All times Colombia. For the love of God!

So if you read this blog with any frequency you're probably tired of hearing it but God dammit. Dammit it all strait to hell! Today's route through the southern mountains of Colombia takes the cake. All I ever seem to talk about is how cool the roads are and how crazy the drive is but you have to understand, and most of you do, that's what I'm doing. I'm driving the Americas and the roads and the shit they wind through is what peaks me out. Other cats will have pictures next to cathedrals, waterfalls, bus stops, and whore houses. I'll have hazy pictures of guardrails, blurry mountains, street people, and whore houses. So atleast we're together where it matters...

I had a Mexi moment yesterday. It's funny because he gave a half assed reason to last years trip: I needed to get away a bit. Try as I did, I never really had that moment last year, but I did yesterday. For those of you interested I'll be glad to talk about it when I get back. Viva Mexi!

Anyway The last few days of solo trekking has been the cats ass for real. I finally feel back at home on the road and right on que it seems Kombi has a problem. She started acting a bit funny as I strolled into town an hour or so ago so we'll have to see how it pans out tomorrow.

Oh and I had a great conversation with these three environmentalist a few days ago about how much I loved the highways in Ecuador, and cheap gas...  As you might imagine they hate that shit, hate it!  No reason to really get into it but sufice to say I had a good time with it.  Later dudes-

Good times, Good times

Northern Ecuador is Fucking amazing. There I said it. I've driven some pretty awe inspiring roads in my day but route 10 from the coast of Ecuador to the interior of the Andes is absolutely stunning. The size of the mountains, the density of the jungle, the waterfalls... Waterfall after waterfall, several thousand feet. Jesus man it was amazing, that's all there is to it. So that was my drive today and I really took my time doing it. (Not that I had a choice, we're in the Andes and Kombi's pace has slowed considerably) For the last three days I've been on the coast of Ecuador bouncing my way north surfing where it looked good. Again there's no swell so that really didn't pan out, but the towns and the people were top notch. So much so that I think I'll be finding my way back here at some point to spend 2-3 weeks exploring all the potential for surfing. I dropped Nate off at the bus stop in Jipjiapa yesterday at 7 am and I'm off solo now till somewhere in central America where I'll hopefully meet up with Chino, who knows. As I write this entry I'm camped at a restaurant in the far north of Ecuador. It's nice and cold and I'm tried and having a beer, so it's gonna be an early night full of great sleep. Con Suerte. I'll cross into Colombia tomorrow and begin what looks like 4-5 strait days of nothing but driving and trying to get to Cartegena as quickly and safely as possible. Here's a couple of pics to pump up the post a bit, keep it real, real homies---

Bienvenidos A Ecuador

After a few days of shredding in northern Peru with little to no swell Nate and I decided to head north to Ecuador.  I have more than a few stories from the last few days but I'm F'ing exhausted and this beer is almost done.  So other than accidentally being tear-gased at the border, the fuel gauge going out on Kombi, meeting a friend from Holland in Lobitos,and randomly running into a dude from the Canarie Islands I surfed with a year ago..... Nothing really is going on.  Still just cold beer and good old fashioned Kombi road trippin.  Oh and we got stopped today for the better part of the afternoon by a road block set-up by local fisherman.  Apparently all the fish are sick or poisoned or something and it's the governor's fault.  F him, he should resign like Joe Pa.,clearly it's his fault...  -Out-

Lit up in Bermejo

Lost in Lima, Beers in Bermejo. Faded, cocktailed, drunk-as-shit, bent. Been there done that hoss. Few cocktailed nights will end as this one is. Nate is asleep in a room with nothing but a bed =, the bed has two mattresses, the room has no electricity. There is no electricity. I'm parked in a back-lot with a few dogs and a candle as security. Secure. Julio has been the right hand man all night, beers, a bed for Nate, and direction on life. He didn't say much but I've known him for a year now(total of 5 days) and his lessons are actions not words. I did lend him a map of Peru though and I think he's found where the town his family members live actually is. Funny how things work out on all ends. Julio, Nate, dogs, fish hands. And here we are, Lit up in Bermejo....

Back to the water from whence we came

Nate is here, things are good. Things are very good. The waves here in Cerro Azul are great to get my sea legs back before heading to north Peru for hopefully some epic shit that will put us in our place. So now that we've settled that things are good we outta back track to a few moments over the past two days when things weren't so good. Remember that as I write this I have a cold beer in hand and things are good.

I was shacked up at the Loki Hostel in Miraflores, Lima for the last three days taking care of the business that is preparing myself and Kombi for the long haul north. All in all I really can't complain but getting Kombi out was a hell of a deal. After an hour or so of negotiating with the hefe of parking at the Thunderbird Hotel and Casino I talked him down from over $1,000 USD to a cold $400. For almost 10 months worth of storage i think it's actually a pretty good deal. Problem is I figured we were basically ready for action after that but I was sorely mistaken; Komb'si insurance(SOAT) and inspection was expired. This morning was supposed to be filled with waves and cold beer but instead it was sitting outside of a SOAT station waiting for insurance (with cold beer). Then waiting in line to be inspected and failing said inspection (with cold beer). Then driving down the road a mere 15 kilometers and having an undetermined breakdown (with cold beer). It took Nate and I about a half hour of trouble shooting possible problems to figure out that we had three lug nuts missing from the left rear wheel and the last two hanging on by may 1.75 threads. Holy shit you have no idea how lucky we were to find out that that was the problem as opposed to anything else. Anything! I was not stoked by the noises I was hearing and immediately thought that this trip was F'd from the start, but NO, just lug nuts. Just the violent slamming of the wheel loose from the hub going down the highway, no big deal. So here we are, Cerro Azul, waves, and COLD ASS BEER. Muy Bueno, Muy Bueno indeed.....

Pictures------

Post 1, Round 2 : Kombi in the clink

I'd like to say that using the term jail is a little harsh, but in reality and given the freedom that Kombi has known, spending the last eight months parked in the cellar of a casino is nothing short of jail. Well I found her today, worked for about three hours and got her purring like a kitten again. I got extremely lucky on two accounts: the battery wasn't dead, and I was able to seat a completely flat tire without high pressure air and taking it off of the van. Amazing, lucky, both, but it's done and she's ready to roll.  With an air of confidence and spirits high I reached the security gate without incident and Kombi could taste her freedom....  Then the bad news; not only was she not allowed out today (Sunday) but it looks like it may be upwards of $300 USD to bounce her from the clink. Well if it's three hundo I'll pay it and I'll pay it with a smile on my face because I found her and she's in good health. Suppose I'll found out tomorrow.... Oh and I found a staple in my rice today at lunch, a little early in the trip to be worrying about my intestinal health.  That'll come later, guaranteed.

I plan on posting a lot more this trip so keep your eyes on the blog and stay in touch.  Wish me luck as I steer this rig north and take Kombi home.  Colorado here we come.

-William P
 

Returning to Kombi

It's a decision I made somewhere in the mountains of Bolivia and a promise I knew wouldn't be easy to keep, but here we are, the tickets are purchased, the route is set, and the dream will be realized.  In two months I'll be flying back down to Peru on a one way shot to get Kombi and head north, head north all the way to Fort Collins, CO USA.  This is just a quick update for all those cats that have been asking what I did with the ol' girl and where my next trip is going to be.  I'm confident I can drive her home in somewhere around 6-8 weeks with a whole F load of surfing along the way.  I can't wait to really fire this blog back up and get back to life on the road.  See you then old friends.