Trip Report 7 May - Pasto,Colombia to Quito, Ecuador
Trip Report 7 May - Pasto,Colombia to Quito, Ecuador
Distance since departure - 14,113 km
Distance travelled today - 358 km
Stayed - Colonial Guest House in Quito (8 USD)
Weather - 18-33 degrees C (a couple of failed attempts to rain - weather luck is still running well)
Amazing riding interupted by a 4 hour border delay. You need to get stamped out of Colombia on departure so you can make copies of your passport stamp to show them in Ecuador. A 2 hour power failure had everyone sitting on their hands at the Colombian immigration department wondering what to do. They decided on nothing.
Read all of Trip Report 7 May - Pasto,Colombia to Quito, Ecuador
Trip Report 6 May - Cali to Pasto, Colombia
Trip Report 6 May - Cali to Pasto, Colombia
Distance since departure - 13,755 km
Distance travelled today - 408 km
Stayed - Koala Inn at Pasto (15K pesos) (spot track attempt from 3rd party parking 2 blocks away)
Weather - 22-33 degrees C
More great riding at 10,000 plus feet with significant elevation changes from passes to valleys. Lots of trucks and busses to interfere with your ability to make good time. The border appeared out of reach so an overnight stop in Pasto was agreed to be the best option. Once you get too close to the border the accomodation options become less inviting. A couple of beers and some roasted chicken at a local restaurant and I was done for the night. I did look for poker at the casinos on the village square but they were strictly for the slot machine patrons. I do understand there are a couple of legitimate options in Quito.
Trip Report 5 May - Cali, Colombia
Trip Report 5 May - Cali, Colombia (Iguana Guest House - 17K pesos)
A relaxing day at the hostel getting caught up on web work and doing trip planning in Ecuador. A well laid out hostel provides entertainament and social areas as well as coomon kitchen, free coffee and wi fi. I think hotel chains in North America could adopt some lessons learned from the hostel business to become more competitive. I played an online tournament with a stable wifi connection and bubbled out when my all in, short stack lunge was dominated by pocket queens in the big blind. I then went looking for a live cardroom in Cali and after 3 attemptsev found some empty tournament tables in a new casino attached to a shopping mall. A tournament was going to start later that night but I decided to pass as we were planning on an early moto departure to give us an option to make the border crossing into Ecuador if we made good time. Back at the hostel, Andrew was busy preparing a fabulous feed of pineapple pork and rice with julienne carrot salad. Well done Andrew!
Cali never felt really safe. We were approached by a cadre of shifty pimps and hawkers and I was looking forward to moving on. One of the hostel backpackers had been robbed at gunpoint while taking a cab from downtown back to the hostel. The cabdriver picked up two armed accomplices and relieved the English backpacker of his camera. (I guess the thieves did not want his money???) It must have been frightening. I was cabbing all over Cartagena at odd ours of the morning after playing cards and was always alone. Not sure what other security measures are prudent and practical considering the involvement of the cabdriver with the thieves.
Trip Report 4 May, Bogota to Cali, Colombia
Trip Report 4 May Bogota to Cali, Colombia
Distance since departure - 13,347 km
Distance travelled today - 493 km
Stayed - Iguana Guest House in Cali (17K pesos) (spot track from back yard)
Weather - Thermometer broken or requires new battery, approx 20 degrees C, It tried to rain but was only an occasional drizzle but now travelling with goretex liners in I am occasionally too hot but dry.
Trip Report 2 May - 3 May Still in Bogota
Trip Report 2-3 May Bogota
The riots/demonstrations from International Labour day seemed to have subsided and a relative calm appears to have returned. I say relative calm because what I have learned about Latin Americans in my travels is that they are an excitable bunch.
Trip Report 30 April - 1 May Bogota - Poker, Motos and Riot Police
Trip Report 30 April - 1 May Bogota
Boy a lot can happen in a couple of days in Bogota. Where to start.
I wandered over to Chris Barnecut's hostel (thelongestfriday.com) early in the morning and shook the slacker from his cart. I was under the assumption he would be wanting to get an early start on his moto ride but early for Chris is about 11.
Read all of Trip Report 30 April - 1 May Bogota - Poker, Motos and Riot Police
Trip Report 29 April - Villa de Leiva to Bogota
Trip Report 29 April - Villa de Leiva to Bogota
Distance since departure - 12,850 km
Distance travelled today - 221 km
Stayed - Hotel San Sebastien for 60K peso (3 blocks from spot tracker)
Weather - 14-26 degrees C
Higher altitude and heated grips. A lot of my warm weather gear has sunken to the bottom of my rarely used Pannier as it has been hot for such a long time. I continue to remark about my good fortune when talking to other travellers who ask about my trip. I think I have only been rained on once while in transit for over 12,000 km. Really remarkable when you consider I left on 22 Jan from Victoria. I expected rain today with elevation rise and cooling temperatures. Some black clouds were threatening but my good fortune remains intact.
