Jason

November 19, 2017

Day 75, Mile 4800: Portobello, Sailing the Darién Gap, and entering Colombia illegally

25 February 2017
Cartagena, Colombia

The day before we set sail to cross the Darien Gap started out a little nerve racking but ended nice and relaxing. First line of business was loading our bikes onto the ship. This was the process (remember my bike weighs around 500lbs), uou meet up at the dock nice and early, around 10:43AM. At that time I meet the nice gentleman who would determine the fate of my new best friend. Total of maybe a half dozen, these locals with their tiny row boat would assist us in getting the bikes on board and hopefully prevent my KLR from swimming with the fishes.

First thing was first, and that was taking absolutely everything you can off your boat. The lighter the better because the deck of the sailboat was very high which would require us to basically lift the motorcycles over our heads all while balancing in a little dingy which looked way too small to me. So we started with the weight loss.

The Britt was finished first. Apparently driving around the world teaches you to pack light so his reward was the chance to go first. Yay for him. Just getting his bike in the row boat was rough enough and once loaded it really looked like the little boat was going to sink with the bike, Aaron, and 3 locals all riding along. Also for some more additional fun added, you got to ride the bike while riding the boat. So if your foot slipped, splash goes the bike. I wished him luck and waved goodbye as they motored off towards the ship. About a half hour later the dingy returned without Aaron and I didn’t hear any splashes so I assumed everything went all right and guess what, it was my turn next. Oh joy!

Once again, somehow, someway we got my bike loaded onto the dingy. Let me tell you, riding my bike while riding in a boat is not much fun. It’s very awkward and any little slip meant my trip was ending that day. As we rounded the sailboat I thought there was no way I was getting my heavy ass pig of a bike up that high. Not only was the deck of the ship high, it was really really high. Like at least 2-3 feet above our heads. I saw Aaron peek his head over with a big smile so I decided “Well hell if a Brit can do it, so can I.”

This was how we did it: A captain threw over a thick rope which I securely tied to the front wheel of my KLR. Then while the Captain, Aaron, and some kid which I found out later to be a fellow shipmate pulled on the rope, we pushed while doing a balance act. Long story short, we got the KLR on deck but I have no idea how we were able to do it really.

The little dingy left for the Aussies while I assisted those on board in tying my bike to Aaron’s and the main mast. If was nice knowing unless we lost the mast, those bikes weren’t going anywhere. Shortly the little boat reappeared with not one of the Aussie’s bikes, but both.

The Aussies (Todd and Chantelle) were also on RTW trips but they were doing it a little different. Apparently in Australia, the postal use these tiny little 125cc bikes to deliver their mail and this is what they choose to use for their journey. These little motos maybe weight 100 pounds so it was pretty damn easy getting them aboard.

After finishing up securing our bikes and gear aboard, the captain had some paperwork to do on his own so we were free to explore as we saw fit. Portobello is a sleepy Spanish colonial town with history including the silver trade and a brief boom during the construction of the Panama Canal. There were a couple old fort ruins to check out and some beautiful colonial buildings. I really could have spent a week just relaxing and taking in the quiet vibe. The port still was creepy to me with masts sticking out of the water and other ships beached on the shore. Apparently within the next month, these will be cleared out but it was a solemn reminder of what could happen to us if the weather went sour.

Our captain was a very interesting character. Italian, he spoke no English and kinda reminded me of a retired rock band member. He seemed very friendly, always had a smile on his face, and you could tell he loved his ship. I also met our other two crew mates. They were early 20 something Norwegians that were sea hitch hikers. This was something I never heard of but it sounded amazing and I wished I would have done something like that when I was younger. Apparently many people do this; for free or very cheap passage, people will offer working on the ship. I guess you just show up at the port and ask around seeing who needs help. So it seemed that one was going to be our cook, and the other was helping the Captain sail the ship. Pretty damn cool!

After a couple hours of exploring the area, a quick stop to the local grocery store for supplies, and numerous runs to the fresh water tap to fill the boat, we ended the day on the ship doing a little swimming and getting ready for our big passage.

-it was a peaceful first night on board.

The Darién Gap is a space of land between Panama and Colombia which is basically impassable. Since I first started thinking about doing this trip, crossing this gap has been a big highlight because I wanted to sail across. Since my next big dream is to sail around the world, this would be a great opportunity to get a preview of that dream and hopefully motivate me to make it happen. The only problem is that most ships are booked long in advance and I didn’t want to do that because I really didn’t know my timeline on my trip and didn’t want to get in a time crunch where I would have to rush just to make my passage. When I started in December I basically gave up hope that I would find a ship and was going to settle for flying the gap. So when I can upon the opportunity to get on this ship, I immediately took it.

I had a hard time falling asleep that night, so excited to be sailing. The Australians took the bow since they were the couple, the Brit had kinda of a bed on ropes/hammock kind of thing, and I took the small midway bed. My bed was surprisingly comfortable. It was perfect.

We took 4 days for our voyage and it’s been a long time since I was in that much peace. The winds were light and the sea was pretty calm so we ended up motoring quite a bit. Any chance though to raise the sails the Captain took, you could really tell he loved sailing. I caught up on sleep that I’ve been missing for a long long time. I also don’t remember the last time I ate so well. The Norwegians were amazing cooks. Like really, really, amazing. The only real problems we had on the voyage was the head kept clogging up which was a problem because the food was so good. Overall I am so happy I got the opportunity to sail the gap and if you are planning a motorcycle trip like this, you must sail across!

