9.05.2017 The seed for riding to the tip of South America was planted in 1991, overhearing a group of guys at a BMW dealer in Fort Worth preparing for a trip from Alaska to Ushuaia. The idea bit me hard at age 31, but it seemed an impossibility with a family and a life-consuming business to run. Nevertheless, the idea remained in the back of my consciousness, a tiny speck of an ember, never quite dying out. After getting back into riding 11 years ago, the ember was fanned by

9.08.2017 So I left a little late from Santiago, rebelling against any schedule now that I'm free for the foreseeable future. I filled up the big BMW's tank at the local Pemex with "Roja" (premium gas) to the tune of nearly 500 pesos, which at the current valuation is about $25 U.S.! Mexico had had an almost 30% jump in fuel prices since my last visit, but I was shocked to pay more than I did in the U.S. compared to previous trips. I had been told there were riots and protest

11.07.2017 Morning came too early, but we had breakfast and soon saw the Stahlratte chugging its way towards the island. We boarded by launch and were on our way for a 3 hour sail to a small island where the afternoon was spent swimming and playing in the water. Just the short trip on calm waters had a few people turning grey-green and reaching for Gravol or Dramamine. Adrian, an engineer for BMW Motorrad in Germany Charlie said it handled like the 1200GS Not too shabby... Th

11.11.2017 Though a major shipping port and large city, the old section of Cartagena is one of the prettier places I've been. The architecture and people were a real pleasure, marred only by the intense heat. After 2 solid months in riding gear with 90's and 100% humidity, we'd all reached the end of our tolerance. The final night, Carnaval was ramping up and the excitement and energy was a fun experience. The streets in the old section were packed with costumed dancers and h

11.13.2017 Riding in Colombia has been interesting and having to readjust to the distances of a large country versus those of Central America has led to a few 8+ hour days on the bike in a row. Mind you, it’s not like riding the interstates in the US. The drivers, roads, endless speed bumps and checkpoints make for a long day of intense focus and concentration. No matter how you try or what you think, there are crazy moments and random delays on the roads. And then there’s ra

11.15.2017 The next morning my plan was to head for Villa De Leyva, a place I wanted to visit before going south for the Catedral de Sal and to Bogota for the Gold Museum. I punched in Villa De Leyva on the Garmin, which said it didn't exist. After several tries I cursed the Garmin and pulled out my phone for real information. I found it and plugged the coordinates into the GPS and took off. It rained again and the roads were slick, varied from excellent to pothole hell, all

11.21.2017 From Puerto Berrio I was heading to Guatapé, the small town near La Piedra de Peñol, a massive stone monolith with a 749 step staircase to the top. Christine and Jules had been there and our paths would cross as I would arrive and they were leaving the next day. The bike had been unmolested during the night and I loaded up and grabbed a donut and coffee from a vendor on the corner as I hit the road. Garmin, Google, Maps.me and Sygic all showed the routes and indica

11.23.2017 From Medellin I began heading south for Cartago. A few miles out of town I stopped to grab a bottle of water and rehydrate. While sitting at the gas station I was approached by a man, Alvaro, and his two children. They were curious about my travels and wished me well. A few moments later an older guy came up to ask about the bike. He had been out of riding for many years and had been considering a 1200 GS, but it was thinking it might be too difficult to start ridi