Sunday, March 23, 2025

Countdown to Departure. Jan 1, 2006

The departure date for our Central America Adventure is fast approaching. Home renovations have ground to a halt and all attention has shifted to the trip.

We are in the final organization and packing phase. I think that we will easily be able to take all we have listed. However, packing in a fashion that allows access to essential items, without the need to unpack everything, is an interesting challenge.

We plan the leave Fernie Jan. 5th by car, with trailer and motorcycle in tow. Our destination on the 5th is Jen & Dave’s house, with a short stop in Nelson to pick up the additional medical insurance and an International Driver’s licence (both at the BCAA office). After loading the trailer with the second motorcycle and a good night’s sleep we will start the drive south. Our destination by car is Yuma, AZ. where we have arranged for 3 months storage of the car and trailer. We will break up the trip south with a day in Vegas. Perhaps we will be lucky and win enough to finance the trip?

If all goes according to plan we should start out on the bikes Jan. 10th. For the first day on the bikes we will stay in the US and head west toward San Diego. A day in the states allow us to assess out packing and selection of items that we have with us. We will be able to pickup what we forgot or mail back excess items.

Jan. 11th we will cross into Mexico at Tijuana and start down the Baja. Roughly our route south takes us to the southern tip of the Baja, then a ferry from La Paz to Topolobampo (near Los Mochis). From here, essentially we plan to follow the Pacific coast south until we are south of Acapulco, with a few trips inland if we discover places of interest. From this point, the plan is even more vague… but we plan to reach Panama City by Feb 20th. We have flights booked from Panama City to Cartegena, Colombia on Feb 22nd , returning to Panama City Mar 1st . We plan to leave the bikes in Panama City while in Cartegena and pick them up on Mar 1st (this part of the plan has some interesting challenges to work out). On Mar 2nd we ride north following a different route to Yuma via Honduras, Belize, eastern Guateamala, the Yucatan Peninsula and Central Mexico.

Back to packing . . .

Saturday, March 22, 2025

At Jen & Dave's. Friday, January 06, 2006


Good trip to Jen & Dave's. Clear roads all the way. Even had a nice visit with friends on the ferry. Sue & Garry were on the way to Castlegar to visit family.

Jen & Dave's friend, Magalie came over last night and gave us some info about Nicaragua. She had just returned. She loved it and gave us suggestions for places to visit and stay. We are all very excited.

However, rain started in the evening and gradually turn white overnight. I'm concerned about the condition of the roads this morning. The trailer is definitly at max load. I expect that it will be slow going today. There is no hurry.

We are all up early. Jen & Linda are making some fresh scones for the road and Dave & I will finish loading up...as soon as it gets light!

Bernie

Friday, March 21, 2025

Almost a Big Moosteak. Saturday, January 07, 2006



We were all up early, anxious to get underway. While Jen & Linda whipped up some scones and Dave cooked up scrambled eggs I adjusted the bikes on the trailer and tried to figure out how all our luggage would fit. After a few tries, Dave and I managed to get it all in. Cold wet snow was still falling and it was not a pleasant experience. The roads were quite slippery to begin with but luckily by Creston the roads were clear.

We were expecting the possibility of a long inspection process at the
US border but I guess we didn’t fit the necessary profile and we where through with only a few basic questions. We had selected two possible routes south and after bantering it back and forth we decided to take Hwy 93 from Missoula to Vegas.


Hwy 93 is a 2 lane highway mostly in dry valleys but there was on high pass at the
Montana -Idaho border. We were up over 7000 ft and there was tons of snow. It was slow going, especially on the slippery downhill but this was not the most exciting part. Just as we were starting up the pass we hit a full grown bull moose!


That’s what I said… We had a collision with a moose but it was not serious. Dave was driving when suddenly a moose appeared in the opposite driving lane walking into our lane. Dave braked hard and steered to the right. (great job Dave!) We were almost stopped when we collided with the moose. There was no damage to the car (or the moose, we think) but the moose knocked the driver’s side mirror back. (It is designed to fold back and there was no damage to it). He was so big I think that he may have bruised his knee on the mirror!


