Shipping bike from Panama to Colombia

[C5!]

Originally Posted by bananaman

I've heard stories about Baltimore....
... Colon residents are motivated by generations of piracy...

Hey, that's the exact definition of a urban legend... check wikipedia: "An urban legend or urban myth is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories thought to be factual by those circulating them. The term is often used to mean something akin to an "apocryphal story." Like all folklore, urban legends are not necessarily false, but they are often distorted, exaggerated, or sensationalized over time."

i am not telling that Colon is not dangerous, I am saying that if you have to go to Colon, just go, with more caution than normal, but do it, don't believe all the urban legends about places, look at the facts. Facts are: gatagato seems to have survived Colon, as well as his Harley's friend, also Tedder survived and put the things in its real perspective, as well as numerous other travellers.

[bananaman]

I have zero doubt that I am descended from pirates, including those who sacked Panama. Without going into a total geneology, I'll just throw this tidbit: Morgan sailed on the Pasco when he sacked Panama, and I am a Pasco.

I have personally met several Colon residents who are drug dealers, smugglers, and/or money launderers (but don't ask me to introduce you to them). I'm not saying that Colon is any worse than any other slum, but there are things about Colon that are unique, for example, it's the Atlantic side of the Panama Canal, which gives it opportunities to exploit international shipping. During the building of the Canal, it was in Colon where worker uprisings became riots that led to the hanging of would-be union-leaders. Colon still riots, but the riots are so frequent that they don't always make the news.

Spend a week in Colon and you'll get to see a riot.

Colon is potentially dangerous, but it's not impossible to have fun there. If you listen carefully you'll find people who speak English, and if you listen more carefully, you'll understand them. It's like the creole/patois they speak in Jamaica. Don't say anything though, because unless you know them, if they hear you listening, they'll switch from patois to Spanish. Really get to know them, and they'll tell you stories that you can verify later- these will be the stories of the workers and slaves, of the pirates and smugglers who founded Colon.

I usually tell casual tourists to avoid Colon, because for them to go there is to almost guarantee being mugged. Travellars and adventurers can go to Colon. If you guys go, you might even find it to be a highlight of your trip.

Sometimes I think that if I was ever going to get married again, I'd want a woman from Colon... that would be FUN!

I don't think it's fair to compare Colon to Baltimore or East Los Angeles, because Colon has a lot more character. A few years ago I was in Sarajevo, and I was struck by the chaos and cavalier attitude, the same way I'm impressed by Colon. My first hour in Sarajevo, I got to see a dead guy in a cafe literally around the corner from my hotel- a guy who had been murdered because of something to do with the war. Sarajevo has survived because of the strength and character of the residents. Colon has survived the same way, despite the good intentions of 100 years of interventions.

Anyway, if you go to the new yacht club, on the west side of the canal just before the road to Fort San Lorenzo, you might be able to find a yacht owner/adventure sailor who will do you a favor and give you a lift to Colombia.

[C5!]

Don't take it personnaly max, i agree with you (well apart from your mythomaniac genealogy )... in fact what upsets me are assertions, especially on a site like this one, based on urban legends, and discouraging people from doing their own experiments.

Originally Posted by bananaman

I usually tell casual tourists to avoid Colon, because for them to go there is to almost guarantee being mugged. Travellars and adventurers can go to Colon. .

Right on.

or like this Panamenian tourist website: "... The tourist attractions in Colon Panama surely warrant a visit, so don’t take them off the list. Just make sure to take advantage of a Panamenian tour, and you will be armed with peace of mind."

but that's not for adv riders....

[C5!]

sorry for the mythomaniac, I just couldn't resist
Cheers

[bananaman]

Originally Posted by C5!

sorry for the mythomaniac, I just couldn't resist
Cheers

New word: mythomaniac. But true: 5 generations ago 1/2 of my Panama family was slave to the 1/2 that were pirates.

Maybe before or after the Cartegena party some of us can get drunk in Colon. I bet Muleboy and Throttlemeister will be up for hoisting a few cold ones down by the docks.

[Muleboy]

Originally Posted by bananaman

I bet Muleboy and Throttlemeister will be up for hoisting a few cold ones down by the docks.

Sorry, we are headed South from Cartagena. Maybe you will get stuck there and we will see you on the way back!

[C5!]

Originally Posted by bananaman

Maybe before or after the Cartegena party some of us can get drunk in Colon

sorry bananaman, I think I will pass on that one, don't want to get caught in a crossfire between gangs and the pôlice.
didn't survive 15 yrs in Caracas to finish in Colon..

