tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70958188925988212072024-03-05T07:25:31.086-05:0020,000 Miles Under the SunRobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-50060493653490260562011-03-14T18:10:00.001-04:002011-03-14T18:12:53.276-04:00The End of the Road - Rob<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRn6040G_-0JmfOzQ7UGCaeOs6moki4Fvy5Nl_JPsE8cQ1sB0qPqBScnEI1tHiNerRFILmkyhlLbJbyMbJSLot3ANW9VWOz1039AYGMI-gqy4nEJmRGl-vgZdPqz7ZxIM3pSQolxW64n4/s1600/IMG_3970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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First of all, my apologies for leaving the blog unattended for what, two-three weeks now? How shody of me; the internet connection through much of Bolivia and Argentina has been lacking, the wifi on the laptop went down until just a few days ago, and I have been busy finalizing this trip. So to speak, right now I'm sitting in the International Ezeza Aeropuerto, in Buenos Aires, somehow without wifi, waiting for my flight home. Home....funny word, even though its only been two months, its a term strange to my vocabulary. Can't even seem to explain it in spanish when I tell people I'm returning "home". Sadness that the trip is over? A little bit. Mind you, the stress of finding a buyer for the bike, getting through customs without the bike, and traveling solo for a week is all over. Well, kinda....but thats a story for later, there always seems to be another story.....thats pretty much the story of my life haha, troubles never end. <br />
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So where the hell did I leave off, way back in Machu Picchu?? I've got a lot of catching up to do, and mind you, this post is gonna be the longest yet, I've got a 19 hour itinerary, lots of time to kill, and nothing else to do but pound away at the keys in a fury of tales and adventures. <br />
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So lets see, if I remember corrrrrrectly (I have no idea why this damn airport doesn't have free wifi, stupid place, warning: buy everything beforehand; a can of coke is 3.50 american, a sandwich in a bag is 10.00 american, a time magazine 15 pages thick is 13.00 american, a chocolate bar is 10.00 american. Why the hell are they charging these prices....and not offering goddamn wifi) I posted at the hostel with the bloody dog, french fry spaghetti and french motorcyclists. <br />
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So it ends up, Nik found out some info from them, they were leaving the same morning. We let them go ahead of us, and ended up catching up to them rather quickly. Not that they were slow, they were crazy drivers bent on destroying their suspensions, bending their rims, and hurtling themselves hundreds of feet off rocky cliffs. They were crazy, we would try to keep up with one of the guys, who would disappear a few seconds later, an outstanding skill that must take years of enduro practice, or a damn good Africa Twin. Regardless, it was a fast and fun drive back from the dirt road we had to initially come up. It was neat riding as a five-some, you get a lot more looks as it looks like we're racing through village streets and rural jungle. The locals had a blast watching us. We hit the pavement, and it was raining just as it was when we came through, cold, wet, foggy, all of us but one made it to the top of the 5000 metre mountain (water in his spark plug), so we left them as they waited for their amigo francais. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not weed, and this is not illegal, let me show you how to use it</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You put it in your right cheek!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You put it in your left cheek!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DKJK13YwEM6y8u5iqyW3Bmm8j7s9CWO2Ju4jhRoi8uOagq6FBIZe4uOIJ5fo4ViiCO8il-_SD2UxZNl2bkhQU90yEjk5DgT2UWnzFV9LeHLDPCFiWB-EQuuUHGHtTJ-0KItcuIiHQpM/s1600/IMG_3957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DKJK13YwEM6y8u5iqyW3Bmm8j7s9CWO2Ju4jhRoi8uOagq6FBIZe4uOIJ5fo4ViiCO8il-_SD2UxZNl2bkhQU90yEjk5DgT2UWnzFV9LeHLDPCFiWB-EQuuUHGHtTJ-0KItcuIiHQpM/s640/IMG_3957.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And you let your tongue go numb and your heart beat race! Yay for coca leaves, that whole bag cost us 50 cents</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These trucks couldn't make it up the road that washed out (and we had no problems on the way up two days prior), so bigger trucks had to tow them up the incline</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYz-NiAGS_YEyBD8hREFFHZ8Q-1WAgWfDtsaSz4btrqgXlTAWrItETVHIrFI-NMhkqQ6yonvv9TE3w7Vn91565FbYqncMfiXQ938feYfZlVkQcKpg50_AWRLhfH2At1N8Y5FOLGc5-Y8/s1600/IMG_3961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYz-NiAGS_YEyBD8hREFFHZ8Q-1WAgWfDtsaSz4btrqgXlTAWrItETVHIrFI-NMhkqQ6yonvv9TE3w7Vn91565FbYqncMfiXQ938feYfZlVkQcKpg50_AWRLhfH2At1N8Y5FOLGc5-Y8/s640/IMG_3961.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick snap at my dream bike, the KTM 990 Adventure</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlT5lb4skym_j-m-bsHmJAJ0eZ8aRO7vSTr2ApuoAN1RPWp4t-EqtfQ3-OoxTyuEwYnnAzxssyowsbJGKPukSVo9fpyBL9Sc7cTiSVBHGRH8L1afjBrEyvAemkB2RZE6VzUpPe4QEFx8/s1600/IMG_3962.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqlT5lb4skym_j-m-bsHmJAJ0eZ8aRO7vSTr2ApuoAN1RPWp4t-EqtfQ3-OoxTyuEwYnnAzxssyowsbJGKPukSVo9fpyBL9Sc7cTiSVBHGRH8L1afjBrEyvAemkB2RZE6VzUpPe4QEFx8/s640/IMG_3962.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps the most humble and cutest picture of the trip, she was really cold way up in the Abra Magada</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6SGB0bWJ4QmOiixv0Lbp492hyh57v8SdrkS0QLe9y2fCQQOYr1WRqWG-Tcy8XGyVpsN2SrOpEflVxHUAQ2IV-Wy-a9fq4ZFX8_LJUmzsNqSvYWcrNZKIaUUQlEryLjGvxkriTTeL2ek/s1600/IMG_3966.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6SGB0bWJ4QmOiixv0Lbp492hyh57v8SdrkS0QLe9y2fCQQOYr1WRqWG-Tcy8XGyVpsN2SrOpEflVxHUAQ2IV-Wy-a9fq4ZFX8_LJUmzsNqSvYWcrNZKIaUUQlEryLjGvxkriTTeL2ek/s640/IMG_3966.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The perfect picture to show off the roads we now so highly despise, but look so beautifully adventurous</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqyW6EdCe8MS2ueWNyn3zdxy0bGa7FaH8S1ziepSp1tA2CW0dDrOIQQUn1e4Mh-l0tHq0dtNv8tOGXSC8YzJRM26Y2nX_X-_wNHLoxnc8c3SQe8Gx1r-YUryMHedWg-BchQ-_nuF1RmM/s1600/IMG_3969.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSqyW6EdCe8MS2ueWNyn3zdxy0bGa7FaH8S1ziepSp1tA2CW0dDrOIQQUn1e4Mh-l0tHq0dtNv8tOGXSC8YzJRM26Y2nX_X-_wNHLoxnc8c3SQe8Gx1r-YUryMHedWg-BchQ-_nuF1RmM/s640/IMG_3969.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my trip favourites, Lago Titicaca, cold and magnificent</td></tr>
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Down we went, knowing we were pretty close to getting back on track, we got to the bottom of the mountain....surprise...roads washed out. The main highway too....THANK GOD there was a foot path up over the hill that backpackers and locals were walking across. Again, another show for the people, me and Nik raced up this path, through some cacti, abounding a rock wall, and down the other side, else we would be stuck for days. Lucky. We took another way back to Cuzco, a much faster route cutting through Urabamba, less scenic, but we didn't need it as we were rushing as far as we could that day. Night fell an hour after Cuzco, as well as a pretty lightning show in the mountains, so we called it quits in a smaller city, Sicuani. Place cost us $3.00 each, dinner was a buck, so we really had no complaints. <br />
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In the morning we head out to get as far as possible, and that we did. We had few monies left, but decided to attempt the border and beyond. I think it was 500 kilometres, which we managed before 2 o clock. But....which comes with experience, here comes border trouble. As me and Nik sat for lunch, I searched each and every pocket looking for the Aduana paper for Peru. No such luck. Knowing how much trouble it is losing your paper, I prepared for the worse, but expected to be able to sneak through without exiting the bike, thus ruining my reputation in Peru, but making it damn easy to get to La Paz without any problems. Again, no such luck. Stamping out, the police officers told us to exit our bikes. The database is simple, a simple exit process in the computer and its finished. Think they'd let us do that? Nope. 4 hours. <br />
If you lose your paper, follow these steps, at least with Peru.<br />
Tell hefe about the loss, he'll tell you go back to Tumbes, an 11 day drive. HAH.<br />
He'll print you your entry documents.<br />
Take them to the commisionaires office and start filling out some paperwork about your lost documents.<br />
He'll tell you to line up at the bank and get a bank notary, no idea why, my spanish wasn't good enough to understand.<br />
Wait in line with the locals, skip a bit at a time (they let gringos get ahead for some reason) and bask in sadness as people tell you they've been waiting since 8 am in the morning (its 4:30 pm), terrible....<br />
Bring the notary back to the commionsiaires, wait for a signature, and watch as he tells you it takes 48 hours to process the document before you can leave.<br />
With the worrysome look on your face, give him your money so he gives you the paper and lets you go....you both know it doesn't take 48 hours; rather it takes 48 dollars.<br />
Go back to hefe at the aduana, give him the paper and you're off. <br />
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Now for more trouble....we did it again, moneyless at the border, just enough to buy a drink and we hope to get an atm on the other side to bypass the money changing. We're extremely low on gas as well. The officers want 10 soles to exit the country...no reason....I have a 5.00 american bill, worth more than 10 soles. I tell him just take that and let us go, we goes to change it as Nik gets his bike across, he stops me and tells me its an old bill. What the hell, its American currency, and its a 2006 bill.....but no one will exchange it. Now i'm stuck. I run to every money changing location, no one will take the bill. 5 vendors, and no one will take the bill. I'm so stressed out by the point, screaming at the sky, when finally some little old local lady took the bill and changed it for me. Goddess I tell you. Instead of handing him the 10 soles nicely and offering him a nice day, a crumpled 10.00 bill hit him in the chest and fell to the ground, as I huffed and puffed and gave him a good "fuck off" and walked across the border. By this point I was beyond being worried about amny more trouble, and knew that if I made it across the mid-point, they couldn't come after me. Success......out of Peru....finally...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRn6040G_-0JmfOzQ7UGCaeOs6moki4Fvy5Nl_JPsE8cQ1sB0qPqBScnEI1tHiNerRFILmkyhlLbJbyMbJSLot3ANW9VWOz1039AYGMI-gqy4nEJmRGl-vgZdPqz7ZxIM3pSQolxW64n4/s1600/IMG_3970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRn6040G_-0JmfOzQ7UGCaeOs6moki4Fvy5Nl_JPsE8cQ1sB0qPqBScnEI1tHiNerRFILmkyhlLbJbyMbJSLot3ANW9VWOz1039AYGMI-gqy4nEJmRGl-vgZdPqz7ZxIM3pSQolxW64n4/s640/IMG_3970.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I apologize if I offend anyone with this picture COUGH *Yicela*, but I had enough of Peru at this point</td></tr>
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Border of Bolivia was easy, but there were no atms and no gas until La Paz. Haha...funny, 100 km on a tank that we though would get us 50. Somehow, through the miracle of the KLR, a slow but steady ride got us to La Paz in the dark, with money in our hands, and "Especiale Gasolina" in our tanks (guaranteed additives of perfume and paint thinner) we got to a hotel and decided to stay a couple nights. We call La Paz the bowl, its shape is really interesting, but it also accumulates all the traffic right in the middle of the city where we stayed. Anywhere you wanted to go would take you at least an hour, but after searching for a few places we were told about, and no luck we popped into Hotel Sagaranaga, a bit pricey, but well worth it after endless days of being smelly and dirty. For two days we rested, toured around, found some maps, and ate some good food. On the first morning, Nik was out and about and ran into.......the couple who were going to take our boat but ditched us last second!!! How awesome is that. Huge continent, but small world I suppose. They flew into La Paz the night before, from Colombia. We went out to dinner with them, and shared stories and adventures.<br />
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Ends up they stayed in Portobelo another week or so, waiting for an ideal boat. Good idea. Then we were told of one of the top 3 best stories for us on the trip thus far. <br />
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And it begins....we sit down to a fancy little dinner with some cheap wine, and Martin begins his story by telling us of another boat that was nearly willing to take a venture out to Cartegena. This boat, the Lavante, avid readers may remember. The day before we left, shortly after visiting Captain underpants for the first time, we paddled out to another boat, knowing that it was leaving shortly afterwards. Me and Nik asked the man drawing closed a tarp around the open portion of the helm whether or not the boat was ready to go, where he responded the boat was engineless and not leaving anymore. Fine, no problem, we had our boat. Well....two days later the captain's body was found floating in the ocean, chain wrapped around his neck. The anchor he was tied to came loose and the same cop that boarded our boat found the body. The boat was adrift around the bay, and the mysterious grungy looking man was gone. Gets better, he shows up shortly afterward in the town bragging about not being caught, only questioned by the cops. He was the first mate of the ship soon to take over management. Here's the craziest thing, if it could get any worse. Amnotehr person goes missing, and he takes off with the boat, again. Ends up being caught somewhere in Darien, the province between Colombia and Portobelo, and is arrested on murder charges. All in all, the murder mystery concludes, and we get an awesome sotry of talking to a murderer the day of, or the day after he murders the cpatain of the boat we potentially could have taken. I'm leaning on saying "cool" but that's a stupid inference, and point rather towards ":O" <--that face. Craziness. <br />
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So we departed from the couple, wishing them the best on their way to celebrate the Carnivale festivities coming up on the weekend. We left the next morning to get to more colder climates and worse roads. Luckily the first half of the adventure through Bolivia consisted of ashphalt. A rather uneventful day, 500km of straight flat roads, we stopped for the night in Challapate, basically the last stop before the long dirty trek to Uyuni. Little bit of a party town, nothing too spectacular, only a few hostels, so we watched Big Bang Theory all night once more, with no internet connection.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beautiful bowl-shaped La Paz, shrouded in clouds</td></tr>
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The morning, we took off as early as we could to get to Uyuni, unknowing of the actual road surfaces. The first 35 kilometres were asphalt, and I thought we were getting somewhere when the road turned a tad nasty. Lots of corrogation, lots of very hard potholes, this would be a long day. An hour on the road and this happens:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndrJ4WtD1P_GIvhIfzetojFAvaR4eDCcUwyB0jKke48qouSFZyee0u2ulpw7QL_-DFGBt9jR8FCIzh4YIfVsgYlFqMrSzmLAypLnRZzCMYdLthBIsiEB3ZFye7dMsmASBHTWE4aWftHw/s1600/IMG_3989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgndrJ4WtD1P_GIvhIfzetojFAvaR4eDCcUwyB0jKke48qouSFZyee0u2ulpw7QL_-DFGBt9jR8FCIzh4YIfVsgYlFqMrSzmLAypLnRZzCMYdLthBIsiEB3ZFye7dMsmASBHTWE4aWftHw/s640/IMG_3989.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Get your strong arms on, this is gonna be a toughie</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
And as we've said a few times on this trip: when theres a will, theres a way. No way across? Lies. Take the dangerous, "one mistake and your bike's gone" railroad tracks. Only half wya across did we realize there was a detour....duh, where I finished getting Nik across and decided to take the idiot-proof route. Love adventure. For a lot of the rest of the day, I screamed in agony at the pain in my hands from gripping the handlebars way too tight over the bumps. The only way to truly avoid the torture of them was to travel over 100-110kph. Any less and it would take too long, anymore and you'd start sliding all over the place, but it seemed right as the bike sorta skipped the potholes. After crossing two hundred riverbeds, dry and wet, and over 350,000 potholes, we arrived in Uyuni. I was both excited and melodramatic at the fact that we'd arrived at the salt flats, a huge part of the trip, but there wasn't much past this but more dirt roads and departure from our trip. We ate lunch at a very fancy restaurant, and watched a Carnivale parade, laughing at the boss-like water gun bandits spraying little kids in the eyes with high powered supersoakers. The road out to the salt flats was a hellish one, so hellish it caused this:<br />
<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjxc9yNuGoFZtDxFPq17x1n9PFMaHgxugD1w3K1yVnBir7mtn5baWsliYbgULIemE6cjtieDstPICx-ggonCZpUHtjupLttiWBsFSwgzM-erObQ2_NqnEftL7aJjLAd2XZPU-I3QXnT4/s1600/IMG_3999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvjxc9yNuGoFZtDxFPq17x1n9PFMaHgxugD1w3K1yVnBir7mtn5baWsliYbgULIemE6cjtieDstPICx-ggonCZpUHtjupLttiWBsFSwgzM-erObQ2_NqnEftL7aJjLAd2XZPU-I3QXnT4/s640/IMG_3999.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SOOOOO LUCKYYY, like...SOOOOOOOOO LUCKY</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The first collision of the trip for me, not with a local, not with a donkey, not with another car, but with Nik. I was trying too hard to skip the bumps and couldn't slow down in time to match his speed, I tipped the back of his bike and he pushed me off the road. Somehow, again, miracley inclined as I am, the bike fell on its side for a split second, was tipped back up by the pannier, all while sliding 180 degrees. The bike landed back upright, facing the wrong way of course, and I suffered none of it. Success! By that time, we hit up the salt flats only to realize duh, of course its rainy season. We expected a thin layer of water, maybe, over the salt, but came face to face with a salt....lake. The big trucks could cross it, the tours were doing it, but I wasn't putting my bike through more salt torture. I've heard bad stories about the dry salt, let alone the liquid salt that would chew through any chain or electronics we'd offer it. So we basked at the Bolivian "ocean" and decided maybe we could pop around the side of it for awhile and connect back to the main road. <br />
<br />
Fail...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZbbz8dUFCi-f3O7Tsg8Rbn-H2BdEwUA7KZ_jO9qBEe5aGQ1ykqdPPN3QPzZDcrJIUqXA4THf4qZRmdybjmd9WMsv4wJPR_jN59SiAJ38wUb_rR4vxiKetBUA2eh6RXIpER3vZWGjbkM/s1600/IMG_4023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZbbz8dUFCi-f3O7Tsg8Rbn-H2BdEwUA7KZ_jO9qBEe5aGQ1ykqdPPN3QPzZDcrJIUqXA4THf4qZRmdybjmd9WMsv4wJPR_jN59SiAJ38wUb_rR4vxiKetBUA2eh6RXIpER3vZWGjbkM/s640/IMG_4023.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was just a really hard day for us</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
How many times in one day, when we've gone so far without one problem. Haha, all fun and games. Forget that idea, the water underneath the mud made the surface honest to god slicker than ice. So bad, we'd be gunning it in first to get out with our feet planted, skating along, sliding completely sideways without an ounce of control. Managed to keep it upright this time, and told ourselves we'd get to the border! Anddd, voila, no problem. In one day, we managed to get from Challapate to the Argentinean border. From 7 am to 9 pm, three falls, a whole lotta dirt, and another flat tire, on my end. Managed to get it patched up, but it has an ever slow leak, most likely from the doofus fooling around with the valve when we didn't really need help in the first place. Thank god the last 100 km was...mostly paved. <br />
<br />
So the further south we traveled, the moore the parties, and this town kept the party alive all night. I used the hotel as my washing machine, cleaning everything exposed to dirt over the past couple days. In this town Nik actually found a camera for a decent price, and we refuled on a few supplies to get us through the rest of the trip. By the time, the bike was officially sold, and all that was left was to gun through Argentina....one more border.<br />
<br />
And a possible 4 more hours. With an exception this time! We, and when I say we, I loosely mean to say NIK, managed to piss off a border official with his "what's wrong with you" face. He took our passports, did the usual "I'm the boss here" procedures, but gave them back. OK, good, through Bolivia exit without major problems, but no aduana exit, we just took off, aduana seemed closed and there were too many people lined up everywhere to tell what was going on, so we took off for Argentina to realize a massive line not moving. We parked in a very "intruding" spot and after 45 minutes the official grabbed our documents and put us right at the front of the line to get our bikes out of the way. Beautiful....how nice it is not to be a backpacker and thus stuck in a four hour line. Salta here we come!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwjR4Mw2lHkSA88xP6rSAGdYoQGvUZmoEhu_WriGdbwfI0HAs1NB3oea34C0o_m1NjGfBYWEeY_kJgESJ7uPAenwNb07AHryHe3t8jVSYK69JiJ2jen8axbYD9C5NHx8i7D6Igm8XVJM/s1600/IMG_3993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglwjR4Mw2lHkSA88xP6rSAGdYoQGvUZmoEhu_WriGdbwfI0HAs1NB3oea34C0o_m1NjGfBYWEeY_kJgESJ7uPAenwNb07AHryHe3t8jVSYK69JiJ2jen8axbYD9C5NHx8i7D6Igm8XVJM/s640/IMG_3993.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some more pictures of out fateful day</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitaUFpfVJ4F0ppyARY1JmEM4BRx6WbLWlznrgAjybJjkgZQSHSdOfxyK8QH5VTYxKEceQuR2Vh2jmPg9yVzAiSfYXleWQTdgYffB5ZSR9uqi6Ypv6eqKSBT4HQDefDSndXB8OI4wFTU4/s1600/IMG_3995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhitaUFpfVJ4F0ppyARY1JmEM4BRx6WbLWlznrgAjybJjkgZQSHSdOfxyK8QH5VTYxKEceQuR2Vh2jmPg9yVzAiSfYXleWQTdgYffB5ZSR9uqi6Ypv6eqKSBT4HQDefDSndXB8OI4wFTU4/s640/IMG_3995.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The detour which was so much easier than Nik's railway crossing</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1DjYriQnVKWfZjTPijuiJEQ4fgjbVM56tXR6XBdKZQQp2QmErmYW1hQ27dvtrVrv4k3NzQk2EephJ1nuCs3ULDN_Blmq9HC-ulcm_bitMGFMSgMFXwUzSaqCJ4K10KdLAGAmBMN7W5s/s1600/IMG_3996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip1DjYriQnVKWfZjTPijuiJEQ4fgjbVM56tXR6XBdKZQQp2QmErmYW1hQ27dvtrVrv4k3NzQk2EephJ1nuCs3ULDN_Blmq9HC-ulcm_bitMGFMSgMFXwUzSaqCJ4K10KdLAGAmBMN7W5s/s640/IMG_3996.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dirt dirt and more dirt was the menu for the day</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmKnwhEe97LaYKwGZbAoZykdKuEIFkpgn0FhDNIoBPwreXAMlJ69n5EUyjxetcQENyA1vjK3Esr5oaWdurGleidho-6gj5XbPHIJuVEdkltHBuI960X9Rf35KFj7B2lAiMXlgqG3hnnM/s1600/IMG_4004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmmKnwhEe97LaYKwGZbAoZykdKuEIFkpgn0FhDNIoBPwreXAMlJ69n5EUyjxetcQENyA1vjK3Esr5oaWdurGleidho-6gj5XbPHIJuVEdkltHBuI960X9Rf35KFj7B2lAiMXlgqG3hnnM/s640/IMG_4004.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The salt flat provides some excellent photography, most of which we couldn't take advantage of due to the water</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RTof1g5pcTVxSaRNyi2rIv104N-kAlORtPlOg_jYwFRBLilaOxyJ8qym8SS7FZUU4LcfGB9VQ8wmGh6cSxs-hRfQWyf-6PPZGN1ksP5WAHESysz_l1TPJWdRvRtLUr6V0jgKjR6T6QI/s1600/IMG_4006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RTof1g5pcTVxSaRNyi2rIv104N-kAlORtPlOg_jYwFRBLilaOxyJ8qym8SS7FZUU4LcfGB9VQ8wmGh6cSxs-hRfQWyf-6PPZGN1ksP5WAHESysz_l1TPJWdRvRtLUr6V0jgKjR6T6QI/s640/IMG_4006.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's like being back at the ocean, but way more salty</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcl6cdSoW8LnPE3Y__QlalhY1gyL1d1QITOjPUmgve_gg6Qfop11uI04-Is68O75uYuuYXTw6rQfH_ZI6w47ZjoUx-UQbsykhngFNd5NNkjhyphenhyphenEiB58mC6s3nwEBjF6Ci8ZDetpi2O8oz8/s1600/IMG_4011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcl6cdSoW8LnPE3Y__QlalhY1gyL1d1QITOjPUmgve_gg6Qfop11uI04-Is68O75uYuuYXTw6rQfH_ZI6w47ZjoUx-UQbsykhngFNd5NNkjhyphenhyphenEiB58mC6s3nwEBjF6Ci8ZDetpi2O8oz8/s640/IMG_4011.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Might as well enjoy it the most I can</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwKQw5aMV0i7MvVb8X9k7LE1FXGLrIu64Vf8lB5uVLhMDxqf-QRE-wREupseZ2c1BdpMjxeOrHV4lGmkUkhCSiwzS9-qcBR9XAJMtQ3_nokjSivnrKRQ_oyFCjh7GaYkZ62IToFHU-oY/s1600/IMG_4017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwKQw5aMV0i7MvVb8X9k7LE1FXGLrIu64Vf8lB5uVLhMDxqf-QRE-wREupseZ2c1BdpMjxeOrHV4lGmkUkhCSiwzS9-qcBR9XAJMtQ3_nokjSivnrKRQ_oyFCjh7GaYkZ62IToFHU-oY/s640/IMG_4017.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are tours heading way out into the water, but we didn't want to risk our bikes being affected by salt water another time</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSA_YRk-xJs2SaBYcNteo5_UarHLfdAe0JZjwcXx2fwmRKiazwfTRIgEh8wXeALU9xDfqZlVIs7mnXxE8Defi5CMeHRkREEbMCb-rWJepr4wBWaEEHmqsnyZfCqJ8J38WTUEgiMBTVTCk/s1600/IMG_4018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSA_YRk-xJs2SaBYcNteo5_UarHLfdAe0JZjwcXx2fwmRKiazwfTRIgEh8wXeALU9xDfqZlVIs7mnXxE8Defi5CMeHRkREEbMCb-rWJepr4wBWaEEHmqsnyZfCqJ8J38WTUEgiMBTVTCk/s640/IMG_4018.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A look of disappointment, excitement, and "the sun's too damn bright" all in one</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrqUBX40L6DVQ4KibVPHIstONp-MENjvNzBgZlptjgFDzRAw_QpAZeb3U1I_EvZLyzD4xBqhzpPbisPFdN-4x5iQ3ZpSUSkZXtog5RUHZ25qRAUHQPqLsw8rT5AVf2t-G6l83BDtKsb4/s1600/IMG_4020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUrqUBX40L6DVQ4KibVPHIstONp-MENjvNzBgZlptjgFDzRAw_QpAZeb3U1I_EvZLyzD4xBqhzpPbisPFdN-4x5iQ3ZpSUSkZXtog5RUHZ25qRAUHQPqLsw8rT5AVf2t-G6l83BDtKsb4/s640/IMG_4020.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The salt flat ride began nicely</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllfu4Iya4ffKcZZXi2jqBMZ6YwpF_efAeWHWRSk2Ri9sR9rSO0USvdTqqjR5vORbci4NrdaNt-Ow4Mve28QxzJS8lZh10VvM7u9msUxYgFveh3FpIykoLN9H-bsHXV1CTAiWqPq_kHJQ/s1600/IMG_4024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjllfu4Iya4ffKcZZXi2jqBMZ6YwpF_efAeWHWRSk2Ri9sR9rSO0USvdTqqjR5vORbci4NrdaNt-Ow4Mve28QxzJS8lZh10VvM7u9msUxYgFveh3FpIykoLN9H-bsHXV1CTAiWqPq_kHJQ/s640/IMG_4024.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And ended so, so poorly</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFstBgPN7qFpiQo2Pryig7-lpBLp3-rSImWPs6pUh6F5wpzT2FnPCFhYY6-z0edlWS2efGTJPGv_XDkOcUTdft2SVagDKxzVb6kr_-ymN3bAbX90qWgQk36qYAXR9BeO3BQlIUFq45sQE/s1600/IMG_4027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFstBgPN7qFpiQo2Pryig7-lpBLp3-rSImWPs6pUh6F5wpzT2FnPCFhYY6-z0edlWS2efGTJPGv_XDkOcUTdft2SVagDKxzVb6kr_-ymN3bAbX90qWgQk36qYAXR9BeO3BQlIUFq45sQE/s640/IMG_4027.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batman's out looking for his batcave amongst the red rock cliffs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04wmppe8qfGlsI1x-CTVSvI8SR9DjzBhss3aPu-GXhjWVQBllJrzTXgWOOumsNaUKM8XlC9Iw1tig1zT_dkSi0UEpGRUbkoJF15clL0BvN_pwEbMIdqQacBGlIpM_90Tj4MGEctmZl1E/s1600/IMG_4030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04wmppe8qfGlsI1x-CTVSvI8SR9DjzBhss3aPu-GXhjWVQBllJrzTXgWOOumsNaUKM8XlC9Iw1tig1zT_dkSi0UEpGRUbkoJF15clL0BvN_pwEbMIdqQacBGlIpM_90Tj4MGEctmZl1E/s640/IMG_4030.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off he goes into the dusk</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
From here on out, I don't really have pictures of the remainder of the trip. I failed to bring out my camera for the nights we were out, and moreso I often dread the end of trips and don't take pictures to instead remember the times I wasn't sad about ending the possible adventure of a lifetime. <br />
<br />
The Bolivian gas was taking a toll on our bikes, and I found Nik trailing by a few kilometres. Stopping for lunch, I find out his bike won't let him get past 90-100kph. He's scared its something else, but I figured it was a shitty fill-up, and once we filled up with some Argentian super, our bikes were like Ducatti's, and I'm almost serious. The drive at first was flat and boring, soon became a little mountainous and scenic, and then the cars started. Its too bad we were heading so far south on a tight schedule, but Carnivale takes place in north Argentina, and what a party it is. If we were heading in the opposite direction, we'd be screwed. The line of cars heading north lasted 250 kiloemtres, honestly a straight line of traffic, stop and go. We stopped in a few towns to find people COVERED in shaving cream, or whatever the hell they use to spray all over each other, and others walking around with wine bottles and wine glasses drinking insanely. Awesome. I wish we could have taken a shot at this type of fun, but alas, Salta awaited. 300 kilometres and the turn-off to the quaint, scenic city offered us one of the finest roads of the trip. Whatever its called, its the first exit "Corsita" or something, heading east. This road heads into the mountains on what looks like a bike path to most countries, with the exception of no bikes, only motor vehicles. So cars take up way more than one lane, but for motorcycles, its a dream. So tight, paved so well, and full of awesome twists. 50 kilometres of awesome fun, reminding me of being back in Canada with its evergreen trees, fresh air, and impressive lake systems. If I have a huge regret about this trip is not spending more time in Argentina, it is a truly spectacular country that reminds me so much of home. <br />
<br />
Anyway, back on track, darkness fell and we finally found a nice expensive hotel in the heart of the city. A beautiful 19th century mohagany-built house turned hotel, a treat for us, lets celebrate. Found a nice restaurant, and 3 bottles of wine later (9.00 US), we're both in the washroom a lot of the night. Paid 10.00 to get my shoes shined HAH, and no idea where the rest of my money ended up. I've definitely spent more in Argentina than anywhere else, not to mention they charge $9.00 every time to take money out of ATM's with both bank fees. <br />
<br />
I so wanted to stay another day, but both me and Nik knew this would be the last of our adventure together. I was able to print my plane ticket I purchased the night before, huge savings to Montreal. It was to be 1000.00 to Ottawa, 1000.00 to NYC (where I wanted to play around and then take a bus home) but only 500.00 to Montreal if I could leave on the 10th. HUGE savings. Calvin, the new owner of my bike, would arrive on the 8th, so it worked out perfectly for me. But at this point, it was the 6th, so I had to get moving for it was 1400 km to Salta. We exchanged parts and items, I kept his laptop because the internet didn't work (haha took five minutes to fix) and we departed ways shortly after lunch, 2pm. <br />
<br />
8pm, still riding, who needs to quit yet, besides no towns.<br />
12 pm, not really tired yet, keep going.<br />
3 am, well, I'm this far...might as well make a night of it.<br />
6 am, napping on my bike, feet perched over the handlebars and head resting on my bag on the back<br />
10 am, snacking on expensive cookies and filling up for gas for the 6th time in 24 hours.<br />
1 pm, hola Buenos Aires. <br />
<br />
Yep, 1850 kilometres, one shot, one day. And why not? We traveled 2500 kilometres in one shot at the beginning of the trip, why not go out with a bang. Besides, my friends who know me well enough know I can pull this sorta driving off, being not the first time. <br />
<br />
The first 150 kilometres was going perfectly, a smile on my face, ready for a good drive, perhaps stop along the way at a nice finca for the night. At mile marker 151, the bridge was out. No big deal, bridges are often out and we always get through....not this time. I managed to be able to keep up a conversation with about 10 locals smothering me, only to finally confirm from a bus driver that I had two choices: wait until the morning where the bridge may "possibly" be fixed, or take a 400 kilometre detour across the country. What choice did I have? I had to get to Buenos Aires and had to take matters into my own hand. The extremely humble bus driver offered me his map, which I so gratiously offered to pay for. He would have none of it, and with a real good map I set off back up and across the 16 to the 11, then down. I say this lightly...for the 16 is the same road Nik has to take to get to Iguazu Falls. Hah, and how I made fun of him for having to take this road. Basically, after 250 kilometres on this road, and it got dark by the point, the road straightens. For over 600 kilometres, the road maintains its rigidity, bending only every 100 kilometres to keep you slightly awake. So it was a rather strange ride, filled with, of course, the flashing lights from other motorists, lots of gas stops, lots of bumps and graded pavement (not too impressed with Argentinean roads by this point), and lots of adjusting my seating position. I say strange because I've never experienced seeing the dull yellow glow of a cars headlights from more than 75 kilometres away, watching for nearly half an hour as the lights get bigger and brighter before passing you. All night long. Thats how straight the roads were. I ate enough to keep me awake, but started dozing off at 4:30, and decided to take a break in a sugar cane field. Slept for a little bit and watched the beautiful sunrise, before finishing this damn long trip. <br />
<br />
By the time I hit the city limits, I was as fresh as the Argentinean air (well, not by this point, Buenos Aires is polluted) and took the 45 kilometre ride to the city center. Thats how big that city is, 12 million people, and 45 kilometres of highway 14 lanes wide. The fast lane posted 130, slow lane 80, this was a quick city. At one point, entering a toll, the highway split to 42 lanes. Damned impressive. Just like Lima, it took me three hours to find a hotel, big cities are impossible because the closer you get to Centro, the more expensive it is; yet the farther you get from it, the harder it is to find a hotel. Because Buenos aires is mostly Autopista, it leaves little room to explore without getting lost. The first hotel I stopped at ended up being the one I stayed at, it was 170 pesos a night ONLY for me, More than 40.00 a night, ouch. But it offered great wifi, great garage parking, great views on the roof, close proximity to the centre of the city, and right off the autoroute to the airport. In my search, I crossed hotels 300 + a night american, went to the airport to see if there were any there, and surprisingly only one asking way too much. So this would have to do. In the room, I was able to wash all my gear in the tub, and dry it with the air conditioner. I went out for a ride to check out the city, and I must regard Buenos Aires as now my favourite big city of the trip. Medellin is now a close second, but Buenos Aires is AWESOME! I didn't get any pictures WOW, stupid, but thats because I spent all my time with my tongue hanging out at the beautiful infrastrcutre, huge skyscrapers, massive yachts, exotic cars, etc.etc.etc. Everything is so expensive, but with reason. It was so fun walking around/riding around even by myself. By this time, my bike was running the best it has ever run. Even though my baack tire barely made it with the tread it had left, the engine was roaring. Unless I tweaked it properly, a good gun in first from a stop would pull the front tire off the ground everytime. Probably the super gas I used the entire time through Argentina. So racing around the city, literally, I called it a night, and spent the next morning out again. Spent a little while as well getting documents ready for the American who was flying in that night. Told him he could bunk with me since we wouldn't have a place to stay. One bed, so he'd have to stay on the floor, n biggie I suppose. Was nice having a room to myself for once though, after two months of two people in a room, one night to have everything yours and organzied was kinda nice. Anyway, I spent too long touring around at night again, and thought I missed meeting Calvin at the hotel, but low and behold there he was at 9pm. I ended up finding some luggage thank god after searching around for four hours for something less than 400.00 american. <br />
<br />
We spent the following day together, sharing stories, filling me in on what hes doing and where hes going, and me giving him advice on just about everything I learned from the trip. We went out to the water, and had a real expensive dinner...$25.00 at TGI Fridays. From my experience with that restaurant before in the Florida Keys, I told myself it would be one of the only restaurants I'd ever go to again in the States etc. (don't have them in Canada). Here was a bit of a disappointment though for the price, but whatever it was my last night. So really other than that, I woke up this morning and handed him the bike (from which I think I saw my tire rather flat as he took off, I'm gonna get in shit for that one, sorry Calvin I didn't notice it was that low until it was too late) but he got a good deal, so all should be well. I wished him the best of luck with his lack of any spanish (seriously, good luck man!) and sent him on his way. Took the $30.00 ride to the airport (ugh) and checked in.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQup6SmoS3Ri52d1mLKkLKH7GCpaU0GHdx4YZHWzuaL1DVsQYsPKs3uvvZGHkfN9qj9j7r2uwHURCKhu6a48gnPMsfx3uhFMdYZiol5JwWnXRri8UQFrzDoHpFUaLWSDLdEvG5mhEHXRQ/s1600/IMG_4042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQup6SmoS3Ri52d1mLKkLKH7GCpaU0GHdx4YZHWzuaL1DVsQYsPKs3uvvZGHkfN9qj9j7r2uwHURCKhu6a48gnPMsfx3uhFMdYZiol5JwWnXRri8UQFrzDoHpFUaLWSDLdEvG5mhEHXRQ/s640/IMG_4042.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off I go on the lonely, lonely road that was oh so straight</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7NJEx9F0cyrU5IooFkXyprYA9w8Kwv_51W03ClvC8FFPAohnI4l_otKBYh1hpIXWZohHTSS8KYND0QrdATmHtOBLteA4tUCKVGfOeP3ZtYnnYXksqKj9ZjlELn_BVYxktNNucqo-flM/s1600/IMG_4048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7NJEx9F0cyrU5IooFkXyprYA9w8Kwv_51W03ClvC8FFPAohnI4l_otKBYh1hpIXWZohHTSS8KYND0QrdATmHtOBLteA4tUCKVGfOeP3ZtYnnYXksqKj9ZjlELn_BVYxktNNucqo-flM/s640/IMG_4048.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A quick morning snooze and I awake to this lovely sight of the sky burning with the rising sun</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggECpeBgwMcp_jRj6xJDbxvWWZBBtkDE6J8Ue-ov65umTOKia-oFhQmtE_oUTpuBNrri330JXApddj98ed2VXqnDatGUM0BbG5gAvQj4WZEqQfQGzH1BZkHypuhVPXYJ1ILyRVLjqA5t8/s1600/IMG_4054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggECpeBgwMcp_jRj6xJDbxvWWZBBtkDE6J8Ue-ov65umTOKia-oFhQmtE_oUTpuBNrri330JXApddj98ed2VXqnDatGUM0BbG5gAvQj4WZEqQfQGzH1BZkHypuhVPXYJ1ILyRVLjqA5t8/s640/IMG_4054.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A rather nifty highway, that would average 14 lanes both sides, and suddenly when a toll booth would come, 42 LANES!!!! WHOAAA (In the distance, each lane has its own speed limit, from 60-130kph)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EqFw_Ue9YMZZVITYnVQOn_9Da-YC6QObPlMIYBZN8p8j5X8KYhNYSLUjt3G3VeEY8QJjOicjOIy88vPKLq58IF2qBPbiM2BOycZ4fj7Ysdg82x5xWzLSlxuMbIzVQ_Ri671k4XkJMmE/s1600/IMG_4064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2EqFw_Ue9YMZZVITYnVQOn_9Da-YC6QObPlMIYBZN8p8j5X8KYhNYSLUjt3G3VeEY8QJjOicjOIy88vPKLq58IF2qBPbiM2BOycZ4fj7Ysdg82x5xWzLSlxuMbIzVQ_Ri671k4XkJMmE/s640/IMG_4064.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The downtown B.A. skyline from my hotel, a truly fantastic city</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDQXzZS8AIvVHzQp1ZoItsL_9byHK8nvGJ-XdpepSAFN2UXFOo71s8qZ1lVvSyUnoDCqPrRqZQstfUbxQJYcmRqN1kk7OWcttP0jP5Ro4llPJNkmpqBjUXRR3m3mkShv6Nmf5U_7eRlo/s1600/IMG_4073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvDQXzZS8AIvVHzQp1ZoItsL_9byHK8nvGJ-XdpepSAFN2UXFOo71s8qZ1lVvSyUnoDCqPrRqZQstfUbxQJYcmRqN1kk7OWcttP0jP5Ro4llPJNkmpqBjUXRR3m3mkShv6Nmf5U_7eRlo/s640/IMG_4073.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Uno mas amgiso</td></tr>
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So here I am o n the flight; at the airport, the check in counter couldn't print my goddamn Mexico ticket, so now I have to exit the terminal and re-check in once I get there with my luggage and everything. I got insurance, just in case..I'm not taking a chance with all my stuff lost somewhere in Mexico City. Thought I'd grab something to eat and noticed a coke was..wait, I've already been over this. Yeah, expensive. The flight, however, is a damn treat. Sorry but I've never been on an international (outside U.S. And unchartered) flight before, so was pleasantly surprised at the pillows, blankets, awesome lunch, and omg, free unlimited wine?!!? How....beautiful. The funniest thing is I downloaded a few movies for the flight, and was planning on watching the Social Network which has beeno n the laptop since the beginning. First movie played, yep, you got it. No need to waste battery. Next up, Big Bang Theory. Gotta be kidding, dream come true. All in English. No one sitting beside me, so I might just take a nap now, another 4 hours and I'll be sad to get off this flight, lol. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMi7eSqcxv_VD1mzwh8ulY8nwEIIg1QfAX8zGFG2vuScqE7TpuAppBSBRlQhCScxCnWBL9DSR7sx3aiiN9-6J44jpFX_ZpwhX6QSVgw_gihnQ93yZwjMqV53SE00eDmsLwXiWpRGfczTM/s1600/IMG_4094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMi7eSqcxv_VD1mzwh8ulY8nwEIIg1QfAX8zGFG2vuScqE7TpuAppBSBRlQhCScxCnWBL9DSR7sx3aiiN9-6J44jpFX_ZpwhX6QSVgw_gihnQ93yZwjMqV53SE00eDmsLwXiWpRGfczTM/s640/IMG_4094.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last time I would sit on my KLR, I'll miss ya buddy, the best piece of machinery I've ever owned. *Note: the flat tire in the back....sorry Calvin, failed to notice that one*</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuScH4gIbesVh_kpMToslRGjfS_-93Dvpun5kCKkdhVkBhGHeRP5XwPdGkKjBhIhQSerQIIvbu6w-ndG3OBqKlteTElVwqyG1SrZ1saP296IM8oGDWXkFU1NFbzdwW6Bv7ZK8gfLM_3ok/s1600/IMG_4099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuScH4gIbesVh_kpMToslRGjfS_-93Dvpun5kCKkdhVkBhGHeRP5XwPdGkKjBhIhQSerQIIvbu6w-ndG3OBqKlteTElVwqyG1SrZ1saP296IM8oGDWXkFU1NFbzdwW6Bv7ZK8gfLM_3ok/s640/IMG_4099.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I figured this is a pretty cool summary of the trip for me and Nik; it's all the Coca Cola products from the America's, and basically the only drinks you have at restaurants that aren't alcoholic. We recognize basically every one of them from the countries we have visited</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwzQAmD2e-T2xhnTJzPdH2s0oGl93ZIIAPmNmyFfQlN1WUs4b3kn1Yvyuf49jlXgKpW8mdzKdfL1Rguc9nl9mnKuv69nq3ralVMNZR8ep4nIn041h0GlTLWjFNDvLT2BJbhyphenhyphenL-na4RUo/s1600/IMG_4101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwzQAmD2e-T2xhnTJzPdH2s0oGl93ZIIAPmNmyFfQlN1WUs4b3kn1Yvyuf49jlXgKpW8mdzKdfL1Rguc9nl9mnKuv69nq3ralVMNZR8ep4nIn041h0GlTLWjFNDvLT2BJbhyphenhyphenL-na4RUo/s640/IMG_4101.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Omg, a dream come true, BIG BANG THEORY ON THE AIRPLANE!!! Hours and hours of it!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVoOxO70fKBYy-icXuDDcDj_LpZQCsDaDvRK5AMYL9km5eVyaodBf0lAhKkif-sCcKMwPj8jtBVrTXPVQHlifS9puSS25ls7iQMZ2SNE03dorLt4WhOmTYgn02JwFHdHJmm5Joaly2tg/s1600/IMG_4103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJVoOxO70fKBYy-icXuDDcDj_LpZQCsDaDvRK5AMYL9km5eVyaodBf0lAhKkif-sCcKMwPj8jtBVrTXPVQHlifS9puSS25ls7iQMZ2SNE03dorLt4WhOmTYgn02JwFHdHJmm5Joaly2tg/s640/IMG_4103.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All alone in the middle of the night, Mexico City, waiting for my connection, the only person in the entire terminal, scary, but peaceful, and my last picture of the trip</td></tr>
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Sope, I think I dragged it on long enough...I've been dreading this moment, I'm not good at goodbyes, but here it goes..it's been a ride, so to speak, and a damned good one. I'm thankful to EVERYONE who's provided so much support, advice, and entertainment along the way, thank you readers, family and friends. I might post one more time to sum up the best times, worst times etc., but as the end of this trip has come, this is Rob officially blogging off for the last time.... after 20,000 Kilometres Under the Sun.<br />
<br />
Rob Landon, yours truly.RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-19894696081572451402011-03-02T10:32:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:10:58.997-04:00The Backdoor to Machu Picchu - Rob<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Off on another adventure, we're definitely <i>making</i> this trip more difficult than we ever thought it would be. But its also making for some damn good stories. Oh but before I begin, and this will also add credit to the stories to follow, Stephen Dam would like me to make one correction from the previous post: When I said waterfalls would push you across the road, and then inserted a picture of a weak waterfall splashing onto the road, impressive as it was, this is what I meant...</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pZ-x1XOu_jSgrf9snLn2OBgNVAkhrVxTnklCoZT7VjObeZg-z0KFOgGpBFOF9EAWlhVrocBBe3a00NfZOr3G8MSyeRHnxpnMmHXuDng3ZXB9jWdUnOgQYmR1XG07PltcieZe3CenWYc/s1600/IMG_3745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pZ-x1XOu_jSgrf9snLn2OBgNVAkhrVxTnklCoZT7VjObeZg-z0KFOgGpBFOF9EAWlhVrocBBe3a00NfZOr3G8MSyeRHnxpnMmHXuDng3ZXB9jWdUnOgQYmR1XG07PltcieZe3CenWYc/s640/IMG_3745.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little bit more than a spraying waterfall eh DAM</td></tr>
