Out to Pasture goes Nikon

Have always traveled with either one or two cameras when going anywhere. Various small point-n-shoot pocket cameras has always been on board on all my travels. But when the trip calls for it, a larger DSLR camera for landscape shots with sharper details is carried too. 

Last weekend, was the wedding of our youngest son Sergio and Amanda. A professional photographer was hired for the wedding, but not for the rehearsal. Knowing they would have a pro taking wedding photos, I left the DSLR at home. Then seeing no one was taking photos at the rehearsal, out came the old reliable Nikon point-n-shoot.

The preacher explaining tomorrow's ceremony to Serg and Amanda.

The wedding venue is on a high cliff overlooking the green valley of fields below.  

Late afternoon light filters thru a canopy of leaves as mother of the bride watches over the rehearsal.

This Nikon point-n-shoot has been the old reliable camera for discrete street photography as well as quick snaps of people, places and events when the larger DSLR would attract too much attention. 

The other night, I took a few candid pix with the old Nikon at the photography club meeting. I noticed it was not getting the sharp details like before. Okay images but not great.

This pocket camera is a Nikon Coolpix S9900 with a Nikkor 30X power optical zoom lens. While it can still capture a decent image now and then.... it could do much better.

Now over the past week or so, I realized this camera has been banging around with me on motorcycles, sidecars, trucks, cars, trains and planes over the past six years. Been to Alaska several times, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, South Africa and many trips in between. 

Looking closer, it is showing its age...

Has a few nicks and dings... then noticed the guide letters are worn off. Who remembers if the shutter priority or manual mode was before or after the aperture priority? I don't!

Looking at the quality of recent photos and the condition of the camera itself, I realized it's time to open the wallet and find a replacement. 

Before reading volumes of camera reviews and recommendations, first is to decide what are my requirements in a point-n-shoot replacement. 

Not necessarily in order of priority...

1). Pocketable - no big lens sticking out, must be lightweight and fit in a side pocket

2) Discreet - people don't like having a big camera lens stuck in their face. Nothing chrome or flashy. In some cultures people demand payment for taking their photo or refuse completely.

3). Quality lens and sensor, extreme telephoto not needed. The DSLR camera handles that work.

4). Fast autofocus - some great photo opportunities only last a second or two, then are gone.

5). Better light gathering capabilities in low light situations

6). Captures great details for Black & White photo work

7). Easy to handle and use with one hand while riding a motorcycle

8). Durable to withstand bumps and drops

9). Proven design for quality photos and reliability

10). Affordable so not to worry too much about dropping in a river.

Then spent several days reading the various camera reviews, descriptions and reader comments to narrow down the camera field. Finally I selected a known brand that am already familiar with... a SONY.  Ordered one of their small point-n-shoot models... amazoned it.

The old Nikon Coolpix S9900 will soon be retired. Its replacement is in the mail.

On an upcoming Fly-n-Ride from California back to Texas in a few weeks, will put the new SONY through its paces. The photos taken during that trip will determine if the pocket SONY RX100 V was a good choice or not.

Ride safe ya'll

CCjon

Changing rigs... again!

Just when you think all is settled in for a while,   BAM... up pops change.

Was not actively working on selling the BMW R1200RT/Hannigan rig, just maybe thinking about it. Then I saw a posting from a gentleman in Chicago looking for a well built touring sidecar for him and his wife. That describes the RT perfectly, plus it is the most beautiful sidecar rig I have ever owned - a Teutonic sportscar on three wheels. Sent him the details, the photos, the price - short story is, we came to terms.

Mark is flying down to Houston, his son Daniel is flying in from California and they are going to ride the German beauty north to Illinois.  Well, there goes the only rig I have for hauling the grandkids around ...or so I thought.

Before Mark left to ride north, had to show him a little of the Texas countryside. Wildflowers are blooming, all is green., temps in the mid-seventies. Great day to be out riding.

Once again browsing the sidecar world online ( no one ever warned me as to how dangerous it is to wander alone in the internet wilds),  up pops a posting for a 2015 water-cooled BMW GSA/EZS sidecar for sale in Santa Barbara. Have never had a Dutch sidecar but hear the EZS rigs are quite the cat's meow. Well, another story short, that rig is now mine. Though I have to go to California to pick it up. 