The last night before we arrived in Colombia the wind finally picked up and the ride actually became a little rough. This was what I have been waiting for, some adventure, but apparently I slept through most of it. I do remember waking up at some time through the night with the ship rocking more than normal. I really haven’t slept that will in a long time.

The next morning we woke to the sight of land and I was filled anticipation for the next phase of my journey; South America. After another very nerve racking couple hours of unloading our bikes, we had 4 dry motorcycles on the dock in Colombia. The Captain took our passports and told us he would be back shortly. That was the beginning of our problems and a very long first day in Colombia.

Right before we left our first night on our passage, Todd received information that Colombia was no longer allowing smaller boats to bring motorcycles across in the manner we were doing so. Apparently since smaller sailboats don’t go through the proper ports or custom inspections, they are illegally entering the country. Now for the longest of times this really wasn’t a problem but of course with my luck they just started cracking down on the process and were now impounding bikes.

So first mistake was we pulled into the normal port so no required customs inspections, no immigration, no nothing. Just 4 people on a sidewalk with motorcycles that we were told if we drove them, the police would seize them. To make a long story short and a very long hot day shoter, we ended up finding a fairly close hotel and we pushed our bikes there to sleep.

-great little hotel if you happen to enter Colombia illegally and need to push your bikes.

As I sit here by the pool, I reflect on the first part of my trip. I can’t think of one moment which I didn’t love. It’s hard to decide which country has been my most favorite. Really each country was unique and just amazing in their own way. I can’t wait to return, checking out all the spots I didn’t get to see on the way down. Being able to share them with Melissa is just going to make it that much better. I really don’t want this trip to ever end.

November 5, 2017

Day 70, Mile 4512: Racing across Panama City, Earthquakes, Getting ready to set sail

Jason Logsdon

20 February 2017
Portobello, Panama

I woke up with the news that if I didn’t make it to Portobello by 7pm that night, I wouldn’t have a spot on the sailboat and would lose my chance to sail the Darien Gap. Portobello was a mere 120 miles away but between me and there was Panama City which is no easy feat. So I said my goodbyes to Brandon and his family, thanked them for the great but sadly short visit, and started out nice and early at about 10:43am.

Since I knew that Panama has a fantastic 4 lane highway all the way to Panama City and that I was well past the construction, I would make some great time. What I didn’t know was it seems that on Sunday everyone and their grandma drives this fantastic highway back to PC. So it is safe to say I was not making good time. Of course like most of the world besides the United States, you can land split (drive between cars), but since I pack pretty light (not), the ride became the game of “try to weave between cars without knocking off too many mirrors”. Yep I lost (or won, depends on how you look at it) and ended up pissing some nice people off.

Finally 4 hours later where it should have taken like 90 minutes I ended up reaching Panama City. As I raced through the city as fast as I could, it looked like a pretty cool city. I even got to see the Panama Canal. Luckily I didn’t blink as I crossed it or would have missed. A quick “short cut” through a jungle section brought to you by MAPS.me and I was through the city and racing towards my destination.

Riders beware; driving north out of PC the cops have something very clever setup that I admit fooled me pretty well. See below…

After yet another missed turn brought to you by Google Maps, I finally started to get close to Portobello. I ended up breaking my golden rule of no driving at night and wound my way along what I was assuming was the coast and finally made it with a whopping 15 minutes left on my 7pm deadline. After some confusion, meeting the Captain who obviously didn’t speak a lick of English, convincing the fixer (ship organizer) who then convinced the Captain that my bike wasn’t too big or heavy for the ship, and surrendering my 100 dollar deposit to complete strangers, I found myself in a little quaint hostel swapping stories with a 80 something one legged hippy sailor. Boy was I exhausted.

The next day I woke up to a surprising beautiful yet uneasy view. Portobello is an old port city with plenty of historic buildings and a very eerie port. Apparently the hurricane season wasn’t very gentle to this area and there were numerous ships sunken or beached. I think I hazily remembered the one legged hippy talking about that last night. I’m sure there’s some omen about it but oh well, it was time to get ready for my passage.

I met up with the fixer and finally saw what I assumed would be the sailboat to take me to Colombia. He explained what customs work was required, who my shipmates would be (one Brit and one Aussie couple who were both on a RTW trip), and explained to me that we had to returnyet again back to PC to get it all done ASAP because the Captain was in a hurry for weather.

So back I went (wasn’t fooled by the cardboard cop this time) and made it to the Customs Inspection yard where I met my fellow shipmates. Adventure Logs top tip; if you plan on taking the toll roads back into Panama City, be aware that they switch from tolls where you can pay with cash to only electronic tolls without warning or at least warnings in English. Also do not think you can run the gate and beat it. They are faster than you are. Also related, NEXX helmets will protect you if you end up getting hit by say a toll gate.

The process in checking yourself and your motorcycle out of Panama is well documented on the internet so there’s not much I can add to it. What I didn’t get from the iOverlander app, I was able to ask and together as a group we were able to muddle through it. I would advise against trying to get it all done in one day though to reduce stress.

Of course with all government employees, a long lunch is in order so we ended with a little time on our hands and decided to go check out the Panama Canal. It truly was epic watching the enormous ships pass by and the museum was actually pretty informational. Before 2000, when the USA owned the Panama Canal, we operated it as a no-profit operation. Apparently when Panama took control they thought better and started to charge just a little less than what it would cost to sail around South America. You can thank Panama for the price hike on imported goods.

-amazing what you can build with that canal money.

