to do, save yourself the effort and watch the documentary Discovery Channel made from the comfort of your lounge. You’ll even learn more that way.

We have a two-hour ride tomorrow before we load our bikes onto a catamaran, Colombia bound. We will spend four nights on-board and pass through the San Blas islands on route. It sounds like a sweet trip for sure. The boat takes twelve passengers, three of whom I already know. I just hope the weather’s going to be alright. All going well I’ll be free in South America on Monday next.

I’d just like to say thank you if could for all the kind messages from everyone lately. I don’t even know a lot of you (hopefully someday I will get to meet ye all) but your support is really appreciated. It’s been very hard to motivate myself to continue and to try to enjoy this adventure, your words of encouragement have really helped me to carry on through this difficult time.

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Nicaragua – Costa Rica

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Kev

I left Chiansomethingorother at 8am after a hearty breakfast of one slice of bread cut into four pieces with butter and jam. It was ok though it was included with the price of the room. I headed off across Nicaragua to a place not too far from the Costa Rican border, a little surfing town called San Juan Del Sur. On route I detoured to Masaya to see into a volcano. There have been volcanoes along Central America and I have ridden on heaps but this one you can ride right to the top and look right in. The smell of rotten eggs immediately invades the senses as you reach the top. There is a cloud of sulfur gas rising from the creator which is quite impressive, what’s more impressive is that there are birds flying around and actually living inside this poisons gas. 

I reached San Jaun around three pm. Whilst looking for accommodation with secure parking I bumped into a Texan on a BMW gs 650 named Chip. Chip was also looking for secure parking, just as we got chatting a women came out of the house we were parked outside. She had everything we needed, rooms; secure parking and a few mean looking dogs just in case anyone was to get over the 12 foot razor wire covered walls.
We explored the town until we found a nice restaurant and bar where we settled in for the evening. Chip’s an interesting and funny guy to say the least, originally from Texas but now he has no fixed address, he’s retired and spends his summers kayaking around the Caribbean islands sleeping on remote beaches in hammocks and his winters riding bikes around the Americas. We decide to ride out together the next day but it never happened, it turns out we both have a fondness for the Nicaraguan beer.We ended up staying two nights before leaving. Nice little place San Juan.

We crossed into Costa Rica easily enough the next day, this one was fairly slow alright but nothing compared to Honduras. We only had to grease one palm here and got through for about 40$ in about two and a half hours. I’ve only got one more difficult border crossing tomorrow, Costa Rica to Panama, after that it’s suppose to be plain sailing. There are truck drivers waiting on both sides of the border for up to three km, they must spend more time waiting to cross than driving. What a way to spend your life.

We headed into Costa Rica to a little place on the beach called Jaco. It’s just another surf town on the coast. A massive storm blew in so we went to the first restaurant we saw. A place called tsunami sushi where we dined on raw fish and beer for most of the night. The weather here is improving but it’s still rainy season. It’s generally wont rain too much from seven am till three pm so that’s the best time to ride but today we were only heading about one hundred km to a national park so we had a nice breakfast and took our time on the ride.
Along the way I passed a familiar looking guy. About seven weeks ago back in southern Mexico I had noticed this guy before. I was heading north to a little beach town at the time and he was heading south. I didn’t stop to chat with him back then, he looked like he was on a serious mission and did not want to be disturbed. He’s was wearing shorts runners and a bandana on his head. His torso exposed to the baking sun, his skin was like leather, and he a look of sheer determination on his face.
Today I passed this guy again, I thought to myself that can’t be the same guy but after a km or so I was convinced it was. I took off after Chip who was taking the lead and told him we must turn around and meet with this fellow. Chip was intrigued and immediately agreed. Anything out of the ordinary would be right up Chip’s alley. We headed back the road, parked up and waited for this mysterious character to arrive. As he did I had my camera ready and started to take pictures. The man immediately smiled, removed his hands from the trolley he was pushing and waved a friendly salute. I thought at least he’s friendly and introduced myself. I asked him if I could have seen him before in Mexico, he replied with a massive smile.
I’ve met a whole lot of crazy people on this trip. There are people who I am in complete awe of, people who I have the utmost respect for; there are people cycling bicycles around the world for no reason at all, they only make it about two hundred km on a good day, it takes some of these guys and girls up to three years to ride from Alaska to Argentina. There have not been too many but there out there. I feel compelled to stop and chat with these guys and pat them on the back. This guy today takes the biscuit though. He has taken me back to memories of India where I met a guy with bandages on his hands and knees rolling along the highways. He was being followed by a musical cart being pushed by his friends just to keep him getting run over.
The Guy I met today’s name is Pierre, he’s been heading south pushing a trolley from Prudhoe Bay Alaska for the last eleven months. Walking the length of Alaska would be a life time achievement for most but Pierre is on the same route as me and heading to the southernmost tip of the American continent, Tierra del  fuego. He must be averaging fifty km a day to say he’s made it this far in eleven months. He’s a lovely guy and a whole lot crazy. When he reaches the end of the Americas he’s planning on walking from Ireland to Hong Kong along the Silk Road. Pierre you’re an inspiration to us all. It’s what I’ve been telling poor people all around the world my whole life; if you don’t like being poor and don’t like where your living just walk. Just walk to someplace else, it can be done. Pierre couldn’t stop and talk for too long, after all he’s walking the length of two continents’ and will never get anywhere if he stops for two long with everyone he meets. We exchanged details, took some photos and said our goodbyes. People of Ireland keep an eye out for this man; he should be heading your way in about a year at the speed he’s going.