Within the next 30 miles we had an encounter with 2 elk and a deer so we decided that it was good time to stop. We got a motel in Salmon,
Idaho and went for beer and natchos.

Thursday, March 20, 2025

Ready to jump on the bikes... we think! Wednesday, January 11, 2006



Here is a few day's update. Trouble finding a WiFi hotspot.

Sunday Jan 7/06


We are in Ely
Nevada at the old Nevada Hotel. The Nevada Hotel, when it was built in 1929, was the tallest building in Nevada and the first fire-proof hotel. Apparently it was a popular stop for the Hollywood elite on their way to Sun Valley, Idaho. Over the years it has lost a bit of its lustre (actually a lot of its lustre) but is cheap, cheerful and an interesting place never-the-less.


Jenny did well in the Casino last night. She walked away from with $75. from the “extra loose slots” ?? and Dave came away with 15 bucks. They are buying breakfast!


Yesterday we ran into a variety of road conditions, snow and ice covered to bare and dry. The VW seems to be handling the job of pulling the loaded trailer. The little diesel has lots of torque but the fuel consumption is higher than normal and the diesel fuel price is high $2.50 to $3. per gal.


We are about 4 hours from Vegas now. Next report from the
Luxor..


Monday Jan 8/06

Vegas! What can you say about this place that has not already been said? It is over-the-top, like Disney World for adults. After supper, at the Luxor Hotel, we jumped on a city bus (double decker) for a ride to the far end of the “Strip” and walked back to the hotel. It took a few hours of bar and casino hopping (we got lost a few times) to make it back.


The weather is quite nice here now. Clear skies and highs of 20C are in the forecast. It is about 500 Klms to
Yuma. We are not going to get an early start and we still need some gear before we start out on the bikes so it could be a bit late before we get to the Lone Palm RV park.

Tuesday Jan 9/06

We didn’t get out of Vegas until mid afternoon yesterday. After a leisurely brunch we packed up and spent a couple of hours shopping for gear that we still need. No luck finding what we need yet.

We decided to stop for the night in Lake Havesu City, a few hours short of Yuma. Interesting place! The city was created by P. McCullough Snr. (chainsaws, small engines) After flying over the area he purchased 13000 acres at a land auction and planned the community around Lake Havasu (created by the construction of Parker Dam). Part of the construction created an island in the Lake so he bought London Bridge and shipped it from England and reassembled it as a functional bridge. Needless to say it is a haven for “snowbirds”.

Wednesday Jan 11/06

Finally made it to Yuma and we have unloaded the bikes and are getting ready to go. Nervous excitement has hit us all. We are heading for Mexicana and straight south on Hwy 5 to the Sea of Cortez.

We spent an extra day looking around for a helmet, riding pants and rain gear. When we asked for rain suits down here we received some strange looks. I guess they don’t know the word “rain”! They also don’t allow tent camping at any campgrounds in Yuma! One campground hung up on us when we asked about tenting!

It is sunny and cool this morning … coffee is almost cold now. Better drink it down and get this trip underway.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025

Buenos Dias Mis Amigos. Saturday, January 14, 2006

Just a quick note. We are in Guerrero Negro. Having great adventures. I have written a log each day and will upload them as soon as we find a wifi hotspot. We are all well. Weather is great. Hope to post later today.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Los Cuatros Penguinos. Monday, January 16, 2006







January 11/06

We finally parked the car and trailer and hit the road on the bikes this morning. The main road west out of Yuma is Hwy 8. It is a 4 lane interstate hwy but part way to Calexico we planned to get off the interstate and take the alternate 2 lane highway (98), but the apparently it runs too close to the USA/Mexico border for someone’s comfort and it is now closed to traffic. We stayed on the interstate. As we approached Calexico, it was interesting to note that several of the rural roads that parallel the border were also “permanently” close with concrete barricades.

After a short stop for lunch and a visit to an insurance agent (CIBC insurance is invalid in Mexico) we headed for the border. We expected that we would be pulled aside and questioned. We had prepared ourselves with copies of our MC registration, DL and passports but much to our surprise we were waved through without even having to stop.

I bet it’s not this easy to leave!