Weather is looking good for a fly-n-ride in April. Will take the slow route and hope for many photo opportunities along the way. 

Is not as pretty as the RT rig, but much more functional with the right kind of modifications for my type of riding. Plus I can still give the grandkids rides. 

That rig looks right at home exploring national forest roads.

Or, one could bop on down to the local Starbucks... but that's not my cup of tea.

So the world turns and we change with it. 

I WILL see you out on the road this year.

Be safe, ya'll

CCjon

As a side note or add-on,  entered my first photography competition in the Northwest Houston Photo Club. This photo  "The Storyteller" brought home a second place ribbon.

Learning Portraits

Have heard it said that fear is a stronger motivator than pleasure. It stops us from doing so many things we want to do but won't because we are afraid of failing. 

Some might say after experiencing too many failures, one learns to quit trying. That may be, but my view is, having experienced many different types of failures more than once, you can learn to look past your fear of it. After all, it never was the end of the world, just a bump in the road.

So many cliches can be quoted about success and failure, but suffice it to say
 overcoming one's fear of failure is a great trait to have. 

Am saying this to admit to having a fear of taking portraits. As I delve deeper into photography the more that fear of having to work up close with people... all their personalities...  grew. Never have I work with models in my photography because I am uncomfortable in telling them how or where to pose, what to do or not do.  Even asking their permission to take their photo. Is it fear of rejection...?  WOW, hadn't thought much about that since dating days many decades ago. 

While still recovering from the accident, am pushing myself in new directions with my photography. Subject matter that is new to me but old hat to professional photographers.  But PORTRAITS.... ah, risk failure?  Really need to try it, but....      whimp! Just do it!

What you are about to see here are both portrait failures and a few photos I like. If I did not show you the failures too I would not be completely honest with you or myself.

A Model?  Who will be my model(s)? A family friend has twin daughters that I took snapshots of a year or so ago in New Mexico came to mind. What better than to take photos of someone familiar. Asked our friend if she, her twin girls and her mother could maybe be models for my learning experience. We agreed to take the photos in their home.

Recently have been studying using natural light for all types of photography including portraits. Fits in great with my equipment limitations as I do not have a photo studio with lots of professional lighting gear. Just a camera and a tripod.

 I called to set up the photo session on a moments notice because the sun was bright that day. In the afternoon it would at the right angle where I wanted it. Arriving with just a tripod and camera, am sure they had their doubts. They suggested they sit outside, using the natural light and green outdoor space in their back yard as their previous photographers had done. Declining that offer, I said I wanted to look around their home to find a slightly darken room with afternoon light coming in thru a window.
The den will work.

First model, started with Daughter #1. Photographer failure!  Am not happy with the pose or the shots because mentally I was still thinking in that old school mode of posing and lighting people. It even looks like your typical graduation photo, only worse. Stale, lacking any personal feeling. This image did not do this beautiful young lady any justice. Makes her look much older than she is. Operator error. While the subject is beautiful the photo is bad.

Sorry #1, can we try again another day? She agreed.

With Daughter #2, I loosened up, got more experimental, her photos took on a more daring look. Found the right amount of natural light, let shadows play across her face, creating dimension, a little mystery, bringing out more of her playful personality.

Another shot of Daughter #2 captured less mystery, more relaxed, but still interesting light and shadow play. Pros would call pix of daughter #2 a head shot, not a portrait. 

Am learning here... or so I thought. 

Now...on to Model #3, their mother.

Model #3, Mother, I completely lost the light and mood. There is a challenge in using only natural light, in that it is not constant. It comes and goes. Clouds block the light, maybe they will reopen, maybe not. After reviewing Mother's photos, they were all thrown in the trash. Could not capture her.  She agreed to allow me to try another day. 

Mother returned to the kitchen, on to the next model...

Now Model #4, while situating this elegant lady the bright natural light came back. Quickly clicking away, was able to capture the radiance and smile of her beauty before the light faded again. 

Final model, #5, the grandmother. We are still using the same window, same seat, same light streaming in, but this model was not warming up to the photographer. 

Was suspicious, not trusting. 

The eyes..., "What do you think you are doing in my home?"

Then came a break, one of her granddaughters cracked a joke, she looked up and laughed.  

Click. Got it.  

