Archive for September 2014

Getting to know Colombia

After a few long and frustrating days dealing with shipping bureaucracies we were very excited to finally have our van back.

We spent another couple of days doing some sightseeing in Cartagena before departing.

We spent another couple of days doing some sightseeing in Cartagena before departing.

We visited an old Spanish fort that was built to protect the city.

We visited an old Spanish fort that was built to protect the city.

Our first stop was Tayrona National park, which much to our surprise is actually north of Panama City!

We got to see a great electrical storm over the Caribbean Sea

We got to see a great electrical storm over the Caribbean Sea

We spent a nice afternoon playing on the beach, but we decided it was time to get out of the heat and head to the mountains. Colombia is much bigger than Central American countries, and we had a 540km, 10 hour drive ahead of us. We broke it up by staying in a medium sized town called Aguachica part way along the route.

The next day after navigating through Colombia’s second largest city, Bucaramanga, we arrived at Chicamocha National Park.

A lunch stop near Bucaramanga

A lunch stop near Bucaramanga

The national park wasn’t what we expected. It was more like a theme park, with bungee trampolines, ziplines, and a small zoo. They let us camp in the parking lot for $2.50 and we spent most of the next day checking out the attractions. There’s even a water park scheduled to open soon.

Quinn helps us get oriented.

Quinn helps us get oriented.

The park featured a huge monument to Colombian independence from Spain.

The park featured a huge monument to Colombian independence from Spain.

We took a gondola across the canyon for lunch. The view was great. In this photo you can see the crazy switchback road we drove up to reach the park, which is at the top of the first ridge.

We took a gondola across the canyon for lunch. The view was great. In this photo you can see the crazy switchback road we drove up to reach the park, which is at the top of the first ridge.

Avocado Relleno. Mmmm.

Avocado Relleno. Mmmm.

Quinn had a great time with the bungee trampoline and other "rides."

Quinn had a great time with the bungee trampoline and other “rides.”

Our campsite (in the parking lot) was a little loud since it was close to the road, but we had a great view over the canyon.

Our campsite (in the parking lot) was a little loud since it was close to the road, but we had a great view over the canyon.

South America!

This is the Agata M, the vessel that we used to ship our vehicles. This is a picture from the web; we never actually saw it.

This is the Agata M, the vessel that we used to ship our vehicles. This is a picture from the web; we never actually saw it.

$166 per mile. That’s what it cost us to ship around the 30 miles of road that hasn’t been built between Panama and Columbia. Oh, and not to mention two weeks of time. That includes our airfare, hotels we stayed in along the way, and the loads of restaurant food we’ve been eating. So it could be done for less, but any way you cut it, it’s a significant portion of our trip expenses.

But it’s over. We got our van back yesterday and all is well. The only thing we lost is the two $5 convex mirrors that I had glued onto our regular mirrors to help with the van’s giant blind spots. I’m perfectly happy replacing those. Heck, maybe I’ll see a guy on the street selling them, and I can buy back my own mirrors!

But that’s skipping a whole two weeks, so on to the pictures! We flew from Panama City to Medellin and spent a day sightseeing there before flying to Cartagena, where our car was due to arrive.

A cathedral visible from the roof of our hotel in Medellin

A cathedral visible from the roof of our hotel in Medellin

Downtown Medellin had a sculpture garden featuring some very interesting pieces.

Downtown Medellin had a sculpture garden featuring some very interesting pieces.

Every town in Panama and Columbia seems have a Plaza Bolivar.

Every town in Panama and Columbia seems have a Plaza Bolivar.

Well, when in Columbia...

Well, when in Columbia…

This giant gut bomb is called a Bandeja Paisa. Guaranteed to fill you up, and it was actually pretty tasty.

This giant gut bomb is called a Bandeja Paisa. Guaranteed to fill you up, and it was actually pretty tasty.

Our flight from Medellin to Cartagena left at 6am. It being a budget airline, we got to walk about a kilometer across the tarmac in cold fog to reach our plane.

Our flight from Medellin to Cartagena left at 6am. It being a budget airline, we got to walk about a kilometer across the tarmac in cold fog to reach our plane.

Once above the clouds we were treated to fantastic views of the countryside.

Once above the clouds we were treated to fantastic views of the countryside.

Our first night in Cartagena was spent in the colorful Getsemani neighborhood.

Our first night in Cartagena was spent in the colorful Getsemani neighborhood.

Limes and eggplant anyone?

Limes and eggplant anyone?

