3-8-06

Still here in Manaus, Brazil and trying to find out how to get the bikes shipped out for the US or in Jims case, Canada. We met with one guy that Jim met in the hotel yesterday that said he used to work in the customs office and we went with him back down to an office that Jim went to several times yesterday when we thought we might be able to just get it done ourselves. It turned out that he just took us to an office that Jim went and talked with that guy yesterday and essentially told him the same thing, that we had to go to the airport, as this was the maritime customs. Well, we walked back to the hotel rather dejected especially Jim who realized how worthless this helper was and how it had been all a big waste of time. I didn’t realize what was going on since all this was happening in Portuguese and Spanish. I had found that there was a United States had a consulate here and had wanted to go there and see if they could help us or at least tell us if it was possible. When we got back to the hotel the helper guy took us in his car (must have been an old wore out taxi) to the US consulate and we were able to talk (wonderfully in English) to a very nice lady whose first comment on our problem was “this could be somewhat difficult”…….

Jim did a great job of explaining our situation and gave her a name of a contact that we were given back when we stopped at an air freight company. She took the name and number and went to call. We had never gotten a hold of that company as we got sidetracked with another one that turned out to be of no help to us. She came back and told us that ‘yes, it was possible maybe to get it done through that company but we would have to call him after two this afternoon. There has been a lot of stress on Jim during this whole thing and when we finally got back to the room, things sort of fell apart and we decided that he would go his own way and I would go mine. Suits me fine…………

I’ll hit the Venezuelan consulate tomorrow morning and get a visa to get into their country and head for Caracas tomorrow. I think it should be a five day or six day ride and the first part will be through the Amazon jungle. A hundred and fifty mile stretch of it is no stopping zone as it is an indigenous Indian place and you are not allowed any contact. I sure hope the bike doesn’t finally decide to give me problems when I get there.

I was talking with a guy yesterday and the discussion got around to how blacks are not discriminated against. I guess that is not entirely true. He said that they were mostly very poor folk. He said that way back in the old days the farmers decided it would be better for them to free the blacks and then they would not have to support them as they had been doing. when they owned them, they had to feed and house them but on the day they freed them they kicked them off their farms and wouldn’t let them back on. They then hired people from Europe and set up stores on their farms to sell to their workers. That way they didn’t have to support them and they made money on their purchases at the store they owned. I think this all happen in about 1880 or so. I am not sure if the farm owners still do the company store type thing. The guys did repeat what one of my friends wrote me and said that they did hunt down and indigenous Indians and exterminated them. He also said that the Nazis came over after the Second World War and hid out here. He said that some towns in Brazil are entirely German.

3-9-06
I had to take a photo of this wood working project that this little guy has been working on outside the hotel for four days.
Wood working project

He comes early in the morning and stays until dark working on it. it is all made out of some sort of hard wood that is probably from the local forest. He has only one power tool and it is a drill. He cuts everything by hand and I really love this saw that he has been using.
Saw X

I got a good early start this morning and made good time all day. It was nice not to have to stop and wait for a couple of cigarettes to be smoked and five people told that we came from xxx and went to xxx xxxx x xx xxxxx xxxxx xxxx xxxx xxx xxxxxxxxxxx x x xxxxxxxx x x xxxxxxxxxxxx xx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxx x and over five mountain ranges and xxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx x xxxxxxxxxxx the end of the world xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxbarge on the amazon xxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx Well you get the idea.

Now it only takes about four minutes at a gas station and ten minutes to eat. It is also nice to let that big yellow dog run and not have to be worried about that little kowasuckie blowing up or having to listen to that loud exhaust. I find the best way to travel on these roads is to get behind someone who knows the road and follow them. I was behind a guy this afternoon that was running between 80 - 85 and we really made some serious miles before I pulled out and went in for gasoline. Going fast really eats the fuel too and it is rather expensive out here in the jungle. I am paying about $5.60 USD or more in some places. There are places in the road where there are bad potholes and sometimes really dangerous events.
Road event X

The road goes through that indigenous Indian reserve and the jungle really has tried to take over the road in spots.
Jungle road X

Outside the reserve the forest has been cut back and I went through several places where they were burning it back.
Burning X