We were warned of the slow posted speed limits in Mexico and not wanting to attract any attention from the police, we stuck to the posted limits. It seemed like no one else on Hwy 5 paid any attention whatsoever to these signs. The speed on the 4 lane, then 2 lanes, highway to San Felipe varied between 40 and 80 KPH. It took longer than expected to travel the 180K from Mexicali and we reached San Felipe at dusk.

We had read the traveller’s reports. We knew that one should not travel at night or arrive in a strange town in the dark, but this is exactly what we did… and on our first night in Mexico. Luckily we managed to find our way out town and back to a camp ground, but it was a bit unnerving.

We are now camped on the beach at Pete’s Campground just north of San Felipe. We have not had much chance to look around yet but what we have seen is wonderful. There is a great restaurant and bar, from which we have partaken. We highly recommend the Negra Modelo beer.

Tomorrow we plan to continue south down Hwy 5 although we have been told that it turns to gravel in about 50 miles but it is passable. We have been briefed on the gas stops. One sounds particularly interesting… we are to watch for two guys in a blue Toyota pickup at a particular intersection. We have been told that the gas of good quality and we will probably need some to make it to the next gas stop. Hmmm! Wonder if they take VISA?

Time to crawl into the sack (literally). It is quite cool. There appears to be a on-shore breeze. All I can hear is the lapping of the waves on the beach and the occasional laughter from other campers.

January 12/06

Today was slow going. We are now in Alfonsinas at a small hotel. South of San Felipe, the road was paved for about 75 kilos, then broken pavement for 20 K, then rough gravel, boulders and sand. We managed about 200K in 7 hours of riding.

Linda and I only fell off the bike twice. Once as we stopped (my short legs couldn’t quite reach the sloping soft gravel) and once in some deep sand. Both were soft landings and neither of us were hurt at all.. just embarrassed. The bike took a bit of a beating though. I now know why Suzuki doesn’t bother supplying a centre stand on the V-Strom. I have an after market one and it now non-functional (I think). There is not enough ground clearance and we consistently banged the stand bracket into the rocks.

Along this road, the max speed for Linda and I on the V-Strom was 40K but most of the time we were in second gear at 25 to 30 K. At times the road was so bad that the locals have created a parallel route simply by driving in the desert along side the road. We followed this route on several occasions and it was no screaming hell either. When driving in the ditch is better than on the road ya gotta wonder! Many times we were in first gear utilizing the stand up “Trials” technique to navigate boulders and potholes. Fun for a while but damn tiring. Jen and Dave fared much better on the KLR. Their bike has much longer suspension travel, higher ground clearance, lighter weight and knobby tires. It is much better suited to the type of roads we are currently riding.

We didn’t reach our destination until dusk (again) and we had a few problems with the language barrier at the hotel. With the help of a bilingual local we managed to get things sorted out. We had a great meal… today’s catch with lemon rice and salad, washed down with a couple of beer.

We have discovered that the Baja is motorcycle heaven for the off-road riders. They are mostly Yanks that we have met, but the locals we met this evening were from San Felipe. It appears that it is asset to travel by MC here. As I mentioned earlier, we were waved through the USA/Mexico border without stopping. Also there are military check stops along the way. I really don’t know why. Probably just to remind the tourists that the Baja is Mexican territory. Anyway… these posts are manned by young soldiers, armed with automatic weapons of some sort. They seem to stop all the cars and trucks but once again we were “waved through”. Literally… we waved to them and every soldier waved back!

We still have 35 miles of gravel to get back to the highway or we can continue south on the dirt roads. We have been told that the roads are better once we get off this one.??? It is enticing to stay along the east coast. The beaches are superb. This is a decision for tomorrow, looks like everyone else is asleep now. I don’t care which route we take but I want to go to the highway intersection to get gas from the guys in the blue Toyota Truck first.

January 13/06

After a great breakfast at Alfonsino’s we loaded up and continued south on “Hwy 5”. The first 35 K was tricky. More loose gravel and sandy sections than the previous day but I found that I had better control of the bike by standing up and getting more weight over the front wheel. We managed to get through a whole day without dumping the bike. Lee, you will be glad to know that the Wee-Strom is looking more “adventurous” now. Both Jesse bags are scraped now.