Afterwards we rode to a national park and to the beach where we explored for sloths but were unsuccessful. We did however see many giant iguanas. We have set up in the wide mouth frog backpackers for the night. I now have four day and only one border to cross before making the crossing to Colombia. I should be fine…

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El Salvador – Honduras – Nicaragua

Posted on November 16, 2011 by Kev

Throwing money at cops in Honduras is only bad idea if you don’t throw enough.

Leaving the sun-shining surfing shores of El Zonte behind I mounted up and headed for Honduras. The roads in El Salvador are fairly good compared to Guatemala so it was a nice three-hour ride to the border. There’s not as many dogs anyhow, definitely  more horses though but they’re easier to spot, they’re in much better shape than most cars here too.

The border area was the usual crap hole full of wandering leaches bidding for the last suck of blood from my body. Before I even stopped I must have had 15 of these leaches attached to me or my bike all with their teeth ready to suckle. Even so crossing out of El Salvador was a breeze, it only took 15 minutes. However as I had been warned crossing into Honduras was as fun as a box of frogs. It took two hours wandering about between oranges, apples and rubbish stamping this and that. Finally after almost all my cash had been sucked dry I was on my way, or so I thought .
As I rode out into Honduras I was stopped again by two cops. I was instructed to park in a nice shaded area so they could inspect all the paper work and my bike again. I decided to park right in the mid day heat so it might hurry things along but they had no interest in even looking at the bike. I handed over the paperwork and immediately one of them told me I had the wrong registration papers and demanded my licence. It was clear to me that if I wanted out of here any time soon I was going to have to pay so I just took five dollars out of my wallet along with my licence and fired it on the table in front of him. Next thing I knew I’m about to be arrested and have my bike impounded for twenty-four hours for attempted bribery. It turned out this cop could not be bought. They radioed for back up and a truck came to take me away.The thought entered my head to grab the first gun I could see and start blazing away but instead I just sat my self down and prepared for a night of luxury in some Honduras hell hole.

Just then his buddy appears and says I can get out of this if I’m willing to co-operate. Interesting I Thought, how to get off of a bribe charge, I’ll offer a bigger bribe. After all what else could they do? All I had on me without removing the lining in my jacket was ten Australian dollars. I handed it over along with the original five that one of them had hidden under his flask of tea and after showing them my now empty wallet they told me to get out of there and never try bribe a cop in Honduras again. I was told this isn’t Mexico you know.

I had originally planned on spending the night in Honduras but after that I decided I wasn’t going to leave another cent in the place so I rode the 150km to the Nicaraguan border and got the hell out of the country. The second border crossing went nice and smooth and I was free in Nicaragua about four thirty just as the heavens opened up. The roads are full of holes which are hard to see in the middle of a giant thunder-storm so I followed a truck into the dark of night to a town called Chinasomethingorother and got myself a hotel.
Tomorrow I head to the Costa Rica border but might not cross.

