Tim Notier's Blog, page 12

Sept. 18, 2018 - The Cursed Road to Peru

By Marisa

As many of you know, we were on the road to Peru two weeks ago when our monoshock broke and we were forced to haul the bike back to Cuenca, Ecuador, to get it fixed. What we didn't realize at the time was that the particular stretch of road between Cuenca, Ecuador and Jaén, Peru is cursed. The cursed road to Peru. Lovely, but cursed. The good news is we have now made it to Peru, but not without first falling victims to a few misfortunate events.

Below is a map of our journey, and it's pretty much a straight line through the mountains from Cuenca, Ecuador, through Loja, down to the Peruvian border (straight is a relative term since it actually zig-zags through the mountains). On our first round, we made it all the way past Loja, past Vilcabamba, until we came into Podocarpus National Park, where both the road and weather turned for the worse and the rain and mud made the going quite difficult. But we were able to get through a good part of it until we heard a snap from underneath us, and knew that something had gone wrong with the bike. We had broken the monoshock (the rear suspension system), and it was a break that the KTM dealership said they had only seen with motocross riders doing massive jumps. I'm still not sure how we managed that, but it was definitely broken.

We were able to still ride the bike to the next village, somehow get it into a truck bed, and paid the kind driver to take us all the way back to Cuenca where there was a KTM dealership. It was a five hour journey, but we safely got the bike and ourselves to a place where things could be fixed. And for a moment, we thought our troubles were behind us. It's a sad day to see your bike being transported by a truck. The new monoshock only took a week to arrive from Austria, and although our electronic suspension system was stuck in the two-up, fully-loaded mode (no problem for us since that's what we need), we figured that just fixing the monoshock would be fine. So in one week, and thanks to the wonderful people at KTM Cuenca, we had the monoshock installed and were packed and ready to leave Cuenca and get to Peru. Thank you KTM Cuenca, Ecuador! But after just one day of riding, we arrived in Vilcabamba to see that we were running low on coolant. Easy fix I thought, right? Everyone has coolant, but there are several different types, and the small town of Vilcabamba did not have a wide variety of coolants. Also, after digging around online on different forums, it was clear that mixing coolants is definitely not recommended.

So the next day we headed back up north to a large town called Loja, hoping they would have some of the right coolant in one of their many motorcycle and mechanic shops. We searched the whole of Loja, and finally learned that they don't. Luckily, we called the KTM dealership in Cuenca and they had some that they used for their large bikes, such as ours, but of course that was back in Cuenca. The streets of Cuenca, Ecuador. At this point we thought we may never get out of Ecuador. It's such a lovely country, but to be stuck there unable to get out, really dampened our mood. Under no circumstances did we want to go all the way back to Cuenca for the third time for bike repairs. Because we had the front shocks repaired in Quito, all in all I think we spent a month total in Ecuador simply waiting to get our bike fixed. It has required a lot of money, a lot of hotel rooms, and a lot of patience.

Fortunately, someone in Loja knew someone else who was coming back from Cuenca the next day, and he would be able to bring us the special coolant that we needed. We thanked our lucky stars, and knew that we would only have to wait another day before we could be on the road again. The magic stuff. The old coolant in the bike was four years old, which is well past its expiration. So Tim had a mechanic help him bleed the whole system so he could fill it up with new coolant. We were so excited once the job was done, that we started the bike up with big smiles on our faces, until the engine simply died. Something else was wrong.

The bike wouldn't start again, and Tim quickly realized that our young mechanic friend had not properly hooked up the gas line to the tank. A simple fix, and soon we were on our way, back to the hotel, when Tim was trying to pass a truck and the bike died again.

Once again, we found ourselves on the side of the road, sadly standing beside a dead bike, and I couldn't help but think, “This is a curse. We're never going to get past this point." Tim thankfully did not share my doom and gloom philosophy, as he reattached the gas line to the tank, this time getting it connected just right with a reassuring “click". The road from Vilcabamba, Ecuador to the Peruvian border. At last we were on the road to Peru again, and got past the section in Podocarpus National Park that destroyed us the first time. At the same point that the monoshock had broken, we got off the bike, did a little dance, and headed on, feeling like we had finally shaken off the curse of the road. Tim did “the robot" as I celebrated traditionally.  We're happy to be past the section of road that did us in last time. I am jumping for joy, and Tim is doing the robot. The border did not take terribly long, and at last we entered Peru. But the ghosts of the road were not yet done with us, as we were just an hour away from our first Peruvian destination of Jaén when we hit a large screw and punctured our rear tire.

And so once again we were standing on the side of the road, this time watching the air hiss out of our new back tire. But again, due to Tim's skills, he plugged the hole like an expert, and within ten minutes we were on our way. Plugging a hole in a new tire is never fun. So we have made it to Peru, but we can only hope that our luck will turn for the better. Today we will head farther into the mountains where we will encounter our first real set of Peruvian ruins.

It was tough going, but we've made it through what has been perhaps the most difficult section of our trip so far. In all honesty, despite curses and road demons, we have been very lucky.

Colombia - ¡Que Chevere!

By Marisa

If you hear the name Colombia and you think “Narcos" or “cocaine", then I have to let you in on a little secret: throw those preconceptions out the window and come to Colombia where you will have the time of your life, but don't tell anyone else. Let them have their suspicions about this gem of a country, because if everyone knew how great it was, then the whole world would descend upon Colombia and never leave.

If you can't tell yet, Colombia is our absolute favorite country that we have visited so far (we are currently in Ecuador, so we haven't gotten much farther). This is not to say that all the other countries we have been to are awful. To the contrary, we've loved our time in every place, and each one is unique and enjoyable in its own way. At the moment of writing this, we have driven from the US through every country in Central America and into South America, and it has been amazing. But Tim and I both agree that there was something particularly magical about Colombia.

One of the greatest things about Colombia is a bit ironic. Because of its turbulent recent past, Colombia has not had the onslaught of tourism and modernization that other countries have. In fact, most tourists avoided Colombia for a very long time, and it wasn't until recently, as in the past ten years, that it really started to open up. Tim and the bike with the peaks of Fura y Tena in the background, Boyaca, Colombia. This means that there is a certain friendliness and hospitality that comes with the Colombian people, whereas elsewhere in South America, locals may have become jaded by the constant presence of Americans, Canadians, and Europeans who come to buy up their beach-front property or overcrowd their beautiful sites.

Things of course may change, but for the moment at least, Colombia is authentic and pristine, and Colombians seem happier than the average Latin American, which is hard to do since Latin Americans are in general very happy, optimistic people. But in my opinion, Colombians were the pinnacle of joyous, and they loved to have a good time more than most. Maybe this is because it's the first time in recent history that things have been good for them. But whatever the reason, their exuberance for life was contagious. The clean, safe, and perfectly quaint streets of Guadalupe, Santander, Colombia. Though the police presence is very apparent in Colombia, again, even the police were super friendly. And in comparison to the police in Nicaragua or Guatemala for example, they did not look very militaristic (i.e. dressed in camo with AK-47's slung over their shoulders). No, Colombian police were mostly young men (and even a few young women) who dressed in bright neon green, they often did not carry weapons, and would give you a thumbs up as you drove by. At first we thought it was because they liked our awesome giant motorcycle. And sometimes they gave us a smile, shout, or wave, which does suggest they think we're awesome (motorcycle travelers usually are), but actually the thumbs up simply means the road is clear ahead. Oh well.

Colombia is also a very clean country. As far as trash on the streets and even diesel fumes, I feel it's way ahead of most Central American countries. And from what we've heard from other travelers, it is the cleanest country of South America, especially compared to Peru and Bolivia. Just another perfect view in Colombia, near Chita, Boyaca, Colombia. Ah, but wait, I haven't even mentioned yet the natural wonders, biodiversity, and the incredible year-round climate that Colombia has. But perhaps one of my ultimate favorite things about Colombia is the free motorcycle lane at toll booths where all motorcycles can simply pass by the rest of the traffic as they line up and pay. At every toll, a huge smile would spread across my face and I'd think to myself, “Whoever thought of this is the best!".