After a quick stop to a gorgeous shopping mall (thank you again canal money) to buy a replacement GoPro for the one I lost in Ometepe, we were back in line to finish our final bit of paperwork. One of the Aussies ended up staying with our bikes because we caught a couple guys trying to take things off of our bikes. We just needed one last signature and it seemed that nature was even against us as the building started to shake. We weren’t sure what happened, it lasted less than 10 seconds but then absolutely everyone just started pouring out of the building. Of course with government work you take any advantage to get out of work but come on people we needed that last signature. Well that little quake gave us a 90 minute delay but we were done.

The drive out of Panama City was very slow with me once again winning the game of how many mirrors can you knock off. I really packed too much stuff. It was easy at least 2 hours of traffic for something that should have taken 20 minutes and we found the source of the traffic; a soccer game, go figure. Once as a group we found the open road I discovered that the Aussies and their postal bikes top out at only 30mph. That wasn’t going to cut it with me at all; I just wanted to get off the bike and into a cold beer or two. Admittedly I came up with a lame excuse of having to poop and I rushed off past the ever vigilant cardboard cop to find myself back at the same hostel as the night before.

Tomorrow will be a little bit more relaxed. I’ll finally get to see the ship for sure, we will load the bikes which will be VERY interesting, and I guess we got two more shipmates so I’m sure I’ll be meeting them. Also looks like we will get a little time to explore Portobello which I’m looking forward to. There are a lot of colonial ruins around which I wanted to check out and I’m hoping to get a little swimming in. I ended the night once again sharing stories with the one legged senior citizen hippy and some outstanding rum.

September 6, 2017

Day 68, Mile 4391: Crossing into Panama, Hanging out with friends, Opportunities arise

Jason Logsdon

The border crossing with Costa Rica and Panama was another pretty easy crossing. There was a little running around with getting certain papers, but the whole process with both borders took less than an hour. The online guides were pretty accurate. Between the borders there were huge duty-free malls. These weren’t the typical duty-free shops you see at airports and such, but real malls and full grocery stores. I tried to find a replacement for my lost GoPro 5, but had no luck.

I was hoping to make really good time because on the map it looked like I would be on a big 4 lane highway. Unfortunately I did not and couldn’t make it my destination that night. The entire time there was construction so 2 lanes were always closed and you were constantly slowing down for additional construction. So I made horrible time. I even got pulled over for speeding but to my surprise he just let me go. I just acted like I couldn’t understand anything he said and it worked.

-A gorgeous 4 lane highway…that you can’t use

I ended up stopping about a 100 miles short in Santiago. There wasn’t much to remark on this little town which doesn’t seem more than a commercialized width in the road other than the fact that the hotel has been the most expensive so far on my trip and it was pretty shitty.

The next day I left early to make sure I could get to Brandon’s place that day. Brandon is a good friend of mine from work in Jordan. We had planned on meeting up earlier and I have been looking forward in meeting up with him and his family.

Last night I received some bittersweet news. It looks like I might get a chance to sail across the Darien Gap. The Darien Gap is a stretch of unpassable land between Panama and Colombia. There are no roads and is full of some very dangerous people.

The two ways of crossing is either by shipping your bike/car across in container and flying commercial or taking you and your bike on a sailboat across. I’ve always wanted to sail across but since I never knew my time schedule and didn’t want to be rushed, I never was able to book anything. So this is great news, but it means I may have to cut my visit with Brandon short.

The following morning I made it to Brandon in Rio Hato very easily. Of course right after I leave the town, the construction ended and I ended up making fantastic time. I would have saved a night at an expensive hotel if I would have known that. Rio Hato seemed like a very sleepy condo town. To help culture his children while enjoying the benefits of tax free living, Brandon has been living here in a rented condo. They basically have the place to themselves and he’s saving a good amount of money. Seems like a good idea to me.

It was nice being around people again. Riding can get very lonely sometimes so it was a nice break to relax and socialize. I’ve gotten more news on my possible voyage across the sea. Looks like I might get the last slot but if I don’t show up and meet the Captain by tomorrow, I may lose my position. I’ll know more tomorrow.

April 12, 2017

Day 66, Mile 4141: Costa Rica, you live up to your name

Jason Logsdon

16 Febuary 2017
Golfito, Costa Rica

I’m spending the night here in a little town just north of the border with Panama on the coast called Golfito. I found a cheap Airbnb right across from the marina and its quiet and a perfect way to rest before my border crossing tomorrow. I drove through Costa Rica pretty quickly mostly because I’ve been sitting around so much lately that I’ve been itching to get some distance traveled. Also, I’ve been told and now see that Costa Rica is the most expensive country in Central America so I didn’t want to spend too much time here.

I left Salinas Bay with a smile on my face. While the kite spot may not have been all that I was hoping it to be, I did get some great kiteboarding in and that always makes a great time for me. After dropping my bike while loading on a very steep driveway, I was happy to find decent roads and scenic views.

The first day was driving mostly inland while I worked my way south and west to the Pacific coast again. While the roads were in pretty good condition, they were extremely busy. I’ve never seen so much semi truck traffic and I spent most of the day passing or waiting to pass them. I ended up spending the night in Quepos satisfied with my progress but pretty exhausted.

Quepos is a strange town. The first 4 hotels I went to were very expensive and sold out. I eventually did find a spot which was close to downtown and really cheap especially for Costa Rica. I couldn’t quite understand why such a small town was so busy and booked until I walked to the shore. While I was taking pictures of the small little local boats and docks, I turned around and discovered a cruise ship docked just outside the port.

This explained many things including all the white people I saw as I wandered around town. It took my a while to figure out the strange vibe but I finally did it. As I set down to a delicious dinner of Subway, I shook my head in amazement. This area really does feel like Florida.