Posted in El Salvaor, Honduras, Nicaragua | 2 Comments

Return to El Salvador

Posted on November 15, 2011 by Kev

The journey back to El Salvador has been one of the hardest I’ve ever done; I almost turned back both in London and Chicago. The last few weeks have been the toughest of my family’s life. Luckily for us we have great friends and family to help us through. Thanks to everyone for your support. I won’t ever forget it. I didn’t make the decision to return easily but in the end I know it’s what my mother would have wanted. She never understood my reason for doing pretty much anything I’ve ever done but she always supported me. Although we lived on the opposite sides of the planet she would still ring me regularly to give out and tell me to “settle down, get married and give her grandchildren” but when I took to the road she would be my biggest fan, always wanting to know where I was, who I was with, where I was staying and what I was eating. I’ll always miss her and her support but I know in my heart she’s still with me… she’ll have a better view now as well…I won’t be able to get away with anything…

 
I returned to El Salvador this morning after a twenty five hour journey through four countries. My bike was exactly where I left it, in the care of Alex and family at Esencia Nativa in El Zonte (Esencianativa.com), which by the way if you’re ever out this way is a great place to stay. I dug my bike out from beneath the rubble, connected the battery backup and cranked her over. She struggled a little at first, not liking being awakened from her slumber but then roared back to life itching for road. I rode her round the pool and into the car park to give her a better inspection. It’s all good, even the tank is full. I repacked her entirely and loaded her up. I’m itching to get back on the road but after being awake for thirty hours I think it best to wait till morning.
I now have eight days to make it through El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama before catching a catamaran for a five day Journey to Colombia. This is the last sailing of the year and if I don’t make it I’ll have to fly myself and the bike. All going well it should be no problem …

Posted in El Salvaor | 10 Comments

El Salvador

Posted on October 24, 2011 by Kev

We had to leave Andre behind in Guatemala, his bike has been totaled. We stayed there another two nights with him and did what we could to help. Luckily for him he can afford to purchase another bike and hopefully he’ll catch us up as soon as he sorts out the paperwork and sells what’s left of his African Twin.
We left Guatemala city early Thursday morning escorted the 120km to the border by Juan and Ivan. I think they just wanted to make sure we got out of their country once and for all. Juan and Ivan have been great friends and support the whole time I’ve been in Guatemala, there two of the most wonderful guys you could meet. I really hope we can meet again some place some time.
I originally had planned on spending about 5 days in Guatemala but ended up staying almost 3 weeks. It’s a wonderful country with wonderful friendly people, I highly recommend it if you get the chance.

Hasta la Pasta Guatemala….. I hope to return some day.

Mark and Maggie and I crossed into El Salvador easily enough. It was the usual two hours of bullshit but fairly painless. We headed for a place called Tacuba in the mountains about 50 km from the border where we meet up with Nick, Ivanka and Glenn again. We spent the night at a place called Mamas and Papas in this tiny little town drinking beer and playing cards. El Salvador has been described by the UN as the most dangerous place on earth without a war but so far the people seem to be real friendly, even if they all carry guns. The police passed us last night all wearing balaclavas and carrying huge weapons which was a bit worrying though.

The next morning we took a few guides (www. Imposibletours.com) and headed out into the jungle in a 4×4 to go and explore. We drove through coffee plantations down some track (broke down and had to change vehicles) for about an hour, then hiked through the jungle for 2 hours until we reached a gorge and the river El Naranho. This is where the fun started.

We now had to descend through the gorge jumping and abseiling from waterfalls into the torrent of a river flowing through. We were the first people to do this since the rainy season started so it was new to our guides as well. There have been landslides and trees washed down changing the lay of the land since they were last there. Jumping into these rivers was completely nuts in parts. One of the guides had to jump first to see if it was OK, no one had any idea if it was until he jumped. Some waterfalls were too high to jump off so we had to abseil down through the flow holding on to an old rope for dear life. The last fall was a 60 meters drop but the water was too fast to jump into (luckily enough) so we abseiled down. I would really hate to get injured in there, the only way out would be by chopper for sure. It was then a two hour walk back through the jungle to the car, then another hour’s ride to the guest house where we were met with beautiful burritos and beer. Another cracked of a day…..  

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I have just received news that My Mum has passed away unexpectedly, I’m totally gutted and on my way to Ireland. Love you Mum

Posted in El Salvaor | 6 Comments

Antigua – El Salvador – Guatemala

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Kev

Is there any getting out of Guatemala? I think maybe not. Seven of us rode out on five bikes this morning around 9am heading for El Salvador. The morning was wet and humid but that was to be expected. The trip was exciting from the start, we were aiming for a beach town in Salvador about 250km away. My GPS (working again) had us getting there for 12pm, a nice short 3 hour ride.
It’s now 8pm and I’ve just booked into a hotel in back in Guatemala city a whole 40km away from the starting point of Antigua.

