Day 1/2
New York, New York ——>Bogota, Colombia
Big dilemma here. Not sure if I should continue from the last trip with the day count and miles or start fresh. Anyway….
Here we are. Back at it. It’s been a little over 7 months since I left the bike here in February and went back home. I can’t believe the summer cruised by this quickly and I’m back here again. The culture shock is settling in quite quickly. I’m remembering how my most used line here is “No hablo espanol”. Quite a few familiar feelings from the beginning of the last trip are settling back in already but thankfully I know how to deal with them knowing this is a rollercoaster of emotions. 2-3 weeks ago I was pumped up like an excited child to get back and now I’m kinda looking around thinking am I ready for this? Well I guess you’re never ready for anything. Just have to take it as it comes.
It’s going to take me a bit to get used to this life again. Kinda sad leaving the comfort of my home and life in New York where everything is quite easy and coming down here to the unknown, cold showers, barely speaking the language, crooked cops and everything being new.
I had an easy flight down here last night, got my luggage and found out my Google Fi service isn’t working this time around. I got shafted by a taxi driver to get to Daniella’s apartment but oh well. I got settled in last night and crashed early to have enough energy for the next day here
I woke up the next morning pretty early and waited for Daniella’s cousin to give me the go ahead to get to their house to grab my bike. When I got there no one knew where my extra set of keys were which I’m pretty sure I left them there in case someone ever needed to move it or start it. Bummer
This will be a big problem if I lose my set of keys. I’m gonna have to call someone at home to get to the BMW dealer to order me a new key and mail it down or I’ll figure something out. I pulled the bike out of their garage and it was still shining from the last bike wash I got at the end of February. I hooked the battery up and she fired right up on the first shot. I couldn’t be any happier.
Tires were a bit low on air, brakes were super soft and it all just felt weird. Gonna have to give it some TLC so get it back to tip top shape. I loaded up the luggage, gave Maria a hug and off I went. I pull up to the first street light and there’s a man doing a handstand on a bucket while his shoes are on fire. I shit you not about everything I just wrote. Once the light is about to turn green he flips over and asks everyone for money. Well it’s official. Welcome to Colombia
Riding this bike after being on the Tenere all summer just feels so weird and I really hate the bike now. I knew this would happen. Feels like a slow dog. No power, suspension is too soft without the luggage even on it and the brakes are kinda weak. I hope I get used to this thing quickly because I am not gonna have fun with it until then.
I got the bike back to Daniellas and did a quick oil change, cleaned the filthy air filter, installed the GPS tracker, wireless phone charger, removed some wiring, put some new adventure mirrors on with a go pro mount because my old mirrors would twist off every time I dropped my bike. I got caught in the rain for a bit working on the bike but it didn’t get me too bad.
I spent the next two hours rearranging everything I was going to take this time around and getting a package ready to mail back to New York with extra crap I didn’t need. I feel like I’m packing more this time than last time. I definitely have some more clothes because it’s going to be really cold once I hit Peru but the luggage already feels packed out! I’m living life on the edge this time bringing two pairs of jeans! Hah
I met up with Gareth for the first time since right before Covid when he flew to New York and we got him a bike to cruise around America. I met him in Montenegro on my last Europe trip and the lad is from Ireland. His bike has been registered under my name for the last 2-3 years. I don’t even know how long it’s been and I’m not doing the math right now. Quite the view seeing two bikes under my name parked next to each other in Bogota, Colombia.
We put the Moto gear away and went for a walk down the block to the mall to get my SIM card and get some food for the first time in 36 hours. Was nice catching up with him. He just got to Bogota last week and will be heading up north and slowly making his way back down to western Colombia. Lucky bastard is going to spend three months here. After dinner I found out that Daniella remembered she put my key in her office desk where the bike was being held. Crisis Averted!!!!
I shot over there on my bike to get fuel and the keys, parked the bike and now I’m starting to pack everything up in the panniers. If I wake up in the morning and it’s not raining out, I’ll hit the road and head south the Tatacoa desert and lay in the sun like a lizard baking because I’ll probably be soaking wet with rain on the way down at one point or another.
Just checked the weather actually and it seems like the Tatacoa Desert is a “tropical dry forest” and it rains there a bunch. Welcome to my life everyone. Thunderstorms in the desert. There’s no escaping rain. I’m out.
BTW no good pictures for today. Forgot to take pictures of anything really.
My Irish lad Gareth. He’s single.
My air filter even though no one cares.
