For someone who has spent most of their life in the northern hemisphere crossing the equator is a milestone of sorts so I plan to pay a visit to Quitsato in Cayambe. I arrived in Quito the previous day via Cayambe but the traffic was heavy and sun setting so I decide to make a […]
I depart Medellin on a quiet Sunday somewhat melancholy and my sights set on the southern border. The bike responds effortlessly to my commands as if to thank me for the maintenance I performed on her in Medellin. After thousands of pavement miles on knobbies and a soft rear suspension I welcome the predictability of […]
As some of you know, I flew back to the states to pack up our house in Phoenix as we’re trying to get it sold. I met Mark Kaseman on the return flight to Medellin and our conversation drifted to the philanthropic work he does in Medellin. He spends his days volunteering with a school […]
I’ve spent enough time in Medellin that I suppose I should produce a chronicle of pictures and stories about my time here. The city’s history, its position as a Latin American cultural Mecca, and its proximity to some of the most scenic riding in Colombia make for an excellent chapter to just about any moto […]
We arrive in Cartagena the day Colombia elects Juan Manuel Santos in the 2010 election. The event translates into a closed DIAN (customs) office and means offloading the bikes will wait. To pass the time I head to Casa Mara with a few of my Stahlratte shipmates to wage war on some cuba libres, a […]
The Pan-American Highway ends in Panama and if you want to ride to South America you need to contend with the logistics of the Darien Gap. The ~100 mile strip of undeveloped mountain rainforest and swamplands make it virtually impassible by motor vehicle. That leaves flying and sailing as available transport options for moto riders […]
I’m trying to figure out why the soldier is not responding helpfully to my queries for the location of the Rio Soreno border crossing. He asks for my papers and is visibly flustered as he flips through my passport. His fatigues don’t look like anything I’ve seen in Costa Rica. I crashed hard on a […]
I’m scheduled to set sail from Carti in less than two weeks and still in Nicaragua. Not especially good since I’m in no particular mood to leave San Juan del Sur. I didn’t want to leave Leon either but somehow managed to throw my leg over the bike and point it south. My hastened pace […]
