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thefrogandthebike in CA
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  • Marc Fontanel
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  • Marc Fontanel

thefrogandthebike in CA

thefrogandthebike going to central america En savoir plus
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  • Début du voyage
    18 novembre 2022
  • thefrogandthebike in CA
    21

    isla mujeres

    26 novembre 2022, Mexique ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    friday is not worth a footprint. thefrog is still sorely missing the bike stuck in bureaucracy. for comfort arrived the frog`s other assistant and took us on a lovely trip to isla mujeres. (luckily, the music of beach clubs is not caught in pictures.)En savoir plus

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    Porto Morelos

    27 novembre 2022, Mexique ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Porto Morelos is a good escape from ultra crowded Cancun with a great reef close to shore, good restaurants and more locals. The reef huge and crowded with colorful fish, huge barracudas, angel fish and calamaris. Mexico reminded me a bit of Australia in that locals make you abide by the rules: Forbidden to snorkel without a life vest and, in the case of our boat, to put sunscreen on. I had to argue with the captain to put a bit on top of my head. He was not amused.En savoir plus

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    Day 1 with the bike

    29 novembre 2022, Mexique ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    After another day dealing with the most obnoxious customs employees we finally have the bike. Those demonic government officials will forever haunt the rest of my days and I plan to write my version of the Divine Comedy where devils wear a Aduanas uniform and a flameless hell let you burn in anger in Mexican customs waiting rooms.En savoir plus

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    Cozumel

    1 décembre 2022, Mexique ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

    2 days of diving in Cozumel
    Mainly in the spectacular coral caves and pinnacles of "Palancar". Lots of lobsters, turtles, green morray eels moving in the open, sting rays and the local superstar toad fish. But the most impressive are those endless corral cathedrals.En savoir plus

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    Mahahual

    3 décembre 2022, Mexique ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Made it to Mahahual, some 300km south of Cancun. Thefrogandthebike is surprised with the good quality of the roads. Even under rain, it's been really ultra safe for now. And because it's hot, the asphalt dries within minutes. The Mahahual beach road is a bit more of a hazard when wet, we had to probe some puddles (as in the pic) before crossing but made it without too much hassles. It's wild and beautiful here ☺️En savoir plus

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    Bacalar

    6 décembre 2022, Mexique ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    It's windy in Mahahual, but Norberto (best kite rental ever) is in Cancun, so we try to scuba dive in the reef. We gear up, head to the boat with wetsuits on, meet the captain, mount the gear on the tanks and ... the captain gets a call: boats are not allowed outside the port any more. Dives are cancelled, we head back to the school to give the gear back.
    So unfortunately, thefrogandthebike have to drive 100km south to the lake/cenotes of Bacalar to eat the most tasty vegetarian Tacos with an amazing view on the lagoon. Instead of a dive boat on the reef, we find ourselves taking a tour on a turquoise water lake with an alcoholic couple, a Mexican family with overweight kids and a dog afraid of water.    En savoir plus

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    4

    Mahahual 2

    8 décembre 2022, Mexique ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    It's our last day in Mahahual. The initially planned 2 days turned out to be over a week kiting with Norberto, Angeles and Estrella, chilling on our wonderful seafront balcony and eating great food. Mahahual is just hard to leave.En savoir plus

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  • thefrogandthebike in CA
    3in case you ever wondered what christmas decoration in the caribbean looks like ...

    welcome to belize

    10 décembre 2022, Belize ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    After an unexpectedly smooth border crossing yesterday, Corozal welcomes thefrogandthebike with it's weired charm - mixing english lawn between palmtrees on a caribbean beach. The first morning in British Honduras starts early to catch the water taxis from Corozal to San Pedro and further to Caye Caulker. The frog had to leave the bike on shore and will miss it deeply, while the frog assistants drag the frog to more diving adventures on the islands. At least, the early rising was rewarded with a spectacular sunrise and a yummy breakfast.En savoir plus

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  • thefrogandthebike in CA
    11

    San Pedro - Belize

    12 décembre 2022, Belize ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    ***
    Watch the dive with Scuba Steve and the Manta ray on Youtube:
    https://youtu.be/RuVZlrwgoOg
    ***
    Right after setting foot on the island, we run to the Scuba Steve's dive school. Steve deemed Julia worthy of upgrading her PADI Scuba license and after 2 amazing dives Julia became a certified open water diver. Those were certainly the most breathtaking dives of the trip with a giant manta cruising right above us, giant coral canyons and tranquil 2m reef sharks swimming towards us. To celebrate her first day as a certified diver Julia got braids 🥳En savoir plus

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    thefrogandthebike on the hummingbird highway
    thefrogandthebike arriving in Hopkins

