The trip commences Saturday, January 5th. The forecast looks decent for the two day ride from Virginia to Miami, the point of departure for El Burro and I. The moto will be dropped off on Monday, 7th and I will hang in Miami until Thursday, just in case there are any last minute hitches to be resolved on the shipment paperwork.
My flight south is booked, however, the date for the bike airfreight will only be confirmed a few days after it has been dropped off at the freight forwarder. The process of shipping the bike takes about 10 days from drop off to recovery in Bogota, 72 hours of which are consumed by US Customs in Miami. Before the bike can leave the US it needs an ITN - so when it gets shipped back I can avoid import duties. Preparation for this endeavor uncovered a number of quirks, one example being that airfreighting the bike back to the US is easier, quicker and 40% less expensive than exporting it. Go figure.
The citizens of Bogota will be the first to suffer my broken Spanish, which has been fashioned mostly through internet resources. Eating is a priority for me, it always has been, so my learning has gravitated toward matters alimentary. Plates of rice and beans will be brightened up by the occasional manzana and most assuredly an end of the day cerveza (of course, on a road trip a beer has medicinal purposes, well known for relieving saddle soreness).
The citizens of Bogota will be the first to suffer my broken Spanish, which has been fashioned mostly through internet resources. Eating is a priority for me, it always has been, so my learning has gravitated toward matters alimentary. Plates of rice and beans will be brightened up by the occasional manzana and most assuredly an end of the day cerveza (of course, on a road trip a beer has medicinal purposes, well known for relieving saddle soreness).
Once reunited with El Burro I will head north from Bogota before turning west in the direction of Medellin, with a couple of sight seeing stops along the way. Other than that the rest is in rough outline; part of the fun is the freedom to change course and take the time to gather new experiences. Suggestions from the people I meet along the way will help shape the journey.
The tour will occur in three segments totaling about 6 months through 2019. The first 8 week chapter embraces Colombia, Ecuador and northern Peru. My return to the US is scheduled for March 6th, from Lima back to Richmond.
Come along for the ride, it would be great to have your company. Add your email at the top right for notifications of new posts if you are foolish enough to engage in my ramblings.
Cheers. T2
Vaya con Dios Token!
ReplyDeleteMuchos Gracias Sr. CTblogger
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