Feb 18 Cartanega Colombia

Feb 18 Cartanega Colombia

We have had an almost enjoyable break from the road. We are getting ready to head off to Panama tomorrow, and there is much to do.

Of lowest priority, this time we have been trying to source laundry for our filthy gear and clothing. The hotel had reasonable pricing for a hotel, but we are on the hunt for a bargain. We sourced out a place down the road from the hotel and got a great quote, so we hiked back to the hotel and back with our many pounds of dirty wear. When we get back there the price had quintupled??? Ernie went postal on them, but even with more price breaks and negotiations it was crazy, so we packed up and downsized our laundry wish list and delivered it to our hotel laundry…Welcome to South America or is that good bye South America?

Barry has been trying to source a clutch cable, no luck in Cartegena, but he is told an hour down the road is a bigger city with everything..it turned up dry as well..Sofia our concierge has been invaluable spending much time helping us. In the interim, Barry has tried several imaginative temporary fixes for his clutch problem, with no luck to date.

I think this fix goes back to Barry’s Harley roots, I’ve heard of suicide shifters, but this suicide clutch is simply going to far!

Finally Sofia contacts Suzuki South America in Bogota and they have the parts, we are now waiting to see if we can have the parts air shipped in time for our departure..we may have to have the bike trucked to the Ferry and perhaps do the repairs on board or once we arrive in Panama.

Our top priority has been arranging to export our selves and bikes. There is a Ferry service, however even Sofia has been having trouble figuring out the steps involved. The phone numbers don’t work and addresses are not a widely used approach in SA she tells us. This explains much about our past hotel fiascos.. So off we went, in a cab, with great directions in Spanish, first to the customs office or “DIAN”, then to the Ferry Express office. We could not imagine how we could have sorted this out ourselves…not that we are stupid, but the process is simply nuts. It is almost unimaginable that a big ferry service would have no accurate information on their web..seems the main office is in Panama and they focus primarily in one way business to Cartagena. The little extra we are paying to stay in luxury is paying huge dividends with Sofia’s help.

At the DIAN office, we are issued visitor dog tags (these were also required entering Argentina) Ernie begins to show his religious side, kneeling and begging for them to let him out of Columbia.

He also practiced this ritual on entry to Colombia, praying at a little slot on a blackened wall at the border station.

The DIAN officer tells us we need 2 photocopies of everything and hands out one blank form for the three of us, which also 2 requires copies…..we ask if we can have three, so we don’t have to make copies of a blank form, fill it out them make more copies…this does not make sense to him, so off we go to a private business down the road photocopy a blank form, fill it out, then photocopy some more. Even the photocopy shop had blackened windows with a small slot? What’s up with that?

Back to the DIAN security, new dog tags issued, inside they staple our documents, stamp, keep a copy and away we go.

We now believe that we have the paperwork needed so we head off to the Ferry express office, basically being told we will have to look for it with a big white fence? Do you know how many of those there are here? When we arrive, thanks to our driver, the compound with a white fence, the main signage having nothing to to do with Ferries, we are greeted by a security guard who challenges us a bit, or so it seemed on our business here. Our driver again helps out and the gate is unlocked!

 

How these places do any business is beyond us??? Notice the great signage and welcoming entrance…

Inside we are luckily greeted by a delightful young girl who can speak English…a few $’s later for paperwork, we are off and told we are ready for the next step.

Tomorrow, luggage inspection and bike fumigation….We can hardly wait…

A couple of past pics…..

Many many personalized TUK TUKS! We tried riding in one for kicks, but we barely fit and in the heat with our gear, closterphobia set in pretty quick.

Someones idea of a joke!