This trip sure is throwing some curve balls at me lately and today was no exception. First bit of excitement was the lack of a major bridge that should have been spanning a massive fast mud flowing river. No worries we thought we’ll just go another way,  about 5 km up the other road there was another bridge missing. Third time lucky I guess, we found one up a dirt track and we were back on course in no time, that was until we got to the border and discovered another bridge out. The weather has been causing chaos and destruction to this area lately, all the rivers are flowing full force sweeping everything from there path. This time we had to detour through the mountains to another border crossing around 60km away. The roads were wet but the surface was good so we were making good time considering all the obstacles.

I was taking the lead at this stage with Andre who’s riding an African Twin following a close second. It had now stopped raining for the first time all day but the roads were still wet. Just as I rounded a corner riding at about 70kph a God dam mutt ran right out in front of me. I swerved to avoid it only to have it run out into my pathway again. This time I completely lost control of the bike. First I was skidding sideways at a 45deg angle with both wheels parallel sliding down the road to the right, then  I was back up straight before fishtailing  and now both wheels were in  line sliding to the left. I was now on lying the tank hanging on with my legs and everything was a blur. I must have been skidding for about 10 seconds but it seemed a lot longer. The next thing I knew was I was winding the throttle fully back,  It was like someone else  had reached down and taken the controls and I was just along for the ride….It was either going to speed me into a barrier or get me out of the slide..thank’s be to God the latter worked! I finally regained my heart rhythm and control of my bike. I was so lucky to be on a great bike, anything else and I would have road rash all over for sure. That was the closest I’ve ever come to crashing without coming off. I’d hate to think what would have happened if there was any traffic coming the opposite direction.

Just then I glanced in my rear view mirror just in time to see Andre mimicking my every move.  He had been riding a little too close and when I hit the brakes hard he had too as well. At one stage he looked like he might also recover but he wasn’t as lucky and ended up flying through the air leaving his bike too tumble down the road. I managed to get out of the way, turn around quickly and rush to his aid. His panniers had burst open from the impact leaving his tools and stuff were all over the place. First thing he did was to run to the aid of his bike without any concern for himself. He tried to lift his bike and the pain kicked in, only then did he realize he was hurt. His bike hasn’t faired too well I’m afraid, it ended up flipping and landing right down on the forks, completely ruining them and the front wheel. The whole back of the bike is also twisted, I’m thinking it cold be a total loss.

Within a few minutes the rest of our party arrived along with heaps of locals who seemed to have emerged from the bushes. The police were called so Andre could document the incident and would be able to make an insurance claim in the future. When they finally arrived they instructed us to go to the police station. A local guy in a pick up truck kindly stopped and offered his assistance. We managed to get the bike into the truck with the help of everybody around and take it to the police station so a report could be filled out. When we got there we were told to go to another station. Finally Andre was told if he didn’t stop bothering them he would be locked up and we had to leave without a report.

I had called my friend Juan in Guatemala city and we had arranged to meet on the outskirts about 100km away. The local guy with the pick up truck agreed to bring the bike to the city for a price and after three more hours of rain we arrived cold and soaked. Juan and Ivan brought us to a bike shop that will look after the bike and try to fix it. Andre has hurt his right shoulder and left foot but in true adventure rider spirit is planning to ride on. Just on what, yet needs to be decided.

Sorry for the lack of picture’s lately, it’s been raining so hard there’s been no point taking any.

Posted in Guatemala | 7 Comments

Antigua

Posted on October 18, 2011 by Kev

Still here in Antigua awaiting bright dry sky’s. There have been land slides throughout the country and a lot of the roads are severely damaged. Fifty people have been killed so far in Central America and many more injured. Even though I’m thoroughly enjoying it here I can no longer sit still. I’m going to head off towards El Salvador on Tuesday morning regardless of the weather.

The Adventure must go on…..

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Panajachel – Antigua

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Kev

The power and the water finally came on at 8am but it was already too late. I had already been woken up by my own smell around seven thirty and jumped in the cold pool for a wash. Yesterday was one of the hardest days rides of the trip so far. Looking back now it was also a fantastic day, last night it was hell.

There was a hurricane along with a tropical storm approaching and we were pretty worn out so we spent the day in Panajachel watching houses and business getting washed into the river and swept out into the lake. The waterfall above the town along with all the rivers were flowing with mud and debris which made for an awesome but sad sight. There was also landslides along the two roads accessing town so we couldn’t leave even if we wanted. I spent the night tripping over the feet of a local bar manageress as she attempted to teach me to salsa.

The next morning we made an attempt to escape the ring of volcanos. We battled landslide after landslide but eventually made it over the top and out to freedom. However the storm has left a lot of roads washed out and bridges swimming so I’m not sure how free we are. I’m now back in Antigua assessing the damage and planning my route.

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