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</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The ride from Abancay to Cuzco was similar to the day before, a bit wet, but not as high up, so we didnt have to suffer as much. 150 kilometres took us about 3 hours, lots of twists and switchbacks again, construction repairing roads and rivers to follow along. Once we got to Cuzco, we wondered whether or not just to continue onwards, but a half day of riding would give us a nice break. The touristy atmosphere of Cuzco means up-the-ass prices most of anywhere you go. Park the bikes, walk hotel to hotel, $100.00 here, $110.00 there, and finally a half decent hotel for $50.00, reasonable enough. We're not used to spending that much anymore, but here we were in Cuzco and didnt have much choice. We managed to stay mostly dry, however, as soon as we needed to park the bikes: massive downpour, soaking everything, ugh....Luckily, the room was equipped, heater, hot water, nice view, lots of pillows, soap and shampoo and toilet paper (these essentials are damn rare in Peru for some reason), and an elevator. Always nice to get one of those with 100 pounds of luggage. OH and a buffet breakfast mmmm, awesome. <i>Hoteles de las Villas Hermozas</i><span style="font-style: normal;">, off El Sol.</span></div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">We spent the day drying clothes, doing laundry, touring around, neat little town, very historic. They were right in naming it to Culture Capital of Peru. Nik was feeling some sort of dizzy, so we took it easy for the afternoon. Found an archeological site at the top of the town, but they wanted 70 soles each to enter. That's 25-30 bucks. I thought only Machu would be worth a price that steep. Onward we continued until we found a place to park the bikes, and just walked in off the road. You'd think they'd at least fence it off. A very interesting site, we goofed around here until dark and then went back for some Chifu (chinese)...a recurring theme. </div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpnRvN5azvcK9CvieZRXBLko6AJCbSIYeJA2l9Gzdl_tODGLov_U5-wwDNLyMTgs9JKEDdJ0euci-GibyCnOYi_EoXZ6ak4IF8Op1-8iL5Mp84b-eXgSbLpdDNMvPuXcPhDUCVRdWkVQ/s1600/IMG_3647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpnRvN5azvcK9CvieZRXBLko6AJCbSIYeJA2l9Gzdl_tODGLov_U5-wwDNLyMTgs9JKEDdJ0euci-GibyCnOYi_EoXZ6ak4IF8Op1-8iL5Mp84b-eXgSbLpdDNMvPuXcPhDUCVRdWkVQ/s640/IMG_3647.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new settings I fooled around with on the camera...makes a big difference in the pictures</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpBBrKAmU-hL3phAfEdEoblxDi6BRSXtyY6fEnVzAk6kQPNJfgNXD04t5cqaPQ0q-B7t9OLOlhb7rs_OBmiOyUYM3zl97vEuxHonVVUXxkJZjG9vN3_OKHIPbWI5zGGxu4W3jTo7swfU/s1600/IMG_3655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpBBrKAmU-hL3phAfEdEoblxDi6BRSXtyY6fEnVzAk6kQPNJfgNXD04t5cqaPQ0q-B7t9OLOlhb7rs_OBmiOyUYM3zl97vEuxHonVVUXxkJZjG9vN3_OKHIPbWI5zGGxu4W3jTo7swfU/s640/IMG_3655.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were lucky to catch some cool weather conditions in Cuzco</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnwQdBru8m95HlEY4kZhVXwamdcXFYEWmUIMj8uwMOIi8BnKy2FEd4iXSVqPpBtAxSrUSPhrgr0IfnP-XbOa-PO6oGObJ-uK-zSKcoCBNqUo_4sH4CAAFIX84xDyxaPPP8CN06KVXGWE/s1600/IMG_3657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnwQdBru8m95HlEY4kZhVXwamdcXFYEWmUIMj8uwMOIi8BnKy2FEd4iXSVqPpBtAxSrUSPhrgr0IfnP-XbOa-PO6oGObJ-uK-zSKcoCBNqUo_4sH4CAAFIX84xDyxaPPP8CN06KVXGWE/s640/IMG_3657.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These buildings are located in the Plaza de las Armas section of Cuzco, biggest tourist trap</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYX8t27IUIeoCwEZ4pdQ-CTQp3i0tXxwsWb-06lWqXWJ97rq-BWz277YDgPA6kK8XJ0QoQ5AfYFWkT7XcwKY49AqF5uGYkm-jwLfixskUhWRtRBMOqr45HdcHQUmQA-_vjjBqOK6zUyg/s1600/IMG_3659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzYX8t27IUIeoCwEZ4pdQ-CTQp3i0tXxwsWb-06lWqXWJ97rq-BWz277YDgPA6kK8XJ0QoQ5AfYFWkT7XcwKY49AqF5uGYkm-jwLfixskUhWRtRBMOqr45HdcHQUmQA-_vjjBqOK6zUyg/s640/IMG_3659.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some really nice architecture for a tiny city in the mountains</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyIguZuv0R_8dQ0XTyJzBNQ0uJawT5kWzzeyuh-T75mk2kEdfgtitkO98ueLa_3q_86ighvwYENW0UUcFuXmXPUuGovN6mw0SuLXJ9AP0fwdPP_nlzI0DYNtF6H5ewpOlEz87gdxImek/s1600/IMG_3668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyIguZuv0R_8dQ0XTyJzBNQ0uJawT5kWzzeyuh-T75mk2kEdfgtitkO98ueLa_3q_86ighvwYENW0UUcFuXmXPUuGovN6mw0SuLXJ9AP0fwdPP_nlzI0DYNtF6H5ewpOlEz87gdxImek/s640/IMG_3668.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The university </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZbDu0pvOViu-kpSrIzrjXJejDTC0f5bQH7c9J_NFDn4exND9F4Ylbb48bmvw0_2lpEi3JsNlELTFhrdcKUOh4JnafnYHPH5SvtpHTUvlGzym0gODfSoNl0sa7hoAJQPvVHTqF9gk-t4/s1600/IMG_3684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZbDu0pvOViu-kpSrIzrjXJejDTC0f5bQH7c9J_NFDn4exND9F4Ylbb48bmvw0_2lpEi3JsNlELTFhrdcKUOh4JnafnYHPH5SvtpHTUvlGzym0gODfSoNl0sa7hoAJQPvVHTqF9gk-t4/s640/IMG_3684.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still playing with my camera</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3VqMylu-oPpoIcpF8ZhzwQsqfrvdTkqJiZ-8ExokVNLOUvaqKGiHbFFhfiVlMb-miSvm7PQvhr1y87_7H1lhD76LeOYv3Z1yIZiBUpDAu2pZCwyBzwxT7uv9qMGbeLnH5BHSXnbvP6s/s1600/IMG_3693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ3VqMylu-oPpoIcpF8ZhzwQsqfrvdTkqJiZ-8ExokVNLOUvaqKGiHbFFhfiVlMb-miSvm7PQvhr1y87_7H1lhD76LeOYv3Z1yIZiBUpDAu2pZCwyBzwxT7uv9qMGbeLnH5BHSXnbvP6s/s640/IMG_3693.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heres some ruins Nik closely compares to as good as Machu Picchu, and as damn near expensive</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAn5uYWiHDcrmccD3Tst7Bqvqws_VmZ-nKM8MfyWGG6cN-RXQgs1jqHZ5jt1VB-lipBPisMjcTG7PbOrUChyphenhyphenO_UevprcEJs2vcDpzJZprerdIiJizBhNymWMmCCQejYodaauTalkA-94/s1600/IMG_3695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVAn5uYWiHDcrmccD3Tst7Bqvqws_VmZ-nKM8MfyWGG6cN-RXQgs1jqHZ5jt1VB-lipBPisMjcTG7PbOrUChyphenhyphenO_UevprcEJs2vcDpzJZprerdIiJizBhNymWMmCCQejYodaauTalkA-94/s640/IMG_3695.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The businessman ready for some dirt riding</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhBAW-6B29Yd1kKu4wIdPZmBz0cLSa8YPgpRoYw8lXPg_z0zM59UwDHpYBqSNi-ZYgOIWiGW5ygC9N1Fzx2BKYumWA0LOq8VYWhkftTOxz0lpu7RLXie035ifhZRZT4ht_hoYOkrrxBs/s1600/IMG_3696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhBAW-6B29Yd1kKu4wIdPZmBz0cLSa8YPgpRoYw8lXPg_z0zM59UwDHpYBqSNi-ZYgOIWiGW5ygC9N1Fzx2BKYumWA0LOq8VYWhkftTOxz0lpu7RLXie035ifhZRZT4ht_hoYOkrrxBs/s640/IMG_3696.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm in a t-shirt but trust me, its 10 degrees</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9JRF0TRGkfgBZnaTMEKEN0tqPVgccFRrCB0T2iRd2REmOGd-kTlgm6_zl1EzCBplDFD3Y6qzwn4AMgJiTIPwGZXqhd6ooKqTPvMD_6HkjYVJjdBxR7etStPWHQi8opGltG2R376HqZo/s1600/IMG_3700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV9JRF0TRGkfgBZnaTMEKEN0tqPVgccFRrCB0T2iRd2REmOGd-kTlgm6_zl1EzCBplDFD3Y6qzwn4AMgJiTIPwGZXqhd6ooKqTPvMD_6HkjYVJjdBxR7etStPWHQi8opGltG2R376HqZo/s640/IMG_3700.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik wondering how the hell these rocks get there</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTpW8I0HosnpNTJ50uoZnOPh37c6LWghNfmLCpCi3Lz0FW1PueoxhDI1imgxdSf__jRg54MV0XJ5hy4HVF_Ju3EeiOBNnoGAi_w-3DojbtZ3JClvHcPTQ0i0orFVYphxqzPlV99TCQmI/s1600/IMG_3702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTTpW8I0HosnpNTJ50uoZnOPh37c6LWghNfmLCpCi3Lz0FW1PueoxhDI1imgxdSf__jRg54MV0XJ5hy4HVF_Ju3EeiOBNnoGAi_w-3DojbtZ3JClvHcPTQ0i0orFVYphxqzPlV99TCQmI/s640/IMG_3702.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These rocks are massive</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpNJVKbrzteEHefG8iS42OK9P-9AqEzf4HvkothcxheYDhTUTshGSk_2xwd09iM2qJKhUtOXEmrutK3D5WivoMY1LUU71QxF1aeOOBpDtKV-cN8Kw_ookhQ1N_89VtWsfxJ77oM2cYJo/s1600/IMG_3705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTpNJVKbrzteEHefG8iS42OK9P-9AqEzf4HvkothcxheYDhTUTshGSk_2xwd09iM2qJKhUtOXEmrutK3D5WivoMY1LUU71QxF1aeOOBpDtKV-cN8Kw_ookhQ1N_89VtWsfxJ77oM2cYJo/s640/IMG_3705.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Makes Nik look like a midget</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQowiKRRhyphenhyphen9qoGptmYrTwKIpiHft0YA2yL7pSSnlryBLNM3yiYnoRL4UR81-VFx_S6BGZqL3dqCaSLOztL3IxIhvVYvQyxtmAWPze5gh7GSDicDoMUxdoyldYAzrER_A-EcJaN0-9ZO4E/s1600/IMG_3720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQowiKRRhyphenhyphen9qoGptmYrTwKIpiHft0YA2yL7pSSnlryBLNM3yiYnoRL4UR81-VFx_S6BGZqL3dqCaSLOztL3IxIhvVYvQyxtmAWPze5gh7GSDicDoMUxdoyldYAzrER_A-EcJaN0-9ZO4E/s640/IMG_3720.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuzco at dusk</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21NNIdDxMH5EZ6vYzbA7kOLOtn4hJF1dsyu8gaKO1tV22V7cfh7aCDGAz1Dlm0xnQzCHSpsRmume78NgYjVorUutow-F30tTIKg3K4D4ORItQrCEjHObBKwSjkidlonRATyItZzb8SLY/s1600/IMG_3735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg21NNIdDxMH5EZ6vYzbA7kOLOtn4hJF1dsyu8gaKO1tV22V7cfh7aCDGAz1Dlm0xnQzCHSpsRmume78NgYjVorUutow-F30tTIKg3K4D4ORItQrCEjHObBKwSjkidlonRATyItZzb8SLY/s640/IMG_3735.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anddd Cuzco at night</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">After a throughouly enjoyed breakfast, we headed up and around Machu Picchu, to save some money and experience an adventure few get to. Lets begin with exactly what it this backdoor is. Ok so most tourists, most people think the only way to get to Machu Picchu is by train. Wrong. There are no roads to get to Aguas Calientes (the town of Machu Picchu), this much is correct, but you can get close enough if you're willing to be adventurous and "cheap". Instead of taking the bus to Ollyabamate (ok I spelled it wrong but the train stop), you continue on that road to Santa Maria, a three hour drive up, over the mountains, back down, and through some nasty gravel roads. An unnoticeable left turn across the river from Santa Maria, another hours drive to Saint Teresa, and you're almost there. From here, you cab, or ride to the Hydroelectric dam where you can park your bikes guarded, and then proceed to take a 2 and a half hour hike up the train tracks to Aguas Calientes. So it can be done on the "cheap".</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Recommendations: </div><ul><li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Do it ONLY if you want a different experience, on a motorcycle especially, because the roads are very cold and wet in the mountains, and very dangeorus following the rivers. Bolivia death road?? Is a joke compared to what you have to ride to get to Saint Teresa.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">As a rider, it ends up being just a little bit cheaper in the end, so don't count on saving money, because of the gas fill-ups and extra nights accomodation (38.00 for train each way, plus one nights accomodation and food; whereas 25 dollars in fuel, two-three nights accomodation, plus food).</span></div></li>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Be weary of the time of year you go, rainy season could spell disaster (read below to find out).</div></li>
<li><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Be prepared to walk, and then walk, and walk some more. You will be sore if you're not accustomed to hiking, like us.</div></li>
</ul><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">Ok, now you have an idea of what it is...here's our experience. Would we do it again? Definitely not. The train is relaxing, expensive, but worth it. When the road is paved, there are infinite switchbacks from which we are tiring; you see the road below you, and it takes almost an hour to get there from the top, very frustrating. When the road becomes gravel, its manageable, but then it becomes mud. Deep mud, very slippery, and very dangerous. When we took the road to Saint Teresa, we thought we were going to die. Mind you, I loved this part, and looking forward to taking it back, but one mistake...literally one mistake, and you're dead. You drop the bike, and it will slide off the edge, 300, sometimes 400 feet straight down into the rocky riverbed. And because its mud and gravel (rainy season), I guarantee you'll slip and slide a bit. That and because its barely a single track, you'll nearly hit many vehicles. There were times where I'd skid to a halt inches from the fender or bumper of a crazy taxi or pickup truck. Nik's making me lead on the way back for this reason. Soooo, in the end, finally made it to Saint Teresa in one piece. We passed through, eager to park the bikes and hike before nightfall. We got within 3 kilometres of the dam, and the road was washed out. Now what....</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8Z4aBh6iTTlZjRoaIQBbx0ye4b07a_-_W0LK_-gm83I8kEad249e2_4LyTVRXwHps_WeexAJeKLkoSNbJ9lZG2p7Jy1EYhiPPGCvNlwj9fhHcVFoG_NID2h4lNN3VLWWpxnpJAfObqo/s1600/IMG_3737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif8Z4aBh6iTTlZjRoaIQBbx0ye4b07a_-_W0LK_-gm83I8kEad249e2_4LyTVRXwHps_WeexAJeKLkoSNbJ9lZG2p7Jy1EYhiPPGCvNlwj9fhHcVFoG_NID2h4lNN3VLWWpxnpJAfObqo/s640/IMG_3737.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The valley of taking the wrong way to get to the backdoor of Machu Picchu</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRb4hGF7AcUqnmamC9g4wIk_r0cy4U5q82ZRJNTnNv0mpjCT2hcaof3T_0QU6OeXxzZOGl0H87nQDYYbztnfhrqLpzGS3xf26qcz_dfy1pEAfZP87unSdwIMxEvTYgCY7LQAm3eXqB_yY/s1600/IMG_3739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRb4hGF7AcUqnmamC9g4wIk_r0cy4U5q82ZRJNTnNv0mpjCT2hcaof3T_0QU6OeXxzZOGl0H87nQDYYbztnfhrqLpzGS3xf26qcz_dfy1pEAfZP87unSdwIMxEvTYgCY7LQAm3eXqB_yY/s640/IMG_3739.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this could be the most interesting road yet....you'll see why in a sec</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTHSsasYk243QQtQ4tl1f4Jw8l0FSh9jmOhf-TjTTFTy_Bf8Cb_QvROUHsCyPmqvZwO-jUxRYCpVsmeoltjSlHHbSH3TL0F8vlqznD2ezHYj_lc7QFXvb_hsblqXNXZ_s6pIgKrL3hI4/s1600/IMG_3742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTHSsasYk243QQtQ4tl1f4Jw8l0FSh9jmOhf-TjTTFTy_Bf8Cb_QvROUHsCyPmqvZwO-jUxRYCpVsmeoltjSlHHbSH3TL0F8vlqznD2ezHYj_lc7QFXvb_hsblqXNXZ_s6pIgKrL3hI4/s640/IMG_3742.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting better, more fun</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvWpTEcudS0CUSau25WasFZZnLN65BP0B-RHGjKxnWBJa9tIggrZmfXE-ZZG5IfOZslx8IQO66k1cp3AOvUYW4KSbv-I3nFvciv0u5RJPWQKWrcI-wUz2Lr9qDDSrrNgZOBzoLif6ohM/s1600/IMG_3748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvWpTEcudS0CUSau25WasFZZnLN65BP0B-RHGjKxnWBJa9tIggrZmfXE-ZZG5IfOZslx8IQO66k1cp3AOvUYW4KSbv-I3nFvciv0u5RJPWQKWrcI-wUz2Lr9qDDSrrNgZOBzoLif6ohM/s640/IMG_3748.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok damnit, I didn't capture a good shot, I have a video i'll have to upload as soon as I can</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWhdeUY32kYwCeUhNAbN-HIPk6XAHRusBX5bd7SSj2MlzLr4d0OtUENhg8a0WQEqOTjj-fzPuWxvaissVknwiLZRhFusPdjLKbuYHPLNWpoFObdiLB6AyAcVuAjk92JkJjsEgjUa0LEU/s1600/IMG_3751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWWhdeUY32kYwCeUhNAbN-HIPk6XAHRusBX5bd7SSj2MlzLr4d0OtUENhg8a0WQEqOTjj-fzPuWxvaissVknwiLZRhFusPdjLKbuYHPLNWpoFObdiLB6AyAcVuAjk92JkJjsEgjUa0LEU/s640/IMG_3751.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some massive currents here</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9QXD9obgs7NFrGCZW2PlrqkQ40cr_m030b7sS6eJR1JY7Lvfg0QxERN038gQEzdSJKCKKn-Bs5gWOUEjTkfEDUb8PS0n9MFFhAfhmUPQVH-djD9BgDZGVhEE0B_uLqh0F6huTJnxo6s/s1600/IMG_3754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz9QXD9obgs7NFrGCZW2PlrqkQ40cr_m030b7sS6eJR1JY7Lvfg0QxERN038gQEzdSJKCKKn-Bs5gWOUEjTkfEDUb8PS0n9MFFhAfhmUPQVH-djD9BgDZGVhEE0B_uLqh0F6huTJnxo6s/s640/IMG_3754.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So bad it wipes the road out and leaves you stranded</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KYtw6hgJFb2RffBKtpqDsC-jmTCxt_KkpShbWEoxSdUtjyXNk9n8pY4_R9ms-T5EV26S_eFFaYlM3RFeqUjEaeLybIRQdHdbk0bSAppFvL5ikd5FUYpffdiCMiklpjlUlFXGxVAS6J0/s1600/IMG_3757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6KYtw6hgJFb2RffBKtpqDsC-jmTCxt_KkpShbWEoxSdUtjyXNk9n8pY4_R9ms-T5EV26S_eFFaYlM3RFeqUjEaeLybIRQdHdbk0bSAppFvL5ikd5FUYpffdiCMiklpjlUlFXGxVAS6J0/s640/IMG_3757.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nearly wiping me out at the same time</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1i_v-_XpfSCJ1LC60X8dlJ2_3ZsZd__vjO7GXgR39P_qibHe68BRsQ21l20V1p-5i9CLrvbda3x2jyuhNkDfy_Ig3zBnYCTz-Za9_KgIi0GkmKO6yRrzU3MBrhItpF6NxqpCZ3FeUoM/s1600/IMG_3764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk1i_v-_XpfSCJ1LC60X8dlJ2_3ZsZd__vjO7GXgR39P_qibHe68BRsQ21l20V1p-5i9CLrvbda3x2jyuhNkDfy_Ig3zBnYCTz-Za9_KgIi0GkmKO6yRrzU3MBrhItpF6NxqpCZ3FeUoM/s640/IMG_3764.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the checkpoint to the backway to Machu Picchu, the hydroelectric plant</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBOyja3r66SW_mmWI6RWcpWvcX8tlhsMn0lRonbGq5gJJ0OBATjuqeTLeLvZqYSv8HSABEuDZ1MKC5UsVBuNX_u3W2l4tBk-mBYGoi6v1Ry7zlAR94PDcJne67ypLZurT0jBM6OucfwY/s1600/IMG_3773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXBOyja3r66SW_mmWI6RWcpWvcX8tlhsMn0lRonbGq5gJJ0OBATjuqeTLeLvZqYSv8HSABEuDZ1MKC5UsVBuNX_u3W2l4tBk-mBYGoi6v1Ry7zlAR94PDcJne67ypLZurT0jBM6OucfwY/s640/IMG_3773.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Along the tracks, theres a lot to see</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit61p4mxuPcksuWSuB3-QC-YfzEzUhLtbQ-lTLqytp9-AUrELhysvJIseDS_CWh-KVwT8Zgt8O_6N0Ne8veTH6XrX7TLhZzxLDhHnukqkt8HKJ2k45BzLP1G2DfaLOMV9qyY8VxdwHdX8/s1600/IMG_3789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit61p4mxuPcksuWSuB3-QC-YfzEzUhLtbQ-lTLqytp9-AUrELhysvJIseDS_CWh-KVwT8Zgt8O_6N0Ne8veTH6XrX7TLhZzxLDhHnukqkt8HKJ2k45BzLP1G2DfaLOMV9qyY8VxdwHdX8/s640/IMG_3789.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kayaking conditions</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisth9lvNXJ8MoaK3pnAEEyF7YeIMFnXn2WNKjunLAua6gi2gibldd3xVWaL3-R0JKvMQWqp-YwdknKmgZHI-895hBqdmEnCinneoou2Ek2q71fmGJnsbdqopsU2rS6kcBy2VVFj2bY-nQ/s1600/IMG_3791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisth9lvNXJ8MoaK3pnAEEyF7YeIMFnXn2WNKjunLAua6gi2gibldd3xVWaL3-R0JKvMQWqp-YwdknKmgZHI-895hBqdmEnCinneoou2Ek2q71fmGJnsbdqopsU2rS6kcBy2VVFj2bY-nQ/s640/IMG_3791.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town of Aguas Calientes</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">We brought the bikes back to Teresa, found a hostal to park them the night and got a cab to the washout point. From there, you have to walk to the dam, which wasn't too bad, but a little extra of the hike we weren't expecting. Here's the continuation of what I said this experience could spell disaster....the washout happened two days before we got there. In rainy season, its a regular occurence. Say we got here two days before, the bikes would have been stuck at the hydroelectric. Depending on how bad it is, it can take weeks to get the roads back together again. Its been five days now and that road is only half back. So from the hike, its mostly up hill up on the tracks. There are quite a few people from all ages that do this as well. We made it to Aguas before nightfall and stayed in a hostal owned by the brother of the hostal our bikes were at in Teresa. We know how to keep it cheap, so instead of spending the gringo dollars at the worthlessly expensive restaurants with bad service, we ate at the supermercado with the locals for 2.50. Early to bed, because the next day was going to be long.</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Machu Picchu is impressive. Really impressive. I would recommend visiting it to anyone and everyone, but prepare for it. Jog, use a stair master, do whatever you have to, because, I think I speak for both of us when I say its the toughest hike, the toughest climb, we have ever done by far. No one told me prior the extremities of this site, so when people will ask me if it was the experience of a lifetime, again, I will tell them, it's an adventure of a lifetime, but not the experience, because this place would need gondolas for that. We got there on the 5:40 am bus, and stood at least 100</span><sup><span style="font-style: normal;">th</span></sup><span style="font-style: normal;"> in line. Surprising, for sure, especially since we wanted to get to Wayapicchu, and only 200 people are allowed up at once, twice daily. We gunned it through the misty site, and stood in line for the high climb. I never realized how steep and dangerous it would be, but again, one slip, and death. No exagerration. I set a challenge for myself and basically ran up as fast as I could, I wanted to be the first, the first at least of the day to get up to the top and claim victory. The hike takes an hour, I pushed past all the people in front of me to take the top in 20 minutes. Its really nice to be the only one on the mountain, looking out over Machu Picchu way below. Nik came up with two other guys not long after, but soon then they all started flocking in. Gets too busy and it becomes a hecticly lame experience, so we took off back down the mountain. </span> </div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDHl6BgR_CztxAGJUFAeo7HXvYV3fLJmwUszC3JOLOL8tH3oE_JpucGQmLM2fEqbiyEFPnIecEO_b_ckSpj0STEq0oEXLd1o-4SHzoHQqJNIU51ntij7gzVUj5yC0FXoEM2abOQ8bypo/s1600/IMG_3793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDHl6BgR_CztxAGJUFAeo7HXvYV3fLJmwUszC3JOLOL8tH3oE_JpucGQmLM2fEqbiyEFPnIecEO_b_ckSpj0STEq0oEXLd1o-4SHzoHQqJNIU51ntij7gzVUj5yC0FXoEM2abOQ8bypo/s640/IMG_3793.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a few people in front of us at 5:45 in the morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6YqzRCwj3wQfkO4O6Xrkv-mYw0xD6EgqeWn3kB06Hhg0HTFe3JGDR2e2ahw5SDB5_M-Qq5YPvWgpb8ph6-352Xj504eG86x0FJ9DK9DfizxfgQLiQ2msWsWDh3g0SfSSXVN1FkDIMhg/s1600/IMG_3800.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii6YqzRCwj3wQfkO4O6Xrkv-mYw0xD6EgqeWn3kB06Hhg0HTFe3JGDR2e2ahw5SDB5_M-Qq5YPvWgpb8ph6-352Xj504eG86x0FJ9DK9DfizxfgQLiQ2msWsWDh3g0SfSSXVN1FkDIMhg/s640/IMG_3800.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Being creepy is my specialty</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHEDhFEWz8YK-_6EHdZRs_HOE5jrXv3FPQpUUjRqUxbKWk_MnglrsNKE_CbbpjIcwAR3DMANRXzzP14wSaZpGpAM5kej1kMrWssrIFxzjzLOpn-I5AI9yw2j3kdGF8kISXldMmQGxWPY/s1600/IMG_3802.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHEDhFEWz8YK-_6EHdZRs_HOE5jrXv3FPQpUUjRqUxbKWk_MnglrsNKE_CbbpjIcwAR3DMANRXzzP14wSaZpGpAM5kej1kMrWssrIFxzjzLOpn-I5AI9yw2j3kdGF8kISXldMmQGxWPY/s640/IMG_3802.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still think Niks better at it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtShpOmz8cmRmlChVsCxgrwefEnO69Iku-MsufoaMia0VlsZX8D5fsV3OkruRTmBTO_Nr1-xA9-XmmM-4IG3N72cijzcDPkuMKjXnJInsbbU86RXN5Pal0kn_8O5uHplf0Cz8yfPMvEqM/s1600/IMG_3806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtShpOmz8cmRmlChVsCxgrwefEnO69Iku-MsufoaMia0VlsZX8D5fsV3OkruRTmBTO_Nr1-xA9-XmmM-4IG3N72cijzcDPkuMKjXnJInsbbU86RXN5Pal0kn_8O5uHplf0Cz8yfPMvEqM/s640/IMG_3806.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for Waynapicchu to open, might as well take my head off</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5G7ci_GOi8quXpICn5YTRSQMMKfzzaH2m0lX4CvXDSIwA8Ubz_7OXUcng_ra1THq9fDQg3I8KbS9my4-927MlmCVsT93-zqt_HDc7AnO6hBZFtk9EOnKQM7T7IRlYFyNZ3MmUtp5Oso/s1600/IMG_3808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5G7ci_GOi8quXpICn5YTRSQMMKfzzaH2m0lX4CvXDSIwA8Ubz_7OXUcng_ra1THq9fDQg3I8KbS9my4-927MlmCVsT93-zqt_HDc7AnO6hBZFtk9EOnKQM7T7IRlYFyNZ3MmUtp5Oso/s640/IMG_3808.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started to get brave and adventurous</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqWCR5F8OML0s4dTZTj5CK9Q7Ei-fRp4zCj2CG7jBecd9iLQVzzHTMr84kpLO26lmvOQs7_3z78WnTN-pSdNq2M0GRSZjmC3RCD_cxKyphkdVCrFpJGTdzwK_ECb9f3hMJodbReXUtqw/s1600/IMG_3816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuqWCR5F8OML0s4dTZTj5CK9Q7Ei-fRp4zCj2CG7jBecd9iLQVzzHTMr84kpLO26lmvOQs7_3z78WnTN-pSdNq2M0GRSZjmC3RCD_cxKyphkdVCrFpJGTdzwK_ECb9f3hMJodbReXUtqw/s640/IMG_3816.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The great Waynapicchu</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfONOSfGxDF1Clib1iELFqIiyb9U58Vz6yEHKiClYWBPfAxXKOZjl4LtHV9r6FtQw6SOwVx1WQ_pdvxj1FqvSYO_XDrNCx4yjKlZiyaXS3ysVRnSSpSmB8Q7z4Lg5jkGjiCDoDpUN_H4/s1600/IMG_3817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfONOSfGxDF1Clib1iELFqIiyb9U58Vz6yEHKiClYWBPfAxXKOZjl4LtHV9r6FtQw6SOwVx1WQ_pdvxj1FqvSYO_XDrNCx4yjKlZiyaXS3ysVRnSSpSmB8Q7z4Lg5jkGjiCDoDpUN_H4/s640/IMG_3817.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The map we shouldve followed but ended up double backing on ourselves by two hours, exhausting us</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWFBPZ6Nmtj3qEd_M74XdTBgnmBYIr2w0_o0q-0hDXkTMMAQMym_lchYb-1_ipXi94fgEtKGYOIRuOeLnw26tRm9dFGomXxNWcIjVKM-O4kzIXPfThRR3yHgCc_axYEtpdefR-4H2rdQ/s1600/IMG_3824.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrWFBPZ6Nmtj3qEd_M74XdTBgnmBYIr2w0_o0q-0hDXkTMMAQMym_lchYb-1_ipXi94fgEtKGYOIRuOeLnw26tRm9dFGomXxNWcIjVKM-O4kzIXPfThRR3yHgCc_axYEtpdefR-4H2rdQ/s640/IMG_3824.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yep, exhausting us</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTk7Qr1LSCEeKExUV52ovI9NYBVYAdvmyaz_RuZaxi4J08x1T8qq0nf_JDD9MB3-wEFADsmx492nQD6QMmdoWcuVKUDA2mUnYaTKfjdRCjs3_-Zt4OrMzSkrnnWww7b66YapKzL-_DgI/s1600/IMG_3826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifTk7Qr1LSCEeKExUV52ovI9NYBVYAdvmyaz_RuZaxi4J08x1T8qq0nf_JDD9MB3-wEFADsmx492nQD6QMmdoWcuVKUDA2mUnYaTKfjdRCjs3_-Zt4OrMzSkrnnWww7b66YapKzL-_DgI/s640/IMG_3826.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the easier climbs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkp6LxtYIsjI3EtrGkx7qu8FPaWUeBreKwOiPRdVQZmz35NpNmlTTgaeKWxaT7RG1AsslcQVxbskZ1MIuCDOSd6q0sFkWYlgRcjYn5X_eww9D56GgaRDKCtATNlnkXWuSVkpliHMn-Lo/s1600/IMG_3828.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkp6LxtYIsjI3EtrGkx7qu8FPaWUeBreKwOiPRdVQZmz35NpNmlTTgaeKWxaT7RG1AsslcQVxbskZ1MIuCDOSd6q0sFkWYlgRcjYn5X_eww9D56GgaRDKCtATNlnkXWuSVkpliHMn-Lo/s640/IMG_3828.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And one of the trickier ones</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwKZfMITLcYDszORYsPjceyGQ3cKI6GKJNKTq7yycOdLH56jPgKDGnta1oO_4anEZacnp4-7yk3iqcLyBFTF2HeWynFz_MU3QXRztsMuJTfg6QVfqRvpQ_PjgndKKOMx68A32giNgqbE/s1600/IMG_3829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDwKZfMITLcYDszORYsPjceyGQ3cKI6GKJNKTq7yycOdLH56jPgKDGnta1oO_4anEZacnp4-7yk3iqcLyBFTF2HeWynFz_MU3QXRztsMuJTfg6QVfqRvpQ_PjgndKKOMx68A32giNgqbE/s640/IMG_3829.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just barely fit through with my bag, and I'm skinny as hell!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ekjH5nI8BLq81yZhxmsL8mJgSvNPKBdsGbpuTJh_Soz03c-8L6FqsM2jTiLXtgXdbdtmFB4yLQJ0IiOpA51WyNRIsxsLFnPX7IQRurNqshY3rA1ju_MV2T23cQa6cgc1gRdBxcsCc7U/s1600/IMG_3832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ekjH5nI8BLq81yZhxmsL8mJgSvNPKBdsGbpuTJh_Soz03c-8L6FqsM2jTiLXtgXdbdtmFB4yLQJ0IiOpA51WyNRIsxsLFnPX7IQRurNqshY3rA1ju_MV2T23cQa6cgc1gRdBxcsCc7U/s640/IMG_3832.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first view from the top, all by myself!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHiX_2p0d8SgA2Vs16xHs6kahty8-SpBA50m86H3fLL8p5qatHSouhjEgFr4VtbrzyVsLioLFF0SHcU1bNpZxUAoC-QnXHhltb7O9m56MwWgpvYSAC4Bs4y0tQHQMl0Eeu2-UAUzQFGEM/s1600/IMG_3834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHiX_2p0d8SgA2Vs16xHs6kahty8-SpBA50m86H3fLL8p5qatHSouhjEgFr4VtbrzyVsLioLFF0SHcU1bNpZxUAoC-QnXHhltb7O9m56MwWgpvYSAC4Bs4y0tQHQMl0Eeu2-UAUzQFGEM/s640/IMG_3834.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road up to the site</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-d1qne183ZVz0c7BsPvP5B-8Fh0mqm4spHx8-hhZ0vdxUweyYgmWWev-TifRqWHTQRRjWCdOR431mueJ5L7yIWVYtcSZY8gQaJn9ImlXQEmY2Vg7LO2NTkEaoffntOxu_stS1GMdq5TY/s1600/IMG_3835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-d1qne183ZVz0c7BsPvP5B-8Fh0mqm4spHx8-hhZ0vdxUweyYgmWWev-TifRqWHTQRRjWCdOR431mueJ5L7yIWVYtcSZY8gQaJn9ImlXQEmY2Vg7LO2NTkEaoffntOxu_stS1GMdq5TY/s640/IMG_3835.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course the main site itself, sooo far away</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrAbq58qa3VSyde2Y3BlmDpflfoIc1_qlyjqyiFUy5DRBFP3QglqUw3rlyR_5EdtqKeiJqjpTeKp2prNpy-2Z-AE4WQkJknwO6RQshFXuvgFVnNvJGsoOGEgCeG3e4CmstKMvqE6xiAs/s1600/IMG_3839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBrAbq58qa3VSyde2Y3BlmDpflfoIc1_qlyjqyiFUy5DRBFP3QglqUw3rlyR_5EdtqKeiJqjpTeKp2prNpy-2Z-AE4WQkJknwO6RQshFXuvgFVnNvJGsoOGEgCeG3e4CmstKMvqE6xiAs/s640/IMG_3839.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The guy that took this picture failed to make us look like we're in Machu Picchu.....</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEr2nGX4S_LwvJAmA2n_z3D5p8dGozsyqtRrTylxNu6zdK4TzPPZQhhDFDJdD3uIuuBmh3erkxHgk2j1Yb6mLZ3od3CeZMeVmzR3XH5gBi_jmLfCfZAdSnnfYwnA24KfRE4H1sGdkUDqs/s1600/IMG_3843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEr2nGX4S_LwvJAmA2n_z3D5p8dGozsyqtRrTylxNu6zdK4TzPPZQhhDFDJdD3uIuuBmh3erkxHgk2j1Yb6mLZ3od3CeZMeVmzR3XH5gBi_jmLfCfZAdSnnfYwnA24KfRE4H1sGdkUDqs/s640/IMG_3843.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So i intervened for some proof</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGOjwp8uAoBQYif3vtC-jiGgA6wjkqEJm3i7bBi8BAdbOTeeQzpHOqa-Ys2Yuf3hvLmyXjJEuIIQR5tWQ9saubmjryYffc8PXWppRDTomtEarPwxcEoq7vy1qfz6dAEY3NvoVJwdCjq0/s1600/IMG_3851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlGOjwp8uAoBQYif3vtC-jiGgA6wjkqEJm3i7bBi8BAdbOTeeQzpHOqa-Ys2Yuf3hvLmyXjJEuIIQR5tWQ9saubmjryYffc8PXWppRDTomtEarPwxcEoq7vy1qfz6dAEY3NvoVJwdCjq0/s640/IMG_3851.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thus follows many Machu Picchu pictures</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8aKELYP-E1kawk2_qOLC2C0-sf9k8WI0fNQ08t8ILtBl2kqEeRj22SR032iIpG2SubHsVo24sZEmSz3HbqcBI3naOTtRCdQe_Pg7OJDQxIUrlo_ffhzmrTI-fIjQ4_YxTN7LVT1sRNQ/s1600/IMG_3854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga8aKELYP-E1kawk2_qOLC2C0-sf9k8WI0fNQ08t8ILtBl2kqEeRj22SR032iIpG2SubHsVo24sZEmSz3HbqcBI3naOTtRCdQe_Pg7OJDQxIUrlo_ffhzmrTI-fIjQ4_YxTN7LVT1sRNQ/s640/IMG_3854.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sometimes there aren't any paths to follow but the ones you make yourselves</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwj7_UC2-MjRvE-9G-JB11WLbLG4dbK13FAWivXVijlJxUUL5OLLKmzRGXn1pAhcSS9XSIQreZg1-llhJBL20hw6_pYXVHJ05lnXvwLN83hJmRxFz6tZhSRvQzy9LVHAlwnYYh5LaAjFM/s1600/IMG_3860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwj7_UC2-MjRvE-9G-JB11WLbLG4dbK13FAWivXVijlJxUUL5OLLKmzRGXn1pAhcSS9XSIQreZg1-llhJBL20hw6_pYXVHJ05lnXvwLN83hJmRxFz6tZhSRvQzy9LVHAlwnYYh5LaAjFM/s640/IMG_3860.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some pretty cool rock formations</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3gdC0EPY3osLXA0piWSQZBfDpR6f5aF7MXN69aceT-aRjPR9yRrGRUAPIerayeRmOrMtOzjeqYBI-Tt3xiWV_SO6HNuOHqqbrB77Grwt7jviV3F1FEFo3deUGKy1_vPEhSZuLlwK4Bo/s1600/IMG_3884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN3gdC0EPY3osLXA0piWSQZBfDpR6f5aF7MXN69aceT-aRjPR9yRrGRUAPIerayeRmOrMtOzjeqYBI-Tt3xiWV_SO6HNuOHqqbrB77Grwt7jviV3F1FEFo3deUGKy1_vPEhSZuLlwK4Bo/s640/IMG_3884.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The great cavern, again all by ourselves</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fCs78DpV-wEM2WxKS5_TpJxkoUstSh5klfCDqI1KbgBpNhEZF9WVzTeAvPuZ9PgQNupzegy2mJlMblDHSksJovyYfX_31Yw7fst4xruK3mwZSR38qg45QhvItWZCtsbfY6IKGB-fVu4/s1600/IMG_3888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fCs78DpV-wEM2WxKS5_TpJxkoUstSh5klfCDqI1KbgBpNhEZF9WVzTeAvPuZ9PgQNupzegy2mJlMblDHSksJovyYfX_31Yw7fst4xruK3mwZSR38qg45QhvItWZCtsbfY6IKGB-fVu4/s640/IMG_3888.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For the most part, the park was empty for our hikes....this is me doing my 20 minute accomplishment bragging rights</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3QVrINEc8JQBE0icR3pkDe-mCmDtOKJThJRTVLn-7AVpqnM0g88dJq2Vk-2PrftKRBBl3sNL1JB295-wx4B3_nhMYV0oYA9cF1vcpo95ml9x_CCkDe-0yihr7XjrNzgbLLWhpYr6Yn8/s1600/IMG_3890.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3QVrINEc8JQBE0icR3pkDe-mCmDtOKJThJRTVLn-7AVpqnM0g88dJq2Vk-2PrftKRBBl3sNL1JB295-wx4B3_nhMYV0oYA9cF1vcpo95ml9x_CCkDe-0yihr7XjrNzgbLLWhpYr6Yn8/s640/IMG_3890.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjRjF4CX4NeDJt8DPP_ALz2LCxvxw7ozQ3xxQ05h9TPVM4EgjuCYrKPhSGlye8NYkliUNPilWPDVFFSL76QVD92nQ-iYXXahMXB4fs_XiKINVjrEf0DVr5ZlE7LPq-l6PbusMmahzqzQ/s1600/IMG_3893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPjRjF4CX4NeDJt8DPP_ALz2LCxvxw7ozQ3xxQ05h9TPVM4EgjuCYrKPhSGlye8NYkliUNPilWPDVFFSL76QVD92nQ-iYXXahMXB4fs_XiKINVjrEf0DVr5ZlE7LPq-l6PbusMmahzqzQ/s640/IMG_3893.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_t_B29vbugeL4wl_Ed9wnk3rqT1kzVWMzuqKr3tTldSUPag91sQ3x38iGaj3SQzVB6O-Z0KDgW9cegBO1rpEdy1moOsWP1Ux6bv4QPZFeaLVYkBSZqTSvgvg_w-2zOgxymhbTWrhrjZo/s1600/IMG_3894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_t_B29vbugeL4wl_Ed9wnk3rqT1kzVWMzuqKr3tTldSUPag91sQ3x38iGaj3SQzVB6O-Z0KDgW9cegBO1rpEdy1moOsWP1Ux6bv4QPZFeaLVYkBSZqTSvgvg_w-2zOgxymhbTWrhrjZo/s640/IMG_3894.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GLAKnuEMY_0pA4arW0RNO5-rHLDcbf1C_3BgRbzVAr7JisiEUYzGtb6ejeLEKNKZXTIFePj1hQbWXf2A5zVqmPMP-TY0RFMjyfw3e8n1zlyrz6leH4tFsxW1MzdPs3Xgv7Od3_8lNDQ/s1600/IMG_3900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GLAKnuEMY_0pA4arW0RNO5-rHLDcbf1C_3BgRbzVAr7JisiEUYzGtb6ejeLEKNKZXTIFePj1hQbWXf2A5zVqmPMP-TY0RFMjyfw3e8n1zlyrz6leH4tFsxW1MzdPs3Xgv7Od3_8lNDQ/s640/IMG_3900.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, we're goofballs...poor people that have to take our pictures for us</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKYMwFpVXihDv8dJtEDnXjY5GKxD2FePn8ku-IPqXlr0QnzVLC4KWigQ58e7EjLLCULQgg20bTzNEEMMFWF24CaVu1hmm9dD17a9OmqzS7pKYT-S-WIW7_lL4fiRQk8wYz7p9Umv9zcY/s1600/IMG_3908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPKYMwFpVXihDv8dJtEDnXjY5GKxD2FePn8ku-IPqXlr0QnzVLC4KWigQ58e7EjLLCULQgg20bTzNEEMMFWF24CaVu1hmm9dD17a9OmqzS7pKYT-S-WIW7_lL4fiRQk8wYz7p9Umv9zcY/s640/IMG_3908.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcVeMYs4DmgSB_72Ob-WbMwO3ovInSgCmdaaNOpcOGfww_tBMVbCyy-VEvI0DscmiILdd1pfuQnSpr4Iref8gQ-RzY9ahQFmWghPasBRBfjb-1m2hALb9saM69jP48UdDbU3yFia90qI/s1600/IMG_3911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcVeMYs4DmgSB_72Ob-WbMwO3ovInSgCmdaaNOpcOGfww_tBMVbCyy-VEvI0DscmiILdd1pfuQnSpr4Iref8gQ-RzY9ahQFmWghPasBRBfjb-1m2hALb9saM69jP48UdDbU3yFia90qI/s640/IMG_3911.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6uUB41jxCK1iemVawF3hOkJOOhfqgNDVuWRbrIJMxCurnNSfia8bsqKXiNkJbxYsVRDNMddT6R7AH7lGa2nwf1p2nA70LGzb_YweVXs1mu-JPwJZqXSbF5Oz8D9R9glQb1ZAJ0wXpMo/s1600/IMG_3921.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix6uUB41jxCK1iemVawF3hOkJOOhfqgNDVuWRbrIJMxCurnNSfia8bsqKXiNkJbxYsVRDNMddT6R7AH7lGa2nwf1p2nA70LGzb_YweVXs1mu-JPwJZqXSbF5Oz8D9R9glQb1ZAJ0wXpMo/s640/IMG_3921.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They let these guys roam wherever they want, they're pretty friendly too, except when you try to ride their backs</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMvTSclKpu6yiM63YDTPiyqaQBMYbF-PfFMk_xrOiLLQ8N2OuTBWqAGdEtbb0XrTK_nDUZxRaWMmwgZXUmiU_avjIkESAaHNZRACw1B9eaNQnmDY3CA_IWA40sI8NmX_NmurNA6nZ0HM/s1600/IMG_3937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMvTSclKpu6yiM63YDTPiyqaQBMYbF-PfFMk_xrOiLLQ8N2OuTBWqAGdEtbb0XrTK_nDUZxRaWMmwgZXUmiU_avjIkESAaHNZRACw1B9eaNQnmDY3CA_IWA40sI8NmX_NmurNA6nZ0HM/s640/IMG_3937.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hydroelectric plant, view from the top</td></tr>
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</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">From there we hung around, taking it slow because we were sooooooo exhausted. We visited the Cave and the Bridge, and then decided to call it as we would have another 2-3 hour walk back down the tracks. One cold beer, another Chifu meal, and off we went. This was an arduous hike, sore from the days before us, but we made it back to the dam, found a taxi to take us to the washout (poor guy got stuck on the wrong side of the road) and then took a tour van to the town. </div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="font-style: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">We're here in the hotel now with three other motorbikes, so I suppose we're not the only crazy riders to do this. We ate dinner at one of the busier restaurants, which was still damn expensive. When we ordered a simple chicken spaghetti, our waiter ran across the street to get our sprites. He then ran to another store to pick up some spaghetti sauce. Our marathon waiter basically ran around town the entire time we waited for our plates, collecting ingredients for ours and the other patron's meals. This is a joke right? Just-in-time ordering? No inventory costs..I don't get it. Whatever, a local dog kept us busy in the meantime, bleeding from its huge open wound in its side, licking it furiously in front of us. Little kids would come and poke and prod at it, and we were getting seriously fed up. Finally the meal came, no chicken, just meat, guess our Boston Marathoner couldn't bargain up a good deal for chicken, the fucker, and threw some meat on it instead. Thats fine, bad meat, onions, tomatoes, and french fries on spaghetti, yes french fries, was not that bad, but I call him a fucker because when the bill came, it was to be 22.00 soles each, which the bill initially stated. I gave him my amount, and he went back inside, and changed the bill to 24.00 each, for the meat. We nearly broke a chair over his head, got our correct change and took off. Another wonderful exchange with the locals. From this point we were both in agreeance, we've spent enough time in Peru, so we're focused on traveling as far and fast as we can to Bolivia. Its about 15 hours, we might be able to do it in two days, we'll see how it goes. </div>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-37997577571980143962011-02-24T23:24:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:11:24.842-04:00Stephen Dam, This Cold One's For You - RobI promised I would dedicated this post to my best and most dedicated fan Stephen Dam. Everytime I come online, he jumps at his keyboard and CAPS LOCKS' "When's next post!?!??!?!" followed by "Your grammar and punctuation are disgusting". Well SORRY 4.0 GPA, it's always 11pm-12am when I write these, following a full day of relentless full-awareness, heightened attention, risk adverse riding; following a really bad nights sleep the night before because the beds are unique and the noise is mucho. I do try, and will try harder because you are my bestest fan!! So this ones for you, a post of coldness, as I still thaw my frozen fingers and feet from the highest altitude + rain filled day.<br />
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Also another comment before I begin the post::!!:: Dan I saw the camping equipment lying in one of the Nazca lines from the lookout!! But some quick fingered Peruvians snatched it! In all seriousness if I would've known it was there, I wouldn't even think twice about grabbing it, I hate camping and the only gear I have with me is my 30.00 cdn tire tent and a sleeping bag in case we can't find a hotel. No room for camping stuff, camping is nasty, I mean no offense haha. Not that I'll point fingers, but if I'm clean, that leaves a few sticky fingers at the wine station, but I won't point fingers because they all read this too haha. Serious though, hope you can find it or it pops up somewhere. <br />
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Onto the daily news!<br />
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We left Lima knowing we had a long drive to get to Nazca. Luckily its all more straight desert highway, which means easy riding, easy on the bikes, and no problem covering a lot of distance. The ride out was very interesting. Long gone was the hustling traffic of the city, but the two lane highway remained, lined with massive billboards, tourist attractions, and fancy resorts. So it looks as if south Lima is where all the richy's go for fun in the sun. The billboards alone kept us entirely entertained most of the morning, I wish I had pictures of how creative, intricate or big they could make them. Along the way somehow we managed to see 8 other riders. That's a TON, almost as many as we've seen this entire trip so far. Most were riding BMW's, all were outfitted to the maximum in the desert. Which brings me to a funny point. If you're a rider and you're reading this, you have probably asked yourself why the hell these idiots dress down, or don't have the proper gear. We sometimes ask ourselves the same thing, but at the same time, so far so good, its good on the budget, and at the same time, we're amateur, and we enjoy riding as if it's a normal ride. Of course, its important to have the right gear on the way down to the asphalt, but we have found it really nice to be riding in tshirts etc. in the brutal desert. Its nice to take the break.<br />
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Anyway, so we get to Paracas, Nik's recommended spot to eat some lunch. Its a bit more expensive here, and really nothing to do unless you want to stay at an all-inclusive or ultra-luxury resort. I had a budget lunch of 2.00, of which the order was only placed after Nik finished eating, and it was the wrong item, the other item I ordered never even came. BUT, the next part made up for the lackluster experience. We decide to go see the Paracas National Park as it supposedly had some nice views etc. I'll let the pictures do the explaining....<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFBwHrH23TbzegBorZfbLkD3DO0OIZCVMc2ee9M1RdcsAA-175vfnRS0esjR-U7lJwH4n5QMF9KleDhrr1s3QyYwWnk2WvVFNu0deZqjWPIM-yHw5ZVjYKjNAyb2oYB29Z9tzXgtdJ9w/s1600/IMG_3536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFBwHrH23TbzegBorZfbLkD3DO0OIZCVMc2ee9M1RdcsAA-175vfnRS0esjR-U7lJwH4n5QMF9KleDhrr1s3QyYwWnk2WvVFNu0deZqjWPIM-yHw5ZVjYKjNAyb2oYB29Z9tzXgtdJ9w/s640/IMG_3536.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tiny tourist town of Paracas (bad picture I apologize but everyone at this point was unnerving me, everyone tugs and pulls you in directions to do things and buy stuff)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQdOOY44Z__I-35VfySLkd7NhNPmgToRurn7Fdr4neeiC1a4zXKbKb_rxNm4OVXy7xUtxrYVPPXW1EQw5kMG8_OzOocuYQJpgN4JP3X_xybchRMZOmVIozKMem4jMBbvLoGqw0Hosfyk/s1600/IMG_3540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQdOOY44Z__I-35VfySLkd7NhNPmgToRurn7Fdr4neeiC1a4zXKbKb_rxNm4OVXy7xUtxrYVPPXW1EQw5kMG8_OzOocuYQJpgN4JP3X_xybchRMZOmVIozKMem4jMBbvLoGqw0Hosfyk/s640/IMG_3540.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here comes the most adventure-some park we've experienced so far!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZdHsUgA0PMUHRMBzzghC1nKbjuRNGvfzQzTx4EQqpnpN71-0HfAw1hups7RpvRPsm2sv4j_03OOxONNgllvk70lhOkZTFLWS8VurEzGqE-pIWTElfUj-te1nbe3O-w3ljdgf-ih0yAE/s1600/IMG_3544.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZdHsUgA0PMUHRMBzzghC1nKbjuRNGvfzQzTx4EQqpnpN71-0HfAw1hups7RpvRPsm2sv4j_03OOxONNgllvk70lhOkZTFLWS8VurEzGqE-pIWTElfUj-te1nbe3O-w3ljdgf-ih0yAE/s640/IMG_3544.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's roads here....but because the whole thing is hard sand dunes, you can ride anywhere and everywhere...here we are 400 feet above the ocean on top of a dune</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT90_JcDKu7GSipctWCLUUU5rEB3NmnOM1bvrzT04YDiVrLOxHCzjAqX2XZPi3ujRPsm1xAKeo5WuzcrrfwQD93GFQHb8h21tZNDQbbo_WSuPlsvDTpR9c2EB0HPd-fo_a3YESsK-flE/s1600/IMG_3550.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqT90_JcDKu7GSipctWCLUUU5rEB3NmnOM1bvrzT04YDiVrLOxHCzjAqX2XZPi3ujRPsm1xAKeo5WuzcrrfwQD93GFQHb8h21tZNDQbbo_WSuPlsvDTpR9c2EB0HPd-fo_a3YESsK-flE/s640/IMG_3550.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're that happy!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqBTAMaQcLBIsZVYxokpSTU0aUwj_BXrrJPkVZAmEclLLfyWkCxtcqeOBmeJcI_SI4aq0-oUocDILVU9K-gnbmXNndKGHMJQA-YvUD3EBctE4H20V-O0YCatorvI8ka-xT7MiP7D_HxE/s1600/IMG_3551.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqBTAMaQcLBIsZVYxokpSTU0aUwj_BXrrJPkVZAmEclLLfyWkCxtcqeOBmeJcI_SI4aq0-oUocDILVU9K-gnbmXNndKGHMJQA-YvUD3EBctE4H20V-O0YCatorvI8ka-xT7MiP7D_HxE/s640/IMG_3551.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Its hard keeping the bike from not rolling down all the hills, I might use a zoom of this picture to sell the bike in the next few weeks lol</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVOkpYovvvoqxvjPMtPfc_JQyHfyRmSm918FyDYpohTqNlWdcL4njQKDU4frMyqtqbc_gLMt1PZJHtinHr7sBmYYdlz7K5S1Au139RQMsDETUzlE9ZNBumzlGerrP6LzjQYVOFn-KqyE/s1600/IMG_3554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXVOkpYovvvoqxvjPMtPfc_JQyHfyRmSm918FyDYpohTqNlWdcL4njQKDU4frMyqtqbc_gLMt1PZJHtinHr7sBmYYdlz7K5S1Au139RQMsDETUzlE9ZNBumzlGerrP6LzjQYVOFn-KqyE/s640/IMG_3554.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This sorta shows you how high we are; the dunes in the distance are rideable too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauUw6BMMvZoJWhbAVGLGsQnPTtqeAWSRRxmIqkG7A9XTBW9LSg2CCdTkh4jSKKXnKJZekr3LLNYcYiQS6qC1dboIuh5gX7z51DM_hxpMaKxEINh2ChfbrcANHfebDTBGpIs28C8K2ODY/s1600/IMG_3555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauUw6BMMvZoJWhbAVGLGsQnPTtqeAWSRRxmIqkG7A9XTBW9LSg2CCdTkh4jSKKXnKJZekr3LLNYcYiQS6qC1dboIuh5gX7z51DM_hxpMaKxEINh2ChfbrcANHfebDTBGpIs28C8K2ODY/s640/IMG_3555.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik contemplating life, or something like it, sitting 400 feet above the ocean</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1CRv-W5L269kAAA-WmGerrWzITts5_tRqDbrNoS9F0Agolyrh8mXzf_WkanY7TW6VJd9kDLnIw9KnCIM2bz7ZFxew4fnRTbt5xzs9tHJiQwqWvHGtyhvzdjY3HaI2KfE5YGIf1j9doc/s1600/IMG_3559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX1CRv-W5L269kAAA-WmGerrWzITts5_tRqDbrNoS9F0Agolyrh8mXzf_WkanY7TW6VJd9kDLnIw9KnCIM2bz7ZFxew4fnRTbt5xzs9tHJiQwqWvHGtyhvzdjY3HaI2KfE5YGIf1j9doc/s640/IMG_3559.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just like folding my arms because it looks like I mean business, that and I'm a little scared a chunk might fall off and send me into the surf below</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgNYNacs2tqxyYzPe1X66_UQddPRPLupc_qlNRChWwrNqXK1Rsmjp7fUcXdIi5gDo7N7I-4JzTcKspS2ooA_QClzjt3u-Exw2469HRQlK6m5dORCm9avIcEeDpYiiZBxaZnIv2Eg2Q70/s1600/IMG_3591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipgNYNacs2tqxyYzPe1X66_UQddPRPLupc_qlNRChWwrNqXK1Rsmjp7fUcXdIi5gDo7N7I-4JzTcKspS2ooA_QClzjt3u-Exw2469HRQlK6m5dORCm9avIcEeDpYiiZBxaZnIv2Eg2Q70/s640/IMG_3591.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is me hill climbing, to put in perspective Nik's standing almost half a kilometre back. I wasn't sure at first on doing it, but no regrets now, its one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done, no rollercoaster can ever top this. Gunning it 120 kph 60 degrees up a hill</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E1e42Ocm0D87J0T0gZD3I8yDZDYCjiThvziN87P6qUOrevqh1MUflugfmbVTUuVZpem97ct1DTVe_b69lWflk9CDiK06faoxUIdseXVGeAOiBYAv0hRPqrHuMzb7tMQEfzHUphBW9lk/s1600/IMG_3595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5E1e42Ocm0D87J0T0gZD3I8yDZDYCjiThvziN87P6qUOrevqh1MUflugfmbVTUuVZpem97ct1DTVe_b69lWflk9CDiK06faoxUIdseXVGeAOiBYAv0hRPqrHuMzb7tMQEfzHUphBW9lk/s640/IMG_3595.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course 150kph on the way down</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEEOisb48lDDOv_5j-pmC0l13ZFjfYk1pTTkWdUlAPXtVb5mF_uBaM1s-el9VnJjIDPsLGJP-HKg4z1Bc8SoqMNM8p3Z5cTzbzVuKURjtd9beKC0Oat4dgy2RDCSK6HM6yYBl3BEpOuA/s1600/IMG_3599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEEOisb48lDDOv_5j-pmC0l13ZFjfYk1pTTkWdUlAPXtVb5mF_uBaM1s-el9VnJjIDPsLGJP-HKg4z1Bc8SoqMNM8p3Z5cTzbzVuKURjtd9beKC0Oat4dgy2RDCSK6HM6yYBl3BEpOuA/s640/IMG_3599.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik's turn, me from half way up the hill. We loved this park so much, for 5.00 soles, we could've spent the whole day here riding around the dunes,</td></tr>
</tbody></table>But unfortunately we had a time constraint, and not to mention needing gas. Again, a gas scare, when traveling through Peru you really have to watch your fuel expenditures, the distances between towns are quite decent, and many of the towns either don't have a gas station, or are fresh out. So when traveling, even half way through a tank, I'd recommend checking and topping up just to be on the safe side. So we made the rest of the drive no problem to Nazca. The lines that everyone stops for are, I suppose, worth a stop, but for no more than a few minutes to see a few lines and maybe a shape or two in the sand. We wouldn't pay the money to climb the miserable tower set up along the highway, so we climbed a dune a few hundred feet further. We didn't get to see much, but no one really raves about the sites anyway, they are more impressive in aerial shots found on google maps.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyQUqoBzoYJdnhlHYWy2vZEpTIvs1Njytn2OdVfvLMS1Kl_0Sr1GRu9Odsy_kwi8acZZRk6PULet72-qrB-CmRZTYXeUvryrNVmdj-R-M8rjPEZbvE-JQdwb7X4W5z55d3odyfNPPT6M/s1600/IMG_3602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJyQUqoBzoYJdnhlHYWy2vZEpTIvs1Njytn2OdVfvLMS1Kl_0Sr1GRu9Odsy_kwi8acZZRk6PULet72-qrB-CmRZTYXeUvryrNVmdj-R-M8rjPEZbvE-JQdwb7X4W5z55d3odyfNPPT6M/s640/IMG_3602.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few of the lines here are really all we got to see. The more impressive scene was the flipped car just down the road..which of course I didn't get a picture of (the winds here are ridiculous, and make it difficult to take out the camera for some good quick shots on the run).</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Nazca itself is in my opinion a pretty neat little town. Perhaps it was the fancy hotel we lucked into, or the awesome food we got, but I liked it. Nestled in between some massive sand dunes and archeological sites, the towns people have a humbleness to them unlike most of the rest of Peru. We found this little place:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiuqyoth5qi4XrIk-1sMknrcKk63HqW9YjDZyIeRr1imYVPr0cbj2Zq0jl3p5DrNu9VKi8QaA6bWddMDkFvVQZYLm_PhJouLFP9YjcPu0kOZ8_GhYO2RyvHPRtVHZXAShGAAUJXMiki0A/s1600/IMG_3609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiuqyoth5qi4XrIk-1sMknrcKk63HqW9YjDZyIeRr1imYVPr0cbj2Zq0jl3p5DrNu9VKi8QaA6bWddMDkFvVQZYLm_PhJouLFP9YjcPu0kOZ8_GhYO2RyvHPRtVHZXAShGAAUJXMiki0A/s640/IMG_3609.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hotel Alegria</td></tr>
</tbody></table>..for 7 bucks a piece. Can't really go wrong there now can we. Since the hotel was so cheap, we spoiled ourselves with a massive dinner at Roky's, a Peruvian chicken chain. We ordered a BBQ meal, they bring you you're own grill, stacked with a half chicken, two hot dogs, sausage (watch it, undercooked), pork roins, two huge salads, a 1.5 litre inca cola, a massive mound of fries and two pieces of cheesecake, all for 8.00 a piece. <br />
<br />
After a massive run on sentence of a meal, we settled down and had a bad nights sleep (one guys car alarm went off so consistently we went out to deflate his tires). I had some mangoes for breakfast this morning picked from the tree at the hotel, and we headed off to get as close to Cuzco as possible. We made it to Abancay, about 3/4 - 4/5 the way there. People have said that the road to here is dirt, which makes no sense, its the nicest road in Peru to date. No rough patches, just solid, smooth, tight handling asphalt. We made it quicker than most people do, partly because we drive like maniacs. The ride took 6 hours, for which most was scenic and enjoyable, but at the highest point, which puts you close to 15000 feet, we hit 8 degrees Celcius and pouring rain for a good 70 kilometres. You basically get to the point of screaming words to your music, not even looking at the road, or trying to sleep conciously to avoide the pain of the bitter cold. To sum it up, it feels very similar to having completely numbed hands in the snow, then putting them under hot hot water. That scolding feeling is the same feeling for 70 kilometres.<br />
<br />
Luckily it broke up as we went back down the hill and because Abancay is lower altitude its a little more manageable here. The ride close to town had some massive washouts, every so often you'd pull up to a waterfall in the road or a river crossing, literally. If you go too slow, the water rushes so much it'll take your bike into the river. You also get completely drenched through these, not as fun as it sounds.<br />
<br />
