All the way south

Colombia is the country that I wanted to visit the most as well as the country that many of my friends and family said I should avoid.

To the people who said not to go: Stop watching movies and TV stories about Colombia and experience it yourself.

Colombia is my favorite country that I’ve visited. The people are the highlight. Not only are they exceptionally good looking, but they’re incredibly friendly. We were sitting on the bikes and an older lady walked up to us and said “Welcome to Colombia” followed by the warmest smile. I’ve never been welcomed to another country before.

I also talked to more locals and made real contacts per day than in any other place in my trip. The people of Colombia are incredibly welcoming and open to speaking to foreigners. What is also nice is that people not only want to hear our stories and why we’re here but also share thiers. Conversations like that are really the highpoint of traveling. It is worth the 3 months it took to drive to here.

Upon arriving, we met Albert from the Turtles Head. Yes, in Colombia, not Ecuador. He’s apparently been charmed by Medellin and is going to open up a new bar as well as other business endevers in Colombia. The first night we tried to find accommodations and didn’t find anything good so Alberto let us crash at his apartment. Albert is a good guy who really contributes significantly to the international moto travelers scene, despite the crazy things he posts over on Horizons =] .

On Saturday AM, we went to pick up the bikes from the Airport. They were surprisingly at the warehouse as Copa promised and were in perfect condition. Well, they were in the same scratched and dented condition as we delivered them.

There we met the most helpful (and very beautiful, I must add) customs girl. She went out of her way to help us get the bikes Saturday even though she could have easily pushed us back to Monday. Also Theo was invited to a party by “La Bandita”, aka the bad girl of the Copa Warehouse. Unfortunately, the party was really far from where we were staying.

The next day we stayed at Casa Kiwi Hostel, near Parque Llenas, in South Medellin. This hostel is ran by Paul, an American from Seattle who decided not to leave Colombia after visiting it. This actually seems to be a common thing, as I met a couple of people with the same situation. (HI MIKE IN CALI)

Since Casa Kiwi is ran by a biker and has very good parking in a private garage on site, it is a regular haunt for motorcycle travelers. There we met a swiss/spanish couple and a german woman traveling solo. Corola, the german girl traveling on her 1990 XT has a website that you should visit here.

We were supposed to spend a two days in Medellin, but we ended up spending a week. I would have spent more if I didn’t have to go back to work in January. I really like that place and plan to go back some day.

Carola

Gotta watch out for those FARC reading the Google book.  Colombia is clearly 3rd world.

Ok, well they do have heaps of chinese motos.  There is also a v-strom factory there so there are TONS of Vees and Wees.  What medellin needs is a good biker bar.

They have an elevated train.

Modern cities

And securty guards who must be hunting something with those long rifles.

This guy made a rain cover for the 3 of our tank bags

See how nice they are at only a couple of bucks a pop.  Not only a good price, but he said they would be ready in one afternoon.. AND THEY WERE!

Vespa skoot