We had been told to stop at Coco’s Corner, 35 K down the road. A fellow by the name of Coco has a business / residence on a corner of two dirt roads in the middle of nowhere. He sells beer, pop, snacks & bike parts. He fixes almost anything that moves, and offers free accommodation for travelers through the area. (free, if you buy at least one beer). Everyone who stops by has to write in the “book”. You are asked to describe yourself and your journey, then he adds sketches to your tale. He seems to be able to remember most of those who have passed by having creating a distinctive indexing system. When we told him we were Canadians he told us Canadians are refered to as Penguins. In his index we are the “Cuatro Penguinos”.

Shortly after leaving Coco’s we were back on pavement on Hwy 1 south to Guerrero Negra. After talking to Coco we decided to stay on the highway. As advertised, the blue Toyota was exactly as expected. We did not need gas then so we only stopped to take a picture. Guerrero Negra is nothing to write home about. It is ,however the whale viewing center of the Baja and since whale viewing is in season, it was quite busy. We camped at an RV park jammed in between two big units.

January 14/06

Before leaving Guerrero Negra we back tracked for gas. Unfortunately we had to go back through a “migration” checkpoint. Yesterday we didn’t need a visa but apparently today we did! After filling out the paper work we were able to leave “BCS” (Baja California South) fill up and return. All for 200 Peso’s each! ($20.)

On the pavement we made much better time. 300K to Mulege. We found a very nice campground on the south edge of town. The town looks interesting. We did a short tour and Dave and I rode back into town to try to find a 1/2 dozen Negro Modelo. Tomorrow we will have a better look around.

The trip today was mostly across flat desert on straight roads. We crossed two low mountain passes where the road became more interesting for a while. The speed limit on the highway is 80K and the speed drops to 40K as you pass through towns. To help enforce the speed there are speed bumps across the road. . . high enough that my center stand bracket touches down as we ride over them. They work.. no one speed though the towns. If you hit one of thse bumps at 80K you might do serious damage to your vehicle. We have been told that these bumps are common throughout Central America and once we are out of Mexico not to expect that there will be any warnings that you are approaching one. Also, there are no recommended speeds for the sharp corners only warning signs “Curva Peligrosa” (dangerous curve) and rumble strips. The highway is very narrow. The “semis” definitely fill the lane and there is no shoulder. Sometimes the drop off the edge of the pavement is 18” or more. Makes you pay attention!

We just finished supper. We picked up some supplies at a small grocery store and cooked up an authentic Mexican meal at the camp site. We are planning a short day tomorrow. Hopefully we can find an internet connection to up load these reports and a place to do some laundry.

January 15/06

This turned out to be a real short day… only traveled about 10K. The coast south of Mulege (Pronounced Moo-la-hay) is a series of small coves, each with a fantastic beach. We picked one and set up camp on the beach, put on our bathers and relaxed. There was a great little restaurant a short walk from where we camped. The meals have all been very good.

January 16/06

Another short day today. It is extremely windy. We were constantly being buffeted and sandblasted so in Loreto we found a nice campground with laundry facilities and wireless internet. We are about 350K from La Paz. We hope to make it to La Paz tomorrow and make arrangements for the ferry to the mainland. We have been getting mixed info regarding the ferry. Once we see what is involved there we may head down to Cabo San Lucas before taking the ferry to the main land.

Monday, March 17, 2025

Heading for the mainland. Wednesday, January 18, 2006







January 17/06

Here we are in La Paz (the city of peace). We covered 350K from Loreto today. Again it was extremely windy. The cross wind was gusting 60 to 80K. We crossed the Sierra de la Giganta twice today along some nice winding roads. Though the western central plains the road was straight as an arrow for over nearly 100K it would have been quite boring had it not been for the wind.

