I'm not so new here but I never introduced myself - Horizons Unlimited

**zaplaje** · #1 1 May 2012

Hi HUBBers!

Im Roberto from Chile, 31 years old and 5 years or so into the motorcycle world. Things that happened in my life and a couple of persons that I met in the right place and time, Made that I realice that travelling in a bike was my goal. I did some short trips but always thinking in a big one. And Im doing it right now: me and my girlfriend are travelling from Santiago de Chile to Ushuaia and now we are going north, to Alaska I hope, because the things haven't been to easy: Canada denied my visa (and I lost 200 dollars trying) and the money may not be enought. We quit our jobs and sold almost everything to do it.

I helped some HUBB guys in Santiago with the buying search and paperwork and I hope I can continue doing it when I get back.

Also I hope some day I can have a nice place to offer to the travellers to stay in my non-existent home, as many people did it already in our 3 months trip (until now)

We are now in Porto Velho waiting for our boat to Manaus, after 15.900 kms. We will go north to Venezuela and I hope we can save some bucks with the almost free gas.

and last but not less importat, thanks Horizons Unlimited for your incredible helpull "help"

Pd: sorry for my crappy english

**Grant Johnson** · #2 1 May 2012

Roberto!

Great to hear that HU has been a help to you both in your travels, and that you've been able to help other travellers - that's what HU is all about - helping and sharing information with each other.

Sorry to hear though that Canada denied you a visa. That's very frustrating I'm sure. I'd love to know why.

Don't apologize for your English - it's excellent, and better than some native English speakers!

And please post on the Ride Tales Forum about your travels - a few words and pictures would be great - and we can put something in the newsletter about you too. That's a great introduction to a lot of people for you!

have a great trip! See you in California for the HU Meeting?

**John Downs** · #3 1 May 2012

Hola Roberto,

You can travel to Alaska on the ferry from Washington and avoid Canada if you can't get a visa. British Columbia is beautiful though. So sorry to hear of your visa problems.

Free place to stay here in Nebraska if you are in the area.

Suerte,
John Downs

**zaplaje** · #4 1 May 2012

Thanks Grant and John!

Why I was denied? I don't know, I aplyed a couple of weeks before I started this trip (january 22nd). Chileans have to aply in advance in a aplication center, I show a lot of papers and a couple of days and a couple of thousands of dollars after I received a umbelow with the answer: "you didn't convince me that you will leave the country" so I don't have nothing to do, aply again will cost me 200 dollars again and can be denied again, maybe i will do it when i get into the states (they give me a 10 years visa after paying like 180 dollars).

I heard and read about the ferry but it look like it cost like 1000 dollars for 2 with a bike and that's a lot for my skinny wallet. If somebody have more actual prices or other options, or a relative in a canadian embassy, please tell me!

California HU meeting? That sounds awesome? When is it?

I will try to keep you informed... At least i will have internet untill saturday morning

**Frank on AT** · #5 30 May 2012

24 years ago a friend and I bought a stop over ticket from Canadian Pacific Airline (if I remember rightly). Stops were Toronto, Fiji, Sidney Hawaii and Vancouver - start and end was Amsterdam.

(I think) My fault was to mention, that I wanted to visit a great-cousin in Ottawa - they kept us over 4 hours in the migration in Toronto and asked us again and again in a lot of different offices "What do you want in Canada?" - Remember our tickets - who in the world would buy such an expensive ticket, just to take the first stop for illigal migration?

Burocracy is worldwide a very strange phenomenon - there is no logical reason. But I accepted the message, I never entered Canada again.

**zaplaje** · #6 31 May 2012

Thanks Frank for your words. THAT it's a very frustrating burocracy sh#t. Anyways we will figure out what to do, maybe we will contact the chilean embassy in Canada or something like that.

Other thing: you are in Guatemala? We will be there in some weeks, we are in Maracaibo, Venezuela now

Cheers