After the session we retired to the kitchen, visiting while the meal was being prepared. Here my old standby style of photography kicked in... tell a story with the photo.  Something I am very comfortable with and know what to do.  No posing. Just capturing people going about what they do every day.

Title this photo:  Grandma's Snap Peas.

As is the case 99% of the time, one's fears and apprehensions are all imagined.

 The portrait session turned out well for my first practice. No one died. 

A few good photos were captured, a lot was learned. 

Gaining confidence I can do better the next time.

Doing these exercises will make me a better photographer when I get back on the road.

Ride safe my friend,

CCjon

Cabin Fever Classroom

While recuperating from the pedestrian accident last month, decided being homebound was a good time to sharpen some photo editing skills, maybe even learn a new technique or two.

After downloading images from the camera to the computer, the editing process begins with questions:  First, is there a good composition within the raw photo that can be brought out?

Is the subject matter interesting or attractive?

If not an interesting subject, can it be a good abstract design?

What do I want the viewer to see or look at?

Does the image suggest a certain mood, feeling or attitude?

Any distractions need eliminating?

Any details that need to be brought out?

Any technical flaws needs correcting?

This first photo is one of eight taken all within a minute or two, pre-dawn of an Alaskan fishing boat. With the sun not up yet, lighting is dim, not much color to work with, a foggy mist, the boat was constantly moving, changing direction and position. Background details are muted and mushy.

I always try to compose a photo before snapping the shutter button so the amount of cropping required is reduced. No cropping was required on this one, but editing can improve it.

BEFORE

After removing all color except red, added a copper tint overlay then remove some of the mist from the background, the tree are now sharp without completely removing the morning fog. The far left shore is brought into play in the scene and the remaining red on the boat creates a focal point for the eyes. The feeling of pre-dawn light and ocean mist is preserved while bring out details in the image.

AFTER

*********

Next photo is of a new overpass in Houston, not far from home. Though the composition is good and the golden hour light warms the scene,  the colors in the yellow and red signs detracted. They are not where I want the viewer to look.  

BEFORE

By converting to a black and white image, the image is now an abstract design of light and dark shapes and lines, playing off of each other, making the eye dance around looking for an anchor point until it pulls back and focuses on the image as a whole. While it first appears busy and jumbled, once you pull back and see it as a whole, it is quite simple, pleasing and clean. No cropping needed.

AFTER

************

Liked this photo from the time I first saw it in the camera. But when downloaded to the computer, the eye wants to focus on the guys face.  Which is normal but not where I want the viewer to look. Plus there are several other distractions in the photo. By cropping out the electrical box, part of the menu sign and the colorful red poster, the image is now less busy. Too many items in a photo only confuses the viewer, they don't know where you want them to look.

BEFORE

With the image cropped, could now work on improving the details and focal point. In the original, the stucco wall lacked detail yet the strong color pulls attention to it. The red in the poster attracted too much attention. 

Converted the image to black and white, pulled up the wall details and enhance the contrast so the eye's focus moves from the man's face to the oversized dark shadow lighting a cigarette on a highly textured surface. The wall's texture is an important image element as it dominates the scene's backdrop adding a tactile sensation.

The Spanish menu sign, the rough stucco wall, smoking in public, exaggerated shadow figure all give a feeling of another country, another culture. far, far away. The image is reduced the three elements.

AFTER

**********

In this next image I could see in my minds eye where I wanted it to go, but now how to get there. It took more thought and trying different approaches to finally bring out a story. 

BEFORE

First, being taken in a large open courtyard, the man is much too small to see details so cropping is needed.  The gap or distance between the man and the wheelchair needed to be emphasized more by removing a lot of excess building. Cropping will do that.

So the viewer can write their own story of what they see here, they need to be able to see the man's posture and the separation from the chair. Color was removed as the desired mood conveyed is not one of joy. The building details did not add to the story but took away attention, so color was removed.  As is, the background is secondary to the story. Many times in a color photo the details in the background will overshadow the image or the focal point the photographer wants to emphasize. By removing color as an element, the background has less importance,  the background details are less dominating.

With the scene now set, the viewer's focus is on the only three variables in the image:  the man, the wheelchair and the distance between them. The viewer will create a story in their mind as to what is going on.