So below I've described a few of the highlights of our time in Colombia. They are not in chronological order, but are in order of our favorites first. And because I'm sure you're going to want to pack your bags by the time you finish this, if you want any further advice on what to see and do in Colombia, feel free to contact us. Off-Road in Santander If you can't see the above video, click here. Just north of Bogotá, the capital, you will find a region of Colombia called Santander. I have no idea if this is the prettiest province since we did not visit them all, but I think we spent nearly a month total going from one little town to the next in Santander, and this is really what made us fall in love with Colombia.

Santander's most famous colonial town is Barichara, and it is probably the cutest town on the planet. Every building it constructed in a historically colonial style using the beige stone quarried in the region, and everything has been restored to perfection. Tim, the bike, and I on one of the gorgeous village roads of Barichara, Santander, Colombia. But Barichara is definitely not the only noteworthy colonial town in the region. Guane, Guadalupe, Onzaga, Cepita, there are countless others. And though many of the roads we took to these villages were unpaved or had muddy landslides covering sections due to it being the end of the rainy season, I think this all added to the mystery and seclusion. It felt like once we arrived, that these towns tucked into the mountain valleys with their church bells ringing were left untouched for hundreds of years until we came and discovered them. El Cocuy You may have thought that Colombia is all a hot sweltering jungle near the equator where you would need to bring shorts and bug spray. And though that is true for some parts, much of Colombia is at a very high altitude and can get quite cold, and the perfect example of this is El Cocuy.

El Cocuy one of Colombia's many national parks, but it is very special in that the mountains of El Cocuy are so tall, they have glaciers atop them and are always covered in snow. It is also home to the world's largest flying bird, the Andean Condor. We had quite an adventure traversing some backroads near El Cocuy, all backdropped by glaciers. If you can't see the above video, click here. El Cocuy National Park is massive and majestic, a truly wild place that feels untouched and pure. You will of course come across sparse villages in the highlands populated by poncho-wearing Andean people, and you will certainly be the only foreigner there. It's an incredible experience, and one that I will never forget. Coffee Country If you can't see the above video, click here. Oh yes, and if you like coffee, then Colombia is a coffee-lover's paradise. I personally don't like coffee, but Tim drank ten cups a day.

Coffee country in Colombia (a.k.a. eje cafetero, just west of Bogotá) is also known for its chocolate farms. Coffee is not an endemic crop to the region of South America, but chocolate is, and Colombia certainly does it right. Many of Europe's chocolatiers purchase their pure cocoa from Colombia, so we thought why not go straight to the source? We did, and to see what we thought of eating the white slime around raw chocolate beans, check out our video above. Two baby chocolate pods, Finca San Luis Borbur, Boyaca, Colombia. Cartagena and the Caribbean Coast Cartagena is Colombia's colonial Atlantic seaside city, and was the first place in Colombia we visited since our sailboat from Panama docked us there. As we pulled into port, I couldn't help but gawk at the beautiful glass high-rise skyline of Cartagena's beachside apartments and cosmopolitan areas, and realized that this was not what I expected from a Colombian city at all.

But its not all sleek and modern. We unloaded the bike, did our paperwork at customs, and then spent the next few days exploring the city's other side: the historic quarter. Quaint and colorful Spanish-style buildings line streets with horses and buggies that can take you around, but the place doesn't really come to life until night, when restaurants turn into hopping bars and clubs, and the music pumping perfectly blends into the energy of Cartagena after sunset. The colonial streets of the old city in Cartagena, Bolivar, Colombia. Cartagena is a secret no longer as it is full of people from around the world who are enjoying the heat of its dance-filled nights, its photogenic streets, and its perfect beaches. Yet it's never too late to enjoy this fun-loving coastal city at the crossroads of history and modernity. Sunset on the Caribbean near Santa Verónica, Atlántico, Colombia. If you were to drive east from Cartagena along the coast as we did, you'll come to an area around the city of Santa Marta that is known to have the tallest coastal mountains in the world. The beaches here are stunning with huge waves (a surfing hotspot), and are backdropped by the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevadas.

Unfortunately while we were there, a small cold I had turned into pneumonia, and I spent our days on the beach laying on my hammock barely aware of my surroundings. So if it wasn't for that, I probably would have enjoyed our amazing surroundings more. Don't worry, I took some strong pills and successfully treated my pneumonia. If you can't see the above video, click here. Things We Missed Because we were to give presentations at a Horizon's Unlimited event in Ecuador, we had to leave Colombia earlier than expected (though if we didn't have a deadline we may have never left). But unfortunately, that means we missed many places that we heard were great.

Here's a short list:San Agustín - An archeological site with incredibly-carved statues and faces.Tatacoa Desert - Desert in Colombia? Apparently yes, and it looks stunning.El Trampolín de la Muerte - Death Road. Sounds enticing.The Amazon Region - Only accessible by plane, so definitely hard to do by motorcycle, the Colombian Amazon is opening up to tourism for the first time ever.Medellín - Pablo Escobar's old stomping grounds, but nowadays people absolutely love the beauty and friendly vibe of this city.Cali - Colombia's Pacific port city, with 90% of its population having African heritage, and so it's a place where these African roots blend with Latino culture.
Well, I guess it's always good to save some things for next time. Our Colombia Travel Tips 1) Don't be afraid to go off the beaten path. I know Colombia sounds scary, we had a whole slew of wrong ideas about the place perpetrated by the news and media before we went, but actually we did not feel unsafe at any point during our time in Colombia.

2) If you're looking to eat local, order bandeja, which means “platter" (usually consists of meat, rice, a small salad, lentils or beans, and possibly a fried plantain or a couple of arepas). It's Colombia's typical dish, and Bandeja Paisa, or bandeja from the Paisa region, has sausage and a fried egg on top. But I'm going to be honest and say that after eating this dish every day for lunch and dinner for nearly three months, we got tired of it. But try the ajiaco soup as well, since Colombians can definitely make a mean soup. A typical Colombian meal called bandeja. 3) Take the teleféricos. These are cable cars and they are everywhere. Because Colombia is so mountainous, nearly every major city has them, and people in the cities use these cable cars as public transportation to and from work on a daily basis. They offer great views of the city, and are a fun experience. Our personal favorite was not in a city: the teleférico of Chicamocha Canyon.
View from the teleférico that crosses Chicamocha Canyon, Santander, Colombia. 4) Bring a coat. That's right, Colombia's capital, Bogotá, is 8,629 ft. above sea level (2,630 meters). So if you plan on taking any roads that crest mountains, of which there are plenty, be prepared for winter temperatures. In one day of riding, we would start off in the morning at 100 degrees F (38 C) and a few hours later, once up in the mountains, it would drop into the 30's (2 C). The weather of Colombia completely depends on altitude. In Conclusion For Tim and I, Colombia was amazing, and I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to visit. For motorcycle travelers, it's perfection, and can offer every type of road and adventure you want. And for all other travelers, whether you're into history, culture, nightlife, or nature in all its forms, from some of the world's best beaches, to rainforests, to glaciers, Colombia has it all. It's incredibly cheap, and you will be living and eating in luxury for very little money. Plus, if you live in North America and plan on flying in, you don't have to worry about jet-lag because Colombia is in the Central Time zone, depending on daylight savings.

So all in all, I have one phrase to sum up our time in Colombia, a phrase that you hear from Colombians all the time, “How wonderful!" or “¡Qué chévere!" We will miss you, Colombia!

Sept. 4, 2018 - Shock and Aww-ful

By Marisa

The worst has happened. Well, getting into an accident and injuring ourselves or rendering the bike permanently useless would be the worst. So then I guess I should say the second to worst has happened: our rear shock has broken and now we are stuck in Ecuador without a motorcycle until it can be fixed.

But let me start at the beginning.

After our brief venture into the Amazon, we took a route through southern Ecuador to get to Peru, a route that would pass through some recommended towns. And the first of which was Baños. View from the road just before Baños, Ecuador. I know you're thinking the town is named after bathrooms, but actually it's called Baños because of all the hot springs around the area. This geological activity is due to the nearby active volcano called Tungarahua which is said to actually protect the sacred town of Baños where multiple miracles have allegedly happened, mostly revolving around the Virgin Mary. And it's not just hot springs that the place is famous for. In fact, water is extremely abundant in Baños in all its forms, as it rained every day we were there, and there are waterfalls cascading down the green mountainsides in nearly every direction you look. Mmm, roasted Guinea Pig. This is known as Cuy and was once a South American staple. Of course I had to eat some when I found this restaurant in Baños. It was pretty good (like a tiny chicken with thick pig skin). Baños sounds idyllic or course, and in some ways it is. But the problem that Tim and I had with Baños was the massive amount of tourists that descend upon this tiny village every day, driving the prices up, and making the whole place feel like an Ecuadorian version of Disney World. Baños is small, and despite that fact, it is the second most visited site in all of Ecuador, second only to the Galapagos Islands! And after all the incredibly stunning and peaceful places we'd already visited in Ecuador, seeing a waterfall for $20 surrounded by hundreds of people, or finding a corner in a concrete hot tub with dozens of screaming children around, just did not impress us.