Costa Rica means “Rich Coast” and on today’s drive, Costa Rica lived up to it’s name. I left Quepos with the Pacific Ocean in view and kept that view for most of the day. Even when I had to pay a higher “visitors” toll, it didn’t dampen my spirits. Today has been my prettiest drive since Guatemala. I was even able to do a quick oil change in a palm forest.

All in all, today has been a pretty great day. All afternoon and evening, I’ve been working on my blog, reading, and looking out at the sailboats. Such great inspiration for my next great journey to sail around the world. Tomorrow I’ll be in Panama and shortly after hopefully sailing to Colombia. I found out that there’s a chance I might be able to catch a ship to cross the Darein Gap. I didn’t think I would be able to find one without a reservation so I’m excited that I might get the chance.

=Jason-

Best Part: The coast drive today. Stunning!
Worst Part: The extra “gringo” tax on everything here.

March 31, 2017

Day 64, Mile 3840: Crossing into Costa Rica, Kiteboarding Salinas Bay, and being attacked by insects.

Jason Logsdon

The day leaving Ometepe was a sad one but the day had to come. The ferry back was super quick and the ride through the last of Nicaragua was gorgeous. I really want to explore more of the southern part of the country after that ride. And Blue Fields. Really Ometepe turned my view of the country around; I’m happy about that.

The crossing into Costa Rica was one of the longer ones but mostly just due to the lines. Leaving Nicaragua was sort of a puzzle especially with checking the motorcycle out of the country. Stop at the blue building to your right. I almost passed it lol. The immigration side is pretty straight forward; the guides are good on that. The vehicle part, the guides did lack. First you need to get a form from a guy in a blue shirt. Fill it out and then find the police officer in the corner. He stamps it after a little bit of time and then you need to go through the ENTRANCE TO NICARAGUA side and walk through the booths to the back to give to ladies for final stage of check out.

The Costa Rican side is much easier.

The guides are pretty decent, here’s my input. There’s an ATM around the corner, to the left of the entrance to immigration. If you are bringing a vehicle in, you are going to need it. Also get, fill, and return a form to a person in a small metal shack across the road from immigration. After she does her stuff, DRIVE down the main road and take the first right into a small parking lot of long building. There you do the rest of the vehicle check in and get your insurance there. All in all, took about 2.5 hours to cross both with most of the time just waiting in line.

The drive in Costa Rica was short since I was only going 61 miles, basically the most northwestern part of the country. The area’s name is Salinas Bay and is well known for being the best spot in Costa Rica to kiteboard so I had to check it out. I ended up picking Blue Dream hotel for its reputation as a good kite hotel and had no problem finding it.

I spent the next couple days kiteboarding and here are some of my views on the spot. First off it is not really beginner friendly. The do have good kite schools, Blue Dream being one, but the location just really isn’t that great to learn. The water was surprisingly cold, especially after the bath water temps of Lake Nicaragua. Also the gusty wind and erratic small water chop made kiting more difficult. I’m sure given time I would learn it’s quicks but in full disclosure, I would have enjoyed kiting more if I stayed at Ometepe.

What the kite spot lacked, the people I met helped make up the difference. It’s more common than not that I find myself kiteboarding alone. Ometepe was really the first place I kiteboarded on this trip where there were a group of kiters but at the end of the day, everyone went the separate ways. At Salinas, there is nowhere else to go, so who you kite with during the day, you hang with at night at the hotel. I met kiters from all around the world and I really enjoyed at aspect of the sport I’ve been missing.

-this little guy and his buddy were hiding in my socks.

-found this little guy in my room on the first night. Bigger than my hand.

There has been quite the array of insects here at Blue Dream. My first night I found a very very large spider right above my door. I woke the next day and discovered two scorpins in my socks. Later a cool preying mantis on my door screen. I always wonder what I’ll find next.

Tonight is my last night here and we all just came back from some barbeque at the only other restaurant in the area. The food was fantastic as well as the Tonas (of course). We even cracked open some of the Famous Flor de Caña rum. It was a great way to end my stay here and I look forward to my next stop.

=Jason-

Best Part: Kiteboarding of course
Worst Part: Discovering that Salinas wasn’t what I thought it would be.

March 10, 2017

Day 61, Mile 3779: Ometepe, how much I love you.

Jason Logsdon

11 February 2017
Ometepe, Nicaragua

Well I decided on Ometepe over Bluefields and let me tell you I have been loving that decision for the entire last week, sipping fantastic rum, exploring the island, and best of all getting some fantastic kiteboarding in. I can’t describe how much I love this island with its unique surroundings; I’ll try my best.

The drive from Granada was short and sweet and I was glad to see the city in my back mirror. I think that’s been my biggest disappointment so far on this journey but sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. To get on the island you have to take a ferry which is pretty sweet. This will be my first ferry on the trip but I hope it’s not my last.

I got lucky and arrived just before the noon ferry and paid my fee $2.00 USD for myself and about $5.00 USD for my motorcycle. They do this strange process where I pay for myself first and then after loading I pay for the bike and it all varies on who is “inspecting” your vehicle and what he deems the tax should be. All very confusing but it all worked out at the end.

While I was waiting to load (motorcycles go last), I looked out at my destination. The island is only ?about 15 miles from the shore but I was told that it would take over 2 hours to get there. I was amazed how large the waves were but equally delighted for the wind. I impatiently sat on the boat watching the island get larger, I was ready to get some kiting done.

