Colombia (Cartagena), Part 1: Horrible!

This week in Colombia was not fun.  We tried not to post anything negative until our bikes were free and clear, just in case, but now its time to get a few things off our chests!

The Stahlratte has been bringing bikes from Panama to Colombia for twelve years.  Recently they changed a law regarding importing bikes via sailboats specifically, citing concerns about smuggling.  Ludwig had to cancel the trip before ours and take a trip without passengers here so that he could negotiate with them.  Seemed like everything was sorted so our trip set sail as planned.

Fast forward to when we get to Colombia and they decide not to honor their deal.

We spent an entire week going back and forth from our AirBnB to the boat.  We would have breakfast, wait for the call, and then go back to shore.

We spent countless hours like this:

On the first day of sorting things out, the customs woman, Matilda, decided to take a personal day even though they already started working with her. Later days she just avoided everybody all together.  Eventually, Ludwig and his agent went to see the customs lady in person.  They got a conversation started and she just walked away from them.  They found her somewhere a little while later and she walked away again.

There is a lot of "greasing" going on in these countries and the working theory is that she was paid to give us a hard time.  I hope someday we get to find out the whole story.

Meanwhile, we all pick up a bit of food poisoning.  The day before we actually got the bikes I thought I was going to have to go to the emergency room it was so bad. 

Finally, we get the call that we are cleared to go.  When we arrived at the boat they already had three of the bikes unloaded.  Ludwig worked out a deal with a dock to unload the bikes the way they were loaded, but when the time came they said we had to wait.  So Ludwig, and crew, unloaded the motorcycles using a skiff and brute force because now we had an appointment at the customs office to make.

We get to the customs office around 8, as planned.  Within half an hour the inspections were done and the paperwork was on Matilda's desk.  We sat with Ludwig's agent in the waiting room, just waiting for her to put her signature on the papers.  And we waited, and we waited up until the lunch break was looming.  The agent went back several times to check with her and nothing happened.  Eventually he sent Ryan back to try to appeal to her.  She said 15 minutes.  About 30 minutes later we all went back and she shooed us away.

Finally, minutes before the city shuts down for lunch, she decided to sign the papers and we were out the door.

Last stop, mandatory insurance.  Because the city shuts down for lunch, the insurance office was closed.  We had our own lunch and then waited for them to open at 1:30.  When they opened, they informed us that the guy that does motorcycles was not there and they were not sure when he would be back.  They sent us to another place and we waited until they opened at 2:00.  They couldn't help us and sent us to a third place, whose system was down and couldn't help us either.  Par for the course!

We eventually took the bikes back to the AirBnB and got a cab (part of the way into the city) and we hoofed it, Blues Brothers style, to the top of a building where they were going to be closing shortly.  They could help, but naturally they needed copies and did not have a copy machine.  An office two floors down agreed to help but their copy machine stopped working. 

In the end, Steve was able to get insurance.  Yuri could not because his bike was too old to be in the system and Ryan and I have to wait for another day.

God damn it.

At this point, we are far too late to make our dates with the girls in Quito.  After another long battle, we decided the best solution was just to stay here in Cartegena.  The girls will have a day in Quito to see the equator and eat cuy and then they will fly to meet us here for the rest of the week. 

It was tough being stranded and in limbo for so long but we tried to make the most of it.  It really is a beautiful city and I am looking forward to our visitors!

The view from La Popa, before our souls were crushed. 

Huge historic fort here.  Apparently ready to lay siege on the new city.

Circus Terror is in town, I hope it's still here when the girls are!

This is what our afternoons looked like every time we left the boat for another day in town.

Check out this fountain!

Sloths!  This one's a baby!

One of the traditional dishes we crammed in.

In addition to the fort, there are some old city walls that surround the old town.

This fascinating guy was weird but delicious.  I can't remember what it was called...

I probably should mention that in addition to the waiting, and the food poisoning, we were also broken into.  It wasn't that bad, we left the key in the door... anyway, we were in the room sleeping.  Steve heard somebody come in and chased him out.  When we followed up with our host the next day she had some additional security installed around the perimeter.

Finally!  

Keep an eye out for Cartagena, Part 2.  That will be with Nadine and Sarah and will be a much happier post!