Baños has also made a name for itself in the extreme sports world, as it has many bridges to bungee jump off of, lots of trails for hiking, biking, horse-back riding, there's white-water rafting, and it even has these extreme “Swings at the End of the World" where you can be pushed out on a swing overhanging a cliff. All that is fantastic stuff, and I can see why backpackers who are looking to meet fellow travelers while having a thrilling time love Banõs. But for Tim and I, we get plenty of excitement riding along gorgeous cliff edges all the time, and we did not feel the need to do any of these adrenaline-inducing activities.

So after a few wet and cold days of camping, we left Baños and headed south, slowly making our way to Peru. The river that runs through Vilcabamba, Ecuador. After a night spent in the colonial city of Cuenca, our last stop in Ecuador would be Vilcabamba, a tiny village with warm weather where we were able to camp in a lovely mountainside park. A river ran beside our campsite, so clean you could drink the water, and we had fires every night while conversing with travelers from all over the world.

​Feeling refreshed and having ended our tour of Ecuador on a good note, we were ready to head to Peru. And that is of course when disaster struck. The road through Podocarpus National Park, Ecuador. The road from Vilcabamba to the Peruvian border ran through a National Park called Podocarpus. At first it was gorgeous, when we could see, that is. Because soon the fog set in, and it started to bucket water over us. We climbed in altitude quickly, and could feel the bite of the cold eating through our jackets, along with the rain. It seemed pretty remote up there in the mountains, as there were signs everywhere to watch out for Speckled Bears crossing the road. And then the pavement ended, and the road turned into a muddy gravel mess pretty quickly.

But that was all fine, and we were going over the bumps and ridges as they appeared out of the fog with ease, until I heard a pop, and it sounded like we had run over a large branch, breaking it in half with a crunch as we rode over it. Actually, this was the rear shock failing beneath us, and we immediately pulled over, knowing that something was majorly wrong. As you can see, the inner shock is broken and bending incorrectly. Sure enough, on closer inspection, the inner “monoshock" was broken, though the coil spring around the suspension looked alright. But his basically meant that the bike should no longer be ridden to prevent further damage.

Well, that put us in a bit of a situation as we stood in the middle of nowhere with the cold rain pouring over us like the heavens were laughing at us. All I could do was curse over and over again and stand there shivering, wondering why we were the most unlucky two people in the world. But Tim did not go into freak-out mode as I had, and instead sprang into action.

He said we have two options, either get someone to tow us out from there, or somehow get the bike to a place where we could find someone to tow us. Once on a tow truck, we would need to get the bike to a KTM repair shop, which the only one we knew of was way back in Quito, nearly 15 hours away. But I took a deep breath and told myself to take this one step at a time. First we needed to get ourselves and the bike out of the remote mountains before a Speckled Bear ate us. The church at the village of Valladolid, Ecuador. By checking the GPS, we noticed that there was a village about 12 miles ahead of us. And after inspecting the shock, Tim decided that we could most likely ride the bike 12 miles without causing too much damage.

And so that's what we did, and we arrived in Valladolid, so small a village that it didn't even have a hotel or restaurant. It was still raining, so we pulled over at the only place that looked like it was open, a little store that sold chips and toilet paper. The guy inside shook his head at me when I asked about a tow truck, saying it was Saturday afternoon, and the nearest truck might come from over 3 hours away in Loja, though they're probably closed. And the next day was Sunday, so they'd be closed then too.

And then the man looked down the street and said, “Or you could put it in that guy's truck." Getting our 500 lb. motorcycle into the bed of this truck was no easy task. By the grace of God and whatever saint has patronage over that church and village, the guy with a truck seemed to think this was possible, and he pointed to the church as a perfect set of ramps to drive the bike up and get it into the truck bed. I still cannot believe how lucky we were to have the church ramp right there next to us.

And so after some ropes were securely attached to the bike frame, our great 5 hour ride to Cuenca began. We ended up paying the truck man $130 to get us there (as far as he would go), and I still have no idea whether we overpaid him or got the deal of the century, but after another stroke of luck of finding a park hill that we could use as a ramp to get the bike out, we safely got ourselves and the bike to Cuenca. Me keeping an eye on the bike in the back of the truck as we ride to Cuenca, Ecuador. So we are either two incredibly unlucky people, or perhaps the luckiest. Because once we got internet at our hotel in Cuenca, we realized that there is a KTM dealership in Cuenca! By mere chance we ended up in the perfect spot, and there's no need to tow the bike 10 hours away to Quito!

We left the bike at the dealership yesterday, have ordered the Monoshock part that we need, and now all we have to do is wait ten days or so for it to arrive and be installed. So no more adventures for at least a week from now, but truth be told, I think I could take a break from adventures for a little while.

As always, we'll keep you posted.

August 26, 2018 - The Amazon

By Marisa

After staying with our friends Court and Sylvain at Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental to get our bike fixed (now it has new fork seals / bushings and is as good as new), we wanted to take a quick detour into the Amazon before leaving Ecuador and going to Peru.

The thing about the Amazon rainforest is that rivers have always been its main artery for transportation, and they are a much better way to get around than roads which can destroy the forest itself. This makes getting to the Amazon on a motorcycle a bit of a challenge, but there is a town in Ecuador that is the last outpost for land-bound vehicles and the beginning of the true Amazon, a place called El Coca. Since we knew we wanted to go there, we plugged El Coca into our GPS, and headed out of Quito. Misahuallí, Ecuador To get to Coca, we first made a stop in Misahuallí, a town situated at the end of the Andes Mountains and the beginning of the rainforest. We rented a cabin overlooking the Napo river and had a good night's rest to the nocturnal symphony of insects and frogs to prepare ourselves for our next adventure: getting to Coca along the road less taken. We opted for this off-road route along the river instead of going on the main highway because we wanted to see the local villages and get a sense of our natural surroundings even if it took us longer. Plus, Tim is also always excited to go off-road. Dug-out canoe between Misahuallí and Coca, Ecuador. The road was pure perfection for the majority of it: thatched huts on stilts interspersed within the jungle terrain. We even snapped the above picture at a place where we stopped to have a picnic of crackers and cheese. But then the last stretch near Coca had some rough sections of loose gravel, and there was one hill in particular which was under construction that was a real challenge. A worker and myself had to push Tim and the bike up the entire way as the back tire kept slipping in the loose terrain. But we finally made it through, and arrived in Coca exhausted and drenched in sweat (the rainforest is hot, for sure). Our route to El Coca (aka Puerto Francisco de Orellana) and back to Tena before heading south. Coca is a bit of a strange town in that the entire center of it is a landing strip for airplanes. We could even see a plane from our hotel room. This is because lots of tourists book Amazon tours through local agencies for hundreds, sometimes thousands of dollars per day, and fly into Coca straight from Quito, get picked up at the airport, and then shuttled over to a little boat that will take them down the Napo River to an eco lodge. From there they do rainforest hikes, learn about the Amazonian flora and fauna, eat traditional meals of local food, can swim in the river, and often get to see or meet some of the Warani indigenous people who live in the area.

