The Equator

 The Equator, the rear wheel of the bike is in the Northern hemisphere, and the front wheel in the South.

         Pete and I, my bike in the North and Pete's in the South.

                              

We are now in Equador or tenth country of the trip. Equador is far more modern that I'd imagined, with great roads, which is nice after some of the roads we've ridden. We've just arrived in Quito the capital city at around 9500 ft above sea level, makes getting drunk very easy, which I discoverd last night.

Posting comments

I understand from Jan that you can't leave comments on the blog. I've changed some of the settings, so you should now be able to leave comments, which I would appreciate. That excludes anybody on the trip with me, because your just a bunch of nosy bastards, Ha Ha.

Popoyan to Plato Colombia

 The Dann Monasteria Hotel Popoyan another dump that Globebusters have put us in!!!!

 The view from my bedroom into the courtyard, this used to be a monastery.

 The scene just after Francois crashed his bike into one of the local bikers. Both he and the other guy was OK but Francois's bike needs some attention. Overtaking a truck on a blind bend, never good!!

                                   One of the local kids at the scene.

 The kids have nothing but seem to be always happy, our kids could learn a lot from these guys.

My bike in the mountains, I spent the day riding alone,magic moments. Sometimes you just have to stop and take it all in. Colombia a beautiful country with very friendly people, I've said it before don't believe the hype.

On the road in Colombia

 On the road between Medellin and Popoyan Colombia, beautiful mountain roads

                                      Dave kyle havig a rest!

 Another dump of a hotel on a coffee plantation, we also went zip lining across the plantation.

 More armed security guards, you can't quite see it but he's holding a pump action shot gun. He's only guarding a cafe!!

A protest on the road, all the traffic had been stopped, but they let us through on the bikes.

Medellin

 The big head is Pete my room mate, the other one is a Bronze sculpture by Fernando Botero Angula a Colombian Figurative artist, the resemblence is uncanny.

                                       More of Botero's work

 We took a ride on a cable car which travels over the city, it is all part of the metro system to move people to the hillier parts of the city.

                                   Very crammed in.

                                     Waiting for the cable car.

"fat bottom girls you make the rockin world go round"

A shanty town viewed from the cable car, the locals make homes out of tin sheets and anything else they can find.

                                           More of Botero's work

Entering Colombia

 Collecting the bikes from the frieghters. They were flown from Panama into Bogota, we followed on a separate flight. We can't cross the Darian Gap, there are no roads through the jungle. Its only about a 100 miles across.

 The hotel in Bogota. the Colombian football team are staying here, so half the time we can't get in for screaming girls.

 A few friends I've picked up on the way. There is a big security presence in Colombia. They don't like tourist being kidnapped anymore, which is good!!!

 A road side petrol station in the mountains on our way to Medellin our second stop off point in Columbia

Riding into Medellin following Dave, our number two support rider. I got stopped by the police again today for crossing a double line ( I know Jan I shouldn't be doing it, but everybody else does it, its just me who seems to get caught) any way Dave arrived behind me and talked them out of giving me a ticket. Top Man. The police are very friendly, which is good because I seem to be meeting them a lot!!

More pictures of Panama

 Me crossing the Banana bridge, once you start its difficult to stop so its finger on the horn to warn the pedestrians who are crossing.

                                        Some pictures of old Panama town.

 Some parts are very worn down other parts have been restored to their former glory.

                           And over the Bay the new City of Panama.