Now for the benefit of those who are interested in that way of by-passing the Darien, i thought that maybe i should post a few more pics of the trip on the Kuna cargo ship.
This trip is not such a big deal as it is sometimes painted, just requires a bit of patience and open-mindedness. In terms of damage in my case it wasn't that bad, only a blinker.

Like mentioned previously I started from Carti. This was not necessary as the boat is actually leaving from Colon. Personnaly if I would have to do that again, I would go to Colon, because the road to Carti can be difficult, it is clay, and it is hilly, not a good combination when its raining... It was actually dry when I passed there myself, but even then I managed to spill on a rutted, downhill curve I took just a bit too fast (because I had a boat waiting for me in Carti) and ended in the ditch. Took me about an hour to get out of there, no picture, I wasn't in the mood really. and I continued riding as If the boat would still wait for me (silly me) and then... almost reaching the end... a river... the Indian who gave me all the info in Panama City never mentioned I had also to cross a river, looked at my watch, looked at the river, looked at it for about for an hour before deciding if, how and where to cross it... (it is not evident, alone on a loaded bike)


here breathing on the other side


then one arrives at the Carti airstrip, and arranges a boat to cross to town...


Helping hands come, and then starts an evaluation of how to perform the loading in the boat. You need to actually supervise the operation because sometimes some are holding the bike by some plastic

you can see Carti, the destination, on the horizon

and bike safely in the boat, breathing again


Now approaching Carti

closer


and the main road. Here you have to be careful not to hit anybody. It is deserted on the picture and as there is no motor vehicle on the island, when you start your engine, the street fills with hundreds of kids and adults too.

[Throttlemeister]

Awesome C5 This is good stuff.

What's next after Carti stop over? What's the cost? Keep it coming with the pictures.
Edited for the questions

[gatogato]

Wow C5, you have mega balls for crossing that river by yourself and fully loaded. I know what you mean about waiting an hour and pondering whether or not you want to keep going.

I think Carti is the best way to do it if you really want to save the $200-300 and the road is passable. In Colon, when we were loading my bike on to the boat the crew almost dropped it into the ocean. Luckily, there was a German tourist with motorcycle experience and fluent Spanish who helped me hold on to the 400 lb bike as it dangled between the pier and the boat.

[C5!]

As you can imagine I actually missed the boat, so I had to wait 2 days in Carti for the next one (which wasn't that bad either, it gave time to share life with the Kunas) and I think it turned out for the best, well I never saw the boat I missed, but I am pretty happy with the one I took. It was called the Don Luis, here on the right.


It is a Panameniian flag ship with a Colombian captain, Colombian cook and a Kuna crew. The boat supplies all the little Kuna island/villages along the coast between Colon and Puerto Obaldía, delivering fuel (all types, gasoline, diesel, kerosen), gaz tanks, coca-cola and other soft drinks, as well as specific shipments of gear and spare parts.
It takes 4, 5 or 6 days going to Puerto Obaldia, and then one or 2 days coming back. On the way back it doesn't deliver anything, just stops for collecting what he sold for credit.

in our case, we had to deliver a generator to one of the villages and a stainless steel commercial kitchen to one of the tourist lodges, my bike is squeezed right between both...


All this stuff is delivered little by little in all the villages along the coats, or when there is no dock for the ship, it is picked up directly at the ship, a few cases of coca cola here for the village

a few bags of cement there


Life on the boat:
Boring for some, interesting for others. Plenty of time to catch up on your reading, writing, practice your Spanish or learn Kuna...

At the beginning one is a bit uncomfortable, space is at a premium, and fuel barrels are worth more than passengers...

but as the trip progesses there is more space to roam.


Tthe cook prepares 3 great meals a day, and when you tell him how good it is, it actually gets better everyday...

We pass in front of numerous deserted islands

and some inhabited. and quite big



The Kunas live only on the islands and only have their farms on mainland.

Hammocks are hung at night for the crew and passengers (you have to bring your own). There is a cabin only for the captain.

If you are used tu sleep in a hammock you spend a good night, unless there is rain and a strong side wind, like what happened one night... we ended up all wet, cold, all up and talking at 3 in the morning...

[C5!]

Arriving at Puerto Obaldia (Panama), terminal for the boat. When the locals notice there are some tourits on the boat, they know these will want to go to Colombia, so they approach trying to sell their services. You have to get a boat to Capurgana in Colombia, don't go to Sapzurro, it is another nice resort village before Capurgana, but you'll get stuck there as there is not as much traffic as Capurgana. The biggest town, further than Capurgana is Acandi, but not as nice as Capurgana.

