3.5 months to Machu Picchu - Or where ever the ride takes me

[2polar]

hope you are doing well after your crash. love reading the story, cant wait for you to get back to work so i can here the stories first hand. Danny Martin

[AK Smitty]

Thanks man all is well. My hardships are minor compared to many others on big trips and very very minor compared to everyday life of some of the places I travel through.

Thanks again i appreciate the positive thoughts

Originally Posted by woody's wheel works

oh my oh my,,hope n pray ya be OK and get to ride another day...holler if ya need help with anything n keep us posted

FYI,,,on another note..just south of you at this very moment another one of our inmates is on his last leg of the Dakar-2013...heading toward the finish line in Santiago,Chile after 14 grueling days of some pretty tough terrain

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=777301

http://www.lyndonposkittracing.com/

in case ya need some reference points,,,wonder if all our adventures need some 'pain' tossed in??/ like 'no pain ,no gain' sorta thing,,me i'm done with the pain business,,,and wouldn't wish it on anyone
bottom line ,,hope n pray you get to finish your journey

woody

[AK Smitty]

Thanks for the reply and your first post at that! You will really like this next post I think.

Originally Posted by 2polar

hope you are doing well after your crash. love reading the story, cant wait for you to get back to work so i can here the stories first hand. Danny Martin

[AK Smitty]

Was not all the exciting or intense once all the dust settled (literally)! I was about ten minutes outside of Santa Marta and ahead of where I planned on being for the day. I was just thinking about deep life changing and difficult moto travel decisions like I hope I can find a place over-looking the water to have lunch. If I really dig my lunch spot I will stop for the day and if not I will go another 100k or so north up the coast. Right when I finalized that decision wham! A loud OH F*#@ from me and tried to ride of it but no chance. A small moto on the side of the road had decided it was a good time to pull into traffic right into the side of me. I was doing about 35 mph on a perfectly straight road nothing I could do. No pictures of the actual crash b/c it was on a busy road and as soon I stopped skidding people were helping to pick up my stuff. Down on the left side again! That side case is taking a beating!

As for me, so road rash on my palm b/c I had taken my gloves off shortly before to do something and never put them back on. Also some very minor road rash on my hip with a nice bruise and a fair amount of swelling. Thank you riding pants! They did their job.

After I stood up and got my bike to the side of the road I could tell my side case was in pretty bad shape. The other case also ejected and spit out a lot of its contents. I was trying to pull myself together and lots of people were in my bubble. I was nice to them but really just wanted everyone to go away for a minute. The guy that hit me was grabbing his leg when the polica showed up. They asked me if I wanted to go to the hospital and I said "NO WAY" While this was going on the guy that hit me had taken off. What a guy eh?

Things are calming down a little and all I can think about is where can a get a giant loop bag or another box to continue my trip!?!?! Wheels turning mentally. I need to get a cab throw all my stuff in it and follow the cab to a hotel. Finally I take my blinders off and listen to this one guy who speaks pretty good English. His name is John and he is wearing a hat from the exact Facility that I work at in remote Alaska! He is trying to help and all I want to know where he got that hat. He told me his friend Billy Williams works there. He keeps asking me if I am OK and and I say let me get your picture.



This is John he gave me his phone number and said if I need anything to call. Also recommended a great little family hotel that was cheap and let me borrow some tools. Should have gotten a little better pic but his hat says Milne Point AK!! What are the odds? One of those things that makes you feel like everything is going to be just fine.

The bike damage/repairs:

Work area:


Where my foglight was:


Totally smashed latch and tools of the trade



Siliconed case





Bash guard/bike saver



In the end it was all minor stuff and I was back on the road for a test ride the next day and traveling fully loaded the day after that. Glad I was on a big bike and the other guy wasn't.

[AK Smitty]

So after some pounding on the boxes and seeing what other damages took place I was ready to take a test run up the coast.

The beach at Santa Marta





Lunch spot at a surf camp



Me at lunch



The guy showed me 3 raw fish and told me to pic the one I want to eat. I like the style here


Tough life around here



Some views of the coast









Sierra Nevada National Parque



A short 20-30 mile test ride turned into over 120 miles. The only issue is that there is a pulsing in the front brakes. Not bad and it will be fine to get me to Medellin where I have an appointment. I am thinking a slightly bent disc but who knows.