The town itself is a little shady, but we found a decent place to eat and a decent place to stay with a nice hot shower, which I used to scold my hands properly!! We could've made it to Cuzco if we left a little earlier, but its nice to break early and have a decently easy ride tomorrow. From there we plan on riding around the back of Machu Picchu and doing it the cheap way through Santa Teresa and walking the railroad tracks. It'll save a couple hundred bucks, and if I don't post before then, the next time I'll post is in three-four days. Until then, much love to all my fans!! And give Dan back his damn camping equipment guys, or you'll get it when I come back....<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmed0qkHriInzGfez6mDOk-kKR3shj2ltlZJ0hckC9tv6CVSewq6BTk6NAsVRK3urwJaW-SRiwkMXxo49X6J__0Yg6GD4tBSpIwFFgFFMGbQLM1_agvDnO1sQX4ok1dZwDNIjSyVy5hck/s1600/IMG_3612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmed0qkHriInzGfez6mDOk-kKR3shj2ltlZJ0hckC9tv6CVSewq6BTk6NAsVRK3urwJaW-SRiwkMXxo49X6J__0Yg6GD4tBSpIwFFgFFMGbQLM1_agvDnO1sQX4ok1dZwDNIjSyVy5hck/s640/IMG_3612.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The plaza of Nazca, I FINALLY LEARNED how to use my camera....found some useful settings that make pictures a little more vibrant, figures...trips almost over too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hbQH-Oq0EWcqngS8yAJFkYfE_H0ZtfeoVRxScvd4u49c1xnDLHqt3ig8MJBQjz2Ngr7ese35uJWW1f7UwUvwH8UoGizzh47N5kLya4c59NN3hu_9NOUDO7VjUGpGjCyewseIN42gMKI/s1600/IMG_3618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6hbQH-Oq0EWcqngS8yAJFkYfE_H0ZtfeoVRxScvd4u49c1xnDLHqt3ig8MJBQjz2Ngr7ese35uJWW1f7UwUvwH8UoGizzh47N5kLya4c59NN3hu_9NOUDO7VjUGpGjCyewseIN42gMKI/s640/IMG_3618.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik way up ahead of me on the curvy roads leading away from Nazca (beautiful scenery!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscXKRD4Y_kV6-N60pZb-iWDEm92xuMHXONhDG8MKEvBvrS0XnWQs68MuEoZ_w_3IGANZiX8RbE32Esz57cUotn9djgZfS3-1MZyatTcSa9EQzAM4TIZGRyptmwsq8JCgpxXyfAUnejc8/s1600/IMG_3623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscXKRD4Y_kV6-N60pZb-iWDEm92xuMHXONhDG8MKEvBvrS0XnWQs68MuEoZ_w_3IGANZiX8RbE32Esz57cUotn9djgZfS3-1MZyatTcSa9EQzAM4TIZGRyptmwsq8JCgpxXyfAUnejc8/s640/IMG_3623.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are a ton of crosses along roads like these...either from people driving like complete idiots (we run by a lot of people using the wrong side of the road) or from distracting themselves by the scenery. Either way, a bit of a wakeup call to pay attention.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kSicKQYOwsPOjjMXMaFAySDarxdomo9-2Q8271t40gADv6NMqf-5xoIYorPMnWOtTgdhyphenhyphen9m5IC0PtQ1PjP-36tY_6oTjBqOGCyInEGkCEND4nhc3b6tc0IuvHFR0-bEAOZy0leylBBE/s1600/IMG_3629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kSicKQYOwsPOjjMXMaFAySDarxdomo9-2Q8271t40gADv6NMqf-5xoIYorPMnWOtTgdhyphenhyphen9m5IC0PtQ1PjP-36tY_6oTjBqOGCyInEGkCEND4nhc3b6tc0IuvHFR0-bEAOZy0leylBBE/s640/IMG_3629.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look! Vicunas!! South American llamas living in damn cold climates</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaPwvsRASEharHv7bU-zCEtPWCbeYGl9RfcNKPe0RKPO5uBbcOmksKmpqF5ILoH0KtikGfUpK8P7gRAZwTBGAtPjSxTDwDneWhZJR2uF13p7E0E094CMrWRXFCadotbzb9OwfrP2vcC44/s1600/IMG_3631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaPwvsRASEharHv7bU-zCEtPWCbeYGl9RfcNKPe0RKPO5uBbcOmksKmpqF5ILoH0KtikGfUpK8P7gRAZwTBGAtPjSxTDwDneWhZJR2uF13p7E0E094CMrWRXFCadotbzb9OwfrP2vcC44/s640/IMG_3631.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's some more of that camera magic I learned today</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftVlcrPi9_ZakWx2RuurkMB5RCJVn1WCwPoYrWx6ZUEoUVFxFIQT_RrHgGbKcCvvlir3RDmeFJZE5eDFH3heU7po04wyEcyw0TjMetYhSjufl-j2CP0j9q-gNl2eTFeEAZJJ3Gf-tFB0/s1600/IMG_3633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjftVlcrPi9_ZakWx2RuurkMB5RCJVn1WCwPoYrWx6ZUEoUVFxFIQT_RrHgGbKcCvvlir3RDmeFJZE5eDFH3heU7po04wyEcyw0TjMetYhSjufl-j2CP0j9q-gNl2eTFeEAZJJ3Gf-tFB0/s640/IMG_3633.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And more, in the mountains</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LQjE9xHHG1lgaUrrCSb_P3lPTxG-IjAQmzASZ-ch5XNXL7ycDM2Nq5x0cbOdduMbAA-4_VTU9rMOK_o2xg_Yp4Pf-oRJnnii6W7i7lQfwfD2A60LXptsdtfHOgqRjMwElJG38Mac89Y/s1600/IMG_3636.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LQjE9xHHG1lgaUrrCSb_P3lPTxG-IjAQmzASZ-ch5XNXL7ycDM2Nq5x0cbOdduMbAA-4_VTU9rMOK_o2xg_Yp4Pf-oRJnnii6W7i7lQfwfD2A60LXptsdtfHOgqRjMwElJG38Mac89Y/s640/IMG_3636.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Their fur is the warmest material you can wear</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQ5KOdjwRzPWrPmrXSJCIQF9JX_PIi-4HW5j_JKqgJfViqR9pBK-QBL0yx6iBP98KRLww0gSjR1ZF-QeRB1un0hqH_y9spMwDrPWpVWh-fs_MTYkPg0nmKDzHfH8uY7gQNp-cMZPVr1k/s1600/IMG_3639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQ5KOdjwRzPWrPmrXSJCIQF9JX_PIi-4HW5j_JKqgJfViqR9pBK-QBL0yx6iBP98KRLww0gSjR1ZF-QeRB1un0hqH_y9spMwDrPWpVWh-fs_MTYkPg0nmKDzHfH8uY7gQNp-cMZPVr1k/s640/IMG_3639.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wasn't kidding when I said waterfalls on the road</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3ogRBnQg3ESgNlBhE1P-JY4yqNVtQGSG_NaDQ2M4TjOVromvYJY6B-iGRekRr-cOxQConpDetpFmb2wftcyR4Qc9izDG0KyUQMKA7A9DXuV52rq9MslbSaNC5DFpuPQ-iP_BDeJCDvA/s1600/IMG_3640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3ogRBnQg3ESgNlBhE1P-JY4yqNVtQGSG_NaDQ2M4TjOVromvYJY6B-iGRekRr-cOxQConpDetpFmb2wftcyR4Qc9izDG0KyUQMKA7A9DXuV52rq9MslbSaNC5DFpuPQ-iP_BDeJCDvA/s640/IMG_3640.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And damned big ones at that</td></tr>
</tbody></table>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-21832103276630931442011-02-22T23:20:00.002-05:002011-03-16T18:11:50.341-04:00Must...Escape....Peru.... -RobIve gone from loving it to hating it. The problem is there´s no escaping it. Its a big country. Thousands of miles big, and its draining my funds faster than Charlie Sheen drains a bottle of JD. The more we encounter Peru, the more I seem to have problems with it, but I have to try and enjoy what is left of the trip. More importantly, I have to figure out how and who to sell the bike to. Thats the biggest concern now, and the closer I get to Buenos Aires, the more tense I feel about the whole situation. I guess as a last reason I´ll have to fly the bike somewhere to the U.S., as long as I have the money, and then ride it home from there and sell it for whatever its worth when it gets home.....worse comes to worse. <br />
<br />
So we left Trujillo early in the morning to see if we could make it to Huaraz by, at the latest early afternoon. Nik continues to bump-start his motorcycle..in traffic, in garages, or wherever else might be necessary to keep the bugger going. The plan was to get to the shortcut (HAH) and gun it up from there to the pass into the Andes, just for a short detour and a beautiful scenic ride. Well, one can never receive both wishes. The shortcut we took looked a little like this on Google maps:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFSn5O8YFT3JYRol1iH23dcHZvKnWd9zTiyqy4bkUkxnJtCZVG-l5ZbRycuWKpFGdTfZHvirkrCGxmhGRoMbD6K0zRu215Qyq9uog6uACxjdhLLxfVUzhGdqzSd2jh06Xr4uLNjH0S5Y/s1600/untitled.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFSn5O8YFT3JYRol1iH23dcHZvKnWd9zTiyqy4bkUkxnJtCZVG-l5ZbRycuWKpFGdTfZHvirkrCGxmhGRoMbD6K0zRu215Qyq9uog6uACxjdhLLxfVUzhGdqzSd2jh06Xr4uLNjH0S5Y/s640/untitled.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
We were told it was a mining shortcut that would cut across the river a little ways up. Problem was it wasnt quite the perfect pavement we were used to. The rocky dirt led us through some pretty unique dry rocky mountain terrain, far enough until Niks tire bit the dust, pardon pun. At least this time it was his front one. I fretted, thinking he had a tubeless tire, but thank god its so much easier to pry off. An hour in the desert and we had his bike good to go (thankfully we carried a spare tube). Minor problem, we´ll still make it to Huaraz today!<br />
<br />
The road continued along the river for a good 40 kilometres. It was scenic, but so was the other side....that had the perfect pavement. So much for shortcut, as I watched cars vanish into the horizon on the other side as we steadily paced along at 50 kph. FINALLY! A BRIDGE!<br />
<br />
So on the other side we were, zipping along as speedily as ever, when I gunned through a checkpoint. Oops. They kept us there for 20 minutes checking all our documents, and told us Huaraz was 5 hours away. Lots of dirt. Yikes, its 11:20. <br />
<br />
This is the shitty part. <br />
<br />
We took a left, following the nice pavement, instead of off'roading it. Theres no way a main road to Huaraz can be really badly unpaved dirt..right?<br />
<br />
40 kilometres up the hill later, we realize the mistake. However...40 kilometres in a straight line, up a hill is one thing. This was 2 and a half..almost 3 hours. It was 120 kilometres of winding road until we realized our mistake with my shitty map and whoever stole my damn compass can go to hell. <br />
<br />
Disappointment at its maximum. Realizing were in Cabanas instead of Huaraz, and what looks so short on the map is so far in reality. I swear the people in these mountains had never seen a tourist or passer'by before, we were in no mans land. This..my friends is when I instinctively knew it was more straight through canyons:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdp8AQH0Tb1alZ9DQtNbB31KX0TS_9hRV43_LXBGww5wG-EAPW7QFY6U0NemWekPiAxknjdErc2ZScMxR67xACEdt1x7FHvucHoCCO2S_tbGTJjCZy4kwQ09lX1FxdKfKLECtOap7GbKg/s1600/IMG_3489.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdp8AQH0Tb1alZ9DQtNbB31KX0TS_9hRV43_LXBGww5wG-EAPW7QFY6U0NemWekPiAxknjdErc2ZScMxR67xACEdt1x7FHvucHoCCO2S_tbGTJjCZy4kwQ09lX1FxdKfKLECtOap7GbKg/s640/IMG_3489.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<br />
OK, so the ride wasnt too bad, it had its fun parts, but back down we were...at 4 o clock, ready to fly through this mountain pass to as close to Huaraz as possible. <br />
<br />
Get to the cut off, and left turn. Dirt road shouldnt be too bad. DO NOT GO TO HUARAZ!!! I BEG YOU!! Unless you kill your bike or have some reason to be there, don´t rush through it like we did. If your stopping to see some sites good for you, otherwise, stick desert. This road is pure hell, from Santa to Huallanca and Casca. Mind you, take a look at the pics and it is magnificent. Nik says it was one of his favourite scenic drives. But the road took its toll on our bikes. My chain strecthed continually, fell off at one point. But at least they survived. It began getting dark and after 3 hours of 30'40 kph and covered head to toe in dust and dirt, we had to call it quits in a tiny little town in the mountains. Cant remember what its called, it didn´t have a hotel, so we stayed in someones house for 2.50 american each. Dinner was another 2.50, a welcoming present after the damned price of gas empties our wallets as fast as the klr´s empty their tanks. The room was scary though, no bathroom, no nothing. Slept in our dirty clothes and got up super early to finish the ride. So the day started with more dirt, more dogs chasing us, and more bumpy roads. After an eternity of tunnels and chasms and gorges, we crept back onto pavement and gunned it to Huaraz. Once the speeds reached 90 again, we made it to Huaraz in no time. We wanted to see one of the great Lagunas on the mountaintop, but after so much dirt, we couldnt take anymore. We ate lunch in Huaraz, started feeling the high altitude effects, and decided to try and make it as far as possible to Lima.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfVUa08Ou8aj-RoAic9nlF8JwcS_3Dvoyhe1K7ZbLpObg-zLomcX6qhzBKv7byr2tQGF3CStHSDS8cAxkPnd77fn1bMWh03z8NHI6zOiBnCnqPbGALSdb5PT1ZugWvMDmP6IPQI4IUFs/s1600/IMG_3481.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfVUa08Ou8aj-RoAic9nlF8JwcS_3Dvoyhe1K7ZbLpObg-zLomcX6qhzBKv7byr2tQGF3CStHSDS8cAxkPnd77fn1bMWh03z8NHI6zOiBnCnqPbGALSdb5PT1ZugWvMDmP6IPQI4IUFs/s640/IMG_3481.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road side fix, without a distraction in the world</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VtTmhfq07NxIWEgLKGYOc1MEqw4tSUZSbQ-2Xjn6-8lWrrO08_CQxpXsx4N2qrxkpr1UUcejYNFEbCFIbTaiceNQaQDMVzmJvkHiMh6ToyGg4u6roKm5i26WPUfSB3udoKJ9myTp5ZY/s1600/IMG_3484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VtTmhfq07NxIWEgLKGYOc1MEqw4tSUZSbQ-2Xjn6-8lWrrO08_CQxpXsx4N2qrxkpr1UUcejYNFEbCFIbTaiceNQaQDMVzmJvkHiMh6ToyGg4u6roKm5i26WPUfSB3udoKJ9myTp5ZY/s640/IMG_3484.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only thing bigger than me in Peru is a cactus!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzoE7XGpK_TxA4YEo8EfVHIgizrFEDLE6prxHIuIby4fQimHii86PCT0fnzklzwG4XDtxk0BzzvXmR27qD72-AROHSSrcq6Px1vgOQXraVUSMRfE6_3wwCmYPQadPt3HMYWmIG8-urXo/s1600/IMG_3486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzoE7XGpK_TxA4YEo8EfVHIgizrFEDLE6prxHIuIby4fQimHii86PCT0fnzklzwG4XDtxk0BzzvXmR27qD72-AROHSSrcq6Px1vgOQXraVUSMRfE6_3wwCmYPQadPt3HMYWmIG8-urXo/s640/IMG_3486.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You hope there isn't traffic on the other side of these tunnels</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHyTQO7YrOSEq-Pbv7t3SPA34B7ubHTwR-AruLBhrcdB6-mPA9HT9S5bZPoIWm1dDkm9DJo4gB8ViYcvF3-IRHpidm2Cxnqd_hwezK43nl6-TQqffTYOJFCsEGQcbHURNARV0xVOVJLU/s1600/IMG_3492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzHyTQO7YrOSEq-Pbv7t3SPA34B7ubHTwR-AruLBhrcdB6-mPA9HT9S5bZPoIWm1dDkm9DJo4gB8ViYcvF3-IRHpidm2Cxnqd_hwezK43nl6-TQqffTYOJFCsEGQcbHURNARV0xVOVJLU/s640/IMG_3492.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how the locals get their exercise...everyday</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTCeDDt7-iaX9ErHDbitfBTqcyOZzWBW7UjS8a_rGI0IfnEgZ-MCxw7CV6qfdQq7IBqKRX93DyOKOGnzlrzSxnJsrDgiSNJ9Jj_xk-GPuDSJzVS20OSichRaRI6xdpnoevwofB98pwAM/s1600/IMG_3493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTTCeDDt7-iaX9ErHDbitfBTqcyOZzWBW7UjS8a_rGI0IfnEgZ-MCxw7CV6qfdQq7IBqKRX93DyOKOGnzlrzSxnJsrDgiSNJ9Jj_xk-GPuDSJzVS20OSichRaRI6xdpnoevwofB98pwAM/s640/IMG_3493.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how we test our skills...unwillingly</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsRwXMRgGptzChW6o7YlXt-NGs9WCOicWRejXIZPKpO_FpTkaB7QCY1nJcVlHJXnlYXTTce52MBNX6CM0rmkMmat1XkzMLbr9giO6SXXzrdagJtliLWoM4md1z_QE7-SslB4pUX1OeWE/s1600/IMG_3504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmsRwXMRgGptzChW6o7YlXt-NGs9WCOicWRejXIZPKpO_FpTkaB7QCY1nJcVlHJXnlYXTTce52MBNX6CM0rmkMmat1XkzMLbr9giO6SXXzrdagJtliLWoM4md1z_QE7-SslB4pUX1OeWE/s640/IMG_3504.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even though it was sharp rocky dirt, the views made it 1/10th worth the drive</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqjPO1JOsKL21_3swzf4JucjfAYWa2K_Xe3CLfUESS8_ZUTb1FQScJcoSMUYALTndAkVKkXW8Z8E1l2r8Hp6qkJLsyGvQbUEhqe6zDUHBYqcAF0xDL9DTmET1HlHwtIaQhMIkNeAeEI8/s1600/IMG_3507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqjPO1JOsKL21_3swzf4JucjfAYWa2K_Xe3CLfUESS8_ZUTb1FQScJcoSMUYALTndAkVKkXW8Z8E1l2r8Hp6qkJLsyGvQbUEhqe6zDUHBYqcAF0xDL9DTmET1HlHwtIaQhMIkNeAeEI8/s640/IMG_3507.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Case in point! Uh oh something else bigger than me :(</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6aBtdScg90C03GTY304LwHBkQXyUxui9wfh7IVRShG9BhOJ8TJzLlNNI4PrtsP8KpidfT878s1dSoAyPo7ZAn5anQ6BklY97tOebXoUxkQbKA7aokoyBZ4ti8QqN4uGBR4wetMzSw2U/s1600/IMG_3509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL6aBtdScg90C03GTY304LwHBkQXyUxui9wfh7IVRShG9BhOJ8TJzLlNNI4PrtsP8KpidfT878s1dSoAyPo7ZAn5anQ6BklY97tOebXoUxkQbKA7aokoyBZ4ti8QqN4uGBR4wetMzSw2U/s640/IMG_3509.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Escuintla Guatemala has nothing on this place</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLD_LU7_2tTLJnJLDUlpfKiLh7AdHFzPaS1TbkquZ1wC8KMEgy4wAkIleIhGfFrJJV0swYmsxlmvnhyphenhyphenlB9kjcRLTdH4WmmdGojK0MsMSlTnI4CaYmAF1_haMzd34o8rJHFCwflWtcdu-o/s1600/IMG_3510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLD_LU7_2tTLJnJLDUlpfKiLh7AdHFzPaS1TbkquZ1wC8KMEgy4wAkIleIhGfFrJJV0swYmsxlmvnhyphenhyphenlB9kjcRLTdH4WmmdGojK0MsMSlTnI4CaYmAF1_haMzd34o8rJHFCwflWtcdu-o/s640/IMG_3510.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sadness with a beautiful view</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjsJgufOU6c88jJCqpfOK3EnUqmoUAVQUOdAZAPevMWV2s9-RTdRYwDQQzDuc1c7FYrzsHd9Z0VhzkLx0ku8mXFqsZLvMcyTU8W5f8YX3ybBf1cINa5rTIanxXv841xSIGSQfKC_XMv8/s1600/IMG_3511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjsJgufOU6c88jJCqpfOK3EnUqmoUAVQUOdAZAPevMWV2s9-RTdRYwDQQzDuc1c7FYrzsHd9Z0VhzkLx0ku8mXFqsZLvMcyTU8W5f8YX3ybBf1cINa5rTIanxXv841xSIGSQfKC_XMv8/s640/IMG_3511.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DO NOT FALL! Watch the roads at all times...because its an 8 second free fall, tested.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHJYHxDXusCyGZNIzP-m-KY_B-MfdFKwlcmwpRIykUk0v89gue4AzciPEv8cNxdsfjpwFqc9V-jXCpv4rhkcI8cmRQoDKITFLrz2LFOcWOuoSpq3YpLzMTXMJfsVHSxOfh7Q2Nx99Nro/s1600/IMG_3512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHJYHxDXusCyGZNIzP-m-KY_B-MfdFKwlcmwpRIykUk0v89gue4AzciPEv8cNxdsfjpwFqc9V-jXCpv4rhkcI8cmRQoDKITFLrz2LFOcWOuoSpq3YpLzMTXMJfsVHSxOfh7Q2Nx99Nro/s640/IMG_3512.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More fantastic views</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLMGT8c9sWmswZdQzoG625X0e9cRxpbbOEZWW4uOi55m0OGF7GLqTLc-_PdSP7sM91845eRgqkahu7186grEPDeGRhJ3vOuxSqx42ApIpOfn6_BkDumLbuByAec91a6mtx7Ah6QBbcak/s1600/IMG_3514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLMGT8c9sWmswZdQzoG625X0e9cRxpbbOEZWW4uOi55m0OGF7GLqTLc-_PdSP7sM91845eRgqkahu7186grEPDeGRhJ3vOuxSqx42ApIpOfn6_BkDumLbuByAec91a6mtx7Ah6QBbcak/s640/IMG_3514.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, must pay full attention to the roads at all times...Bolivia death road has nothing on this!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLlCZENhFVsHi1ZQK-8LudUB0LGGJ3QTdXs1XrZVewulCrGE2m_xKSE5RhKTllRfWxe3LCM-3DZWG8IZxFN9sXcciGbLfQr1HjBwPbdM780f4TqRwNg-AMq44YlJh-f4bzpCi6Q1vYmg/s1600/IMG_3517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFLlCZENhFVsHi1ZQK-8LudUB0LGGJ3QTdXs1XrZVewulCrGE2m_xKSE5RhKTllRfWxe3LCM-3DZWG8IZxFN9sXcciGbLfQr1HjBwPbdM780f4TqRwNg-AMq44YlJh-f4bzpCi6Q1vYmg/s640/IMG_3517.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were tons of these super cool tunnels</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjj_wmTepYcHzGgxQA5OJP0-Dqr2cDejywfowaqH8feW6hcawuFc1qrppEk5BodcMG_sFl2u81qcpQasHJWjBn_A_lIeh1R-Ihyphenhyphen1ulRwTXyvE3uqdwHQ6YZD3gKrRrn9iMrGsUI2jaf8/s1600/IMG_3519.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDjj_wmTepYcHzGgxQA5OJP0-Dqr2cDejywfowaqH8feW6hcawuFc1qrppEk5BodcMG_sFl2u81qcpQasHJWjBn_A_lIeh1R-Ihyphenhyphen1ulRwTXyvE3uqdwHQ6YZD3gKrRrn9iMrGsUI2jaf8/s640/IMG_3519.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took a chance and made it off alive</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2Naul7QQY-8Vgll9n4Dk9isMydv4bPCT-iltwkhia-a2NYeWOTQvuEfU1VsV65xv2mKjQ4pztCZFEojWt6cDhetoUfyMBL9GIUPvaTuhgN1-8dA44pjPf2PD2zbMXS6x5ZiQhnA1Zc4/s1600/IMG_3521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD2Naul7QQY-8Vgll9n4Dk9isMydv4bPCT-iltwkhia-a2NYeWOTQvuEfU1VsV65xv2mKjQ4pztCZFEojWt6cDhetoUfyMBL9GIUPvaTuhgN1-8dA44pjPf2PD2zbMXS6x5ZiQhnA1Zc4/s640/IMG_3521.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here come the white caps and the frozen fingers</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx2f1fXpnhUbe_RNWucTQryyjfYPto8sTsuUBHPLs_qRU07MZpto4_TONhZNvc9qzFxfPWKOdc05pKX-hhs_w9NSBnhl7yPF0I8h8ASx4SR6y7p21XClyosKvZmxGcTPYnM47FOvibkk/s1600/IMG_3523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUx2f1fXpnhUbe_RNWucTQryyjfYPto8sTsuUBHPLs_qRU07MZpto4_TONhZNvc9qzFxfPWKOdc05pKX-hhs_w9NSBnhl7yPF0I8h8ASx4SR6y7p21XClyosKvZmxGcTPYnM47FOvibkk/s640/IMG_3523.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our only pic of a local and it cost me a soles....and she still nearly refused a picture...I'm telling you, everyones out to rip you off</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXyKWg8ufdydOC6JQCRIG6Uy_UNkM3L6KkvdmAtco2m0nO1rEFB5oDGjX_NtaVHAF1AzRRABTQD24LOpvSxqJRrNHMB2lET9FD9oaw6h7rBBWDUqcdNKfZWLiuXe7nLPszf54uYRNq5A/s1600/IMG_3524.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXyKWg8ufdydOC6JQCRIG6Uy_UNkM3L6KkvdmAtco2m0nO1rEFB5oDGjX_NtaVHAF1AzRRABTQD24LOpvSxqJRrNHMB2lET9FD9oaw6h7rBBWDUqcdNKfZWLiuXe7nLPszf54uYRNq5A/s640/IMG_3524.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The highest point we've been to so far! Even though it doesn't look like it</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>A huge rush across the Andes and back down led us back to the desert and right into Lima!!!! We actually made it 580 kilometres that day. Another run in with the police, under false pretenses...Nik running a toll booth when the tolls are free for us anyway, proceeded to bring a cop over to us and fail an attempt to extort 50 from Nik. Also another scarcity of gasoline. Peru, you have to put more gas stations around in the desert, or at least fill up the ones that are there, instead of getting our hopes up and making us worry about the next 15 kilometres. I expect more of this. <br />
<br />
<br />
So anyway, were in Lima, at sunset. Dammit, we did it again, NO BIG CITIES IN THE DARK. No big deal, we´ll stick to the highway and hit up a hotel on the side. Lima is huge....when I say huge...imagine riding around for 3 HOURS LOOKING FOR A HOTEL. There is little I can say for Lima expect that I hate it. It has also made me pretty much hate Peru overall. Big words, but Lima is nasty. The traffic is nasty, the people are nasty (rude, unfriendly), the cars attempt to run you over at all times, Ive bumped two already cutting me off, and the scamming begins. <br />
<br />
We were tired, we were nearly arguing looking for a hotel, and we´re a few blocks short of pitching tent on the side of the road. After passing and stopping at countless "hostals" which are nothing more than sex hotels (I suppose the prostitution in Lima is extravagant, THEY ARE EVERYWHERE) we decided to get to the airport...they had to have a hotel there. The Ramada, Costa Del Sol. Cool. Very nice. 200 Soles. Expensive, but well take it. "No sir, thats American". Are you kidding me. Its a airport hotel with nothing more to offer than a normal one. Forget it. Onwards we travel, aimlessly. No ones willing to point us in the right direction, we finally make it to Centro Historico, and find a hotel. Full. More directions leading nowhere. We FINALLY found a hotel, a rather nice one, a few minutes later tucked into a street, for 70 soles, 13.00 a piece each. <br />
Ok, ok, complain more Rob. Then comes today. <br />
<br />
The food is cheap, thankfully. 2.50 will get you breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So less than 10.00 a day on food. We eat, and rush to hit up the dealership to change my chain and get Niks bike running. An hour and a bit later.....lost again, this city is too massive and oddly shaped, and we get to the Sales centre. The new chain. 400 soles. WHAT THE HELL. Thats over 120.00. WHATEVER, it has to be done, bite the bullet. We get over to the mechanic without getting lost, they take the chain off and somehow before I didn´t realize the teeth in the sprocket were completely bent. Mustve been the dirt...with the weight. Another 250 soles. PLUS 70 SOLES LABOUR. Now I´m getting completely ripped off. Thats 300.00 to change a chain and sprocket. El Salvador did it for 80.00. Colombia never charged me labour. These places were kind, considerate, helpful. Lima is none of that. Im not fond of Limians, not one bit. And they took 5 hours to put it on. 5 hours of waiting, I get my bike, and my chain is taught to its maximum. Not even put on right. I had to take it back to hotel, and properly fit it. What am I paying for. For more spending fun, I broke down and bought an external hard drive to back up all the pics ands vids as me and Nik are splitting soon. Another 200 soles. And finally, my camera charger blew on me again, so I bought a universal charger that hopefully is doing its job right now. All in all, 400.00 spent today. Today is a bad day. <br />
<br />
So all in all, I have two pleasant things to say about Lima. <br />
1. The sunsets are the most beautiful Ive seen in my life.<br />
2. The prosperous parts of Lima and historical sections are really well put together, beautiful structures, reminds me of New Orleans.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjRZILsuLlQdqHQGNVsNDdgJeR7i73oEOM2Q1mwGfnRQ8vMoxwHdUx14uva7OeSRTwtr04L58MITa-NXwitMLFsbXVHkWY9zMVC5bilk2f5n4-aCuj046TwItI9vTG4D1q-zm3T5rIzQ/s1600/IMG_3534.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOjRZILsuLlQdqHQGNVsNDdgJeR7i73oEOM2Q1mwGfnRQ8vMoxwHdUx14uva7OeSRTwtr04L58MITa-NXwitMLFsbXVHkWY9zMVC5bilk2f5n4-aCuj046TwItI9vTG4D1q-zm3T5rIzQ/s640/IMG_3534.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Lima sunset</td></tr>
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<br />
But other than that, Im outta here first thing. Lets get to Nazca, hopefully well find some nice people not trying to take all my money.RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-88810950536762248092011-02-19T23:30:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:11:50.342-04:00Left High and Dry in the Desert - RobIt seems like longer time periods between posts, but the reality is we're doing so many miles so quickly, there's just so many things going on, its hard to keep up. The longer we're on the road, the more I feel the brainrot. Days meld together and it becomes harder and harder to remember what we've done days past, or where we've been. There's a few unforgettable memories however, which I will keep with me forever, and which might make you laugh a bit.<br />
<br />
Starting at the border, if you leave through Huanquillas, don't make the same mistake we did. It's a bit of a weird border town, there's a bridge right in the middle of town thats Zona Libre, free travel back and forth between countries to visit the markets. We avoided this because the Pan-American passes around the town on a double laned highway.<br />
<br />
- We first ride looking for gas, sucking the remainder of our reserve tanks because border towns have a problem getting petroleum trucks to deliver daily, 4 kilometres out of town<br />
- Back halfway to take the border exit, ride another 4 km to the border post, and no Ecuador exit?<br />
- Peru turns us back because we didn't exit, the Migracion is actually in the town at a small post on the side of the road, 5km<br />
- Exit, aduana is back near Peru border entrance, 3km<br />
- This one is closed, the other one is 9 kilometres out of town going northbound<br />
- FINALLY BACK TO PERU border, which was a tad long, hot, but easy, we were the only ones there<br />
<br />
Enough goofing around, thankfully we were only going 130 km that day to a little awesome town called Mancora.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaRJomX5g0xt_joZ2uumIvwqbUjOSVq8biCc6faOykiRliwZzsyDvf5d3GWj45Z2bA3qJj1eUa3cJ90CACCGxuoUcoFQyHWceoDwsqAYhcbr7yO0FxsWmNMQFZLXJwgjiBr3D6KY04rM/s1600/IMG_3261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVaRJomX5g0xt_joZ2uumIvwqbUjOSVq8biCc6faOykiRliwZzsyDvf5d3GWj45Z2bA3qJj1eUa3cJ90CACCGxuoUcoFQyHWceoDwsqAYhcbr7yO0FxsWmNMQFZLXJwgjiBr3D6KY04rM/s640/IMG_3261.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The unfinished border of Peru, looks like tis been that way for quite some time</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWlWMMmhFgHTCGC7ZsZRt-8elGklLJe5-amaNaIxZ9q39NuajgLU__JqFILfDmphAR3XYI68k9w-n-akBm-qwfuQ5TZ4MGQsx0WVferLI7_J2teheSBHVo-QDhTwGVcGEv6mZcVcVvUE/s1600/IMG_3263.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWlWMMmhFgHTCGC7ZsZRt-8elGklLJe5-amaNaIxZ9q39NuajgLU__JqFILfDmphAR3XYI68k9w-n-akBm-qwfuQ5TZ4MGQsx0WVferLI7_J2teheSBHVo-QDhTwGVcGEv6mZcVcVvUE/s640/IMG_3263.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The temporary SUNAT office to sign in, where they make YOU do all the work</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We drove through the border town of Tumbes, a lot larger than we originally thought, but an enlightenment to the Peru that I've heard about. From all the tales, people have said that Peru is not a great ride. Depends on what you like I suppose. I like to keep the bike in good shape, but flat, straight roads every so often is a welcoming break for my bike. Sure theres a lot of garbage on the roads, but the towns are nice, the people are super friendly, we have not had any rough in's with ANY cops, which are EVERYWHERE, and riding through deserts are something neither me and Nik have done, so it's a real cool treat for us. Plus we like the dead heat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5ZzowF0rJaJ-aA9khUuR3SzrbIBm8Rzrs6h8_paha-Ah06LhRxfxKsPZtj8QjRWEtgeyj5stv_gaRXvJbbs7kJFuipZhNESViRPTmo4LhOnVwnvXh7yyzNh4SlcYuRC_8ezhfJItj4c/s1600/IMG_3266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp5ZzowF0rJaJ-aA9khUuR3SzrbIBm8Rzrs6h8_paha-Ah06LhRxfxKsPZtj8QjRWEtgeyj5stv_gaRXvJbbs7kJFuipZhNESViRPTmo4LhOnVwnvXh7yyzNh4SlcYuRC_8ezhfJItj4c/s640/IMG_3266.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The humble town of Tumbes, everyone is friendly here / wants a green card :O </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijakE5fOyC7Fu89fiChvzOWup0yH-ga1tlH2bOSZodyg5YA9gL40XEIjsc0HcD4LjWsSXMs0RkAQeOUWQsD6QUQa600sLxOYzOKmZrqAJndB0uD27Q9HEruVY-W4B8sr8za6W39nXcD7w/s1600/IMG_3267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijakE5fOyC7Fu89fiChvzOWup0yH-ga1tlH2bOSZodyg5YA9gL40XEIjsc0HcD4LjWsSXMs0RkAQeOUWQsD6QUQa600sLxOYzOKmZrqAJndB0uD27Q9HEruVY-W4B8sr8za6W39nXcD7w/s640/IMG_3267.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niks impressed with his new stickers, trophy helmet!!</td></tr>
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We arrived in Mancora expecting just a little bit, and we were surprised at this amazing little beach town. Its touristy, but filled with locals, so it doesn't have that expensive, cheapy feel that some other places do. There are some nice hotels, some not to nice, we managed to find the Loki Hostel, which is both well known and enoorrrmous compared to most places we stay. It was really cheap, food and drinks and lodging for both days ended up being 60.00 each. And we splurged, eating tuna steaks (two each on the second night) and many many beers. The ocean here at first seemed tame, but soon we found out its the roughest tide we've seen so far. A nice surprise, since it will be the last ocean we'll see on the trip, and we love getting thrashed. The current would pull you out and sideways at a rate faster than the pace of walking, the waves would curl and throw you into the sand headfirst, but if you timed it right, a decent body surf would put you right on top of the wave (usually it puts us in front of it or just under the surface) 200 feet to shore. Brilliant. It was the sunset, the vibe, the music, the waves, that made us instantly decide to stay another day, no question. The hostel was the nicest we've seen so far, everyone's english as that's a nice break on the brain not having to translate everything. We basically chilled the night away playing ping pong, cards, pool, swimming, watching X-games.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqchUALnicCL01aPOLCLmZGbPPh8-6N1fgyhtBEvyuuQVvo1JNdmzWuJgvPtb_WaZ4QR-KTEGCSYyQZOasVpMGkei60qY5xCdWVnWzqRvPYIV7b3JNFy8UnWBLt1ZMo96Oqi8whtylhDs/s1600/IMG_3272.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqchUALnicCL01aPOLCLmZGbPPh8-6N1fgyhtBEvyuuQVvo1JNdmzWuJgvPtb_WaZ4QR-KTEGCSYyQZOasVpMGkei60qY5xCdWVnWzqRvPYIV7b3JNFy8UnWBLt1ZMo96Oqi8whtylhDs/s640/IMG_3272.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bikes enjoying the view and the ocean breeze</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4awPUgEXCLDGTKp-nDEcK3zOP-k4odvHCgG6ySrLtY9_v-15nTXoXyjk7KmL9tqcsZmJgi6sxMza37bKS4QX0oX1_F0YrWFl7abrOWB-BoV_ZKGMD_kBHB_mkMeufe9-3zzXGUBnz4Y/s1600/IMG_3275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4awPUgEXCLDGTKp-nDEcK3zOP-k4odvHCgG6ySrLtY9_v-15nTXoXyjk7KmL9tqcsZmJgi6sxMza37bKS4QX0oX1_F0YrWFl7abrOWB-BoV_ZKGMD_kBHB_mkMeufe9-3zzXGUBnz4Y/s640/IMG_3275.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lonely Nik calling out to the waves, "Doug!! I miss you!!!"</td></tr>
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Seeing Peru coastline!!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcE5sBKMP9Povma1lNx9lePL5odNwKcW9xItLU4bR2KgBaEQl4H_9t21WwRAyT_pf-aDzN_C-JtwWDQS6tfH8YtF4J_SKBVDG_e0-okyUXwt3jaO4BFAn6a8SGHfrI4cUK2CM8VeqzUA/s1600/IMG_3288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqcE5sBKMP9Povma1lNx9lePL5odNwKcW9xItLU4bR2KgBaEQl4H_9t21WwRAyT_pf-aDzN_C-JtwWDQS6tfH8YtF4J_SKBVDG_e0-okyUXwt3jaO4BFAn6a8SGHfrI4cUK2CM8VeqzUA/s640/IMG_3288.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hill climbs here are dual sport heaven</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Sl08YnQ2X8MZrZAmt8a8GCSA2DEpg5cnbY0bhyphenhyphen4fV2JGWouXLiHQDk09h3VnG9mffWh-S4nC1i7I1tY0cO_krxVA-Mq6_1mCt6YTgsdZ77i3C7Z2W35XIc9j-QxSHVjNpz7X-7OPBdY/s1600/IMG_3290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Sl08YnQ2X8MZrZAmt8a8GCSA2DEpg5cnbY0bhyphenhyphen4fV2JGWouXLiHQDk09h3VnG9mffWh-S4nC1i7I1tY0cO_krxVA-Mq6_1mCt6YTgsdZ77i3C7Z2W35XIc9j-QxSHVjNpz7X-7OPBdY/s640/IMG_3290.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now they're enjoying a better view!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbkulhQh5lFfnJIwL-Lpoe6bAWUnc88Ei1LnVYQ0exRXIrE5Z0Sb8lNT8kd9av1Ybczr8y77ltTwADLG-rmDsIBW-lS8kno0cXfR-Fw7TDb8K9WgGj5lFYggI_JZ5Do8Psk1WhcXbu8w/s1600/IMG_3305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbkulhQh5lFfnJIwL-Lpoe6bAWUnc88Ei1LnVYQ0exRXIrE5Z0Sb8lNT8kd9av1Ybczr8y77ltTwADLG-rmDsIBW-lS8kno0cXfR-Fw7TDb8K9WgGj5lFYggI_JZ5Do8Psk1WhcXbu8w/s640/IMG_3305.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my ideal view...no not myself...but our first balcony!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAEwSSFAtgGFcq41AbXTKg0AixbdE0x1BxH4Y7IXOlGJY6hanprwdwQwThmgmNL9Yi1g7InfgJH2TdUUsMxa9_pdwVv3CxwyqIAJWqPiyLLStkS-h_1TaDmNnoxsD5iaaEuYq4H45Ojg/s1600/IMG_3307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAEwSSFAtgGFcq41AbXTKg0AixbdE0x1BxH4Y7IXOlGJY6hanprwdwQwThmgmNL9Yi1g7InfgJH2TdUUsMxa9_pdwVv3CxwyqIAJWqPiyLLStkS-h_1TaDmNnoxsD5iaaEuYq4H45Ojg/s640/IMG_3307.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How can you go wrong for 23 bucks a night</td></tr>
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Mancora Loki Hostel<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UhG-6SvJcpmsiSVM8TjgUqd512ts2rQNxAXSzQJLbGilE5ANYroH7Mu2lLtaDa9EkJUv2oryZjQ6Tt_Tt3uJh5rmbIbnBvxmhxnfbONEpCp2lwSJbcZNMW4JzKSVpGmYnRwq2ctZhVg/s1600/IMG_3310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-UhG-6SvJcpmsiSVM8TjgUqd512ts2rQNxAXSzQJLbGilE5ANYroH7Mu2lLtaDa9EkJUv2oryZjQ6Tt_Tt3uJh5rmbIbnBvxmhxnfbONEpCp2lwSJbcZNMW4JzKSVpGmYnRwq2ctZhVg/s640/IMG_3310.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset was almost over the ocean, but the desert aura makes the orange hue unbelieveable</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKYHYqsLGoo_5h-knlYtdvov7ZM6u57ZgGSgM0XgMyKxdUcx3Ef0N6Ek_QbRn7gBQItT9aJm4HS-p4GrRhoh4u1splOdfLGNoHZvXwG6cC1bO6CD4L0WVeMIJIxyVEMgkmWjey7tX5ZY/s1600/IMG_3311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKYHYqsLGoo_5h-knlYtdvov7ZM6u57ZgGSgM0XgMyKxdUcx3Ef0N6Ek_QbRn7gBQItT9aJm4HS-p4GrRhoh4u1splOdfLGNoHZvXwG6cC1bO6CD4L0WVeMIJIxyVEMgkmWjey7tX5ZY/s640/IMG_3311.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture makes the hostel look more like a resort</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-xBFH2bhW7W_5USff0IPCaBKoaCVwE-g90ITrvebz8GQ6toLalA0ymi4A9J1ZXpsYRB6l2w6DGgNDjZfd3az27ek1CSOZKghd-eUayagCJwP2hrHfGmT8KbMT0Hf9YNNY4hZywH_228/s1600/IMG_3315.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie-xBFH2bhW7W_5USff0IPCaBKoaCVwE-g90ITrvebz8GQ6toLalA0ymi4A9J1ZXpsYRB6l2w6DGgNDjZfd3az27ek1CSOZKghd-eUayagCJwP2hrHfGmT8KbMT0Hf9YNNY4hZywH_228/s640/IMG_3315.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As does this one...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBb58JuqkDgKcWOhqaRfhi4nCPi9Q9pgWmwIf7UOKhU-i-rd2uhhxav7tY2_IDeStkkaSfoJZQhetrYhyphenhyphenqcLFcIyeHTxFuCeb_p7UMWm7q4duDNL0Rxw2dsbIEGQEzDCUkS6ESuBr3To/s1600/IMG_3317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBb58JuqkDgKcWOhqaRfhi4nCPi9Q9pgWmwIf7UOKhU-i-rd2uhhxav7tY2_IDeStkkaSfoJZQhetrYhyphenhyphenqcLFcIyeHTxFuCeb_p7UMWm7q4duDNL0Rxw2dsbIEGQEzDCUkS6ESuBr3To/s640/IMG_3317.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And finally this one...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
The following day would become one of the most momentous days for us; action packed and full of adventure. After a half-assed breakfast we walked around town and around the beach looking for touristy things, fancy places, places to eat and one of the sites of Mancora, the Pilares de la Quebrada Fernandez, three "exotic pools" with cascades. Couldn't find them. So after a crazy moto-taxi ride through the city for a Sole (always take taxis in Peru as the most they have cost us so far is a dollar), we took out the bikes for a spin in the desert. Awesome idea. We found ourselves riding around in a dry riverbed, then 150 metres above the city, then deep into a canyon trail. After riding under the desert sun for a good couple hours, we took it to the beach, took some pics, then went off to find the water pools near the river.Instead we ended up in one of the many many dumps, following the water (we knew now we could not swim here...even though there were people bathing) but the trail here was quite unique. You see, Peru is very fond of meals with chicken. You cannot go past any restaurants without prominently seeing chicken on the menu. Deep into the dump, we stumbled across chicken feathers; feathers that would blanket the ground for as far as you can see. I guess they have to pluck them somewhere. Regardless, it made a soft ride, and fun slides, minding the smell. Sop we finally get to the water pools, and what the hell do we see? Flamingos. This I was not expecting by any means, and it definitely made our day. They are easily scared and a hundred or so quickly took off all at once, so we headed further on the beach. We dangerously rode down through the surf for a kilometer or so (which is extremely hard on motorcycles in white sand...especially when the water comes because the bikes sink QUICKLY), and back to town we went.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oa9d5RmlcArJwZyyM832cNg_I6mfZ85a_xvpR0FhuxNYduo89pS61n0WfEi5V8BWa41m6qNsULmcDFSpiRWrz4TSBUtBrKMCALkzx67j6dqVZBcnZRRn0kSqoxHs9XJbLs-AE8WVvgA/s1600/IMG_3323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oa9d5RmlcArJwZyyM832cNg_I6mfZ85a_xvpR0FhuxNYduo89pS61n0WfEi5V8BWa41m6qNsULmcDFSpiRWrz4TSBUtBrKMCALkzx67j6dqVZBcnZRRn0kSqoxHs9XJbLs-AE8WVvgA/s640/IMG_3323.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the city from the very top</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYLqBeVPRT2b2ptnvvdPLhlPWvdyrDaxL7BcibgyatTJkTMVlqEVnFiDdyZdYPXEfXsYTgWknUJljlcjqH0iwWXpClblw4T0h3ABwb-3dHRv5sADH8ygHkCbWs-BWULkP33f-0579K7k/s1600/IMG_3327.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRYLqBeVPRT2b2ptnvvdPLhlPWvdyrDaxL7BcibgyatTJkTMVlqEVnFiDdyZdYPXEfXsYTgWknUJljlcjqH0iwWXpClblw4T0h3ABwb-3dHRv5sADH8ygHkCbWs-BWULkP33f-0579K7k/s640/IMG_3327.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik and his ruling dominance over Mancora</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0JLdNP6mNA-G68uVVFJMaG7Sl_AskTL2E52h7rIx762UYVUMork7FZ5QB8b2oQVB6FG7nmf9r_IGePFzFRnqfY9birGDRGPcEeSEnV-CM2PPRB3xZfHmG9oCgV2JiFKTotuhIAVvToY/s1600/IMG_3342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK0JLdNP6mNA-G68uVVFJMaG7Sl_AskTL2E52h7rIx762UYVUMork7FZ5QB8b2oQVB6FG7nmf9r_IGePFzFRnqfY9birGDRGPcEeSEnV-CM2PPRB3xZfHmG9oCgV2JiFKTotuhIAVvToY/s640/IMG_3342.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canyon riding at its finest</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvS9EupsgP2LK_XCUVY-n_kX94ti3jq8uCYYDcuTk6x-RO_GBPIsNmgfby4qOBdpHZf4GxNjPxTXfk8U3aKecyPnaNeiaC_1akqGljID5uEGCgznNHhUnq_iqByqWSzajGhRakbDMb_DY/s1600/IMG_3343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvS9EupsgP2LK_XCUVY-n_kX94ti3jq8uCYYDcuTk6x-RO_GBPIsNmgfby4qOBdpHZf4GxNjPxTXfk8U3aKecyPnaNeiaC_1akqGljID5uEGCgznNHhUnq_iqByqWSzajGhRakbDMb_DY/s640/IMG_3343.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the best of dual sporting....thus far</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCStgwZ6HwYtsReTTeoAmVuGtISqF8H9r4PaHChWJ8NwI5o4l7OdzxcwJc-O4i0hpSD_f49Kl6xCycBxX6A58V0nNpLzmHtBdoP7AymqyNxLbDbIy12MNn019V-oiyRFarnj3VvQHluNg/s1600/IMG_3356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCStgwZ6HwYtsReTTeoAmVuGtISqF8H9r4PaHChWJ8NwI5o4l7OdzxcwJc-O4i0hpSD_f49Kl6xCycBxX6A58V0nNpLzmHtBdoP7AymqyNxLbDbIy12MNn019V-oiyRFarnj3VvQHluNg/s640/IMG_3356.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had to take another moto-taxi to take a video of it, helmets are most certainly required</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
In the taxi:<br />
<br />
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AtquKwVGFIM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNj89wmvyhE-csij-pU8NBoEbA0hqFZ7EyjF1ywCPcQRQK4HVtxHYopLXyEzLFwMP9d2z2byZirTyjMIZVhpYXNrpV-SJRi38T0L-DxCeo9OMUNu6XPoD-19oAkwuQyGEuw1kqwRbodMs/s1600/IMG_3365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNj89wmvyhE-csij-pU8NBoEbA0hqFZ7EyjF1ywCPcQRQK4HVtxHYopLXyEzLFwMP9d2z2byZirTyjMIZVhpYXNrpV-SJRi38T0L-DxCeo9OMUNu6XPoD-19oAkwuQyGEuw1kqwRbodMs/s640/IMG_3365.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The chicken feathers and the vultures that love to bathe in them</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWUe1qtLDGrcknQowEBPfsDV6e_HvM5y_d0Rvah1_RUebaFCkdwTmLkuc02TQL10LUjnobOfhhiMBB-V-N2Je_tLLLRjrgdRvfr7Tidz5Ad1usUYwMyXS8ME65zxYV0z3V7EDkwLtbCc/s1600/IMG_3370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeWUe1qtLDGrcknQowEBPfsDV6e_HvM5y_d0Rvah1_RUebaFCkdwTmLkuc02TQL10LUjnobOfhhiMBB-V-N2Je_tLLLRjrgdRvfr7Tidz5Ad1usUYwMyXS8ME65zxYV0z3V7EDkwLtbCc/s640/IMG_3370.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wild horses could not drag me away....from here</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOX_i6ExxIzBLAVZrh3u8hKRSXeIvu33AFwqZpIkI-KgzUVEZjDW9FpD7RoYjWi2EVwKpDc0cn1iAKPcruwuAmIS53kIT6fP1nAqPeTbT-cVJ_QE6MP6mqFOkGUhMSFfFUEEsZ8L-V3A/s1600/IMG_3375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwOX_i6ExxIzBLAVZrh3u8hKRSXeIvu33AFwqZpIkI-KgzUVEZjDW9FpD7RoYjWi2EVwKpDc0cn1iAKPcruwuAmIS53kIT6fP1nAqPeTbT-cVJ_QE6MP6mqFOkGUhMSFfFUEEsZ8L-V3A/s640/IMG_3375.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flamingos!!! Who'd guess!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3Qz6W0RGL3yNv9yG4fgKbpBn-0fE8U9SP97idVgQhyphenhyphenNU07h3O8P-XR-Zip9KAipbjexJ_xX0lWAyMe3jFE9X5Q5NZU1eqiX0Q2C0wfv_yZNRoo6gqEk1XyWNLoUOSPJtCFQgxigWjOY/s1600/IMG_3384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm3Qz6W0RGL3yNv9yG4fgKbpBn-0fE8U9SP97idVgQhyphenhyphenNU07h3O8P-XR-Zip9KAipbjexJ_xX0lWAyMe3jFE9X5Q5NZU1eqiX0Q2C0wfv_yZNRoo6gqEk1XyWNLoUOSPJtCFQgxigWjOY/s640/IMG_3384.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deep dune riding is the most difficult ride to be had on a motorcycle</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvacAR9XIipTiUlsZzHdzaxGEyUNKFzKJvTEnXbEPxPeT2qTOSW4bbawfTPEGer_BlmXPg2jpe2R-nS-HjbSU1vqx8RrbiI7J-E0u9NfjnvYB-UOuXip40Y4zBzc8RpjbYjcGg6JrgyO4/s1600/IMG_3388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvacAR9XIipTiUlsZzHdzaxGEyUNKFzKJvTEnXbEPxPeT2qTOSW4bbawfTPEGer_BlmXPg2jpe2R-nS-HjbSU1vqx8RrbiI7J-E0u9NfjnvYB-UOuXip40Y4zBzc8RpjbYjcGg6JrgyO4/s640/IMG_3388.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But we enjoyed it completely</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNysLdYUyQ2vpaeq3XR3CGTvrDnT5WzRm4jCqE_yFHuDyJJw44GiQe1pVsZ3XFVsLwJp9zE63wa6v4Wzplkl6WmU_LHxvhaJGAkPLmm40jDkG32ku1AcWt2z4JsQVEPPRJp5O8K-QjfQ/s1600/IMG_3390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVNysLdYUyQ2vpaeq3XR3CGTvrDnT5WzRm4jCqE_yFHuDyJJw44GiQe1pVsZ3XFVsLwJp9zE63wa6v4Wzplkl6WmU_LHxvhaJGAkPLmm40jDkG32ku1AcWt2z4JsQVEPPRJp5O8K-QjfQ/s640/IMG_3390.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This doesn't really show it, but I got stung by some bee taking a video, my whole wrist swelled up and pussed, couldn't figure out what was going on. So itchy now.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
Now the fun part.<br />
<br />
So after lounging around and beaching it up, we decide to take the bikes back out (big shits on the town drag) looking for a place to eat. After zipping around for a bit, the best bet was the hostel food, where we can't ever go wrong, so we try heading down some back streets that turn into back paths, and its getting dark. We're not afraid of being out in the dark, but now we have a new fear. The fear of the lack of septic and sewer systems. Niks ahead of me, I try crossing this one narrow part of the path, and the next thing I know I topple 4-5 feet into what I thought was a grassy ditch. "Plunk"...my helmet then started filling with water, I'm almost submerged in what I thought was water, but then the smell hit me. My helmet was not filling up with aqua, rather feces and other awesomeness. As I tried prying the bike off of me and back up the slope, yelling for Nik's help, I look over and in the darkness I see his bike submerged in what looks like solid ground. He runs over, his bike flops over, my bike back up, we run over to get his back up. But its dug deep into....again, what we thought was mud. Not mud....The only way to get it out is for him to stand behind while I give it gas.....heres the result:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC44-Od76gFVbj3ObnVbSJ3fGI9wuDIPeNPIA7Bb42T9UG4bS4E9i3Z4fN-7rYJ7Iv7Za7pta73r3FWSnBIAmMc7Zze3vItsp64fo5b8lIEv9FQIXDniDn5x_x__UtKGL_btQ7ZcOwNdA/s1600/IMG_3395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC44-Od76gFVbj3ObnVbSJ3fGI9wuDIPeNPIA7Bb42T9UG4bS4E9i3Z4fN-7rYJ7Iv7Za7pta73r3FWSnBIAmMc7Zze3vItsp64fo5b8lIEv9FQIXDniDn5x_x__UtKGL_btQ7ZcOwNdA/s640/IMG_3395.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And the shirt looks even worse</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5WPYh12qaZJNEQAfsad7b0zxTzpJtQbdfsTckDDnWsAYyJ7fA8xVzP5Xyw61KTlwJwA3kbN0U-f0Cu3WFSn2TzyZwaw_zwIBapRlZVYqoU7pQzMKFgk51yDhRfzz69k7Za00gDeJ_mA/s1600/IMG_3398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS5WPYh12qaZJNEQAfsad7b0zxTzpJtQbdfsTckDDnWsAYyJ7fA8xVzP5Xyw61KTlwJwA3kbN0U-f0Cu3WFSn2TzyZwaw_zwIBapRlZVYqoU7pQzMKFgk51yDhRfzz69k7Za00gDeJ_mA/s640/IMG_3398.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shower definitely got its use that night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So....after two good half hour showers, we felt..sort of clean. Thank god the hostel had a hose and we showered off the bikes that night. Adventure-some day. The beers went down smooth that night.<br />
<br />
In the morning, we had to get a big day in, to get to Trujillo. Its 600 km, and all desert. For the first part of the ride, beautiful desert mountain vistas. Then it got flat, and REALLY hot. In Piura, which is a hell town to get lost in, Nik's bike started overheating. We decided since it was awhile since we did an oil change, we would find a gas station and buy some oil. 47.00 U.S. EACH later....we were doing our oil, with some help! We forgot to fill up with gas, and entered the Sechura Desert. About 35 kilometers in and I realized the mistake. Nik finally got rid of his Zebra box, traded it in for a new backpacker bag strapped to the back. This means with the strong desert winds, my bike goes through a lot more mileage with the panniers. I knew I might be in trouble. It was 230 kilometres to the other side, which means I would probably be 40 kilometers short of a tank. Well, besides the awesome riding (we loved it), I was in constantly thinking about how many more kilometres I'd last.<br />
<br />
Well I didn't, and thirty kilometres outside of thankfully the closest town I ran out. Damn good thing we carry a gallon extra, because without that, or without the town being there, surely we'd be towing mine. Nik wasn't even on his reserve tank, must be his tires and less resistance.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs94t9luT2Was2_JNELsuwHXk28nxqS4CWm0h4tjBhBsV6cQPhP0NNL01PblRjy6ri4V0G9rBK0C_sE2cTUc1SDrYyF-Do50zaV_bbG1WFOWugbeJhokOSzddgkOZgfz5iUmyM_0gUgbs/s1600/IMG_3411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs94t9luT2Was2_JNELsuwHXk28nxqS4CWm0h4tjBhBsV6cQPhP0NNL01PblRjy6ri4V0G9rBK0C_sE2cTUc1SDrYyF-Do50zaV_bbG1WFOWugbeJhokOSzddgkOZgfz5iUmyM_0gUgbs/s640/IMG_3411.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No cars and perfectly straight roads as far as you can see in both directions, times 20....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Running out of gas:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/efwWAX7O8Uw" title="YouTube video player" width="640"></iframe><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtJgSoZB2xRS56SOkFMnDRP0YxfBCcqbiMy8fsyqQBY7Bi1qZUSI-oIpSItm9zAfubdftnf4EwG0DB5eU7Bo0xu5s8sL5Xs2OfgM-tzWs5IgZBQMIzGOYP3uCeS1YWXILVVrg3bTWtLs/s1600/IMG_3415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibtJgSoZB2xRS56SOkFMnDRP0YxfBCcqbiMy8fsyqQBY7Bi1qZUSI-oIpSItm9zAfubdftnf4EwG0DB5eU7Bo0xu5s8sL5Xs2OfgM-tzWs5IgZBQMIzGOYP3uCeS1YWXILVVrg3bTWtLs/s640/IMG_3415.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our friendly oil changer helpers, helping us take only 10 minutes to do an oil change</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJL1zjGDbNC5pvi5JSpxXNUEzkUeOlpVkBT2y_XHX-SqZi9arFTIjRfcaBkzZEoJCUz6lxcWnpUAv9fXTciMUG1KAclzdv_bTrakMkKt4qk_PUTooeFXyG1VVJ_CtvXlij4VkIASL7xI/s1600/IMG_3423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJL1zjGDbNC5pvi5JSpxXNUEzkUeOlpVkBT2y_XHX-SqZi9arFTIjRfcaBkzZEoJCUz6lxcWnpUAv9fXTciMUG1KAclzdv_bTrakMkKt4qk_PUTooeFXyG1VVJ_CtvXlij4VkIASL7xI/s640/IMG_3423.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thats a desert....missing the sand dunes but I didn't want to stop more than I had to</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH14zzHTY-qFtQdpTMrVW0U3qs9pyvSZtZJGdk8vaQhUS6zZkBZ7m3EKv_vzgSSDlkBgAhfII51IMB0NHKLTqXcVymcFMuZC05KzQ47oZ2nwg_eaCc4DJ-RWGSKxBO3bK9KzLFAYyT-uI/s1600/IMG_3435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH14zzHTY-qFtQdpTMrVW0U3qs9pyvSZtZJGdk8vaQhUS6zZkBZ7m3EKv_vzgSSDlkBgAhfII51IMB0NHKLTqXcVymcFMuZC05KzQ47oZ2nwg_eaCc4DJ-RWGSKxBO3bK9KzLFAYyT-uI/s640/IMG_3435.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oceans have nice sunsets, but nothing beats a desert one</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
As the sun set over the desert plain........my chain fell off. Usual business, was a tad bit too loose, I just popped it back on and tightened it, and off we went again. Trujillo wasn't far from here, so we gunned it through the dark towards one of the biggest cities in Peru. If there's nothing worse than arriving in a busy city, its arriving at one in the dark. With no direction, we just went to the centre of town, being cut off, cut down and honked at from all angles. Most cities are like this, but for some reason Trujillo seems to take the cake. The drivers make WAY too excessive use of their horns, most of the time for no reason, and the lack of street lights means gogogo, all the time. We quickly stopped at a half decent hotel, 100 soles a night, but has everything we need. Poop washing taken care of, Warner Bros. channel, comfy beds, and the noise of some couple doing their thing out the window. Its alright though, because the minute man does his work speedily.<br />
<br />
When we got to town, Nik's bike started heating up again...bad sign. It spewed a bunch of coolant, and we pushed it to our hotel, the Le Mans. Looked at it this morning, ended up being the fuse being disconnected causing the fan not to kick in. Easy fix. When we took it out today, his battery died and he had to jump start it everywhere we went.. strange, another thing to look at tomorrow, shouldn't be a big deal. Every dog has its day I suppose.<br />
<br />