3-10-06
I rode about two hours and made it to the Venezuelan border. The border was one of the easiest I have been through on the trip. Getting out of Brazil was just handing them the paper on the motorcycle and getting a stamp in my passport. Getting into Venezuela was slick. There was a guy working there that needed to practice his English and helped me fill out all the forms and get everything stamped. He said the visa was not necessary which was a relief as all the tour books say it is.
It turned out to be a beautiful ride through some sort of national park. There were several of these structures there and I really like them. they put poles in the ground and then horizontal sticks which they fill with mud. Wattle and daub I think it is called. I saw one up in Monitor Valley in Nevada years ago and it made a good line shack or mining camp.
Huts X

This is a common sight with the satellite dish pointing almost straight up. This is the way they point here at the equator zone.
TV dish X


3-11-06

It turned out to be a long day in the saddle somewhere around 600 miles. I ended up going on into Caracas and on through to the airport north of town about twenty miles. By the time I got there it was getting pretty dark but I went on east to Malcato where I got a room in a hotel with good parking and an internet connection.
I went past this steel mill or at least I think that is what it was. There was this red dust covering everything in the area. There was a large ship there and not sure but I think it was unloading ore. The mill sure was making the sky yucky.
Mill X

I filled up at a gas station after going 94 miles. I gave the attendant a 2,000 Bolivar and got back a 1,000 Bolivar. That works out to about fifty cents a hundred miles. Gas is cheap down here and I was glad of it since I couldn’t get my debit card to work in any of the bank machines I tried. I had very few Bolivar’s that I changed when I crossed the border from Brazil and have to make them stretch. I guess the money thing is some sort of a problem here in Venezuala but not sure why other than these banks don’t deal with American banks or something to give out cash.
3-12-06

I got up and had to wait for the restaurant to open at eight. After breakfast I took the bike out for a ride and thought I would check out the airport and see if I could find the air cargo area that I need to get to and get my bike on the plane. I never did find the air cargo but I did find the international desk and got a price on getting a flight to Miami which looks like will be about $466 give or take but probably give as there seems to be always some sort of fee to pay.
I will ride in tomorrow morning and see if I can get the bike shipped. I have the name of a good person so hopefully everything should fall into place and I can get that big yellow dog home.
I got the hotel clerk to change a hundred dollar US for Bolivar’s so I am good on cash now.
3-13-06

I got the bike all strapped down and ready to fly.
Ready for shipping X

I had to take a moto taxi to the airport for my flight. Actually not too bad a ride even though it was way overloaded. The guy is a good scooter rider.
Mototaxi X



3-14-06

I took the flight yesterday at one o’clock to Miami. It was a three hour flight and a little bumpy in spots but made it safely on the ground. I took a shuttle bus to a hotel and choked at the price as well as the ten dollar tax on top of that…. Oh well, welcome back to the good old USA.
I got up this morning and went across the street for a sausage muffin and a coffee at the McDonalds. Yup, I am back….
I came back to the room and tried to call the air freight company that should have my bike. The number that I was given is wrong!!!!!!!!!!! Now what do I do? Not sure but it will be an interesting day I am sure.

Homeland security X

Found it and had to go through several hoops at customs but finally got it and it looked ok for the trip.
Arrived X

3-16-06
It was a wild fast ride yesterday up to uncle Mikes and I got here about sundown. I found a fire station and the guy there gave me directions to the place. Mike lives in Lakeland, Florida. Mike has a wonderful collection of BMW’s, Triumphs, BSA, Austin Healys and a really nice shop to work in.
Today we took my bike over to his shop and had some welding done by his friend on the mounts for the saddlebags. The weld I had done down the road had broken again but this guy can weld and I think it should make it back to Montana OK where I can really work it over and weld some gussets in and make it stronger.

3-17-06

What a nice day. Mike took me for a ride in his Austin Healey around the town of Lakeland. Lakeland has several lakes and goes back to the early 1900’s. There are some really nice houses and buildings and lots of interesting stuff growing. This Austin has been taken completely apart and rebuilt. It took him several years to complete the job but it is a show winner when he takes it to them. he drove it to Montana several years ago to attend the wedding of Anna and Oscar at the farm.
Austin X

Out at his shop he got out one of his bikes that I really liked the looks of. It is a Triumph Daytona and it is a 500 cc cool little motorcycle. It is almost all original.
Daytona X

He has several nice bikes and I snapped this one of a BMW R60 that he is in the process of restoring. He is very careful person and when he finishes something it is perfect.
BMW project X