The old town part of Cartagena is beautiful with narrow cobblestone streets and colonial architecture, all overlaid by oppressive heat and humidity.

The old town part of Cartagena is beautiful with narrow cobblestone streets and colonial architecture, all overlaid by oppressive heat and humidity.

The town's cathedrals and other buildings are lit beautifully by night.

The town’s cathedrals and other buildings are lit beautifully by night.

We've had a few good thunderstorms since we've been here.

We’ve had a few good thunderstorms since we’ve been here.

Our first hotel featured rock-hard beds and not-so-great internet, so we found an apartment on VRBO, and moved on up to this dee-luxe apartment in the sky. It's a lot more comfortable than the hotel and only a block from the beach.

Our first hotel featured rock-hard beds and not-so-great internet, so we found an apartment on VRBO, and moved on up to this dee-luxe apartment in the sky. It’s a lot more comfortable than the hotel and only a block from the beach.

We shared a couple of nice meals with folks who were also shipping their campers on the same boat as us.

We shared a couple of nice meals with folks who were also shipping their campers on the same boat as us.

I spent a lot of time with Andre, Jean-Yves, and Luis over the course of the three full days it took us to jump through all of the hoops required to get our vehicles back. They all shared French as their mother tongue, but graciously spoke English most of the time to include me. Luis, from Andorra, spoke fluent Spanish which was a great help in navigating the shipping and customs bureaucracies.

I spent a lot of time with Andre, Jean-Yves, and Luis over the course of the three full days it took us to jump through all of the hoops required to get our vehicles back. They all shared French as their mother tongue, but graciously spoke English most of the time to include me. Luis, from Andorra, spoke fluent Spanish which was a great help in navigating the shipping and customs bureaucracies.

We got to look at our cars at 8am on Friday, but it would be another 12 hours before were finally about leave the port with them.

We got to look at our cars at 8am on Friday, but it would be another 12 hours before were finally about leave the port with them.

The extended delay gave us a chance to see the port by night. Just what we wanted to do!

The extended delay gave us a chance to see the port by night. Just what we wanted to do!

The day after it was all over, we went to the beach to celebrate.

The day after it was all over, we went to the beach to celebrate.

Panama City and shipping the van

Our van is hopefully on it’s way to Colombia now. The process of shipping out of Panama was unpleasant and expensive, and we wish they’d just build the 30 miles of road that are missing between Panama and Colombia! But it’s over, and supposedly the process on the Colombian side is easier.

The short version is that because our van is 3″ taller than the door height of a high-cube container, we had to ship roll-on roll-off, which is where you hand over your keys and they drive it onto the boat. Because of that, we had to build a wall in the van to block off the living area from the cab so that our stuff wouldn’t all get stolen.

The Great Wall of the Sparksmobile

The Great Wall of the Sparksmobile

A group of travelers waiting in a smelly police parking lot for our VIN inspections.

A group of travelers waiting in a smelly police parking lot for our VIN inspections.

These folks are from Florida. They aren't shipping, but their truck is so cool I had to take a picture of it. Yes, that is a real airplane fuselage on top!

These folks are from Florida. They aren’t shipping, but their truck is so cool I had to take a picture of it. Yes, that is a real airplane fuselage on top!

While waiting at the port I had the opportunity to watch customs officials helping themselves to the contents of trucks. This guy is snagging a nice new shirt for his buddy.

While waiting at the port I had the opportunity to watch customs officials helping themselves to the contents of trucks. This guy is snagging a nice new shirt for his buddy.

We hired a shipping agent to help us through the process. It involved two full days, at least 2 dozen copies of a dozen different documents, and innumerable stamps, signatures, and inspections, followed by a day spent in the port of Manzanillo, a loud, dirty and thoroughly unpleasant place. I’m exaggerating, but only a little.

If you’re interested in what the process was like, I posted a detailed write-up on expeditionportal. If not, read on for photos from the rest of our time in Panama City!

While not dealing with shipping, we enjoyed some of the sights of Panama City, in particular the famous canal.

The Puente de los Americas (Bridge of the Americas) spans the canal a short distance from our hotel.

The Puente de los Americas (Bridge of the Americas) spans the canal a short distance from our hotel.

We see giant cargo ships passing behind our hotel every day.

We see giant cargo ships passing behind our hotel every day.

The highlight of our time here was a  visit to the Miraflores locks where we had a nice dinner and watched the locks in operation.

The highlight of our time here was a visit to the Miraflores locks where we had a nice dinner and watched the locks in operation.

The locks had a great visitor center, which featured models of the trains used in the construction of the canal.