Today we went to the Chan Chan ruins, our first ruin site, which kind of tainted the historical aspects of the trip for me. I wasn't expecting Macchu Picchu because after all we are in the desert, but most of the site is replicated or refurbished. Barely anything is original, not cool. The best part of it was the riding afterwards. Since the ocean is close we decided to try to get to it through the trails between the uncovered arch. sites. This was the only dual sport riding so far that beats the canyon riding. Rolling sandy hills, going anywhere you want to go, and pretty fun jumps to be had all over. Ocean on one side, mountains on the other.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysVxu03chcUhfFj5ijvCOW4qEKcnMsdSZHoXTDeWYaNpiqjUmbkdO8nmMoaECCq4N8QvqQFgjcxkgNLB36JVhwCGFYQgE7gfKn144xESKJi5SFCrJNgEEFQlOw94yS3M_qqwWjNEaLuE/s1600/IMG_3447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhysVxu03chcUhfFj5ijvCOW4qEKcnMsdSZHoXTDeWYaNpiqjUmbkdO8nmMoaECCq4N8QvqQFgjcxkgNLB36JVhwCGFYQgE7gfKn144xESKJi5SFCrJNgEEFQlOw94yS3M_qqwWjNEaLuE/s640/IMG_3447.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Peruvian desert dog...you don't want to get too close to this thing...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UaFrsjEL1JBX2Ke4ey60JBEgw-zJ9iSzzryheJAuvaAN4WdLKJZkrC3cGRWR8776CqB4Sz5H7uCRg4pE7cU4Gz_JBU893_hs72bNf9DsORZUaVW462VDKge16o6Li9Nx77llMKWNQ94/s1600/IMG_3448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5UaFrsjEL1JBX2Ke4ey60JBEgw-zJ9iSzzryheJAuvaAN4WdLKJZkrC3cGRWR8776CqB4Sz5H7uCRg4pE7cU4Gz_JBU893_hs72bNf9DsORZUaVW462VDKge16o6Li9Nx77llMKWNQ94/s640/IMG_3448.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik's "is this fake" face</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-q7JY9yprchkj5uX96i0TUvjVJ0aiM5rzTR9PxT2OrDHxDZ5qsi4Js1a0CjxtyXyQelb1ln_KqL66PPaYzaIdCTWi9qKD7MsLR3k7z17ckiAJ_64LkKsPibrR9JFVBkmMxEVAVVOz4DY/s1600/IMG_3450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-q7JY9yprchkj5uX96i0TUvjVJ0aiM5rzTR9PxT2OrDHxDZ5qsi4Js1a0CjxtyXyQelb1ln_KqL66PPaYzaIdCTWi9qKD7MsLR3k7z17ckiAJ_64LkKsPibrR9JFVBkmMxEVAVVOz4DY/s640/IMG_3450.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks impressive, but up close its all plaster :P</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9Af78E1pYe4jp7b9CkSo_pagg_n47GcVflNMIdKf_Z__s_seQhV8t0gRmyMFCg_XPaLnhX6pUDT6GEazuS92w4D4fMpRE8pXSAmtBTs0qn5jWpPpDKheQkugqy2iMRH0PDkNfFZsTRo/s1600/IMG_3451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9Af78E1pYe4jp7b9CkSo_pagg_n47GcVflNMIdKf_Z__s_seQhV8t0gRmyMFCg_XPaLnhX6pUDT6GEazuS92w4D4fMpRE8pXSAmtBTs0qn5jWpPpDKheQkugqy2iMRH0PDkNfFZsTRo/s640/IMG_3451.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mind you, they did a real good point replicating the ancient ruins.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ58ON8hjwf0194LB8ggh1t-HUVtHb-iNTd9fF2joBM26RrBqhbZIZaHckIE6tzajG5etbjv_SNQ_q6b5e2zLE9ADutRDhf1hrkn1jT5dzU-vSq8QkSpMEPMrW4lsJCW4r_5f-m3qUAh0/s1600/IMG_3452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ58ON8hjwf0194LB8ggh1t-HUVtHb-iNTd9fF2joBM26RrBqhbZIZaHckIE6tzajG5etbjv_SNQ_q6b5e2zLE9ADutRDhf1hrkn1jT5dzU-vSq8QkSpMEPMrW4lsJCW4r_5f-m3qUAh0/s640/IMG_3452.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My "is this fake?" face haha</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniY4a6ixjhD4u6SXZA7pxRYGzsWbXNdotOmzHdaqj64TaITvLpEIId-q99Mz3qNw7KvVQ_X2yYcYtKrLXrGypRF-go3uYvsQXzAaBVyJuprGImL7fwGUOnxedk8-E6F2Wd4tj717y7WM/s1600/IMG_3457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjniY4a6ixjhD4u6SXZA7pxRYGzsWbXNdotOmzHdaqj64TaITvLpEIId-q99Mz3qNw7KvVQ_X2yYcYtKrLXrGypRF-go3uYvsQXzAaBVyJuprGImL7fwGUOnxedk8-E6F2Wd4tj717y7WM/s640/IMG_3457.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lattice-style they constructed their walls from</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5SZ8D4j79Z12wkWEsQX3-xp6tuvGDi8xcu_sH9QOig28GJZ3HJkWanrkqGGxb6v_dgBKFKtuh7dn9KOpb4WeA5L8SzBQ68rnVydAgQE297R8AftmOBGin_WBEIS0bkRTovHWvkCGcVo/s1600/IMG_3459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz5SZ8D4j79Z12wkWEsQX3-xp6tuvGDi8xcu_sH9QOig28GJZ3HJkWanrkqGGxb6v_dgBKFKtuh7dn9KOpb4WeA5L8SzBQ68rnVydAgQE297R8AftmOBGin_WBEIS0bkRTovHWvkCGcVo/s640/IMG_3459.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Or should I say Trujillo's labour workers constructed</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sD8ZVuabTKYV1ouE6rvrYEk4vYV8EeBiVJBlmSyM6o9cr1z4WzOa17z5FV7tMsv4SsRnycy0_NBBVhnyf9jKDAzAmm12VaJ8XhPt_TVIDH_Ou-RvIq3u8gUNskufSKSEUdgPGnfKa9Q/s1600/IMG_3466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1sD8ZVuabTKYV1ouE6rvrYEk4vYV8EeBiVJBlmSyM6o9cr1z4WzOa17z5FV7tMsv4SsRnycy0_NBBVhnyf9jKDAzAmm12VaJ8XhPt_TVIDH_Ou-RvIq3u8gUNskufSKSEUdgPGnfKa9Q/s640/IMG_3466.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where they got their water supply from</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM93mDmHBpu_bjVLLaRyszWUXz6MzyqI5cO4N2kWTBCvyYIGxx09pFas3-TRameB7U8_wOoQ96-NBDt4juDjp8pvLBKWpumAgCwECVUIoIaQ5-IhKGvvr4qGc0umSovrFvXvHdV8t5fUs/s1600/IMG_3471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM93mDmHBpu_bjVLLaRyszWUXz6MzyqI5cO4N2kWTBCvyYIGxx09pFas3-TRameB7U8_wOoQ96-NBDt4juDjp8pvLBKWpumAgCwECVUIoIaQ5-IhKGvvr4qGc0umSovrFvXvHdV8t5fUs/s640/IMG_3471.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik loves showing off his helmet now</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlmPXQCpGWcBArDN7w45OwLCrMMoJa1N0xD8Rk84nWavZNiyEoGaXrVJK0EEgLKYK1wnkHFJ7KIOZBNi9hbTabUheX8Di_fD5v_y8NLFaFX4D-5FzBXJV-wWwY0n4WrYqNwvmquSM32A/s1600/IMG_3480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhlmPXQCpGWcBArDN7w45OwLCrMMoJa1N0xD8Rk84nWavZNiyEoGaXrVJK0EEgLKYK1wnkHFJ7KIOZBNi9hbTabUheX8Di_fD5v_y8NLFaFX4D-5FzBXJV-wWwY0n4WrYqNwvmquSM32A/s640/IMG_3480.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best dual sport riding to date</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
We did get pulled over by the pollice finally when we got back on the main road. Since Peru is known more for corruption we did not fool around and instantly played the no espagnol card. He seemed to be just cehcking our documents, but we gave him the least we could. I was all good to go, but Nik's insurance card is expired. So after bugging him he decided to shake our hands and let us go. <br />
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I terms of news thats about it for this update. We're off super early tomorrow to get to Huaraz and maybe see some glaciers. Time will tell, onwards we ride. <br />
<br />
This is just a funny video I want to post of Nik doing something crazy, then me dropping my damn bike trying to get it on film.<br />
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<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VZwKyAE0vys" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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-RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-23007297336349317512011-02-16T10:45:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:11:50.342-04:00Never Been Border - RobJust a quick one today. Nik's post pretty much summed up the ride through the mountains. Cold, rainy, but visually impressive. Never quite had a ride like that one, and only the Andes can match that surrealism. With a chilling stay in Chunchi, Nik's bike took the worst of the mist and humidity and failed to start yesterday morning. Three hours into figuring out the problem, the mechanic took apart both bikes and deduced the wrong diagnosis. Nik touched a few of the wires and the bike roared to life. Problem: wiring, a very common problem along the road with KLR's, especially after the salt. We were off, heading out of the mountains, and today we're in Hunquilla, border town to Peru. We're off to Mancora today, a short ride to see some Pacific ocean again. Ecuador in summation:<br />
- interesting to see all the locals + natives + wildlife<br />
- too many dogs thinking they own the road<br />
- very curvy, very well-paved roads for the most part<br />
- no checkpoints, no police problems<br />
- cheappppp food and accomodations<br />
- people aren't the friendliest of the countries though<br />
<br />
Anyway, we're off to hit the waves again, heres some vids and pics to tie you over until next post.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak13v-oAOLPgUEEL1upd3HM5HyNZy4ugnwhZaH_wVn-l-1G0IcFtzH17lpWR1vjW87hpJJyN4DWZ1JSrs8bkQIbeQUyzqR-fI3pouYicwHHFb7n8XLy8ACvWiCwkjqudoEqkuAd5jerA/s1600/IMG_3179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgak13v-oAOLPgUEEL1upd3HM5HyNZy4ugnwhZaH_wVn-l-1G0IcFtzH17lpWR1vjW87hpJJyN4DWZ1JSrs8bkQIbeQUyzqR-fI3pouYicwHHFb7n8XLy8ACvWiCwkjqudoEqkuAd5jerA/s640/IMG_3179.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik and his crazy poses, it doens't ruin the scenery though</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO3zZx7VPFCmowAThaOGbgljngbscHxjkMH4m-mcgj1I-tiewW59aqPfkVf7PSSQhQKKzBOne3-MDsFWBlVrxmcn1iqq-Uvh5nvikLzcdwhMoGMx1L6zECdv-QgssWtOb2OwYWL8FLRc/s1600/IMG_3181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipO3zZx7VPFCmowAThaOGbgljngbscHxjkMH4m-mcgj1I-tiewW59aqPfkVf7PSSQhQKKzBOne3-MDsFWBlVrxmcn1iqq-Uvh5nvikLzcdwhMoGMx1L6zECdv-QgssWtOb2OwYWL8FLRc/s640/IMG_3181.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My helemt looks too big for my head</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FH5oTSl7lygMitGKDbXLboLuo_E7I6TOSWQcdY1-PveYQZx8BvTMI_9ItOu1wDUNHo0pAcFk5WEKMM9N6zcHYNmTnFzmW2-AkEQyQaJlkOc3Gac9WkaQ2KUNf5J1l86Qx0VuwlGqj3g/s1600/IMG_3188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FH5oTSl7lygMitGKDbXLboLuo_E7I6TOSWQcdY1-PveYQZx8BvTMI_9ItOu1wDUNHo0pAcFk5WEKMM9N6zcHYNmTnFzmW2-AkEQyQaJlkOc3Gac9WkaQ2KUNf5J1l86Qx0VuwlGqj3g/s640/IMG_3188.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lets go black and white crazy</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJIXD1OuvXSxGWbmYFZDLf2sWEbwt8w_VSb6zdZlyGrFBi9ienggtYBmFe7Lkl0Vji70wpip6LHqVg_ZAYxE4L-zUn-fGIKrG16wfrQ2h86uAHX6O37UKsFKiWjMqCiMw4B56tBzMh8A/s1600/IMG_3195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJIXD1OuvXSxGWbmYFZDLf2sWEbwt8w_VSb6zdZlyGrFBi9ienggtYBmFe7Lkl0Vji70wpip6LHqVg_ZAYxE4L-zUn-fGIKrG16wfrQ2h86uAHX6O37UKsFKiWjMqCiMw4B56tBzMh8A/s640/IMG_3195.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">0 Degrees, Equator</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8UlGMilk8mBvhDITkwIQwXR_7Cu7fl_TvfhbnULog5_1p9ghHvH_-Z7S9jvaXG02h7WonflsJss4YH2dFG3LGtDwodPkiA2JZdZm6PT96MR8SrltUjYAe8gehP2ECdN45dVSnNUwA5M/s1600/IMG_3199.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil8UlGMilk8mBvhDITkwIQwXR_7Cu7fl_TvfhbnULog5_1p9ghHvH_-Z7S9jvaXG02h7WonflsJss4YH2dFG3LGtDwodPkiA2JZdZm6PT96MR8SrltUjYAe8gehP2ECdN45dVSnNUwA5M/s640/IMG_3199.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is right before we climbed up the stairs on the right, and a massive dog lunged from 4 feet above screaming for its life right into my shoulder before running off....I don't even know how to explain it...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemOCPbIb3R0eBRZaWyW4OO8ckfSJ-mSkmHqgmP4Ej4aAsErAbF7_1qkYmOztQv0ufdmDHsrI_7g6iYH4YV90mIpIoSW00xTYGM-pnNmBcTOUN_4OeKmtB0sCOOYoWA3IObeKA-6KT1QY/s1600/IMG_3203.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgemOCPbIb3R0eBRZaWyW4OO8ckfSJ-mSkmHqgmP4Ej4aAsErAbF7_1qkYmOztQv0ufdmDHsrI_7g6iYH4YV90mIpIoSW00xTYGM-pnNmBcTOUN_4OeKmtB0sCOOYoWA3IObeKA-6KT1QY/s640/IMG_3203.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first white caps!!! We could feel it in our bones </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpKQkfLXPaqyNgrsX-gIxtrlYDZIv4JplHFC22_mV94KvDMvlSe_t4PozB6WX6V_ZTr4guZPTdyiM2pMrAV3e60nxhz9eGrVOy2n1cK4lk6DRMtQ64Vg-zKledSA3qHCbjkau1_80jfc/s1600/IMG_3207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpKQkfLXPaqyNgrsX-gIxtrlYDZIv4JplHFC22_mV94KvDMvlSe_t4PozB6WX6V_ZTr4guZPTdyiM2pMrAV3e60nxhz9eGrVOy2n1cK4lk6DRMtQ64Vg-zKledSA3qHCbjkau1_80jfc/s640/IMG_3207.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's cows loose like this all over the road</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhgXeRxT4dnavG9UVNZfWiIChUj93C9pX6ZoX1lW6C3_qaGTQiOlHTIm_7msv2xngU4wY3z0iv2c7h05OmKgJlW6Hmr4I4c1zdgoCBkt6a1p6jWiUZxgVL-i_8LEwHfJhxQy5fWdiIlc/s1600/IMG_3209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVhgXeRxT4dnavG9UVNZfWiIChUj93C9pX6ZoX1lW6C3_qaGTQiOlHTIm_7msv2xngU4wY3z0iv2c7h05OmKgJlW6Hmr4I4c1zdgoCBkt6a1p6jWiUZxgVL-i_8LEwHfJhxQy5fWdiIlc/s640/IMG_3209.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's owner making sure we're not into any funny business</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDw2Ths8BAjoNTx-d8kOpPDrh98ZVRGW-X75sq8f7p1IXb3Ky5UGg7qRArUgy6-fWj_v_OrvqjkMq6OZOqGxS9t8VhTjuxp8XjmQYhJ0asCtTm3bQ1soFgDCNQxtoEw3MJd3qKcqsm3mk/s1600/IMG_3210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDw2Ths8BAjoNTx-d8kOpPDrh98ZVRGW-X75sq8f7p1IXb3Ky5UGg7qRArUgy6-fWj_v_OrvqjkMq6OZOqGxS9t8VhTjuxp8XjmQYhJ0asCtTm3bQ1soFgDCNQxtoEw3MJd3qKcqsm3mk/s640/IMG_3210.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately, I got too close and it fell down the hill, the smile on my face really means i was very sympathetic as I ran away</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR83EVrm5o3InJFfZAxPizgs_H12aXWGZQPPEzOwY-top0wblVjPXy8GZjQzgT83SnfsVcSaULdEjpBo_tHsDS-r9doZFMwKCwMND-EOoUuPfRG4DRxxJv8ShTfMJRUoOSOQxwFcINm6s/s1600/IMG_3212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR83EVrm5o3InJFfZAxPizgs_H12aXWGZQPPEzOwY-top0wblVjPXy8GZjQzgT83SnfsVcSaULdEjpBo_tHsDS-r9doZFMwKCwMND-EOoUuPfRG4DRxxJv8ShTfMJRUoOSOQxwFcINm6s/s640/IMG_3212.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here comes the fog...only the beginning. Note the beautiful paved roads though 4,000 metres above sea level</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMyOOaPf_unp3N7UiVD5VzAWpHPuNYg2mkWdKUDHSYKK02CWw4WUy2KOi8ons6_EKjj_5o4TGv5pPHXTIntQGQtqAHlH5GKL7qwwz_1bRs-vS_ZlmamXpYl3WrWD0y4YMByygzFpsblM/s1600/IMG_3217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMyOOaPf_unp3N7UiVD5VzAWpHPuNYg2mkWdKUDHSYKK02CWw4WUy2KOi8ons6_EKjj_5o4TGv5pPHXTIntQGQtqAHlH5GKL7qwwz_1bRs-vS_ZlmamXpYl3WrWD0y4YMByygzFpsblM/s640/IMG_3217.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagine yourself living in these conditions day in day out</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0A9m-3LMCMTBNNZht4lgUUCOgGzZoYo_KqN_YfgKqWnCja4ZMd4-jlU3Evc4uvfk7BVG5_x-LUDYShWvaKR_F3rl277L4sXuFlA2TO5IR5iT6LgCOKDBC7vhG8o-WGFBt5TVaw0oK0Q/s1600/IMG_3223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI0A9m-3LMCMTBNNZht4lgUUCOgGzZoYo_KqN_YfgKqWnCja4ZMd4-jlU3Evc4uvfk7BVG5_x-LUDYShWvaKR_F3rl277L4sXuFlA2TO5IR5iT6LgCOKDBC7vhG8o-WGFBt5TVaw0oK0Q/s640/IMG_3223.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The number of toll roads in Ecuador, lucky they're only 20 cents for motos</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgGapT40ihhawZF4NuJYgyHD3A4gDZkN6cV5QKPj895KP31C-gJwpzebGJ2VtlCNzbWHDGQPtJaB67STwS8QACa-u0O_8s5W06yZTNYLWhByX6YR4URLOowyvGGzphSz9FMoLXcqWWCY/s1600/IMG_3226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgGapT40ihhawZF4NuJYgyHD3A4gDZkN6cV5QKPj895KP31C-gJwpzebGJ2VtlCNzbWHDGQPtJaB67STwS8QACa-u0O_8s5W06yZTNYLWhByX6YR4URLOowyvGGzphSz9FMoLXcqWWCY/s640/IMG_3226.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another day in paradise</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZF8ziO69zsiAoRdqGtn6hlDxgl_Is9JbAEkinZVK5617ATf9AXKOAFaM_snGFx3CxUw3mkeoMFuuXv4cXRqxPKOmBbyLyCBGJUfzy1iozEyN3sH3Wk80VbBBvdamkDSTUCymTth4980/s1600/IMG_3233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZF8ziO69zsiAoRdqGtn6hlDxgl_Is9JbAEkinZVK5617ATf9AXKOAFaM_snGFx3CxUw3mkeoMFuuXv4cXRqxPKOmBbyLyCBGJUfzy1iozEyN3sH3Wk80VbBBvdamkDSTUCymTth4980/s640/IMG_3233.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The town on Chunchi, where we got stuck because the fog was too thick to continue the evening before</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_B5F4UejYYIam103GgZNKcR7jkRzNkDvjYZbohy4f89WBYdhtfBm1vXPHUfnlPAi6er8npj2GRR1albz1W7QfbuJr2zXK_2isu0jCPVeLF6SReJrGmo0mrD1t3s-WvSqZMWxWsxbYBI/s1600/IMG_3236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz_B5F4UejYYIam103GgZNKcR7jkRzNkDvjYZbohy4f89WBYdhtfBm1vXPHUfnlPAi6er8npj2GRR1albz1W7QfbuJr2zXK_2isu0jCPVeLF6SReJrGmo0mrD1t3s-WvSqZMWxWsxbYBI/s640/IMG_3236.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then we got stuck that morning because his bike hates shitty weather</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdy0GYIwj6rspkHF1bjlXRy0vQfFJGY2VDS-KkXWno03rpUZVF6kENdIHJvv30INXGFNG9pXDDqfOnArndNYCtkdiEH5GBjLMq50g_TpxZuJhec6ZBBj5B4NT71Pps01O6GQBERso9YI/s1600/IMG_3239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSdy0GYIwj6rspkHF1bjlXRy0vQfFJGY2VDS-KkXWno03rpUZVF6kENdIHJvv30INXGFNG9pXDDqfOnArndNYCtkdiEH5GBjLMq50g_TpxZuJhec6ZBBj5B4NT71Pps01O6GQBERso9YI/s640/IMG_3239.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More Nik awesome posing</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZLekVFCkt5krDsp1O5LpUxTPGzC7OkZmv3R2px9LNs0_MOMHyWJX8LG2cpMRW91uluK2afuGOt8FU96tLjHBwrpqcnn71bMisnV9pwGRIfoRVXACv_V0IzTeeLmg2IEZ6M7ie9WP0wI/s1600/IMG_3241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMZLekVFCkt5krDsp1O5LpUxTPGzC7OkZmv3R2px9LNs0_MOMHyWJX8LG2cpMRW91uluK2afuGOt8FU96tLjHBwrpqcnn71bMisnV9pwGRIfoRVXACv_V0IzTeeLmg2IEZ6M7ie9WP0wI/s640/IMG_3241.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I have no idea why I posed like this....I apologize for catching you off guard thinking I'm doing something I'm not</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Some videos through Colombia.<br />
<br />
Most of the riding through Colombia and Ecaudor is similar to this:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/56VsCHXY6Gs" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
And because the ridges are so high, every so often you run into one of these:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rHY8vKaSc7Q" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
And have to decide whether or not to gun it through:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/AHyJSo_nsDg" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
One of the many tunnels you get to ride through:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6TgJ1TNf6XQ" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-13961652483619427902011-02-15T21:30:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:12:17.717-04:00Cloudy Mountain -NikTraveling throughout all these countries I have found that every country has something unique to offer. Ecuador had fantastic roads and Ecuadorians showed off their hospitality with friendly directions and their cultural attire. The last two days in Ecuador had some of the most challenging motorcycling I have yet experienced. It started in the final stretch of Colombia; a cliff hugging curvaceous wet fiasco with incredible scenery. And in Ecuador; climbing up the Andes to be engulfed in a curtain of cloud that chose not want to go away ever. 10m visibility ain't great. Tomorrow brings us to Peru. Cannot wait! Finally get to see some ocean! RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-63687531558701872682011-02-15T20:25:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:13:15.832-04:00A Tribute to Dan and his Camera Skills -Rob<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This post I dedicate strictly to Dan Jones, our friend and fellow traveler. Since his accident, we've missed him. Tonight we bantered how he'd be here with us still, rushing through Ecuador, but having a blast doing it. By the following pics, you'll see what kind of fun we've been having along side him. We are both seriously pissed that the accident happened, but it's one of the risks, its one of the stories of the road. The pic's he has taken are both superior to mine professionally and skillfully. I only wish I could take these actions shots and scenery shots like he can; these pics will now be our true memories of the first part of South America. Sit back, enjoy, and if you want, mention a little something nice to Dan since he'll be reading this. Hurry up and get better Dan we're not that far ahead of you!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Note: These pics go from most recent to Panama, oops.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2AotK85TV-aZRJIy-8I3T9nijVSKeqnPDpKQZoFSfNsPYKxSSP37vC18uemdtDxdMoh0Zr7GB-ig9IJNVSJdD7_FA7geVXrgXdDps8BQZGdfuGzSDo0g0pr3jEoNerVkhBn3VWmCKGQ/s640/DSC_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan's 650 V-Strom taking a break on a Colombian vista.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQ88jrHnjJiHc7P9PYvU9BkWdbNg_18E4XdRKYFC5Vr92soB4Cz1o-fIQ5OTIqv_msVEq97HKJxDWq413Ic-pdP99ix3ctglBLa50taT74-CqXWeRlpuINeKhSQRTohhfEYpOG5kYmak/s1600/DSC_1279.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQ88jrHnjJiHc7P9PYvU9BkWdbNg_18E4XdRKYFC5Vr92soB4Cz1o-fIQ5OTIqv_msVEq97HKJxDWq413Ic-pdP99ix3ctglBLa50taT74-CqXWeRlpuINeKhSQRTohhfEYpOG5kYmak/s640/DSC_1279.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's what it's looking at (I wish I could get that blue tint:( )</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A local habitation</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taking a banana break in the nicest part of Colombia</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go Nik GO!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHk-cb3vu6Pu1r5IlU4eaA3-ujlouqLW-3iBzgsMuxwxfdNSlAJO50Kw7UUPbWmqvZ3qlhlbTdtGdanWrJWnz6c_T7hrTyNpmaLcE_ibEjm30DM7aew00G89cK4yXnZcOGwBD-AtOIp7I/s1600/DSC_1263.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHk-cb3vu6Pu1r5IlU4eaA3-ujlouqLW-3iBzgsMuxwxfdNSlAJO50Kw7UUPbWmqvZ3qlhlbTdtGdanWrJWnz6c_T7hrTyNpmaLcE_ibEjm30DM7aew00G89cK4yXnZcOGwBD-AtOIp7I/s640/DSC_1263.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik smiling because the rain finally stopped, and he finally stopped being cheap and bought himself a rainsuit</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmAVqJECtxMgDJNNtZxdc2peZTzKj_jueP1B_VFzE4tY_z-0-M2m32XPHmotoR-1ImJvlUa_mWxm99_qLc13dh2jsu3fvUxGQ2NKaoqdWYL84ClIucmwd7lWFgRtwdQVzZ4xOZz1HFzk/s1600/DSC_1261.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkmAVqJECtxMgDJNNtZxdc2peZTzKj_jueP1B_VFzE4tY_z-0-M2m32XPHmotoR-1ImJvlUa_mWxm99_qLc13dh2jsu3fvUxGQ2NKaoqdWYL84ClIucmwd7lWFgRtwdQVzZ4xOZz1HFzk/s640/DSC_1261.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I wish I had more local people pics</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewhofaISckS6zHIjlkPNPxqJGLx61k5dDLNuLd57lyTFGM7ToIgNkKPBLYx_rnTU_ROaU0T8sMPhnPaXi65ukQq7cNJx5s1psW2tkd3-qHfsLJTN8LCPJZf5ye68vxH35_mgXOmzu7oQ/s1600/DSC_1260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjewhofaISckS6zHIjlkPNPxqJGLx61k5dDLNuLd57lyTFGM7ToIgNkKPBLYx_rnTU_ROaU0T8sMPhnPaXi65ukQq7cNJx5s1psW2tkd3-qHfsLJTN8LCPJZf5ye68vxH35_mgXOmzu7oQ/s640/DSC_1260.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fitting some washers and bolts on my back swing arm, with the usual audience overlooking</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRIQMFSVlrriNurRLZloEyzlcIAtxWdvIRXS9pGluYZsNfrIk9MjE0Tdkod7Djaki889GNgVv0oLH8TVOd_Sp98EzCorlxNhWGyia85kad_OOjvFqXKxMQvziQhD-F2UtCFiFUnJDjv8/s1600/DSC_1255.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrRIQMFSVlrriNurRLZloEyzlcIAtxWdvIRXS9pGluYZsNfrIk9MjE0Tdkod7Djaki889GNgVv0oLH8TVOd_Sp98EzCorlxNhWGyia85kad_OOjvFqXKxMQvziQhD-F2UtCFiFUnJDjv8/s640/DSC_1255.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More vistas</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YmzmzMCyFj6TN3dnn9N7lVAZGAxkIOXu5N7Y6RFwoiQwrvhOyssT3B7Lmj6TLMcG0l5M_1cq3eG_Zks7oH0H9ciwK8lsUkPf_o5_tJNk7GOVKx3vjgf2WRlXK11qRvbVgJGPS-ogOQk/s1600/DSC_1250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6YmzmzMCyFj6TN3dnn9N7lVAZGAxkIOXu5N7Y6RFwoiQwrvhOyssT3B7Lmj6TLMcG0l5M_1cq3eG_Zks7oH0H9ciwK8lsUkPf_o5_tJNk7GOVKx3vjgf2WRlXK11qRvbVgJGPS-ogOQk/s640/DSC_1250.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">40 bananas for $1.00 AHAHAHAHA WINNNNNN</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKks6AYM4JPLDA5innbBpecm78BIHcF72mFdlC6LzClEDF88XHLNKifdm0dKdfQmAu5X8Y0cp9urGnyAV0zKngwj-EtIPjSc7cN3EB0zjTDE5y5X1qgrAPiltvrel8-YDJ959YnfAwvRI/s1600/DSC_1247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKks6AYM4JPLDA5innbBpecm78BIHcF72mFdlC6LzClEDF88XHLNKifdm0dKdfQmAu5X8Y0cp9urGnyAV0zKngwj-EtIPjSc7cN3EB0zjTDE5y5X1qgrAPiltvrel8-YDJ959YnfAwvRI/s640/DSC_1247.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm happy because my ass hurts on the bike, and I finally get a break</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpnnxEksnEancb1ZXWGPHQWEoBTYalIbNwsbOQEcNaSes-KKgHFuzCMBvODO_ykfEpv-gksFgwW4uFGTMQ7xM3XcPwJXdUOGE1ziiNZ8pVjibwTzdwjwKla_BKVGxn3_f4WylYsSwVKs/s1600/DSC_1241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlpnnxEksnEancb1ZXWGPHQWEoBTYalIbNwsbOQEcNaSes-KKgHFuzCMBvODO_ykfEpv-gksFgwW4uFGTMQ7xM3XcPwJXdUOGE1ziiNZ8pVjibwTzdwjwKla_BKVGxn3_f4WylYsSwVKs/s640/DSC_1241.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The fancy financial building well known in Medellin and visible from just about anywhere</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Up we go the Metro Cable</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG46-_3jcHvBG_B7qGMdCRSvnld5Sb6fDxp4RU94aIeoxYoh91h5CQHb6oreVdE_UtvKhsVYfbkytzzRK4v62Br9oJ3VGDOiExhQn3xMYoIzUzv34b7Km1DEdbPY1MhNhWDFZYxx208pA/s1600/DSC_1233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG46-_3jcHvBG_B7qGMdCRSvnld5Sb6fDxp4RU94aIeoxYoh91h5CQHb6oreVdE_UtvKhsVYfbkytzzRK4v62Br9oJ3VGDOiExhQn3xMYoIzUzv34b7Km1DEdbPY1MhNhWDFZYxx208pA/s640/DSC_1233.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His pics beat mine badly</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP88DFttk8oWDKunIgqboqtQdjbbw4ojAwtIVkZMgP68BvP8eF_oy5zf9igdo6-IwO13NH2pMy6WAHKzMw4QtpAVtH3Ry08P5Js7Cm5K_w65jLJ9GWSYm-s8_RkmzCreT8YS8ZebEUP98/s1600/DSC_1230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP88DFttk8oWDKunIgqboqtQdjbbw4ojAwtIVkZMgP68BvP8eF_oy5zf9igdo6-IwO13NH2pMy6WAHKzMw4QtpAVtH3Ry08P5Js7Cm5K_w65jLJ9GWSYm-s8_RkmzCreT8YS8ZebEUP98/s640/DSC_1230.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">etc.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbwdkZuEvfcbKi7cXyPHFsPIW8uoTMS_SxxSvOaDwoK4AYH2q5Vaan5MIh2ElVmfnyuG7bc9Iz6JmN7k_xFb-odCych1OIMbUWH3vXFm_e2sWmmbs3WAvYjX-MD3mBDx4_6onJRhNq5U/s1600/DSC_1198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbwdkZuEvfcbKi7cXyPHFsPIW8uoTMS_SxxSvOaDwoK4AYH2q5Vaan5MIh2ElVmfnyuG7bc9Iz6JmN7k_xFb-odCych1OIMbUWH3vXFm_e2sWmmbs3WAvYjX-MD3mBDx4_6onJRhNq5U/s640/DSC_1198.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The weirdest bug of the trip so far. Quite the eater.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDImxZoynaeBaM_qlBhSGb9Y4t3fuhess7w7RrZxh0iM6PxogUhK3A3mhtP7xdG8j_PagcPDGLIR7LObaThNmvwj1FEWdQT_k3S8Y5BwifN-56b_HWkiVRxOko7x7v0Dq3F9txgCVVHM/s1600/DSC_1193.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXDImxZoynaeBaM_qlBhSGb9Y4t3fuhess7w7RrZxh0iM6PxogUhK3A3mhtP7xdG8j_PagcPDGLIR7LObaThNmvwj1FEWdQT_k3S8Y5BwifN-56b_HWkiVRxOko7x7v0Dq3F9txgCVVHM/s640/DSC_1193.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Neat buses that travel the mountain tops</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBNdCX1yAWNXxtDfeBBGyQ_f5OX75t-Tt3kuuGjxMVVIOwbXoWTC85fF12uAJg3IKLTp2xvTmJQ9y7IR1MR18hEhCj7VC9miiZOs5SZbSoab324EGq8FBQC-m8iORsfaTWBjrl_Y8mNQ/s1600/DSC_1151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBNdCX1yAWNXxtDfeBBGyQ_f5OX75t-Tt3kuuGjxMVVIOwbXoWTC85fF12uAJg3IKLTp2xvTmJQ9y7IR1MR18hEhCj7VC9miiZOs5SZbSoab324EGq8FBQC-m8iORsfaTWBjrl_Y8mNQ/s640/DSC_1151.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You don't mess with this tree</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6skDYDrzQ92B2ku2zqiwtfXFIrScgn7S0J82l8la-hWfge6Q6Qri5sBfIugizLbEc9tfqJxRtvuqMl5zPvreUvVzWxoXjNeI5UitdQfT9HztivvBUhHU5AhxNC_ttd025BM4ySGu85tk/s1600/DSC_1145.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6skDYDrzQ92B2ku2zqiwtfXFIrScgn7S0J82l8la-hWfge6Q6Qri5sBfIugizLbEc9tfqJxRtvuqMl5zPvreUvVzWxoXjNeI5UitdQfT9HztivvBUhHU5AhxNC_ttd025BM4ySGu85tk/s640/DSC_1145.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our most decent pic!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5H3zQGy1BiiDLcJgCSDJ9-4096cyxlgNVEJ5Q59-DmkOvCcfzSJRRRNpRGcDRnJeRxAJeKBEbMcHUh30u2j9ro2eqdJ2ytrHqKyZb6fSBcPClI-SghTVQYx84WSmHzTufaCBwmXrMJ5U/s1600/DSC_1139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5H3zQGy1BiiDLcJgCSDJ9-4096cyxlgNVEJ5Q59-DmkOvCcfzSJRRRNpRGcDRnJeRxAJeKBEbMcHUh30u2j9ro2eqdJ2ytrHqKyZb6fSBcPClI-SghTVQYx84WSmHzTufaCBwmXrMJ5U/s640/DSC_1139.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our least decent pic.....pole dancers...ugh</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5rSN8QtiHlwo_319dRn5L6UwtBZhMitrckQCl3wbUgFK7KDJnnnKCPWEe4HtpRyEPuOR_ysgXCoXsj_RhKOWTK0PruBtrTeotAA1sfodt_7T6d0eMZ6QKGcumgi1087mV1IfS8uc8T8/s1600/DSC_1133.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB5rSN8QtiHlwo_319dRn5L6UwtBZhMitrckQCl3wbUgFK7KDJnnnKCPWEe4HtpRyEPuOR_ysgXCoXsj_RhKOWTK0PruBtrTeotAA1sfodt_7T6d0eMZ6QKGcumgi1087mV1IfS8uc8T8/s640/DSC_1133.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the city</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOZqe9Gd4cySV79Wy7M0ywMWrtVhqw3MdX38wePHXJ3ja9hduTkO55pd3vECpjYG2tcp1NvCBm7V3mL5XPct0JqsKWdZKS2AwouzkPAtVKM8zVpapPZ7-RrOXssUlip3zO_pBFq62hlk/s1600/DSC_1119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPOZqe9Gd4cySV79Wy7M0ywMWrtVhqw3MdX38wePHXJ3ja9hduTkO55pd3vECpjYG2tcp1NvCBm7V3mL5XPct0JqsKWdZKS2AwouzkPAtVKM8zVpapPZ7-RrOXssUlip3zO_pBFq62hlk/s640/DSC_1119.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another viewww</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDtqSK2edl3JXtn5toow_4MNOepWMJH7T32RUgj-VfONM4c6NIfy8fe5x_P96I4fANGc3LTkn8fttmp-p4iHncTig6jZ2nQ4infuu9y71yMBNhxeXdwypZQ-gRDUlbWBPRAQ9dTamTA0/s1600/DSC_1101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdDtqSK2edl3JXtn5toow_4MNOepWMJH7T32RUgj-VfONM4c6NIfy8fe5x_P96I4fANGc3LTkn8fttmp-p4iHncTig6jZ2nQ4infuu9y71yMBNhxeXdwypZQ-gRDUlbWBPRAQ9dTamTA0/s640/DSC_1101.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favourites; this is the face I make on every road...</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAttYE1sOR2A2Z7A6Yw6SZ38XVm2C5j7N4svk0eUwRpvJ1PME3izS217g26axafVUeTImjkrFFYmZWoNc7mhaiJ7TJ_GECfNGaKYnhLAWlR_omFcqff0Low9vij4M7BbAXcdmPT9zx9Q/s1600/DSC_1099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAttYE1sOR2A2Z7A6Yw6SZ38XVm2C5j7N4svk0eUwRpvJ1PME3izS217g26axafVUeTImjkrFFYmZWoNc7mhaiJ7TJ_GECfNGaKYnhLAWlR_omFcqff0Low9vij4M7BbAXcdmPT9zx9Q/s640/DSC_1099.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is how I take my corners</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBu02IJUTpH5aSbD6LSlL2vfjfIW3MrsjbysKEa_gW9bZ7MCW9s4CCaZtyJFLxBcCT-uQJM22OpVHjBcG-GZpeyRWE7QMkq0YnXnC2ab6Qhhj9IYHsPvyBMTN-LEcTpXmim05mHuq-MY/s1600/DSC_1095.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBu02IJUTpH5aSbD6LSlL2vfjfIW3MrsjbysKEa_gW9bZ7MCW9s4CCaZtyJFLxBcCT-uQJM22OpVHjBcG-GZpeyRWE7QMkq0YnXnC2ab6Qhhj9IYHsPvyBMTN-LEcTpXmim05mHuq-MY/s640/DSC_1095.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're the happiest travelers on the road</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4YzDzrvjqLTozI06LQrslr5Gyeb2H8AXT1MXieOcN0MsloX8fhIfPaXMy0yW0l37LxhiuKcazipAfGMj1YqlynQO9Mwtj-PLcknTY5tewsPOcaSjVSLO2zNaYKQB3kfoufFCWoG_x5Q/s1600/DSC_1090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4YzDzrvjqLTozI06LQrslr5Gyeb2H8AXT1MXieOcN0MsloX8fhIfPaXMy0yW0l37LxhiuKcazipAfGMj1YqlynQO9Mwtj-PLcknTY5tewsPOcaSjVSLO2zNaYKQB3kfoufFCWoG_x5Q/s640/DSC_1090.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first time we've had to wait on this trip</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXth7Wc1QC8AQ7pBw2zoP9xEu3KwoTCkAUaNfZeI9RkiZ-mVlUcA_Z6f1-BjHJpFSThmFAvm5gMafyNPkUGzKzTHX6-CIk02Quj8SFb-bZERZJog_frbR38YEo7oA8t85DtgoDevxT7g4/s1600/DSC_1087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXth7Wc1QC8AQ7pBw2zoP9xEu3KwoTCkAUaNfZeI9RkiZ-mVlUcA_Z6f1-BjHJpFSThmFAvm5gMafyNPkUGzKzTHX6-CIk02Quj8SFb-bZERZJog_frbR38YEo7oA8t85DtgoDevxT7g4/s640/DSC_1087.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We think we're so cool, all the time</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwxtmYm74laMs7Z4m9glHvuQcp9isPcPnZqt8WatMQPBmbMd6p-ZI9Zzs_pCoaVWel6i0gQ4Zl8-rISF2fJ4IVXNp6SKVI6M2FZr1NrxS9YLDG7xjOZ8toVHcBTWxe5U-1tLwWiybZl4/s1600/DSC_1085.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxwxtmYm74laMs7Z4m9glHvuQcp9isPcPnZqt8WatMQPBmbMd6p-ZI9Zzs_pCoaVWel6i0gQ4Zl8-rISF2fJ4IVXNp6SKVI6M2FZr1NrxS9YLDG7xjOZ8toVHcBTWxe5U-1tLwWiybZl4/s640/DSC_1085.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awesome action shot; fixing the bike on Main Street, Turbo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoiVxQRV5ze3Sh0zyQHt3o1EwT0feuz0fq6Bc7pOp0DNueYcG6YiPQLU29XN55b8rdOeM8yJqWunLV32aKAWjA5Lndd6aNSkCGC3t9czqfPPAVKhj2husqUyBnQ1hiwKqv6yzP8psT80/s1600/DSC_1082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaoiVxQRV5ze3Sh0zyQHt3o1EwT0feuz0fq6Bc7pOp0DNueYcG6YiPQLU29XN55b8rdOeM8yJqWunLV32aKAWjA5Lndd6aNSkCGC3t9czqfPPAVKhj2husqUyBnQ1hiwKqv6yzP8psT80/s640/DSC_1082.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully no one had sticky fingers and nabbed anything</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjboHtxxcuEyqPHogUgHzN1v9vWTkgTXYJzo7xK8Z96kEU_VgfYQrICIjIMD30iegDtnyTCWdSNTL05cyOyqSm92vHUTabZTvpkjP23tuVCUAh5OxIso4mPfT7g5iyy-92sDmKB_ynktB8/s1600/DSC_1068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjboHtxxcuEyqPHogUgHzN1v9vWTkgTXYJzo7xK8Z96kEU_VgfYQrICIjIMD30iegDtnyTCWdSNTL05cyOyqSm92vHUTabZTvpkjP23tuVCUAh5OxIso4mPfT7g5iyy-92sDmKB_ynktB8/s640/DSC_1068.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoes shoes shoes, most fake and knockoffs</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKEmwvhyphenhyphennevTUMh_RX_vlW8pTIenelMwND8Ka3QmtBNUwl4dVhSVpR_xYBg1u5HsR75Ww_nDPnTWmkS6Fmyy11b4XiiRiM3wiwqyWKF41CRgIUJDK030QjsjBkmL2buqDbDBWpFEOhwY/s1600/DSC_1058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzKEmwvhyphenhyphennevTUMh_RX_vlW8pTIenelMwND8Ka3QmtBNUwl4dVhSVpR_xYBg1u5HsR75Ww_nDPnTWmkS6Fmyy11b4XiiRiM3wiwqyWKF41CRgIUJDK030QjsjBkmL2buqDbDBWpFEOhwY/s640/DSC_1058.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The night of the launchers...all you hear is "whiskey whiskey, rum, rum, por favor!!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErWp6S2Mv3uMmRVwZYhEne8tqeWfywSCXImM7zphVHDwUv13lwBu70qRnF_eDLhQc86G6SPA-MmBpVIQAE9-D6RZT0xVHTvWZ5baaEYsWHTQn7rjEUwiyZ5o4NgvRcGgrhRpNwllVIzo/s1600/DSC_1055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhErWp6S2Mv3uMmRVwZYhEne8tqeWfywSCXImM7zphVHDwUv13lwBu70qRnF_eDLhQc86G6SPA-MmBpVIQAE9-D6RZT0xVHTvWZ5baaEYsWHTQn7rjEUwiyZ5o4NgvRcGgrhRpNwllVIzo/s640/DSC_1055.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik's priceless response</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDi1a4-ijmcpmaPLleEttaUbJ4bBsM2GKfVXz8zdgCjpPRMktmZJHqa3jPqJ7S0ffvMIAdHwCPSEPUKW2300kVWEDTqvk0uei7JaFcfpof5CRTDes-yE339CSTTDR3dOoYP36muocSroc/s1600/DSC_1054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDi1a4-ijmcpmaPLleEttaUbJ4bBsM2GKfVXz8zdgCjpPRMktmZJHqa3jPqJ7S0ffvMIAdHwCPSEPUKW2300kVWEDTqvk0uei7JaFcfpof5CRTDes-yE339CSTTDR3dOoYP36muocSroc/s640/DSC_1054.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But all was well in the end when we gave them 5-6 litres of booze</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUDQ3bWEC5OpLlkFi8R6GuUM5mdUZG-IRyCRe3qA3KESQzznaC5g2ecS6p8HmemsolDKQ380EscVhkYpsVISV7zC432pDuw1gFwm6R_DqEkKYlOdL7kZtqnk_OgNJeN4s-mzlsZTb24I/s1600/DSC_1040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUDQ3bWEC5OpLlkFi8R6GuUM5mdUZG-IRyCRe3qA3KESQzznaC5g2ecS6p8HmemsolDKQ380EscVhkYpsVISV7zC432pDuw1gFwm6R_DqEkKYlOdL7kZtqnk_OgNJeN4s-mzlsZTb24I/s640/DSC_1040.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here come the money shots, beautifulllll</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKD5aoRfrFdvFWCouf38NMpVIdmEgXSzG6q1OaUo5KGRGuW0JfEicEj9VD7vu-CFizqIsSREiGWwtrSVceRgnghvQcEoj4cSrdPx2McmXgZMNXwBFoY2AI1sHWCCfNyFdpkR3golyJT8/s1600/DSC_1035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirKD5aoRfrFdvFWCouf38NMpVIdmEgXSzG6q1OaUo5KGRGuW0JfEicEj9VD7vu-CFizqIsSREiGWwtrSVceRgnghvQcEoj4cSrdPx2McmXgZMNXwBFoY2AI1sHWCCfNyFdpkR3golyJT8/s640/DSC_1035.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More more more</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFcgARY7nhFyo4sqr1zRl2GLX7svtL_g_0UaR4SYLHZ-8q6gIQ9xsssURXsybbW6jjDal2Hq5TQd6jkLZFndVDH2itjkP_UzAcO9zyDWJVq2vd7x_VUorZJO1LF0asvixrK6dPVSw4Qo/s1600/DSC_1034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrFcgARY7nhFyo4sqr1zRl2GLX7svtL_g_0UaR4SYLHZ-8q6gIQ9xsssURXsybbW6jjDal2Hq5TQd6jkLZFndVDH2itjkP_UzAcO9zyDWJVq2vd7x_VUorZJO1LF0asvixrK6dPVSw4Qo/s640/DSC_1034.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I took this one!!! The skill is in the cam!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2V7Uoa_Tml-wY5hhFnnVCzRsinITCeiBSxRoiLGTnXQo-Pj0jkoVBtGVAKYBvKFNLYtpJ4SUdgicjyWsnbjB3LsJHMwYPO98OlQPJX-BXVR4z2yO7dmpLK4LJAt1FNt8L-LzTF7Wta0/s1600/DSC_1016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii2V7Uoa_Tml-wY5hhFnnVCzRsinITCeiBSxRoiLGTnXQo-Pj0jkoVBtGVAKYBvKFNLYtpJ4SUdgicjyWsnbjB3LsJHMwYPO98OlQPJX-BXVR4z2yO7dmpLK4LJAt1FNt8L-LzTF7Wta0/s640/DSC_1016.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan's our best piliot, the captain's downstairs drinking his life away</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM603QpmZLWp5m9USGocM6-7KhuWGih3x7Zo1e0R7uB3G23BC7PioVMuwv44wbw1qXrvGaye5MLsFQjbw-PBql-Scxo0mK2bQk-k5H8mXL6AAaNfsnHnOsZJligbd8LKrdXTQgRJN_DdU/s1600/DSC_1013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM603QpmZLWp5m9USGocM6-7KhuWGih3x7Zo1e0R7uB3G23BC7PioVMuwv44wbw1qXrvGaye5MLsFQjbw-PBql-Scxo0mK2bQk-k5H8mXL6AAaNfsnHnOsZJligbd8LKrdXTQgRJN_DdU/s640/DSC_1013.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another pic opf our sunset, whose is better?!?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfb3Y7S_2kp9YgOtijIGnAyeCrTmU70tmdI-27QKifiR2FmJjOpslY1RU8pLL9QUca3Hhws5j9-UG8x8itns4oBqZ0zS7EUhHlZGv7tOo5-0xY2dnWWgTxUN-q3mPfut2h3mgzHg5_cfU/s1600/DSC_1006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfb3Y7S_2kp9YgOtijIGnAyeCrTmU70tmdI-27QKifiR2FmJjOpslY1RU8pLL9QUca3Hhws5j9-UG8x8itns4oBqZ0zS7EUhHlZGv7tOo5-0xY2dnWWgTxUN-q3mPfut2h3mgzHg5_cfU/s640/DSC_1006.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rusty piece of sh17</td></tr>
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Well thanks Dan!!! Through these pics we'll remember you!!! Hurry up and add me on facebook, there's too many Dan Jones' in the world.RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-11541294508852968382011-02-14T01:00:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:13:15.833-04:00The Inevitable Lesson Learned - Rob<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Tonight we sleep with one less body in the room, our good friend Dan has been left behind, now a day, tomorrow 2 days, and so forth until he gets better. As the title states, you know there's gonna be more drama in this post....drama nobody expects, nobody wants, but in the back of everyone's mind you know it can happen all the easily.<br />
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First of all, hands down, Colombia has been the best riding, the best roads, the best conditions (minus the everyday rain) that we've had so far. Hopefully some of the pictures will fill in the words that I cannot use to describe how picturesque every single day has been, as we traveled from Medellin through to Ecuador, where we rest tonight. Leaving Medellin has a bit tricky, and it left me wondering where the hell all the Colombia road signs were. It wasn't long before we caught the main drag towards the coffee region of Mantzales and Armenia. We read in Dan's guidebook that El Eje Cafeteria was a nice region (Parque Nacional del Cafe) to visit and learn about coffee plantations. Another scenic ride with marvellous roads (for the most part), we're talking hairpin turns with waterfalls rushing beside you, cliffs where you could potentially launch yourself 200m to the canyon below, and mountains basking in sunlight that breaks between the enveloping clouds. Because we left late from Medellin (by the time we picked the bikes up and ate it was after noon [my bike ended up costing 75.00 no labour charge, only parts]) we were only able to make it to the park just outside Montenegro by 4 pm. We figured we'd hit the park in the morning, and find what is called a "Finca" to stay in for the night. A finca is a fancy little hotel, typically with a slew of activities. Ours for example, had a hot tub, a pool, a pool table, darts, etc. etc. A nice little taxi driver ended up bargaining FOR us and screwed the lady he's supposed to be bringing business. Rather than paying 100,000 for the room, we got it for 60,000, a damn good steal, considering some places wanted 150,000 +. From there we learned the park was a craphole, a family-oriented amusement park we would not visit. So we had the rest of the evening to enjoy the warm hot tub, eat awesomely, watch Scarface (hugeeeee desire to watch this movie for some reason) and dry out our clothes from the massive downpour we had earlier in the day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlQGGgMnf4jOA3hZR5leJKDHHXND2XOiXU0GIVDjripZXLuZLk7PmccivqdxSWyzWMxT5KUIHJAcSoNqmUCS1sebTQ48QHTD61uxLtTi9f5SaaGtsG37eAOI0DV8UEDHvZFSKwrGMWDU/s1600/IMG_3072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlQGGgMnf4jOA3hZR5leJKDHHXND2XOiXU0GIVDjripZXLuZLk7PmccivqdxSWyzWMxT5KUIHJAcSoNqmUCS1sebTQ48QHTD61uxLtTi9f5SaaGtsG37eAOI0DV8UEDHvZFSKwrGMWDU/s640/IMG_3072.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops, I skipped out on a whole day in Medellin, where we acting once again as tourists, and visited the Botanical Gardens, which was delightfully free, and had our first good colombian coffee here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkEVojpax4_UDaTj1FlRp8S_qijZPv_QzKCXPbyKsVAibdmNb3y-VOQqznFvAq9wSHt742Mrd8Goj0COld15ELVq1CMSQE288rpLw3AWQxLJH3wvjtNMLOXr2ruIUpb7hPR3r4p-fOAK8/s1600/IMG_3070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkEVojpax4_UDaTj1FlRp8S_qijZPv_QzKCXPbyKsVAibdmNb3y-VOQqznFvAq9wSHt742Mrd8Goj0COld15ELVq1CMSQE288rpLw3AWQxLJH3wvjtNMLOXr2ruIUpb7hPR3r4p-fOAK8/s640/IMG_3070.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The laguna in the middle of the park, not much wildlife, but its free, take advantage of it.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43z8oniHR4EuSNnC77wk4s1dtKmxUCs5SK9TIXYdt4Sc2LdIiR5aDFuMwKTkKoeImEn-g0awAMwnEeaUwXi8sd6CMq4mthOggVq2HRDVpwJ-kqb65O3zjOvkkdLU8sU7yF92uJLXgFKg/s1600/IMG_3077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43z8oniHR4EuSNnC77wk4s1dtKmxUCs5SK9TIXYdt4Sc2LdIiR5aDFuMwKTkKoeImEn-g0awAMwnEeaUwXi8sd6CMq4mthOggVq2HRDVpwJ-kqb65O3zjOvkkdLU8sU7yF92uJLXgFKg/s640/IMG_3077.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe even just to see this massively unique, but useless spectacle.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbGzlfapUIpZ7kqoVMtVFm6bxC4yz3XGqUJECy9J3kn_tdCwRVgD4lbTgreDvFeoMVasOeq_yaYTaICmQ52ewdkzCaNpkDLCTgbBFEOdVG-NPjhg2S7gL4blaBl_g_w9jMKLRBIZ5bmc/s1600/IMG_3084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZbGzlfapUIpZ7kqoVMtVFm6bxC4yz3XGqUJECy9J3kn_tdCwRVgD4lbTgreDvFeoMVasOeq_yaYTaICmQ52ewdkzCaNpkDLCTgbBFEOdVG-NPjhg2S7gL4blaBl_g_w9jMKLRBIZ5bmc/s640/IMG_3084.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The butterfly exhibit allowed me to make use of my macro setting, now if only I had a zoom lens....or Dan's camera...that bugger owns me in picture quality..</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1kScNSohAPlgCtGkaxV9Cc4Efles6eohKQLUD6oHzPiwjOQZ66T5zI4wdYBwutV5J42vMhToltbDNxS4ivUpvnKKHFpjbtMqYDHn9eu5CfE7wUVeNs0Zl4MFgtvrAsM0qB1Y6zTUH2Y/s1600/IMG_3088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji1kScNSohAPlgCtGkaxV9Cc4Efles6eohKQLUD6oHzPiwjOQZ66T5zI4wdYBwutV5J42vMhToltbDNxS4ivUpvnKKHFpjbtMqYDHn9eu5CfE7wUVeNs0Zl4MFgtvrAsM0qB1Y6zTUH2Y/s640/IMG_3088.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More prettiness</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBwgjn3v5QWClGmRuQHIGysvKHnErbbwIsd6s9dMimpyXys3R0G5vhzK2btxZ6hl3nPT_ox0fK2ropsDRsKp2K0RlglVIVxT6FsHJTtJLsl_HbWBMvoIKu6PXueLwcHWo5NlCAqfxkZU/s1600/IMG_3089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBwgjn3v5QWClGmRuQHIGysvKHnErbbwIsd6s9dMimpyXys3R0G5vhzK2btxZ6hl3nPT_ox0fK2ropsDRsKp2K0RlglVIVxT6FsHJTtJLsl_HbWBMvoIKu6PXueLwcHWo5NlCAqfxkZU/s640/IMG_3089.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No more prettiness after this</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino5Cy0c35saaZV-NUwThizecyNxbytZxxF-jv1E-QdGBY3WIWGQAcLNeqYmpH4X_ni5DmDWM-8b0WQ9gLMAivZCEBlx5vgEPNK4AI-7ZKiKhIX-Z_E1bymEh4fKGO4l5NN2Sr4LJ8rK0/s1600/IMG_3093.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino5Cy0c35saaZV-NUwThizecyNxbytZxxF-jv1E-QdGBY3WIWGQAcLNeqYmpH4X_ni5DmDWM-8b0WQ9gLMAivZCEBlx5vgEPNK4AI-7ZKiKhIX-Z_E1bymEh4fKGO4l5NN2Sr4LJ8rK0/s640/IMG_3093.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well maybe a little, you had to be here to enjoy it, but the Metro Cable is a definite attraction for the 1.50 it costs to ride most of the way up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBIvl0iNN5hGb8WuvynlIUxvpkDytwXuWUKb-hRuOaXhJEGiwuLL_3CA4zC39ry9IljzW_rcBiAGMcVd8t8D8iiP7dbkpzW6zhDRazJFDwNAxj6tMA1qJ2VH3sgo53s0uxsaPwAqEJQY/s1600/IMG_3100.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvBIvl0iNN5hGb8WuvynlIUxvpkDytwXuWUKb-hRuOaXhJEGiwuLL_3CA4zC39ry9IljzW_rcBiAGMcVd8t8D8iiP7dbkpzW6zhDRazJFDwNAxj6tMA1qJ2VH3sgo53s0uxsaPwAqEJQY/s640/IMG_3100.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gondola ended up making its way onto the same line as the Tremblant gondola, hence we were back in Canada and the Laurentians for lunchtime....(weird change in scenery for sure)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNkw8QVWxIU1r2na4R-pk9oX_RLC5djyZujURYwtI5d5fYiqukn3HeUqYXXx-kqDg4p4Ca5J3XBc8OcXYmWW47zN-omlsBlt9kzbSIf6MAYZ2HVa6Y-mGNPcsWKxEx_hskC4CpRbbDOM/s1600/IMG_3102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNkw8QVWxIU1r2na4R-pk9oX_RLC5djyZujURYwtI5d5fYiqukn3HeUqYXXx-kqDg4p4Ca5J3XBc8OcXYmWW47zN-omlsBlt9kzbSIf6MAYZ2HVa6Y-mGNPcsWKxEx_hskC4CpRbbDOM/s640/IMG_3102.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feels, looks like back home</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGfTKq_kZ24CLzqasauGQSta6syLF0OyRyrzEHTNsciw3Xx7OTsP-pmilSY40ywiSza3O3HdLxxDpyWwNvN9l3nP_M6W3dmd5V6cNYkkk9p3-WFmyonuqDFV-wtINBbbNcIoZLSrDMJA/s1600/IMG_3105.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGfTKq_kZ24CLzqasauGQSta6syLF0OyRyrzEHTNsciw3Xx7OTsP-pmilSY40ywiSza3O3HdLxxDpyWwNvN9l3nP_M6W3dmd5V6cNYkkk9p3-WFmyonuqDFV-wtINBbbNcIoZLSrDMJA/s640/IMG_3105.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We met a friend..or moreso, he met us, and wouldn't let us go</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwbNieOxs3o-EHemFq1_sHirp89AtJPeJfBC9zoND_rvoxujKJqGFD9MmicrSEe285tcu_3bEmJ82wRNDuIlhDKQ1MOrV3gUUgNKLuCutPMUGVno5V93rFYAfpuxGfhJwvNRtSg85EN0/s1600/IMG_3109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilwbNieOxs3o-EHemFq1_sHirp89AtJPeJfBC9zoND_rvoxujKJqGFD9MmicrSEe285tcu_3bEmJ82wRNDuIlhDKQ1MOrV3gUUgNKLuCutPMUGVno5V93rFYAfpuxGfhJwvNRtSg85EN0/s640/IMG_3109.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So he posed with us for awhile</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Hy9MTt9acds8mkXVd2Rzs38ViEE9GG7My4LjP87LFfnXkxzCYqxsCp6eo4VYIc6fSyp8m4y4Y3xSUi8n49Y5QUgllpAGp-v0QxR8gGwM6YnScJWQ5b_TR5Ff5hKMWkHfoAjD78SGz_4/s1600/IMG_3115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Hy9MTt9acds8mkXVd2Rzs38ViEE9GG7My4LjP87LFfnXkxzCYqxsCp6eo4VYIc6fSyp8m4y4Y3xSUi8n49Y5QUgllpAGp-v0QxR8gGwM6YnScJWQ5b_TR5Ff5hKMWkHfoAjD78SGz_4/s640/IMG_3115.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Until I made a new friend...then all hell broke loose</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6098hisZsEWpf75SK_f_oNiLQVRysHJR3yG9n139TmJzF_uSSpCcgXfuHIU8xe5iIjqWrm0fqzg8-IU9M1yVAZPdsHH_gXRh9G8aCfZr6oExQaP0V1bscA_duj9b1LnURf4GnMK83DI/s1600/IMG_3116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6098hisZsEWpf75SK_f_oNiLQVRysHJR3yG9n139TmJzF_uSSpCcgXfuHIU8xe5iIjqWrm0fqzg8-IU9M1yVAZPdsHH_gXRh9G8aCfZr6oExQaP0V1bscA_duj9b1LnURf4GnMK83DI/s640/IMG_3116.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But doggies are my best friend</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwlCuwisXfNX9qatHIl5ttxePmBSxDmfxxKwziKNZOoS3V6yYulqr9nRJtaIOnX0f_lIB4XrPL9NOpFqNuVbnomrhiEbdA4VYTw27bS6BDWilN2OQJdSsS-udaym4Z1Y61vqXFJ_hCmXc/s1600/IMG_3127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwlCuwisXfNX9qatHIl5ttxePmBSxDmfxxKwziKNZOoS3V6yYulqr9nRJtaIOnX0f_lIB4XrPL9NOpFqNuVbnomrhiEbdA4VYTw27bS6BDWilN2OQJdSsS-udaym4Z1Y61vqXFJ_hCmXc/s640/IMG_3127.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Finca in the coffee region, a must after a wet ride</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTL8cjtsZJeGLNjnsmOf_xX8TCvq0bUAQzWBiT_q0F6j39MBTfVm3BPop3zM8OPWr0DDfxuKgrZ7P3ZrAZlPs_GnWsZhddd5o_v4pvp4MgNYlAtJKbqdjUCT6N3rAsehgTpQK0WQ1QhbE/s1600/IMG_3134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTL8cjtsZJeGLNjnsmOf_xX8TCvq0bUAQzWBiT_q0F6j39MBTfVm3BPop3zM8OPWr0DDfxuKgrZ7P3ZrAZlPs_GnWsZhddd5o_v4pvp4MgNYlAtJKbqdjUCT6N3rAsehgTpQK0WQ1QhbE/s640/IMG_3134.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the coffee fields</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So with all the food being so cheap, we're able to eat through the day for less than 10.00. A great breakfast later, and we were off for a huge day. We decided we'd try and make it for Pasto, 500+km down the road. Once back on the main drag we were blessed with a beautiful, flat, two-lane highway for a good couple hundred kilometres. It would go back and forth between one and two lanes, but a must to make it as far as we wanted. That, and Colombia decided to throw a few signs here and there to make sure you're on the right track. Everywhere you'd look, it would point you in the direction. It's as if every damn driver is wearing Urkel specs.<br />
<br />
By late afternoon we were once more heading up into the mountains. We passed Popoyan and were within 175 km from Pasto. We were going to make it. But Colombian roads are tricky. When you think you get used to them, they bite you in the ass. And in Dan's case, the road bit him...hard. I was following him down a rather dangerous and hard downhill stretch, peeling around corners that would lead you to what you'd think was the apex, when the corner would suddenly tighten and often throw you into the oncoming lane without warning. Well, on one occasion, Dan met a rival. In a split second, in the same line as he was, I saw his pannier smash into the side of a small sedan. Immediately, the bike flung 90 degrees and threw him off in front of it. From there, the bike rolled slid, rolled upside down, and back down onto him, pinning him in the middle of the road, blind from both corners. Weaving around piles of his belongings, hoping for the best but expecting the worst, I skidded to the other side of the road, and ran to lift the bike off him. He was alright, shaken, sore, his bike mangled and scratched. Alive, thank god...The car owner does what you always read about in Latin America, screaming quien paga over and over, who's paying. We ignore him, Nik comes, a couple minutes go by, and his foot starts swelling. Another rider coming from Ecuador popped around the corner and helped us. Sami, his name, a hugely friendly chap from Montreal riding south for over a year and a half. He was able to speak spanish, and long story short, Nik dumbed down the mechanic to 250,000.00 pesos (125.00US), the driver brought Dan to the hospital, and Nik, Sami and I got a hotel as close as we could. Dan was out of the hospital, broken toe, now casted but then heavily bleeding, we spent the night talking to Sami and he explaining to us how incredible his journeys were. His stories were off the charts, so I guess if you have time to do these trips, you get to make the most of it. Props to him, he's got so much advice. If you need in depth planning on all the road conditions, times and whatnot, his website is a great place to check out moreso on planning<br />
