The last week in Colombia was spent traveling through the south west region of Colombia. As I left the coffee region I had to determine how I was to cross into Ecuador. Normally there isn’t much of a need to plan. Borders are generally pretty much the same. Takes 2-3 hours, you need three copies of everything, and expect to pay some sort of ‘tax’.
The issue with the Colombian/Ecuador border is due to the Venezuelan refugee crisis. Thousands of refugees have poured into Colombia with hopes of reaching Peru. The border is the first real bottle neck after entering Colombia.
Sharing two land border crossings with Ecuador it is a situation that requires some research. A google search for the popular border will return stories of crossings taking over twelve hours. The facilities are packed with refugees and UNICEF services setting up temporary camps as they are processed.
Since Colombia is mountainous the decision needs to be made days before reaching the border as there are only a few passes that connect the two highways. The roads separated by about a days ride.
I elected to cross at the remote border, it added eight hours to my travel time but figured I would rather be riding for 8 hours than standing in line for twelve.
When I arrived I was the only tourist or person crossing. With me sitting in UNICEF tents, were Venezuelan refugees just waiting. I’m not sure for what they were waiting, but they weren’t getting into Ecuador.
My paperwork took less than 30 mins for me and the bike, a record. The refugees looking at me with no emotion really. Just existing and waiting.
Who knows how long ago they left home or how long they wrestled with the decision to leave what was left behind. Now stuck in the middle of the jungle barred from entering and helpless. Hard to imagine this purgatory was a better option.
As I am leaving I see them being loaded onto a bus heading back into Colombia, can’t be sure where they are heading.
Crossing into Ecuador I needed to make it to Quito, about 6 hours and elevation gain from 800’ to 13,000’. Just one insane climb through the jungle of Northern Ecuador. Along the way dodging landslides and washed away roads.
One washed away section snuck up on me when I was going particularly fast. As I crested the hill I saw the rocks and thick gravel in front of me. Quickly on the brakes while down shifting in an attempt to slow. Standing on the pegs and gripping the tank with my knees I bounced across the dirt.
First jerking right, then left, careful not to over correct while bouncing and coasting to a reasonable speed. The image of the youtube videos and previous training playing in my mind.
I fully expected to crash and frankly, I am due for one. But I kept the bike upright and rolling, nervously laughing knowing that if I did fall, it may have ended the trip.
Arriving in Quito and after the long ride, I knew the bike needed work. It was running like shit and the gears kept slipping. I hoped during the trip that I wouldn’t need a real mechanic to crack open the engine and it would be kept to superficial repairs.
It was clear this wouldn’t be the case. Luckily the only real KLR650 mechanic is in Quito. The KLR used to be the official motorcycle for the police of Ecuador and this guy was their mechanic. Quito is my last chance to buy the hard to get parts and the knowledge to install them.
Amelia was arriving soon and hoped I could work on the bike with a shop before or after our time in the Galapagos.
Making my way to his shop I am blown away by the scale of the operation. Sixty high end motorcycles in the fleet along with some jeeps and trucks for off road rental.
As I park the bike I hear “Cowboy Sam?! You’re famous!”. The owner saw me arrive and recognized my bike from different articles that have been posted. Their media guy took a few photos and everyone signs the tank.
These situations are strange but a lot of fun. They like how the tank tells a story with all the signatures and are excited to have me. We run over the bike and what I need done along with a few other suggestions.
While I feel like I am in good hands I still want to be there for the work so I can learn. Unfortunately the timeframe to complete the work is 4-5 days. I don’t have an additional week after the Galapagos to spend working on the bike.
He knows what needs to be done and says he can get it done while I am away. I trust him and leave it behind against everything I have learned.
After a few flight delays Amelia arrives in Quito and life is good. It is great to see her and super excited for our journey to the Galapagos. She also didn’t complain too much about the motorcycle parts I had shipped to her house to bring me.
We tour the real and fake equator line and in an unfortunate accident I smashed my camera after finally getting it fixed. Taking it back to the camera shop I am told it is unable to be repaired in South America as the parts don’t exist and it is too expensive.
