Hey Mark - yes! I left the bike on the farm last year and did some more traveling: around the rest of Central America/Mexico, a PCH ride to Vancouver and recently completed a trip from England to Mongolia and back. In January I'm headed back to the farm in Costa Rica to pick up the bike and then I'll head south.

Thanks for the tip on it!

You're welcome. It sounds to me like if you hadn't been riding the KLR, we might have lost Jake forever.

Safe journeys!

Mark

I sailed with the Luka on their trip from Portobelo/Panama via San Blas to Cartagena. We left September 5t and arrived the 10th.
All really professional and also really fun. The food they cooked for us was good as well. The 3 days in San Blas islands were really cool, swimming in the crystal clear blue water, amazing lobster and fish.
I don’t have anything bad about that trip to say.
( the only disadvantage: I had to make the custom/immigration for my bike, they did not take care of it)
I paid $950 ($400 for motorbike and $550 for me)

Every beginning is difficult.....
 

it is almost impossible to start a ferry,I'm glad that Fritz has the guts to do it.
It will take a few times to figure out what the best is to do and than it will be a great solution to cross the darien gap.

hold and continue!

Saludos Rene

Shipping
 

From these notes it appears the Stalheatte boat is the way to go???

It is the way to go!! (Stahlratte)

About the "ferry":
To call it "having guts" is having guts. This guy seems to walk over dead bodies, without caring at all and uses boats that do not get a permit in other countries!
Compared to what he "delivered" and what he charges for that joke...actually HE should pay the guests to dare doing such a kind of trip. Hello, 6 DAYS instead of 24 hours! no fun at all, no San Blas, no bed, no shower and a toilet that you did not want to enter. Just imagine the food variety...:ban:

PS: I talked personally to the 3 guys on the ferry (they called it more horror than trip)

Documentary: Crossing the Darien Gap
 

Just keep watching the English translation will come

We will do this next year

Xfiltrate and rosa del desierto

this is how we load the bikes on RORO SAN BLAS FERRY
http://www.dllpyb.com/wp-content/upl...1/IMG_0748.jpg
and trip review
Don't Let Life Pass You By

:oops2:

It will take time to work out the bumps..
 

Hi. New to HU, but I have been living in Panama part time for the last 8 years. i think eventually the ferry service will become common, but as the previous experiences indicate panama seems to plow ahead with no regard to the service side. What a crazy story, but almost normal for that country. Give it another 6 months. A year ago it was said a 1500 person, 500 car ferry was to start. However for that price all totaled, I would rather ride the Stallratt(?) and know I was getting 5 days, with food.
Cheers for the info.

So from the KlaraHitlrPolzl link, this is what I gather:
1) The Captain failed to verify that he had clearance to land in Cartagena. If he had, everything would have gone as expected.
2) The Canadian onboard was an idiot.
3) The woman who split from the naked man was not.
4) They should have just pulled anchor and left the port instead of paying $1500 in fees.

Napoleon Complex
 

The owner of SAN BLAS FERRY is a cook with Napoleon Complex, certainly not qualified EL CAPITAN
:oops2:

In Panama
 

In Panama City at the moment, looking for a boat or a way to get into Columbia.

Being in Panama city and beginning the search for transport to ColOmbia is
probably a bit late to expect quick service on one of the boats.From what I keep reading on these sites is that folks make their reservation for a particular trip weeks and months before thei actual depart date.
Go up to Portobelo and talk to Marco the Quebecer who runs the El Drake bar and cheap hostel there . In 2009 he told me he ran a small boat to Colombia to haul motorcyclists back and forth.And you can investigate if the other boat Stahlratte farther east has an openinbg.
A surefire method is to go to the Tocumen International Airport at Panama City and arrange AIR FREIGHT. Total cost will be no greater than suffering :confused1: the sea voyage.At least you will get there without a rusted out salt covered bike

options...
 

Check in with the Wunderbar hostel. They are a hub of info for those headed to Colombia. Fitz might have room on his catamaran. There is also the Independence, but I have no idea of their current schedule. I am friends on Facebook with the Stalhratte and believe the next trip (Dec. 2013) is booked out, but suggest you send a note to Ludwig as there is always the chance of a cancellation. He usually has room for bike, but runs out of bunks. You could ship your bike no the Stalratte and take other transport... I imagine this split transport option has a few downsides.

If you are in Panama City already and have a flare for adventure, ask around on the Pacific side for cargo boat transport to Colombia. Try to go "all the way" as taking multiple legs on short haul launches may leave you stuck in a coastal town waiting and negotiating with the next boat headed south.