For those travelling this way we have a few suggestions for camping (tent or RV). In Mulege we stayed at a place called The Orchard. It is located about 2 kilometres south of town. It is an old date orchard along the river. There are permanent vacation homes and nice camp sites. Many of the date palms are still standing as well as orange and lemon trees. There is no restaurant but there is a path from the camp site to town along the river. It is a twenty minute walk. The rate for camping is $70 pesos per camp site (about $7. US). A word of warning… if you stay in Mulege on Friday or Saturday night, don’t plan to sleep without earplugs. Apparently there is a party downtown every Friday and Saturday and a traditional Mexican band played until 4 am. We could hear them well 2 kilometres away.

There is lots of camping on the beaches here too. Organized camp site cost about 70 to 100 pesos but you can camp for free if you do not want any facilites… ie. washrooms, showers, store or food. Usually we opted for the former. On the beach we stayed (just south of Mulege) there were 2 restaurants. (Ray’s and Anna’s) Our camping neighbour’s recommended Anna’s. We have been impressed with the quality of the food so far. We stayed at Anna’s until quite later talking and drinking with a couple from Chicago.

In Loreto we stayed at the Rivera Del Mar on Francisco 1, Madero No. 100. This place is well maintained, clean bathrooms, laundry facilities, wireless internet and an excellent, reasonably priced restaurant. It is a small family operated camp with approximately 24 RV spots and 5 camping spots. It is located about 3 blocks from the beach and 8 or 9 blocks from the centre of town. It is definitely recommended, although the tent camp sites are a bit noisy as they back against the next street. Also nearly everyone who lives in the neighbourhood must have chickens… many rooster started crowing just before sunrise.

We arrived in La Paz too late today to get the permits for the MCs that will allow us to book passage to the mainland. We still have not decided whether we will take to ferry to Topolabampo or to Mazatlan (S?) It depends on sailing times and or fares. Tonight we are in a small hotel near the beach in La Paz. The beach boulevard is similar to European resort beaches. Quite touristy here but it is not high season. Security for the MCs is important so the hotel allowed us to roll the bikes into the lobby.

Looks like everyone else has hit the sack… ‘til tomorrow.

January 18/02

Well it looks like I spoke too soon about the good food… Shortly after going to bed last night my stomach developed a queasy feeling. Within minutes I was up talking to Ralph on the big white telephone. This morning I feel OK but I won’t be straying far from any toilet facilities. It is imodium for breakfast today!

I think the mistake I made was to eat Italian food (Pasta with a cream sauce) in Mexico. It is probably better to stick with the fresh food that is locally available. Storage of other foods may be a problem, especially in the low tourist season where it is likely to sit around longer. It’s just a theory. I will stick to the local food from now on and see how it works.

Today we dealt with misinformation and permits. A permit is required to take a motorcycle into mainland Mexico. It can be purchased at the border crossing or at the ferry terminal at Pichilingue, near La Paz. There is a new terminal building recently opened so procedures may have changed. In order to purchase the permit you need 4 items… your passport, a Mexico tourist visa (available only at the Migration offices, if you are riding south from Baja California to Baja California Sur you will pass a migration check point just north of Gerrero Negra. Got one there, it will same some time. The cost is 200 pesos and must be paid at any bank.), your MC registration and drivers licence. You also need photocopies of these items. (You can get them copied at the terminal for a nominal fee) The permit costs $37 US. Once you documents are in order you must hand over a credit card (Visa or Mastercard). Nothing else will do, and that includes cash! This is where Dave ran into trouble. He does not have a credit card and they would not accept Jenny’s. He has to pay $330. in US cash. He was told that he will be able to get back $300. when he leaves the country. Hmmm!

Dave rode back and forth between La Paz and the ferry terminal 3 times . . once to find a bank to pay for the tourist visa and again to get cash. By the time he returned the 3rd. time the office was closed (closes at 2 pm). He was not a happy camper when he got back to the hotel.

We decided to take the La Paz – Mazatlan Ferry It runs 3 days a week right now. It leaves tomorrow (Thursday) at 3 pm and arrives in Mazatlan at 9 am. We still don’t actually have tickets yet because you need the permits first but if it is not sold out we plan to get cabins with 2 beds and a bathroom ($40. extra) It costs $75. per person for the fare and $120. for the motorcycle. (one other item… you need tie downs for the bike)

Time for a nap. I’m feeling better now but I have not been able to eat anything today

Next update should be from the mainland