These tours sounded and looked fantastic, but they are expensive. Tim and I thought by simply arriving in Coca we could possibly get a better deal, and that was true to an extent, but nothing was going to be less than $150 per day for us. It was simply out of our budget. So how were we going to experience at least a little taste of the local wildlife and culture without spending a fortune on a tour? Well, we went to a zoo and a museum, of course. And that traditional meal that everyone else gets to eat? I just bought some grilled grubs from a local vendor in downtown Coca, and yes, the woman skewered the worms and grilled them alive, and I ate them. They tasted like scrambled eggs with a hint of bacon, but not as good in my opinion mostly because I could see their innards spilling out as I ate them. Maybe blindfolded would have been the best way. Me (Marisa) chowing down on some grubs in Coca, Ecuador. The Coca Zoo was free and although I have learned from experience not to go to zoos in developing nations, this one seemed to be pretty good, and is supposedly more of a local wildlife rehabilitation center than a zoo. And not only were there tons of animals that got right up-close to us, but wild animals, like Squirrel Monkeys, showed up as well, mostly trying to steal food from the pens. By the end of it, I felt very satisfied with our free wildlife tour. Tigrillo Squirrel Monkey Tapir Next was the museum. The MACCO Museum in Coca houses artifacts left behind by the Omagua people of the Napo River. Though their culture dispersed in the 1700's as settlers pushed them away from their river cities, they left behind lots of pottery which is beautiful and refined. It also reflects their ideal beauty of a “moon face" or a flattened head which they would do to infants while their skulls were still soft. The Omagua burial urns were gorgeously made and reminded me of Egyptian sarcophagi as the bones of the deceased would be placed inside and kept in the house for about a year before finally being buried.  One of the “moon faces" of the Omagua burial urns, MACCO Museum, Coca, Ecuador. As we left Coca, we made a stop at a waterfall called Carachupa Packcha, which is an interesting name because in Spanish Carachupa means “suck face". But the name is not Spanish and comes from Quichua, so I'm not sure what it actually means. The waterfall was pure paradise as we found ourselves to be the only people there swimming amongst colorful butterflies and the sounds of parrots. We couldn't even find this place on Google maps, so if it wasn't for a local sending us to it, we would have never known it existed.
Carachupa Packcha Waterfalls, Loreto, Ecuador. After all this, Tim and I felt content with our glimpse into the Amazon, but we had one last surprise waiting for us in a town called Tena. While searching for a place to camp, we came across an American/Ecuadorian couple who owned land on the river and offered us to stay there. Not only were they very friendly and hospitable, and their land was gorgeous, but the Ecuadorian man was named Timoteo (Spanish for Tim!) and he had walked all 5,000 miles of the Amazon river basin! He was of the Quichua people, and had stories about how his father would take the canoe to go find salt from neighboring tribes when he was young. We felt very honored to meet and stay with these people and hear their stories and learn about their surroundings. Me walking past a bridge that looks like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie, Tena, Ecuador. It's been an incredible adventure into the Amazon, but now we must start heading south and out of Ecuador. We are currently in Baños enjoying the green scenery and picturesque waterfalls, and will head out to Cuenca tomorrow. Stay tuned...

August 9, 2018 - Whales and Friends

By Marisa

Tim and I often find ourselves alone on the road with only each other to talk to, but for the past two weeks we have had the pleasure of traveling with fellow motorcyclists. After leaving Quito, Ecuador, we have now spent half a month coming full circle, going in a great loop around the coast and mountains of Ecuador. And we were able to experience it all while being in the company of other travelers, which is a real treat for us.

We left the Horizon's Unlimited Event in tow of two other motorcycle couples, all of them coincidentally from Melbourne, Australia, and also riding two-up on their bikes like us. It was somehow fateful and perfect that we had all met up at in the same country and at the same time. Em and Dave on the left with their BMW 1200, Tim and I in the middle (on our KTM 1190), and Michelle and Craig with their BMW 800 on the right. We went to Mindo, Ecuador which is known as the heart of the cloud forest, and spent our time camping, cooking incredible meals on our little gasoline-run stoves, and hiking to the beautiful waterfalls of the rainforest. Dave and Em took the lead as they led us through the cloud forest of Ecuador. Nambillo Waterfall, Ecuador Unfortunately after Mindo, we had to part ways with Dave and Em who were headed north into Colombia, but we continued on with Craig and Michelle to the Pacific coast where we had the opportunity to see humpback whales cresting the waves and slapping their tails and fins against the water. It was a magical experience to see these gentle giants so up close, majestically blowing their breath into the air like grumbling geysers spurting hot mist into the salty breeze. The boat tour also took us to see Blue-Footed Boobies and Frigatebirds who roost near Puerto Lopez, which is known as the “poor man's Galapagos". Not a bad marine wildlife tour for $20 a person. Blue-Footed Boobies near Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. Sunset over the Pacific Ocean, Ecuador. After spending a few days exploring the seashore, and even seeing a leatherback turtle prepare to lay her eggs on the beach, we said our goodbyes to the Pacific, and headed into the mountains. Still traveling with Craig and Michelle, we rose in thousands of feet in altitude in a single day, and soon found ourselves in the cold highlands of Ecuador.

Tim and I bought some alpaca sweaters because we realized that after traveling through the sweltering regions of Central America and Colombia, we were now going to be exchanging the heat for the cold, and needed some warmer gear. And it seems that in the Andes, alpaca wool is the way to go for warmth. The market at the Andean town of Zumbahua, Ecuador. Me at Quilotoa Crater, Ecuador After stopping by the volcanic crater of Quilotoa, we headed toward the snow-capped volcano of Cotopaxi, one of the most picturesque conical volcanoes in the world. But motorcyclists face a hurdle there because Cotopaxi National Park does not allow motorcycles to enter (supposedly due to the noise, though other vehicles are allowed). So we tried to get to the mountain from its southern side which is accessible to motorcycles, but that side is often clouded over because of the moisture coming in daily from the Amazon.

​Yet we were determined to get a close-up view of the great Cotopaxi. So after spending an evening wild camping in a local farmer's grassy field, we took every back-road on Google in the area and were able to snap this partially clouded shot of the snowy peak of Cotopaxi: Can you see the snow-capped peak of Volcán Cotopaxi? And while we were stopped taking pictures, a van pulled up, and as fortune would have it, these people were local guides of the Cotopaxi park and wondered if we wanted to follow them inside! We told them that we had heard that motorcycles could not enter, and they said it was true, but that we would be alright with them.

Though Cotopaxi remained covered in clouds from that moment onward, for the rest of the day we followed this van on an incredible adventure down the backroads of Cotopaxi National Park, and found ourselves in canyons where condors fly and in flowering fields where wild horses roam. We even ended up in an old Spanish Hacienda which had Incan ruins and temples on its property, which was the first time Tim and I had seen Incan ruins. Michelle, Craig, Tim, and me somewhere in Cotopaxi National Park, Ecuador. A Spanish church made out of the perfectly-laid stones of the old Incan temple, Hacienda San Agustín, Ecuador The loop of our past two weeks in Ecuador. It was a fantastic two weeks, but after all that adventuring and dirt roads, Tim and I knew the bike needed a quick check-up before we headed on. So now we are back with our friends Court and Sylvain at Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental in Quito catching up on blogs and bike repairs. So we're back where we started, and have sadly parted ways with Michelle and Craig who are soon headed to Colombia to finish their trip around South America, whereas we are going south. It has been such a wonderful time shared with friends, and we suddenly find ourselves feeling a bit lonely on our own again. Luckily we have Court and Sylvain and all the lovely people here at Ecuador Freedom to keep us company, and we hope to meet up again with some of our other motorcycle friends heading south, such as Phil and Sapna.

Next we'll be facing our wheels towards Ecuador's Amazonia region before heading south toward Peru. Stay tuned. We will miss you all!

July 25, 2018 - Dengue and Pickpockets

By Marisa

We left Ibarra, Ecuador and headed toward the country's capital of Quito, knowing that we would have a few days to explore the city before our Horizon's Unlimited meeting was to take place. This HU event would be a group of fellow motorcycle travelers meeting up just outside of Quito for three days, and we had been preparing two speeches to give at the conference (we were extremely excited). What we didn't know was that Tim was harboring some nasty tropical disease within him, and this sickness was going to change everything.

Once arriving in Quito, we found it's pretty nice for a big capital city. Sitting almost exactly at the equator and at 9,000 ft. above sea level (3,000 meters), it has a pleasant year-round climate with warm days and cool nights, and is surrounded by green mountains. But what I liked best about Quito was its historic center, a massive Spanish colonial construction that is a UNESCO Heritage Site and the largest colonial city in South America. The historic center of Ecuador's capital city, Quito. We booked a gorgeous place right in the old city with parking for the bike, but it didn't take long before Tim came down with a fever. And this was no ordinary fever. He started mumbling incoherently and saying he felt like he was in a giant's body, and had a lot of pain, especially in his back, stomach, and a killer headache to top it all off.

