Central America

The next stop in Costa Rica was Arenal, a small town situated at the base of an active volcano, the town maybe small but it’s a major tourist attraction, and there were a lot of coaches coming in for the day for the two main attractions of the volcano visitors centre and the waterfall.

The cloud was covering the Volcano in Arenal

I opted for an early walk to the waterfall, which was about 9km from the town. It’s the last 2km that hurts as it climbs steeply up to the top of the falls. You then have to go down the 500 steps to the bottom!! Once there the decision had already been made that although I only had the shorts I was wearing I was goig for a swim. The lovely cool fresh water was a relief from the already hot and humid day, and at the time I got there only a few people were there. As I left however three coach loads had arrived and were making their way down the steps.


The top of the waterfall


The bottom of the falls and a nice pool to cool off

The next morning we left early in the rain, and headed for the border with Nicaragua. All the stories about the process involved in crossing these central American borders are true. It’s not easy and you will have to visit four or more different windows to get various things stamped or pay for photocopies. I have been lucky traveling with Ben in that 1. He speaks very good Spanish, and so has the ability to determine the process very quickly and 2. At any point there was somebody watching the bikes for security. After four hours we were through and into Nicaragua, and another three hours of riding saw us three quarters of the way across the country and looking for a place to stay the night. As we rode into the outskirts of the town we saw a “motel” that looked alright. As it turned out it was one of the “love” motels that are fairly abundant across the country. So you can either have the room for two hours, or all night. Having said that the place was very clean and the security for the bikes was good, and all night was $20. Dinner that night was interesting as we ate at a roadside stall. Wild rice and beans with a skewer of (very chewy) beef. But the bill came to $1.50 and I went to bed full.

An early start the next morning and we were heading to the Honduras border. This was the one that by all accounts was to be the hardest and potentially the most corrupt. We were there by half past ten. After Ben had fended off all the “helpers” that immediately surround you, I stood guard while he set off to establish the process. He was soon back with the good news that the officer would do both bikes together. In the end we were only there for three hours. Again another three hours riding saw us three quarters of the way across the country and pulling into a small coastal holiday town. We got a nice room in a hotel where the rooms were actually out over the ocean. We were the only ones in the hotel, and we were also the only ones in a small restaurant just along the road, where I had a whole fish stuffed with seafood and rice and salad for the princely sum of $15. Needless to say I went to bed happy again that night.


The hotel over the ocean. Welcome to Honduras


A walk round town before the sun goes down


Out of Honduras. The border was quiet

Another day, and another border. This time a very early start and we started to climb into the hills heading for the border with El Salvador. We had deliberately picked the middle of the three border crossings in the hope that it would be relatively quiet. We weren’t disappointed. We got there at 08.30 and we even beat the Aduana office opening. Two hours was all it took to get out and into El Salvador. Very quick, although I can imagine that later in the day or one of the major crossings on the Pan American highway could be a lot worse.


Into El Salvador. The US Army was there too

So we are now in a little town called La Libertad, again right on the coast in the best hotel in town for a change, but this time it’s only $47 a night. Yesterday we caught a bus into San Salvador (the capital) which was an adventure in itself. The concept of the bus is full doesn’t exist until more people can’t get there feet onto the step. Around 50% of the population of El Salvador live in this city, so it’s another busy place. Most of the old buildings have been destroyed by earthquakes in the past, and indeed we had a small one the other night that I felt in the room. But we visited the national archive and what was the palace of justice one of the older buildings that was rebuilt after a fire in 1906. We also visited the Museum of Anthropology, before a better ride back in on of the private buses that weren’t so crowded and didn’t stop every two minutes! It was double the price though at $1.50. As you can gather El Salvador is not the most expensive country to visit


Busy street market in San Salvador


The national Archive in San Salvador


Our Hotel in La Libertad


The Seafood restaurant behind the hotel

Into Costa Rica

Panama is not that big, come to think of it none of the central American countries are, so the first days ride to a small town called Santiago was only 250km and the second to David another 190km. I had been looking on the internet and decided that I would stay at the backpackers in David and see if I could get any information about what was to come. The place was full, and as well as the French, German, and Canadian backpackers that were there, Ben a Canadian biker also arrived late in the afternoon, and he was also heading north!! Not only that but he had also done the trip down so we agreed to ride together for the next couple of days to see if we got along.

Instead of crossing the border on the Panamanian Highway just past David we left the next day and headed for the Caribbean coast over the mountains to the north. The road was good and the scenery fantastic as we crossed over the top and dropped down towards the Caribbean sea again. After lunch we decided that we would cross the border that day and when we asked at a local police station we were told to turn left then take the small dirt road to our left. It all sounded very suspicious, but as we drove the short distance up the hill on the dirt road we were suddenly confronted with the old railway bridge that I had seen on the motorcycle travel documentary “The Ride” So I was going to have to overcome this small obstacle myself. It’s a little tricky but you just grab the bull by the horns and go for it, and try to keep the wheels on the planks. The good thing is that there are no longer trains running across the bridge as there were in the film.