The locks had a great visitor center, which featured models of the trains used in the construction of the canal.

To get back to Panama City from Colon, we rode the Panama Canal Railway, which we had been promising to Quinn for months. It was a big hit!

To get back to Panama City from Colon, we rode the Panama Canal Railway, which we had been promising to Quinn for months. It was a big hit!

The inside of the train was very nicely done in wood.

The inside of the train was very nicely done in wood.

We visited the Casco Viejo neighborhood of the city.

We visited the Casco Viejo neighborhood of the city.

It's slowly being gentrified and features a variety of newly restored buildings, empty hulks of buildings, and ruins of churches.

It’s slowly being gentrified and features a variety of newly restored buildings, empty hulks of buildings, and ruins of churches.

We stopped at a bar for ceviche and a couple of beers.

We stopped at a bar for ceviche and a couple of beers.

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The Road to Panama City

I can think of a few significant milestones we’ve reached on our trip thus far. Setting out, after so much work, saving, and planning was a huge one. Reaching Inuvik, NWT, Canada, the northernmost point of our trip, before turning around and heading south was another. Crossing into Mexico, our first non-English speaking country on this trip was also big. After five months in Mexico and only one stamp in our passport to show for it, entering Guatemala was another.

Today we crossed the Puente de los Americas, the Bridge of the Americas, across the Panama Canal. It’s not like we entered a new continent (that will happen when we fly to Columbia in a week’s time, but it marks the farthest we’ll drive before shipping the Sparksmobile across the Darien Gap.

Backing up, I’d be remiss if I didn’t share the last few days of the Myrick visit. After we left the tree house hotel we drove to Jacó, a surf town on the Pacific coast. We were only there for one night, but we enjoyed some beach time and just hanging out by the pool.

Playing in the pool at Jacó Beach

Playing in the pool at Jacó Beach

Marianne kickin' it poolside

Marianne kickin’ it poolside

Looking down Jacó Beach

Looking down Jacó Beach

After one more night in Alajuela we drove Mike and Marianne to the airport for a reluctant goodbye. We’re so happy they made the trip down to join us, and we had a great time with them.

By a fortunate coincidence, our friends Will and Cate, whose house we occupied for three weeks in Panama, happened to be flying out of Costa Rica the night before our departure, and we got to enjoy an evening with them on their way through.

What’s been at the forefront of our minds lately though is shipping the van. We’d been awaiting dates from our shipping agent, and we found out last Thursday that the shipping date was to be September 12, and that the next date wouldn’t be until mid-October. So after hastily packing up the van we said goodbye to Frank and Mike, our hosts in Costa Rica, and headed out of town. We left on Saturday and had to be in Panama City to start the shipping paperwork by Tuesday morning.

Yellow Puppy getting to know his new friend, Froggy the Monkey, that we picked up in Costa Rica.

Yellow Puppy getting to know his new friend, Froggy the Monkey, that we picked up in Costa Rica.

We decided to cross the border back into Panama using the only one we haven’t yet crossed, inland near the town of Rio Sereno. Although we became a little concerned when the last few km of road on the Costa Rican side were dirt (we were concerned that the road on the Panama side would also be unpaved, which may have made us late arriving in Panama City), it turned out to be the right decision, as the roller coaster road took us through some beautiful hill country. And as a bonus we stayed out of the heat for one more night!

The central highlands of Eastern Costa Rica and Western Panama are full of lush greenery and home to lots of coffee farms. A few hours after this photo was taken we were driving through a downpour!

The central highlands of Eastern Costa Rica and Western Panama are full of lush greenery and home to lots of coffee farms. A few hours after this photo was taken we were driving through a downpour!

Sunday was a long day – we finished crossing the border and eating lunch at 1pm, and drove to within 100km of Panama City arriving at a campsite on the beach after dark.

 We were close enough to our destination to allow us to spend a few hours playing in the waves before our departure the next morning.


We were close enough to our destination to allow us to spend a few hours playing in the waves before our departure the next morning.

We arrived in the city and got to cross over the amazing Bridge of the Americas, watching a huge container ship cross beneath us. We splurged on a week at a nice hotel right on the water, since we intend to visit the Canal museum and do some other touristy stuff while we’re here.

Driving across the Bridge of the Americas into Panama City

Driving across the Bridge of the Americas into Panama City

Downtown Pamama City

Downtown Pamama City

We can watch container ships sail into and out of the canal from our room. (And the pool's not bad either)

We can watch container ships sail into and out of the canal from our room. (And the pool’s not bad either)