I gotto Girag at 10min.to eight. they gave me the papers and said to go to D.I.A.N.customes it was on the other side of the airport about a half mile.
got there 35 minwait Customes guy looked at my papers and said to meet him back at Girag.
Back at Girag he looks at the bike, hands me the papers and said to meet him back at his office. Back I go. I wait for him he gets back gives me another paper that he just filled out.,and said to go back to Girag and have it signed and bring it back to him. Back I go boy if I was a type A personality this would begin to piss me off.
Girag signs the paper and back I go across the field to DIAN again. The guy stamps the papers and said I was done and could get my bike out.
This took four hours and was a record for crossing a boarder, but I hadn´t been to Venezuela yet. The loading dock has no ramp so I road the bike down the front steps finished packing and was on my way. Got lost right after leaving the airport While I was studying a map two police stoped and asked where my vest was everyone in Colombia has to wear an orange vest with theirnlicense number on the back of it. I told them the customes guy said I didn´t need one because I was north americano and in transit. They agreed and then they led me out of the city to the road to Tunja, pronunced like the fish, on the way out of town I saw a mcdonalds so stopped to eat.



I always have people walk over and visit. the one guy has a motorcycle vest on.
The road to Tunja was 3 lanes and fast also good news motorcycles don´t pay any tolls in Colombia or Venezuela. there is a seperate 4 foot lane on the side that we use







It´s on the right side in the picture.
There are a lot of old cars on the roads down here 55 ford chevys, etc.















Bob I thought of you when I saw this coupe it was in good shape.
This was near the hotel in Tunja.
I left on tue morn and headed toward Cucuta, the boarder, the shows on the AAA map as a paved road all the way. the map is wrong about half way it turns to gravel and stays gravel for 65 miles. On this stretch a dog ran out of some bushes and took out my front tire fliped the bike tore my boot cut my foot and knee all healed by the time I write this. I took out the dog(japanese dog) Ispent three days above 8,000 ft these Andies are big and high not cold though.
















Thats a corn field growing on the side of the hill. The picture below is of a statue on the very top of the dirt road mountain it points toward Venezuela.


I got to Cucuta at 9:30 wed morning and started the boarder crossing I got out of Colombia fast cleared by 10:30 and started into Venezuela. It took 7 hours , 8 if you count the time change. It´s better to be pissed off than pissed on. I stayed in San Christibol wed night and would get a fresh start thur.


Venezuela is a beautiful country but I wouldn´t drive down here with a Bush sticker on the bumper. The first guy I met after crossing the boarder was at a money change place. He put his fingers on his forehead like horns and said Bush devil. I agreed and ounce he found out I didn´t work for the CIA or DEA he changed my money. 240000 boliviares equal 100 dollars 8 litres of gas cost 511 do the math gas is cheap here. thats 95 octane .

2/10/6 Fri

Left San Carlos and drove toward Caracus the roads are great and fast. I went through two big cities today Maracay and Caracus then spent the night outside of San Mataeo. heading south again at last. It is not possible to drive at night because of the pot holes everywhere.

2/11/6 Sat

I only made 258 miles today pot holes stopped at Apapt adjusted chain and got ready for the trip across the Gran Sabana.

2/12;6 Sun
Glad I stopped early no more hotels for a long way today. Beutiful road and no pot holes I got to Santa Elena at 2:30 and found a room at the Mitchel hotel. Met two treckers from England, they were going to climb in the Sabana for a week starting mon. we had dinner toogether. A third guy was from Venezuela spooke three languages. Spanish,english, french.




2/13/6 Mon

Up early to leave but couldn´t get my bike out of jail till 7 when the desk clerk opened. then went to get gas and station didn´topen until 8
got gas and went straight to the boarder crossing. I was done and into Brazil at 9:45 Am one of the best yet. And best yet no one charged me any thing. This has happened several times, I don´t know why but being old and stupid must have something to do with it. I got to Boa Vista at 12:00 noon and decided to keep going. there were no gas stations between Santa Elena and Boa Vista 120 miles. I drove 180miles before I saw the first hotel so stopped for the night . This left about 300 miles to Manus. Also there is a full moon and I didn´t want to see any Chupacabras. I don´t think they are this far south but didn´t want to chance it.
2/14/ 6 tue
I crossed this thing today. It's nice to see that other countries have graffiti just like the USA or maybe this is just done by tourists.




















My GPS at the Equador on the road to Manaus 7512 miles so far.











This turtle was in the middle of the road
so I moved it to the side. Pretty heavy for only
being about a foot long


I got to Manus at 2:30 and found the dock got ticket for boat trip Me and bike 900 their money about 450 ours. Boat leaves at 4PM Wed However they loaded my bike tue and I slept on the boat last night. I payed extra for a cabin that locks and I can put my stuff off the bike in.
You can't see it in this picture but the boat was rocking and the fail safe was a guy on the deck above with a rope on the bike, which I knew he couldn't hold if it fell. Anyway they got it loaded. and I relaxed.












I saw thius sign on the way to the boat dock.
These guys are everywhere.


I took this to show how there was no wind.















I am not sure I´ve ever seen a million af anything but the road to Manaus has at least a million potholes. I am going back to the boat now and will sent more in five days from Belem. Joe.






































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