The Darién Gap

My plan to cross into Colombia and bypass the Darién Gap has changed a few times over the past month. Originally, I had planned to load my motorcycle onto a 40 foot sailboat and island-hop my way to Cartagena. Unfortunately, new rules and regulations now prohibit vehicles from being imported by boat, so I had to rethink my options.

I looked into shipping the bike in a sea container, but that would have added at least a two-week delay to my trip. The only practical option left was air freight. To my surprise, it ended up being much cheaper than I expected.

I went to the airport this morning to ask about shipping the bike, and to my surprise, the company I spoke with had an opening for that afternoon. Before I knew it, I was filling out paperwork, and a few hours later, I was on a plane. I landed in Bogotá, Colombia, later that evening, and after a short walk, I made it to my hostel just before sunset.

The next morning, I headed back to the airport to pick up my bike. After about four hours of paperwork and waiting, it was finally ready. The whole process ended up being straightforward and stress free.

While waiting, I also learned about a cool tradition among Pan American riders: designing and trading stickers to commemorate the journey. I’m definitely going to try to collect a few along the way.

I’ll be staying in Bogotá for a few days while I sort out some much-needed maintenance on the bike. I need to change the oil and oil filter, swap out the tires, fix my speedometer sensor, and possibly replace the radiator if I can find a new one in the area.Read more