The next day (my birthday by chance), I knew we had to see a doctor. We had a feeling that this could be Dengue Fever, which is a virus caused by a mosquito bite and takes about a week to a month to incubate in the body before the notoriously horrific fever starts. We had been bit by more than a few mosquitoes in Colombia, and figured there was a good chance it could be Dengue. If it was, there's no official treatment for it, and the fever usually passes on its own in a few days to a couple weeks. Unfortunately, the symptoms were also similar to Malaria, a much more serious mosquito-born tropical disease, so we wanted to know for sure.

A simple blood test at the doctor's gave us results the next morning, and thankfully, it was not Malaria. But it was too soon to test for Dengue, so we're still not sure what it was exactly: either Dengue Fever or a tropical gastro-intestinal parasite. After two days of fever, Tim remained sick (mostly with intestinal issues), and the day we were to leave for the HU conference crept up on us, until suddenly we realized that we may not be able to make it.  Tim not feeling so well as we try to see the sights of Quito, Ecuador. We agreed that if Tim had a fever or felt dizzy at all, we weren't going to get on the bike. The event was taking place on a farm only 45 minutes away, but still, it just was too much of a risk for us to take. It doesn't do any good to go to a motorcycle conference if we crash our bike along the way.

But luckily, Tim was feeling well enough to go, and he hadn't taken any strong medicine since the night before. So we headed out of Quito and miraculously arrived at the event all in one piece. Big bikes and wonderful people at the Horizon's Unlimited event in Ecuador. We had two speeches planned, and one was supposed to take place that night. But Tim had already used all his wellness energy getting us there, and was not feeling up to giving a speech. So we canceled it, which was alright, since we had another one to give the next day.

I have to graciously thank Raúl, owner of the Hotel Sierra Alisos and coordinator of the event, for being so generous with us and offering us a hotel room while Tim was feeling sick so that we didn't have to camp in the cold. I think that the wood stove in the room really did the trick, and the next day Tim felt great, we made our speech, and everything went wonderfully. You can't go wrong with a room like this. Hotel Sierra Alisos, Ecuador. The morning of the speech there was an option to go on a motorcycle tour of the mountains, or see a local parade at the town of Tambillo. Since Tim wasn't feeling 100%, we opted for the parade, which turned out to be very interesting, but extremely crowded, and Tim's phone got stolen right out of his pocket, along with our friend David's phone.

This was the first time on our journey that we had been robbed, but it wasn't the end of the world for us because it was an old phone, and we immediately shut it down and bought Tim a new one (which he likes very much). Good thing it wasn't his wallet! And we've definitely learned a lesson in keeping our possessions more secure while walking into crowds. This picture was taken moments before Tim's phone was stolen, Tambillo, Ecuador. So despite the setback of Dengue and pickpockets, the Horizon's Unlimited event was a huge success. We met plenty of fellow motorcycle travelers from all over the world, and have made lots of friends. Now that we're back in Quito, we've been getting to know the amazing American/French duo of Court and Sylvain at Ecuador Freedom Bike Rental, and are now planning our next adventures into Ecuador. Hopefully we'll be traversing some of it with our new friends.

Next up: seeing the actual equator, and maybe the cloud forests of Mindo. Then we'll head into the mountains, possibly camp along a volcano crater, and go to the Amazon rainforest. Stay tuned, and we'll keep you posted.

July 14 2018 - Entering Ecuador

By Marisa

The peaks of Fura y Tena in central Colombia. This blog post is something new that we're trying out as we start combining our updates with shorter posts every week or so. We will also be doing our much larger country profile blogs with videos, and those will be named after the country without a date in the title. So I hope you enjoy the first of our mini-blog/updates.

Yesterday we crossed from Colombia into Ecuador. It was hard saying goodbye to Colombia, a country that we have grown to love over the past two and a half months. The colorful villages, the green mountains, the welcoming smiles, the typical platter of rice, fried plantains, and meat that we've come to enjoy called bandeja, oh and the free motorcycle lane to skip right through tolls... we will certainly miss Colombia.

But we must head on, especially since we will be presenting at the Horizon's Unlimited event in Quito, Ecuador on July 20-22, which we are very excited for.  Goodbye gorgeous Colombia. Until next time... But before leaving Colombia, we knew we had to visit coffee country, and what better place to stay than the Steel Horse Finca, a motorcycle adventurer's paradise run by a British couple who did their own motorcycle tour of South America a few years back. They have since purchased land right outside of the colonial town of Filandia, and now have a cozy and welcoming guesthouse, along with chickens, horses, and a pig.

Unfortunately, we had a hard time finding the farm since our Google maps let us down. Plus, the roads we kept turning down were rutted and muddy, and then it started to rain, and by rain I mean pour. We had just decided to give up and pulled under the roof of a gas station when fate stepped in and out of the bucketing rain came another adventure rider on a huge BMW. He immediately pulled up beside us, and it turned out that this fellow traveler, a man from France named Victor, was just leaving the Steel Horse farm. We were absolutely overjoyed, not just to meet another motorcycle traveler, but also that he could point us in the right direction. Tim and Victor at the gas station near Filandia, Colombia. The farm turned out to be quite close, and we were soon sipping tea and coffee while chatting with the Steel Horse owners, Paul and Yvette. They also had a Workaway couple staying there, Suzanne and Jaimie who were Dutch, and all six of us spent our evenings talking over incredible home-cooked dinners. We had a bonfire, a barbecue, a horse ride, and we even played Tejo, a Colombian version of Bags where instead of throwing a bean bag into a hole, you throw a lead puck against packets of gunpowder, which give the game an exciting explosion every time you get a point. I'm not sure this game would be legal in the States, but it was certainly fun.

The original plan was to stay a day, but it was so nice at the farm, we ended up being there for four days. But since we had a deadline to meet in Quito, we had to say our goodbyes to the Steel Horse Finca, and made our way as quickly as we could to the border with Ecuador. Tim and I riding our other trusty steeds (besides the bike of course). The three non-steel horses at the Steel Horse Finca, Filandia, Colombia. Tim, me, Jaimie, Suzanne, Paul, Yvette, and two local horsemen. I really shouldn't have chosen to stand between the two tallest people. Sunset at the Steel Horse Finca, Filandia, Colombia. Tim and I had heard that the Colombia/Ecuador border had become tediously difficult to cross in recent months due to the massive influx of Venezuelan refugees trying to find a home in Ecuador or beyond. But these warnings could not prepare us for the lines of men, women, and children sleeping on the side of the road, the sight of which just broke my heart.

On both the Colombian side and the Ecuadorian side, we got to go through customs via the faster “foreigner" line, while the Venezuelans were kept to the side. The more I cross borders, the more I feel that there is an internationally accepted discrimination that is the rule of law when it comes to visas, and it all depends on what passport you hold. As Americans, we flash our passports and we can get ahead in many lines (though we did end up waiting in lines for hours at this border anyway). But it really all depends on which passport you carry, and how much money you are perceived to possess. It just seems ironic that we all agree that apartheid was bad, or racism is bad. But judging someone based on the words at the front of their passport is entirely accepted. In fact, it's how the world runs. Road from the border to Ibarra, Ecuador. Well, now that the border is behind us, we have the beautiful country of Ecuador to look ahead to. Yesterday it was an incredible drive through stark mountainous landscapes to get to the Spanish colonial city of Ibarra, Ecuador. This town seems to be a great introduction to the country as it has plenty of beautiful old churches with tree-lined plazas. Though there is a bit of a run-down feel to everything here, you can really get a sense of the history of this place as well.

Tomorrow we'll be headed to Ecuador's capital, Quito, and we're excited to for the HU event to get started. Stay tuned for our next update (and to see how our speeches went).

Panama: The End of the Funnel

By Marisa

​

If you can't see the video, you can find it here. Since Panama was our last stop in Central America before heading into South America, and because Tim and I were so excited for the vast stretches of pure nature that South America had to offer, we may have not experienced Panama for what it’s worth. We rode through pretty quickly on the Pan-American highway and spent much of our time doing customs paperwork to get the bike into Colombia. In many ways, we were mentally checked out of Central America and already thinking about what was to come, and so for those reasons we did not take our time to appreciate Panama as we could have. The bike overlooking the hills of Boquete, Panama. There is another problem with Panama. Tim and I are from the Great Plains, an area of the world that is flat and open, and once outside of the city of Chicago, there is nothing but corn fields for as far as you can see in any direction. We are used to wide open spaces and we love them. Our favorite places to go in the States are National Parks out west: true wilderness. Even though we’re from Chicago, we’re not big fans of cities and prefer nature where people are few and far between.
 