I researched with a quick google search what area I was going to stay at beforehand. The kiteboard spot is on the north side of the island, on a narrow beach between the two volcanoes. So my plan of action was to get there, and then find a place to stay. I tried first at the kiteboarding school but they only had dorms left for about 10 dollars and I really wanted my own place to unload my gear and set everything up. I had success on my second try at Los Cocos; 15 bucks got me a fantastic double bed room that was clean and everything I could need. They also had a restaurant which is really good and really cheap and all the Tona beer on hand you could ever want. Also best of all, it is the closest hotel to the kiteboard beach. I highly recommend it.

Initially I only booked for 2 nights as a test run for how I would like the area. I quickly unpacked my bike and then checked out the beach. After my serious inspection of a whopping 2 minutes, I quickly ran back and got my kiteboarding gear. It was time to get my kite on.
I basically kiteboarded till the sun set that day and while sitting down to a fantastic traditional Nicaraguan meal that cost me $3 USD, I made a decision. I waved the Hotel owner over and paid for another 5 nights. I finished my night with a couple Tonas and a huge grin on my face.
This last week has been basically the same. I wake up, eat a fantastic breakfast at my restaurant, have a big air kite session till about noon, eat another fantastic meal for lunch, chill and explore the island a little, and finish the day with a sunset hydrofoil session and another great meal. Every night I would limp back to my room sore from kiting but with a huge grin on my face. I was in paradise.

On my second day on the island, I met my first fellow motorcycle adventurer. I don’t know if I’ve been taking different routes or what but I’ve been a little surprised that it’s taken this long for me to run into others. His name is Jean, he’s French, he kiteboards as well, and has been traveling for over 15 years around the world. Just wow!

Over a couple Tonas, we shared stories and he gave me a rundown of the island. This also gave me a chance to show off my traveling kite gear and plug Nobile a little which is always good. Nobile has been nothing short of amazing with me so I really like showing off their gear. They really are the best choice if you want to travel with your kite gear.

Just down the road from where I am staying is another hotel/hostel call Zopilote which I can best describe as “really unique”. Jean told me that on Tuesdays and Saturdays they have a pizza night at their restaurant which is something not to be missed. So we made plans for the following night to go together and check it out.

On my third day I discovered two really awesome things. First, the locals like to let their animals go free on the island so you get beautiful sights like herds of horses running on the beach and quenching their thirsts while kiting. Second, Zopilote really is very unique. The pizza party is part craft show, part fire show, part wood oven pizzeria. So I spent that evening enjoying some fantastic pizza while watching some pretty amazing stunts while chatting with people from all around the world. You can’t get much better than that. Pro tip, if you come to a pizza night, bring a flashlight. I ended up getting lost in the jungle on the way back for over 45 minutes.

IMG_5863

-scenes from my drive around the island.

On my fourth day, I started out by being chased by a cow; apparently he didn’t like me. After yet another amazing kiteboard session and lunch, I decided to drive around the island. I had no idea that the island was this big. Made from from two Volcanoes, Volcano Maderas and Volcano Concepon, the island is almost 20 miles long and 6 miles in it’s widest spot and has a population of over 30,000. On my drive I saw all kinds of wildlife from wild pigs to horses to monkeys. It took most of the afternoon but it was an awesome drive.

I did have some back luck on my sunset hydrofoiling session though. While taking some videos for my sponsor Nobile, I ended up crashing pretty big and losing my GoPro 5. I looked all over for it including walking the beach several times but it’s gone. Worst of all is that it was a gift from Melissa. I always seem to break or loose the gifts she gives me. I don’t know why.

The last two days were pretty much the same with me limping back to my room each time well satisfied and happy as hell. I really want to stay much longer but I have places to be and people to see so it’s time to move on. Tomorrow I’ll cross into Costa Rica and head to Salinas Bay which is in the very most northwestern part of the country. It’s another well-known spot to kiteboard and I’m looking forward to checking it out. I’m hoping it’s as fantastic as here.

=Jason-

Best Part: Everything about this island!
Worst Part: Having to leave.

February 27, 2017

Day 55, Mile 3713: Granada, You can’t hide under that pretty paint.

Jason Logsdon

5 February 2017
Granada, Nicaragua

I left Somotillo yesterday nice and early and was really excited to see Nicaragua and I planned on driving to Granada for a couple days of relaxation and kiting on Lake Nicaragua. I’ve read good things about Granada with its brightly colored colonial buildings so I was greatly looking forward to staying there.

The drive through Nicaragua was very pleasant with good roads and plenty of pretty views. I was surprised how flat the country actually is. Besides the occasional bump or two, the land was mostly flat. Also another big surprise was the wind; I mean tons of wind, like almost knock me off my bike kind of wind. While it was a little nerve racking, it did mean better kiteboarding in the near future.

Something else that really dumbfounded me was how I would say more “aggressive” the local drivers are. I don’t mean like they would try to drive you off the road or anything of the such, but apparently they didn’t like me passing them when it wasn’t proper to do so. My experience so far on this trip has been that motorcycles can do pretty much whatever they want to. Well here in Nicaragua it seems like the drivers don’t feel the same way and will honk at you to show their displeasure. Quite a surprise. Also by far, I’ve seen the most police here in Nicaragua. Seems like every couple miles there were police doing radar traps. So speeders beware.

-all through the capital were these tree thingys.

My route took me through the capital, Managua, unfortunately. Nothing against the city but I tend to skip the big cities because they are usually filled with very hot, very frustrating traffic and Managua did not disappoint. I also once again had trouble with Google Maps correctly routing me through the country. I have to say outside of the USA, Google Maps has been very inaccurate. From missing one ways which can be a problem, to totally being flat out wrong on roads and directions, google maps has been a huge disappointment. I find myself using Maps.ME more and more and yesterday was another example of me having to switch to that.