Searching for a new camera, I am unwilling to spend the inflated amount on a new one and find nothing comparable. Would have been nice to have the camera for the Galapagos but Amelia gave me her iPhone to use which was probably just as good.
The Galapagos is a 3.5 hour plane ride from Quito into the pacific ocean. We decided on a 8 day cruise in order to explore the islands. Shortly after arriving we meet the rest of the guest and crew of our boat.
Arriving it didn’t feel real. The airport is made for tourists arriving to the islands. It felt like a real life WestWorld. Everyone there for the same reason and organized to get you on your way quickly.
The rest of rest of the tourists on the boat were a mixture of couples and friends of all ages. We had the retired bird watchers from Alabama, the backpackers, and the honeymooners. It was a great mix of different people from different parts of the world and from different backgrounds.
Everyone excitedly talking about what they hoped to see at some point in the week.
Going to the Galapagos has been a dream of mine for as long as I could remember. I always wanted to see the marine iguanas.
Searches for the Galapagos returns the best time to go and the downsides of each month. I figured best to not read too much into it and enjoy that we had this awesome opportunity. Who gets to sail around the Galapagos ever in their life and to be able to do it while riding my motorcycle doesn’t seem real. Coupled with the fact she was able to come down and for all the logistics to work out seemed like a dream come true.
It was time to relax and to enjoy the time together. I missed her a lot since driving away in May. There was a lot to talk about and wanted to make sure we enjoyed every moment. I felt very lucky for the chance to make the choice, a reality I couldn’t have imagined in the past.
The days on the boat went by easily without any problems and quickly settling into a rhythm. Breakfast, morning activity, lunch, afternoon activity, dinner, then bed. Each night sailing to a new area to explore the following day.
Activities including hiking and exploring the islands, snorkeling at different spots, napping, and enjoying the ride as we sailed to the next location.
Snorkeling is such a popular activity and one I really don’t like. But it was the Galapagos and figured I needed to at least try it. First time in the water I remembered why I don’t like it and sat out until the last day. Realizing that simply, I am just a terrible swimmer and get nervous when the water gets in the snorkel. I need to work on my swimming when I am back. My mom was right when she was forcing me into swimming lessons, it’s better to know how to swim.
Landing on the island each one felt like a different world. It was like walking into the set of planet earth. The landscape, plants, and animals would change at each one. Animals that looked similar are distinct different sub species and we learned about the differences unique to each one.
Get off the boat and a sea lion greets us on the stairs. A few steps inland and watch a huge iguana waiting for the fruit pod of a cactus to fall. On our right a mother sea lion brings over her pup to show off as they bark at each other. The landscape looking like some something from Dr Sues, grey, red, and green cactus cover the island. From the cliff we see schools of manta ray and king angel fish fighting and feeding together while being fed on by frigate birds and sea birds from the air. Everywhere you looked was something out of National Geographic.
One of the other tourist exclaiming “A lot of dinosaur left in that one!”. While observing one of the many birds that look too big to be real.
With no natural predators or human interference the animals live easy and aren’t afraid of anything. On the second day a Red-Footed Boobie bit my shoe trying to take my shoelaces. By the third day everyone had an experience of nearly stepping on a seal or iguana resting quietly on the ground. We were visiting their home and they knew it.
Along the theme of WestWorld the animals didn’t feel real, as if they were animatronic. Rarely did we see other tourists on the islands and the paths very well defined, illegal to disturb the areas beyond the boundary.
Learning that while Charles Darwin is synonyms with the Galapagos he only spent 5 weeks there when he was a young amateur scientist. That short time was all it took to provide the catalyst in developing the ideas surrounding evolution.
Spending 8 days with strangers on a boat sounds like it could be potentially problematic but everything worked out and everyone got along. I haven’t spent that long with anyone in a long time. Especially people who weren’t long term travelers.