But once you go south through Mexico and Central America, you find that the land is shaped like a funnel. Populations and nature are squeezed together closer and closer, all until you get to Panama which is the ultimate culmination of the funnel: long and narrow and squished. Your options for exploration on a motorcycle are even more hindered by the fact that the northern side of Panama is fairly road-less, poverty-stricken, and neglected by the government for services and infrastructure. Besides Bocas Del Toro, most of what people go to see in Panama is along the Pacific, and its main thoroughfare is the Pan-American highway. Everyone who travels to Panama takes this one road to get around. Some travelers take side tours to the coast and mountains like we did, but eventually everyone all ends up in the urban center of Panama City. It felt restrictive, and for Tim and I, we wanted nothing more than to get to South America where the vast open spaces begin again. We wanted to take back-roads into the unknown whenever we felt the whim, and so we spent much of our time in Panama rushing through, just dreaming of Colombia. Boquete A beautiful flower in Boquete, Panama. But that is not to say that we didn’t enjoy a few incredible locations in Panama. The first place of interest was the mountainous village escape from the heat: Boquete. It is beautifully rainy, misty, and chilly in this region, and has a lot to offer the thrill-seeking traveler as far as white-water rapids, canyoning, and rappelling (which we did not do). There is even a volcano that if you climb to the top of it, and the weather is in your favor, then you can see both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the only place in the world to do so. Unfortunately, Boquete is also extremely popular with American tourists, as we heard more English spoken there than Spanish. But overall, it is a lovely region of Panama that has all the amenities you could want, though we discovered it does generally come at a high price. Las Lajas Beach It was overcast, but Las Lajas Beach is like your own private beach. This is a Pacific Coast beach town that is known to be laid-back and a great place to rent a little cabin right on the oceanfront. Unfortunately for the days that we were there, it rained and was overcast the entire time. But we did check out the beach and found it to be wide, pristine, and with nobody else there. Definitely a big difference from the crowded beaches of Playa Del Carmen in the Yucatan, so I could see how when the sun was out, it would be a perfect beach.
The Panama Canal The Panama Canal is the first thing I think of when I think of Panama, and there are no shortage of expensive tours and boat trips you can take to see this historic engineering marvel. But Tim and I decided to do the cheap version, and see the Canal from atop its bridges. It is impressive, and though it isn’t the actual dividing line between Central and South America, it does feel like a bit of an important accomplishment to drive over it.
Panama City The country's financial and urban epicenter, Panama City is a true metropolis, the type of which we had not seen since the States. Beautiful glittering highrises, huge upscale malls, and metro subway stations dot the landscape. They are even constructing a monorail. Though we are not city people, Panama City is a great place to get your urban fix of things you couldn’t find on the road (such as new quality jeans for Tim), as well as new gear or bike repairs.
 
There is one major problem with Panama City for the foreign vehicle rider, and it’s the tolls. Because unless you have gotten the special Panapass from a government office before running into one of these tolls, then you are out of luck, as we found ourselves to be on several occasions. These toll booths are unmanned and even when we did find a police officer and tried to give them the right amount of money, they would laugh and say you can’t pay in cash. It’s impossible. So you just have to wait there and pray for the bar to go up as everyone waits behind you, and when it does raise from some malfunction, you rush through as fast as you can (because the bar comes back down like a guillotine), and hope that the government doesn’t figure out how to bill you the fine. We asked lawyers and officials what a foreigner is supposed to do about this, and they all told us to simply avoid the highways in Panama City. Great.
 
But besides that, Panama City was a nice and essential stop-off point, especially to organize ourselves for our next nerve-wracking, yet amazing leg of our adventure: crossing the Darien Gap. The route we took around the Darian Gap between Panama and Colombia. Crossing the Darien Gap It is possible to drive all the way from the most northern tip of Alaska down to the southern tip of South America, except for the Darien Gap. This stretch of road-less rainforest between Panama and Colombia is known for its thick jungle and as the hideout of the Colombia's FARC armed rebels. Though people claim the area is becoming less lawless as infrastructure slowly pushes in, Tim and I were not excited to test our luck at getting our the bike through the wild jungle. So in order to get from Panama to Colombia, we knew we’d either have to fly the bike or take a boat.
 
Both options are similar in price, though the boat is the more romantic of the two. Also, I've always had a desire to do an extended boat trip for days on end over the open sea. So that’s what we went with: five days aboard a sailboat that can house about 20 people along with our motorcycle tied to the front. Unfortunately, I did get seasick a fair amount, and my romantic vision of pirating along the Caribbean with the wind in my hair turned into me laying in my bed in the cabin trying not to feel nauseous. Thank goodness for Dramamine. But it was an experience I wouldn’t exchange for anything.
Boarding the Boat with a Bike Tim keeping his cool despite being in a weird situation. The bike securely tied down to the ship's deck. Getting our 500 lb. motorcycle on and off a sailboat is no easy task, and was one of the more worrisome things we’ve done on our trip. Because one false move could mean the bike falls into the sea, which would be the end of everything for us.
 
With the help of some strong local sailors, and through sheer muscle power, we got the bike off the dock and into a small wooden boat called a lancha. With Tim on top of the bike to keep it steady, we then steadily made our way over to the main sailboat anchored off shore. Then by using the motorized hoist of the ship’s halyard line securely wrapped around the bike’s midsection, we were able to lift it on deck and then fasten it to the ship itself.
 
It was stressful! And then for the entire boat ride we knew we’d just have to repeat the process again at the end to get the bike off. Meanwhile, the waves and salt air were splashing the motorcycle every second of every day it was onboard. We could literally watch it rust in front of our eyes, but the captain said she’d seen people try to cover their bikes, even wrap them in plastic, but the salt still got in. Best thing was to just wash it thoroughly once on land, which we did. Twice. If you can't see the photo gallery, you can find it here. Sailing the San Blas Islands ​From Colón, Panama to Cartagena, Colombia, we sailed along the Caribbean’s San Blas island archipelago, which is actually its own autonomous region owned by the Kuna Yala indigenous people. There are 378 islands in total, but when I say islands, I mean that some of them may just be a ten foot stretch of sand rising a few inches above the water. I would say most are no more than 70 ft. across, and plant life really only consists of coconut trees. But it’s the ocean life that people go there for, and snorkeling the reefs was a truly unforgettable experience, not to mention the ship’s chef cooked up some of the freshest, most delicious fish I’ve ever eaten.
 
The islands are absolutely idyllic. But there was something that struck me as sad about them. Though most are uninhabited, the Kuna people of the inhabited islands have set up shop to supply the steady stream of drunken tourists with beer and rum. These indigenous people certainly make money from the tourists (I am one as well I realize), and charge the boats that come per person too, but their peaceful way of life has been completely overrun by the daily onslaught of party-goers, who for the most part, are using this as their one vacation in the year to get away from the daily grind. But the Kuna people must live with cleaning up our trash every single day. Most days, more than one boat will dock at their island, and many will stay the night anchored right off shore. It’s a bit like living in a 24/7 bar, as there is no escape from the pumping music and screams of people throughout the night. I can’t imagine what the Kuna people must think of the outside world, and I also don’t want to imagine how they must feel about how their island life has changed in just a single generation.
 
So if you come to the islands to experience the beauty and serenity of the ocean glittered in stars at night, as I had, then this is certainly not the place to do so as these islands are more like Ibiza at spring break than a peaceful getaway. One of the hundreds of San Blas islands in the bike's side mirror, San Blas, Panama. One Last Note about Sailing a Motorcycle Across the Darien Gap Not long after we arrived in Cartagena, the Colombian government passed a new law prohibiting the import of motorcycles via boat. That meant that all of our traveling friends who had reserved spaces on boats to bring their bikes over from Panama to Colombia (some of them reserving six months in advance), now had to all fly their bikes. Supposedly the company we used, Wildcard Sailing, is still able to bring motorcycles in, but the most famous motorcycle transport boat, the Stahlratte, had to cancel all motorcycle reservations.
 