So after a very long drive through the capital city I happily made it to Granada in the early afternoon. Taking a suggestion I found on the iOverlander app, I ended up staying at Hospedaje San Jorge for roughly $15 USD a night. Honestly looking back though, this hotel has been my first disappointment from the app. While it was cheap and the owner was nice, driving through the market really was a pain and walking to the tourist section at night requires you to walk in some very questionable areas which I didn’t like as well.

-and what’s parked at my hotel?? My future ride.

Not knowing that I wasn’t going to enjoy the city as much as I thought I would and thinking I would get some kiting in I booked two nights and unpacked. Outside the hotel I fought the bellybutton to bellybutton people in the market once again and took my motorcycle out for a spin to see the city. After a nice drive, I ended up stopping at the “tourist strip” for an early dinner and to do some people watching. While the fact that water was more expensive than the beer delighted me, there really wasn’t much going on so I called it a night.

Today, I threw my kitebag on my bike determined to go kiteboarding. I was told that all along the western coast of Lake Nicaragua there was good wind so I found the coast road and started driving away from Granada. The road shortly turned to good gravel and there are tiny little villages every so often but for the most part it was a very quiet deserted drive. After almost an hour of driving trying to find a decent launch unsuccessfully, I settled on a small clear patch of beach to launch from.

To make a long story short, especially for those non-kiters out there, the problem with the western shore is that there just isn’t enough beach space to properly launch from and with the gusty directly onshore wind I ended up having a pretty bad session. So I sadly drove back to my hotel after struggling for a couple hours to find some cheap Tonia’s to help my mood.

Quite honestly, I have found Granada disappointing. Sure the buildings are pretty with the colorful paint but it’s very obvious that this was done to try to make the very poor and rundown housing look more pretty and hence touristy. Also besides the main tourist strip and plaza, there really isn’t much to see in the city for a tourist and I really didn’t like the vibe of the strip. While everyone is looking to make some money, it was much more “in your face” here that I am used to. Everything was tip this and give me money for that, way beyond what I would find acceptable. So I could have easily skipped Granada and really not have cared.

Looking at my next spot here in Nicaragua I’m debating between Bluefields which is on the Caribbean coast or Ometepe which is an island in Lake Nicaragua made up of two volcanoes. Apparently to get to Bluefields, I would have to leave my bike in Rama and then take a boat to Bluefields. I’m not too keen in leaving my bike anywhere right now so I’m thinking Ometepe and then Bluefields on the way north with Melissa. Besides, Ometepe sounds pretty badass. An island made of two volcanoes and kiteboarding?? Fantastic! I guess I’ll see how I feel in the morning.

=Jason-

Best Part: Tona beer by far.
Worst Part: Traffic through the capital.

February 21, 2017

Day 53, Mile 3567: Crossing two borders in one day equals a very tired Jason

Jason Logsdon

3 February 2017
Somotillo, Nicaragua

Today has been the longest day so far on the bike. I woke up this morning in Tunco and decided that since there was no wind, I wanted to move on. The border was about 150 miles away so I figured I’d get there and decide how much further I’d go. Initially I was going to spend the night at the border and drive completely through Honduras all in one go tomorrow.

Well the roads may not be great, but they are large, empty, and without topes (speedbumps) here in El Salvador so I made fantastic time. I ended up getting to the border before noon so I thought hell I might as well keep going.

The El Salvador/Honduras border took about 60 minutes and that was mostly just waiting in line. Most of the online how-to’s worked pretty well. There is NO NEED to change money to Honduras since immigration and customs both took US dollars. I find it funny that this has been the most expensive border crossing for the country I’m going to spend the least amount of time in.

The Honduras/Nicaragua border took about the same time, perhaps a little longer. Taking the advice from online sources I already had copies made for Niangua customs and immigrations. Well there is no need for copies, they scanned everything. Also again DO NOT change your money with the local changers. There is an ATM right at the Nicaraguan building with no ATM fees. They also take US dollars as well. Watch the immigration guy for the correct change. He tried to significantly short change me and after even a little arguing I still over paid a little. Other than those changes, the online guides are pretty good about where the buildings are and whatnot.

The drive to Honduras wasn’t too bad; it took about 2.5 hours to drive through the country. The roads are the worst by far on this trip though. No topes again but with the condition of the road, they weren’t needed. Luckily I was able to go over most of the bad road on my bike without having to slow down. The scenery reminded me much of El Paso, very dry and hilly. Since I was rushing through the country I didn’t get to take any pictures though.

I actually got pulled over (waved over) today for apparently passing when I shouldn’t. Now I was expecting a lot of hassle which would end with me having to give a bribe but surprisingly they just informed me that I can’t pass on turns and to have a nice day. I was shocked. But in reality, this trip has really been hassle free so far. I haven’t been hassled by anyone so far which has been great.

I ended up spending the night at Hotel Santa Cruz here in Somotillo. It was a little harder to find because the building isn’t marked but a fantastic spot to stop for the night near the border. The owner use to live in the US so she has fantastic English which is helpful. Price was 350 NIO (about 12 USD) for a clean non-ac and 500 NIO for AC. She has secure parking and the WiFi is pretty good. I highly recommended the spot.

-the hotel is unmarked. If you pass a barber shop, you’ve gone too far.

Looking at tomorrow I found a couple places to kiteboard further south which I’m looking forward to. I’m finally in the area of the world where I’ll be able to kiteboard every day. You should see the grin on my face!

=Jason-

Best Part: Made good time, no hassles = Happy Jason.
Worst Part: Exiting Honduras was very hot with no AC.