    Hopkins: beach and dirt roads

    14 décembre 2022, Belize ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    After the busy Belizean islands, thefrogandthebike got on their way to a long awaited adventurous, but quiet and less touristy destination. Not even a handful of interesting roads on the tour yet, the first and also the second motorcycle Mekkas are to follow within the next step. The spectacular Hummingbird Highway brings visitors down to the town of Hopkins, where Emma and her adventure biker hostel awaits. At last, thefrogandthebike find really interesting and beautiful roads. It's merely mud paths going through the Mayan jungle and it's tricky with 2 people on the heavy BMW. So we rent an additional dirt bike on the first day to visit Cockscomb jaguar reserve. Because it is so much fun in this amazing landscape and more challenging routes all around, we rent 2 light bikes on the second day: By chance, Emma is available to go with us and guide us to new adventures. It's the most difficult paths we've ever taken. Engouraged to new challenges, one bike unfortunately ends up swimming in the river. Thank god, a rope was in the luggage to drag the sunken bike from the outback back into civilization, where a friend of Emmas picks it up on his truck.
    After airing it out and changing the oil, the poor bike will be back on the road ... eeeh, off the road.    En savoir plus

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    public viewing soccer finals

    From Tikal to Sayaxche

    19 décembre 2022, Guatemala ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    As we drive in Guatemala, the roads are really stunning. Hills with lots of ponds here and there and cows, goats, pigs and chickens everywhere. Sometimes you find a bridge over a river, sometimes a barge, sometimes the initial bridge did fall apart and an alternative one was improvised next to it (just the pavement to get there is missing). The Mayan ruins of Tikal were really impressive and a lot bigger than expected. Some of them towering over the jungle canopy. It's a huge complex of temples and palaces build in lines matching the star orientation.En savoir plus

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    Rio Dulce

    21 décembre 2022, Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Guatemala ia definitely the highlight of the trip so far. And some of the most extraordinary roads I ever came across. Very hilly with porous rocks allowing massive tropical trees to set root. A sort of unusual tropical Switzerland with all sorts of farm animals everywhere. We stopped at a hot cascade this morning: a cascade from a hot spring right above: highly unusual, very pleasant and not a lot of people around. This is Guatemala 🤗En savoir plus

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    Guatemala city

    22 décembre 2022, Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    We make a stop in Guatemala City to pamper the bike at the only BMW garage in Guatemala called "Bavaria Motors". Julia is happy to get a taste of her sweet Bavaria inside the shop and we find a really amazing restaurant. The luxury of the hotel (hot water and everything) contrasts strongly with the previous lodging.En savoir plus

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    Merry Christmas from Lake Atitlan

    24 décembre 2022, Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Thefrogandthebike spend christmas at lake Atitlan, which is surrounded by a spectacular volcanic landscape on the west and picturesque mountains all around the north and east. On the way to the accommodation San Antonio are several "Miradores" inviting for picture stops and a boat trip from Panajachel to San Pedro make the Christmas adventure complete.
    Thanks to fluffy Lava getting into the lake a long time ago, one can disvover floating pumice stones on the shore of the lake.

    For Christmas celebration, Guatemalan freak out about making crazy fireworks at midnight, followed by cheerful party music, just slightly unsettling for germans. Silent night, holy night .... Merry Christmas!    En savoir plus

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  • thefrogandthebike in CA
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    Erupting volcano & great food in Antigua

    26 décembre 2022, Guatemala ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Antigua is a Spanish built city of just one square kilometer, but hosting the proud number of 38 churches. Restaurants are some of the best in Guatemala, often located in picturesque courtyards and offering views on the the volcanoes around from their roof top terraces. One of them, volcano de fuego is erupting every 20 minutes, sending a thick cloud of ashes into the sky.En savoir plus

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    11safe overnight bike parking: doorframe narrower than the handle wide + a step right in the door1the frogs NYE dinner on the beach132Our bungalow and surfboard in Salvador

    Feliz año nuevo in El Salvador

    27 décembre 2022, Le Salvador ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    El Salvador leaves us puzzled after a stay of one week. The small country in the Bitcoin bubble and sad former record holder in homicide rates has recently become a lot safer by the not uncontroversial measures against gangs. Like many other travellers, thefrogandthebike use the chance to pay a visit and ride the stunning mountain roads - among which is the Ruta de las flores - as well as the scenic coastal route.

    The roads are surprisingly good and speed bumps are not actual bumps here, just warning stripes painted on the surface of the road - a real contrast to the nasty tar topes in Guatemala. Along the road there`s restaurants with beautiful garden sites to dine in, more Volcano tours, numerous surf beaches, one can even watch turtles being released into the waves.

    Unsurprisingly, the balance of quality, price and availability of accommodations is currently not quite found. Yet, El Salvador is obviously getting on it`s way in building a foothold in tourism.    En savoir plus

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    The way to Leon - Nicaragua

    3 janvier 2023, Nicaragua ⋅ ☀️ 32 °C

    Honduras holds most of it`s charming spots in the north of the country. So crossing from El Salvador on the way to Nicaragua, thefrogandthebike pass by just one highlight. One of the most famous buildings of the country is the lovely bridge of Choluteca, which is a small replica of the Golden Gate bridge guiding the traffic into town when entering over the Rio Grande o Choluteca. Thefrogandthebike spend the night at a Hotel with a view on the bridge before heading to the Nicaraguan border in the morning.