You have to do the immigration (exit stamp) and customs (exit of the bike) in Panama. You also go to the Colombian consulate so that they stamp something in your passport. It is not the entance visa, which is delivered by the DAS in Capurgana. This is one errand you will have to do once in Capurgana (a 5 minutes job).

Capurgana is not far, half an hour maybe, depending on the boat and engine size, but it is open sea, and consider the weight of the bike also. The only picture of the boat I have.


Capurgana is a resort village, most of its clients come from Medellin.


Next step is to go from Capurgana to Turbo you cannot travel on the same boat as your bike, it is prohibited by the Colombian Coast Guard, and the boat will be fined if he carries a passenger. But these boats are regular cargos between Turbo, where everything comes from to supply the villages on the gulf and they also bring the agricultural products back produced on the coast to Turbo. The boat I contracted was El Pipe. They told me to get the bike 2 days later at their warehouse on the main wharf in Turbo.


You have to take the passenger boat to cross to Turbo. Sometimes they go directly, sometimes they stop at Acandi. As with these fast boats It is only a few hours ride, you have different possibilities, or to stay longer in Capurgana or go directly wait for your bike in Turbo.

In Capurgana they have internet and telephone. The first communications you will have since leaving Colon (So please take your precautions, advise your familiars that you will be "incomunidado" for at least a week - 10 days ( ;-) gato).

As for Turbo, I highly recommend Residencias Florida, a basic hotel, but close to the port and the owner, Jhon Botero, is very helpful. Phone is 827 35 31 and cel 311 327 25 69. In fact when coming out of the passengers dock, you turn right on the street and walk to the corner, the hotel is across the street.

Turbo also has its legends; it is a port city, so it has its share of strange people (harbors, bus terminals and border towns all over the world are similar in that respect). I will not start a new polemic as the one we had earlier in this thread about Colón, but I stayed there 2 days, walked to the restaurant at night and the city was quite normal to me.

Don't forget, Last activity you have to do before leaving Turbo is to go the DIAN to get your vehicle import permit, it takes only about half and hour.

Hope this helps demystify this alternative to by-pass the Darien gap, but then DISCLAIMER: Not responsible If something happens to you...

[C5!]

Originally Posted by Throttlemeister

What's the cost?

from memory here, and remember that prices vary: the Carti (or Colon) to Puerto Obaldia leg, about $50, including the 3 meals a day. The little boat from Puerto Obaldia to Capurgana, I had to rent one for myself because the three @#$#@$& backpackers (2 gringos, one Italian) with whom we share the previous 6 days wanted to save $2 so they left in a hurry on a smaller boat, so I had to rent a bigger one for me and my bike alone, about $40, and I arrived in Capurgana maybe 20 minutes after the backpackers!! and I told them I would pay the difference... but that's the way the world is I guess.
then the boat to Turbo cost close to $100 if I remember well. The passenger boat was cheap. Also you have to add a few tips for the helping hands load and unload the boats.

[C5!]

Originally Posted by gatogato

you have mega balls for crossing that river by yourself and fully loaded.

oups ! now that you remind me. I didn't cross fully loaded. I crossed the bags walking... normal balls after all...

[bananaman]

Awesome, C5!

Some more pics of the El Llano-Carti road. Turn left just before El Llano, on the Pan American









Kuna Girl in Carti



More road and river. It can be blocked by fallen trees. Bring a machete.



Good luck getting through this with a machete.













Sometimes you need Kuna permission to enter San Blas. $3/person.



And then the boat to Carti!



Carti.



News this summer was that the road would be paved by 2012. My uncles might start construction on a road, from about 10 miles before El Llano, up and over the continental divide, to our land in Cocuye. Meanwhile, for the last 10 years, they've been working on the road from Cuango to Cocuye- that's the road I drowned my bike on. Cocuye is about 5 miles from El Porvenir, which is the main island, where the main airstrip is. Like C5! says, getting to El Porvenir or Carti is a real trick.

For Muleboy and Throttlemeister- you guys have to go to Yavisa, and somewhere around there get the Hagua tatoos from the naked Emberra. You can't do the Darien crossing without them.

[tedder]

wow, c5!, thanks for the writeup and pix. Looks like an adventurous option. I was flipping out over them loading the bike from the dock, to a lancha, to the sailboat, then reversing that on the other end. You had quite a few loadings/unloadings!