Trip Report 28 April - Villa de Leiva
Trip Report 28 April - Villa de Leiva
A great place to wander for a day and take in the architecture. It can be deceiving what waits behind the doors of these old gems. If I was organizing high end moto tours this would be a definite stop. Good food and great scenery.
Trip Report 27 April - Las Aguilas Fly Hostel (overlooking Bucharamanga) to Villa de Leiva
Trip Report 27 April - Las Aguilas Fly Hostel (overlooking Bucharamanga) to Villa de Leiva
Distance since departure - 12,626 km
Distance travelled today - 321
Stayed - 50k pesos Hotel Antonio Narino
Weather - 22-37 degrees C
It was a really tough decision this morning whether we should stay and parasail over Bucharamanga with a licensed pilot or hit the road and head south. For $500 you can get your can become a licensed parasail pilot in about 10 days and if there is anyplace in the world to do this, I can't imagine a more specacular spot. The hostel is right at the launch site. If you camp, you can't imagine a better campsite.
Trip Report 26 April - Curamani to Las Aguilas Flysite Hostel
Trip Report 26 April - Curamani to Las Aguilas Flysite Hostel
Distance since departure - 18,300 km
Distance travelled today - 295
Stayed - Curamani Roadside Hotel - 70K pesos split 4 ways!
Weather - 37 degrees C
Back on the road after an earlier start. Happy birthday hon. Not sure if you read these things but I could not get a card to your present location.
Read all of Trip Report 26 April - Curamani to Las Aguilas Flysite Hostel
Trip Report 25 April - Cartagena - Curumani, Colombia
Trip Report 25 April - Cartagena - Curumani, ColombiaDistance since departure - 11,927 km
Distance travelled today - 386
Stayed - Hotel for 70k pesos divided 4 ways
Weather - 37 degrees C
Read all of Trip Report 25 April - Cartagena - Curumani, Colombia
Trip Report - 18 - 24 April, Cartagena, Colombia
18 - 24 April - Cartagena
Hi folks,
It is getting time to tackle South America after a serious stretch of R&R and a trip home. It has been more than a month now since making the boat trip from Panama and I have now spent a combined 9 days in Cartagena.
Read all of Trip Report - 18 - 24 April, Cartagena, Colombia
20 April - FloorMan's RTW Poker Adventure - Cartagena, Colombia
20 April - FloorMan's RTW Poker Adventure - Cartagena Colombia
Poker Report - FloorMan 2 - South America 1
There I was feeling very full of myself, like I know how to play this game, when late last night or early this morning I tryed to ram my pocket aces down the throat of the loosest cannon in Cartagena and got slapped down by his pocket jacks.(Romantic self talking who wants to win every hand)
Read all of 20 April - FloorMan's RTW Poker Adventure - Cartagena, Colombia
Poker Report from FloorMan's RTW Poker Adventure - Cartagena Colombia
19 April, FloorMan 2 - South America 0
Life is good. Just won a re-buy tournament at the La Perla del Caribe. I started with a 160K buy in, did not re-buy or add-on and ended the evening with first place, 2.16 million in cash and a tournament voucher worth an additional million for a big tournament here in August. I will try to sell this before departure as I will probably be on another continent in August.
Read all of Poker Report from FloorMan's RTW Poker Adventure - Cartagena Colombia
Poker Report - 18 April, FloorMan 1 - South America 0
Poker Report - 18 April, FloorMan 1 - South America 0
Hi folks,
After a 24 hour slog through 4 airports on my trip from BC to Colombia it was time to find a poker game (in my well rested state-lol) in Cartagena and officially launch the South American poker tour of my RTW trip.
I unloaded some gear, could not find my moto keys and panicked for about 30 minutes.
Read all of Poker Report - 18 April, FloorMan 1 - South America 0
Tournament Poker Payday!
TheLongestFriday.com - Chris Barnecut
Trip Report - 28 Mar- 31 Mar - Cartagena, Colombia
Distance since departure - 11,180 kmDistance travelled today - 120 km
Stayed - Casa Mara, Cartagena ($35 per night in a bigger room, swimming pool)
Weather - 22-37 degrees C
Read all of Trip Report - 28 Mar- 31 Mar - Cartagena, Colombia