February 20, 2017

Day 52, Mile 3333: Saying Goodbye to Guatemala, Advoiding some Bandits, and Crossing into El Salvador

Jason Logsdon

2 February 2017
El Tunco, El Salvador

I sadly left San Pedro yesterday to continue my journey south. On top of being slightly depressed that I had to leave this little slice of heaven, I was also nervous about the bandits I might encounter between San Pedro and Santiago. Apparently there was a robbery just two weeks ago and it happened in the middle of the afternoon on a Sunday. So after locking down as much gear as possible and with my pepper spray ready in my pocket, I started my ride.

Leaving San Pedro, I found more fantastic views and a very good road. I passed locals collecting and stacking firewood on the sides of the road and apparently this is pretty good business here because there were many people doing this. Another thing I noticed was except for the occasional truck here and there collecting this wood; I was basically alone on the road. After about 10 miles, the road started to slope down back towards the lake and I could see where the road went from very nice pavement to a horrible, sketchy dirt/sand road. So this was it, the bad section of road that is supposedly 3km long and known for bandits. I tightened my grip on the handlebars and started down.

-driving through the clouds on my way to Santiago.

When I first heard about this section of road, I was told that it was “very violent” and I thought there was some meaning lost in the translation. I now know that it was pretty accurate. Even with my motorcycle I had to slow basically down to a walking speed which didn’t help my nervous mood. I tried to look everywhere at once while keeping my speed up as best as possible. Well I did find locals, but thankfully these were just road workers.

You could tell that this was a trouble section of the road. Apparently it’s a constant battle between maintaining it and landslides during the rainy season. After I realized that I wasn’t going to be robbed, I was able to relax and smile and wave at the local workers. Very shortly after, I was back on good road and was wondering why I was so nervous in the first place. I made my final goodbyes to Lake Atitlán and had a quick victory breakfast in Santiago to celebrate my safe crossing. I also had a plan for the rest of the day. I would stop at the border town of La Hachadura for the night and then stop in El Tunco, El Salvador the following night.

-a very convenient spot right on the border.

I stayed at Hotel Los Cuernos in La Hachadura which was literally 100 feet from the border. For $20 bucks, I had a clean room, decent WiFi, and a nice restaurant. While it was a little expensive for Guatemala, it was very convenient and I would recommend it. The border crossing was once again easy and fairly quick taking less than 2 hours to completely clear myself and my bike at both sides. Looking back, I could have easily crossed the day before without having to stop for the night. The guides I found online were pretty accurate so there’s nothing I can really add on the crossing. I have been using the app iOverlander for most of my border crossing info and it has been a great help. I highly recommend downloading the free app.

-a delicious traditional Guatemalan meal.

I was met in El Salvador with large wide roads without any topes (speed bumps). I made fantastic time even though some of the roads were pretty rough and found myself in the little surf town of El Tunco by early afternoon. The town is basically a one way street with maybe a dozen little restaurants and bars and a ton of little hostels. Apparently this town is known for its surfing but I am hoping for more wind than surf.

I ended up staying at the Casa Mc Koï hostel. They only had one room left, their best room, but for a mere $30 USD it was mine and it even had hot water and AC. I really liked the vibe of the place as well, it was very family like. Apparently most of the guests have been coming here for years at the same time so they were all old friends. They made me feel very welcomed and I quickly felt like one of the group.

Sadly it looks like I won’t get any wind here. I tmade the most out of it though and enjoyed the sunset on the beach while sipping fantastic .75 cent beers. Looking at the map tomorrow I’m debating where I’m going to stay for the night. I want to drive through Honduras straight through but that is going to be a long, hot day. I guess I’ll see how things go in the morning.

=Jason-

Best Part: Easy crossings, fantastic vibes in El Tunco.
Worst Part: No wind 🙁

February 19, 2017

Day 50, Mile 3072: San Pedro La Laguna – Words just can’t describe it.

Jason Logsdon

31 January 2017
San Pedro La Laguna, Guatemala

I had a really hard time writing this blog. For some reason I just can’t describe my experience correctly and anything I write just feels shallow and doesn’t give justice to just how amazing everything was. I’ve tried very hard to capture that feeling of serenity and rightfulness but it doesn’t feel like enough. I’ve done my best to recapture that joy. If you plan on visiting Central America, don’t miss this place.

I had no real plans for Guatemala and admittedly I knew nothing about the country so a couple days ago I decided to take a stroll on google and see what there was to offer. I found only 2 places where I could kiteboard so I made a rough plan of action. I would go to San Pedro La Laguna first, check out the scene and kiteboarding, and move on if it lacked to the next place.

My very first impression of Guatemala honestly wasn’t that great. The roads near the border were pretty terrible compared to Mexico so I wasn’t looking forward to the roads through the mountains to San Pedro. Luckily, the further I travelled away from the border, the better the roads got. I was shocked by just how beautiful and how modern Guatemala really is. As I drove through Quetzaltenango I saw all of the modern conveniences like Pizza Hut, Walmart, Burger King, and yes even Taco Bell.

After a quick stop at a Walmart for an ATM, I left Quetzaltenango for the mountains. As I started driving into the mountains, I kept expecting the roads to get worse. I was dreading dirt mountain roads because last time I had to do that I had tons of problems with my back break failing. The gorgeous views kept me distracted though and while the road did turn very steep, it stayed pavement to my delight.

-top of the pass, my first view of the lake.

I got my first view of the lake as I crossed the last mountain pass and was just blown away. Looking down I had a bird’s eye view of everything and I instantly fell in love. Lake Atitlán was formed by a volcano eruption 84,000 years ago and is the deepest lake in Central America. Deemed “the most beautiful lake in the world” by many explorers, it is surrounded by 3 volcanos to the south and has 7 small villages resting on its shores which are reachable only by water taxis.