<a href="http://www.thelamashow.com/">www.thelamashow.com</a><br />
<br />
Anyway, the little town we were staying in was really cheap, hotel 6.00, food 3.00, we spent the morning fixing his bike and getting him settled in to heal up for awhile there. We aren't sure how long he'll be holed up there, but its his shift toe....and it'll be awhile until he can put the pressure on it to shift once again. Because we're so behind on our travels, we had to take off and build some more miles today, so we gunned it to the Ecuador border.<br />
<br />
Along the way, perhaps the most beautiful ride we've taken so far, I'll let the pictures do it justice....<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdC_XTHHF6SzKp8rSq457nSJpIfe1t21PU8X3ieKGbeJTMmU4GSlpEpBp17fLh1lW8U-Lky23CIVJoXuEP6IybSkx_8_aEHhaGfra1VmSNziTJyAw74x8vQeLarrZbsx1GsjyTh9LtJs/s1600/IMG_3137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdC_XTHHF6SzKp8rSq457nSJpIfe1t21PU8X3ieKGbeJTMmU4GSlpEpBp17fLh1lW8U-Lky23CIVJoXuEP6IybSkx_8_aEHhaGfra1VmSNziTJyAw74x8vQeLarrZbsx1GsjyTh9LtJs/s640/IMG_3137.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The day before....can you figure out what doesn't belong here?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitz7jXAlwjJaNxlinJ7NA3me3Z4gcBxSHn8L6ps0PGreeeFYU_Tr1TlZPNOCyi1XsmKHJXgTvJy7QQlChyphenhyphen362odO8j0empC4w6Ms9xwPPYzEAuJDklNrMotq2Kc_Zqzibw-NWiWenbt7U/s1600/IMG_3138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitz7jXAlwjJaNxlinJ7NA3me3Z4gcBxSHn8L6ps0PGreeeFYU_Tr1TlZPNOCyi1XsmKHJXgTvJy7QQlChyphenhyphen362odO8j0empC4w6Ms9xwPPYzEAuJDklNrMotq2Kc_Zqzibw-NWiWenbt7U/s640/IMG_3138.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many vistas along the way from Popoyan to Pasto</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-7xhctI3KZOVo9W3aMVSqJ4fot2QR8RgF6Rp2-FJlc5jqSEi0hcew5jQc2KelGcSMvcl2vdRKKM62dd7MXxi1eXLlvSK6F6hOfaGz9PBnw9Ijj5pOAfye7Gc21PIRmB1ad_Mf35QPgE/s1600/IMG_3140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-7xhctI3KZOVo9W3aMVSqJ4fot2QR8RgF6Rp2-FJlc5jqSEi0hcew5jQc2KelGcSMvcl2vdRKKM62dd7MXxi1eXLlvSK6F6hOfaGz9PBnw9Ijj5pOAfye7Gc21PIRmB1ad_Mf35QPgE/s640/IMG_3140.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The last smile we would share together, before a hellish evening</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF0QI7EwtjtDcWpqE_w79vMCj3FG-0UG753G9KWQTsfD0GGubWhpk6dyLzn2bPQ5WkRZ70pM2Eye1co2oPGaKGyHtYQZt9pOsWPwp3xz6q1rOoI-xL_qwdvoa10_gxAiBlHICpJ1urTw/s1600/IMG_3142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGF0QI7EwtjtDcWpqE_w79vMCj3FG-0UG753G9KWQTsfD0GGubWhpk6dyLzn2bPQ5WkRZ70pM2Eye1co2oPGaKGyHtYQZt9pOsWPwp3xz6q1rOoI-xL_qwdvoa10_gxAiBlHICpJ1urTw/s640/IMG_3142.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The corner is question...I refused to take any pics of anything else at the time for the sake of respect</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2w1xXP862FAsv6Z3PLB0Pl9Zg2cTsT14qLI98TMSKzOE_gGDRIC8zTWmp8hJCc_XO4SXjSm8_9eG9uDIPqozF1ETkksn_my0n2cu7KoujIdT4PRVotMWMRF8wV_Q5pzhyphenhyphentIjaJQIry0/s1600/IMG_3144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2w1xXP862FAsv6Z3PLB0Pl9Zg2cTsT14qLI98TMSKzOE_gGDRIC8zTWmp8hJCc_XO4SXjSm8_9eG9uDIPqozF1ETkksn_my0n2cu7KoujIdT4PRVotMWMRF8wV_Q5pzhyphenhyphentIjaJQIry0/s640/IMG_3144.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His worse-off pannier</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5o52qHEYeITiV0FhKRB6OQED2s9Du6JxIndLAnwcn-GoE60coROePRv0Vm1_B37SQGDn2rQwbjWzViNg1BK13FbyWwBG1PLiXvE8zpIybmxKT5vyAd-gWoeuZLviZ-H6dc1ZQwuLrv6E/s1600/IMG_3145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5o52qHEYeITiV0FhKRB6OQED2s9Du6JxIndLAnwcn-GoE60coROePRv0Vm1_B37SQGDn2rQwbjWzViNg1BK13FbyWwBG1PLiXvE8zpIybmxKT5vyAd-gWoeuZLviZ-H6dc1ZQwuLrv6E/s640/IMG_3145.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little better angle</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdinWITu6yp3QWiY2eiiB8cThT_-fRcFC3N0xsUGzaGtxhZv4Bh-UF7QpCwcTQQYvo0514eP7hhNp42cVbobIdb2QoR91Y_pujb6CYjCnWXwp4xve78qyKvDUxxchlcZUqHiggDOxbJE/s1600/IMG_3150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdinWITu6yp3QWiY2eiiB8cThT_-fRcFC3N0xsUGzaGtxhZv4Bh-UF7QpCwcTQQYvo0514eP7hhNp42cVbobIdb2QoR91Y_pujb6CYjCnWXwp4xve78qyKvDUxxchlcZUqHiggDOxbJE/s640/IMG_3150.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...anddd his worse-off foot</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfgk-eep_83_gcOh4Uv05iWEaI6DAd2R9eTeG3cYalWXadstc5NcjbXFMBICW900FDC6ZH4pwEqmE6ASE6udqR13vgMQdbzYDAQmtpCDKLUPNep0KwDUPG8wmdLdGcT7XVIh-THrP2hw/s1600/IMG_3151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTfgk-eep_83_gcOh4Uv05iWEaI6DAd2R9eTeG3cYalWXadstc5NcjbXFMBICW900FDC6ZH4pwEqmE6ASE6udqR13vgMQdbzYDAQmtpCDKLUPNep0KwDUPG8wmdLdGcT7XVIh-THrP2hw/s640/IMG_3151.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bye Dan, our adventures together will be remembered for a lifetime, I'm really glad we got to ride with you, and if I'm ever in Nashville, I'm coming to watch you race</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Uo40nP-XvcXSVM59nZNv3HbI3gskqYcnKH4EmC6GdX4OxqvwBzxj7ka01G9Dck7UZHrrqmfGT-A2QWCASrXvtfrvYy_Impev6v69zveQmzpMFvyNy9jWEn-_kVkoO3_PfF_gp-IYkT8/s1600/IMG_3149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Uo40nP-XvcXSVM59nZNv3HbI3gskqYcnKH4EmC6GdX4OxqvwBzxj7ka01G9Dck7UZHrrqmfGT-A2QWCASrXvtfrvYy_Impev6v69zveQmzpMFvyNy9jWEn-_kVkoO3_PfF_gp-IYkT8/s640/IMG_3149.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view from the hotel we stayed at last night</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9zHumFepe_KUFegc19f024JfTw6ePW28MBpa2YR66mJ6vQF98DV3_aTGdd7u06gIyr9HL-uq6g812LHbfQZLN8DnAOu4_oeZnV4lxwRsxIxTxToSp3XarDSObLyYg0Lm0uhSYI2ql70/s1600/IMG_3153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm9zHumFepe_KUFegc19f024JfTw6ePW28MBpa2YR66mJ6vQF98DV3_aTGdd7u06gIyr9HL-uq6g812LHbfQZLN8DnAOu4_oeZnV4lxwRsxIxTxToSp3XarDSObLyYg0Lm0uhSYI2ql70/s640/IMG_3153.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheers to you Sami, you were a great help to us and we'll party with you in Montreal when you get back!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJjRWZnxR_99pqY7eCaG0yr7y_lqvSI_qlcQSewWSUuxFqVK_6iulDK6FRIQADk39JuRYBWTNhOMPbsNH7igCpl_AaH6QOw4bCx6Tk722cxDufQZBbyIfE3_YlQ-muWSEGXuaFh48tUs/s1600/IMG_3155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQJjRWZnxR_99pqY7eCaG0yr7y_lqvSI_qlcQSewWSUuxFqVK_6iulDK6FRIQADk39JuRYBWTNhOMPbsNH7igCpl_AaH6QOw4bCx6Tk722cxDufQZBbyIfE3_YlQ-muWSEGXuaFh48tUs/s640/IMG_3155.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here come the prettiest roads we've seen</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8fLBR1TfRp6uEYZMydncl3cNEu0o3a8Oe5f8VhQYW283QvyFbePZ_dSDsYlsAbJcOQP6YP6yBGL5JAo7Gm36hcr6ADShIA4uvj2KIv2-RhvNc3ULWaluN9eanI6ee6qW3eYf8Ie7cJA/s1600/IMG_3157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8fLBR1TfRp6uEYZMydncl3cNEu0o3a8Oe5f8VhQYW283QvyFbePZ_dSDsYlsAbJcOQP6YP6yBGL5JAo7Gm36hcr6ADShIA4uvj2KIv2-RhvNc3ULWaluN9eanI6ee6qW3eYf8Ie7cJA/s640/IMG_3157.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wait...hes not so pretty</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7htNXp-HzOglOAwXivQlra-CJ5mJEyzjvSyBmAAQ1bJRfiJDh91l1VhoZHOwm2eS4hVfcWBdJ3GklKLZQG1lFoIqLe_tj9fs-zvRHSbdWAYvrHey_Kg1Wkw_sKYTdZVH_zPCmiXjZUoU/s1600/IMG_3159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7htNXp-HzOglOAwXivQlra-CJ5mJEyzjvSyBmAAQ1bJRfiJDh91l1VhoZHOwm2eS4hVfcWBdJ3GklKLZQG1lFoIqLe_tj9fs-zvRHSbdWAYvrHey_Kg1Wkw_sKYTdZVH_zPCmiXjZUoU/s640/IMG_3159.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So many sheer rock faces</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyntv9qMG52vC1CrIlEG6F9GVfLUeAENVFsNFnORIxdP32r9EFSjfncf86TZW9vAsssIdqg1JDRdn_11DKYhQUhiYm-FV-MUkP3X9QPtRIj4jB5ySR-DVsQsjhzN08tEDxLtvVZXBAzrs/s1600/IMG_3160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyntv9qMG52vC1CrIlEG6F9GVfLUeAENVFsNFnORIxdP32r9EFSjfncf86TZW9vAsssIdqg1JDRdn_11DKYhQUhiYm-FV-MUkP3X9QPtRIj4jB5ySR-DVsQsjhzN08tEDxLtvVZXBAzrs/s640/IMG_3160.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See if you can figure out something hilarious with this pic....hint: look to the middle of the pic, very far away</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOoLU3-hNclE9E6A1ZIy2mMn3QDzfGPeTEGDBvo_B9_eNDTm2tF48TdFOXu7SvjcqAuyKBLD-kmM7kMuGxRy6UydcM_6Ojhq8xOqfUayzm7Y8IGlZp560ixPahb9DkFw1VdXEA3vEFREo/s1600/IMG_3161.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOoLU3-hNclE9E6A1ZIy2mMn3QDzfGPeTEGDBvo_B9_eNDTm2tF48TdFOXu7SvjcqAuyKBLD-kmM7kMuGxRy6UydcM_6Ojhq8xOqfUayzm7Y8IGlZp560ixPahb9DkFw1VdXEA3vEFREo/s640/IMG_3161.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik scared shitless of the sheer 200 meter dropoff's</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNC3E3bwYIpdX9N-jzSd0Y4pUQEftAv6K-8bBGw7pBB7q3hqn6UkMhxSt2bcyRCSCrToGtYtCBg53zlV2ukMngOU2wUR1IDPlP7qiaOMUmbkBtwZasPdlRuUosW1IaH-qfVgpQ_G8PFM/s1600/IMG_3162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNC3E3bwYIpdX9N-jzSd0Y4pUQEftAv6K-8bBGw7pBB7q3hqn6UkMhxSt2bcyRCSCrToGtYtCBg53zlV2ukMngOU2wUR1IDPlP7qiaOMUmbkBtwZasPdlRuUosW1IaH-qfVgpQ_G8PFM/s640/IMG_3162.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This guy was OH-SO lucky the guardrail held...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WVN_rpV63B6vJt2v7e4mncHwsrm_qsdpXjc2BzrCe9NUaNU2nc12bQ17malHWIJUXGhk38SeHZE1tCDA4NdfIpMJcTQE9vr1owRTBXvHmA_JPxjPBNpgShqpOIXmt92_NCOcO6xlYmA/s1600/IMG_3163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7WVN_rpV63B6vJt2v7e4mncHwsrm_qsdpXjc2BzrCe9NUaNU2nc12bQ17malHWIJUXGhk38SeHZE1tCDA4NdfIpMJcTQE9vr1owRTBXvHmA_JPxjPBNpgShqpOIXmt92_NCOcO6xlYmA/s640/IMG_3163.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More more more all the way to Buenos Aires!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTBHjNXPEqr-1kekJl59cRSaeK-gFgaJDEgOzeQf6eLFnwaSBCdqiv2OLY2g0Pepv1TOkXt08u-ySy6Qx1qeYl0E87u_5n2NUgqMoWFZC5jh8HnV5TQy2p7jVSRXbkEOuv_os74BdTP8/s1600/IMG_3164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixTBHjNXPEqr-1kekJl59cRSaeK-gFgaJDEgOzeQf6eLFnwaSBCdqiv2OLY2g0Pepv1TOkXt08u-ySy6Qx1qeYl0E87u_5n2NUgqMoWFZC5jh8HnV5TQy2p7jVSRXbkEOuv_os74BdTP8/s640/IMG_3164.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This could have looked more real if plants weren't behind me</td></tr>
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<br />
I did end up having a really close call at one point. Like I said, there's no avoiding the dangers here in Colombia. Besides the many dogs that prance around on the road, I came into one turn and hit a garbage bag full of crap. It made quick the mess and noise, so I turned my head to see if I lost anything. As I did so, I didn't follow the road, and hit the side....on these roads, there's no shoulder. Theres a 6 inch drop, then a steep decline another foot or so. From there, its sheer rock wall. So from 4th gear, I scraped the side of the wall trying my hardest to keep the bike up (its basically in a V-shaped rut). As my pannier and bashguard dragged the cement, the bike stopped, I was super lucky not to rip off my pannier or brake pedal...or foot for that matter. Two minutes later, back on the road, more careful than ever.<br />
<br />
We pulled into Ecuador border at 7:30pm, there was nobody there, and this was the first border on our travels that took 15 minutes. Walk in, ride out. Could NOT be simpler, and for that we are ever so grateful both to Colombia and Ecuador. I hope to see more borders like this. Friendly people, joking, friendly cops, good exchange rate on leftover pesos. We are happy tonight, staying in Tulcan, in a REAL (by real I mean Western-style) hotel. This is a cool place, I wish we had longer to check it out. But we're off for another huge day tomorrow, I better get to bed, its 1 o clock. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJevWFN3-7L9yGF4T__QyUwT8OFN9mw40xvodAcVYYjy7XO2rGV_uPpA6Pm5n5zyD6AKd07kwKvnooS0-BrL5mf_rYX7jWMacX5ADFBO-8o-qS-HFct0-B0wWMOlY0b6AC3a3JuH_NTs/s1600/IMG_3166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJevWFN3-7L9yGF4T__QyUwT8OFN9mw40xvodAcVYYjy7XO2rGV_uPpA6Pm5n5zyD6AKd07kwKvnooS0-BrL5mf_rYX7jWMacX5ADFBO-8o-qS-HFct0-B0wWMOlY0b6AC3a3JuH_NTs/s320/IMG_3166.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPM05b-K_xVSC8tBKdmMgBPQHM1plPGPSDnZ7vB62jjIJf4OKLBi6DZ7be1wBXobSue2zqInRuMCwWsuvbKysvNvMAZDMqVDnUhkgMb8yb7eeBU9Jm5LWrFK6WCDE7lEKkZ4ZBvwjtnKQ/s1600/IMG_3175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPM05b-K_xVSC8tBKdmMgBPQHM1plPGPSDnZ7vB62jjIJf4OKLBi6DZ7be1wBXobSue2zqInRuMCwWsuvbKysvNvMAZDMqVDnUhkgMb8yb7eeBU9Jm5LWrFK6WCDE7lEKkZ4ZBvwjtnKQ/s320/IMG_3175.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVk5BaRuHXrT_nfYdsaTeUXEt9FrSBFuHzplgu9Bwm5cIEByGMPf9AgciVrc-3FSETgIyKXSWpQF_VqvMtaYUMMpXyBK-i-YzTCCmnXaYQPlyqr4OY152024_0pX5Do3SjJN-DapwuRZs/s1600/IMG_3177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVk5BaRuHXrT_nfYdsaTeUXEt9FrSBFuHzplgu9Bwm5cIEByGMPf9AgciVrc-3FSETgIyKXSWpQF_VqvMtaYUMMpXyBK-i-YzTCCmnXaYQPlyqr4OY152024_0pX5Do3SjJN-DapwuRZs/s400/IMG_3177.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OHHHHH YEAHHHHH!! Why the hell do you see my face everywhere??!! CAUSE MY BATTERY CHARGER WORKS AGAIN!! You're gonna start seeing a lot more pics again now that I don't have to conserve battery life. This has made my night!!!!! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNTAOj0dqztd8dbvBD-kzJSOG_esy6xClMZVGyqCNWK0TiIox2pXyPGE35n1jgQfVAzqiHAsdarsrOqaapfAr2KELLr24a-sLqA4MNH1HPraiok1oINNXvLBomTnvx0TJ7M4I2QARlLM/s1600/IMG_3124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNTAOj0dqztd8dbvBD-kzJSOG_esy6xClMZVGyqCNWK0TiIox2pXyPGE35n1jgQfVAzqiHAsdarsrOqaapfAr2KELLr24a-sLqA4MNH1HPraiok1oINNXvLBomTnvx0TJ7M4I2QARlLM/s640/IMG_3124.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh yeah, just one more pic to show all the riders out there the importance of making sure you're pads are lined up properly...this was from a Kawasaki dealership too....Yes...that's the rotor braking on the medal that used to be behind the pad...The one I'm holding is still new....on the left side of it....</td></tr>
</tbody></table>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-43887176341581805422011-02-10T01:35:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:13:15.834-04:00Solace in the Murder Capital of the World - RobErm, ex-murder capital of the world....but I had to make the title sound good didn't I? Medellin, here we are, "ship-wrecked" for a few days while we repair the motos. But, again, I'm missing a few days in between here, so lets go back to getting off the boat.<br />
<br />
I wish the video would upload....by the time we finally anchored in the bay of Turbo, convincing captain underpants to drop us off closer to shore, with rebuttals of "no es possible", and a few swear words back and forth, the coast guard took Nik and Dan to check documents and find a launcher to get to shore. The deal was, Doug said, 5 days, no more. He made us get off the boat that night, no argument, "I'll drop the bikes right into the ocean". Like to see you try you peckerhead. Anyway, we wanted nothing more than to get off the boat regardless, so with 400 hp and the power of the fuerza policia, they took off to find a couple of dudes willing to heave some bikes...in THE DARK. Unheard of. I gathered our gear, they came back with a couple of locals begging for whiskey. 4 hours later, we were all ashore. The worst part about doing it at night is that 3 bikes won't fit on a single launcher, I get dropped off at some industrial port side dock, some sketchy lifting of mine and Dan's bikes, and they go off for another hour or so to get Niks. I'm left, two bikes, a bit of gear, by myself in the dark, with a few hundred locals...staring at first, warming up to me and coming to look at bikes. I have to keep my cool, but Turbo is a genuine turd-hole. It's a tad scary.<br />
<br />
Whatever, it all worked out, except for Nik's bike not starting...we expected that after the journey. Dan and I took off to grab a hotel, and found a little gem in the middle of a rough and tumble town. Nik walked his bike over, and for 11 or so a piece, we had 3 beds, our infamous Warner Superchannel, washing, and bike washing at our fingertips. We spent two nights there, Nik had his bike fixed at a local shop for cheap (ended up being the salt affecting the electronics) and we cleaned our bikes thoroughly. We spent the first day doing some retail therapy, overcoming the stress of the boat ride. All of us still felt the sea legs effects. We had to find the Aduana as well, we were still illegal status. That took half the damn day, no one, cops, security, militia, could figure out where to go. Finally a Migracion official pointed us in the right direction and the aduana was a piece of cake. For those traveling into Turbo via boat, <b>the aduana for motorcycles is in the militant port along the bay at the beach, and the aduana is called Dian, tucked in the back. </b>Veryyyy difficult to find on your own, the gate guards turned us back the first time. After getting checked in, we spent the last day chowing and touring around.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2NNegd_Bfnxi9NfcnAbYuJNStFukD_gVLtr56yGROAgQlO891Ah4t871o_XX2o7FjQXdRzqvaiHZptdl49b8iPVtSl1tqFOF35OXomKqWik1L-gQO8BqcgEmIZj7jLzDdcp05WN-8RQ/s1600/IMG_3010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB2NNegd_Bfnxi9NfcnAbYuJNStFukD_gVLtr56yGROAgQlO891Ah4t871o_XX2o7FjQXdRzqvaiHZptdl49b8iPVtSl1tqFOF35OXomKqWik1L-gQO8BqcgEmIZj7jLzDdcp05WN-8RQ/s640/IMG_3010.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Perhaps the most decent hotel in the city, Costa del Sol</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLrdMK1iJ65Qw1cYV1g05quUi-6zQn-LuHRo2vwsNkNl6FpllgPt_zPxqUUqs1yv7ddKsrHkYai6lxjh6EABykU4_7XlaJLAUs5WQ0CAmfYo-Lttd8_yHRoxHjSLzeey5Ry-t0HMsLDU/s1600/IMG_3012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLrdMK1iJ65Qw1cYV1g05quUi-6zQn-LuHRo2vwsNkNl6FpllgPt_zPxqUUqs1yv7ddKsrHkYai6lxjh6EABykU4_7XlaJLAUs5WQ0CAmfYo-Lttd8_yHRoxHjSLzeey5Ry-t0HMsLDU/s640/IMG_3012.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our balcony view</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So the city itself however, is fun. It's reallllly busy, motorcycle's everywhere, businesses, restaurants, everything cheap. Its quite entertaining, and we actually had a lot of fun here. You could eat breakfast for 50 cents, I had lunch for 25 cents, and dinner was no more than 5 dollars pigging out.<br />
<br />
On our departure day, it rained...hard. Bad start. We waited a few hours and decided to take a chance. I made it the first mile with my bike and it died. A few false starts later, got it another block and it died again. I just changed the spark plug a week ago....but on the busiest street in the city, I had to tear everything apart and put a new one in again, hoping this would get us to Medellin. 30 minutes later, me pissed off, Nik frustrated and Dan trying to figure out how to get out of town, the bike fired up and we were off and running. We got 50 km out of town when the towel I was riding on grabbed my chain. Any motorcyclist knows when you get something in your chain, it has bad news written all over it. Well, lucky enough a towel is pretty rippable, so it wrapped itself around the rear axle, stopping me almost instantly. Lucky. Another 20 minutes of towel pulling and locals laughing at me and back on the road. It started off nicely, remember, three bad starts and 350 km to go, but it started to get a bit hilly. We had to climb over 12000 feet, quite a task. To this day, the ride was by far the most challenging we've had. It doesn't help that Dan races motorcycle's, and trying to keep up with him is like trying to catch the carrot at the end of the stick. Fun and games though, these roads were intense. Multiple switchbacks, massive inclines/declines, and the best part was most of the ride consisted of immediate asphalt-to-gravel terrain shifts. With only a front brake, this is very hard. You'd be going 90-100kph, go into a corner, and it turns to dirt, full of potholes. Again, it was definitely fun. We got about half way when a live landslide blocked our road f or a good half hour. We tried bribing the construction worker to let us through amongst the falling rocks (we swear we could have made it) but it was no go. Good time for a break anyway, these roads tire you out, specially when its half-raining.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPPS33a9X_QX3luzLWSf8hoxGXw2-yWVtRemXye5fIui93i_dnihUuLVayHkfZpoRxBNbB9e_I6wtnlkddPJRhe4i4e03fINAFXpQXvd95D32xJ5rDprGnmYts6OKUnonxCxpHlsAXCo/s1600/IMG_3016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqPPS33a9X_QX3luzLWSf8hoxGXw2-yWVtRemXye5fIui93i_dnihUuLVayHkfZpoRxBNbB9e_I6wtnlkddPJRhe4i4e03fINAFXpQXvd95D32xJ5rDprGnmYts6OKUnonxCxpHlsAXCo/s640/IMG_3016.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half of the road, all of the fun.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYaBVfIFInw7Hi_UEm4PhGElEFD8Yc0ZtY879ZFeO_77E58ymDq0bQWWUmiCsVDNfeQMVxTT-C4nVYkyVLTegGRMkD0fVLnUG-pmKIV-9kw31C7sN1N_xvQuleRPr5d4SkiDXLyo0ReU/s1600/IMG_3018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYaBVfIFInw7Hi_UEm4PhGElEFD8Yc0ZtY879ZFeO_77E58ymDq0bQWWUmiCsVDNfeQMVxTT-C4nVYkyVLTegGRMkD0fVLnUG-pmKIV-9kw31C7sN1N_xvQuleRPr5d4SkiDXLyo0ReU/s640/IMG_3018.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">200 km of this awesomeness</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwD1vtK2d3Lg-UX468gR0qbvP6JfrY7Kzn9XTjEBAflYpik4E5y3y_qZgdLoKyYipc_gbH6kDmD983OHxbhbIGaNKsRu32I9Hguehh1_1LhcZhBF7mjxsLcWHLZqRUjrStVmmhBGKiiI/s1600/IMG_3020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAwD1vtK2d3Lg-UX468gR0qbvP6JfrY7Kzn9XTjEBAflYpik4E5y3y_qZgdLoKyYipc_gbH6kDmD983OHxbhbIGaNKsRu32I9Hguehh1_1LhcZhBF7mjxsLcWHLZqRUjrStVmmhBGKiiI/s640/IMG_3020.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just don't fall off the border-less roads, you won't be walking back up I promise you</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3v4K2hvVDd_6T92oE0yBqCgiFQrwefPLHqekBFZwHgMbC7W7SIXUgAif8BvbxHe7eNrrDtCLsfXlUEZxfz7xfaJnVenjt7rxE48KtTF0D0U93JlQBe3FveWBz0eDOiH3jGzZj-OvJToU/s1600/IMG_3023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3v4K2hvVDd_6T92oE0yBqCgiFQrwefPLHqekBFZwHgMbC7W7SIXUgAif8BvbxHe7eNrrDtCLsfXlUEZxfz7xfaJnVenjt7rxE48KtTF0D0U93JlQBe3FveWBz0eDOiH3jGzZj-OvJToU/s640/IMG_3023.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The landslide blocking our path, would have made for a good video if we tried passing.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUteXeSAkXYuwTSar1HYC8Yv4_-78Z5M87fIbq9GjNBv-T2_-3qO4L_u4sYv8GXEyslajJx-ZiWyRW4zM5TCGxt7PriuxBvpdWMvClsGEuBXiYlStlqGszMPnjLuLE-SSBzrECGKWHiMI/s1600/IMG_3026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUteXeSAkXYuwTSar1HYC8Yv4_-78Z5M87fIbq9GjNBv-T2_-3qO4L_u4sYv8GXEyslajJx-ZiWyRW4zM5TCGxt7PriuxBvpdWMvClsGEuBXiYlStlqGszMPnjLuLE-SSBzrECGKWHiMI/s640/IMG_3026.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mucho vistas all the way back down the hill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We took an awesome tunnel that brought us out onto the top of Medellin, where I instantly "wow'ed" out loud. Medellin is way more massive than I imagined. With a population of 2.5 million, it spreads across a massive mountain bowl.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF6gRk0fwcEniHyh9p1hGXdTgDod6vWhs9zmUVk3mkez2DqCrTssqtDfHh5JhLl54SxxNWbvxtJOlzU8D0EGyOwaynw_slxHmnlJREolI8uBvvZtIjOng6pCOfV-2JaMjRIsBN8PLDEI/s1600/IMG_3051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF6gRk0fwcEniHyh9p1hGXdTgDod6vWhs9zmUVk3mkez2DqCrTssqtDfHh5JhLl54SxxNWbvxtJOlzU8D0EGyOwaynw_slxHmnlJREolI8uBvvZtIjOng6pCOfV-2JaMjRIsBN8PLDEI/s640/IMG_3051.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One picture cannot describe it's beauty and size</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It's big. Thousands of apartment buildings, endless sea of red brick. Very impressive. However, a motorcyclist dreads entering cities of this size, mapless and confused, nearing darkness. We pulled over to an Auteco, the dealer for my bike (one of a thousand here) and he pointed us to a touristy-moto-friendly part of town. This town focuses on motorcyclists, you cannot avoid them and no matter where you look at least 30 will be in your sights. We found Calle 70, found a nice hotel (I'd recommend Merlott if you can get a room for 100,000 pesos, its a beautiful place) but we figured 70,000 was enough for our budget. Nice place, hot water, internet, and right in the middle of the fun. We have spent the last few days touring around, I dropped my bike off at the dealer this morning, as did Dan, to fix up the salt problems and Dan to get new clutch plates installed and a new mirror.<br />
<br />
For my bike, unknowing of the price, the list so far is:<br />
- cleaning of all plugs, wires, electronics<br />
- rear brake pads (super expensive here, 50.00)<br />
- fluid check<br />
- left turn signal bulb<br />
- clutch cable<br />
<br />
Not too bad, I expect the bill upwards of $100.00. Hopefully the last fix before this trip is over. It should be ready by tomorrow, but we probably won't have enough time to get started on the next leg, so we'll stay here on more night. It's quite a western style city, without the tourism, but there's tons of things to do and places to go. Today we toured the Cerro Nutibara park, rode around on the impressively designed above level metro, walked around Centro, and visited La Poblado (zona rosa) for some shots. Taxi's are cheap, the metro is cheap, food is a tad expensive, but I could almost see living here, pretty cool. Tomorrow the plan is to take a metro cable (a gondola) all the way up to the top of the mountains to overlook the entire city, visit the botanical gardens, maybe check out a museum. So much to see, so little time as usual. Well three days here is more than our trip can afford, so we're also eager to get a move on. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiys9zn6HUdv8k69zaCc5cT1s28jLkN7-h5_5TaQt9TXubvfGqMVw8g_Jfn_2BuDBLsVqaXD8KrC0qyKiYDFmcoQoXqYNywL_qcEIQcSKhKFne4-sJB3lPgBQ5c3glS6WRb8goYYGZT71U/s1600/IMG_3028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiys9zn6HUdv8k69zaCc5cT1s28jLkN7-h5_5TaQt9TXubvfGqMVw8g_Jfn_2BuDBLsVqaXD8KrC0qyKiYDFmcoQoXqYNywL_qcEIQcSKhKFne4-sJB3lPgBQ5c3glS6WRb8goYYGZT71U/s640/IMG_3028.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kawa dealership, overrun by small displacement machines and scooters</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBe6NTv5W5X4Q7rRvR7D7Y8iOZgRbgxEFDjTN-wuBjLMoUq2vjWvBhoPUN0pT9I-9cbcmURUz6zFGqBjQ99XBg9TBXsfIfHhyphenhyphenhHz6akSysIloB8K8B7mjUu4xAPEbM5BEaJIErXbVyQNE/s1600/IMG_3029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBe6NTv5W5X4Q7rRvR7D7Y8iOZgRbgxEFDjTN-wuBjLMoUq2vjWvBhoPUN0pT9I-9cbcmURUz6zFGqBjQ99XBg9TBXsfIfHhyphenhyphenhHz6akSysIloB8K8B7mjUu4xAPEbM5BEaJIErXbVyQNE/s640/IMG_3029.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many open-air malls, expensive but worth the visit</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhr4DHD5z5viTIZoW5U7IO1YYjSkCLLU73mDxf4pmc9VdHjEcb2dkyuqR4dABBA_6Lp6bqgErPK-C-TXXCmyIw85uodhfXOW1FLFI-sDdkWFtPmWDVuVSHVnbmpMGkVu0JSFiabuIcVfo/s1600/IMG_3032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhr4DHD5z5viTIZoW5U7IO1YYjSkCLLU73mDxf4pmc9VdHjEcb2dkyuqR4dABBA_6Lp6bqgErPK-C-TXXCmyIw85uodhfXOW1FLFI-sDdkWFtPmWDVuVSHVnbmpMGkVu0JSFiabuIcVfo/s640/IMG_3032.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Exito supermarket, as common as Tim Hortons in Canada.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkwmNgSEtZ7ykY3YtdXZsd5D5BweE-aOVs1vKZa0bo7HP9rbk4Rhs4HuZRHyhUgCulFEpu6HHExoA_FkaszSVvj2kLHkN918ZZfEyp0utEEz8GF2JBojzY181J5gRkKhQBzixg_uv9YU/s1600/IMG_3034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRkwmNgSEtZ7ykY3YtdXZsd5D5BweE-aOVs1vKZa0bo7HP9rbk4Rhs4HuZRHyhUgCulFEpu6HHExoA_FkaszSVvj2kLHkN918ZZfEyp0utEEz8GF2JBojzY181J5gRkKhQBzixg_uv9YU/s640/IMG_3034.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The metro, a very well-built piece of infrastructure invaluable to the city</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyrZZeb4qJ1L1UxqYugX6I_m1r0ESmO41B5G3rV2_IpaJhY4WkKYIRcpVuNPwpTSJYiyb0JMg2G10lP2WAuJb8o2DtDA-ME_aTxlDL3zL_9VWCGeyMsEvpv5vIb8LtUUyeK3m1ZkH-B4/s1600/IMG_3041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyrZZeb4qJ1L1UxqYugX6I_m1r0ESmO41B5G3rV2_IpaJhY4WkKYIRcpVuNPwpTSJYiyb0JMg2G10lP2WAuJb8o2DtDA-ME_aTxlDL3zL_9VWCGeyMsEvpv5vIb8LtUUyeK3m1ZkH-B4/s640/IMG_3041.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All sorts of neat sites and places to go</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB330SL6UyCtB64P8NYokKyPRUM_PPa1ErstDE6bpRyDEQfacuzJEwAzKFjcqNMPz3WXzIdwdd6TQWK2aN0JJsckWpqSezufOMe1RiQhM8DX-gO7X8rulmaJNB7tRJ6TLRb8oZm_L8GXU/s1600/IMG_3043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB330SL6UyCtB64P8NYokKyPRUM_PPa1ErstDE6bpRyDEQfacuzJEwAzKFjcqNMPz3WXzIdwdd6TQWK2aN0JJsckWpqSezufOMe1RiQhM8DX-gO7X8rulmaJNB7tRJ6TLRb8oZm_L8GXU/s640/IMG_3043.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Rio Medellin, but I have no idea what the tarps are for</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfnjzJ-3Amqs6J5TygY4TfROy7by3rAwWPI8NDLIWS3-dHe6u2zJG6ROf1UXN-7wKAKYskE8kqMH2ItQZ5qllCUmPhOWs0uSqZVAZwAFhlb3yR_rGkMviaa-WwORwQCEnYaXqvwbzJDc/s1600/IMG_3047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfnjzJ-3Amqs6J5TygY4TfROy7by3rAwWPI8NDLIWS3-dHe6u2zJG6ROf1UXN-7wKAKYskE8kqMH2ItQZ5qllCUmPhOWs0uSqZVAZwAFhlb3yR_rGkMviaa-WwORwQCEnYaXqvwbzJDc/s640/IMG_3047.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm getting to skinny me thinks :(</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sp-IutfJgKA_6oSgevisAw5EJNsMUKGBtjy9VvtRor6CH_Uk0q-Whi5LlSObK1w6L0aNbejsmVXUNf7HugvDFUDMyfGu0HWSY6jsNlTSmCFIk19nfNxH3Oylcer5jqYy2tfXalfwIjg/s1600/IMG_3049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sp-IutfJgKA_6oSgevisAw5EJNsMUKGBtjy9VvtRor6CH_Uk0q-Whi5LlSObK1w6L0aNbejsmVXUNf7HugvDFUDMyfGu0HWSY6jsNlTSmCFIk19nfNxH3Oylcer5jqYy2tfXalfwIjg/s640/IMG_3049.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik preventing cramping with some much recommended exercises</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF6gRk0fwcEniHyh9p1hGXdTgDod6vWhs9zmUVk3mkez2DqCrTssqtDfHh5JhLl54SxxNWbvxtJOlzU8D0EGyOwaynw_slxHmnlJREolI8uBvvZtIjOng6pCOfV-2JaMjRIsBN8PLDEI/s1600/IMG_3051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKF6gRk0fwcEniHyh9p1hGXdTgDod6vWhs9zmUVk3mkez2DqCrTssqtDfHh5JhLl54SxxNWbvxtJOlzU8D0EGyOwaynw_slxHmnlJREolI8uBvvZtIjOng6pCOfV-2JaMjRIsBN8PLDEI/s640/IMG_3051.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from Cerro Nutibara, in the middle of the city</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iYSFTOUpxRC-G3y6yH8FgNyOP_tlPFXN5kDCUvSNodh1Bk58TFN5ANF_EV_9JyBMNlR_Ba1ljYAUDIvUeYtR79Z9AqTE0OvFkXUTHuAxOajQHcxWkhENiKe6E2MV1_mqq97OUEeZdb8/s1600/IMG_3055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iYSFTOUpxRC-G3y6yH8FgNyOP_tlPFXN5kDCUvSNodh1Bk58TFN5ANF_EV_9JyBMNlR_Ba1ljYAUDIvUeYtR79Z9AqTE0OvFkXUTHuAxOajQHcxWkhENiKe6E2MV1_mqq97OUEeZdb8/s640/IMG_3055.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan acting a fool</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KwbgtmKbGyA9YjWd9JBv8V6gBkLmqJ21Sv9HGleX4_wwAYDNSUif642XAUHqEkgdt1RniJSDLxzvdKvmMkbb3lNhyMD6reYP-OlGosZvlhR7X-YFUc2qvt_foQ82wtUUYKq2ZP51Q3g/s1600/IMG_3056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8KwbgtmKbGyA9YjWd9JBv8V6gBkLmqJ21Sv9HGleX4_wwAYDNSUif642XAUHqEkgdt1RniJSDLxzvdKvmMkbb3lNhyMD6reYP-OlGosZvlhR7X-YFUc2qvt_foQ82wtUUYKq2ZP51Q3g/s640/IMG_3056.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steph, please like my hat :(</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAAOryC8MSG_PZcBwV47tLKhalD0MH3itDl4SCTYgsXcfVF-4TRvc7AHocjgM-ex0KpYqQTuyI4k9bfNT3wZ_JW_wiZB7A1sKwRd4ejlNPruNg60LS7lzOgszGacgbMjAoxdzD7qy8Os/s1600/IMG_3058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAAOryC8MSG_PZcBwV47tLKhalD0MH3itDl4SCTYgsXcfVF-4TRvc7AHocjgM-ex0KpYqQTuyI4k9bfNT3wZ_JW_wiZB7A1sKwRd4ejlNPruNg60LS7lzOgszGacgbMjAoxdzD7qy8Os/s640/IMG_3058.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three stooges taking in the sites</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNm526XhnPW7GNqC1aOZz39fl76IslMaE9MayZVOWQ-g4GZDZn4ElI3Ybu5Mbb-uU-hi3Hpo9btn3HYmwGvbTmmNOxtRr_MNVOdlV7qMjflalEFUxZNxRsDlmHpGd4aAdoTWQHWWrtvj8/s1600/IMG_3061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNm526XhnPW7GNqC1aOZz39fl76IslMaE9MayZVOWQ-g4GZDZn4ElI3Ybu5Mbb-uU-hi3Hpo9btn3HYmwGvbTmmNOxtRr_MNVOdlV7qMjflalEFUxZNxRsDlmHpGd4aAdoTWQHWWrtvj8/s640/IMG_3061.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and Nik getting friendly with the locals, ONLY NIK DON'T WORRY</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
anndddddd before I forget I got a couple more videos uploaded of the past couple weeks.<br />
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The closed off waterfall trail in Manual Antonio, shhhh...<br />
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Havin' some fun in the San Blas islands<br />
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Until the next one guys!!! Thanks for keeping up with me, I never thought I;d have so much support and the first thing I do when I get internet is to check all the comments, I love 'em all. Thanks everyone!! <br />
P.S. Dan, any country in particular a shot glass? I'll try to keep an eye out.<br />
P.P.S. Dan and Cath, you guys are damn crazy to be able to sail the ocean, I wish you all the luck in the world, remember lots of Dramamine?<br />
P.P.P.S. For steve and sarah, I'll never stop posting, no worries guys, as long as I get to keep you entertained.<br />
P.P.P.P.S. Uncle B you're always the first to facebook comment! Are you stalking me?!?<br />
P.P.P.P.P.S. Khan, tell your family to make more roads so I can visit Guiana easier..RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-35865044772275751772011-02-09T20:58:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:13:15.835-04:00The Long Haul - Rob<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm on a boat, no, not the song, just saying theres not much else to do other than write a couple more thousand words. Before I get to the crunchy stuff, I'll recap the past few days since we've been in Portobelo. I think I posted on the first day we were there, not much action. The subsequent days felt like a video game, yeah a video game, role playing, where you go around town talking to every single character, finding out information about getting out of the town, and what you can do to help. It was all pretty surreal, but we had our motivation and talked to everyone as much as possible. If you're traveling like we are, you want to visit Hostel Portobelo, or Captain Jacks. Dennis the drunk runs the place with Jack and was our main source of connections to getting a boat. The only real thing you can do is wait...and wait. I suggest is the budget fits, get yourself a nice place, because the hostels in town are crappy. No privates, shared everything, no sleep. Unless your into that sorta thing. Me and Nik prefer our solace, so we stayed at the Coco Plum. Woman's a tad hellish, but we snuck our rate from 55 to 35 since we stayed there for 4 nights. And if your timing's off, like ours was, thats about the minimum you're looking at. We traveled back and forth between Colon, where we'd have some internet and decent food (40 minute drive), to Puerto Lindo, where Hostel Wunderbar would try and hook us up as well. Our choices of boats were limited:</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Captain Jack wasn't coming back until the 10<sup>th</sup>, leaving on the 14<sup>th</sup> (he had one of two of the nicest boats available, called the Fantasy, a hell of a yacht and comes highly recommended)</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Captain John of the Wild Card, the most entertaining boat capable of throwing on 20 people, another massive steel hull boat</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Captain Umberto, who Dennis said would take us...until he saw the bikes and threw that idea out the window (he also wanted 850 to only go to Zapsurro...big mistake for bikes as no roads and risky Launcher ride across the ocean)</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">A German captain was scheduled to leave on the 6<sup>th</sup>, which we were sure of taking, but we never could figure out if his final destination was Turbo or Zapsurro.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Captain Doug, who Dennis recommended if we weren't picky, but was nowhere to be found...he would go to Turbo.</div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Days passed, we did lots of riding, the road between Portobelo and Puerto Lindo is now probably my favourite of the trip, the more I mastered it without the panniers, the more fun it became. We never got to go snorkeling or scuba, or park seeing, but we did head around town and check out the sites. We rented a kayak from Pirate's Cove, another hostel not worth mentioning, which brought us over to the big fort + a river with some mangroves...way too far....had to turn back before dark. That was two nights ago now. Other than that, I took a ton of videos of allthe perfect sunsets, the sights, and of course Colon. Dennis informed us one stumbling night of his that the Dominican harbour scenes from Quantum of Solace were actually shot in Colon, because, and his exact words, "They had to find a bigger shithole than Port o Prince, and the only place on the planet was Colon". That will sum up the town pretty well mind you, I took a beautiful video of what looked like post-world war Germany. Back in the day before Panama became a drug run town and prospered, Colon was actually a rich city. But over time, it became run-down and the poorer folks moved there. The buildings started falling apart (again imagine old Havana) and now all these rubbled edifices are still lived in. It's really scary, so scary that when I took the video I really shouldve thought twice. Not that anything happened, but...it definitely could have, going down an alleyway with a thousand dollar camera in my hand on my bike. One slightly fellow tried to hop on the back of my bike for jokes, we obviously didn't think it was so funny. Excitement over, we headed to the Panama Canal. 5.00 entry, pretty well worth it at least once in a lifetime. You get to see massive freighters way up close passing through the canal. We found out for a decent sized sailboat, chartered, it would cost 8 grand to pass through, while an average sized freighter, based on weight of course, cost upwards of 300 grand. Sounds about right. It's a small exhibit, the pictures I took are the only sights to see there, but like I said, worth a quick visit, if you can navigate there without any signs at all. Back to Portobelo, where our new friend Dan was waiting at the hostel for us with news....nope no news. Regardless, hes a solo traveler from Tenessee on his way to Tierro del Fuego. Hes already been on the road for 8 months. This guy's got balls. We've been talking to him now for hmm at least 4 days (hes actually on the boat with us right now). 25 and freedom, sounds pretty cool to me. He's been just about everywhere, places we'd pass through in a day, he'd be there for 3 weeks. Good man, he was looking for a boat with us, sharing his stories and figuring out what to do from there. Also met another couple, Martin and Kirsten, from Aussieland, traveling abound, who we'd also bunk along on the boat ride...or so we thought.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We learned from Dan about some of the adventures we should have had but luckily missed out on. My favourite was....if you remember a while back (circa Guatemala, day 1) where we went through Lago Atitlan. The dirt road we so dangerously navigated and hated ourselves for it is actually one of the top 5 most dangerous roads this side of the Greenwich. Good thing we found out the easy way....supposedly along here, becasue the road is so steep, you cannot stop or turn around. Armed bandits stop you, push you over and take all your things with very little effort you can provide in stopping them. Would have been real nice, especially since me and Nik became separated at one point. Well, safe and sound, I'm thinking of staying more safe now, knowing that shit like this can happen anywhere anytime. Sorry about that parents, loved ones.....at least Rob and Nik learned the easy way this time....</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">OK BACK TO PORTOBELO. The morning of the kayak rental, we tried talking to a few captains, with no luck. But we ran into the 3 stooges who out of nowhere met with Doug where he was ready to sail the next day. Bonus! We ran over to meet him, 800.00 going to Turbo, a bit pricey but considering he was the only captain until the 10<sup>th</sup> (confirmed) doing so, it was our only choice. Big mistake...more on that later...</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We went back to town to pick up the rest of the groceries we'd need since he was traveling solo and we'd have to make our own food. No biggie, Dennis said we'd have to rough it a bit. We dropped off the food, went back to our awesome room to enjoy the last bit of A/C, comfort and cable television we'd have for a week. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We were told to meet at 8 am....nope, make that 11am...wait...no we finally met him at 2pm, because we would only sail at dusk to make it to San Blas in the morning (passing through the reef in the dark is supposedly a pretty tough task...after last night, I wouldn't doubt it).</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">OK, now for the part that every motorcyclist dreams of, popping their bike off the dock and onto the launcher boat, then onto the sailboat. I won't be able to upload the video until I get back, its a biggie, and I only was able to catch the bike going into the launcher, because it takes every ounce of man power to do this job. It's a goddamn joke, fly your bike if you have the money. 3 hours of pulling ropes, dropping bikes, snapping mirrors + handguards (not mine, sorry Dan), huffing and puffing, the bikes were finally in the boat. The best part is while your doing all this, the launcher driver's pounding back a 2-4 of Balboa. I can't complain, the bikes are on and safe, were we?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Here's the fun part....Doug is a nice guy. He's a bit of a lonely character, and that's what were here for, but I don't think he's all there...that or his skills aren't up to par. Martin and Kirsten smelled it from a mile away, they were the smart ones. Striaght up, if I had to wait until the 6<sup>th</sup>, it would be my pleasure. The cops pulled up on us as soon as it looked like we were ready to go. Doug wanted to get the exit stamps in Provenir, first sotp in San Blas. They wouldn't let him. They kindly informed us to....can you guess? Take off our bikes and get them checked out in Colon, 40 minutes drive away. No other choice, but of course, theres always another way out. Ronaldo latrer boarded and said he'd help a poor old lonely captain out and just do all the paperwork there in Portobelo. Thank fukin' god.....For Marty and Kirsten, it was already too late. They scrambled at the dis-organization and that was the last we saw of them. Better for us, there's only 4 beds, and now there's four of us. A nice big boat for the three opf us travelers, if only it was nice. The boat's big enough, 40 foot, but its rusting nicely, the ugliest of all the harbours worth of boats. It's old, it smells like the hoof of a horses ass, it's just not appealing. Its leaky, damp, but it does the trick. Hell, we're only going to be on it for 5 days, how bad can it be?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">He arrives almost 2 hours later with news of our departure, and we set off. We get out of the bay and we soon realize what sort of hell awaits us. Its January, if you're gonna sail, sail another time. DO NOT sail to Cartegena in January. None of us really get mocean sickness, usually..Anyway, a nice sunset, and as long as its light out, we're all alright. Dusk falls, it begins.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">6:00pm, hour 1: dark has fallen, we all stay above the cabin because even looking down there is making us sick...we cannot walk aorund down there.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hour 2: Everyone's still on the deck, waves are now 5-6 foot swells, not impossible, but when you can't set your eyes on anything, it starts to affect.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hour 3: Dan takes off downstairs, and I take over the steering while Doug is doing the navigation; its the novice fear of sailing, and concentration of lighthouses and islands that keep me from, well..you know.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hour 4: "Doug, you need to take over, I have to...." you know the rest. Round 1 goes to Ocean.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hour 5: Still huking (not pronounced hugh-king, cause that sounds terrible) , Nik went down, I still can't look into the cabin, still up. Ni'ks bike is trying to make a run for it. Waves are getting bigger, up to 7-8 footers.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hour 6, 7, 8: Bathroom cannot be used, both Nik and I tried and failed miserably. Huking continues, I went down for a bit, as long as my eyes are closed, as with all of us, we seem to be alright...and by alright, I mean twice as bad as food poisoning, oh how I wished I had severe food poisoning instead. Went back on deck and splayed over the floor. Getting cold, lost my shirt. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hour 9: The only time in my life where I feared for my death, and wished I was dead at the same time. Still huking, we're all huking by this point.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hour 10: Things settle down, Captain Stink takes full control (and by full control I mean a terrible auto-pilot system that has to be watched so we don't keep doing circles). He must know what he's doing though, he's been doing this for a while, the only hope we can hold on to...We're all downstairs trying to sleep.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hour 11 and 12: I have no idea how long Dan's been sleeping, but Nik supposedly got 6 hours..bastard. I was lucky to maybe have 2, I can't remember, I've never been so miserable in my life. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hour 13: Sun's up, San Blas i nthe distance, I go under the read a Panama sail guide which surprinsgly helps ease the pain. A few hours later and we're quietly anchored in a calmer (still lots of current) island. Thank.....god......</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">All night I was telling myself that if I had another choice I'd turn around and forget South America, for me, it was that bad. If I have to sail another night, I might mutiny myself, I don't seriously think I can do it. The request has gone out to sail only in daylight, to park ass at night in a quiet cove. Anyway, this is adventure, its too bad we got the worst boat you can ask for. So much food, so little stomach. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So again, I do recommend paying the little bit extra to fly, unless you dead set on San Blas. I think you need a good captain here though, who knows the islands well and will show you a good time. Were letting doug sleep right now, not sure whats on the agenda, but I had a couple swims and a snorkeling session, there's fa rtoo much current here to get a good one in, I hope he'll bring us to a bigger island sheltering the currents so we can have a better go at it. I also want to cehck out some villages and see whats up for purchasing, I read the whole history on the Kuna's and things seem pretty interesting. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I suppose thats all the news I have to write about for now, if you don't hear from me again, I threw myself overboard in hopes of finding solid ground. Hats off to those who can sail, but in my books, scratch that shit off the list, it's too much work. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Day 3: More hell on high water.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Even though we're still in San Blas, we're taking on more waves. Can't really avoid them, even with the reef. We stayed between a couple of islands that provided us with shelter from the elements, a nice break for sure. We got to snorkel through some rough currents, seeing some starfish and schools of some silver-looking fish. We checked out the islands, but most of the day was used for recuperation. Today we're heading to another bigger island, we better get there fast or I'm about due for some huking. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Day 3 part 2: Mutiny?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The captain is trying to charge us more money....now....out here....by some random islands in the eastern Caribbean. Sigh. Kirsten and Martin were right, I told you before they smelled something wrong with this guy (beyond his horrible stench) and they were right on the penny. We anchored off Bandero Cays, a little windy here and the weather is shitty (apologies for lackluster writing before but the waves tossed around the brain a little bit). Anyway, we anchor for an hour, when Doug comes up to me asking for the missing 9 dollars...the ones Nik spent on him for his gingerale and the ice. Great, we pay for groceries. Anyway, beyond that, hes asking out of nowhere for 25 dollars for money he forgot to mention before we got on. Oh, that and we're now having to pay to unload the bikes at Turbo, a price any other captain always includes in the price. Arent we lucky? 30 minutes of debating and how we're being cheated, but no, hes being cheated. Back and forth, remember Rob...always make contracts...always, your in business you fool. Long story short, no agreement yet, but hes in the wrong and now we're paying for it. Let's see what happens. So far, we're not paying the 25.00 for the "food credit" not applied to the bikes. Forget it. There's three of us and one of him...mutiny it will be, I can run the motor, and run the boat aground if I have to. The Stalhratte has just passed by us, and oh how we all long to be on this massively impressive ship. We should've waited for the next boat, now we are paying for it. He's a nice guy, but you can't go changing the price once we're half way there, changing stories and telling us lies. The story continues.....<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Part 1 of the videolog explaining the rest of our boat ride<br />