**********

As you can see here, there were not major or radical changes made to the BEFORE images, making them totally unrecognizable from the original. No, editing many times is a simple tweaking, adjusting or shifting of focus to bring out the best in a photo.

Every photo demands a different approach to bring out their best, to serve a purpose. Some are for telling stories, others to add details to the written narrative in the blog, still others are pure artistic expressions to appeal to the eye and mind.

I have heard some comment that photos should be shown exactly as they are taken. In response to that, I'll defer to the Dean of American landscape photography, Ansel Adams. 

Quote, "Good photos are taken, great photos are made."

The editing process starts with many questions and the finished image will either answer questions for the viewer or create new questions in the viewer's mind. It's all in the intent of the photographer/artist. 

Photography can be a great vocation or a great avocation, that will challenge one's mind and creativity. So many different skills to learn, so many different stories to tell. While I enjoy learning new photo editing techniques, polishing old skills, pushing the photo images in new directions, they still only reflect what happens in life out on the road. 

Am getting cabin fever not being able to ride. So to appease the wandering mind, have been making riding plans for this summer. 

What repairs or servicing needs to be done to which rig? 

Where to go? 

Which route to take? 

How long will it take?

Ride safe, ride far, hope to see you on down the road.

CCjon

Florida Motorcycle Shipping

So what does it really cost to airfreight a motorcycle from Miami to Bogotá, Colombia? 

After the airlines charge, the next largest expense is crating the bike even if it is air freight. Is it necessary? Not really... BUT the US Customs requires it. 
So if you want to ship from the US, crate it.

MERFLEX International, our shipping agent in both Miami and Bogotá, broke down the cost for shipping my nephew's Colombian registered motorcycle. 

Prices in US$, does not include any costs on the Colombian end: as of 01-14-2019

Airway Bill                                                      $30.00

Airfreight by volume:                                   $1096.25

(What the airline charges)

Export Declaration Handling Custom         $125.00

Ibs delivery to airport                                  $58.02

Handling and services by weight                $43.85

Completing Dangerous Goods Form           $95.00

DG Airline Fee (UN3166)                             $125.00

Crating Service                                              $500.00

Complete Declaration of Export                  $30.00

                                    Total US$                  2,103.12

Note:  This is for a Vstrom650 fully loaded, stacked high with spare tires and gear.  The air freight cost by volume would have been less if the front tire, windshield, mirrors were removed and the excess gear was stored along side the bike.  Not knowing if we would be allowed to reassemble the bikes at the airport in Bogotá, we opted for leaving them ready to ride off the pallet and go.  The fuel tanks were almost empty as required. They did not ask that we disconnect the batteries. 

While a complete crate was required for leaving the US, if shipping from Colombia north, a pallet and shrink wrap would have been sufficient.

Does anyone actually look at the cargo leaving the US?  

The Customs did!  After his inspection, the officer applied bright green tape to the bike, 
clearing it for shipping.

Of course the crate for my KLR sidecar rig was even larger. 

Cost for Crating Service: $750.00.

Luckily I was able to stop the shipping process right after the accident, prior to the crate being handled over to the airlines and Customs for inspection. 

The KLR was removed from the crate so my son could haul it back to Texas. MERFLEX said they would stored my $750 crate knocked down, until I was ready to go again. 

So how did we get the KLR back to Texas?

My son Alan drove my truck without dragging a big trailer to Florida to retrieve me. Once there we looked at several options for getting the KLR home:

1). Uship, est. $1000+ plus waiting for a shipper to come get it 

2). UHaul, rent an auto transport for $650+ taxes and fees. They did not offer any other size trailer for a one way use to Texas. 

3).  Craigslist, maybe find a suitable trailer close by that's available now. Found two on the other side of the state near Tampa, a days drive there and back plus both were over $2000 each.

Every day we are in Miami is costing $300 for motel and food. After several dead ends and missed buys, on Sunday we see a new ad pop up. A 12' by 77" wide open cargo trailer 45 miles north of where we are. Quickly arranging a meet with the seller, we take off north. After inspecting the 3 year old trailer, we bought it $850 (cash from my SA travel stash).  However it has no spare tire.

Next morning we locate a nearby a boat trailer shop who sells parts and spares. The owner looks at the trailer, then drags out a used spare tire/wheel he says will fit. 

Next pick up the KLR, load it and get out of Miami.

