Feb26th

My friend Oskar of Alfa & Omega freight forwarding in Guadalajara spent the whole day with me along with practically the whole staff of the Aduana (customs) Mexico attempting to release my Motorcycle. The end result is do not ship a motorcycle into Mexico unless you intend to import it. The import tax on my Bike would be $6500US. The other choice was to ship it out of the country and return across a Border into Mexico where the proper permits and entrance is permitted. Susan Rio and I realized it was time to come home so we spent the next couple of weeks Traveling around Puerto Vallerta and Guayabitos. Traveling with your family is the best. We shipped my BMW back to Calgary and had a wonderful time playing on the beach building sand castles and splashing in the Pacific Ocean. No regrets. Perfect way to end the ride. Feb 21st-March 7 th Vacation With Susan & Rio in Guadalajara, Rincon de Guayabitos, Puerto Vallerta.

Feb 2oth

Picked my friends Martin and Monica and went into La Penita to see the carnival. All the school kids get dressed up in costumes and ride in the back of pickup trucks. The high school queen is all dressed up and riding on a float along with her princesses.

Tonight about 20 different banda bands will be playing all up and down the main Avenida in La Penita. It will all end at midnight with all 20 bands coming together facing one another and playing different songs all at the same time. This should be Harry it is also my friend Martin's Bday.

Feb 19th

I left my friends house in Nuevo Vallarta and checked with my Shipper in San Jose they are still having issues. So it will be Friday now they say. So no sense going up to Guadalajara, so north to Guayabitos were we have have friends Martin and Monica. Guayabitos is a nice place where the big hotels and the pavement has not got to yet. I cruised through all the little beach towns along the way Salulito, San Francisco these are the traditional pueblos that are famous for the Mexican pipeline, surfers paradise. The towns are over run with whities. Pulled into Guayabitos and started to see BC plates in large numbers again. Beautiful beach not to crowded. Went over to Los Ayalas next town, were my buddy Martin has opened a car wash, Mexican style, open well bucket and rags and a vacuum. He is busy he services all the cabs. Later we went int La Penita to the Carnival there were 20 bands on the meridian and you could hire them to play these were not little bands most of them had 10 pcs. They were loud and the locals love to party a good party not crazy.

Feb 18th

Picked up a 60 year old hitchhiker from Vancouver leaving Manzanilla Del is his name and has spent 30 years coming to Mexico for his winter vacations and was a encyclopedia of Mexico I picked up and education in our three hour trek to PV thanks Del. Pulled into PV actually Nuevo and looked up friends of mine Dennis and Patty Pirot they were away from the condo at the time so I walked the massive stretch of beach in front of all the monster Hotels and resorts, passing all the whities frying themselves. I could smell flesh burning mixed with coconut oil. Returned to see Pirots and was extended some Cochin hospitality and spent the evening and night at their beautiful southern abode. Slept in the nicest bed in almost 2 months. Thanks D&P.

Feb 17th

Left Guadalajara with my rental car and started paying tolls again headed down to Colima across these dry lagoons. Out in the sand I could see hundreds of people sitting in solitude apart from one another I could see 5 tour buses sitting at an approach where the people were drop off. After passing a half mile of this my curiosity got the best of me I got out and asked the closest person to the hwy Que Paso( Whats up). Estudiando mi Bible. Studying the bible. Got back in the car Hummm. Got into Colima city shadowed by a couple volcanic mountains and farmers field's. Nice town Scott, like a little movie set the El Centro is gorgeous. Kept going to Manzanillo, was not impressed. Thought I might get right to PV but took to may beach detours checked out Melarque and Barre Navidad then stopped in an relatively undeveloped town called Manzanill(a). Very small but beautiful beach. 15 bucks gets you a brand new room. 7 buck for Jumbo shrimp.

Feb 16th El Centro Guadalajara

Walked around the downtown and blew my mind some more. I love the buildings here and culture there is something happening everywhere you look. The downtown is the filled with parks that have all sorts of activities going on.

