tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:00:57 +0000http://www.la2ba.com/blog/noreply@blogger.com (Serdar)Blogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-1822388087142110982Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:33:00 +00002008-08-17T18:36:37.208-07:00 August 17 - I'm in Lima, Peru.Anyone know why I'm getting gently electrocuted by my PowerBook? TIPS & NOTESWould like to be notified of updates? Bookmark the RSS feed instead of this page. Would like to link to this site? Here are some banners and code.Pages loading too slow? View one entry at a time, using the list of entries in the left column.Remember: entries are ordered latest to oldest, http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/news_17.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-4770528279597486452Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:25:00 +00002008-08-17T19:00:57.163-07:00(DAY230 : Latacunga - Chugchilan : 60 miles) Pujili high street. After a few wrong turns and road side chats, I found the road heading to Pujili which continues in paved fashion all the way to the highlight of the trip: The Quilotoa crater lake. It was a 45 mile ride, mostly amidst lively greens of the paramo sparsely dotted by the bright pink and red clothing of the indigenous women, and http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/chugchilan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-7826815507299656505Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:20:00 +00002008-08-13T17:25:58.383-07:00(DAY228 : Quito - Latacunga : 110 miles) (DAY229 : Latacunga) The ride to Latacunga was, err, too long ago to remember, but I'm sure it was great. As for little Latacunga, well, there at least was beer, coffee (sort of), and even internet cafes. But the importance of the place is its proximity to Cotopaxi mountain and the Quilotoa lake. I checked into Hotel Central for a $10 stinky room, with ahttp://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/latacunga.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-329876235750447067Thu, 14 Aug 2008 00:18:00 +00002008-08-17T18:56:26.308-07:00(A mini detour) Before heading south to Latacunga, I first had to back track to the O° latitude and see if the myth about the toilet flush direction had any merit. Either Ecuador has the worst signage I have so far seen, or I have completely lost my navigation skills. When there are signs, they are so haphazard and confusing that you wonder whether if they exist just to mess with your head. http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/middle-of-earth.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-2539845242850222490Thu, 07 Aug 2008 21:17:00 +00002008-08-07T14:18:11.288-07:00(DAY225 : Ipiales - Quito : 180 miles) (DAY226 - 227 : Quito) The cathedral detour had cost me around three hours, so I wasn't at the border until noon. The border was wide open but freely riding into Ecuador didn't mean I should just keep riding as some paperwork might come in handy later on. On the other hand, maybe I just should have. There were only a handful of people in line, but the "http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/quito.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-5103857340676184308Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:54:00 +00002008-08-14T17:55:12.552-07:00(DAY224 : Popayan - Ipiales : 215 miles) The ride to Ipiales started as a very impressive one, but 60 miles in to it, the road surface deteriorated. After that it was inconsistent, and trucks joined in to up the ante. I entered the dusty border town of Ipiales and checked into the new and shiny Hotel El Nogal (on Carrera 7 & Calle 14) for $17. The plan was to rest and hit the border early,http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/ipiales.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-1920177017975971066Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:54:00 +00002008-08-05T09:02:25.166-07:00(DAY223 : Cali - Popayan : 95 miles) Popayan is another perfectly preserved Colonial town that lives with a "what's time got to do with it" kind of attitude; and that, I seem to embrace more than anything else these days. In my hurry to prove myself that I really can leave Colombia, I left Popayan after just one night, but I think I'll have to return there for a photographic project. I stumbledhttp://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/popayan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-5608972563698337619Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:50:00 +00002008-08-05T09:35:04.893-07:00(A day trip from Cali) Thanks to Thelma and Carolina (insert jokes here), I not only had a great ride through a rain forest, but also a taste of traveling without wheels. I will admit right upfront: life without Katirga would suck. Fast forward through the very early get up, walk to the bus terminal, and the bus ride; the driver dropped us off in the middle of nowhere as per our two-word http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/san-cipriano.