Hubbard Motorcycle Adventures

Well, we are now in Quito, Ecuador having traversed the entire length of Colombia. Ah ah. There is an equator somewhere here Now Colombia has some interesting features. Let me tell you about some of the more important ones. And this leads me to the subject of shower roses and toilet seats ! Let me explain dear reader. As we tracked south ( sounds like an aeroplane trip ! ) we found at the first hotel we stayed at there was no toilet seat or shower rose in the bathroom.(and no hot water tap also ) Presumably previous guests had stolen them. The receptionist thought that our request for a room with a toilet seat was quite unreasonable although after a long convoluted discussion in my primitive Spanish we got a room with a toilet seat. No shower rose again in the replacement room however ! Was this just one bad night or just one bad hotel? Here is where the plot thickens. The next hotel the next night also had no shower rose, no toilet seat ( and only a cold water tap) Would you believe

Well it was all a very slow process leaving Cartagena. As part of the bike permit process you have to have compulsory insurance. So we paid the money for the insurance over to a delightful lady who promised the insurance certificates back by that evening. Well the evening came and went. So did the next morning. It was finally 2 pm the next day when we got our little insurance cards so that put our departure back a day. Until mañana ! The next morning it was off out of Catagena. Unfortunately we hit peak time traffic so it was all a long slow haul thru weaving buses , students on motor scooters and general heavy traffic . Another day in the office! Leaving Cartagena Anyway off we intrepid travelers went on our ride right thru heartland Colombia or to be more precise from top to bottom of the country. Never in my dreams did I imagine both of us ever traveling right thru Colombia on a motorcycle. But now we are ! Occasionally one has to pinch oneself! First thing we found out as we head

Well today was a day of extremes. Extreme boredom and extreme worry. Let me explain dear reader Today was the day the bikes came ashore to be cleared by customs. This is how it is done and how Mella arrived in style being ridden across the harbour. Again let the following photo sequence do the talking - Coming Coming Coming Nice day for a ride Three , two , one Heave ! Heave !!!!!!! And welcome to Cartagena Whew,whew,whew!!!!!!!!!! If the photos are a little blurred it was because the hands were shaking. And of course there was a similar sequence ( if not worse) when the bike was lowered over the ships rail into the Zodiac ! It is what is called arriving in South America in style or with flair! Then customs, bless their considerate souls , must have decided we looked stressed so they promptly made us sit in their customs reception area for 6 hours until the paperwork was done and the clearances obtained. How thoughtful indeed of them to give us a chance to chill out! Six hours of wait

"We are sailing................" Fortunately not across stormy waters ! At 6am on the dot yesterday morn we were awoken by the sound of the motor starting up and then the clank of the anchors coming on board. Then the 30 hour voyage North East to Cartagena started. I mentioned in the last chapter that the motor on the Stahlratte is 55 years old. It sort of sounded like it today as it chugged slowly away with a nice slow rhythmic and slightly hypnotic sound. Time seemed to slow down today in response to the slow chug of the motor. It was a day for sleeping, catching up on blogs and sorting out maps for the next leg. The Captain at work - The passengers at work Life on the ocean wave. - Of course this journey is yet another border crossing and after the madhouse Central American border crossings a 600km border crossing taking three days is a nice change. And this morning we sailed into Cartagena only to find it is a National Holiday albeit an unofficial one as the actual holid

As I write this I am sitting in front of the wheelhouse of the good ship the Stahlratte. 100 meters ahead is a one acre sandy tropical island, flat, filled with coconut trees and ringed by white sandy beaches and turquoise warm water. I look to the left of the boat. 50 meters away is a slightly smaller but to all intents and purposes a similar island. I look to the right of the boat. Another identical island. A gentle breeze soothes my brow. A rum and punch is near my right hand. Someone is gently plucking a guitar. 10 hard days of riding slowly drain from my system. But first let us go back a day or two. We left Panama City to ride down the road to the infamous Darien gap and thence across the "divide " to Carti on the Caribbean side of the Panama isthmus The road was to say the least interesting. It was carved out of what seemed impenetrable rainforest. It was the steepest road I have ever been on in my life. If the road had been any steeper one would have needed a block a