I watched this school giving out presentations to it students. I was amazed at the order and sharpness of these kids again I think we are lacking something in our education system. There are hundreds of stores here the one store that stands out is the dress shops when a girl turns 15 here they throw a big party for her and she get this fancy dress and it all a big deal so there is this whole industry that surrounds a young girl's coming of age.I had the Taxi driver take me to Tonala and Tlaquepaque? these are two cities that are part of Guadalajara that are world renond for Mexican art and furniture store. Might have to save the crate my bike came in to ship stuff to Canada. I will take orders. Got to the airport at noon and started my full time job of where is BMW and what other papers do you need. Aduana............... Customs in Canada this is my mission to cross this line with my Moto.I find out now that I bike will not arrive till Monday pm so maybe Tuesday I can get it out of customs, providing I have access to a permit. The Problem is I needed to meet the most beautiful Woman in the world in Puerto Vallarta Wednesday pm. I can not mess this one up I need to give myself a day so I'm there waiting rather than running across Mexico. So I have some decisions to make with what to do with the next couple days. Say a prayer that I still have a Valid Mexico transit permit from Ciudad Jarez it will make thing a lot easier.

Feb 15th

Mexicana Airlines

San Jose, Costa Rica, Guadalajara via Mexico City. Flew over some familiar places Island de Ometepe Nic. Panajachel Guat. The one thing that amazed me is the number of steaming Volcano's you can see from the air. At about noon we flew over the coastal plains then over a massive mountain range hundreds on miles into the mountains sits Mexico city. This is absolutely mind boggling to see in daylight from the air. At 300+mph it took 1/2 hour to cross over. There are areas of twenty miles i guess with out a single tree just houses and streets. There are also very some very metro areas with parks freeways golf courses. This city is so dense and huge it just staggers you. You seem so insignificant. I think there are 25 to 39 million people on the top of that mountain range. Strangest this is Cuidad Mexico has two Beautiful snow cover mountain peaks the stand watch over the massive bowel the city sits in. I remember from the Olympics that this city is up high. I had heard the airport was a gong show but I was impressed with the flow and thought it would be a lot crazier. Took off again to Guadalajara only one hour and arrived safe and sound. I then began my quest to see where my moto would be shipped. DHL was to have sent the crate turns out they made one crate and it was not good enough so they missed the Thursday plane. I found a DHL office but they don't do dangerous goods so off to another DHL. They had no record turns out they don't do Mex city to Guad. with dangerous goods. After 4 mile walking found Aero Union the people told me that they would be bringing my bike in Friday night at 8pm. Aduana( Customs) is not open on the week end. Then I needed to see if I need any more documents they love paper down here too. Turns out I might have a problem on my hands. Juan from the import company realizes that we can not make application for temporary transit permit for a foreigner in Guadalajara. The permit has to be made at a Frontera /border or port town. So we are looking into it. Good guy Juan he can handle three phones at once along with the translator on the computer. Juan speaks no English but we got it all handled his company is OLA Logistics. It is all kind off like a game or a puzzle you have this task to do then you have to find the tools and the right people using a language that you only knew a few words in. Gave up for the day and went downtown Guadalajara. 400 year old buildings nesisito un nuevo palabra por esta lugar. I need a new word for this place. The heritage here and architecture is like nothing I have ever seen before, mixed with the Mexican people and culture it has class. The down town is spotless and very safe and secure. Lots of street music and a church every couple blocks. The El Centro buildings are all lit up. Spectacular, they even had this outdoor concert with television crew and such. Guadalajara is a 10 out off 10.

Feb 14th

Valentine's days

LOVE YOU SUZEY

Hasta en Guayabitos en uno semana mas.