My first impression of San Pedro la laguna was that it was a very quiet and traditional town with most of the women wearing Mayan clothing and very few foreigners to be seen. The roads are mostly made of cobblestones running very randomly through the village with little tuk-tuks racing up and down the steep hills. I instantly liked the village and knew at the very least this would be a great place to rest and relax for a couple days before moving on.

-some festival I wandered into at San Marcos.

I found a little place named Joyas Hotel Del Sol nestled in a small alley that had a nice lake view and also offered a secure place for my motorcycle. I had the option for either a single room for 20 Quetzals (about $2.75 USD) or a double with a lake view for 30 Quetzals (just under $3.50 USD). I decided to splurge the extra 75 cents and get the lake view and booked for 2 days. They also offered extremely cheap Spanish lessons and other services like guides to horse rentals and were extremely friendly and helpful with all of my questions. I highly recommend the place.

After getting settled in I wanted to do some more exploring. I read that this town was actually the “party” spot on the lake but it just felt too quiet and since including myself I could count the number of foreigners I’ve seen on one hand, I had a hard time believing it. First priority though was to check out the like so I started down the hill to the shore.

-most of the washing is done in thelake.

In 2005, Guatemala was hit by a hurricane which caused horrible damage killing over 1000 people and leaving over 5000 homeless. A couple years later the lake was hit by a tropical storm causing even more damage. All of this rain resulted in the water rising over 30 feet, drowning everyone near the shore and leaving an eerie but strangely beautiful site. I knew that kiteboarding wasn’t going to be easy around San Pedro.

After checking out the lake I decided to explore some of the alleys and completely by accident ran into the “tourist” section of town. Hidden away from the rest of the village, there are two main “strips” filled with little cafes, restaurants, and hotels. The variety of restaurants ranged from very traditional Guatemalan food to sushi to even falafels. There were little cafes surrounded by flowers that only served breakfasts to party clubs with live music every night. Basically whatever you are looking for, you could find there.

-little gardens like these are everywhere.

-you can spend all day just wandering and exploring.

After a fantastic $2 dollar traditional Guatemalan lunch and a little people watching I knew I was going to want to stay longer than 2 days even if I didn’t get to kiteboard. So I paid my $12 bucks for another 4 nights and spent the rest of the evening on the hotel roof just taking in the views while the sun set. I was in love.

The first three days I basically just relaxed and wandered through the village. I was able to get some of the little jobs that needed done on my motorcycle. Changing my rear tire cost me a whole $2 dollars. I also flushed my brake fluids hoping to prevent another brake failure. I talked with both the locals and other tourists, hearing their stories and journeys. Mostly though I just relaxed, read, and explored.

On the fourth day I woke up thinking that it was time to kiteboard. There is so much water everywhere that I just must, especially with the epic back views. I previously read that there was much kiteboarding around Santiago, the village to the south of me. I jumped on a water taxi to Santiago to do a little exploring and to see what I could find kiteboarding wise.

-founded in 1547, the history of this church in Santiago can be described as rocky at best.

-they were making these all around the church.

-a close up. Reminds me of the chalk drawings in India.

As a tourist spot, I was really disappointed in Santiago. There are more little shops selling local shit compared to San Pedro, but after about 45 minutes I was bored. I started thinking about going back to San Pedro when I decided that I couldn’t leave until I found a good kiteboarding launch since there was so much wind. While I never did find a great kiteboarding launch, I got to explore some amazing places around the village, mostly walking on the little paths that follow the water.

-traditional fishing boats. The bottom is layered with cloth or corn husks.

-there are these little paths all along the coast of Santiago.

So after 4 hours of exploring the shoreline I had gotten no further in finding a place to kiteboard than I did starting out that morning. Defeated but not unhappy, I caught a boat home. On the way back, to just tease me, I passed someone who was kiteboarding and it was driving me nuts trying to find out where he launched from. I asked some of the locals and the captain on the boat but no one knew or couldn’t understand me.

That night as I watched the sunset over the water, I was determined to find that kiteboarder and with the help of google I had a contact with the local kite school who then directed me to get ahold of Luis Pedro. Apparently he was the guy kiteboarding earlier and owns the property on the point which is a fantastic launch site. On top of that he offers a boat service (which you will need) and runs an Airbnb. It really the best spot on the lake and I will be spending some time there on the way north with Melissa. To read my kiteboard report on Lake Atitlan, check out this link.

After getting my fill with kiteboarding I decided sadly that it was time to move on. I spent a week here with the initial plan of just two days and really I could have stayed so much longer. I’ve read that many people get stuck here in San Pedro and after spending some time I can easily see how that could happen. Everything is just so surreal and peaceful and everyone I have met has been extremely pleasant and happy. I could stay a month and still not get enough but I have places to be and things to do so I guess I’ll be moving on.

The plan tomorrow is to drive around the lake to Santiago and then find somewhere to crash near the border so I can do the crossing nice and early. Apparently the road between San Pedro and Santiago is pretty dangerous though. A couple days ago I was going to drive there and was told by many people to be very careful, don’t bring anything valuable, and good luck. I guess there’s a small section of the road which is pretty bad and bandits like to hang out there and rob people. I’ve looked at the map and there is no other way so I guess I’ll risk it. It’s hard to believe that there are bandits here when you look around.

This has been by far my most favorite spot on the trip and I think it will be a long time before I find something to top it.

=Jason-

Best Part:Finding this paradise!
Worst Part: Leaving this paradise.

Jason

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