    Entering Nicaragua costs us less than 3 hours of time, which is a lot faster than the average traveller with a foreign plated vehicle needs. A stay in Leon immediately rewards the efforts to come here. The frog assistants - at least one of them unenthusiastic about hiking - can`t resist to finally go for one of the less exhausting and freezing, but still most beautiful volcano hikes in latin america: the smoking crater of Telica.

    After limited culinary experiences in El Salvador and Honduras, the restaurants in Leon are making amends with amazing dishes in humble backyards. The architecture of Leon is similar to the one of Antigua. Only the bumpy cobble stone roads have been replaced with asphalt. The sunsets can best be viewed from the white roof of the cathedral, as well as several roof top locations across town.    En savoir plus

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    ride your bike over a landing strip between a lake and a volcano1131

    Ometepe - La isla bonita

    5 janvier 2023, Nicaragua ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C

    The next stop in Nicaragua is the beautiful Island of Ometepe.
    It gets it`s unique charm by consisting of two Volcanoes located in the middle of a lake.

    This spectacular site offers a variety of activities to do and things to discover.
    Thefrogandthebike tour around the "isla bonita", passing banana plantations on the foot of the volcanoes, growing around surrealistic black rocks randomly spit out by the crater a long time ago.
    The locals observe thefrogandthebike rolling by with a wide grin in their faces.
    With a scene of expats living in the island, there is a culinary diversity that can also be found in the traded foods and goods on the local market on saturdays.
    The north west shores of the island have a season of constant winds, that allows kite surfing. Since this year the rain season has been stronger than usual, the sandy beach is entirely flooded.
    So the kite session starts with a climb through the trees directly into the water with all the equimpent, readily set up by the side of the road.

    A late kayak trip into a flooded river estuary at sunset is the frogs personal highlight of the island visit.    En savoir plus

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    A stop in San Juan del Sur

    8 janvier 2023, Nicaragua ⋅ 🌙 25 °C

    Everybody and their dog in Nicaragua will recommend you to stop by in San Juan del Sur. So thefrogandthebike fall for the stupid idea and are not amused by the touristy town and the busy bay. A trip outside town alond the coast though, provides long and quiet, surfable beaches divided by impressive rock formations. Sadly, in the most interesting beaches, nearly all hotels are closed because of the holidays.
    Before leaving towards the border of Costa Rica, a zip line tour just outside San Juan del Sur provides amazing views on the landscape and an interestingly open conversation with the nicaraguan owner of the place about the political situation of the country. Julia impresses the zipline crew with her natural talent for zipping and a ballerina's grace while landing on platforms. What a show !    En savoir plus

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    Arrival in latin american Switzerland

    10 janvier 2023, Costa Rica ⋅ 🌬 26 °C

    Costa Rica meets the image of being the latin american Switzerland not only in terms of prices.
    In Nicaragua we could already spot a first waste collection. Until there, the sides of the road were covered with a constant stream of waste with occasionally smoking piles in between.
    In Costa Rica on the other hand, the surroundings are largely clean.

    After a late border crossing, thefrogandthebike spend the night in the randomly picked, non-touristy town La Cruz just on the way.
    The long day ends in style in a simple accommodation with a big take away Pizza and a liter bottle of Imperial beer.
    The shop owner to sell the beer has a hard time to explain to us, that this is a returnable bottle.
    The first multi use bottle we see since flying over the big pool!
    No problem for thefrogandthebike to return the bottle empty before the shop closes.

    In the morning, the breakfast restaurant just across surprises us with a phenomenal view on Salinas bay.
    Due to reliable winds, there`s some kite schools located down there. We find the most quiet beach in the bay with very fair rental prices and use the occasion to stay for two days of kite surfing.

    When the wind gets to sturdy for kiting, thefrogandthebike follow the road - constantly changing between gravel and pavement - leading from one beach to the next between Venado and Samara before heading to new adventures around some national parks.    En savoir plus

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    Wet t-shirt no contest in Costa Rica

    15 janvier 2023, Costa Rica ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    To face the heat in the motorbike gear, the inhibition threshold to keep the functional shirts wet by drowning them in every available restaurant sink has lowered dramatically.
    Costa Rica not only has beautiful beaches and wild nature reserves, it also offers both in a package in several places!
    Unfortunately, the Natural Reserves Association has recently made it organizationally impossible for visitors to buy tickets directly at the regular prices without spending a fortune on a guide/trader in addition or invest a day of bureaucracy.
    Thefrogandthebike undertake two attempts before capitulation, one in Manuel Antonio and another one in Corcovado national park.
    It was still a spectacular time with several encounters with native wildlife on the roads around the parks.
    Also the landscape, especially around Corcovado, provides a number of scenic winding drives through thick jungle, over mountains and through small rivers with all gradiations of good and bad roads.
    This circumstance combined with a guarded beach to camp on and a morning walk on a trail in the park provide already enough of an adventure.
    Where else can you camp on a beach next to a landing stripe rigth in front of a national park with your personal watch puppy?    En savoir plus

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