The story should end with us safely arriving back in Houston with the KLR in tow, but... 

it was not to be.

Seventy miles east of Houston in heavily traffic on I-10, a trailer tire on the driver's side blows!  6:10 p.m.

Alan safely steers the truck and trailer off the highway, stopping behind a flashing traffic warning light with big orange barrels around it. A safe place to stop. 

Using the truck's jack and lying on the pavement as traffic whizzes by within a few feet, Alan jacks up the trailer, removes the blown tire. Struggling to mount the spare, it won't go. We finally determine the Florida trailer guy sold us the wrong size spare wheel... *_^#$*#)*!@#$%^&* 

Okay, let try the truck's spare tire. Doh..wrong size too. We finally call AAA for a tow.

As we wait, Alan suggests having the AAA driver take one of us to the nearest WalMart with the trailer wheel. There get a new tire mounted and come back. It is now 6:40 p.m. The nearest Walmart is only ten minutes away. Calling them to see if they have the size tire we need, they inform Alan the auto department closes at 7 p.m.

At 7:40 p.m. the AAA driver finally arrives. Disconnecting the trailer from my truck, he loads it and the KLR on his flatbed wrecker.  He agrees to haul it to my home in Houston, 68 miles away. Alan and I take my truck sans trailer home.

Next day we place the Florida trailer up for sale for what we paid for it. Sold.

Broke even, except for the spare tire fiasco. 

This is the second time I had to buy a trailer to haul a sidecar across the country, then sell the trailer for what it cost me. Cheaper than renting...

**************************************** 

Back home in Texas, several people sent me articles about how unsafe it is 

for pedestrians in Miami.

Wish I had seen this BEFORE I went to Miami..... might have been a little more cautious.

https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article224923045.html


*******************************

Now home for three weeks, am slowing recuperating. Follow up doctors appointment next week.  Can even drive a little but haven't tried riding a sidecar yet. Swinging the right leg up and over a seat is a challenge.

Thanks for all the well wishes. 

Ride safe ya'll, but please be careful when walking in Florida...

CCjon

Hackin' South America... or NOT!

South America is not in the cards for me.  Not today anyways...

Walking along the very busy NW 72nd Avenue in Miami, from the motel to the MERFLEX office/warehouse, am thinking today we send the crates to the airlines for a firm shipping price. Then on to customs and get a firm ship date. Visions of riding South America are dancing in my head.

 As I approach the NW 44th street intersection, there are several vehicles waiting to turn right onto 72nd. The young driver of a white SUV is intently look right for a gap in traffic so she can jump out into the flow. Pausing for a moment, I see there are no gaps and process to cross the well marked intersection, walking directly in from the the SUV. 

Suddenly, without looking ahead, the young driver takes her foot off the brake and accelerates, hitting me, throwing my body into a spin and slamming me to the pavement....

Lying next to her front tire, my eyes are closed, unwilling to open. Am conscious, but unable to move. I hear people frantically talking but don't understand their words. Finally I hear someone ask if I need an ambulance, I nod, weakly whisper "Yes". 

In my mind alarms are blaring as I mentally search my body, rapidly looking for damage: broken bones, ruptured organs, trouble breathing, rapid heart rate.... anything that might indicate life ending injuries.

So the is how it happens... one minute you are walking along, healthy and strong, the next you are sprawled out on the pavement wondering if this is where it ends. Thoughts of Patsy, the wife of a good friend came to mind. Patsy was out for her regular evening walk when a car backing out of a neighborhood driveway hit and ran over her, forever changing her and her husband's life. Her physical and mental damage was permanent; he became her caregiver for his remaining years.

By the time EMS arrived I was able to stand with the help of a stranger. By now, I felt no bones were broken, mental alarms are quiet now. breathing is returning to normal except for the short quick breath I draw with every excruciating pain felt when I move. Eyes are open, the mind's fog is slowly clearing. Am aware where the pain is, where it is coming from. Sharp pain teaches what movements NOT to make.

Luckily no tires ran over any part of my body, but there is severe pain in the back and right leg. No bleeding, multiple bruises of course.

Looking at the white SUV, I could see in the dirt on the hood where my hands reached out in defense, to protect the body. I must have been mid-stride when she accelerated as the leg closest to the SUV was not injured, but the right leg which was carrying my weight at the time of impact, was very sore.

