‘Before I knew it my bike was hoisted into the air and dangling over the side’
It’s not all plain sailing for our Scrambler-riding globe-trotter
HAVING RIDDEN THROUGH Colombia I was completely taken aback by Cartagena’s beauty and friendly atmosphere. It was in stark contrast to Medellín, where I had stayed a few nights ago. I had a great time in Medellín thanks to the Ducati crew and the Gentleman’s Ride host, Gustavo. That said, it’s not a place I felt safe walking around — the levels of drug addiction and poverty are visually evident. Accidentally booking myself into a love hotel in the worst part of town didn’t help things. No wonder it was cheap…
Cartagena boasts a colourful and vibrant culture which is reflected in the colonial buildings, painted accordingly and draped in flowers. Great food is available everywhere and it’s still cheap, despite being a holiday destination.
After a few days enjoying the city, the time came to load my Ducati Scrambler Desert Sled onto The Stahlratte and sail to Panama. Watching my bike being pushed up a tiny ramp into an equally tiny dinghy and bob away across the harbour was slightly unnerving. I had to remind myself these guys are part and parcel of the crossing between Colombia and Panama (bridging the 60-mile, unrideable Darién Gap) and are, as such, pretty well rehearsed.
We ate breakfast on the boat the next day and then set sail. The sea was relatively calm but the swell swayed the boat constantly and sometimes violently. For a few hours I was unsure whether or not I was going to fall victim to sea sickness but luckily I manage to stave it off and grew accustomed to the monotonous rocking. Unfortunately, the same couldn’t be said for everyone on board, which must have made for a miserable journey.
On day one we were accompanied by a dolphin for a short while and in the evening, flying fish leapt into the air. Sea air and the chugging drone of the motor made me more sleepy than 14 hours on a motorcycle, and I fell asleep in the early evening.
We arrived at the lagoon in the late afternoon of day two — strong currents had slowed our progress and delayed our arrival. The night had been choppy and I had been woken by a particularly big swell a few times. It was certainly nice to reach calmer waters. Me and Meluzine, another biker and the only other passenger on the ship, swam out to a nearby island where we found the empty shell of a turtle. Locals came and sold lobsters and red snapper which made for an exceptional meal. After dinner, we tentatively clambered into the locals’ canoes and were paddled out to an island for a bonfire.
Day three was spent at the lagoon, snorkelling on a selection of the many coral reefs. It’s been a dream of mine to snorkel on a reef and it did not disappoint. We were taken to the outer reef later on and saw manta rays and a shark.
We left for Carti on day four and before I knew it, my bike was hoisted into the air and dangling over the side of the boat before landing safely on the dock. Back on dry land, we rode out to the nearest airport to complete customs procedures and then on to Panama City. Continent number five of the trip and, if I dare say it, the home straight back to Britain!