I got up early to make sure that I got things lined up to exit Costa Rica. Its like a full time job searching for places and the logistics of getting tickets and shipping and dealing with a mostly Spanish speaking country. I found out that they wanted to charge me 7 percent to charge the shipping to my card. So I rode down the road to get a cash advance. I found out that again for about the fifth time my cards were deactivated.I looked at the 10,000 Colons I had in my wallet, 23 bucks and knew I had a Problema grande. So back to the hotel skyped the Visa guy begged for my credit back. He hooks me up and then off to the bank. Banks are a two hour process. People really know how to handle money in Central America. COSTA RICA has a lot more credit and access to debit visa mastercard, than the rest of central America. I got my loot and headed for REX International air freight. Washed the bike down and got a shine back on it. Siggi and Jesus piled a bunch of paper on me and took my money. I then went outside and pumped the gas out of my bike and poured it in Siggis car. I unhooked the battery all part of DANGEROUS GOODS shipping. Took a Cab back to the hotel, for the first time in a month and a half I felt naked. Need a good nights sleep 5am at the airport. Mexico city for a couple hours then Guadalajara. Not sure if my bike will get there for Friday, and it it get there during the weekend if I can get it out of customs. I'm thinking Monday. Exploration esta fina semana en Guadalajara. Gives we a couple days grace to make sure I don't leave Susan and Rio standing at the Puerto Vallarta Airport. Next report PVR MEXICO.

Feb 13th

Today I went into San Jose not as crazy as I thought it would be. The freeway just ends at the El Centro its kind of weird they funnels 6 lanes of traffic right into down down gridlock. A lot of the streets are closed to cars just foot traffic only. Makes for a setting like Gastown Vancouver. The city has a great mix of old & new. I picked up my MEXICANA Airline tickets to Guadalajara now they just need to hit me with the cost to ship the bike. I then went to see my friends I met the other day in Liberia. Artudos & Anneabelles motorcycle store is in Guadalupe part of San Jose, Artudo is the John Dumaine of Costa Rica. He has a very sucessful moto dealership. Will visting with me, himself and salesmen sold three motos and he bought the land he was looking at when I met him in liberia. Artudo and Annebelle said that their favorite thing to do in Canada was go to TIM HORTONS. You feel a little humbled when you put 1200km of riding along side 1,000,000 milesThis guy is for real the walls of his store are plastered with news clippings and photos from all aver the world. His shop is really cool. You drive your moto down into the basement for service. I love the way people do business here. I'M TRYING TO TYPE ON a keyboard with the letters rubbed off. Not doing too bad.Ticos are very busy people they are very sharp good looking people. Every one seems to have something to do.

Feb 12th

I awoke at the base of Arenal the volcano this is mind blowing. it pumps out lava every half hour or so. At night you can see the lava flowing down the sides. I headed for San Jose though the moutians at times I was along the very ridge of the moutian. The ditches were basiclly the valley 1000 feet or so. A misty little cloud that was right at the top of the mountian keep me awake looking for the next turn on the narrow little path. I came down from the mountians into the little town of Zacatecas the whole town has its shrubs shape like it was the setting for the Dr Suess movie. Everything grows here the soil is a rich looking Red mixed with the sunlight and humitiy. Got into San Jose and stopped at the airport and checked on tickets for me and BMW. I then stopped by a few places and with in half and hour I had a shipper lined up to frieght the bike to GUADALAJARA. I tought my bike would weigh in at about 600lbs loaded turns out it wieghs 342kgs 754 lbs. Thats why when the ABS is off the machine is a run away train. My shipper ships all the New Harleys into Costa Rica. Got a room next to the airport the planes look like they are landing on the hwy, once one took off while I was waiting on the approch to turn into the hotel it scared me so bad I messed my pants.

Feb 11th

left the beautiful ocean side town Of Tamarindo alone Greg and Tara are going to be working on getting the paper work finished on the accident. I decided to head for one of the worlds most active volcano's ARENAL. When i got back to Liberia there was a car following me, I pulled in for an ice cream and they followed me. The sporty little Toyata had decals on it that said Moto Cruzier. The couple got out and introduced themselves as Aurtdo and Anneabell.