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-7538458038224609489Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:49:00 +00002008-08-05T09:32:18.134-07:00(DAY219 : Villa de Leyva - Cali : 420 miles) (DAY220 - 222 : Cali) The ride to Cali was a 12 hour straight, iron-butt type of affair. Taking the route through Tunja ensured that my iron was thoroughly frozen on the way to Bogota. After crossing Bogota in one and a half hours, the road wound down among beautiful sights and reached the flat lands where the weather was nice and warm. After http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/cali.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-38396120004348928Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:49:00 +00002008-08-05T09:26:37.509-07:00(DAY217 : Zipaquira - Villa de Leyva: 90 miles) (DAY218 : Villa de Leyva) I arrived the year 1572 at around noon. But something must have gone awry because there were cars around. Villa de Leyva is a cute little colonial town that seems to stand exactly as it did when it was founded. I'm not sure whether if it was this sleepy back then, but unless there's something special going on, this is http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/villa-de-leyva.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-3466348602253094334Sun, 03 Aug 2008 14:48:00 +00002008-08-05T09:24:49.980-07:00(DAY216 : Bogota - Zipaquira : 40 miles) Zipaquira A small town just north of Bogota, Zipaquira possibly hosts the strangest cathedral on the planet. It's carved out of salt in an actual mine! Not only is it huge in scale, it's also earthquake proof. Add the trivia fact that the air in a salt mine is actually therapeutic, this is THE mine to visit if you're inclined to enter one. At the lowerhttp://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/zipaquira.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-2858389150079261140Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:11:00 +00002008-08-02T08:45:25.333-07:00(DAY213 : Medellin - Bogota : 285 miles) (DAY214 - 215 : Bogota) I had already ridden the road to Rio Negro many times, but this time it was different. There was no going back home, to my cute blue room at Casa Kiwi. And as for Katirga, man did she feel fat! Nevertheless, being back on the road in traveller trim felt really good. Past Rio Negro, the trip was through more green hills and http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/08/bogota.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-2591402691844992883Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:37:00 +00002008-07-07T18:53:12.115-07:00(A day trip from Medellin) On one of my later days in Medellin, Paul and I went for a day ride off the beaten path. Neither words, nor photographs can help me share the experience and the beauty of this land. Nevertheless, here is the photo essay. Our landing was without incident, and we appeared to be the only intelligent life(!) in close proximity. Welcome to Heliconia. I http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/07/heliconia-ebejico.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-6168303909027709770Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:36:00 +00002008-08-02T08:32:36.248-07:00(DAY189 : Los Angeles - Medellin : another 11 hours with zero legroom) (DAY190 - now : Medellin) After wasting another eleven hours of my life running around in ugly airports, waiting in lines among stressed out people, and cramped in dinky airplane seats eating crap for food, I was back in Medellin. My previous journey here may have taken three months, but I wouldn't call an hour of it "wastedhttp://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/07/medellin-iii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-2356398872421175916Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:35:00 +00002008-07-07T17:35:45.919-07:00(DAY160 : Medellin - Los Angeles : 11 hours with zero legroom) (DAY161 - 187 : Los Angeles) My unexpected visit to California was simply disorienting. In about eleven hours, I was yanked back to LA as if out of a dream. The INS officer had said "Welcome home" but I could not have felt more out of place. This is home? I recognized the headlights when Gizem took the corner. Big hug. More like http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/07/los-angeles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-6708874679833178031Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:34:00 +00002008-07-07T18:22:52.933-07:00(DAY117 - 159 : Medellin) Medellin beautifully blends European and Latin American flavors while offering everything a modern city should. For a city of this size, it's surprisingly cozy and can effortlessly hide its "citiness". During the day, it's tall brick buildings are handsomely juxtaposed against the green hills and a blue sky full of fluffy clouds. In the evenings, if you look down on http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/07/medellin-ii.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-5827285867275440818Tue, 08 Jul 2008 00:26:00 +00002008-08-02T08:54:46.714-07:00(DAY116 : Cartagena - Medellin : 420 miles) (DAY117 - 159 : Medellin) Let's see if months later I can still remember... Before I left Cartagena, I gave Katirga a full service in the courtyard of the hostel. With the routine replenishments I doubt she needed an oil change, but for sake of changing the oil-filter, she got one anyway along with a new spark plug and cleaned air-filter. Still, she http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/07/medellin-i.