Limping with assistance,  I work my way over to the curb so the Miami/Dade EMS guys can take vitals and ask their questions.

A Deputy Sheriff arrives to do her job: issuing the young driver a ticket, and me...  a ride back to the motel.

The motel office has Advil PM which I take, go to bed and sleep the rest of the day.

The next morning I assess the situation and what it means. Reluctantly I force myself to admit that South America is off the table. A multi-month adventure ride must start with a rider in tip-top condition, both mentally and physically. I am not. My back would not take bone jarring rides on unpaved roads for hundreds of miles, I cannot even swing my right leg high enough to get on a bike.

Calling home to Texas, I explain what has happened. I ask my middle son Alan, to drive to Florida to bring me and the KLR rig back home.  

"Oh, and bring some pain medicine with you, I'll need it".

Where I was dealt a bad hand...

Note: Returned over the weekend to take photos of the site. Not much traffic on Sunday.

CCjon

p.s. And everybody thinks motorcycling is dangerous... try walking in Miami. 

Hackin' South America Part #1 Getting there

Getting the rig to SA

January 8, 2019

Leaving in a cool 42 degree weather, rode the Grey Phantom 1240 miles from my home near Houston to Miami International Airport. After four days on the road, pulled the Kaswasaki KLR650 hack into the MERFLEX International warehouse in Miami, Florida. MERFLEX is an air freight agent with experience in shipping merchandise, including motorcycles, to Colombia. 

Leaving Texas country

Texas Gulf Coast

Carlos and Johana, the MERFLEX owners, will crate the bike, contract with the airlines and handle all the customs/export paperwork in the US. I plan to remain in Miami until all administrative/export paper work  has been approved and the flight date set. Then I’ll fly to Colombia to retrieve the Grey Phantom from Colombian customs and continue riding south to Chile.

The area around the airport is very international

Why air fright to Colombia? Why not ocean shipping in a container? Isn’t air more expensive and troublesome?

Over the past three years my friend Tony DePaul and I have been trying to get his DR650 and my KLR rig down to Colombia so we could ride South America.  Over the course of those three years, we have pursued leads, ads, internet comments, suggestions, ride reports information and advice, all in vain in getting our bikes to South America in a safe and cost effective manner. 

Inside the MERFLEX warehouse

Before you ask, why are we skipping over Central America, going straight to South America? Two reasons: first, Central America is going through a lot of turmoil and political disruption right now. Two gringos on motorcycles attracts attention, too much unwanted attention to our way of thinking. Second, I had already ridden a Yamaha thru Central America when there was a shooting war between El Salvador and Honduras many years ago. You don’t have to go to a war zone to have an adventure. Been there through Central America, did it, now for something new. There several countries in South America where my front tire has not laid tracks.

Remember the seasons are reversed in South America. Their summer is our winter.  We wanted to ship in December/January to be there for their summer. 

What are the shipping options? Only two: ocean freight or airfreight!

Even if you rode down through Central America to Panama, you would still have to ship your bike either by sea or by air across the Darien Gap to Colombia. There is a well-known sailing ship that carry bikes and passengers from Colon, Panama to Cartagena. But after seeing photos of the simple rigging they use to load and off-load motorcycles, sometimes into dugout canoes to take ashore, I would not trust them to handle a heavy lop-sided sidecar rig.  While not normal, there have been incidents where motorcycles were dropped into the salty drink during the loading process. 

Remove windshield and mirrors to reduce size and cost to ship.

Ocean Freight:  

You may have heard that is the most affordable and secure way to go.  Your first hurdle will be finding an ocean freight agent who not only knows how to ship separately owned motorcycles (a complete set of documents is required for each individual motorcycle) in one container but is willing to do the complex detailed paperwork to make it happen. Living on the Texas coast, the logical plan would have been to ship both bikes from Houston to Cartagena, Colombia, and not have to take the bikes to either the east or west coasts.

Second Hurdle: We followed several leads on sharing a container with other people shipping goods to Colombia. Those never materialized. 

I have used an agent to consolidate different owner’s motorcycles into one container in the past.  My experience went well, no complaints. However more recently there have been several posting about the same agent is accused of over charging, misrepresentation, not communicating promptly, not refunding deposits, etc., so I will no longer use his services. 