So for any future motorcycle adventure riders out there looking to overland the Americas, check on this with the companies before assuming you will be able to do what we did. And please contact us if you have questions on flying versus boating. Also, be aware that shipping your bike in reverse from Colombia to Panama has been prohibited for quite some time.
Perfectly Panama So although we did not experience all of Panama as we possibly should have, what we got to see was pretty special, especially our boating experience around the Darien Gap. And now that we have safely arrived in Colombia, bike and all, the funnel has opened up again, and we can start to enjoy the vast wilderness once more. 

Costa Rica - Costly or Incredible?

By Marisa

​If you can't see the video, find it here. ​Before visiting Costa Rica, I had high very hopes for it. This was due to the fact that a number of my college friends went there and came back raving about it, several of whom had life-changing experiences. Their stories of colorful reefs and thick rainforests, their pictures of sloths and parrots, and those smiles that lit up their faces every time they thought back on it, it all made me think that Costa Rica was a safe, clean paradise of ecological wonders in the Central American region.
 
But that was a while ago, and I also heard more recently from fellow travelers that Costa Rica has become insanely touristy, extrmely expensive, and so overrun with wealthy Americans, that some people I'd talked to actually left the country early.
 
So when Tim and I rode our motorcycle zig-zagging across Costa Rica, I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to fall in love with it, or hate it. A capuchin monkey (also known as white-faced monkey) at Místico Hanging Gardens, Costa Rica. First Impressions ​The first thing that struck me about Costa Rica while coming across the border from Nicaragua, was the glass-fronted customs office with air-conditioning inside. Freshly-mopped floors, people were standing in lines, and there were signs on where to go. It was a real difference from the outdoor, grimy border crossings we were used to with begging children and computers from the 90's.
 
And then once our passports were stamped, the roads into the country were perfectly paved with clear painted lines, guard rails, good signage, even reflective strips! And the best part, no trash along the sides of the roads! After traveling through Central America for so long, this was all very welcome for us. Me walking along one of the bridges at Místico Hanging Bridges Park in Costa Rica. Our first stop in Costa Rica was the famous Místico Hanging Gardens near Arenal Lake and Volcán Arenal. This well-maintained park has trails through an incredible section of rainforest, complete with hanging bridges that give you a unique perspective of the canopy. It is expensive for sure (we spent more than $50 to enter), and even though guides are highly recommended in order to point out the wildlife that you would otherwise miss, we simply could not afford a guide (would have been $80 for the two of us).
 
Luckily, we were still able to see white-faced monkeys, an owl, a python, but did not see the sloth of our dreams that we had been hoping for, but it's not a zoo, only the wild, so we just weren't lucky. Overall, I felt the experience was worth the money as a truly atmospheric introduction to the rainforest and all its majesty, but we left feeling a little unsatisfied, not just because we didn’t see a sloth and our pockets were now much emptier, but because this initial glimpse at Costa Rica proved to be the touristy, expensive, Disney World-like version that I had feared Costa Rica had become. Noemy's Farm If you can't see the gallery, you can check it out here. ​Thankfully, luck was again on our side, as our next stop was an Airbnb/Workaway organic farm run by a local woman named Noemy. This turned into the perfect antidote to our dissatisfaction of the Místico Hanging Gardens, because this farm had its own patch of rainforest full of sloths, huge iguanas, poisonous frogs, and incredibly-colored toucans. And because we were staying in a cabin tucked into the thick foliage, and were helping out with the garden, feeding the chickens, and shucking beans, we really felt that this was the authentic Costa Rican experience that we were looking for. The mornings were perfectly misty, the midday was steamy hot, and the evenings were glittering with the biggest fireflies I have ever seen. It felt magical, and we will forever cherish our time at Noemy’s farm. Cahuita and the Caribbean Since we had been hanging out in the jungle now for quite some time, we decided the perfect place to cool off would be the calm waters of the Caribbean coast. There are two major places that tourists mainly visit along Costa Rica’s Atlantic coastline: Limón, the larger resort-like port, and Cahuita, the laid-back Jamaican-style town next to a National Park by the same name. So of course, being more our pace, we set our tires straight for Cahuita.
 
The town itself reminded me a bit of Playa Del Carmen in Mexico: an expensive beachside place completely built around the American tourists that come to spend their money, walk around in bathing suits, and get drunk. But Cahuita NP was a dream come true: a long stretch of coastal forest where capuchin monkeys are everywhere (and got quite up-close and personal to us), raccoons march around looking for food, and the swimming in the waves is truly heavenly. Cahuita National Park charges no fees (but takes donations), and was easily walkable from our hotel room. San Jose and its Surrounding Hills ​After all that farm work and swimming, we decided to take a week or more to get caught-up on our computer work and get the bike serviced. So after a very rainy ride to Costa Rica’s capital city, San José, we got a new front tire on the bike, Tim bought a new helmet that actually fit him, and then we spent a week in the hills at an Airbnb with a view out of this world.  View near Puriscal, Costa Rica. At this point, I had made up my mind about whether I loved or hated Costa Rica, and I was definitely in the “I love it” camp. I was thoroughly convinced that although Costa Rica can be quite expensive, if you know where to look, it can be on-par with other Central American countries as far as cost. And again, once off the tourist track a bit, Costa Rica's national parks, forests, and coastlines are some of the best-maintained, cleanest, and most beautiful we have come across.
 
Our time in Costa Rica was coming to a close, so in order to complete our Costa Rica experience before heading into Panama, we wanted to go to a place that everyone recommended: Marino Ballena National Park on the Pacific Coast 
On the "whale tail" at low tide, Marino Ballena NP, Costa Rica. ​Ballena means whale in Spanish, and it’s named after a whale because the beach itself actually looks like a whale tail sticking into the ocean. We had to check the tide chart to make sure we got there at low tide in order to walk across to the whale tail, but even at high tide the beach would be picture perfect and the waves are fun to swim in. Once the tide was low enough to cross onto the “tail”, we found it to be a rocky and barren stretch of tidal pools that were beautiful in an austere way. Sunscreen is a must since the tail portion of the beach has no shelter or trees. In Conclusion So was Costa Rica as amazing as I had hoped it would be? Yes! And although it can be very easy to slip into the tourist traps and spend all your money, with a bit of effort, Costa Rica can be as rewarding and authentic as you want it to be. We were immersed in rainforest, swimming in crystal waters, and got to see monkeys, iguanas, countless birds and butterflies, and our absolute favorite: sloths in all their laziness. It was an unforgettable experience, and I recommend it to anyone who loves the tropics, beaches, interesting wildlife, and nature. A scarlet macaw on Playa Pógeres, Cost Rica. A bit of background on Costa Rica ​As I’ve come to learn, Costa Rica’s government has been under the U.S.’s wing for quite some time (since the 60's), receiving lots of foreign aid every year until it graduated from the program in 1996. But because of this close friendship, Costa Rica has earned some resentment from its northern neighbors, especially Nicaragua, which feels they have been unfairly shunned by the U.S., at least from what I gathered from Nicaraguan locals.  
 
Costa Rica has also not joined the CA4 agreement (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua) which allows for easy and free movement of its citizens throughout the region. Though Costa Rica does take in a fair amount of refugees and asylum seekers from Latin America, compared to the CA4 countries, Costa Rica is seen as having closed their doors on Central Americans. And when you travel through Central America, you do feel the difference once crossing into Costa Rica, like you’ve entered a whole new land: a privileged place that has to work constantly at keeping its squeaky-clean reputation for the tourists, even if that means isolating itself off from its neighbors.
 
But Costa Rica’s greatness is not all due to U.S. and foreign money coming in. Since its civil war in 1948, the government has adopted a strong stance for peace and demilitarization. Since then, Costa Rica has completely demilitarized, meaning they spend 0% of their GDP on the military, a shocking move in a region wracked by military coups and armed violence. But even without an army (or perhaps because of it), Costa Rica remains one of the safest countries in Latin America, and has inspired Panama to follow suit in demilitarization. Costa Rica has made other great social improvements, and is known for its highly educated workforce, its progressive environmental policies (they have plans to become carbon-neutral by 2021), and has a healthcare system ranked higher than the U.S.’s.
 