All is well off to Cartagena tomorrow to meet 4 guys I rode with in Central America. The are all coming via the Steel Rat.

[pdedse]

Wow...sure glad you were relatively OK. Good luck with getting your luggage sorted out so that you can continue the trip. Really enjoyed all the wildlife photos. Seems like you got to see quite a few during your time in CR. I'll be there in a few days on a six week trip. Will look forward to reading more of yours in S.America!!

[pdedse]

Originally Posted by AK Smitty

...

We met this married couple on a Triumph. They were riding to Colombia on their honeymoon. They were awesome. Both so positive and full of life!! I feel like a jerk b/c I am blanking on their names right now. He made the boxes himself and they were all character with the bike and gear. This trip can be done anyway and I loved the style with which they are doing it. What a great start to life together. I think our paths will cross again in Panama or Colombia.

The Scrambler may very well be my next bike. The one thing is that exhaust pipe and how it runs high down the right side, so it makes sense he had to make his own box for it.

[AK Smitty]

This was stuck on the back of the door of my room that I ended up in after my little crash. Thought it was cool and checked out his blog.




So after the test ride it was time to get moving again the next day. A very reasonable ride of around 240k to get my groove back. I was also planning on meeting the two Canadians(aka Team Smoke Screen aaka Mihai and Pawel), Whim and Pete for the weekend after they got off the Steel Rat.

The ride had a fair amount of truck traffic and was fairly uneventful. The Salamanca Park area had some good photo ops.





Barranquilla. A big port town. I have also heard a cool city but I kept moving to Cartagena.







Barranquilla to Cartagena has a newer road doesn't have hardly any trucks and is mostly new pavement. Was a real fun way to end the ride to Cartagena.

A few shots of Cartagena







Cartagena is a very cool city. So many pictures in the old city could be a postcard and then the beach is not too far away.

Full Cartagena skinny in the next post. Need to recover from all the beers with the guys I met up with. I also met the rest of the people on the Steel Rat. That boat sounded like an adventure. I am glad a I flew if for no other reason it gave me an extra week in Colombia.

[AK Smitty]

I have my luggage pieced together as well as it can be. I will make some decisions if it will make the rest of the ride or not in Medellin.

Have a blast in CR!! IMHO some of the most scenic riding in all of CA.

Do a little research on the Triumph. Heard from Sam(on that bike) that weak spokes are a not so uncommon problem. They were of course loaded but he said that several others were speaking up with a similar issue through his internet research.

But that bike has character and you want one just go buy it, the hell with what people say. There is something bad to say about every bike out there.

Thanks for following along.

Originally Posted by pdedse

Wow...sure glad you were relatively OK. Good luck with getting your luggage sorted out so that you can continue the trip. Really enjoyed all the wildlife photos. Seems like you got to see quite a few during your time in CR. I'll be there in a few days on a six week trip. Will look forward to reading more of yours in S.America!!

[mehigh]

see you in medellin

[OtterChaos]

Glad to hear the damage was repairable and you continue along your way! I enjoy reading your report.

[Radioman]

Glad your OK. Be sure to stop into the Shamrock in El Poblado and say Hola to Albert!~! Your going to love Medelin

Remember the tourism slogan for Colombia. "The only risk is not wanting to leave"

[explr]

Man I miss Central America! Great ride report! Keep it coming!!!

[AK Smitty]

Thx. Trying to get more fixes done to the side cases here in Medellin.

Originally Posted by OtterChaos

Glad to hear the damage was repairable and you continue along your way! I enjoy reading your report.

[AK Smitty]

I already dont want to leave. May not make Machu Picchu but oh well I am having a great trip.

PM sent with a couple of Medellin questions

Originally Posted by Radioman

Glad your OK. Be sure to stop into the Shamrock in El Poblado and say Hola to Albert!~! Your going to love Medelin

Remember the tourism slogan for Colombia. "The only risk is not wanting to leave"