Turns out Aurtdo has over 1 million miles of motorcycle journeys and is some kind of a legend. He has been in every province State and country in North and South America. We had icream together then they escorted me done the road to Canas the turn to Mount Arenal. I may stop by his motorcycle shop in San Jose. He might help me with getting the frieght to Guatalajara. Artudo told me that he has traveled up to 8 months alone on a motorcycle. LOCO CRAZY. I then began my route around lake Arenal. I climbed up into the mountains into the greenest grasses that you have ever seen.

This was with out a dougt the most amazing sights I have seen in my life.

Red earth banks of soil and the greenest of greens.

The ditch's are filled with flowers pink and white.

I reach the top[ of this mountain and see the most spectacular ever Lake Arenal, I have to pull over to get a picture. At the same two little Honda 125cc's pull in along side me. It is two 24 year old guys from Panama on their way to Nicaragua. They were really freaked out over my motorcycle, I was even more impressed with them riding this little bike. We laughed and they said you know their is something about a sh** bike that you love. We each sat on an others bike and exchanged emails. I told them they were on the right road "IN LIFE" Explore.

I descended into the rain forest and the most amazing ride I have experienced the jungle is thick and green the flowers are so bright. There are creeks and water falls ever few hundred yards. I must have stopped 20 times to take pictures. In the distance you can see this massive VOLCANO popping up with this gray slag running down it everything else is green as can be. The lake is filled with hundreds of little bays and islands. Yesterday was a little down because of 3 days in the same place but today was with out a dought the highlight of the trip so far in respect to beauty. I was going to go to the town Fortuna but picked a little hotel right at the base of the Volcano. While I was checking in the clerk pointed at the Volcano and sure enough I could see lava flowing down the side. Just to give you an idea how close this hotel is it would be about 4 miles from the mouth to the hotel. I had a shower an realized that the water was extremely hot, I asked and sure enough it is hot spring water. I am in Fortuna right now and will be headed back to see the lava flow tonight.

FAIRWEATHER LIVESTOCK COSTA RICA

Feb 1oth Tamarindo SURF Day at the beach. G&T spent the whole day yesterday with the cops and courts in regards to the accident. At first it sounded like they may not be able to get the bike out of the country unless the ot her girl addmitted that it was her fault. If a judge has to decide it could take months to get the bike released from the country. They meet last night with the girl and it sounds like she is going to sign a letter of fault and Monday they will get a relase. Today I have started to plan my exit from Central America. I my not make it all the way to Panama I'm going to explore a little more of Costa Rica on my own and then ship my to Guatalajara Mexico and ride to Puerto Vallarta and meet The most beautiful woman on earth my wife, along with the little river man (RIO). We will spend 2 weeks togther then I will treck north to Mazatlan and ferry to Lapaz then do the Baja 1000 to Ensenada and meet some of the finest people I know 2007 Mexico missions team. Still alot of details and another week in this beautiful country. Still don't know if I will exit from Panama or San Jose Costa Rica. Going out to get a sun burn 40 deg. The sun is about 40' from the surface of the earth here. I spent the whole afternoon surfing the surf was a little weak but so am I. I was asked if I want to rent a rash guard a (T shirt) should have my bobbies are very sore. I know what it feels like now Brad. Snooped through a few new houses I was very inpressed with the quality and details. The prices are crazy.

Feb 9th Tamarindo COSTA RICA

Woke up this morning lying on a lawn chair in a multi million dollar B&B spent my first few minutes of the day sitting by the ocean and read the Basic instuctions before leaving earth. Then Barry the owner of the B&B and his Tico staff( Costaricans) whipped us up wonderful breakfast. We talked with the other guests a couple from South Carolina, and another young couple Ryan and Allison from a country called Canada and the city of Calgary. Allison told us of her summit to mount Kilamenjiro. This got we wired up along with Barry's tales of the numerous countries him and wife Suzye have traveled to. Barry told me of his trip years ago to the Turks and Cacos where he made Good friends with a young couple by the name of Allen and Nancy Raine ( Nancy Greene). G&T needed to go to some other town to do the police report and I put my filpflops on and jumped on the Bimmer to xplerrrrrrrrr. I ncan not belive the amount of construction around here, builders from all over the world. Have run into a number of Canadians made bread down here. I sent an email to Megan McCabe (daughter of Louise Macabe) I knew was somewhere in CR. Meg Emailed me back at noon and turns out she is in a hostal just across the street from the internet. I spin over there and Meg was just getting back I suprised her and freaked out the young Tico that was making a move on her.