For me, I was excited to visit a country that had no military, and a stable democracy that is surrounded by developing nations that are often overcome with violence and government instability. And Costa Rica did not disappoint. I believe that Costa Rica can be an inspiration not just to its neighbors, but to the world, at how even a tiny country in a volatile region can become safe, healthy, environmentally friendly, and prosperous. The stunningly blue Rio Celeste (color caused by minerals), Arenal, Costa Rica.

Tim's Top Ten Travel Tips

By Tim Notier

There are many things we have learned along the way and I would like to share what are my top ten travel tips.
1) Learn the Language ​So, even though I am the one suggesting it, I have yet to accomplish this task. But I see my own handicap for my lack of communication. From directions, police checkpoints, to just friendly conversations with strangers, I am left in the dark while Marisa chats away and laughs. I have Duolingo on my phone (a language learning app), and have taken a whopping one week class of Spanish in Guatemala, but if you do not practice, you will not learn (I write “you" but really mean “I"). So much more can be absorbed and learned of the culture and the place if you know how to read and speak the language.

Marisa is on the other side of the coin. Every day she practices French and Turkish, and is already fluent in Arabic and Spanish. I will just wander behind her like an ignorant tourist as she gets to know the people and culture in a finer detail because I lack the drive or effort to comprehend what is being said. But I understand that learning the language, at least a bit, is a real asset to traveling, and even the little Spanish I have learned has given me greater insight into the Latin American culture.

By knowing the local language, we have been able to stay with families and really get to know what life is like in the country we are visiting. It has also helped us avoid some visa and permit problems that may have turned out disastrously if we could not have conversed, and it has allowed us to have a greater appreciation for the people and culture of the place we are guests in.  2) Network
​You are not the only ones out there on the road on an amazing adventure. Others are immediately around you, just hours or days ahead of you. With Facebook being such an easy tool with multiple pages on any specific place or interest, it is easy to find like-minded people on the same path as you.
 
Communication with others has multiple benefits, conversations about each party’s experience so far, to “must see" hidden treasures, as well as where to avoid. We have met countless people who have shared advice, friendship, and knowledge. We are currently semi-traveling with a couple, Phil and Sapna, who do a little more research than Marisa and me, and we bleed them for information constantly. Another couple, James and Imogen, are about two months ahead of us, and make perfect recon missions into what is to be our future. And yet another couple, Brendon and Kira, who are currently one country behind us, have provided us with info on how they travel on a budget: wild camping and proper networking online to let communities know when and where they will be in the area. They also strongly suggested using iOverlander, an app I had downloaded on my phone, but had never used properly. And they were right, it is very useful.
 
Building a network can give you immediate access to what is currently happening at different places from the advice of fellow travelers, and you might just find a group that will feel like your family on the road.
 
Everyone reading this is part of our network, and we thank each and every one of you for your support! 3) Stay with locals / families on AirBnb
​We love camping, but sometimes the weather or “vibe" of the area will not allow us to do so. Since we plan as little as possible, we usually just pull into a city with a small list of accommodation options we marked on Google Maps. But, whenever we plan on staying somewhere for three days or more, we try to use AirBnb to scout out houses occupied by local families who are simply renting rooms. This feels more like a home stay, and is a great way to meet wonderful people and learn about their lives. They also have great tips on where to visit, and the non-touristic spots and the backroads to get there.
 
We have met so many wonderful people along the way, and love to see the family's daily functions while immersed in their lives (even if sometimes Marisa and I have to share a single bed). This is also where learning their language is a great benefit. Marisa gets to know people on a very personal level, and I do a lot of nodding my head and smiling.  4) Be prepared to be delayed
​Borders, traffic, finding accommodations (and even just staying upright on the bike) do not always work out as expected. When frustration is added to the scenario, it usually just goes from bad to worse. So plan on being delayed. The timing of the routes we type into Google Maps are almost always incorrect, because sight-seeing, gas stops, bathroom breaks, lunch, detours, and just time to stretch your muscles, all add up to unpredicted hours on the road. So we keep our daily plans short, because they could end up being much longer than anticipated.  5) Don't plan every mile
Marisa and I sometimes have no idea where we will be the following day, and we never plan for anything more than a week in advance (unless there are scheduled maintenances or key appointments). We sometimes add multiple stopping locations spread down the main roads, giving us options depending on how the weather conditions or waypoints are.
 
Half of the gems we have “discovered" were suggestions from local people, or travelers riding ahead of us. We try to (and often fail) to avoid the “must see" attractions that 90% of tourists go to, and instead we search out local treasures that are more secluded.
 
Without having a concrete plan, we are more flexible and can detour without regret of missing out on what each individual country has to offer. Of course, we cannot see it all, but we try! 6) Accept hospitality / kindness of others
​This was hard for us at first. We thought we were self-sufficient travelers who did not want to inconvenience anyone for the likes of two dirty travelers. At first, when people offered to buy us lunch, a beer, and even pay for a hotel room, we would refuse. To me it felt wrong because we had quit our jobs and decided to be vagabonds living on a tight budget. So I did not feel comfortable having other people pay for us because there was nothing for us to give in return, except a smile, conversation, and maybe a sticker or two.
 
What I did not realize is that the people we have met are excited and happy to offer meals and hospitalities. The same feeling that we get when staying with locals is mutual with our new friends. Hospitality and free meals should never be expected, nor should they be asked for, but when offered, it comes from their heart, not out of pity. Many of the people we have met are excited to hear of our tales, and want to be part of the story.
 
We hosted a German world traveler when he made his way through Chicago. I think I was more excited to have him at our house than he was for being able to stay for free. So much information was learned, and a friendship for life was created.
 
After some time on the road, we realized that this was one of the great pleasures of traveling. It is amazing the feeling you get (we try to do it often) when you are able to assist someone with a small gesture, and it is wonderful to meet people when our paths cross. A small token of kindness doesn’t cost much, but it will forever be burned into our memory, always proving to us how wonderful people truly are.  7) Invest in the right gear ​I am not suggesting that you have to spend 5 thousand dollars on clothes, cooking gear, or camping equipment. But, this is also an area not to skim on either. We learned really quick on our 3-week test run around the western states that a miserable day's ride followed by a miserable night’s sleep snowballed into a torturous journey. We spent the time and money needed to be sure we would be comfortable on the road. You can check out our full list of gear on the “Our Gear" section.
 
We are still adjusting our gear, and we may one day perfect it, but for now we have comfortable, budget-friendly (sorta), warm and durable gear. There is not a single correct answer, and there are a lot of variables about weather that are hard to cover in a single coat, shirt, or pants. You may have to adapt along the way, but good gear from the beginning is a real benefit. 8) Start the day early ​I stole this from a presentation that Sam Manicom gave at an Overland Expo. He is well traveled, so I listened closely. If you have a 5-hour day ride ahead of you, and something were to go wrong (a tire puncture, dead battery, or the countless other things that could go wrong), you could potentially run out of sunlight depending on what hour you left.
 
We like to be sure we have time to stop, take pictures, have breaks, and eat without feeling the pressure of the sun's light disappearing. Sometimes we roam around looking for the cheapest place to stay (or any place to stay!) and we like to be fully unloaded and settled down long before the sun has set.  9) Know everything will turn out just fine ​You most likely will get a flat tire, pay a bribe, or have a reservation cancel on you. Many things have not gone exactly as planned, but that does not mean it didn't go right. Some of our “misfortunes" have led us to experience other attractions, people, or sights that would not have happened if everything went as planned.
 
I get frustrated in the moment, and I have to stop and tell myself everything will turn out just fine. Minor inconveniences seem like huge barriers in the present, but through teamwork, your network of friends, knowing a little bit of the language, being prepared to be delayed, along with the other tips presented here, I guarantee that you will pull through. Some of the toughest times create the best memories, and I wouldn't change any misleading signs or forks in the road that has led Marisa and I to the very spot we are now.
 
Life is good! 10) Have fun This seems like an obvious “tip", but you have to be sure you are able to take the time to stop everything and reflect on the positives. We are all very lucky we have the opportunity to travel and to see all of the wonders this world has to offer. 

Be sure to smile, and to make others smile while you travel along the journey and throughout life. Bonus tips:
 
* Get to know a pilot: They can fly anywhere in the world for free, and will bring you supplies if they like you enough.

* Promote your book :) Maiden Voyage on Amazon