I did feel a growing sense of anxiety the more I spoke to others from the ‘real world’. I don’t follow or read anything I don’t want to follow or read. I don’t hear about politics, work, obligations, or the weather. I found myself frantically realizing that I had no opinion about a lot of things others obsess over. I doesn’t impact me and I don’t care. Ignorance is bliss; confirmed.
I start to worry about reentering the ‘real world’ how quickly will I lose the calmness and accept the anxious default state. Afraid that I will forget what this feels like and the only way to get it back would be to leave again. I start worrying about worrying and realize how much I haven’t learned.
The week went by quickly, these week long excursions always do. Day two seems like there is so much time left, day three - seven settling into the routine, before you know it it’s over. We saw everything we wanted to see and it exceeded our expectations. It was a great success and fantastic time.
Arriving back at the Airbnb it felt like we were home. Back into a small routine, watering the flowers, cooking, and doing laundry. This apartment was the longest I have been in one place since being in Denver the last time. I miss a washing machine, and having a shelf to place my shirts, a hook to hang my jacket. When I get back I will be sure to appreciate it when I have it again.
After Amelia left it was time for me to get back on the road as well. First I needed a bike to ride and made my way to pick it up.
Similar to every time before the bike at first glance looked great. They washed it but washed a bit too hard in a few areas and faded a lot of the signatures. Can’t help but think the kid who was washing it didn’t get the memo that they were meant to stay.
Going over the bike and the work completed everything looked great. The old parts laid out to show they were replaced. Discussing how the work was finished and if he saw anything else I should be watching.
“It’s clear you take care of it as you are replacing parts before they fully wear out, but it is also clear you beat the shit out of this thing” He said.
Some premature wearing on a few parts but the bike is mechanically sound and in good shape. I’m taking care of it and will hopefully avoid any catastrophic failure or damage.
The bike started right up and sounded exceptionally different but solid. A lot has been changed on the bike and it is the most maintenance ever performed on it.
Settling up the bill I take the keys and ride back towards the apartment. Approaching a red light I start to hear a terrible sound from the front wheel. Then the front brake lever loses all pressure and hits the grip of the handle bar. Using the rear brake and downshifting I finally stop in the middle of the intersection. Pulling off to the side of the road I see the front brake caliper fell off and is dangling.
Giving the mechanic a call he quickly comes to see the problem. As I am waiting I see a bunch of bolts were hand tightened and fell off. As the caliper fell off the brake pad was chewed up by the rotor.
Arriving and apologizing the mechanic goes over the bolts and fixes the issues. Driving back to the shop he gave me a new set of brake pads to replace the ones that were damaged. Explaining that while the shop guys didn’t do the work they did put the bike back together and handled the small stuff. He was over confident in his guys and this was the result.
Before leaving I went over the bike again and found a few more issues which I had to fix. Lesson learned, again.
Needing to be in Lima by the 21st I had to get moving and into Peru. Again, needing to think ahead to the border crossing due to the refugee situation. Electing to cross again at the remote area.
Making my way through the mountains, it was raining, foggy, and freezing. The roads were empty and visibility was minimal. Suddenly I start to see a few pedestrians on the side of the road, then some bicycles, then the numbers increase.
In the middle of no where in the Ecuadorian mountains these were Venezuelan refuges walking to the border. They were all teenagers with small backpacks and their feet and knees wrapped in bandages.
Every couple of miles a shanty hut would be set up providing refuge from the weather and some food.
I can only imagine how long they had been walking for and could only imagine the feelings of being so far but so close to their goal.
Crossing into Peru, I was the only one at the border. It was a small dirt crossing by the river. The computers were down and after waiting a little bit they just allowed me to cross.
The last few days have been amazing riding through Peru. Crossing areas that reminded me of India, California, and some places I haven’t seen yet.
The twisty curvy roads switching between asphalt, gravel, and dirt. Feeling the cold air and warm sun on my face, completely silent except for the honking of horns around blind corners. I am happy to see and reach the massive mountain ranges I imagined for South America.
There are still a lot of miles left until the end of the road and a lot to see. Excited to see what Peru has in store.
- Joe