Meg is doing great and gave me a couple tour tips, having lived here a few weeks already. I then toured the town and walked the beach. They have five Tower cranes in this small town it is a development jungle. Every were you look land is for sale. There must be 20 Real Estate firms here. They have no gas near the town so they will sell you a gallon to get you to the next town.

Had Dinner with Meg and then cruzied the strip looking for the internet Cafe. Louise Meg is getting Married to Young Tico by the name of Pedro. He has no money and a large family but can speak a few words of english. He is an excellent surfer with nicew hair. Just kidding.

FEB 18th PURA VIDA

We woke up in Liberia Costa Rica very Modern city and decided to head for the pacific coast again we passed the new international airport that is funnelling all the money into this area. You would not believe the amount of construction around here. Costa Rica make Kelowna look like it is standing still. Every where you look there are for sale signs const. equipment and new condos for sale. We headed for Tamarindo Beach and found out that they had tore 40km of asphalt up and we were left the the dustiest gravel road I have ever been on passing Gravel truck after gravel truck. We arrived in Tamarindo to beautiful beach's and lots of other whities. We took one cruise down the strip to find a place to stay then back out. I was leading the way and decided that made a left turn across the hwy into a parking lot. As I shoulder checked I could see and hear a car from behind Greg and Tara and 2 other cars accelerating to pass. It was Little slow motion I realized Tara had committed to turning and neither the driver or her realized what was about to happen. The young girl driving hammered the brake and skidded but not in time to stop. Greg yelled, The car smashed into Tara's bike dropping the and bike and Tara to the ground. I jumped off my bike Greg and I got Tara to the side of the road and put the bike back up on the rubber. Amazingly Tara only bruised her leg not ever a scratch. The car had the hood grill and radiator punched in. The Bimmer only had a few scratches. The young girl insisted that she was not in the wrong. The Police and ambulance came and all was good. In the course of all this two ladies helped us Ema from Vancouver living in CR. And Suzye Lawson Owner of the Ville Alegre B&B Suzye was so stirred by the whole event that she incited that we come stay with them. Will once again as I know in my heart God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all you can ask or imagine. Thank you for protection and the free nights stay a the nicest B&B in Tamirimdo right on the Ocean a spectacular multimillion dollar home beautiful pool sandy beach mind boggling. And the coolest host Barry and Suzye, they invited us to a local fund raiser for the Soccer pitch G&T won two door prizes and I got to yak with the United Nations( People from all over the world). The three of us slept in the Guatamala room I decided that the moon light was to inviting so spent the night stargazing. Tamarndo gets a 5 star or as high as you can rate it.