The bridge you cross to get from Panama to Costa Rica



Passport control was a five minute affair. Aduana on the other hand took three hours! And for some strange reason known only to themselves they wanted a full photocopy of every page of our passports including the empty ones. The pharmacy just along the road took care of all this, as well as the insurance we had to buy, and also the fumigation which we had to have done. Finally at 4.30 we were in Costa Rica and heading for a little place called Cahausi.


Caribbean paradise?

Cahausi is an absolute slice of paradise! We soon found some small cabanas with secure parking for the bikes. Each room has it’s own bathroom, with hot water (the backpackers didn’t) and all for $12 a night. The village is on a spit that is surrounded by the sea on three sides, right next to a national park. This was going to be a good place to chill out and relax for a few days. The next day we walked around into the national park and started the 8km walk all around the headland. Beautiful palm lined beaches with the blue Caribbean waters breaking either onto the beach or just onto the corral reef just offshore. We saw monkeys, and racoons, and a variety of tropical butterflies and birds, and not a sound of a car to be heard.


Accommodation for $12 a night


Monkey see monkey do??


A small caiman crocodile

The second day we hired two pushbikes and rode the 8km to the Cacau museum, to see how the cacao plants are grown and eventually how the chocolate is made. With a demonstration right at the end so you can see and try the chocolate right there In front of you. All that and not a single bit of guilt with another 8km ride back!!


The Cacau pods on the tree

A freshly opened one, the seeds are sweet. 

After drying and fermenting they are roasted 

The finished product which was like Chocolate brown
ies, Yum!

Panama

Firstly the bad news, I was robbed in Bogota, or more precisely I was a victim of a three man con team. The first introduced himself as a Venezuelan tourist who asked me the way, then we were joined by a man who answered the first mans question then identified himself as a policeman. He even showed identification and said he was with the immigration and narco division, and said we needed to go with him to register in Bogota. To cut a long story short the third man pretended to be a local resident of the block of flats and confirmed that the police station was across the road. By the time I suspected there was something really wrong and tried to chase the “policeman” across the road to the station he was around the corner and gone! He had taken a small amount of American cash, and my computer. I can’t run (those who know me know that I can hardly walk properly) so that was that. The police (real) treated the whole thing as a waste of their time, but after insisting, I did get an official report of the crime. With the loss of the computer it also means that all the photo’s and video (with the exception of Argentina) are gone. I thought I had backed up more than I had. Now I know how Mike Green felt in Islamabad. Luckily I still have this blog.

The good news is that I am now in Panama. I delivered the Wombat to Girag at the cargo terminal in Bogota who immediately set about the process of getting the bike into the system to be flown to Panama City the next day. They were very efficient unlike the Colombian Aduana and the Airport Police (police again!!) who made the next eight hours a painful and frustrating time. Finally I got the paperwork for exportation complete, and the inspection done, and walked up to the International terminal to buy myself a ticket and catch a taxi back to the Hotel. Total cost $750 for the bike $370 for me and eight hours of my life that I can’t get back!


Right were here all we've got to do is get it up that step


And in the left corner, weighing in at 280kg

My flight the next day wasn’t until 16.30 so it was dark by the time we got into Panama City. From the chilly altitude of Bogota you are suddenly plunged into the tropical heat and humidity again. The taxi ride is expensive because the Airport is twenty kilometres from the city and there are no Hotels that I could find around the airport. But the city itself is very impressive at night, the huge skyscrapers all lit up along the coast. It was still impressive the next day as I returned to the cargo terminal to get the bike back. One and a half hours later I had cleared customs and I was on my way back down the expressway to the Hotel. What a difference a day (and a country) makes. That afternoon I made a phone call to Bavarian Motors who are the local BMW agent, and confirmed that they could service the bike and change the rear drive shaft seal the next day. So after that I went out for a walk around the old town, unfortunately I didn’t quite make it back to the hotel before three o’clock and spent an hour sheltering as the afternoon tropical downpour washed the city clean. I haven’t seen rain like that since I left Airlie Beach!!


The new Panama City


The old part of Panama City


A lot of these old houses are being renovated

I was there at 08.00 on the Friday and the Womat was soon in the loving care of Glen Martinez Anez and his boys, who changed the seal and serviced the bike very quickly and efficiently while I waited. So now the Central American adventure begins.


A new seal in and new diff oil

The service boys hard at work

Bolivia Video

I've managed to get the video for Bolivia done. No apologies for the length I think it needed it. Bolivia was one of the countries that wasn't always easy and now looking back will become one of the favourites. Enjoy.