Jan Weitner riding his XT from Terra del Fuego to Vancouver

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  • Jan Zondervan (Don Juan on the R…): Jan – ik weet niet of je nog wel eens naar reacties kijkt, maar hoe dan ook gefelicite…
  • Paul (Angels in Mexico): Jan, ik hoor dat je plannen hebt om weer op de motor te klauteren, om er pas in Austra…
  • Henk Biesheuvel (The good guys (my…): Tsejus Jan, wat een reis man!! Ik denk, die zit nog lekker bij Exxon… Geen idee of je …
  • Ab en Toos Claase… (Angels in Mexico): Hallo Jan, Als iemand verre reizen doet dan kan hij veel verhalen. We zijn blij dat je…
  • Edward Galarza (Angels in Mexico): Hi Jan, did you remember me? I’m the guy that you konw in Panama, we meet in the aripo…
  • Anouk (Angels in Mexico): Welcome home !!!
  • thijs ter Hart (Angels in Mexico): Jan, Wel erg gaaf wat je aan het doen bent, respect! Succes, plezier en tot…Later …

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Colombia is the best!

It is a mystery to me why everybody is saying that Colombia is so unsafe. The last 3 years this country changed a lot. The main roads are all safe during daytime. Militaires, Transito police and Elite commandos... they wave, shake hands, they all want to see my roadmap and discuss the roads and cities I saw. Without checking my vehicle documents they often let me go.

They are nice guys, all you need to talk about is your motor velocity and engine capacity. This will create a lot of sounds like 'oofffuh'... They also want to have the confirmation that the most beautiful women of the country live in their region and they want to hear that Colombia is the best country of South America!! We are dealing with very proud people here! After that everything is “listo“! No questions remain, all officers salute, guns go out of the way and the highest ranking commander comes out of his chair to tell you Suerte!

I am now almost one month in Colombia. The majority of my time I spend in Bogota. It is hard to leave this city because they changed the numbering of the streets some time ago. If you want to go somewhere you need to know the old or the new address and some kind of direction otherwise you are in trouble. Sara is my little angel in Bogota she helpt me going everywhere in this lifely, chaotic city of avenues and streets.

Bogota has an old city heart surrounded by some sort of European-look-alike new areas. The gold museum was the best. They show gold juwelry, objects and instruments manufactured over the last 3000 years that were found in Colombia: a great place.

Food in Colombia is awesome Sara knows where to eat. Lunch and dinners with her friends. They all made me feel very much at home. La moto made a new friend! Sara“s mother wanted to jump every day on La moto and start cruising through Bogota! She showed me also a lot of new delicious fruits, like Guanabana. Juego de Guanabana.... mmmmhhh why don“t we have that in Holland?

From Bogota I travelled 100 kms North to Villa de Leiva. An old colonial city where they are now recording the new Zorro-movie! Oh yeahh... Zorro and La Moto. Good mates. When la moto and I returned to Bogota some unexpected free maintenance occured, which La moto liked very much... - Manuel - owner of 100% BIKES (and double gold Colombian National champion motorcross) offered free maintenance to my bike! La moto took the day off and met some motorcross mates. Hope she didn't get into any trouble there...

In good shape we moved on to Medellin! With some new brakes that we did not use because the advise was: you do not stop in small villages and drive as fast as you can! The road from Bogota to Medellin does not have the best reputation but to be honest it is safe! The last part is very quiet and the road is also not in the best shape. But who cares? We made it to Medellin and stayed in Hostal Medellin a superb place where Claudia creates a good time for everyone. I did not visit the cemetery where Pablo Escobar is burried instead I visited the bar downtown where he took his coffee and ran the business with his mates. With Claudia, Thomas and Juan I visited the top of Guatape an area that is under water due to a hydroplant nearby. Whole villages were sacraficed only a church tower rising from the water remembers them.

La moto wants to have a good time too, so we visited the mechanic of Medellin again: Moto Angel. The idea was to go there just for a coffee, but the mechanics always find something. The engine needed some new o-rings, gaskets, oil and filters. Hector and Carlos did their thing. For the next 12 hours La Moto was treated with great care and attention. These people love motors and travellers. They have a wall showing all Pan american motor travellers who visited their place. When they heard I was leaving on Sunday for El Carmen de Bolivar they told me that they would accompany me from Medellin until Causcacia (250 kms). With Carlos and Juan Diego we left 06.00 AM from Medellin and ran fast through the mountains and small villages. People are very friendly in Medellin, it was hard to say goodbye.

But we like the road so we continue.... to CARTAGENA. This good old doggy town where cocaine is offered on every corner. 3 grams for 5 dollars.... I saw so many americans who lost the “way“. I know my way and that is Panama. I looked for a sailboat in the harbour but nobody wants to take La moto. Mmmhhh.... I contacted all captains in the region, but without success. I continued with plan B chartering a small plane in Cartagena or Baranquilla but also that did not work out - they refused as well. There used to be ferry from Cartagena to Colon in Panama but it was stopped. I guess forced to stop by the USA to stop drug transports, without taking into account the (moto) travellers. Well, we continue now with plan C: Returning to Bogota and charter a plane there (Bogota - Panama City). Hopefully La moto is going to fly as well. We will find out pretty soon!

If you like hot weather like 38 degrees and maximum humidity Cartagena is the place to be. I decided to move to Taganga a little fishing village 20 kms East of Santa Marta with some beautiful beaches from here I am coordinating the Panama crossing with a Kelly Juego in my hand. To be continued...

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