Villa Alegre's WEB ADDRESS

/http://villaalegrecostarica.com/

Feb 7th Still in San Juan Del Sur in the am. We thought we were going to go up to La Boquita a little beach front town that is going to boom. Greg has an interest in raw land up there and is curious about the beaches. I was going to stop by the bank and get some more loot and the federallies pulled me over. I was not wearing my helmet like everyone else. So he asks for my licence and reg he gives me a ticket for 150 Cordobas less than 1o bucks but you have to go pay it at the bank then bring the receipt back to him to get the licence back. Next my bank cards give up again. I try to weasel my way out of the ticket but it becomes a staring contest through the sunglasses. Greg and Tara meet me and lend me the 150 and I find out that Tara got a ticket also for no helmet. We pull out of San Juan and head down the windiest part of Hwy in Nicaruga. The speed limit signs are not always posted on posts. most times they are painted on the road. With Greg leading the speeding were pulled over for the third time in last than two hours. The bummer was Greg had to go back 30km to the bank to get the receipt.Tara and I waited for over an hour for Greg to return. The funnest thing happened during this time, school was finished and all the kids crossed the Hwy ....school zone.... to where we were parked they all stared at the bikes. I asked them if I could take a picture they all gathered together and shouted and hollered. They all wanted to sit on my bike and have a picture taken. We then had a history and geography lesson and I rewarded the correct answers with Canadian flag tattoos. The uniforms are amazingly clean and they seem to give order and respect. It was great Entertainment. Greg returned and was disappointed. The ticket and wasted time and the fact that while standing with the cop the wind had blown his bike over tumbling into the ditch , no major damage. We busted a nut, pulled a ueeee, made a U Turn and headed for Costa Rica we had feed the Nic Government enough. The wind was brutal today we spent a lot of time right along side the massive lake Nic. The border at Costa Rica is very orderly and has a lot more tourists and even a snack bar. The smell of American money hangs in the air. After about three tries to get the right paper work and 1 hour later we crossed into Costa Rica. The vegetation changes almost immediately. You see these perfectly shaped trees, and again the hwy becomes canopied with branch's. Active volcanoes in the distance and lush green meadows popping up here and there. After a few ho hum days this was a pick up to be back on the bike and new territory. Bunked in the city of Liberia very American and very clean lots of English here. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ WELCOME TO COSTA RICA

My picture of the day was two soda stands in the middle of nowhere each stands has a young girl sitting in it looking out at the highway. THREE BMWs blow by, they glance at one another.

HAD TO TURN AROUND AND GET THIS SNAP.

Feb 6th

Un otra dia en San Juan Del Sur. another day in San ....................... Just spent the last twenty minutes doing the blogg entry and you guessed it the power went out. Perdio mi Blog entras por la dia. It is a regular thing here the Nic's local Governments are so broke the power company shut the grid down every day for a couple hours. The water also gets shut off to fill reservoirs for the houses up in the hills. The banks also have issues all through CA Guatamala is the worst they have had 4 large banks close the doors and have left massive line ups at all the other banks because of people scrambling to get credit or restablished. If you accomplish one task in the day here you have had a good day. I'm amazed at how long and hard the people work here most 10 hours a day and only 3-4 days off a month. Most of them spent another couple hours going to and from home each day. Today was a lazy day never even got on the bikes. G&T like the beach I always hook up with the locals somehow. Today it was soccer on the beach. I got schooled real good, mind you they were all half my age. The final score Was Tres Nic's 10- Dos Nic's y un viejo Canadian 4 I scored one of the goals and received a cheer from the drunken Canadians in the restaurant on the beach. I meet Orlando a 19 year old kid from Granada he is here in San Juan looking for work he speaks English very well. I had thought I would drop in on a Spanish school and do a few classes but as it turned out Orlando and I spent the after noon hablamous en espanol. Es bueno its good. I then took a walk along the main street right across from the beach. I found a Spanish school and received another Spanish lesson as they told me about their program and school. As I left I noticed all these political posters in the other half of the building and asked what they were all about. I was told that it was the San Juan Headquarters for the Sandinista Party. I had to check this out. I'm getting areal interest in political history down here. The walls were covered with pictures of Danial Ortaga and former revolutionary Ganas who lived right here in San Juan and met in this build when thr civil war was on. I was given a thank you letter from Ortga and his wife basically say thank you for your support. I will keep this safe with my Iraqi money with Saddam Hussians picture on it. Tomorrow William???? is getting we a Vote for Ortga bumper sticker this is priceless. I get the feeling Greg wants to find a lota circa la playa se vende, a lot next to the beach for sale. I'm not ready to drop anything more than lunch money. The American catch word is ECO FRIENDLY this translated in to western Canadian English is BACKWOODS HILLBILLY.