Columbia: worth going there with a motobike?
 

hi guys

i'd like to go to columbia. what can i expect there?
Which road is safe, where is it nice?

Thanks in advance

marvin

Please visit http://www.hanneshaller.com/index.html
They visited Colombia and had a very nice experience.

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Ya verás como quieren en Chile al amigo cuando es forastero (traditional song)

Jose Pedro Espinosa
Curico, Chile

Do a search on the site on "Colombia" and you'll find a ton of information. This has been much discussed.

Basically Colombia is a wonderful coutnry, well worth visiting. BUT the risk of kidnapping is very real. One traveller was kidnapped two years ago and held for six or so weeks. Lost his bike too.

Read the information on the site about safety in Colombia, and JUST before you go contact the Communities in Colombia and get the latest information on safety, where and when to ride etc.

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Grant Johnson

Seek, and ye shall find.
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One world, Two wheels.
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

It depends on your desire for risk and stress.

I left Bogota three days ago having decided I wasn't going to ride to Quito. Things can change quickly which is why i waited until i got there to decide and see how i felt.

Two friends did it in the last three months without any problems. The advice i received was to ride from first light 6am to midday and then stop, find hotel and get bike out of sight.

I dont mind the risk of being robbed or guns pointed at me but i dont think i'd handle being kidnapped too well so decided against it. It would also ruin my trip.

As Grant says contact the communtity for the best advice.

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Jerome

http://www.fowb.co.uk

Hi Jerome,

Are you in Quito now? We were travelling with Dan, saw your bike at Girag. Missed you in Cartagena. Fancy a beer in Quito?

Relpy here or e mail us.

www.eastofthesun.co.uk

Hey!

Just rode from Cali southward. Flew from Panama City and the bike was held in customs for 10 days!!! Advice: BRIBE!! The ride was beautiful and no problems. DEFINATELY ride during the day. Lots of checkpoints, but they all waved us through and seemed to love the bike. I felt pretty safe, but could see the potential for danger. Keep your eyes open and HAVE FUN!!!

Hello, Hola
A good web site about travelling and living in Colombia is http://poorbuthappy.com/ with lots of information about the country, the people and travelling there. Generally it is less dangerous than you think. The press in Europe or the U.S. bring only the bad news. Travelling is unsafe in some areas, specially at night. But it is a wonderful country with very nice people. It is important to speak Spanish. The landscape is fantastic, lots of mountain roads.

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Alois

And the Colombians are the best people in all Latin America, very polite and friendly.
For me the best Spanish is the Colombian, better than Spain or any other country.

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Ya verás como quieren en Chile al amigo cuando es forastero (traditional song)

Jose Pedro Espinosa
Curico, Chile

I´m not sure the advice "Check with the locals" is very helpful. StrikingViking who got kidnapped 2 years ago was well-informed too and he followed the advices that people gave him. But when he arrived at the road block, the rebels waved everybody else through and he was the only one to be kidnapped. A Westerner is a much better prize. It´s something to keep in mind when you go there: as a tourist, you are a target.

Pierre Saslawsky
http://www.photobiker.com

Is it legal to be a rebel??? One would think that the first person waved through would go to the army and dispatch enough soldiers to whipe out a community. How is Colombia getting rid of the geurilas?

Steve

We rode Colombia in Sept 2003, as part of Guinness World Record Trans Am ride Entered through northern border with Venezuela. Rode coast to Barranquilla and then south, through Caucasia, Medellin, Cali, Popoyan. Contacted HU Community and had help from Camilo and other Colombian riders. Lots of police / military checkpoints. Always bit iffy as to whether they are OK are not, until you've got through.

Think of the precautions you'd normally take in a dodgy country and x 10. Never ride at night (this time for real). Get contacts if possible. Hide your bike when you are off the road. Never go off main road.

We had no problems. Not sure if place felt tense or it was just the imagination . . .

Just rode from Bogota to Ipiales at the Ecuadorean border via Cali and Popayan. Three weeks in 'the most dangerous country in the world' and didn't see so much as a scared cat.

I rode the moody bit during Easter Week when the government make a real muscular effort to secure all the main roads for local traffic. Truck loads of soldiers, guns, guns, guns, but no bother. And I wasn't especially careful, to be honest - rode into the early evening, never hid the bike, wandered around drunk etc.

This doesn't mean it's safe - it means I was safe. That's all. Draw no conclusions from my behaviour. I'm damn glad I did it - proper gorgeous, especially in the north west plus friendly people, shockingly attractive women etc - but there was a feeling that just out of sight, bad men were doing very bad things. Put it down to nothing smarter than dumb luck that I got through unmolested.

Cheers, Dan Walsh

Another positive experience with Colombia. Today will be my final full day in Colombia, as tomorrow I will cross into Ecuador. I Flew the motorcycle from Panama City to Bogota. $350 for the bike shipping costs. Shipping was a breeze, and getting it out of customs was not a problem. I arrived very early at the airport though (before customs opened) and perhaps that helped. Only had to pay for one additional photo copy.

Drove from Bogota to Cali, and to Popayan to Pasto. Both the Bogota-Cali and Popayan-Pasto segments are really wonderful, on the top 20 on motorcycle roads. Great twisty roads high through the mountains and valleys, with wonderful views.

The Bogota-Cali section had tons of military and police, and a lot of checkpoints, but I was just waved through most of them, except for the last two. At the last checkpoint they had a military guy who knew English, so my typical response of playing dumb wasn't working. This checkpoint was only stopping motorcycles. They looked through my paperwork, and asked for my Colombian insurance for the motorcycle. I told them, that it wasn't required of me since I was a foreign motorcyclist. They asked who had told me that, and I told them the customs inspector. They said that it was required of me. At which point I pulled out my expired USA insurance, and handed it them, and told them that was my American policy which would cover me down here. They accepted it and waved me through.

The Popayan-Pasto section had only two checkpoints and only a handful of military and police.

As Grant told me, "Like many places, and people, it's all relative - and variable - a place is perfectly safe until you get mugged."

Ride only from early morning to mid-day, and stay on the main roads.

Colombia is a great country, and I'm glad I didn't skip it.

--Terry

Terry, there's a couple of us plotted up in Quito, another couple in Cuenca and northern Peru. HQ is still the Turtle's Head Pub, av Nina near the junction with av Amazonas. Ask for Dan or Trys if you fancy a pint. Or email from here.

Cheers, Dan Walsh

Last December, after flying bike and myself to Bogota from Panama, spent one night Bogota. Walked around city in morning, then taxi to airport to get bike(approx. 3 hrs.)
Headed west thru mountains(great riding--110%attention needed). Spent 3 or 4 nights along way to Peru(el Bordo was first). Wonderful people--fantastic scenery--no problems!!

Take anything other than first hand reports with a grain(maybe tbl. spoon)of salt.--Porter