13-Dec-2009

Well, for all my posturing back in SLC it made no difference in Bogota. Tires, the bane to my existence on this journey. The tires did not show up with my checked baggage in Bogota. They, Delta, has assured me that they will show up this time tomorrow at this same time but the language problem makes me not very sure of this. Nick will be here in the morning and we will have to figure out what to do. I guess we will have to stay in Bogota another night and hope they show up tomorrow evening. I can't really give them a base that we are staying at or a place they could send them down the road cause we are just living our lives out in the weeds on this journey. So I am back at the love hotel where our bikes are. They are here, yea, I got to touch it again. Ya never know about these things. They look at me wierd here and smile, I think cause its just strange for guys to be here alone. They don't know what to think of me but that's ok. One things for sure, I am not staying in this place for another night. I saw a hotel close to the airport as I was leaving in the taxi this time and I could actually tell from a distance that it was a hotel, so maybe I'll try that.

I think I need some encouragement. Such a culture shock to be around the people that I know and love and then in a few hours to be thrown back into this environment alone. Oh well, it will get better once Nick gets here and we can get out of Bogota.

Looking ahead. We are 5 degrees north of the equator, high in the mountains(Bogota is at 8500 feet msl) so the temperature is cool. 5 degrees of lattitude equals 300 miles to the equator but I am sure it will take a little longer than that. The equator goes right through Quito, Ecuador which is on our route. After that we will be headed for Lima Peru. I am excited to get on the road again and I guess the tires won't stop that yet.

The first 2 images are from the love hotel. My nickname, actually Amoblados el Romance. The first is the tiles in the bathroom. The second makes me glad I have a skinny butt. Nick has been telling people that we left our bikes at a brothel in Columbia. As much fun as we have made of this they have really been nice to us and treated us well. The bikes were as we left them and the place you see us working on them is in thier secured parking. I don't really think the prostitution is the biggest part of thier business either. It is mostly a place for couples to go that have no where else to go for privacy. Most people live in small flats with a lot of family so I guess these places are a necessity here. Anyway, that's my story and I'm sticking too it.

14-Dec-2009

Nick got here early and we started work on the bikes. We have all day cause I won't know about my tires until about 10 tonight. The place we are at is the secure parking at the love hotel. Very nice of them to let us work there. The owner of the place even brought us a beer as we were finishing up. I guess we give them something to talk about as they have done for us. We head for a Sheraton close to the airport where we can kick back, check out the pool(out of service) and the jacuzzi(out of service). But the rooms are nice and proximity to my problem is good. We will head out in the morning regardless. I hope they show up. If not I will try to get them forwarded to Quito or something. I'm not dead in the water yet.

My attitude is much better today after working on the bikes. I had to wander around town, walking, to try to find and negotiate for tools. It was cool. My spanish skills, although still weak, came back even a little better than from when I left. Funny what you let get to you. I was really struggling last night and I think part of it is the time thing. Back in Utah, it was so much about what I had to do before I left again, busy, busy. And I had to shake that off and get into the fact that we are here and we will get to, where we get to, when we get there and nothing more. I am having to re-evaluate the timeframe for the Christmas trip back. I don't know how that is going to work yet. Lima is too aggressive of a target for pre-christmas. I will keep you posted.