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Finally....the last installment of our trip through hell!!!<br />
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So yeah, I've put you through hell listening and watching our journey, so heres a whole bunch of pictures to keep you from never coming back to my blog :) And again, sorry this has taken so long to post, but its taken a long time to upload the videos to youtube.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlu3qeurMQQVAgPkYwWSAgpJDANG4NisKP4iJlObvPkO-2vN9x_VFrfliwo2NZqeU2USVm1hMbRoRQZ2ffMy0EmdXDsPeQrk1z1MGfr-ApeJYDJR-jOM-hVPPgFPCFvStRv0UmNPqksY/s1600/IMG_2839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqlu3qeurMQQVAgPkYwWSAgpJDANG4NisKP4iJlObvPkO-2vN9x_VFrfliwo2NZqeU2USVm1hMbRoRQZ2ffMy0EmdXDsPeQrk1z1MGfr-ApeJYDJR-jOM-hVPPgFPCFvStRv0UmNPqksY/s640/IMG_2839.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Panama Canal, Gustan Locks! The boat in this pic cost 8 grand to pass through</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figured I'd be a little educational, just in case you wanted to know how the locks worked</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNO9bu2MK4yEjxWuOUQU2G07E3aRbq1ywf4opO9talLLfjRLt8esxb0CM9rW8_9fv4EsavmpMsfjYEC2IK1l41LkLT01i2fgEWmKD549I6w_O9xy9nymhNeTyhnpRgtmhd6-0gmjdFvHE/s1600/IMG_2844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNO9bu2MK4yEjxWuOUQU2G07E3aRbq1ywf4opO9talLLfjRLt8esxb0CM9rW8_9fv4EsavmpMsfjYEC2IK1l41LkLT01i2fgEWmKD549I6w_O9xy9nymhNeTyhnpRgtmhd6-0gmjdFvHE/s640/IMG_2844.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part Deux</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPe0Dvy6YWyBHwDUhj_pbXvNjLijypBoUzT1vzhcjMFUetav9QTq4N8QbmQ-YpS9ED1J9fdxpn9FHLfPEhzdi3wWlQJzGS4iL9cjQV-oeZvHHh4eKGfTkQ7AQ8uIxIvsid8d7lcuBZOJY/s1600/IMG_2851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPe0Dvy6YWyBHwDUhj_pbXvNjLijypBoUzT1vzhcjMFUetav9QTq4N8QbmQ-YpS9ED1J9fdxpn9FHLfPEhzdi3wWlQJzGS4iL9cjQV-oeZvHHh4eKGfTkQ7AQ8uIxIvsid8d7lcuBZOJY/s640/IMG_2851.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More viewing pleasure, other than this vantage point, not much else to the lock tour</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D79AYyDM-HUGDsSGH8Lha12eDSQQyVuDODUMsNRFkxnMuBWpRMSk3J_cVmM3ROdNNqwisG4ag_T6iESj5NQr-3eOk_ItGGBfRCChBJWoLA9cNA86Jqtk8soTakPtFX15UhUf9opkNZk/s1600/IMG_2855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D79AYyDM-HUGDsSGH8Lha12eDSQQyVuDODUMsNRFkxnMuBWpRMSk3J_cVmM3ROdNNqwisG4ag_T6iESj5NQr-3eOk_ItGGBfRCChBJWoLA9cNA86Jqtk8soTakPtFX15UhUf9opkNZk/s640/IMG_2855.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But I'll smile anyway!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRUzKzhCGLd4_zqIMihI5VFmWCMBBTHaupFRpJAOnvrGlQhZV1GM5cFnjR0LkCD59j5oZzVxLkHsxXnjkNYqj-gk2eW5f-gXnycy7Euyx1M61FD7EYJTHV4itK1-I8d6OgZ0eyYaORvY/s1600/IMG_2856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyRUzKzhCGLd4_zqIMihI5VFmWCMBBTHaupFRpJAOnvrGlQhZV1GM5cFnjR0LkCD59j5oZzVxLkHsxXnjkNYqj-gk2eW5f-gXnycy7Euyx1M61FD7EYJTHV4itK1-I8d6OgZ0eyYaORvY/s640/IMG_2856.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did I say Gustan before....shame...for shame</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yP3l0OEr-5xQFJbhuJywLF2jttBulVF921Ec7Y9WeTtSUd740aBwTcKt0-JpJgu09P3C7wWeGACJ_RtqYqm5JObksh0Z3rmPVGm1qqu9CCPU6dlPzlr66Am4gf_Rq9ckPvhDUtlPdkk/s1600/IMG_2857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8yP3l0OEr-5xQFJbhuJywLF2jttBulVF921Ec7Y9WeTtSUd740aBwTcKt0-JpJgu09P3C7wWeGACJ_RtqYqm5JObksh0Z3rmPVGm1qqu9CCPU6dlPzlr66Am4gf_Rq9ckPvhDUtlPdkk/s640/IMG_2857.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rollin' in dough, all the damn time. We're not rich....anymore..Dirty Doug has all our monies</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IGSJCw06xYs7EYKpRv6Q4b5F9pA3bVa8LhFGELCa4jPGe8QtoUjJFv_7QQ07ONQckWuNDFKhZB1CowhAYSjVCOpfDWitsPjoZkNJWQULo4v4Nbc1OBAMf8oIytiEbrKAXw0PcaM4T6k/s1600/IMG_2859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-IGSJCw06xYs7EYKpRv6Q4b5F9pA3bVa8LhFGELCa4jPGe8QtoUjJFv_7QQ07ONQckWuNDFKhZB1CowhAYSjVCOpfDWitsPjoZkNJWQULo4v4Nbc1OBAMf8oIytiEbrKAXw0PcaM4T6k/s640/IMG_2859.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little sun shower the day of the trip</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZixCT3iytUWTgEtfLpw6_vSsh5Yw2W9CctA_9am2DAPPplRmo4ZLlTKkIQV9lcOHRZutFHH3Q9YvUOubhDQdJzWcqfoFJcaeVQO9TpprB2OyVf4A_4buGc9qlqUDsySxGt5TPrGqNpk/s1600/IMG_2860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZixCT3iytUWTgEtfLpw6_vSsh5Yw2W9CctA_9am2DAPPplRmo4ZLlTKkIQV9lcOHRZutFHH3Q9YvUOubhDQdJzWcqfoFJcaeVQO9TpprB2OyVf4A_4buGc9qlqUDsySxGt5TPrGqNpk/s640/IMG_2860.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tow from the night before</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pQPiSrXpXHqncn995QzEFF-mWTTbGiyfSZIPoGRhYx8nmL-4t2q3aID4Bsu9OCvLu_IILVoJ1BEIlrSg2areVMDHMVH-ZMz3Thohj1ii-uqC-86xQOsP8G8ZhWdxngy7SoPQ30nB-A8/s1600/IMG_2865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6pQPiSrXpXHqncn995QzEFF-mWTTbGiyfSZIPoGRhYx8nmL-4t2q3aID4Bsu9OCvLu_IILVoJ1BEIlrSg2areVMDHMVH-ZMz3Thohj1ii-uqC-86xQOsP8G8ZhWdxngy7SoPQ30nB-A8/s640/IMG_2865.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the landslide that took out the town, electricity, families...sad stuff:(</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh2_VxOE62fqoNgOVo2HQiwm32NDSz8hD01yKolLZlubThx7zOZlBiH3YdtHee5mn6N01r8APgC2ubcufkqhMfxJABZVjq4G_E8dARgpXdZfnfjPEjJuZwQZthpM0Z7mWhZPhMTPQNuc/s1600/IMG_2868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuh2_VxOE62fqoNgOVo2HQiwm32NDSz8hD01yKolLZlubThx7zOZlBiH3YdtHee5mn6N01r8APgC2ubcufkqhMfxJABZVjq4G_E8dARgpXdZfnfjPEjJuZwQZthpM0Z7mWhZPhMTPQNuc/s640/IMG_2868.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Which bike goes in the drink first?</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCRu1cPYF7YOtiU35cyJ3xMkthxR49VWc-TvaxBmJbnU0Rc6mQ2wPY9PIcz4dlOgF0bWBc09M8h3YAddALfyLQFYbFBYFFFE1WHuspDgY-6R8cR4q9nDo4FCyceL3qngxCCYcXYRhcQg/s1600/IMG_2874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCRu1cPYF7YOtiU35cyJ3xMkthxR49VWc-TvaxBmJbnU0Rc6mQ2wPY9PIcz4dlOgF0bWBc09M8h3YAddALfyLQFYbFBYFFFE1WHuspDgY-6R8cR4q9nDo4FCyceL3qngxCCYcXYRhcQg/s640/IMG_2874.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barely alive and pants full of you know what</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1iumK7JbAZ0ssL4NzTTzHvmJ0ILIbw4e3cZRbpC7y81sfppHtDYJLdHI9XUL_W56vKwhe4ZB-cljG0fQfkgxE7hzkhsWsAjjtANWrnsU132UYPXz5bcofpMFn_B4PIMO2AOqQmcLLQg/s1600/IMG_2883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY1iumK7JbAZ0ssL4NzTTzHvmJ0ILIbw4e3cZRbpC7y81sfppHtDYJLdHI9XUL_W56vKwhe4ZB-cljG0fQfkgxE7hzkhsWsAjjtANWrnsU132UYPXz5bcofpMFn_B4PIMO2AOqQmcLLQg/s640/IMG_2883.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Still not happy, heading out into the ocean</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_CV4_T0LzDv8ZOFciTZv-NQ9Nkc7vnbleA1nihTpZqpq3N5UVH5iB1lsLl7E29btsSQNx6i4bpHFqRIYkroabjpjZ2lDJxSam6wxaEZHm3FVM48xqy6b26sTfIC4-d4BbWptx-3Z2PQ/s1600/IMG_2885.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3_CV4_T0LzDv8ZOFciTZv-NQ9Nkc7vnbleA1nihTpZqpq3N5UVH5iB1lsLl7E29btsSQNx6i4bpHFqRIYkroabjpjZ2lDJxSam6wxaEZHm3FVM48xqy6b26sTfIC4-d4BbWptx-3Z2PQ/s640/IMG_2885.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to get creative waiting for impending doom</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_iPVxSM83vlDmE2N1ftviWdnCQAMjXvmOt_5eRdLXBwNofgpyBCcgrmykY8J_cAoLSX3zwYq9TkxuXcgANMb56RakbK-ZHM76cD3Wde4a7KsFjQTMosnU_IAOLFvEf46YCtbETyVtbU/s1600/IMG_2887.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_iPVxSM83vlDmE2N1ftviWdnCQAMjXvmOt_5eRdLXBwNofgpyBCcgrmykY8J_cAoLSX3zwYq9TkxuXcgANMb56RakbK-ZHM76cD3Wde4a7KsFjQTMosnU_IAOLFvEf46YCtbETyVtbU/s640/IMG_2887.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While we unloaded, the drunken pilot did some unloading of his own</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3Fsd5Zk3a1b6nntSRlQNCanX6rlku7dZ85zs1vz-ZcxregJgBs4gIGimn4zn0rAWlK_MePeOKhEZ9mXqBY1tthIsaASEEG9iT5OxP-vs8E_GkhzjUp3zCtE1amfhDlHunchUKd5FZis/s1600/IMG_2889.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho3Fsd5Zk3a1b6nntSRlQNCanX6rlku7dZ85zs1vz-ZcxregJgBs4gIGimn4zn0rAWlK_MePeOKhEZ9mXqBY1tthIsaASEEG9iT5OxP-vs8E_GkhzjUp3zCtE1amfhDlHunchUKd5FZis/s640/IMG_2889.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Told you he was drunk</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjmZnTi_9f6CZDLpDvbGFqtbG2NFf8RW-yW7_hIobfbkQhtSGLRsV-w3IfwT58j-h1MilaaXeTi5RprqEDOsbMrlBJMIsMnb52b7vskJkbBMNuLzN_lcEv0GQlHhJqG1sKg-i7VG4T7M/s1600/IMG_2895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDjmZnTi_9f6CZDLpDvbGFqtbG2NFf8RW-yW7_hIobfbkQhtSGLRsV-w3IfwT58j-h1MilaaXeTi5RprqEDOsbMrlBJMIsMnb52b7vskJkbBMNuLzN_lcEv0GQlHhJqG1sKg-i7VG4T7M/s640/IMG_2895.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik was pissed having to get our precious captain his ginger ale and hielo</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZMrbFJryIu4Yp83oPW5wYrKTRgZ_e7YvwA0PstDQrqdtY-94spbWSg4aomqnaaGfjBPcfouLWTa3Vq4WRZfPxG4rBYozio58OZALjLmnf0yRoSmXVSv8wU-yIoa7L4MkpGNz1FBWMk4/s1600/IMG_2900.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqZMrbFJryIu4Yp83oPW5wYrKTRgZ_e7YvwA0PstDQrqdtY-94spbWSg4aomqnaaGfjBPcfouLWTa3Vq4WRZfPxG4rBYozio58OZALjLmnf0yRoSmXVSv8wU-yIoa7L4MkpGNz1FBWMk4/s640/IMG_2900.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first sunset, the calmest ocean I wish we would of had the whole way</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LZ_iG0YMTPC1e-v3pTQnyVpjxpY9SqhPj9XxCThXN0DTZ_T65oC4rxSIu56vGMtXBsSoUfRKG9e5nK-IIr9h3hqJjUYYQSlcfFfEJyayq2ZMuQMQtJ-Urg1ICKZZV421Tx-PjPWJIak/s1600/IMG_2918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0LZ_iG0YMTPC1e-v3pTQnyVpjxpY9SqhPj9XxCThXN0DTZ_T65oC4rxSIu56vGMtXBsSoUfRKG9e5nK-IIr9h3hqJjUYYQSlcfFfEJyayq2ZMuQMQtJ-Urg1ICKZZV421Tx-PjPWJIak/s640/IMG_2918.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it...WE MADE IT...AAAAAHHH, this is a puke face</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6d_N7V37f37PCanxPbdgbOxuA8INwwZ0yCmYapucJNQfRGA9nqwLljK9B-GuJmCJL3q6R4gai9RcGWR5Ac-OLcVVWv8zR9p8-PqKMcUtgVfGF_7fZOV0m2K1Jphd8gdOYd18iJilRBQ/s1600/IMG_2927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6d_N7V37f37PCanxPbdgbOxuA8INwwZ0yCmYapucJNQfRGA9nqwLljK9B-GuJmCJL3q6R4gai9RcGWR5Ac-OLcVVWv8zR9p8-PqKMcUtgVfGF_7fZOV0m2K1Jphd8gdOYd18iJilRBQ/s640/IMG_2927.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan bought us dinner, but then felt bad and threw it back overboard for the fisherman to catch again</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwHw-HI0WkQ5pVzmA-38KBiAg9xakKD0EiefuExbZWjywFcjM3HkTshixHtRiGcOdaEXxqcnfjTLReTKwZOY01MJK9J2DDF740xWgA1vTA3fR7VporY7pTQuwrrX6mmM7Q6s0HQKSaQY/s1600/IMG_2932.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwHw-HI0WkQ5pVzmA-38KBiAg9xakKD0EiefuExbZWjywFcjM3HkTshixHtRiGcOdaEXxqcnfjTLReTKwZOY01MJK9J2DDF740xWgA1vTA3fR7VporY7pTQuwrrX6mmM7Q6s0HQKSaQY/s640/IMG_2932.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice sunset viewed by many who anchored with us</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_TH13VH59_XP-4JFIfkreAc5cqYtOER4ho7oIOxo8qWN-hMMgpG5uVjnJnjelhUhKacF-wEOicn0Q4PbjAVWpUtD03yfAFNIxy_kqGfPYzAn-pC67H8I1l782C8NbKmd9qyowc3Wjhk/s1600/IMG_2933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy_TH13VH59_XP-4JFIfkreAc5cqYtOER4ho7oIOxo8qWN-hMMgpG5uVjnJnjelhUhKacF-wEOicn0Q4PbjAVWpUtD03yfAFNIxy_kqGfPYzAn-pC67H8I1l782C8NbKmd9qyowc3Wjhk/s640/IMG_2933.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik's just as happy as I was</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXMtYeDj0QA/TVNAG_LlulI/AAAAAAAAAXs/LmUk3uSx3uM/s1600/IMG_2934.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wXMtYeDj0QA/TVNAG_LlulI/AAAAAAAAAXs/LmUk3uSx3uM/s640/IMG_2934.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, I might have taken it overboard...I grew a chinstrap with my skin</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUG1f_wNwI4c2jHBCl3JIT_qcbN_eG_hZU6eHCVVmsHZ9e8Jh_zLLOXs0N1uNsravD-yzZTCc5av2t4S8_7JDYETtvsp5OtyJNHlRoJDvs_9Fzhypai9n1uNoWG8rn6Jq4n9aUJCvZI4/s1600/IMG_2936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsUG1f_wNwI4c2jHBCl3JIT_qcbN_eG_hZU6eHCVVmsHZ9e8Jh_zLLOXs0N1uNsravD-yzZTCc5av2t4S8_7JDYETtvsp5OtyJNHlRoJDvs_9Fzhypai9n1uNoWG8rn6Jq4n9aUJCvZI4/s640/IMG_2936.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I would have much prefered this yacht...seadoo and all</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpXSu12YTVPpync2vb_bTdHeSxMNmdxWfbnHytMDmlcu1rSvoaSRyiQS8YEQ54RTw_8gwc_6srIiKP85jn-ezeCUm7ytGKhHzIx8S7ZwtQGPtrFnOzfDGNSuz89HA_biFpEB8TJ43e04/s1600/IMG_2946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqpXSu12YTVPpync2vb_bTdHeSxMNmdxWfbnHytMDmlcu1rSvoaSRyiQS8YEQ54RTw_8gwc_6srIiKP85jn-ezeCUm7ytGKhHzIx8S7ZwtQGPtrFnOzfDGNSuz89HA_biFpEB8TJ43e04/s640/IMG_2946.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh oh wait, THIS is the boat we wanted to really take (Stahlratte)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCEcYocFUPcu0tgDZop27t9-EjF2eA5iUqxaHu7U7cN3tGrB9thBLHUem6N8vHosf53Dwyik3eMtG4ZWZdwvUDfx2vWd7brP4l_Drwje5qX92m7m1GuQ66yFIWVTgfjM-5KoOh45uB4U/s1600/IMG_2947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtCEcYocFUPcu0tgDZop27t9-EjF2eA5iUqxaHu7U7cN3tGrB9thBLHUem6N8vHosf53Dwyik3eMtG4ZWZdwvUDfx2vWd7brP4l_Drwje5qX92m7m1GuQ66yFIWVTgfjM-5KoOh45uB4U/s640/IMG_2947.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These birdies came to watch the sunset too</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1Hs-5kYDgloGjHG2S86QGmAHSeGmeiTVSx1_UfVV0t1jUOQ30r7xObOLAnhRd7mQwoH4DesNWq7MNKtghI4u_2IbqeAo9PbF__4Z7jtCA3DvK4ABSm69vn7d85OnkW375fUZnNKWU24/s1600/IMG_2952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1Hs-5kYDgloGjHG2S86QGmAHSeGmeiTVSx1_UfVV0t1jUOQ30r7xObOLAnhRd7mQwoH4DesNWq7MNKtghI4u_2IbqeAo9PbF__4Z7jtCA3DvK4ABSm69vn7d85OnkW375fUZnNKWU24/s640/IMG_2952.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite pic of the trip, this sums up San Blas pretty well</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQ_6SHFo5T9bpUM00uSSX0HD-cRFDTYVQZgrk3qmTztG4fvRQeSWhjQXY4TNjsFyRyE1rhyphenhyphenMY-ljWQnFMp4kYFgp7s67VMKRSjQITEOExMXHarbu9f7dn88nXpHDFUT2YzljQBoLPw9E/s1600/IMG_2963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQ_6SHFo5T9bpUM00uSSX0HD-cRFDTYVQZgrk3qmTztG4fvRQeSWhjQXY4TNjsFyRyE1rhyphenhyphenMY-ljWQnFMp4kYFgp7s67VMKRSjQITEOExMXHarbu9f7dn88nXpHDFUT2YzljQBoLPw9E/s640/IMG_2963.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climb climb climb!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWzXNB5F1azDcgxMNtdHZr-4D5gMWpZqPAKDJIMttnBPXQAz6zCLY-P6TQ96Jvau272RdQmUXU_X3JFArxVf4ijvSJvTaNAsAufbWL7ogFsUxlDG3iEELL5KmeCsiPqkjeSGN2EXboS8/s1600/IMG_2987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWzXNB5F1azDcgxMNtdHZr-4D5gMWpZqPAKDJIMttnBPXQAz6zCLY-P6TQ96Jvau272RdQmUXU_X3JFArxVf4ijvSJvTaNAsAufbWL7ogFsUxlDG3iEELL5KmeCsiPqkjeSGN2EXboS8/s640/IMG_2987.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little dolphin action on the rough seas</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAJSOUNqPXnMW818Hzt9wNag4nqu4SN0V8wsvOIv5Uh0w6S9WVyMVyuEEHwi8IrgMIeVW3yVJUmwLFLM3qdrKoJ1YItbgLDSoHXcjpT1fVUaGgpkbdLNQa-N-B5nUe8sv5I1g4mUwrUQ/s1600/IMG_3001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidAJSOUNqPXnMW818Hzt9wNag4nqu4SN0V8wsvOIv5Uh0w6S9WVyMVyuEEHwi8IrgMIeVW3yVJUmwLFLM3qdrKoJ1YItbgLDSoHXcjpT1fVUaGgpkbdLNQa-N-B5nUe8sv5I1g4mUwrUQ/s640/IMG_3001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little after-ocean cleanup and tuneup...didn't help too much, bikes were destroyed (following pics)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbQLE_rCfbTwfDR_ruTpiocWlIJoixnAGex4Kxs2NbMI_HQBaPy45THTSYHKEhoe3lhGyqSmsmSFLc3PuRPn-HX8NyOb7WzxYtWyQ3f8gNszLYVNBLFXUaMgn2_7bxJFyInpykDtZH_0/s1600/IMG_3002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbQLE_rCfbTwfDR_ruTpiocWlIJoixnAGex4Kxs2NbMI_HQBaPy45THTSYHKEhoe3lhGyqSmsmSFLc3PuRPn-HX8NyOb7WzxYtWyQ3f8gNszLYVNBLFXUaMgn2_7bxJFyInpykDtZH_0/s640/IMG_3002.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibit A: No mirror, broken handguard</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJMIC7oFXvIstUo3R7bka4d_EsomwZqQr5PHzXWh2CnxWouo2g7yEM_87OdIzq_1PWqNBqaN7VPLDCKAmociUlSDa9WpLP2p1h9b0BW7YUOwAvLeepYq6l2NuvoaVF1o8pUVFctK842s/s1600/IMG_3003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJMIC7oFXvIstUo3R7bka4d_EsomwZqQr5PHzXWh2CnxWouo2g7yEM_87OdIzq_1PWqNBqaN7VPLDCKAmociUlSDa9WpLP2p1h9b0BW7YUOwAvLeepYq6l2NuvoaVF1o8pUVFctK842s/s640/IMG_3003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibit B: Spark Plug replacement, fried electronics</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjCqnUEC1Gk0YcjuXsjJ4P-hhIQxskwbGfdZRryTZaHlffyu9hTgKVcaJu4WxLVM505h2Cf9t3rUlwGIvbdXkfj_2HGbstm57HtTcaYAuRjkh70j4n7j1-TrIdwGmx7EuoKuKxOLaTJE/s1600/IMG_3005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjCqnUEC1Gk0YcjuXsjJ4P-hhIQxskwbGfdZRryTZaHlffyu9hTgKVcaJu4WxLVM505h2Cf9t3rUlwGIvbdXkfj_2HGbstm57HtTcaYAuRjkh70j4n7j1-TrIdwGmx7EuoKuKxOLaTJE/s640/IMG_3005.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibit C: Still in progress</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyL1b1UhzUPTjx5iyeVYxsuLb88WlAD1OomCUB6f35HNAkeBA-Xe1TAgnWwF52EqKHzO5CiwBII2GEh_bTzQ9WQ3gu-9dZPYBj0ZmGEFm8sQ9kItjnsy2xLv_PbCWuyvXxMwSMRmnszY/s1600/IMG_3006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJyL1b1UhzUPTjx5iyeVYxsuLb88WlAD1OomCUB6f35HNAkeBA-Xe1TAgnWwF52EqKHzO5CiwBII2GEh_bTzQ9WQ3gu-9dZPYBj0ZmGEFm8sQ9kItjnsy2xLv_PbCWuyvXxMwSMRmnszY/s640/IMG_3006.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rusty brake rotors, clean tire tho!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq8DpaRRM8ND6F0GAm0QSvEwye1W3RsHp_qfPduZXHiAfrH2QvXYw5HoxULsGBRlO6fIK4Y_RCrnSTqLnkiRwssj7v4S0N8Kb9F_T7N9FJi9OBOwFU9lRr7b6L4vYnG_8jzRSVtLd3sk/s1600/IMG_3007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyq8DpaRRM8ND6F0GAm0QSvEwye1W3RsHp_qfPduZXHiAfrH2QvXYw5HoxULsGBRlO6fIK4Y_RCrnSTqLnkiRwssj7v4S0N8Kb9F_T7N9FJi9OBOwFU9lRr7b6L4vYnG_8jzRSVtLd3sk/s640/IMG_3007.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My clean chain, for once! Finally looks good.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PcjbalGRbz3XTjvbePx8m-4sG7wGWuFzs3DyYjJHZFovBykaQqopyY2swxWDJ2gXPzTK8zugpOsnDxLXJ-2UQKox_kyegs_I_iNln4q0rWIDZK5A0_SlBUx5x50f4RYxSq5qUwjCgN8/s1600/IMG_3008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PcjbalGRbz3XTjvbePx8m-4sG7wGWuFzs3DyYjJHZFovBykaQqopyY2swxWDJ2gXPzTK8zugpOsnDxLXJ-2UQKox_kyegs_I_iNln4q0rWIDZK5A0_SlBUx5x50f4RYxSq5qUwjCgN8/s640/IMG_3008.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dan's, not so much</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Next post, probably tonight haha</div>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-43348338724879292192011-01-30T13:32:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:13:15.836-04:00MEGA PIC POST - Rob<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino8ylFQkkwr9jFFhsEaQHUqxOgLEL-l64Kkn3-y3HRRWIy9o0Jg7r0biTKKgjqXkkiDrhPzxcF6YtPcNbrFzDMdwL7Am7tjntwZ7sabIpZTvOsv55_ny5YL5XOgFckApGm8AiF0eCm8o/s1600/IMG_2741.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEino8ylFQkkwr9jFFhsEaQHUqxOgLEL-l64Kkn3-y3HRRWIy9o0Jg7r0biTKKgjqXkkiDrhPzxcF6YtPcNbrFzDMdwL7Am7tjntwZ7sabIpZTvOsv55_ny5YL5XOgFckApGm8AiF0eCm8o/s640/IMG_2741.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik NOT enjoying the paradise behind him, jk I'm the computer whore</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXmY8mWNONQwebPvVEXM6MIfl35fyYj2EpPZ9EoOkESK_kXGGxk0o5uF0dBYqy5kYzzzywMOoaQWoufBplOeOkAwQBRCZpCB86nr3nG2FoNGZkcdgn9f0JSXb6B4sQJBx-ECgDkGLido/s1600/IMG_2743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFXmY8mWNONQwebPvVEXM6MIfl35fyYj2EpPZ9EoOkESK_kXGGxk0o5uF0dBYqy5kYzzzywMOoaQWoufBplOeOkAwQBRCZpCB86nr3nG2FoNGZkcdgn9f0JSXb6B4sQJBx-ECgDkGLido/s640/IMG_2743.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Paradise Inn Casino Pool</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTAQnKVB3xwEwqhGWuo0BKuOZ0AmuHsuseXhvDwuUQhpIGgStjLRaafSytiusWAswhkoKjVQZ0gB0YdHr_Wu-RMEa3BHOPqY5W1NfvXwUyadSO76hVO487dRniYyBbvj7Z15HE6ePiP0/s1600/IMG_2747.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxTAQnKVB3xwEwqhGWuo0BKuOZ0AmuHsuseXhvDwuUQhpIGgStjLRaafSytiusWAswhkoKjVQZ0gB0YdHr_Wu-RMEa3BHOPqY5W1NfvXwUyadSO76hVO487dRniYyBbvj7Z15HE6ePiP0/s640/IMG_2747.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started a photoshoot here because I thought it was so beautiful</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCsK8rJ_Ttx4ReeE5pCIBCKHKN4L_6hhIItxbPkwm2SBEyZNjAzfRSe09A-2S6dgbqTQHqHYKv83rcSppcMUqp0K3oP445N3bzyi8M0PkFFNjCAvIHSBfhUNPb-tIRCIrjOjGDaICgJw/s1600/IMG_2754.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjCsK8rJ_Ttx4ReeE5pCIBCKHKN4L_6hhIItxbPkwm2SBEyZNjAzfRSe09A-2S6dgbqTQHqHYKv83rcSppcMUqp0K3oP445N3bzyi8M0PkFFNjCAvIHSBfhUNPb-tIRCIrjOjGDaICgJw/s640/IMG_2754.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The whole hotel was lit up with the awesome potlights.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITDc9zzXsLNdo1N3_8ujo2UB9-NYa7K5WWFcITAUrMpiQLZxROyqQi9NWsJeq5zh8rH_Y3g0xCNlOC7nXDIzmoD9QTYfnqlzou5HiyCsUH0Yg3tJC9N26ChIZE2fVdUcPmQFzGeXJ-RQ/s1600/IMG_2759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITDc9zzXsLNdo1N3_8ujo2UB9-NYa7K5WWFcITAUrMpiQLZxROyqQi9NWsJeq5zh8rH_Y3g0xCNlOC7nXDIzmoD9QTYfnqlzou5HiyCsUH0Yg3tJC9N26ChIZE2fVdUcPmQFzGeXJ-RQ/s640/IMG_2759.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I stayed in this pool all night.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdEPR52UgQn2V4TH0fj5CPD3LPG-0trvJ391IqOCUMbOGlfdZo5IDHPrrmFSR7FLCcboMo1llzEg_8lQYcwKmvW_yZ9TwbVTpFk9-2JW3ozK1HElFerGriIo2L7Tfw1e4TNkaWoRvW2w/s1600/IMG_2769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdEPR52UgQn2V4TH0fj5CPD3LPG-0trvJ391IqOCUMbOGlfdZo5IDHPrrmFSR7FLCcboMo1llzEg_8lQYcwKmvW_yZ9TwbVTpFk9-2JW3ozK1HElFerGriIo2L7Tfw1e4TNkaWoRvW2w/s640/IMG_2769.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how much I enjoyed it, Nik on his damn computer</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYi4VZoRvte3C2keSt-g3IQQiXvSILCPXPEjOoehgpPm5BHB6LP2QanpJ3Hydt-sVsgPwAOW0tMclq3klK31DitHkCK3QKJQ5LNyrzaN7eRHWEC9VDiVur0y3bu86jBQ8yoh3I1BO-Y4/s1600/IMG_2774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicYi4VZoRvte3C2keSt-g3IQQiXvSILCPXPEjOoehgpPm5BHB6LP2QanpJ3Hydt-sVsgPwAOW0tMclq3klK31DitHkCK3QKJQ5LNyrzaN7eRHWEC9VDiVur0y3bu86jBQ8yoh3I1BO-Y4/s640/IMG_2774.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's stars in here somewhere</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr3N06PKABqeGDPXKGZnK3vsdI6nI199WbhdjPg2bw6knsYXOlHKzBrsEJvUolbzQ6kTzgC718marStSVgZecQJa5sb26-N8aPEl4XwPKEBstuH9xPBAt084Jz8BP6H48ls8WrlVChHM/s1600/IMG_2779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitr3N06PKABqeGDPXKGZnK3vsdI6nI199WbhdjPg2bw6knsYXOlHKzBrsEJvUolbzQ6kTzgC718marStSVgZecQJa5sb26-N8aPEl4XwPKEBstuH9xPBAt084Jz8BP6H48ls8WrlVChHM/s640/IMG_2779.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biggest room yet, surprisingly, not the messiest</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTPLwSf9uoM950yKyBxAytYnu-I01dqTG_H77bfuvZhd3PeAgdkKY9j8NxrYMWhQQAGjSGfRq2AqQS1w3c4MbLyz7xPaAttYp904DxspFY0SdtaLWmEbIELQRCcCaUXguvtYNPWiOw0M/s1600/IMG_2783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMTPLwSf9uoM950yKyBxAytYnu-I01dqTG_H77bfuvZhd3PeAgdkKY9j8NxrYMWhQQAGjSGfRq2AqQS1w3c4MbLyz7xPaAttYp904DxspFY0SdtaLWmEbIELQRCcCaUXguvtYNPWiOw0M/s640/IMG_2783.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every time I see a Mcdonald's, I smile a thousand smiles</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaL57so8VzwJluNo04WKsg1zdNhFxZUXRwOUaLNfsVTixBPbA5M-7wp7ExuXV3KGT2YR9iEro-7sF1ou9a7YOR2bEkCuwHReP_32IDdIEDABoBvLbIPju8VNOPhEO8JWpxpAeoGSnbrF8/s1600/IMG_2787.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaL57so8VzwJluNo04WKsg1zdNhFxZUXRwOUaLNfsVTixBPbA5M-7wp7ExuXV3KGT2YR9iEro-7sF1ou9a7YOR2bEkCuwHReP_32IDdIEDABoBvLbIPju8VNOPhEO8JWpxpAeoGSnbrF8/s640/IMG_2787.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our new hotel.....you can't beat it hard as you may try</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnDxZQU_bYWNnILjdZW6ta73GdIO4-cGa0R8v_UFIAWN8eAV4cKtz2c5TpXMpIx62eEJhY6222MNQnpbjrBiMhANgRx-TW_yxdi2caIWTh_Oiuo0zuyMkIGpP1QFuOEGrCXu0OO1dRIE/s1600/IMG_2788.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhnDxZQU_bYWNnILjdZW6ta73GdIO4-cGa0R8v_UFIAWN8eAV4cKtz2c5TpXMpIx62eEJhY6222MNQnpbjrBiMhANgRx-TW_yxdi2caIWTh_Oiuo0zuyMkIGpP1QFuOEGrCXu0OO1dRIE/s640/IMG_2788.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture makes it look better than it really is</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqY2cnsr4fTSqNo_uX0D-ZSZ9zSzbIeZyL9T0sKhhgpIoLSstlOX2HjyspQFyFzEEC8x4_NXeqdLAZF2ooU11BV0LKxyZbjL-K5IxD15oYYOcjsFMVK1vy4SaW3UzznjYHxcia_Et0WY/s1600/IMG_2789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPqY2cnsr4fTSqNo_uX0D-ZSZ9zSzbIeZyL9T0sKhhgpIoLSstlOX2HjyspQFyFzEEC8x4_NXeqdLAZF2ooU11BV0LKxyZbjL-K5IxD15oYYOcjsFMVK1vy4SaW3UzznjYHxcia_Et0WY/s640/IMG_2789.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The port town of Portobello, really historic, worth a visit</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXLSPd7wNVKvh127kAg1f2JquafL4ogizLLzECk66Z9vJOwMjbL1AdwWr-AEhcM6po23dl6BAIXi8H2Cm8rTEybfCtFsCZNfFrYo8EX2-7nt0hCbq4lqHoS9pz-kpU5Vq7DJAzb-pcMY/s1600/IMG_2795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRXLSPd7wNVKvh127kAg1f2JquafL4ogizLLzECk66Z9vJOwMjbL1AdwWr-AEhcM6po23dl6BAIXi8H2Cm8rTEybfCtFsCZNfFrYo8EX2-7nt0hCbq4lqHoS9pz-kpU5Vq7DJAzb-pcMY/s640/IMG_2795.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sudden storms wash everything about once a day</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgHTaVBvChaDaebQI5JHoV9E4sZsbb0Xm1JMb_toAPIcPS_rHbER75ZdBz0F1I5nfQxMx2C2TjkvK_UPK3Tjyut3SzEBbrzYUikFRZA-oEvTwfrfs3jJo5B3PC9YAK2zTdNpFu6bw8VE/s1600/IMG_2835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsgHTaVBvChaDaebQI5JHoV9E4sZsbb0Xm1JMb_toAPIcPS_rHbER75ZdBz0F1I5nfQxMx2C2TjkvK_UPK3Tjyut3SzEBbrzYUikFRZA-oEvTwfrfs3jJo5B3PC9YAK2zTdNpFu6bw8VE/s640/IMG_2835.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMdCsz35bYDqiG-PMOjK5ImzazUVwWyr4PwO5c6zARECs7iGTew2XZD9iMVIUvFT0zpbiOXRPMwC7gKZg2PQAVt-r3fdvHsWQZc-J4rMcg1coj7ETOHIPqzOtsd6GoKM06ytHHAeHQnU/s1600/IMG_2799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMdCsz35bYDqiG-PMOjK5ImzazUVwWyr4PwO5c6zARECs7iGTew2XZD9iMVIUvFT0zpbiOXRPMwC7gKZg2PQAVt-r3fdvHsWQZc-J4rMcg1coj7ETOHIPqzOtsd6GoKM06ytHHAeHQnU/s640/IMG_2799.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some late afternoon beauty</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7-8TXWz_TcxVt20XRE4ptZYT0xznwvftSD4XvqjetRPcJakTvNw1zE4g0aDaMhqqO3r_bBH73regb6NrJaXlNve8lGrdR5G4AVaYLnhz0L4T_6GfNtUoFecuLhlz4VSR8HkKcp2bLR4/s1600/IMG_2801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7-8TXWz_TcxVt20XRE4ptZYT0xznwvftSD4XvqjetRPcJakTvNw1zE4g0aDaMhqqO3r_bBH73regb6NrJaXlNve8lGrdR5G4AVaYLnhz0L4T_6GfNtUoFecuLhlz4VSR8HkKcp2bLR4/s640/IMG_2801.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We discovered an untouched game room upstairs!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqOmL2nZdnf_pD_q_gZVtIQjN2FdeMQNyy8qZ-i_8cyB4HlnFbvcRSLPH5yasjRnvxKeS1Y4tOzmsqRtPMSQSfvxvohbUcpcJKGfgeQeOou2VaimlNWAkAZkZiq7R3bZFaHdeJ0cKLmQ/s1600/IMG_2803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSqOmL2nZdnf_pD_q_gZVtIQjN2FdeMQNyy8qZ-i_8cyB4HlnFbvcRSLPH5yasjRnvxKeS1Y4tOzmsqRtPMSQSfvxvohbUcpcJKGfgeQeOou2VaimlNWAkAZkZiq7R3bZFaHdeJ0cKLmQ/s640/IMG_2803.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another one of my best pics</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1k-KztlAtDWzgYPxTYHcwr2Jw0hvZO_KNv-Zm7FctAWi70GipZ8jqQpT3nxgd7rXVPLCIeinPI3Wb87aIkLwl6GFuOKst5rHjH8hddQKcnApWiiNDYCTRZEcC6REBRzJ2sHrososUXM0/s1600/IMG_2810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1k-KztlAtDWzgYPxTYHcwr2Jw0hvZO_KNv-Zm7FctAWi70GipZ8jqQpT3nxgd7rXVPLCIeinPI3Wb87aIkLwl6GFuOKst5rHjH8hddQKcnApWiiNDYCTRZEcC6REBRzJ2sHrososUXM0/s640/IMG_2810.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little afternoon pool overlooking the ocean, not too shabby for 17.00 a night each</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6mygJp0DimDjXgUChwaDGZ6FxI7PTep8nAFXykHTgIozq5lwsyqet0535NOWOek_r00LUFdih6QAJ03gJNiFL_Uz_E_5hMGe7RSGqBMVCwHBw6IgsFW8RFsfUJi7nvydC3Kcjob9CdA/s1600/IMG_2817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ6mygJp0DimDjXgUChwaDGZ6FxI7PTep8nAFXykHTgIozq5lwsyqet0535NOWOek_r00LUFdih6QAJ03gJNiFL_Uz_E_5hMGe7RSGqBMVCwHBw6IgsFW8RFsfUJi7nvydC3Kcjob9CdA/s640/IMG_2817.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The only place I've ever been where the sun sets over the Atlantic Ocean, a real treat considering the sun sets in the west</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3Su2QfWWwYzUYJTOXO1e8RQJcmtvxyvWJEZ-2vNkhVzDfKA3e5Aj4CtPr6N65i4ywmYd6dz_WRBAUHum2gyWg_EtKvo9M-FvWN7XIHmE2-_5WU5Ede7cV9I5LPG37WO2M-XvYLHGS9c/s1600/IMG_2822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG3Su2QfWWwYzUYJTOXO1e8RQJcmtvxyvWJEZ-2vNkhVzDfKA3e5Aj4CtPr6N65i4ywmYd6dz_WRBAUHum2gyWg_EtKvo9M-FvWN7XIHmE2-_5WU5Ede7cV9I5LPG37WO2M-XvYLHGS9c/s640/IMG_2822.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ok Rob, enough fooling around with the camera</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9l6sxJEu_7q_yQxlw4XpnBvdKP8E1MIQwbxJBXpqDl1ImfHzO-Tg_hvoWpgLpfbY9PzP5Q3_Bw-SAh47dmQfr4_suMHiuRFg4POIs34OAzZAx84J_YULVi3ZbuNNqo4en06ZY82KShE0/s1600/IMG_2826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9l6sxJEu_7q_yQxlw4XpnBvdKP8E1MIQwbxJBXpqDl1ImfHzO-Tg_hvoWpgLpfbY9PzP5Q3_Bw-SAh47dmQfr4_suMHiuRFg4POIs34OAzZAx84J_YULVi3ZbuNNqo4en06ZY82KShE0/s640/IMG_2826.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Birdies taking a dip, I've got a better video...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ok, so only pics this post since we're on our way to the Canal, and internet is super scarce here. Found a mall to upload some good pics, will make another post sometime later this week. We're stuck here for a bit, which isnt half-bad....RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-47187767135095654522011-01-29T13:27:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:14:11.083-04:00The End of the Road...Part 1<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Yeah, can you believe it?? One day we're hitting the waves with a broken bike in Costa Rica and the next we're at the very tip of Panama waiting for a boat. Sorry Chris!! We sorta rushed through what was for me the most excellent part of the trip so far but with reason: we made the final decision to make sure we can get a boat across the Gap. It's the only part of the trip that doesn't have a plan, and its probably the most important. You can get lost a hundred times, but if you have to wait 2 weeks to get a boat, thats a lot of time we can't afford to make up. We really enjoyed the last few dyas, and I promise it's not the last Costa Rica will see of me. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I've been trying to save some money, so for breakfast I've been eating fruits and various groceries we've shopped for at the grocery stores. We find here that the best places to buy food are not local markets, roadside vendors, but supermarkets, walmarts, the big-name corps. Look, we're not hagglers, we try sometimes, but we're two young, 6 and a half feet guys who look like they obviously have some money, so when the price is labeled....at least we know what we're paying. So we took off from Dominical after a beautiful....haha.....pshhh NOT, rest. Remember the kids in the last post, I don't know how they do it. Bed at 3 am, up at 7 am. Wish I could do it too, I'd get a lot more travel done that way. Anyway, I snacked on bananos while Nik ate breakfast at the pricier restaurant beside the hotel. It was time to roadtest our clutch cable invention. 20km, 40km, 100km, it was doing the trick. I picked up another cable just in case this one went, so we'd have a backup. But it helps when the Costa Rican roads are pretty well maintained. We traveled along the southern route, the CA-2 I believe, which, with intent on going to the volcano, was most definitely the longer route since the other border post north of us would have been MUCH less busy and it pops out 40 km from the Baru Volcano. Regardless, we were still making good time, when BAM! Tractor trailer in the ditch, whole way across the road. I decide to get to the front of the 200 car lineup to see whats going on, and a bunch of guys block the road with their cars so we can't get by to try and sneak past. I turn off the bike and get ready for a nice long nap when it seems some people are getting restless. One guy on a 150cc bike sneaks under the tow trucks towing cables. Yeah, easy for him, his moto is no heavier than a pedal bike. Our turn....we start getting the usual "haha gringos doing silly things" look and with a hell of a lot of strength we get first my bike, then Nik's almost horizontal under the cables. I'd say fully packed, the bikes are 400lbs + 100 packed? Anyway, we got through and saved a good couple hours waiting around, we pranced on past the cars on the other side prancing and weaving across the road like we were champions. Good news!!! We'll be at the Volcano by early afternoon!!! Unless...a certain...borderpost delays us for nearly 4 hours. Yeah, they can never be easy. The exit procedure built our confidence in an easy passage as it took no more than 10 minutes. If you have read the "Central American Wisdom" guide the part about Costa Rica – Panama border crossing is bullshit. It's not a piece of cake, it was in my opinion both the lengthiest and complicated thus far. Luckily however, they are a lot of english speaking locals and travelers who definitely help out to fast-forward the process. Everyone seemed to be there to help each other, but all we're frustrated at the time it took in line. Just in case your crossing into Panama in the next few hours:</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Get a stamp for your passport, 1.00US from a guy walking around.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Also get a paper form to fill out, else you have to get back in line if you don't get one filled out beforehand.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Hand papers over to Migracion, let them do their thing.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Get insurance, $15.00US from across the road</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Get insurance stamped in upstairs office</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Wait in Aduana line and they will eventually check everything and enter it into the computer; make sure nothing is wrong, or have to start paperwork over again (us)</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Get another customers officer walking around to check your bike, another stamp.</div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Actually, writing it makes it seem a lot easier, its just when there's hundreds of people all trying to do the same thing it gets hectic, but we were able to do everything before it was due.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">OK!! Now we're in Panama, back to American dollars, American food and hot hot weather. The first region you drive through in Panama is Chiriqui, a nice introduction to the developing country. The infrastructure here in EXCELLENT. It was a nice two lane paved road right into David, an hours drive. We drove through what seemed like a flash flood, but was soooo refreshing to be soaked in the heat, definitely cannot complain about that, we've only had one traveling day of rain so far. David is the third biggest city in Panama (there aren't many cities in this country) and our attention was immediately drawn to a Mcdonald's billboard. Supper MOST DEFINITELY:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">For 12.99, you receive the Big Box meal (why can't developed countries offer such gold)</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">two milkshakes</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">three hamburgers of your choice</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">two pieces of kfc-style chicken(but better)</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">four medium french fries</div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Until now I have pondered why I have chosen to ride this far....now I know why. Every Mcdonald's in Panama offer's this deal...I may never leave. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Enough about dinner :O We needed to get to Boquette before dark, if only we could find the road. There were no signs, no directions, no big enough roads going up into the hills (I bet it was right beside the Mcdonald's billboard), so once again the Volcanoes of Central America have eluded us. So it with great defeat that we could not witness, climb or experience any volcanoes here. Disappointingly we rode on into the darkess. For me, I don't mind riding at night. As a cardinal rule that shouldn't be broken, I've never had any trouble so far and would recommend it if necessary. Mind you, I wouldn't stop unless I really had to, but riding at night offers its own solitude. You avoid the heat of the sun, distances seem to accumulate much faster, and I like following the contours of a decently paved road at night to hone up on riding skills. Remember, Panama has some awesome roads. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">As we rode, we decided to stop at the first hotel we could find. Amazingly enough, the Paradise Inn in Lajas snuck up on us. 4Km off the main road and 5 minutes from the ocean, this place is number one in my books for accomodation. It loses points for not being on the ocean, so it's hard to compare with Verde Mar in Manual Antonio, but this place was rockin'. Quiet, full of people from Canada, and one room left. All the plam trees were lit up with red and green spotlights, christmas lights, very cool villa-style rooms. We had A/C, fans, hot water, two full sized beds across 300-400 square feet, a hammock, and a FRIDGGEEEEE. Ohh yeah, cold beers. And for the first time, we were able to negotiate from 50 down to 40. We are beginning to understand how this game works. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The pool was nearly olympic sized and all to myself, so while Nik checked up on his facebook page, I had myself a pool + camera frenzy. I could have stayed there for days.....BUT ALAS, we have to find a boat.....</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So this morning we rode onwards, we needed to cover over 500 kilometres, so we jumped up to a 7:45am start. Food in Panama is cheappppppp, breakfast: awesome scrambled eggs served with Beavertails sans butter, $2.85. Even lunch, a massive plate of combination chinese rice, the size of two stomachs, $4.00.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The roads continued beautifully until we transversed into the next region. It confused me why the roads suddenly turned to much worse shape, until I realized the obvious difference sin regional governments. The budgets can't be matched, much like you'd see an infrastructure difference between Ottawa and Montreal (anyone who's driven Montreal knows they leave the city 2 inches lower on their suspension). But by the time I thought things fully through, the road widened to two lanes once more as we approached major towns. From there...perfection, two lanes the entire way here. We have not experienced that yet, but are really glad as we needed to cover so much distance today. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'll have to take a pic of my hands and arms, the sun was out in full force today and I had my sleeves up a bit. Looks like I dipped my hands in grape juice. Panama is impressively trying to match Costa Rica now in tourism, a lot of properties are going up along the coast, along with all-inclusive resorts sprinkled here and there. And the sheer size of Panama city itself was pretty breathtaking. We haven't really seen highrises since Galveston, TX, but we weren't going to stick around to get lost in the big city. A couple tolls later and on our reserve tanks, we found ourselves entering Colon – the port to get our boats. Where the hell do we begin though? After riding around a bit (Colon is a bit of an unfriendly tourist town, but very reminisicent of a run-down Havana), we got to the port entrance and immediately talked to the guard to see if there were options available (yeah, Nik's idea, no fooling around I guess, I just wanted more hotels). Anyway, our best bet we were told was to head to Portobello, a town 30km down the coastline. Off we went in search of boats, I knew at this point, there'd be no way of getting on a cargo boat, as this town was much smaller in size.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now that we're here, I think I might be falling in love with it. Its quaint, small, but it reminds me of the town thats sacked in Pirates of the Caribbean. Hilly, historic, and lots of friendlies. In fact, this town was sacked by Captain Morgan himself (see how to barrel stance). There is supposedly a lot of treasure buried around, but I don't think we're in for the long haul. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The hostel we were recommended to was run by a fellow named Dennis, called Captain Jack's. This is the place to go to catch a boat: all the captains mosy on up and talk to travelers, get a beer, or just hang out. Dennis can also set you up with a boat. We talked to a few fellows and had a few beers here, but unfortunately, unless we were to sleep on the couch (which was delightfully offered), there were no rooms available, so we said we'd be back in the morning to discuss the few options we were given tonight:</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Luc on his 55 foot Catamaran, no timeframe yet, sounds costly.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Canadian Doug with his sailboat, might leave if enough people, bit cheaper methinks</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Captain John of the Wild Card, huge 60 foot steel hull, probably costly, might not leave for awhile.</div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Those are our options here in Portobello for now. Looks like we play the waiting game to see exactly when we can get on a boat. We might take a drive up to Puerto Lindo tomorrow, but we're not sure if there are main roads from here. It's less than 10km, but the map shows no roads. Weird enough, this is where Hostel Wunderbar is located, and the contact I've been talking to to get us a boat from there. We'll see tomorrow, as there might be more options up there. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Right now I again have no internet, so as I post this I will know more, but tonight we are staying at a fine little hotel where our bargaining skills honed even more!! Another 55 for 40 deal. We're happy, it's oceanfront (nice and calm) with a beach, hammocks, massive dock; we have 400 channels (YAY FINALLY TV AGAIN no more crappy Two and a Half Men downloaded on the laptop), A/C, three beds, awesomely decorated. Cold water, but after today, it's all I wanted. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Alright, next post should be shortly, updating on what's going on, Captain Jack's hostel has internet so I should be able to post from there when we get a room. For now, I'm going to rest my hands, I feel I can create flames from my palms....I really should wear gloves when I ride.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">OK UPDATE:: YOU GET NO PICS!!! There's scarce internet here, a landslide wiped out 8 people and the internet.....the internet NOT being the important part of that equation. Anyway, the internet we're getting for 2.00 an hour from the emergency line at the police station is too slow to upload a lot of pics. I might be back later to upload the rest to you, in which case, you all owe me 2.00 for your viewing pleasure! So we're still looking for boats, and I'll post again soon. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9jHJHQtA5K_dcjlb1-ReLNeCZWRj1SZUeWjyXjEye9Uts3eqGANz8C9KvTNBG2_Ds38za7nayjBP4wm6ptRj5MrtLSun-93ekn1v18vD5foDTN6gs7SIshem5yqBA-heu7XToaX8G34/s1600/IMG_2738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9jHJHQtA5K_dcjlb1-ReLNeCZWRj1SZUeWjyXjEye9Uts3eqGANz8C9KvTNBG2_Ds38za7nayjBP4wm6ptRj5MrtLSun-93ekn1v18vD5foDTN6gs7SIshem5yqBA-heu7XToaX8G34/s640/IMG_2738.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YOU try fitting your bike under that wire.....without losing a breath</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-ukvPsdC9968itB56kgoD7TMdGbbjnXY8o_rH2z2xaVtEyhBma0Y1DjRdDVym8eUPkiyZpI5r6q02PZkyEcPt26CSq-n4aogqpVGSXa5CkbsnLFb19BCFRrp9HuOiqmPSD43BS6Kbco/s1600/IMG_2796.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7-ukvPsdC9968itB56kgoD7TMdGbbjnXY8o_rH2z2xaVtEyhBma0Y1DjRdDVym8eUPkiyZpI5r6q02PZkyEcPt26CSq-n4aogqpVGSXa5CkbsnLFb19BCFRrp9HuOiqmPSD43BS6Kbco/s640/IMG_2796.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our bikes getting a nice wash in Portobello</td></tr>
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</div>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-13114730342285579172011-01-27T00:18:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:14:39.346-04:00When the Going Gets Tough..... - RobDRAMMMAAAAA....not between me and Nik though, between me and my damn bike. What is with it, not liking this whole trip? You know, its very rare a KLR gets to make it through this many countries, I don't know what it has to complain about (ok, now I'm starting to sound scary) but still it manages, and ..well...sorta accomplishes. Maybe Costa Rica doesn't want me to leave? Maybe I have bad luck...but Nik's "plus mileage" thumper seems to be going the distance and fairing pretty well.<br />
<br />
So here we are, in Dominical this evening, we weren't really supposed to be in Dominical this evening, but this is the reason we are here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHA9ZKoFmXFclnRV8YY8MeEWKm0TPlEL8hoc7u3kIM-nKc-X9QzEuq5pJrjIU9u0ClXFd3Rvs8qiPxbmSfZXZben0w0zLZPX5NwpasaCWVwMriA3r1WEWJ807b9JXXPyyQaLLpulLMh0/s1600/IMG_2729.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBHA9ZKoFmXFclnRV8YY8MeEWKm0TPlEL8hoc7u3kIM-nKc-X9QzEuq5pJrjIU9u0ClXFd3Rvs8qiPxbmSfZXZben0w0zLZPX5NwpasaCWVwMriA3r1WEWJ807b9JXXPyyQaLLpulLMh0/s640/IMG_2729.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a normal looking clutch cable, near the plates.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9d0O2ceF7_M9BW-PqFK5nuXaCDPh61AmCk2wtmn_OrJVfO1S3wkr-Lnv0BPc0m0dnTjblBrpMq3ftzDCem6ntgRIPrmYMbO31NAz4ZE1Ix2c6XxaOUnY1F0kVZmoyOPSsEDdh4PSfevY/s1600/IMG_2731.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9d0O2ceF7_M9BW-PqFK5nuXaCDPh61AmCk2wtmn_OrJVfO1S3wkr-Lnv0BPc0m0dnTjblBrpMq3ftzDCem6ntgRIPrmYMbO31NAz4ZE1Ix2c6XxaOUnY1F0kVZmoyOPSsEDdh4PSfevY/s640/IMG_2731.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is now my clutch cable.....for now...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Not that it has impeded us by any means, but here's what happened:<br />
<br />
We enjoyed a nice breakfast of bananas (yes I finally found bananas, at 10 cents a pop, and it's all I've been eating to stuff myself up and gain back some weight) and marshmallows and everything fatty and starchy, and prepared to take off today to Panama. My chain was tightened once more, the clutch cable was a tad loose, but nothing I haven't experienced before back in Canada. We decided overnight that we would head to the Volcan Baru park in Panama instead of spending another night in Dominical or elsewhere in Costa Rica. Don't get me wrong, Costa Rica is beauuuutifullllll. It is definitely the scenic and eye-catching, get-along part of the trip so far for me. For a developing country plagued with inflation and a so called lack of investment and infrastructure, they seem to hit certain nails right on the head. The obvious is tourism; billboards and signs beautifully decorated with captivating scenes of oceans, rivers, waterfalls, wildlife, elaborate and breathtaking properties, unlimited real estate potential. It makes it feel a little bit more like home, with that "paradisus" feeling. I could definitely see myself living here for a little while. Anyway, I'm off somewhere in no man's land again, lets get back to the point. I would like to stay in Costa Rica, but we are very unsure of the Panama-Cartegena boat situation. The helpful contact at Wunderbar hostel there has kept me up to date on all the boats coming and going. Well supposedly the only next one is flip flopping on the 6th of February. Thats a longgg ways away, which means lots of time here in Costa Rica to fool around, but we want to make sure its the only one. We have an enormous itinerary in South America, and leaving on the 6th isn't going to give me specifically, the time I need to see and sell the bike at the end.<br />
<br />
So we took off this morning in the hopes of making it to at least Panama, and the park, and then travel the rest of the way from there. We got right past Dominical, 50 km into the days trip, when traffic came to a stop. I pulled the clutch to get going, stall....start it, pull it again, snap, stall....<br />
<br />
Broken clutch cable, don't even know why, still trying to figure out if it was a fault of mine, or just an old cable. Regardless, trying to figure out what to do at the time? That one goes to Nik. I figured we'd tow me back to Dominical where we could come up with a plan. The man of the hour decided to grab the vice grips. This....will revolutionize the motorcycle industry. Ok forget clutch cables...forget needing to use your left hand to pull clutch....we found a new way to ride. Grip the grips over where the pull for the clutch plates goes inside the assembly. If I confused you with my non-technical words, in the picture, its the black thing the cable is tied to. With the grips fastened tightly, we started the engine (i was able to kick it into neutral) and pulled back on the grips while giving it some gas. Letting the grips go acts just like the clutch handle does, except with your leg. Getting the hang of it was pretty easy, and before you knew it we're cruising back down the road toward Dominical changing gears like no tomorrow. Kick back right leg, change gear with left. Just hope you don't need to pull a quick brake, cause there's no chance in hell. <br />