Third Hurdle: Freight Consolidation. One can turn their motorcycle over to an ocean shipping company and they will consolidate it with merchandise going to the same port. Unfortunately shipper will not assure you WHEN your bike will arrive at the desired port. They wait until their have a full container before shipping. There are many horror stories on the internet about people trying this method. In spite of many assurances and promises of a quick arrival, riders have waited for months for their bike to reach them. Too often they are already in the foreign country waiting, paying for hotel and food, waiting and waiting.  

A major part of the problem is motorcycle shipping is such a miniscule market to the ocean shipping companies. There is no priority or urgency to delivery a low profit item promptly. 

The types of ships that agree to carry our bikes can be diverted from their original destination if a larger more profitable cargo becomes available. One story circulated of a RTW rider shipping his bike from northwest US to southeast Asia. The ship the bike was on was redirected while crossing the Pacific. So the ship's captan left the crated motorcycle on the dock in Tokyo.  The owner waited months until another shipper agreed to pick it up and finally deliver it. Any recourse for the rider? None. 

A hurdle on the other end. While not insurmountable but a headache still, there have been many stories of delays and issues in getting foreign registered motorcycles quickly processed into Colombia through Cartagena.  While motorcycles coming into Colombia via air are quickly processed with no issues. In asking a Colombian attorney about this, he replied the laws are the same in all of the country, but the interpretation is different in different offices.  On the coast, their approach is you are importing a used vehicle. That is not allowed. You must convince them you are only transiting Colombia on your motorcycle on your way to Ecuador. 

At the airport in Bogota, they assume as a foreigner, you will be continuing your ride south out of Colombia.  They assume no one air freights a used motorcycle into Colombia for import. Too costly. 

There was no problem that Tony lives in Rhode Island (he could truck his bike down south in December), but… that we could not find a Houston ocean freight agent willing to find us a container and handle the paperwork. 

Strapping to a pallet for air freighting

Air Freight:

Tony responded to an ad he saw posted by LANCHILE, the Chilean airlines, to air freight you and your motorcycle for one low price from Canada. For some reason the US Customs places a lot of obstacles on US carriers to transport motorcycles. So the LANCHILE offer sounded attractive even though we would have to  get our bikes to Toronto in winter. After many phones calls, we learned, LANCHILE only wanted to fly you and your bike to Europe, not to Colombia, even though they fly into Bogota. 

The air cargo world is like any other business, supply and demand.  US Airlines are not going to ship a motorcycle on the same plane as they carry passengers. But trying to air freight out of Houston to Bogota proved to be one dead end after another.  Not many cargo planes fly direct between Houston and Colombia.  Which lead us to Miami. 

Colombia is huge exporter of flowers to the US and Europe. Almost daily cargo planes full of flowers arrive in Miami where the merchandise is rerouted to other US cities. Many of those planes return to Colombia half empty. 

When my Colombian nephew Nestor wanted to ship his bike from Bogota across the Darien Gap to Panama, he used a Bogota airfreight company called MERFLEX International.  He was very pleased with their service and pricing. They mentioned that when he was ready to ship his motorcycle back to Colombia to contact their office in Miami.

Side note: Nestor showed up at our home in Texas last summer. I agreed to guide him to Alaska. In return he offered to guide me in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru where he has many friends and contacts.  During the Alaska ride last August, Tony rode out from Rhode Island to join us in the western states. 

After several phone conversations with Johana, MERFLEX ‘s Miami office manager, Nestor and I agreed we would deliver the bikes to their warehouse and have them do the necessary crating, inspections and documentation for the bikes to go to Colombia.

Unfortunately due to the years of delay in finding a shipping solution and a change in work demands, Tony had to withdraw from the South American adventure.  Tony is a full time working writer, while Nestor and I are both retired.  Tony can and does work from the road as evidenced by his many multi-month cross-country motorcycle rides in the US. If you have read and enjoyed the Phantom series in your local newspaper, then you can thank Tony DePaul, the writer. Recently there appeared a few new writing opportunities on Tony’s horizon. He needs to be available in the US to pursue them.  Another time and place my friend.

The bikes are crated and ready to go. Tomorrow we take the crates to the airlines for a final pricing. Then the customs processing starts.

More to come...

CCjon