Trip planning N=>S America
 

Hello All,

I have a luxury problem... :cool4:

We (my girlfriend and myself, both driving Africa Twins) planned to leave from Europe to Siberia, and planned to leave the 11th of March 2011 from The Netherlands.
My employer stated 'it is stupid to do that, as I can ship my bike for free to Canada in one of their containers'... wow! Nice idea.

I know the 11th of March (still our start date, as we are homeless already and both unemployed from the 1st of March) is a bit chilly in Canada, but I have a proper backup plan for this. The whole shipment seems to be arranged, as is the insurance for both bikes. (500 US per foreign registered bike, 6 months. is that okay?)
What about rainy seasons, I read a lot of difference in opinions as always. (not as much as about tyres ;-))
Our idea was to spend about two months in US/CAN, and then cross the border to Mexico. Two months Mexico, and then further down. This would mean we leave Mexico end of July or something, which means we travel through Central America in the peak rainy season?
The other plan is to stay 4-5 months in N-A, but I just think further south is more interesting and affordable. (have travelled the USA some years ago already)

What is your experience with the rainy season? Is it hardcore terrible, hard to drive on Michelin Anakees? Or is it just raining some days and not too busy with tourists these months ;-) ?

Looking forward to your replies!

I do have a website (party in English, mostly in Dutch) Far Away From Flakkee. You might recognize us from the HU-DVD's:cool4:

Yes, Canada is still pretty cold in March. But if you stay on the west coast it's much milder. I live on the west coast and bike year round, except for a week or two where there's ice and snow on the road. That usually happens between November and February. The rest of Canada can see pretty much any kind of conditions in March.

I was in Central America and Mexico from March to May this year. The rainy season was starting to creep in towards the end of my trip. Most of the time the rains came in the afternoon but there were also occasional days of full time rain throughout the day. The afternoon rains were pretty much all of the torrential type, often with thunder and lightening for extra fun.

The rainy season will cause problems if you're planning on riding off pavement. And there will of course be more landslides and road closures. But if you're in no rush, I see no real reason not to go if that's the time you have. I found the rains quite refreshing and cooling.

An upside to the rainy season is that there will be fewer tourists and thus better deals to be had in many places.


...Michelle
www.scrabblebiker.com