<br />
We got to Dominical, where the speed bumps almost popped the vice grips 20 feet through someones window, and from there I had the honor of pushing it the rest of the way to a hotel. We're staying for 30 bones, the prices here food-wise are on par with Canada which kinda sucks, but we still have the problem with finding a clutch cable.<br />
<br />
With some newly purchased Skype credits, I get to work with my horrible Spanish. I called San Jose, one week to get the part. El Salvador and our buddies, no guarantee and then the shipping part....Panama (I might be able to make it to Panama City with my new gadget) 15 days...wow, shit out of luck. Wait a week here, Nik would have none of it. I'm a dumbass for scratching "clutch cable" off my necessary to pack list.....<br />
<br />
So off I went on a mission to find a quick fix, another band-aid that should do the trick. I found a Honda dealer just down the road, and grabbed a cable from them. As you can tell, it's not quite the right specifications, but who's to say it won't do the trick. Time will tell. I'm gonna pick another one up in the event this one bites the dust before I can replace it. But it seems to hold for now, I just gotta be gentle with it again until ....I think the only next places that can get it are Colombia or Ecuador.<br />
<br />
So with that problem solved, we were able to once again eat, drink, be merry, crash into some waves (its very violent here, lots of rip tides and plenty good for surfing), and watch movies. Because of the Ultimate High Speed of Manual Antonio, we were able to download 6 or 7 movies, a full season of 2 and a half men and of course the entire episode list of Dragonball GT. Ok, we definitely started grasping at straws, I don't even watch cartoons anymore, but call it a closet hobby (Steph knows it).<br />
<br />
All's well, until the computer starts dying....I'm running on borrowed time now. Every time I shut it off I'm not sure if it'll get going again. I'm a computer guy, I know what's going on, the ram is garbage. I know electronics are expensive here, but it has to be fixed. I CANNOT GO without it!!!! Neither can my family go without keeping in touch almost every night. So I have to find me a Walmart and get some new chaps to keep this guy running. Shouldn't be a problem. <br />
<br />
Other than that, the antibiotics are working wonders, (unless its the bananas, (I'm calling fruit on this one) I'm alllllllllmost back to normal. I'm not gonna say that I am, just in case my usual luck catches up to me.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
So now the crappy day is done with, let's backtrack. The hotel we stayed at the night before, definitely the best thus far. So much positives about it.Quepos is just a cool town. Clubs, crazy mountain road, stunning villas, countless hotels, and plentiful retirees. The nice thing about older folk is they quiet down when the clock hits 6pm. Dinner's done, the booze sets in, peacefulness. Everyone gets a good nights sleep. See kids don't shut up. Case in point, the ten outside my windowless room right now. They'll stay up till the wee hours and that's why I'm starting to get a distaste for surf towns. Same stories, same stoners every time. I'm an old fart at heart. Sit me down with a couple of old ladies playing cribbage and drinking gin and tonic and I'm a happy man. Or a hermit...I haven't decided yet, I like that reality too.<br />
<br />
We decided that since we were there, we'd check out the park. It's 10 bucks each to get in, which seemed a bit of an excess, but it must've meant the park was filled with exotic wildlife. Nah, mostly locals and beach bums having out and bbq'ing. Nono, actually it wasn't too bad, you just have to know where to go. The park only had like 4 trails open, I suppose at the end of the last rainy season, a lot of the good trails got wiped out. So after monkey sighting, frog watching, and sloth staring, we hit up a couple of the beaches that were there. Idiots as we are, we brought no fluids with us, and we're parched the entire time. "Enough is enough" we said, and popped ourselves into a restricted trail, the one that led to the only waterfall in the park. If there was any chance at liquid salvation, I was gonna take it. Besides, that's where you find real adventure. The trail was mangled, I have mucho video of it, but the HD makes it impossible to upload. You'll see it one day, in a month or so, but it was an interesting hike. The waterfall was infinitely rewarding. Cool, refreshing, smelly, but a total pay off for a hard days work. We were able to sneak out of the trail unnoticed, which is a next to impossible task when you have tour guides trained to spot any wildlife movement in the dense brush. We barely made it through the gap, but we had a good day. Finished it off with some pizza and air conditioning, I am most certainly going to miss that place.<br />
<br />
I think that about covers it for now, if I get this computer running again I'll post again soon.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdoeZ7vnMCf4gCjqOsHPscM8YkhRp1BcLskGDvV7TUiXgcBKBejkEhEH2ieQX7KpFQmWUzKTdAwUJgmcIKwINcHz47Wt90V6rS7PBCrM2cX2UeegXrGCTOhuKvaUaQZ_Ceq-5BqNQkSA/s1600/IMG_2704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIdoeZ7vnMCf4gCjqOsHPscM8YkhRp1BcLskGDvV7TUiXgcBKBejkEhEH2ieQX7KpFQmWUzKTdAwUJgmcIKwINcHz47Wt90V6rS7PBCrM2cX2UeegXrGCTOhuKvaUaQZ_Ceq-5BqNQkSA/s640/IMG_2704.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bamboo is the only thing alive that tower's over Nik </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroOKeRGOL7dkmsWSzywOxB0HUsReO5M-pRMowi81U33T-BVyEcfb6EmvW6Mkpv4BnaZLnlkTG8vDQOyWmtw2B4I0bwsATyahknzuUqkosERwnqQy3jyHh9PooxHpNUZ_HdvA8snIOSWo/s1600/IMG_2706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroOKeRGOL7dkmsWSzywOxB0HUsReO5M-pRMowi81U33T-BVyEcfb6EmvW6Mkpv4BnaZLnlkTG8vDQOyWmtw2B4I0bwsATyahknzuUqkosERwnqQy3jyHh9PooxHpNUZ_HdvA8snIOSWo/s640/IMG_2706.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little ocean and jungle double header</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnieDNbN1DgUS5fBV61LVyrtaYWxPILpmQvuyvM3fK0OV_GA2P95XadpdKQ89TjbmHzHcZa5o7xlN_kDiF2QcwkFQNs0A_3ooq9f7_9LbIUAz_0mI9vYkPyGxiQCj5LAckYVKj4YfY4M/s1600/IMG_2711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnieDNbN1DgUS5fBV61LVyrtaYWxPILpmQvuyvM3fK0OV_GA2P95XadpdKQ89TjbmHzHcZa5o7xlN_kDiF2QcwkFQNs0A_3ooq9f7_9LbIUAz_0mI9vYkPyGxiQCj5LAckYVKj4YfY4M/s640/IMG_2711.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys are vicious....ly adorable and loved by all the tourists</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkByBNNSX0FfNZSPr9jLAZeQqD4ciQu33Ih0Tn2whkQb3jbOjKaiP7E4u2z9uwy6tt4M6YJDZ_bN3DgxzFQ8nu2-mopdoen5hHDgoo-I-ZFa7LS3GT39fSWYidcqjxuq6P983gwuYGYn0/s1600/IMG_2715.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkByBNNSX0FfNZSPr9jLAZeQqD4ciQu33Ih0Tn2whkQb3jbOjKaiP7E4u2z9uwy6tt4M6YJDZ_bN3DgxzFQ8nu2-mopdoen5hHDgoo-I-ZFa7LS3GT39fSWYidcqjxuq6P983gwuYGYn0/s640/IMG_2715.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many beaches dotting the park </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzZn3FiT-YEwxrAf6-BHhEIrd9_SYDuqw8VJ5EXbPHy0dxrBjgVqSEv2uvWL3u17V2O3z98zwXg3OeiDTF97Z9vrniYOl0acamgcH8Vl-1NMxDA5hY79c-dMy3YDtB_Ww-qr8O8oLrRk/s1600/IMG_2722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmzZn3FiT-YEwxrAf6-BHhEIrd9_SYDuqw8VJ5EXbPHy0dxrBjgVqSEv2uvWL3u17V2O3z98zwXg3OeiDTF97Z9vrniYOl0acamgcH8Vl-1NMxDA5hY79c-dMy3YDtB_Ww-qr8O8oLrRk/s640/IMG_2722.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We may have been the only ones to get here in what seemed like many seasons....and how lucky!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbk02ePF1RVRc_CtY2xMMRWirgJLYk5qWbYEWSamDQ4_VvLhzugWGeolK-1lUKRx1gdB-ZToI-gbmOhtf8-tmZ9SpBINftFCMdiE2GJfwXYO9IscqOSt3g_McRlffXNr2V12S6-zYC6g/s1600/IMG_2724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmbk02ePF1RVRc_CtY2xMMRWirgJLYk5qWbYEWSamDQ4_VvLhzugWGeolK-1lUKRx1gdB-ZToI-gbmOhtf8-tmZ9SpBINftFCMdiE2GJfwXYO9IscqOSt3g_McRlffXNr2V12S6-zYC6g/s640/IMG_2724.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This made the whole day worth every penny</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDYSg8jCvw-w_aE1SpEzGym83oNTnkk-ccjS0O-zGCqCBoYGFZvIUvUooxtse_eWw5dkvhYTDpdDCmLjqqP7AV324kZIMOq4K_6EiZHIM-RhRJcSwyaJ3CMEuavgsNFd7VVKkX3TJGNc/s1600/IMG_2732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbDYSg8jCvw-w_aE1SpEzGym83oNTnkk-ccjS0O-zGCqCBoYGFZvIUvUooxtse_eWw5dkvhYTDpdDCmLjqqP7AV324kZIMOq4K_6EiZHIM-RhRJcSwyaJ3CMEuavgsNFd7VVKkX3TJGNc/s640/IMG_2732.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's tonights view of the ocean, its a bit dark here under all these trees...and moquitoey (just noticed the half person walking to the right...creepy..I won't sleep now)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqGAy3EvpM1ePbr9fznnT83wljulBXwWs_YOpCHgvwS7wmisahK9Ykxsy5hxPGTyBa5l4XC3wQHHTM4M8DQY5TKwENKJIzmJTAiHaRK37iwMms5wBsWqE3LJSK6PlAZ9ptT6dZMMswTE/s1600/IMG_2737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqGAy3EvpM1ePbr9fznnT83wljulBXwWs_YOpCHgvwS7wmisahK9Ykxsy5hxPGTyBa5l4XC3wQHHTM4M8DQY5TKwENKJIzmJTAiHaRK37iwMms5wBsWqE3LJSK6PlAZ9ptT6dZMMswTE/s640/IMG_2737.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am richer than Rick Ross.....when seriously I have enough to a couple fancy steaks at the Keg.</td></tr>
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I had a chance to upload a few videos too!!!<br />
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Here we are in Diriamba, Nicaragua, trying to sleep during the San Sebastien Festival that went on for a week. We both became sick this day, and needed to get the hell out of Dodge.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DoiyLFjF_6I?hd=1" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="640"></iframe><br />
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A much calmer video of us checking out some of the local beach wildlife in Manual Antonio, Costa Rica. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/NGuyHrXkHbs?hd=1" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="640"></iframe>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-41654996121740190662011-01-25T00:42:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:15:03.599-04:00Livin' It Up Some - RobSuper tired and its super late, for us anyway, so I'll make this one sorta short and sweet and filled with pics. We made it to Costa Rica, which I tell you was a bit of a hot and sweaty hassle at the border, it was the busiest one yet. Our first agenda in C.A. was to hit up the Rincon de la Vieja Park, near the border at Liberia. A dirt road takes you to the entrance, and a rather pricey hotel. We did not know that all parks in C.A. are closed on Monday, and this being a Sunday at 4:00pm, this is not a good start. Supposedly the hike up the mountain takes 8 hours and a guide is necessary. Nowhere did I read that any guides are necessary in these parks, regardless, it was 100.00 for the guide, 100.00 for the hotel, 20.00 for the mudbaths, we were having none of it.<br />
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Off we went back down the 20km dirt path to continue our way through Costa Rica. We knew there was no way in hell we'd get to any beach towns by nightfall, so we ate a quick meal (way more expensive to eat here, but of course its more touristy), and continued down the CA-1. Seems at any time this road is exceptionally busy, we were stuck behind 20 some-odd vehicles going 30-40kph. We figured this was no way to travel in the dark, so we packed it in at a so-so hotel off the side of the road. A cheapy, with a small pool, a decent sized room, but only a fan. We could of stopped at the Doubletree at Puntarenas, only in the morning did we find out its an all-inclusive resort, yahhhh right.<br />
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In the morning we headed further down the Pan-Am, had a quick breakfast at a decent looking place. Nik ordered Mexican Style eggs, and if you remember from San Cristobal, that was how it was done right. This was brown soup with runny sunny side up eggs. Man I could have served him that meal from our hotel room ( I need not say more, that was uncalled for, and yes I am still stomach-sick). After a few hours we made it to Quepos, to the National Park, Manuel Antonio. Of course, it's Monday, its closed (this is when we finally figured it out), so we began looking for hotels to stay the night because we can't miss out on at least hitting up one park in Central America (this being one of the most popular). Quite a place around here, ripe with hotels, hostels, resorts, beaches, beautiful. After scouring some 100.00+ hotels (for no apparent reason were they this price other than the fact its a tourist whitey-white town), we stumbled across this little gem. Oh, what a gem.....for 130.00 a night couples can stay and enjoy a kitchenette, a pool, oceanfront property, restaurant....well, we lucked out on 45.00. Yep, lucky. We don't have the kitchenette, in fact, we have a puny little room tucked away from everyone else on bunk beds, but who cares, its the amenities that are important. We might stay here awhile. Its called the Villas Verde Mar de la Pacifico, if anyone else is interested in trying to sneak this 45.00 a night room on the beach.Highly recommended. We've been here, relaxing and swimming, taking in the sites, everything is about doubled here, but slightly within our means. Tomorrow we check out the park, and I'll be back with some pictures, and hopefully some videos too. The internet here is mega-fast. lets hope I can get some youtube videos up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoLfYNNp9Jh4ZBpqhNRXwQiODgK6pshyphenhyphenv8KX2CiepyZDEP8tNCPPFO0TcKtJJ_ewBrep7RwcwUKcmtPVD596-Nem9i4Z4YfZpfbOG02FCTU6to57-qJ7B7DcChyphenhyphenHIrRFH3ZKjahcQo0A/s1600/IMG_2583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkoLfYNNp9Jh4ZBpqhNRXwQiODgK6pshyphenhyphenv8KX2CiepyZDEP8tNCPPFO0TcKtJJ_ewBrep7RwcwUKcmtPVD596-Nem9i4Z4YfZpfbOG02FCTU6to57-qJ7B7DcChyphenhyphenHIrRFH3ZKjahcQo0A/s640/IMG_2583.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">this is our view from out firs tCosta Rican hotel, right by the ocean!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhtQI21Ct9tVXf9OUtepBV-iYz9e83jtdQUjwS3syKGnnS1xHNZ7L_tfUA3nDFrrQjb9j3sW5R-d-pzfB1GZ5Ffa8krxqA7MfDiHXDQDzw9XDNIcSpivprXgZeSI3zuD3_Dcn_DBPaaI/s1600/IMG_2585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhtQI21Ct9tVXf9OUtepBV-iYz9e83jtdQUjwS3syKGnnS1xHNZ7L_tfUA3nDFrrQjb9j3sW5R-d-pzfB1GZ5Ffa8krxqA7MfDiHXDQDzw9XDNIcSpivprXgZeSI3zuD3_Dcn_DBPaaI/s640/IMG_2585.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niks face, ready for some Mexican Ranchero!! FAIL</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNNkzPOMd0okP8rnoW2gjWpgJg50x1OTfKDJf09-8QrZjj3R8doFHQguv-JOH1EMt2USZ6XtwXw48ffagA6cqo8NvSnlzI-ZEvA84smx7lTrHITEPinsWMHOmnkdOxhsNNC0LRn26AEw/s1600/IMG_2588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNNkzPOMd0okP8rnoW2gjWpgJg50x1OTfKDJf09-8QrZjj3R8doFHQguv-JOH1EMt2USZ6XtwXw48ffagA6cqo8NvSnlzI-ZEvA84smx7lTrHITEPinsWMHOmnkdOxhsNNC0LRn26AEw/s640/IMG_2588.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joca, C.A., quite the lookout</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3ShtoWdwl9aztiCkXF7wdSEJyv2gV5jfSUJaLsToLeGxpIDb7jQbTkVM-jAcazh-EK5BzsORKzWkVMI2d0eoePNT40J0dZe_9lPsYBJMYCUHNeCfdlRTHGrMvjBSHy25rWNob_DL654/s1600/IMG_2595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-3ShtoWdwl9aztiCkXF7wdSEJyv2gV5jfSUJaLsToLeGxpIDb7jQbTkVM-jAcazh-EK5BzsORKzWkVMI2d0eoePNT40J0dZe_9lPsYBJMYCUHNeCfdlRTHGrMvjBSHy25rWNob_DL654/s640/IMG_2595.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Now we're at Quepos, a destination spot in C.A. I've never heard about, but seems quite popular</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJr8eZ49lseCfCbEx991E_VQ-a6T-sa-RPPHC7jQcw1O9t0n2ZUY-mVm_JP5AIXpZsv7oiEcCyxhjyHmRYshieE5RlS-a0afgm0OPAkgXJWaG0GKd4CUVJeX2JGdd7UZbi98ySP0WacJ8/s1600/IMG_2600.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJr8eZ49lseCfCbEx991E_VQ-a6T-sa-RPPHC7jQcw1O9t0n2ZUY-mVm_JP5AIXpZsv7oiEcCyxhjyHmRYshieE5RlS-a0afgm0OPAkgXJWaG0GKd4CUVJeX2JGdd7UZbi98ySP0WacJ8/s640/IMG_2600.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first little monkey sighting!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_V2UC_VLPN0lunkSpy4NQK3bm80isA6IGEfnZNEvaSinPQdFlhnXG-8yOP-6d4Ha-7L5VPS0o6gbuoGqjueooC_xJg0DwEZRq5XrAO954pDz0_ECWuKnVdKMN8rdJuAsqWyOG8ilGYZk/s1600/IMG_2601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_V2UC_VLPN0lunkSpy4NQK3bm80isA6IGEfnZNEvaSinPQdFlhnXG-8yOP-6d4Ha-7L5VPS0o6gbuoGqjueooC_xJg0DwEZRq5XrAO954pDz0_ECWuKnVdKMN8rdJuAsqWyOG8ilGYZk/s640/IMG_2601.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This would be the awesome hotel, take note</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0mO9HWjke6PvoEY3Q6mTzUCMXEpTS9XZz3oXR1OI15DJAaCGsGQIi5EcwjHsi_ymzsdWEKYDao8tkJpoYHjPCKo29_KdLFzCBgmE2I28D3SATgRcV_-heeGRdc9RreNLAeP-IV8yjwE/s1600/IMG_2602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR0mO9HWjke6PvoEY3Q6mTzUCMXEpTS9XZz3oXR1OI15DJAaCGsGQIi5EcwjHsi_ymzsdWEKYDao8tkJpoYHjPCKo29_KdLFzCBgmE2I28D3SATgRcV_-heeGRdc9RreNLAeP-IV8yjwE/s640/IMG_2602.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ask Nik how awesome, oh wait, hes enjoying too much</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06VvSx-SjwWb3MpFiGdMt4cXQBL3R1Un3KsK39KbBILwd-PzU2t4gaObYfVCZnuVKdyhWm50B2JC9Wk8123b0DBL8ntSCon5t-AuR-tMztbTk3G8rgiEObS99mjR__0OHWvnmM5REEIY/s1600/IMG_2605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06VvSx-SjwWb3MpFiGdMt4cXQBL3R1Un3KsK39KbBILwd-PzU2t4gaObYfVCZnuVKdyhWm50B2JC9Wk8123b0DBL8ntSCon5t-AuR-tMztbTk3G8rgiEObS99mjR__0OHWvnmM5REEIY/s640/IMG_2605.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The massive-est palm trees I've ever seen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cVMEaGWpk54MFe3C9kFKSXZs6qguenrTSO_Cr7jTq3gITIYFIuKFcCimoxTbVZzV2fInQPRT9kxRusaOkm1HHZqmzDFVmBV2vay57E7BXNYhGiTzmVoA8zPDoSO3fuA8sJvyytaa6i8/s1600/IMG_2610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5cVMEaGWpk54MFe3C9kFKSXZs6qguenrTSO_Cr7jTq3gITIYFIuKFcCimoxTbVZzV2fInQPRT9kxRusaOkm1HHZqmzDFVmBV2vay57E7BXNYhGiTzmVoA8zPDoSO3fuA8sJvyytaa6i8/s640/IMG_2610.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm starting to sport a nice Ranchero stache.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr29FL05NHb7D6B2B1BKfHyQ2P09h_uJllE8D71vNflOjPQZRE-sGKBvMfLqqtJMNdV1gc3D9taftl6oPaftPL6UD0tZJW4xRb5__yA5wyu4UFV-XUo6gkyk2yaatDhAPNqVPcKY75Bdc/s1600/IMG_2616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr29FL05NHb7D6B2B1BKfHyQ2P09h_uJllE8D71vNflOjPQZRE-sGKBvMfLqqtJMNdV1gc3D9taftl6oPaftPL6UD0tZJW4xRb5__yA5wyu4UFV-XUo6gkyk2yaatDhAPNqVPcKY75Bdc/s640/IMG_2616.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just some beauty</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqNzT8YzZmXplqaTrw9fdKaLYZhNmj6W5s1VPFs6RIioO3iADcdrpmvNnhQFgFAjUjDlOHvxBoSsfxvEh2MPDB3Z_bOvqi9XBXvGGN51ulT9_XExFGT739XFRURyoa8WGaHxrcSyut3s/s1600/IMG_2618.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqNzT8YzZmXplqaTrw9fdKaLYZhNmj6W5s1VPFs6RIioO3iADcdrpmvNnhQFgFAjUjDlOHvxBoSsfxvEh2MPDB3Z_bOvqi9XBXvGGN51ulT9_XExFGT739XFRURyoa8WGaHxrcSyut3s/s640/IMG_2618.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I told you our room was tiny, hell, it beats 130.00 a night though doesnt it.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBtnhF-v80LwPejZfkrbRKvhXWYLixL0ljW0HSLlvrVPLIbvbEbLpFUioys4JGXxSSpCIA69AdrIMVNNnLPdeHweNsTyEBpO8keBAZ_LJa2I6AAvlF1K6tJbCEWwmmy42RxJfhtd5VAg/s1600/IMG_2623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnBtnhF-v80LwPejZfkrbRKvhXWYLixL0ljW0HSLlvrVPLIbvbEbLpFUioys4JGXxSSpCIA69AdrIMVNNnLPdeHweNsTyEBpO8keBAZ_LJa2I6AAvlF1K6tJbCEWwmmy42RxJfhtd5VAg/s640/IMG_2623.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Why can't Canada always be this nice"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJdZkC8TzHIT5mJqnrSWLRWbl8JQVk25Y6RkuEDuqTmpwkyu_m43TlXwHZPlB3oHm1tPKCMtJ5_ToG8AbzBjKQi9z7yx4c2tOzCk3OzEYggdsxRpqRrzjPsUOE7ELkxsINGUMQaehiLI/s1600/IMG_2632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNJdZkC8TzHIT5mJqnrSWLRWbl8JQVk25Y6RkuEDuqTmpwkyu_m43TlXwHZPlB3oHm1tPKCMtJ5_ToG8AbzBjKQi9z7yx4c2tOzCk3OzEYggdsxRpqRrzjPsUOE7ELkxsINGUMQaehiLI/s640/IMG_2632.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We competed for biggest wave</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUKbZ1ty6dWvCG3r237SKZdlyZSWHKcg-SXMiAsEuQRBG5Ve093TU93AElbiKxxQ5ggqNkmNV4EMpWf4LW9VllgM4LK4xhGJaT0EDvYcsMELQDdSbanXiNgP0MQxvFxz-7mNu04-x47U/s1600/IMG_2648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLUKbZ1ty6dWvCG3r237SKZdlyZSWHKcg-SXMiAsEuQRBG5Ve093TU93AElbiKxxQ5ggqNkmNV4EMpWf4LW9VllgM4LK4xhGJaT0EDvYcsMELQDdSbanXiNgP0MQxvFxz-7mNu04-x47U/s640/IMG_2648.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I got a bit too close :P</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxn-LLG2i-T4uiG2U1bf4xgPzMC7RLy1c9_OGeQ4zouJN7Tk3wLwbUFJR2sgj4jgc5J4EGKx9g2GMYuyyuoT-BfUvEXzB5bOsiUm9riblia0IODbvMwVYa2epEOMaki_Ke445XGQdmc_Q/s1600/IMG_2652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxn-LLG2i-T4uiG2U1bf4xgPzMC7RLy1c9_OGeQ4zouJN7Tk3wLwbUFJR2sgj4jgc5J4EGKx9g2GMYuyyuoT-BfUvEXzB5bOsiUm9riblia0IODbvMwVYa2epEOMaki_Ke445XGQdmc_Q/s640/IMG_2652.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Manual Antonio park</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0Tr7Z5oa6uzE8pgCaNUK7bd6GCda5s5tSn6hfyIflY56k6CZVII_-t5sZkc8EZpmlDvPh7sKBZG3tBk_ERPCz3VEBSOcozu2o1LFCk33sIUEb7zP8WHM_l1hNwNQjhd5n8uL2OnZD2U/s1600/IMG_2659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj0Tr7Z5oa6uzE8pgCaNUK7bd6GCda5s5tSn6hfyIflY56k6CZVII_-t5sZkc8EZpmlDvPh7sKBZG3tBk_ERPCz3VEBSOcozu2o1LFCk33sIUEb7zP8WHM_l1hNwNQjhd5n8uL2OnZD2U/s640/IMG_2659.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We found us some fire ants, demolishing a tree piece by piece</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8FQkCLlmARj_FO7sYCE31u046XjIE6fR5rIztzYxxfp4ihmHS3RZH34-OSeOWgPdyN6dcJ5vEfNU-4ceuzzxQ-6J2iOfvr1lo0nr9inz84zm8Vd67TI3Y52HF1loqoOjB8NwP6xFTjs/s1600/IMG_2661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8FQkCLlmARj_FO7sYCE31u046XjIE6fR5rIztzYxxfp4ihmHS3RZH34-OSeOWgPdyN6dcJ5vEfNU-4ceuzzxQ-6J2iOfvr1lo0nr9inz84zm8Vd67TI3Y52HF1loqoOjB8NwP6xFTjs/s640/IMG_2661.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We decided to aid them in their mission</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeglcB7NKxW1OS9S-nQFCzIcOcJkrZkjeJ7o8ysB6YozOX3YJYiCKP9veQlyGMrDuL_8RbYpKHeIe39_AFWm3JkXhVu681wC_v7VHudI9kfaxe_Yghlz6_kkgv7OMPx8OXygPrUrXpSs/s1600/IMG_2663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbeglcB7NKxW1OS9S-nQFCzIcOcJkrZkjeJ7o8ysB6YozOX3YJYiCKP9veQlyGMrDuL_8RbYpKHeIe39_AFWm3JkXhVu681wC_v7VHudI9kfaxe_Yghlz6_kkgv7OMPx8OXygPrUrXpSs/s640/IMG_2663.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're friendly, really, you should drop by a next sometime and say hello</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzE0mutHmYk-LECcLU7YjTUt3gU73n191mJObNPuLmuJoWqiueiUfMiIQMc78TO8yS3QfewLRjc_k645JK_hOTwcvKWG6R1IfNDhJwXBqC_prNxTR_0Ou2ezcMSc3Ah3tOiUyyjlFyUA/s1600/IMG_2667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivzE0mutHmYk-LECcLU7YjTUt3gU73n191mJObNPuLmuJoWqiueiUfMiIQMc78TO8yS3QfewLRjc_k645JK_hOTwcvKWG6R1IfNDhJwXBqC_prNxTR_0Ou2ezcMSc3Ah3tOiUyyjlFyUA/s640/IMG_2667.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying our dinner, alone again!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdRYmiHLL9s-UMmsND7VMiyPApghQsBxT7Ou_RA5vy-jcKKpfOQyjAxybYchyFLYbTltEZgaHK8MrTWVdGrS0vr7Fpoj2pwpwoPCd82NwA_HF-AnLz_XjUbvORalPI7SJYgY07cElVdQ/s1600/IMG_2671.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcdRYmiHLL9s-UMmsND7VMiyPApghQsBxT7Ou_RA5vy-jcKKpfOQyjAxybYchyFLYbTltEZgaHK8MrTWVdGrS0vr7Fpoj2pwpwoPCd82NwA_HF-AnLz_XjUbvORalPI7SJYgY07cElVdQ/s640/IMG_2671.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can't decide if this is the nicer sunset or San Juan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcHM8ItM50MgDzSXeYaS-c2P78KJCP0O6tTVGsbsLozfQT1KNfPOlrMnRgPgdtKsXDiim9v4zuKT4uPbFgh8myXYTo7LC06HxxJdfSxrvT5pB2R8XQ864KxYCoSiBrYsESF5sbyBQRRU/s1600/IMG_2682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcHM8ItM50MgDzSXeYaS-c2P78KJCP0O6tTVGsbsLozfQT1KNfPOlrMnRgPgdtKsXDiim9v4zuKT4uPbFgh8myXYTo7LC06HxxJdfSxrvT5pB2R8XQ864KxYCoSiBrYsESF5sbyBQRRU/s640/IMG_2682.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I need another pic to decide......</td></tr>
</tbody></table>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-51246166194272748792011-01-24T14:46:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:14:54.841-04:00Costa Rica -NikCosta Rica is incredible! Wild life and picture perfect beaches seem to engulf the beautifully paved roads we drive. Monkeys, massive trees and colorful birds are the types of thing our eyes have to endure.RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-32214906778284863672011-01-22T23:49:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:15:39.368-04:00Montezuma's Revenge Continues - ROBWell we thought it was over but henceforth it continues. Its supposed to last a max. of 5 days, we're waiting gratefully and expectantly this day will come soon. We're still chillin' in San Juan, watching the sunsets....<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcHwfmbZCzrpOtCI4NnoW9WohwW70k52PAuRkXTI3Aq1TEWRSyMn3loXN_IY6jHHBDdJvWPvNImUPPo61wV4E9Kvo-KVW9oLEL5wVPDvW7Y4jeQ-Oor3haHIPikteTDqeb47s_VVU3xo/s1600/IMG_2571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwcHwfmbZCzrpOtCI4NnoW9WohwW70k52PAuRkXTI3Aq1TEWRSyMn3loXN_IY6jHHBDdJvWPvNImUPPo61wV4E9Kvo-KVW9oLEL5wVPDvW7Y4jeQ-Oor3haHIPikteTDqeb47s_VVU3xo/s640/IMG_2571.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">swingggggingggg in the shade, i love this place now for sure</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ARKAIlxSwp8_pNWizccJNXWIcRq1Tzc-NQ6N22hi1RdPvAcGXONY2IyEh4paTWWLJai1KYgUU9W7N0wcWrUSYr1VpxejmJBhc-OsQsmcFu1xvoPFCPfCGtlaMBS6M6sJ8Oz7kulMtcc/s1600/IMG_2554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ARKAIlxSwp8_pNWizccJNXWIcRq1Tzc-NQ6N22hi1RdPvAcGXONY2IyEh4paTWWLJai1KYgUU9W7N0wcWrUSYr1VpxejmJBhc-OsQsmcFu1xvoPFCPfCGtlaMBS6M6sJ8Oz7kulMtcc/s640/IMG_2554.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another one of my trip favourites, so far</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSuzeWh1RcJucBscp3IbFvmuULzCIVusi4rZkajRhfVVmrtR3DdwRHXUS9-kZemrVJM8_IaIgg3nINk7G_GtpbfMyqKdj0_ZxD1DOj91U7des4jjQ2apx8i_t-ql0-tJoCqfANwt4Muk/s1600/IMG_2557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSuzeWh1RcJucBscp3IbFvmuULzCIVusi4rZkajRhfVVmrtR3DdwRHXUS9-kZemrVJM8_IaIgg3nINk7G_GtpbfMyqKdj0_ZxD1DOj91U7des4jjQ2apx8i_t-ql0-tJoCqfANwt4Muk/s640/IMG_2557.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating dinner, waiting for the sunset</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLbwN6Z_cZ1bv_XA8ntuYxAqKOED8c444YWQZB9X2hnKWXeqQoM-Psl8S20PjlSjqZl8kwSjntFM3ffC1cVyut-p8EKFCog3nKSNUdrTqt3UdkzZEZUyUP-MDBIXp70TXA5G2w4_JEbA/s1600/IMG_2560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLbwN6Z_cZ1bv_XA8ntuYxAqKOED8c444YWQZB9X2hnKWXeqQoM-Psl8S20PjlSjqZl8kwSjntFM3ffC1cVyut-p8EKFCog3nKSNUdrTqt3UdkzZEZUyUP-MDBIXp70TXA5G2w4_JEbA/s640/IMG_2560.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There it is!!!! Everyone always stops what they're doing to capture it. Tonight I took a video of it, I'll timelapse it when I get a chance to download editing program...5 kb a sec...not good.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y83wEhZ5fZMlcKW8-guheKbkI7FZMQMUKgWvyN0r7yWdx-psACO7AOCldVx91hmmdvnvLslagfU1BRkSd4QgHn3Va9gF6hkHlz2Q9-KBR_EJ2TZDZqbFenZ30K3RoJU4vgASfbzE_-k/s1600/IMG_2564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9y83wEhZ5fZMlcKW8-guheKbkI7FZMQMUKgWvyN0r7yWdx-psACO7AOCldVx91hmmdvnvLslagfU1BRkSd4QgHn3Va9gF6hkHlz2Q9-KBR_EJ2TZDZqbFenZ30K3RoJU4vgASfbzE_-k/s640/IMG_2564.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik pondering the descending sun</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So yeah, today was a relaxing day, I took a walk all the way out to the point at the tip of the cove. Rocky walk, but well worth being able to see Costa Rica from there and the 400 foot depth of the water from that point. Ate some spaghetti again tonight, and got some druggggggggggggssss mmmm. Some more immodium should work some wonders, we got some addicting painkillers, theres actually a warning on the package, like some sort of nicotine, love it.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UPB1wVlHQ0Q?hd=1" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="480"></iframe><br />
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Heres the Rauda brother's doing there thing. See this experience allowed us an insight into the driver's we deal with everyday on our bikes. we now have the knowledge and capacity to interact and deal with such situations when faced head on with it? Haha, maybe not. <br />
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And tomorrow we're off to see the Volcano and natural hot springs of Rincon de la Vieja in Costa Rica. See you then!!!RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-46440268636352793032011-01-21T18:02:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:15:39.369-04:00Luxury at Last!!! - ROB<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We founddddddddddd itttt. IT has come at a price, 60.00 tonight, and no rooms tomorrow (there's a giant cruise ship in the bay), but for today it is my paradise. Nik is still feeling like crap, he's been couped up in the room, but I have been out and about exploring San Juan del Sur. A highly highly recommended destination nestled in a cove on the Pacific side direectly south of Isle de Ometepe. Both fascinating spots, but I'm not sure what we're gonna do; whether or not we'll climb a volcano tomorrow and stay on the island in the lake, or find another spot here to rest up, either way I want to stay here one more night. Our hotel, the Gran Oceana, which I read about in the lonely planet book, has a cold refreshing pool, what looks like an awesome breakfast included, internet, A/C, hot shower, laundry, the most secured parking yet, one block from the beach, holy crap, what else could we ask for. OK, there's one thing, a balcony. A lot of the hotels on the beach here have balconies, and that would be ultra cool, but every other place here has no rooms, unless we share a hostel dorm with like eight other beds. No damn thanks, not after last night.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Enddded up we took turns all night waking each other up stumbling around in the dark for toilet paper. The music lasted until 12am, I don't know when I fell asleep but we "laid to rest" at like 8pm. And I guess I double jinxed myself, because a rooster caulked all night...seriously all night. Haha, anyway, the festival can continue, we just need to rest. It was an interesting party though. I also met an awesomly nice couple who'se grandfather owned the hotel we stayed at. They were from California and came down to see the festivals, shout out to your hospitality if you're reading this guys! It was nice to meet you! </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So I'll throw up some pics I took of San Juan, I'm gonna try and get Nik to do something, he's definitely missing out. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Right outside hotel, but party, big music, loud DJ</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crazy fireworks right outside the hotel, blocking the street</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new cute buddy from the Diriamba hotel</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our new oasis in San Juan del Sur</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fi5FpFul0Q49fkcxPOMlishFtmCDoeyXwYkwxFEfNkVkMi4_4a2KhHAooB4UeCrV8tEBOuVrDoi9Xqb_ixn8yHMtJhb1Ib1VENCcP6XHmtnWQ7g5k-s-3pvsh4XsCqGwnyh-KsFM1VI/s1600/IMG_2522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0fi5FpFul0Q49fkcxPOMlishFtmCDoeyXwYkwxFEfNkVkMi4_4a2KhHAooB4UeCrV8tEBOuVrDoi9Xqb_ixn8yHMtJhb1Ib1VENCcP6XHmtnWQ7g5k-s-3pvsh4XsCqGwnyh-KsFM1VI/s640/IMG_2522.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parrots included</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lTKzVKx6Pb2kKC-exxC9qvhZ-WNb-b5uaic_7VSJ0pllL_K-ce49tRVXzRuDWMHzuVPMMTsgaF_erP4BjC_Phh0209QoXWjZkKlogceTSuMSmhdF9VjrbDwDDv_SErX_6ukQLuWohPU/s1600/IMG_2523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3lTKzVKx6Pb2kKC-exxC9qvhZ-WNb-b5uaic_7VSJ0pllL_K-ce49tRVXzRuDWMHzuVPMMTsgaF_erP4BjC_Phh0209QoXWjZkKlogceTSuMSmhdF9VjrbDwDDv_SErX_6ukQLuWohPU/s640/IMG_2523.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautifully cold pool to relax in</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWsU_eDfemoZmttRMkLdwhcoP_WubKVMoDYFaP2Ylbst1lRKg9ysxn0pxBsuGSWUCMVSJueQezDGBcX7ouIWjY6DFSW3dPK-3ivrnR3nW3aFgv5sXlBSYU7b3Qvlx0BqttQ7ZoLXVv_Q/s1600/IMG_2530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRWsU_eDfemoZmttRMkLdwhcoP_WubKVMoDYFaP2Ylbst1lRKg9ysxn0pxBsuGSWUCMVSJueQezDGBcX7ouIWjY6DFSW3dPK-3ivrnR3nW3aFgv5sXlBSYU7b3Qvlx0BqttQ7ZoLXVv_Q/s640/IMG_2530.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This ship is gonna make tomorrow busy :(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4lktghS2w1_ua_JK7FDKITbQkC_3nvhVDthdAmZVveq8Pii8Y_fP4edKRIa2RMxnKiFFFMppLMMZ-cC-vT3BK_Zy2VEoz64QAfpZMwIJo_pS8zB57UjFOtX8YZ8tflAfGcb1IpbCIbA/s1600/IMG_2531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg4lktghS2w1_ua_JK7FDKITbQkC_3nvhVDthdAmZVveq8Pii8Y_fP4edKRIa2RMxnKiFFFMppLMMZ-cC-vT3BK_Zy2VEoz64QAfpZMwIJo_pS8zB57UjFOtX8YZ8tflAfGcb1IpbCIbA/s640/IMG_2531.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The villas I wished we rented instead:(</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfgoco6JrojAs6_F4PckhXje_s6693FTwc1Kryl3OQW42xWmRisb4YSqgcKD3ZZrXwxeezB_2gZ5q49VemmJuWkkuxi7t-sTT2eAH3_mUX9RHy_LED8xhaiCZmN58rM4yFauvIbiFWSM/s1600/IMG_2539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLfgoco6JrojAs6_F4PckhXje_s6693FTwc1Kryl3OQW42xWmRisb4YSqgcKD3ZZrXwxeezB_2gZ5q49VemmJuWkkuxi7t-sTT2eAH3_mUX9RHy_LED8xhaiCZmN58rM4yFauvIbiFWSM/s640/IMG_2539.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The beach here breaks pretty neatly, watch your stuff, i left the camera on the beach with no one around for 500 feet, went for a quick dip, turned around and some bastard was walking right towards the camera and sat down next to it when I came back....</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULhwDy-aMnm8Jguubt66WZRN3gV_f4P-fVswEVwxXbEsIEYm9myFxIe6rV-8UNWIJ3lUjrbc49o6l8kvzi86DaSCfe-X7k_u8vdK1V7uHiefjmDeTPvjOLcO_J8noQ7Hjg5W8tai6T98/s1600/IMG_2543.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULhwDy-aMnm8Jguubt66WZRN3gV_f4P-fVswEVwxXbEsIEYm9myFxIe6rV-8UNWIJ3lUjrbc49o6l8kvzi86DaSCfe-X7k_u8vdK1V7uHiefjmDeTPvjOLcO_J8noQ7Hjg5W8tai6T98/s640/IMG_2543.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our nice hotel!!!</td></tr>
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</div>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-43633875013574554012011-01-21T17:52:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:16:04.680-04:00The Rauda Brothers + Honduras is a Shithole + More Sickness TRIPLEPOST!! -Rob<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Again no internet, so I'm writing the post offline. Heads up, it's gonna be a big one as I and Nik lie here bed-ridden in the WORST (but awesome) town you could be sick in today. More on that later. I think the last time I posted was after surfing, I seem to remember complaining a lot about it, well you're gonna be stuck hearing some more complaints, mostly about Honduras if you don't mind. There's usually not much good news about it anyway, unless you're north along the coast. Transito, major problemo. Let's go back to El Salvador for a sec.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We woke up to our first cloudy morning and it couldn't have come at a better time because we were both way burnt. Obviously Nik was worse, but it caught up to me in the night only after I finished making fun of him. Sore but focused, we drove to the capital, San Salvador; a short drive of maybe 30 minutes. I thought I had the directions perfect in my head, but as usual, when you're faced with immense craziness coming from all sides, things seem to get turned around. The trusty compass has saved me from worry on many occasions, but in major cities, theres usually mass confusion. This was no different, we had to get to the Kawasaki dealership and I ended up missing it by two blocks. 112 blocks later we ended up in Mejicanos, not a spot a traveler goes unless he wants to meet the local Marreros (that was actually where our hospitable amigos the Rauda's brothers lived and we would end up there anyway, but we had to get to the dealership first). Alright, an hour an a half later, we found it (by luck of incremental streets a-la Manhattan). Slow start to the day, but the guys at the shop were SUPER helpful. More helpful than we could ask for. English, friendly and cheap, can't beat it. Place is called Moto Imports and I would highly recommend it. List of things we had done:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Nik</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">new front tire (purchased in stock) with new tube</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">new rear tube (I think I mentioned it was half as narrow as it should've been)</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">brake fluid front and back</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">tuned</div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Me</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">new front tire (one I carried with me)</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">new chain (the one I brought with me was too short, goddamit online purchases always screw me)</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">new sprockets front and back (ones I brought)</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">tuned</div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">So we left them there for the night, and one of the four brothers, Alex, came to pick us up. Who are these guys you might ask? Steph, my fiancee (hi lady!!), her mom's cousins kids (second cousins I suppose?). Four of them live together in a house/salon which is pretty massive for a change from what we were used to. They were more than happy to take us in for the night and show us around. I have a major language barrier, which is major suck, because they are great guys and I'd lvoe to get to know them better than I do now, but Nik was there to fill in the gaps and help us out. One of the brothers, Carlos, speaks a bit of english, that helps, but when a bunch of guys go out and go for 37 beers together, theres really no language barrier at all (yeah I actually remembered how many). Great time, no hangover, super lucky. Its awesome when you order a beer, and a beer comes in a litre jug for 3.25.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Anyway Steph, they treated us like kings like you said they would so we treated them to our entire time together, it was awesome. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">They weren't ready to give up, but constant travel is draining and we weren't able to keep good company until 3-4 in the morning like they wanted, so we slept only to find out in the morning everyone was up and gone to work already. How they do it....Alex wished us a goodbye and we took off for the worst day of our trip!!!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">First: the dealership.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">No problems here. Total charges were 211.00. We calculated it would have cost us almost 600.00 bucks in Canada because of the labour. Awesome. Went to eat a double header: Wendy's breakfast + lunch in one so we could get as far as possible without stopping. Fat fkn chance. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Second: El Salvador exit/Honduras entry.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Alright, everything positive I said about borders, forget it. There is definitely a reason people hate it, and our story will tell you why. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I dunno if I mentioned that our awesome friend in Guatemala exit, he had a good friend to help us though the border again for no charge (like his friend..but now I realize the first time's always free, thats how they get you hooked). Anyway, the first guy to rush us at this hectic border informed us it was indeed the friend and we'd have no problem, "follow me!!". Everyone's running, pointing us in directions. About 4-5 of them. They clear us out of El Sal. Migracion.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Time check: about 2pm.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We get to Aduana exit, money changers rushing us, guys have all our documents running about. "you need 1500 liempras to enter Honduras". First of all, what the fuk (pardon), too expensive, its a country we'll be in for an hour transit and we need to pay almost a hundred each? Well, no falling for it next time. Here's where it gets complicated...really complicated. We don't have enough money, the bank is 15 minutes backaways, but our bikes are exited already, we can't drive. Trick number one: A friend/brother of the other helpers offers you a drive to the bank. 45 minutes later, me sitting in a piss-trench waiting for Nik, he comes back, the "ride" was 25.00....american... Fool me once, shame on you....</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We now have what seems to be enough to get us through the Hondruas entry (we were told no banks in Honduras will change money....sign number 2). </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Its hectic, really hectic. The confusion helps scammers and extortionists work their magic. We have no documents on us, they're all with them, and we get to Migracion. We park, Nik starts walking around to see whats up. "20 minutes, you exit". Kape. I sit on the bike for an hour, two hours... </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Time check: 5pm.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">People are still scrambling, documents in about 6 different people's hands. Nik pays 700 Lempiras each (35 bucks) for the entry, but they tell us theres still a lot to do. Here comes the fun part. The super friendly's tell Nik that because the bank is closed we have to pay at another location. Wheres this?? Back room of the photocopy building. Fool me twice....shame on me. Nik immediately storms out, tells me about the situation, I tell him to ask the officials what we're supposed to pay if anything else at all. This is when all hell breaks loose. They get close to our sides, real close, we still have no documents. We're refusing to give them any more money, and after arguing for what seemed like way too long, they brought us past the "Fumigation", also closed, and at the checkpoint a hundred meters away. More people scramble at us, we're way outnumbered, and they are demanding we pay them, yet the number increases and increases. Now its 900 more Lempiras each, 100 more each than last time, and more than what we had. They knew we had money, and they said we couldn't pass unless we had the banks stamp, which would come in the morning and he'd keep our documents until then. I get my official transcript somehow out of his hand and the idiot tries to grab it back. At this time, Nik's furious, I'm getting there too, and everyones yelling. Nik was telling them we didn't mind paying for their services, but that they can't fuk us (I leave out the c because its more text friendly :P) for all our money. Anyway, by this time Nik's looking for the police to intervene, and the official seems to take a 50/50 side. It started to get dangerous, Nik grabbed all our documents out of the bastards hand, I looked over at the other official, and he waved us to get the hell out of there. They were yelling more money, more tips, we had none of it.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Time check: after 6pm.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We ended up getting to the police checkpoint, we shaken a bit, and it shows. Even though we're nervous, they are joking with us a bit, and we get through no problem. Lesson learned......NO HELP EVER AT CHECKPOINTS EVER. Its not that hard to do it yourself, and you won't end up screwed. Total cost: In the midst of arguing, Nik handed over 7 or 8 American, I handed over 200 lempiras, 100 more to confuse him to get our documents back. Not too bad...but yeah, lesson learned. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Third: Riding in the dark.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I read that to enter Honduras you did need to get to a seperate bank to pay another entrance fee or some other; plus we didn't have fumigation. So I was a bit weary about checkpoints, plus the fact it was all in the dark. It had to be done, our transcript had one day on it. Honduras sucks. Sitting here now, theres nothing good to say of it. The border was gross, the infrastructure is terrible, garbage everywhere, dust everywhere, potholes the size of cows (which, navigating through in the dark is an awesome activity), and bad food. How bad? Well we're both visiting the gentlemens room every twenty minutes. Shivering, aches, etc.etc.etc. NO SHRIMP. Anyway, long story short (I tend to make my stories too long) the ride went ok. No problems, we managed to sneak by two checkpoints quickly without chase, and we made it to Nicaragua border. We will try our hardest not to ride in the dark again, everyone else uses their high beams, flashing you every....single...time....</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Fourth: The last push.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Honduras exit; help is offered, help is refused. "Free, no money". Don't care, leave us alone. Another official tells us to follow him, we really have no choice, we're going that way anyway. Migracion was 15 seconds. Aduana. Not so much. Problem with riding at night is that truckers drive at night. Their paperwork is much more complicated to fill out and there's 10 in front of us. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Final time check: 10:30pm.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We're finally the only ones left there. I think we had to pay migracion 200 Cordoba's, but we needed it for hotel, so we paid 200 Quetzals, bad exchange rate, real bad :P. If it wasn't for the truckers, this border would have taken us 10 minutes. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">We found a hotel right by the border, safer in Nicaragua, and had a semi-decent sleep. Was pretty cheap, 12 bucks each. The hotel room, we considered, was the upgrade, the suite, of the Escuintla hotel. A/C, bigger + better beds, but everything else the same. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Alright....thats two days down, finally today (a bit uneventful). I also apologize for the multiple uses of brackets, I'm a bracket whore to explain the story a little better without sounding redundant. We woke up early as usual , I can't seem to sleep past 7 anymore. We drove looking for breakfast...nothing for over a hundred kilometres. By this time, my stomach starts convulsing/tightening, not from hunger but from some unknown pain. We finally find an <i>On the Run</i>, I thought it was a Canadian only convenience store, but it was a pleasant breakfast besides the "on the run" to the gentlemen's room multiple times. Stomach by this point feels like a love grip machine, and a body builder is testing it out. Past Leon (couldn't find tooooooooo much interesting, it's an alright place), and onto this road that seemed like it was going to lead to another trip through Atitlan (read posts about Guatemala). Half paved, half potholes, I wasn't sure where the hell we were. After about an hour we popped out 5 km from Managua, thank god. We both lie down on the pavement at a gas station trying to recouperate to no avail. Only another 25 mintues to Diriamba. Well, we made it, struggled for a hotel, no really fancy ones here either I guess...we really wouldn't mind paying more for luxury once in awhile but we just can't seem to find it. After 4 hotels, we settled for one right in the middle of town. Its 8.75 a person US. For the price, we can't go wrong. It has what we need, and we actually made it for FIESTA SAN SEBASTIEN!! Its a huge party every year at about this time, that goes on all day and all night long. Everyon'es in the streets, parades, costumes, music. Sounds like a great time... if you're not sick. I went out to take some video, but Nik's doing really bad now, the worst of mine is over. Hopefully he gets better sometime in the evening, but we can't rest here. There's 30,000 watts right outside the hotel, endless parades and people yelling, and fireworks shelling us constantly. Damn, it sucks missing this party. At least we made it to where we needed to go. Haha, it keeps getting louder and louder. Poor Nik again. OH AND THOSE FUKN ROOSTERS. They are now my worst hated animal on the planet. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">SO THATS MY RANT!! I'm sorry you had to sit through it, heres some pictures to make everything cheery again!!</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">P.S. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Update on Nik. I think mine's past, I have an iron stomach and it's battles hard against any type of poison. I'm lucky for that, that's a Landon gene. Nik not so much, his progressed from what we thought was traveler's diarrhea to food poisoning once againnnnnnnn. He's totally out of it and having it attack him from both ends. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's hard to imagine the toll this type of trip has on your body, but we're figuring it out for sure as we go. If we're not always hungry, we're dehydrating. If we're not sick, we're extremely tired. I don't think theres been a single day on this trip where I've felt normal, as if I was at home. With a huge budget, and resorts and nice hotels, this might be different, but a trip opn a budget is dangerous to the body. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">List of things to now completely avoid.</div><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Any ice in drinks (for some reason locals love putting ice in the damn drinks, even when you tell them not to. Please stop).</div></li>