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-5268933554565779834Mon, 05 May 2008 06:07:00 +00002008-05-04T23:18:49.599-07:00(DAY101-103 : San Blas Islands - Cartagena : over 48 hours sailing) (see previous chapter) (DAY104-115 : Cartagena) Waking up in Cartagena was truly welcome. Not only because we were exhausted of hardcore sailing under the rough weather conditions, but also because Cartagena looks so different and mysterious at first sight. Maybe because you don't yet know what to expect, or because it has an http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/05/cartagena.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-8710355023139629647Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:40:00 +00002008-05-05T08:17:24.037-07:00(DAY095 : Puerto Lindo - San Blas Islands : 12 hours sailing) (DAY096-100 : San Blas Islands) Monday at noon we had 3 bikes to load. Katirga got on last. We left Puerto Lindo in a hurry, but still not before dark. The exit was tricky, and rough weather was already on to us. We motored all night through 3-4 meter (9-12 ft.) waves. Lucky that I don't get seasick. Almost everyone else did. http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/04/san-blas-islands.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-6088541458281000126Sat, 05 Apr 2008 01:39:00 +00002008-05-04T23:04:12.929-07:00(DAY092 : Panama City - Puerto Lindo : 75 miles) (DAY093-94 : Puerto Lindo) All got confirmed, and I finally got myself out of Panama City. The road to Puerto Lindo starts alongside the canal then joins with a busy route full of trucks. Taking this route on a Sunday could save you close to an hour, but otherwise don't expect to get there in less than 2.5 hours. Puerto Lindo is east of the http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/04/puerto-lindo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-5872858846374074569Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:01:00 +00002008-03-16T18:35:57.631-07:00(DAY085 : Almirante - Panama City : 370 miles) (DAY086-91 : Panama City) The road out of Almirante was spectacular all the way up the mountains . With only a few stops for food and gas, I made it to Panama City in about 7.5 hours, and checked into Hotel Centroamericano for $33 a night. Certainly over priced, but they had a garage. Katirga posing over the canal. Puente de las Americas http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/03/panama-city.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-8169566755266200012Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:19:00 +00002008-03-13T07:24:11.497-07:00(DAY078 : Almirante - Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro : 1.5 hour ferry ride) (DAY079-83 : Isla Colon, Bocas del Toro) The trucks line up for the ferry as early as 5 am, but with only a motorcycle, getting to the dock one hour early was overkill. You buy your ticket ($10) on the ferry, and they let you board last anyway. One and a half hours later, you're in the Bocas del Toro town of Isla Colon, http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/03/bocas-del-toro.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-7858473244270262631Thu, 13 Mar 2008 13:14:00 +00002008-03-16T18:33:08.757-07:00(DAY077 : Puerto Viejo - Almirante : 60 miles) The ride to Sixaola was nice and cheerful among Chiquita's banana trees. Then, we arrived at the border, and The Bridge from Hell. The Bridge from Hell Exiting Costa Rica was easy and quick. But crossing that bridge... Here at Guabito, Costa Rica and Panama are separated (rather than connected) by an old, narrow railroad bridge now used by http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/03/almirante.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-1287019856568026110Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:45:00 +00002008-03-04T18:45:42.372-08:00(DAY076 : Fortuna - Puerto Viejo : 210 miles) The ride out of Fortuna was pleasant and again among greens, but once we merged into the main road to Puerto Limon there were too many trucks. Promptly after merging I was stopped again for the toll, I mean for speeding. If you set the speed limit at 80kph (50mph), you can stop anyone you like right? I can't even shift to 5th gear at that kind of http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/03/puerto-viejo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5463236999475170642.post-418301294596127301Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:43:00 +00002008-03-04T18:43:57.790-08:00(DAY075 : Monteverde - Fortuna : 65 miles) Once back to my original route and the real road at Tilaran junction, the ride turned scenic and fun. A nicely paved narrow road took us around Lake Arenal, turning and twisting with beautiful views of the lake juxtaposed against the active volcan. Neatly manicured greens, clean signs, and pretty homes, quite frequently reminded me of the States. It's http://www.la2ba.com/blog/2008/03/fortuna.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Serdar)