</ul><ul><li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Most seafood (unless fried). We had shrimp and chicken last night and I don't think it was the chicken.</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Any local drinks (we also had tamarindo last night, one of my all-time favourite drinks). The drinks are made with local water and we have to start avoiding that (I'll keep to freshly squeezed orange juice).</div></li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Any undercooked meat and fresh uncooked vegetables. </div></li>
</ul><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I'm gonna try to stick to fast food more often. These rules seems so simple, but its hard to follow when a lot of the food is prepared all together, or served mixed up. Time to get more smart...right Nik? Oh, he can't hear me with his head in the toilet.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0X9igJDGEPj60EE9GzfJ-h_Zs2Mu4uKXVeyw5HYmV8GUDWRhzsBAvER-EHqqSa1eAOR_E_XDQODtUUiRLD2gkA9-Tq3pgGixolbV4Eiv3KBZ7o-3CMMQ6ygWt4rHA5clCPKqOiWt6Bmo/s1600/IMG_2450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0X9igJDGEPj60EE9GzfJ-h_Zs2Mu4uKXVeyw5HYmV8GUDWRhzsBAvER-EHqqSa1eAOR_E_XDQODtUUiRLD2gkA9-Tq3pgGixolbV4Eiv3KBZ7o-3CMMQ6ygWt4rHA5clCPKqOiWt6Bmo/s640/IMG_2450.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex Rauda and his awesome campanion Campion</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2G5EC1k9D6C_0KRZXr7EJX78pBxOiMcbhv2CTHDFnBXaV31yNRoeAd81X6TTxXMrw5Kc7iiadvuQJmL7EgCWgn31Whwe5Ttrmw_31ezC3xt9HN29X12zV7HDgavnnuUkgSdXSpmUqlGE/s1600/IMG_2452.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2G5EC1k9D6C_0KRZXr7EJX78pBxOiMcbhv2CTHDFnBXaV31yNRoeAd81X6TTxXMrw5Kc7iiadvuQJmL7EgCWgn31Whwe5Ttrmw_31ezC3xt9HN29X12zV7HDgavnnuUkgSdXSpmUqlGE/s640/IMG_2452.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How cool would it be to have an Avacado tree in your house?!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4AIwn_AxIOzEqlsj7QSDQ4kTNTpKaLjwpPo3SNoxTvNUZI7mMcGrZHOqnKRjGPa47s2X9iCu88foSs0csHIbkfTSaWEevfA5vDGY8qNM7IioHVO-Wjd5ObEQXRHUWaO80N2USrX81I3o/s1600/IMG_2455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4AIwn_AxIOzEqlsj7QSDQ4kTNTpKaLjwpPo3SNoxTvNUZI7mMcGrZHOqnKRjGPa47s2X9iCu88foSs0csHIbkfTSaWEevfA5vDGY8qNM7IioHVO-Wjd5ObEQXRHUWaO80N2USrX81I3o/s640/IMG_2455.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My new pal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuy3puRWDNFugrJlBNSU29t4YvwxpC8cxVV6N0knxh5Fj1xQUAbgt4wF6_UyrGoBcwAH7btoco6KmCxmDpxgwzc55RoMWxZeipJTg8LbdLN24dCySUlxSyrj9pz214XVkZV8GmZACLlw/s1600/IMG_2469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuy3puRWDNFugrJlBNSU29t4YvwxpC8cxVV6N0knxh5Fj1xQUAbgt4wF6_UyrGoBcwAH7btoco6KmCxmDpxgwzc55RoMWxZeipJTg8LbdLN24dCySUlxSyrj9pz214XVkZV8GmZACLlw/s640/IMG_2469.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steph will love this picture of her buddy too</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZbgwuDrS-JqgLPiFdB1LnqwS4ptUhtyF_qd_hWG6s5KUNLhfHvj_VYuKo0-uHjeWjy_ulJmiKNGu9-UK8IigHOjl0aH2kdPuhzA2I598b6w04iqcp9bvkUshutbzTZa8CCcZxx9F0Xw/s1600/IMG_2475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZZbgwuDrS-JqgLPiFdB1LnqwS4ptUhtyF_qd_hWG6s5KUNLhfHvj_VYuKo0-uHjeWjy_ulJmiKNGu9-UK8IigHOjl0aH2kdPuhzA2I598b6w04iqcp9bvkUshutbzTZa8CCcZxx9F0Xw/s640/IMG_2475.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of the Volcano from their rooftop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQFh-M-qD2V1T4rVKzbaCN7_crHDVzujB__w2r8M4Xsbw7J-R6CHA4eO1TOo8_Tx8Fe_3pgnZjlHGO4vPrxrH80YIOzzTrv7ZWkIN4H3H-EE6sadtVBRyfZ0rRp37au9ow-F_n6n-P6Q/s1600/IMG_2494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTQFh-M-qD2V1T4rVKzbaCN7_crHDVzujB__w2r8M4Xsbw7J-R6CHA4eO1TOo8_Tx8Fe_3pgnZjlHGO4vPrxrH80YIOzzTrv7ZWkIN4H3H-EE6sadtVBRyfZ0rRp37au9ow-F_n6n-P6Q/s640/IMG_2494.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The big party of San Sebastien!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FzmwBFCIaYXtGgbXG-r0T_3W9WUvU1w77FV8_EmEH9UrnH3waowx-3XuTnX73DOYajpv_kp6cv8_Nz96Ig82CUr2jLkgZi6FFcmBe0lnp_KkMNwaRE5QT73QspaiCQKmvI1M2PGbHBM/s1600/IMG_2478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FzmwBFCIaYXtGgbXG-r0T_3W9WUvU1w77FV8_EmEH9UrnH3waowx-3XuTnX73DOYajpv_kp6cv8_Nz96Ig82CUr2jLkgZi6FFcmBe0lnp_KkMNwaRE5QT73QspaiCQKmvI1M2PGbHBM/s640/IMG_2478.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are the bastards that crowd you and take over your life for a few hours...these poor suckers got it too</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8-sGPMhnWVr6j-jtY7nMgd_UQYajC_Mnbrfx1P5EQDc_i9VpWI8qq5rG6Hhmyg0cK9p9uihI59keoujmfUhobLeitiKZJ1PissRcTeddR-vs73KvOF1WiyOkJudHSn-Bq_i7XIpMslc/s1600/IMG_2479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF8-sGPMhnWVr6j-jtY7nMgd_UQYajC_Mnbrfx1P5EQDc_i9VpWI8qq5rG6Hhmyg0cK9p9uihI59keoujmfUhobLeitiKZJ1PissRcTeddR-vs73KvOF1WiyOkJudHSn-Bq_i7XIpMslc/s640/IMG_2479.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me waiting for Nik for a good hour at the Honduras border</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0L94JZi8paX_Pber8H6j_1E1ivV8D1d7DjnVWr0Z9qESdyWyLthq5bzs11Lj0AZbRA5T63OpkCNgSkRbWKW6y0eRMKtYc-xVnM98vEjvq1uQ8StIk_P5nv1r5V53akoU0R2ShdgsA0V0/s1600/IMG_2482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0L94JZi8paX_Pber8H6j_1E1ivV8D1d7DjnVWr0Z9qESdyWyLthq5bzs11Lj0AZbRA5T63OpkCNgSkRbWKW6y0eRMKtYc-xVnM98vEjvq1uQ8StIk_P5nv1r5V53akoU0R2ShdgsA0V0/s640/IMG_2482.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Late night Nicaragua border wait times</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZRZReHPPEWYMCRltYBOQzQFAK7BnfGLR1G8AYHlmLd9AP4JNvwfD8YyVesYqM_6lybKNLE-qCAUSYHfXseUAM6fdSTQOhtCohlva7yJiz2ieV35ZtQGG2uA167z55eOH-wcotGU_VOY/s1600/IMG_2487.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZRZReHPPEWYMCRltYBOQzQFAK7BnfGLR1G8AYHlmLd9AP4JNvwfD8YyVesYqM_6lybKNLE-qCAUSYHfXseUAM6fdSTQOhtCohlva7yJiz2ieV35ZtQGG2uA167z55eOH-wcotGU_VOY/s640/IMG_2487.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On this trip, things sometimes get up close and personal</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6JJKRIjhpxrE9thPzXuGsBOtvMJyRrMY9E5sowtP8XLIlUyTAxGoiC6ENB9lOcNVSuLHBd9-nvjttDdSTBP_Q6Vpgnm9haEFmExa_-iDNQ0bXirHxlCzYT6ynw1FP-8MfzLJVMO6JAg/s1600/IMG_2490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6JJKRIjhpxrE9thPzXuGsBOtvMJyRrMY9E5sowtP8XLIlUyTAxGoiC6ENB9lOcNVSuLHBd9-nvjttDdSTBP_Q6Vpgnm9haEFmExa_-iDNQ0bXirHxlCzYT6ynw1FP-8MfzLJVMO6JAg/s640/IMG_2490.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Volcano you could see for a good 50 miles all around</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Yty3-PPAUCkqYsvnEwCfW7dbKX65_i8-_qHKf2inn_IRCz3rmFCPVlFjnfW2CnHOdMZP0YOHiGNs_fNq3thVrlMfgIsq8EIQsCbhGzuQ5MVnugA9r4FXb0g4auNlpfqzbF_suo106Eg/s1600/IMG_2492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Yty3-PPAUCkqYsvnEwCfW7dbKX65_i8-_qHKf2inn_IRCz3rmFCPVlFjnfW2CnHOdMZP0YOHiGNs_fNq3thVrlMfgIsq8EIQsCbhGzuQ5MVnugA9r4FXb0g4auNlpfqzbF_suo106Eg/s640/IMG_2492.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canadian only my ass</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6CaM5_3R96nTRH_JaohGv3Ja80KQKwXk9nNeve2vQnJgOPRkZvnD3cNXsYJxnnVeWJNtuUqSld19PElqdtPhYEyeBQUr7pVVAtoLtTwbkC9dkNqMhO0gFS5ZTs_PAQZsdYmxZX85qWM/s1600/IMG_2477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh6CaM5_3R96nTRH_JaohGv3Ja80KQKwXk9nNeve2vQnJgOPRkZvnD3cNXsYJxnnVeWJNtuUqSld19PElqdtPhYEyeBQUr7pVVAtoLtTwbkC9dkNqMhO0gFS5ZTs_PAQZsdYmxZX85qWM/s640/IMG_2477.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops, supposed to be at the top, but last but not least, awesome dealership, hands down to these guys!</td></tr>
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</div>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-38172762374064508962011-01-17T23:46:00.001-05:002011-03-16T18:16:56.934-04:00Double Posting All the Way!!! Whooaa, Its Almost a Triple Post!! --RobBlogging again, how can you tell there's no TV here. Well, I'm only doing this because Mr. Dam so kindly reminded me that I didn't post the picture with the huge rooms. We'll.........<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb7dCZHf2c1eyJvRrUG7SZY1l7o5NuiL5ptd-K5LtzWaihcdcWPbqtdd6pKI9tGv3skoPhggqnkVb08Dd629cLvC5br_nvEawx-woub_IKK3p_FoyQ4kYFx_u8t2cT0RqYMY49cztmKE/s1600/IMG_2335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb7dCZHf2c1eyJvRrUG7SZY1l7o5NuiL5ptd-K5LtzWaihcdcWPbqtdd6pKI9tGv3skoPhggqnkVb08Dd629cLvC5br_nvEawx-woub_IKK3p_FoyQ4kYFx_u8t2cT0RqYMY49cztmKE/s640/IMG_2335.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living room!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnDT4WngmlhP2lEwuq2-QIVR1A1YEH8_6Zjb_8PxUlcuwDEF5Wtak6cG1Ni9AeLjGB7HmxQ-Z6kHvtjT_5vZa-6KfzqZ758Gv3kqI2btrrkzdprgl-j0RHWHJOMuUC70pZoma68CbKNQ/s1600/IMG_2334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnDT4WngmlhP2lEwuq2-QIVR1A1YEH8_6Zjb_8PxUlcuwDEF5Wtak6cG1Ni9AeLjGB7HmxQ-Z6kHvtjT_5vZa-6KfzqZ758Gv3kqI2btrrkzdprgl-j0RHWHJOMuUC70pZoma68CbKNQ/s640/IMG_2334.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of four bedrooms, completely empty.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>THERE....now, lets keep it real. I said huge, you gotta remember the places we've already stayed. We're used to 60 sq. feet. not 1500. It makes a bit of a difference. Anyway, now that I've already started posting, might as well throw up some pics I took tonight and from Niks camera last night. I missed the sunset unfortunately, but I did come close..take a peek.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38WbfgptXvQCFfDPOwSmyGHSRMukaHVccql74X22DtOUa4vLLv0_bELzbbKJZiMlgH3cFgXRujJbYONqaHYpvO407HaRLuWwDC46qtLXukeZD99KTqAGYjuBBOQ1O_Cr5xtrtxMejJIA/s1600/SAM_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh38WbfgptXvQCFfDPOwSmyGHSRMukaHVccql74X22DtOUa4vLLv0_bELzbbKJZiMlgH3cFgXRujJbYONqaHYpvO407HaRLuWwDC46qtLXukeZD99KTqAGYjuBBOQ1O_Cr5xtrtxMejJIA/s640/SAM_0043.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik and the expensive watermelon lady! Mind you, damn good. P.S. You're no longer in the cold Nik what's with the winter coat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkahLp-nek7fnWt-8mTtPbeEd3oSIaaF65v3W-5rh4cKp9ghmN8NWKtSsJ8plXbA8lva4NFoIkoAe_EZ890_5Q0zpQNq_ruRif90w25s36LgDz55R6mXD9iFpbwdIb5g8vFm5hE0Dt8PU/s1600/SAM_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkahLp-nek7fnWt-8mTtPbeEd3oSIaaF65v3W-5rh4cKp9ghmN8NWKtSsJ8plXbA8lva4NFoIkoAe_EZ890_5Q0zpQNq_ruRif90w25s36LgDz55R6mXD9iFpbwdIb5g8vFm5hE0Dt8PU/s640/SAM_0044.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Completely normal road hazards</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXj1FIQmlmBDsYfZ59ZT8EUgtjqg1NqFkt1hOgdmLM0olreOIt2p2seR5pm9Qi77MPC8Ti7TRTzq2KZUCZ_YnqBCtyexlS1u__P0Zx2iv_OXbZtcLYrJ7ZsKExrvKDrVlIaUT5OZ113UY/s1600/SAM_0046.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXj1FIQmlmBDsYfZ59ZT8EUgtjqg1NqFkt1hOgdmLM0olreOIt2p2seR5pm9Qi77MPC8Ti7TRTzq2KZUCZ_YnqBCtyexlS1u__P0Zx2iv_OXbZtcLYrJ7ZsKExrvKDrVlIaUT5OZ113UY/s640/SAM_0046.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Massively impressive food, this place is the best we've eaten! A 750ml vodka, a 7-up, 3 redbulls, this meal, and 4 beers for 39.00US. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8I8y98Ze0w68XW0uFzE5l5TQ2h9SWg4XLChWxYGXUcRmwIseVlDWto4fyyNsc3zfPMKRv_IDAmJmwJCwGyfpUS4r8ACFMnXD2pc8IPttbm83PqudH4fpJCzNeYKIsxevMQdLtBrFXUc/s1600/SAM_0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim8I8y98Ze0w68XW0uFzE5l5TQ2h9SWg4XLChWxYGXUcRmwIseVlDWto4fyyNsc3zfPMKRv_IDAmJmwJCwGyfpUS4r8ACFMnXD2pc8IPttbm83PqudH4fpJCzNeYKIsxevMQdLtBrFXUc/s640/SAM_0048.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dig right in!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSySA3AnTJvkAfiSr3v3axB45-cqrHP72EAOgoYwBhcDcDbGoG9wRy-rRKuwvAzVBg7sGPIXt86UPup6OuPwMy20Jtoi87xPxMBzQQMGqEKyCOgyGckx_EnJHSGfDJtxl-6mKTeT4uZM/s1600/IMG_2425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSySA3AnTJvkAfiSr3v3axB45-cqrHP72EAOgoYwBhcDcDbGoG9wRy-rRKuwvAzVBg7sGPIXt86UPup6OuPwMy20Jtoi87xPxMBzQQMGqEKyCOgyGckx_EnJHSGfDJtxl-6mKTeT4uZM/s640/IMG_2425.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bit too much sun today Nik?? You should hear him suffering right now haha..</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdt2EyDfRbGfZm7zN8i0N1ER-Mar84w7SB6Z5aqV0V_cbe0IlflivD68K-mOayFclifyU35d8ao3dKuEjSr23_AmExMagEoVvFqBmfVEqViRY6jIvZAnFhc-vPy9a-1ohPfx3InqgQoo/s1600/IMG_2426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEdt2EyDfRbGfZm7zN8i0N1ER-Mar84w7SB6Z5aqV0V_cbe0IlflivD68K-mOayFclifyU35d8ao3dKuEjSr23_AmExMagEoVvFqBmfVEqViRY6jIvZAnFhc-vPy9a-1ohPfx3InqgQoo/s640/IMG_2426.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All I want to do in El Tunco is eat and post!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3zW94sCgqfenYgJuGZhb7AdSjy3n6s9zTit3ysG08f09oXHsE5mN-tyPujbyuGarMO1XXTlw6Z9vSVWqMNpGFQyi38eM4LZcr7fNDCzLIEncbdkyA2tX5zMIN8BE0N8HXvCospGP1AU/s1600/IMG_2429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3zW94sCgqfenYgJuGZhb7AdSjy3n6s9zTit3ysG08f09oXHsE5mN-tyPujbyuGarMO1XXTlw6Z9vSVWqMNpGFQyi38eM4LZcr7fNDCzLIEncbdkyA2tX5zMIN8BE0N8HXvCospGP1AU/s640/IMG_2429.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just after sunset on the beach!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jYRJ_m78HFDysJFMdy3PYnqs1vHlIatEKnHNYKs38HEDPWPFjcLMsBDQhxfobnMFof3782WknfHur7Y_1W9eIpyVA4PUbbiPvM5M4hTUgxAPGFrQoPHAmIh4WpNxi4tn2tPgCeCn-RA/s1600/IMG_2432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9jYRJ_m78HFDysJFMdy3PYnqs1vHlIatEKnHNYKs38HEDPWPFjcLMsBDQhxfobnMFof3782WknfHur7Y_1W9eIpyVA4PUbbiPvM5M4hTUgxAPGFrQoPHAmIh4WpNxi4tn2tPgCeCn-RA/s640/IMG_2432.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous pig rock of El Tunco. Obviously I am looking at it from the wrong angle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcG8LvTfC5xDdfFKajckGUYV95XPWQroSxKZbdU_ZdABqf-0LEI17r5Z9NtA7rZvxvWl-_ELCMlk8FNag4ujix3G6OX709FpID7d9d5HawBxftjVsnDTesvlFUnYVUEL0fg6DJP5jzp8/s1600/IMG_2434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvcG8LvTfC5xDdfFKajckGUYV95XPWQroSxKZbdU_ZdABqf-0LEI17r5Z9NtA7rZvxvWl-_ELCMlk8FNag4ujix3G6OX709FpID7d9d5HawBxftjVsnDTesvlFUnYVUEL0fg6DJP5jzp8/s640/IMG_2434.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our dinner audience; they sat on our feet while we ate. Cute fellers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOKwyStXgbUuPbKTmDQCahEtCGzkv3FLMfl-6FhnoNhQEgV7Elf5RPwWpiVKLwaXMUlvUxxyAwCWpu6JrSs7U-aHwMCvNf5a8iZnx9tJqRJoWvCtFhYLlBs6DF6C6kfKGlmgEnkixVL4/s1600/IMG_2436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTOKwyStXgbUuPbKTmDQCahEtCGzkv3FLMfl-6FhnoNhQEgV7Elf5RPwWpiVKLwaXMUlvUxxyAwCWpu6JrSs7U-aHwMCvNf5a8iZnx9tJqRJoWvCtFhYLlBs6DF6C6kfKGlmgEnkixVL4/s640/IMG_2436.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Again, we dominate this place by ourselves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbyGHDcY_4YS_M7PCZuBo95uVZ0iE9GUdsrQmHItEnk49W3JxZ7xHn1bcKRrfA2649QK4mbCFgr64u_Q3rCtv9Al1VcUI6f8XBEEsPQ1wuVJWMid-Gtg3R3wriMspvJ8dMpjIny6yto8/s1600/IMG_2439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivbyGHDcY_4YS_M7PCZuBo95uVZ0iE9GUdsrQmHItEnk49W3JxZ7xHn1bcKRrfA2649QK4mbCFgr64u_Q3rCtv9Al1VcUI6f8XBEEsPQ1wuVJWMid-Gtg3R3wriMspvJ8dMpjIny6yto8/s640/IMG_2439.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't eat the shrimp here, this man catches it from the swamp...and it smells. He can't hide in the dark from my shutter speed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qx3PWrpmQbTcW6QzuNr8M9e5ypBKB0Y-ZJjJ1Q5n5T-mWu5_9mZkhLhqST_wjoHc3eXT-jHMjG4zemZlBSp6sxYd9CIxWVtgBHzBQm0H0suyRlD7hxIacxRuh9HyfhX9BpOlXMWQNQY/s1600/IMG_2441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-qx3PWrpmQbTcW6QzuNr8M9e5ypBKB0Y-ZJjJ1Q5n5T-mWu5_9mZkhLhqST_wjoHc3eXT-jHMjG4zemZlBSp6sxYd9CIxWVtgBHzBQm0H0suyRlD7hxIacxRuh9HyfhX9BpOlXMWQNQY/s640/IMG_2441.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">30 second exposure makes nighttime daytime.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jvvLwj7P0RQoH0zJADelo8UxoKxC_FQJRtgOyQIB0u06oU9OTUs8vVjwGFkRM6jXeTH_xHJ9-9xjMTN6xtuZX-jj9eMmSWd1aCEeQeBTQRAf-0t8wH9JAixnt_lezOlUiHUstBfvnkk/s1600/IMG_2444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_jvvLwj7P0RQoH0zJADelo8UxoKxC_FQJRtgOyQIB0u06oU9OTUs8vVjwGFkRM6jXeTH_xHJ9-9xjMTN6xtuZX-jj9eMmSWd1aCEeQeBTQRAf-0t8wH9JAixnt_lezOlUiHUstBfvnkk/s640/IMG_2444.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But nighttime is pretty nice.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>And a video I added tonight onto Youtube showing what Atitlan looks like from the beach!<br />
<br />
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<br />
I also apologize, looking over the massive post, my punctuation and grammar suffered immensely. I'll be on the lookout from now on, so stop judging me. :(<br />
<br />
Alright, no more posts for a bit. We gotta focus on getting to Leon as fast as possible. Want to make it to Diriamba for the San Sebastien festival on the 20th! Wish us luck, we're gonna try to get out of El Salvador, into and out of Honduras and into Nicaragua and a 200 km ride to Leon all in one day! Let's do this!RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-34476747262150852062011-01-17T18:05:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:16:56.935-04:00Finally! Some Sun!! ....Too much sun..... - RobFigured I'd post a bit about the sun and surf here in La Libertad. No pics (see post before) until I bring out the camera a little before sunset. Our room here is a bit boring...no TV, we miss our Warner Bros. station with terrible commercials but awesome shows.<br />
<br />
QUICK< SOMETHING I FORGOT. MORE BORDER CROSSING ADVICE.<br />
<br />
Guatemala - El Salvador (Southern most border).<br />
- Buildings are all together, very easy to navigate. Exiting Guatemala proved a lengthy process, but it was made easy by my friend (see post before tambien). We joked and laughed with him until our paperwork was done and off we went to El Salvador. Exiting cost us 10 Quetzals and 2.00 US.<br />
<br />
- Pass a checkpoint, into El Sal. El Salvador is by far the easiest crossing. It still took a long time, but we only had to get through Migracion, Aduana and a few copies (0.40US). Everything else is free as El Salvador is part of the CA-4 Border Control agreement (guatemala..don't see how tho, it wasnt free and easy; el salvador, nicaragua and honduras) which makes life a little easier. <br />
<br />
So far we're lucky, no lines at any border. We typically go early and I'm pretty sure it's not busy season, I hope I didn't jinx myself.<br />
<br />
Anyway, the road coming up to La Libertad was hot and chocked full of semi's going slow. Once we hit the ocean things got interesting: massive dark and cold tunnels, and a ride that would hone anyone's cornering skills in any type of vehicle. At least 30 switchbacks tucked us into our bikes as we climbed and descended over and over again next to the ocean. Very cool.<br />
<br />
When we got to El Tunco, we drove right by it. All the beaches here have very small entrances into what are like small communities. Inside are restaurants, bars, hotels, hostels. There's pretty much a 50/50 population of locals to white people here. So lots of conversation to be had because it's nice to be able to talk fluently in native tongue once more (its very draining struggling in broken spanish all the time). We asked one laid back girl what hotel was best, and she pointed us to the Tunco Lodge. Decent place, woman said 50 bucks a night, what we expected to pay by the beach, but a young kid took over and showed us around, then said the price was 40. Awesome deal! ...So we thought. Talked to a guy later that night who's staying here for 8.00. Well, now that we have our sunburns, we're gonna look a little more local and a lot less foreign so hopefully we can get some deals soon. Doesn't mater, we're happy. We have a pool, cheap food, and a/c. Lots of people to talk to, a huge surf population and a backpackers destination. We celebrated with a beer at the beach bar; 8 later and we chowed down on some much needed spaghetti. Total bill: 8 beers, 2 huge spaghettis, 20.00. Awesome again! I love this place.<br />
<br />
Watched the sunset over the ocean, incredible and went back to the pool and back out to dinner. We had fried fish which was much better than I thought it was going to be, another 4 beers. After a stupid bet that if I ate the fishes eyeballs Nik would buy a bottle of vodka, we found ourselves swallowing Vodka and redbulls and 7-up all night. Well...Nik's night ended early, I talked to the Tyler guy from Canada for a couple more hours and polished the entire bottle of vodka..Good thing we're by the ocean, hangovers only affect me in-land.<br />
<br />
Woke up to hammers banging at 7 am, had some french toast for breakfast and decided we'd get some surf boards. I'm not going to take pictures of my wounds, but after three hours we decided to give up and try at another destination. The waves here are slightly forgiving, but the shallow rock shelf make it dangerous. The board popped me in the head, I've got multiple scratches on both arms, deep cuts from jagged rocks on both feet and hands. Surfing is a rough sport....not to mention arduous. Everytime we'd attempt a wave and then fall, 4 more would knock us 300 feet to shore (we're on point break) and we'd have to start paddling all over again.<br />
<br />
A Canadian surfer girl sat down with us and basically gave us a free lesson, nice of her, she was probably just afraid we'd kill her if we went back out. Anyway surfing's done....we're toast, Nik's burnt, and we've been sleeping the day away haha.<br />
<br />
I'm hungry for food and pictures, I'm going scrounging.RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-89625132319221370502011-01-17T10:59:00.002-05:002011-03-16T18:16:56.936-04:00MIA At 3000 Feet - RobIt's been an unexpected while since I've been able to post. At the time of this entry in fact, I have no internet. I'll be uploading this one the next time I get some wireless, but it's a little bit hard to come by around here. Here? Roach motel tonight....we really had no choice, we've travelled the past two days from San Cristobal to here in Escuintla, Guatemala, one of the few mistakes we have made on this trip so far. More on that later (as ants crawl on the bed and people since and dance outside the room making all kinds of noise).<br />
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I can't even remember where I left off, the past couple of days have been quite the blur. The last I remember posting about was the cold, the damn cold that seems to follow us through these mountains. The rain has passed completely, we have been graced with mostly sunny skies sicne that one day. If I can think back to where I left off, we travelled the farthest we had yet on this trip through that rain. 670 kilometres in one day. Along the way we met a traveller from Alberta fully loaded for a round the world trip. He had he would try and make it to San Cristobal with us, but I doubt he has our stubborness and persistence. We did make it, through, hmmm if I can recall, by passing through 7 TOLLS. Yeah, 7...lucky number, our wallets ran dry three times with the unexpected stops. It ran us a total of $50.00 US, our whole daily budget, just to drive from city to city. I only once we ran through our last toll did I realize that Libre meant free and Cordo (or something similar) meant pay up. As I rode through tropical rainstorms I wondered how the hell most of Mexico's inhabitants can afford routine travel. Let alone Canada (basically no toll roads) in the U.S. Tolls are FAR less expensive, and to take "La Ruta Libre" would mean countless more kilometres in detours and far less impressive roads. We'd pay 15.00 to travel one section of road that would have potholes a foot deep and 3 feet wide. You hit one of those and guarenteed you're not coming out on two wheels. Gotta also account for the whole-lane puddles and nearly no visibility. It was not a pleasant ride but we knew where we had to go, so I compain now, but we sucked it up and rode on. When I do get to upload pictures, I'llshow the better half of that ride we talked about last post. <br />
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San Cristobal – not quite as impressive as I read about, but we didn't tour around the whole town. There is a lot of poverty here off the main drag (San Juan etc.) and we found ourselves looking for a hotel in the wrong side of town. We stayed directly in the square at the foot of the historical distract in a place called the Alcatraz Hotel. Funny....because the temrperature in the room/outside felt like the icy waters of that very prison. Nice place though, $25.00 a pop, we came to accept it, because it is more of a tourist town. We found a delicious chinese food chain I wasn't at first so sure about, but if I do see it again, it'll be my first stop. The town has pretty much everything you want, giant supermarket, chain auto shops, and for us a much needed "Laundaria". We were down to our last set of clothes...haha who am I kidding, we wore all our shitty clothes twice before we got them cleaned. The problem here was that it took our laundry lady until 1 pm to finish the clothes. We worked on the bikes, did an oil change, I readjusted my chain again, and goofed around in the sun until they were ready. <br />
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1 pm and we're on the road. In terms of Mexican road signs, I'm very pleased. Never did I have to rely on my map to figure out where I'm going (I'm the navigator of the trip: Man with the Maps). The signs always point you in the right direction, but I do have a damn bone to pick. When a road sign gives you a distance, say for example, 200 km to San Cristobal, why when you approach the next one 40 km later, it tells you 212 km to go. This is evident EVERYWHERE. Everytime you think you get somewhere, the next sign will put you 30km behind schedule. Regardless, we had time to make up, we had to get through the Guatemalan border yesterday.<br />
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The road out of San Cristobal rose even higher. We're getting on 3500 feet and still climbing. The ride was again spectacular, the Chiapas region is beyond my favourite area to ride. Constant climbs and descents, a great strain on my chain, but who cares, these rides are what motorcycle enthusiasts only dream of. Full hairpin turns at a 15-20 degree slope for 30-40 km. The pavement and road conditions were perfect with barely anyone on the roads. The termperature rose as we approached the border...ha the border, this is always the fun part. So the Frontera (border) towns are busy, I can't explain to you how busy, but it's basically a line of people two deep, both sides of a single lane road. You're also contending with of course traffic, 18 wheelers, motorcycles, the works, on a road that climbs at such an angle it's even hard to walk up. I heard from Central America advice on ADVRider that you can sneak through Mexico exit and go right into Gaute. Not true....must've been old. We were told immediately to go back 4 km to the Mexican migracion to get our exit stamps. It was getting dark fast, and no one....trust me, no one travels Guatemala roads at night. We figure there's no rush, even if we did clear the border we wouldn't have gotten far, so we, along with our bikes "exited" Mexico and dropped into a hotel right beside the Migracion. Again, the only people there, and for 200 pesos, theres no way to go wrong. Locked parking, and a whole house to ourselves, incredible. This place (look for the many pictures at the end of the post) had like 4 oversized (WAY OVERSIZED) interconnected rooms upstairs with a whole enormous wrap around balcony, all to ourselves. "Let's get dinner", we agreed suspiciously. <br />
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Not much around other than the post, and its dark. We walk up to the store for some beers, and decide instead to get dinner first. One slightly fellow told us in english that they had beers there. When we walked to get dinner instead, he insisted they had beers, and "you know what, I'll show you where to get some beers"......"wat", I look at Nik. The little feller points over to the darkest corner by some houses, and asks us to follow him over there to get some beers. This was our first encounter with, well we thought he was friendly, dunno what he wanted, but whatever it was, he didn't get it, not from us anyway. Got some local burritos, I loved them; Nik not so much. I'm a newb to burritos, maybe it was the cheap beer that helped it so gracefully wash down. With nothing to do, we fell asleep playing crazy 8's and reading Robb Reports. No internet and no english channels that we were used to everywhere else so far. <br />
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Didn't matter, because we were up at 6 to be the first to hit up the border. We hurriedly packed our bags and were the first ones there, luckily.....because it still took well over an hour. Again, we expect this with the knowledge we have. I know for me, when I was planning this trip, the borders scared me the most, but this is our first true crazy border we crossed, and there really was nothing to it. But since it helps to understand it better, I'll point form it again.<br />
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1. After Mexico exit, we first went to Migracion. He looked at our documents for 2 minutes, gave us our stuff back, and off we went. Too easy.<br />
2. Going to Aduana, fumigation man stops us and tells us we need it "after", we tell him. Aduana consisted of filling out entry form, correcting the documents they print (make sure to check the VIN's, they seems to most often screw up the numbers), and after 45 minutes here (the printer broke for the copies), he sent us to the bank (right beside the Aduana) to pay the 55 Quetzals.<br />
3. Officer checks your forms, and off we go. Too easy. <br />
**We did have to use a moneychanger, there are no moneychanging banks around our checkpoints, it was 3:2 exchange rate from the buggers......<br />
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The best part, well, I don't know if I can say best, but officials seem to treat you with the upmost respect. They push you to the front of the line anywhere you go, interesting. Makes up for all the shady looks and/or "monster" comments about our height (I guess it doesn't help we're 6'4 and 6'5, 1-2 feet taller than most locals). <br />
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The ride through Guatemala was very similar to Chiapas, with the exception of more towns and rougher topes. It slowed us down at the beginning, but after taking out some money and getting some gas, we sped up towards Lago de Atitlan. As I was taking a video of one of the crazy roads with a ton of switchbacks, a couple of police wave us over (this is another one of my fears on the trip) but he just asked us where we came from, where we're going, and to have a good time. Super friendly amigo! So, not to jinx us, but we've been lucky. No military checkpoints (they all seem to be northbound), no corrupt cops and friendly locals. Fingers crossed, we just began. <br />
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Anyway, by this time the constant hills are taking a huge tolls on my chain, and I'm driving the bike with the upmost care. I don't know the best method to prevent it from too much tension, but I've been riding with low revs (around 2500-3000 rpm at all times) as it seems to not jerk the bike back and forth, which is what the chain tension seems to be doing before this. All's well...so far...hope I make it to San Salvador Kawk. Dealership. We get to Lago Atitlan....like eveyrone says...beautiful..The pictures can only describe it, my weiny words are insignifcant in comparison. There are a ton of white people, an awesome local yelling out that we should buy some cocaine and skunk from him (laff) and turquoise waters. Mind you, if you've ever been to the Florida Keys in the dead of summer, expect similar smells.....not so nice, I wouldn't try swimming in this water. We had a pineapple on the beach and proceeded to get to where we are now, a helluva lot slower than we anticipated.<br />
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We came to a fork, and unlike Mexican road signs, Guatemala seems not to care where we have to get to. Both destinations were not on my map, and both looked semi-promising. The one we didn't chose (put my foot in my mouth) ended up what seemed like the wrong direction. We followed the water...<br />
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**IF YOU ARE EVER IN LAGO ATITLAN AND NEED TO GET TO CA-2 DO NOT FOLLOW THE WATER***<br />
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I didn't take pictures, because I wasn't sure we'd get out of it. I took a small video but it pales in comparison to what the ride would be like. It starts off decent, a lot of nice villas and more white people. Then the road gets narrower...and dustier....and sandier...and more inclined. After about 45 minutes of riding, the road became what appeared to be impassable by most vehicles. There was no one else on it but us, and a lonely villa, and it climbed. It basically rose 2000 feet in the matter of two or three kilometres. Even without the luggage, I have never rode my bike that hard. Nik has already told you about the fall (since I'm posting this first I'm guessing). I wish I could explain it better, but I'll let you know more if my bike falls apart before I get a tune-up. Just when I stopped Nik to ask him if we should turn back......I seriously throught we'd have to go all the way back and go the other route (it was harder going down), the path popped out onto the main road...wow. So we gunned through the coffee route of route 11 and CA-2 and made it to Escuintla. I thought for some reason this town was a landmark, a place to see, but I wish we had a few more hours to keep riding. I wouldn't recommend a stop here, we found only one hotel after riding for twenty minutes. The traffic is insane here, it is not a tourist town by any means. There is a market, but we dare venture out here, there is no key to our room. It cost us 130 Quetzals (15 bucks), no hot water, beds with mats upon bricks, and ants crawling everywhere. Mind you, we have 70-some channels, some of which are in english, but I'm very looking forward to moving on tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow, La Libertad, our first look at the Pacific, and a much anticpated stop along our trip. A lot of riders avoid El Salvador, but if you stay in the tourist towns, it'll be like any other country. Safer than Mexico, and Mexico was like a daycare (almost..). Besides, I have to meet my fiancees family!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These waves were massive for the Caribbean. The wind was relentless.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hey, if you're handicap, Veracruz will do everything to make life as comfortable as they can for you, just watch out for the potholes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The historical part of town (museum)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veracruz Centro</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite vehicle of the trip so far. Plentiful, yet I've never even seen these in Canada</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But I've seen this beast before.. Note the ceaseless and cold downpour to San Cristobal</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I told you, cold...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A fellow Canadian traveler whose name escapes me now. He's from Alberta and heading anywhere his 800GS takes him. So awesome!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As soon as we enter the region of Chiapas, magic happens!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skies clear up, beautiful mountains</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And climbing 3000 feet looking out over the area.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyKAwAt2s9F45oHFCXezbRdqgGFD2grv5cRrHnqlfHPcu3S0xX3ZjJDQ76RcddCdxgoHt20mCsFMHBRAlMeNpxu6VSpXVlgAGRpq4tm3yjA0hyphenhyphenArMRIX79IsInu3TexNFkEslnwezv_Q/s1600/IMG_2329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXyKAwAt2s9F45oHFCXezbRdqgGFD2grv5cRrHnqlfHPcu3S0xX3ZjJDQ76RcddCdxgoHt20mCsFMHBRAlMeNpxu6VSpXVlgAGRpq4tm3yjA0hyphenhyphenArMRIX79IsInu3TexNFkEslnwezv_Q/s640/IMG_2329.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Cristobal mascot; he wasn't as friendly as he looks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CsMUXMZGiLD6t3H8UKchkb5RAtww01OTDLliYI50UM4TVIWV36yqAUcvGwoILrYUR98_fqsU9bXye0HZzpMK0sMa_EfdG_uVfW7GXdj6vpNw7njssGwW-Px0iEH51TH2LZ6YSxbrfZo/s1600/IMG_2301.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6CsMUXMZGiLD6t3H8UKchkb5RAtww01OTDLliYI50UM4TVIWV36yqAUcvGwoILrYUR98_fqsU9bXye0HZzpMK0sMa_EfdG_uVfW7GXdj6vpNw7njssGwW-Px0iEH51TH2LZ6YSxbrfZo/s640/IMG_2301.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In Cristobal our hotel was pretty (if you go to this place and wonder where the hell any of the hotels are, keep going past the "Cristobal Centro/Historico" sign..we took a long time to figure this out.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0o5VrFZw8Nmye9tKfNJ3UYhskeQ32tbkGvsQ3XM_rPJ1Xc3C2vnAicLc3Y5hZzLyioVzY44JErUJc8XPO7VE-KAQGSV1OVOaNAyqt72maKiG7_jqprXNVf_FZd0kBfTGbaC4zkYqlTDk/s1600/IMG_2310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0o5VrFZw8Nmye9tKfNJ3UYhskeQ32tbkGvsQ3XM_rPJ1Xc3C2vnAicLc3Y5hZzLyioVzY44JErUJc8XPO7VE-KAQGSV1OVOaNAyqt72maKiG7_jqprXNVf_FZd0kBfTGbaC4zkYqlTDk/s640/IMG_2310.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cold air, breath is visible at all times of the day and night here.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF27PwMc-ciBTzNIJAMLCvk9FLIWbT6HMJFSN6KHDkdvrh2av5EiXUP_R5I0w5jAi9uF2Z87HL9XHuF2dgN1xkAWymVVxkpr45skKbRI2ajyvJMqA3qstOQHUhYIXTMJb7yq2vuaAUUoU/s1600/IMG_2313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF27PwMc-ciBTzNIJAMLCvk9FLIWbT6HMJFSN6KHDkdvrh2av5EiXUP_R5I0w5jAi9uF2Z87HL9XHuF2dgN1xkAWymVVxkpr45skKbRI2ajyvJMqA3qstOQHUhYIXTMJb7yq2vuaAUUoU/s640/IMG_2313.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quick and easy oil change. The bikes have a hard time not stalling (full idle for a long time) at this height. We wonder what the Andes would be like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOXIqDvKVp4O9qrvTtbERDHeiTshhtX2vY3F6XZW8dPKI2p22QqkHadXeRCGFDwY0DxQWmcXf3f7tSarE4NWad2QFaoBfuL13H4HnHj5FMuzSBe_2CZB-fizYeWBoylduQgcdSmF19n4/s1600/IMG_2341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOXIqDvKVp4O9qrvTtbERDHeiTshhtX2vY3F6XZW8dPKI2p22QqkHadXeRCGFDwY0DxQWmcXf3f7tSarE4NWad2QFaoBfuL13H4HnHj5FMuzSBe_2CZB-fizYeWBoylduQgcdSmF19n4/s640/IMG_2341.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our border hotel, all to ourselves.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiax-9JMmFDDy0jKxpjOhg8yHlsyLDDzk96QFpXE3lrNNBY7vIINL2Y2CECB1xir1oJ7nCKSEdhA0tMa21V4yH1IavSsjNiaMgAyrvlx_8dgu69CdNhnwJlQ8jWWqEQ5gfMad6zqdKiU0U/s1600/IMG_2356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiax-9JMmFDDy0jKxpjOhg8yHlsyLDDzk96QFpXE3lrNNBY7vIINL2Y2CECB1xir1oJ7nCKSEdhA0tMa21V4yH1IavSsjNiaMgAyrvlx_8dgu69CdNhnwJlQ8jWWqEQ5gfMad6zqdKiU0U/s640/IMG_2356.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our view, which I kept thinking were clouds as I was not used to scenery so looming.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinyksWICW-b0Md2C8qrhEInnOQ8RA7217eU7Bwz48oKIof75pGAsKd_Aeze7rSVzHY9XgWcWPc7_-qoGZD0Ydo3sRWKL-oqT5Vp6k1riwMS3vUObXgULIHlKpxMSwhoOVqxuh7ulgWMM/s1600/IMG_2368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhinyksWICW-b0Md2C8qrhEInnOQ8RA7217eU7Bwz48oKIof75pGAsKd_Aeze7rSVzHY9XgWcWPc7_-qoGZD0Ydo3sRWKL-oqT5Vp6k1riwMS3vUObXgULIHlKpxMSwhoOVqxuh7ulgWMM/s640/IMG_2368.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favourite pic of the trip so far, its just creepy...and it smelled really bad. Burning garbage is a favorite activity of the locals.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb0AWjIxBe3LI-93z-u_G4r486p41EFW7vfL5lREJNPQ7lv3DAAha0zyvPQuq8nmsYh4lDLNEe0asJwH-p92xWCCSsCCrV6FnLaqOok2temfmSg42BEScHFF8bfgEn20CSb-m8cx2uso/s1600/IMG_2382.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwb0AWjIxBe3LI-93z-u_G4r486p41EFW7vfL5lREJNPQ7lv3DAAha0zyvPQuq8nmsYh4lDLNEe0asJwH-p92xWCCSsCCrV6FnLaqOok2temfmSg42BEScHFF8bfgEn20CSb-m8cx2uso/s640/IMG_2382.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is really close to being my favourite pic..You really don't want to take one step back, its a long way down.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrr-4aiLqRqmvRhPQMeSPfW6YB5xIUPFYeaVvv5PjlQJA-Sq8lPgLHUnuZ9Cg1-1unqIL12P8veT9tpnB6zQBIwoUw_g1X4ty2PKj4jcRK7X04M_Yz4p19WDGhg-oKRLkPk5GXh-pM4A/s1600/IMG_2381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXrr-4aiLqRqmvRhPQMeSPfW6YB5xIUPFYeaVvv5PjlQJA-Sq8lPgLHUnuZ9Cg1-1unqIL12P8veT9tpnB6zQBIwoUw_g1X4ty2PKj4jcRK7X04M_Yz4p19WDGhg-oKRLkPk5GXh-pM4A/s640/IMG_2381.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A look at Lago de Atitlan</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMIpVtVe26pup2PuJiOP0suBmAJoQ2FGNK8UyFchf__RSDWZIQdwSaLXVEkaGn9QpAcs-NIycU1UEjWwJ-ykrnSKSBZmpVtARFRdh0JS9lPnKxNgYBaikkatKlAQMkV6jVQkkX-Hh9Jo/s1600/IMG_2392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMIpVtVe26pup2PuJiOP0suBmAJoQ2FGNK8UyFchf__RSDWZIQdwSaLXVEkaGn9QpAcs-NIycU1UEjWwJ-ykrnSKSBZmpVtARFRdh0JS9lPnKxNgYBaikkatKlAQMkV6jVQkkX-Hh9Jo/s640/IMG_2392.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was being serious too, this is actually a hairpin curve too.....watch the brakes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIIE2LX92cyzGqI4p2kGxi7XYXEpzTRQi3FERMqUZh11chhU-8yv_IqKbSWSIQxedEl71QDFjBjNHJJjuEYdZwaoyS1K3x7Z_f60sZaHyYPM-u7tpeFyJTB6CautAcMZLKJ1iT30ZSLc/s1600/IMG_2399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIIE2LX92cyzGqI4p2kGxi7XYXEpzTRQi3FERMqUZh11chhU-8yv_IqKbSWSIQxedEl71QDFjBjNHJJjuEYdZwaoyS1K3x7Z_f60sZaHyYPM-u7tpeFyJTB6CautAcMZLKJ1iT30ZSLc/s640/IMG_2399.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Las Pinas son fantastico!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMREGeDBqQzN6oHX7rD1vnWYeTP-kv9-ZRGWGElG2PNfzlWu7FrSVF2Xbcq1_UBVfXnmh-VMHz-NmFjl6iuABJui-ljkwIf-WQ5t1v9IjMgPgIrVP53amLN5Bi0Bt84Livg2E9ez4GEuA/s1600/IMG_2402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMREGeDBqQzN6oHX7rD1vnWYeTP-kv9-ZRGWGElG2PNfzlWu7FrSVF2Xbcq1_UBVfXnmh-VMHz-NmFjl6iuABJui-ljkwIf-WQ5t1v9IjMgPgIrVP53amLN5Bi0Bt84Livg2E9ez4GEuA/s640/IMG_2402.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Couple more pics, because its so beautiful.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJ4XQFaQV4C29JRHsxnPDBTg_wswXn_xgnpa2nAiYosqZ40ad8LoriymboBMU58tKwePwhovBlgEwjCT1WRef1yaZZNB_gMvFzx9WZkENtS7qQhqNl08hyphenhypheng0ox_dKOil9zteYN4S8ORY/s1600/IMG_2406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJ4XQFaQV4C29JRHsxnPDBTg_wswXn_xgnpa2nAiYosqZ40ad8LoriymboBMU58tKwePwhovBlgEwjCT1WRef1yaZZNB_gMvFzx9WZkENtS7qQhqNl08hyphenhypheng0ox_dKOil9zteYN4S8ORY/s640/IMG_2406.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nik making non-english speaking friends. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-316QqH-LTA_4pz9_6CvCDJvM2JedPdAEg4ze9U7IB6bfK7gOwG-zlg1sqhbYuuc0Q0p7-8tLi9A3efWiun2L098gvcVdKVLkTdKqsHwRSO8M4BruuhyphenhyphenDlG1VYbtnxzMzFTOLS5-itg/s1600/IMG_2409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ-316QqH-LTA_4pz9_6CvCDJvM2JedPdAEg4ze9U7IB6bfK7gOwG-zlg1sqhbYuuc0Q0p7-8tLi9A3efWiun2L098gvcVdKVLkTdKqsHwRSO8M4BruuhyphenhyphenDlG1VYbtnxzMzFTOLS5-itg/s640/IMG_2409.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool view of the Atitlan Volcano (tours available, but time was of the essence).</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryfFr6ztfDzKc1hM9jx84INniToaGjsi89JurgbeTg5GOmEGWaTxoK90zf2IOZo380fTIC8XJXqmCqolbAWzcRGcEIBlhWHi4pxGKQnh3U0Z2qgnUthzFmeROoK6fR-zejyl73yFfC0A/s1600/IMG_2412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiryfFr6ztfDzKc1hM9jx84INniToaGjsi89JurgbeTg5GOmEGWaTxoK90zf2IOZo380fTIC8XJXqmCqolbAWzcRGcEIBlhWHi4pxGKQnh3U0Z2qgnUthzFmeROoK6fR-zejyl73yFfC0A/s640/IMG_2412.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're hurried to make sure we could get the best hotel in Escuintla.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvcC1zAX9l7wsl_aZjXnv_gOnbz-irXce60Mbd_3_tIqJXsVfgZrA2EFZIpE_1h67o2FHi1ISSFLF1IhpgeWtK-PXT4yWz3lru6roGSVNoJkoZMkOnTFRximUzhyphenhyphenKGE6T3V7-qe0ge-w/s1600/IMG_2414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEvcC1zAX9l7wsl_aZjXnv_gOnbz-irXce60Mbd_3_tIqJXsVfgZrA2EFZIpE_1h67o2FHi1ISSFLF1IhpgeWtK-PXT4yWz3lru6roGSVNoJkoZMkOnTFRximUzhyphenhyphenKGE6T3V7-qe0ge-w/s640/IMG_2414.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unfortunately...there was only one hotel, and it was a dump of a town.....Note the blood stains / ants everywhere.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMerGYBMngCcPOxDgdpR3pJMmzCRqmqfl9guA3xyPUVWlcyRNZjAHarI39z7J8xA0-PZP8JY-X3lp1aS0f7vFjWFGAt0TB33rHb3c4fLb7XlUPC8ZPo0YXvc-twrUvKtWKM6ISsVwlv8/s1600/IMG_2415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMerGYBMngCcPOxDgdpR3pJMmzCRqmqfl9guA3xyPUVWlcyRNZjAHarI39z7J8xA0-PZP8JY-X3lp1aS0f7vFjWFGAt0TB33rHb3c4fLb7XlUPC8ZPo0YXvc-twrUvKtWKM6ISsVwlv8/s640/IMG_2415.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my new friend. I was told to watch out for helpers at border crossings. He immediately came up to us offering help, we really had no choice as he followed us around and kinda took over. We were really skeptical whether or not he'd hold our documents until we paid him (I've heard amounts from 50-hundreds of U.S. dollars). Although we tipped him 20 Quetzals, he never bugged us for money and made everything so smooth getting out of Guatemala. He even offered me a beer!! He gave us contact information of his friend who also offers help at the Honduras border! So cool.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHx43IlsILd-zEffGuwrtRcbyTNFkh2uekgR5P0gJBSgxDqaHxYmykugb9FyCid0gQKrqL88KcgM8ieQOGlQhKfL2yv6HPPESObhj9JznW-3nxtWxD2kj7aIxpYQ7SUhww_TlVKjOgIQ/s1600/IMG_2421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHx43IlsILd-zEffGuwrtRcbyTNFkh2uekgR5P0gJBSgxDqaHxYmykugb9FyCid0gQKrqL88KcgM8ieQOGlQhKfL2yv6HPPESObhj9JznW-3nxtWxD2kj7aIxpYQ7SUhww_TlVKjOgIQ/s640/IMG_2421.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little resort in El Tunco, La Libertad (Yes, I now have internet).</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BgXy6Jg4oTz3yj-hin4qKmfRdMgQFkiLQBSIDyrAOipFJtJFi7l40_cIbNq_vHSJR7Kj-vgPrx8I3ToNZxc3R7i45R-eXruRJ54xSMIsCsl9zIQfM_RYdYuapfrOFRoxysirV5UAZOc/s1600/IMG_2419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9BgXy6Jg4oTz3yj-hin4qKmfRdMgQFkiLQBSIDyrAOipFJtJFi7l40_cIbNq_vHSJR7Kj-vgPrx8I3ToNZxc3R7i45R-eXruRJ54xSMIsCsl9zIQfM_RYdYuapfrOFRoxysirV5UAZOc/s640/IMG_2419.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The moon looks much bigger in person.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHx43IlsILd-zEffGuwrtRcbyTNFkh2uekgR5P0gJBSgxDqaHxYmykugb9FyCid0gQKrqL88KcgM8ieQOGlQhKfL2yv6HPPESObhj9JznW-3nxtWxD2kj7aIxpYQ7SUhww_TlVKjOgIQ/s1600/IMG_2421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div>RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-5962067666536003242011-01-16T19:36:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:16:56.937-04:00Mountains and Waves -NikGuatemala! What a drive! most extraordinary ride of my life. We just wrapped around the mountain over and over again up and down (which is awesome on a bike). It was such a difference entering Guatemala. The thing that struck me first was Toyotas. Almost everyone drives one 90%+. We spent a night at Esquintla where we hit the a new low in hotel; cinder block bed, ice cold shower and ants. I had to seal the edge of the windows with toilet paper as to keep the mosquitoes out. Leaving early in the morning we made it to the border of El Salvador and headed to our surf spot; El Tunco. The place we are staying at, tunco lodge is great and cheap. Food here is awesome! Waves are fair and the beach is stunning. Tomorrow we going surfin! Wat!!!RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-32999338113095381142011-01-14T11:54:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:16:56.938-04:00Much better but colder -NikHey! I feel soo much better! I(heart)antibiotics. Getting out of Veracruz was a challenge. Poor weather caught up to us and got us soaked on our way to San Cristobal for the first few hours. Once we got up in the mountains into the cloudbank things took a turn for the best. If there was scenic drives before well this second half of our daily journey topped it right off! Ñ*¨[ Amazing.. Some of these sights where like storybook landscapes as we climed steady to 3000ft to San Cristobal. We entered the small town (still probably 1m ppl) and got lost for a while but found a quiet hotel with freezing floors. It does not get warm here. The locals are all dressed in jackets and this morning we where able to see our breath just to give you an idea. Chille! We got planning to make it to Guatemala this morning but might not make it since we are waiting on laundry which was overdue.RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7095818892598821207.post-74381902985180667412011-01-14T11:36:00.000-05:002011-03-16T18:16:56.939-04:00Winter All Over Again - RobGonna have to be a quick one today, were getting our washing done in San Cristobal de las Casas, and itll be ready at 1pm. Were gonna scrounge around and see whats up in this town. Ill post pictures of yesterday, we had both the best drive and the worst drive of the trip so far. One road....190 kilometers...straight. Awesome. Better yet, pouring rain, most of the day. Best part..cold. It was a terrible ride in to Chiapas, but I remembered hearing from somehwrer how beautiful it was, and that is an understatement. From the entrance sign, it is the difference from being in the prairies to being in the Rockies. Beautiful cliffs, panoramas, you name it. One problem, you climb high, and you climb cold. And when youre wet, your frozen. I never knew San Cristobal was at 3000 feet elevation, but more on that later. Were off to look for some meracado somewhere or another (mnarket). Need some fresh fruit, and some fresh clothes. <br />
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Huge update next time I get wireless.RobeeZhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10996349403465445854noreply@blogger.com7