4th March

One has a lot of time to think in ones helmet and i've spent the last 5 days doing it on my lonesome and it's difficult for me to understand where all this pettiness originates.
However i've just read the blog for the 1st time in a few days and particularly the last comments.
I think i have a better idea now.
As far as i was aware this blog was set up for 4 bikers who were about to set out on the trip of a lifetime ,and designed for them to relate their many experiences on the way.
For the past 6 months,since long before the trip started,I have,for better or worse put whatever feelings i've had into writing for my wife and family and hopefully one day my 3 grandkids to read and hopefully enjoy.
If at any stage I had believed before my departure that this blog was ¨owned¨ by any separate entity I would have set up my own long before departure.In fact I have ,on numerous occassions asked Lindsay whether i owed anything in this regard.
If I knew that I could at any time expect to have whatever i write censured in any way I would likewise have set up my own blogsite.
I NEVER expected anything along these lines but do believe sincerely that it is unacceptable that any third party should be involved in such censorship.
At the very least the party in question would be expected to confer in some fashion with me (or whoever)in the offending matter.
The inference that i have been rude or insulting to my fellow riders is absolutely ridiculous and seems to revolve around a description of mine of Peruvian people and a remark (non specific) about ,dare i say it, ¨smelly bikers¨.
Neither of these comments are now available as proof of no ill intent on my part as they have been summarily expunged.(by whom i'm not sure but i have an idea)
In fact i challenge the person in question to place these ¨offending¨ issues back onto the blog for others to decide whether they were in any way offensive to anyone at all.
Anyway I do not believe it's fair on my kids and family (nor my 3 friends) to leave them in the dark for the balance of the journey.It would also be ludicrous to set up another blog for this purpose as half the story is already on this one.
I would ask however that any third party who dislikes whatever I have to say in future confers with me to discuss the matter and reach a reasonable conclusion.
I would also request that the person in question lets me know right now if I am unwelcome on this forum so that i may get my kids to se up a new one.

Now let's continue: 3rd March
I left Talana a place near the coast and 200kms south of the Ecuador border quite early and headed at a leisurely place northward through this (still) desert .I'd been riding in a dirtbowl for the past 3 days and already covered 1500kms without seeing a green plant or blade of grass.
Constantly sorrounded by huge sanddunes and a bleak moonscape.
After another 100km it slowly began changing and looked like something I might actually choose to stop at for a proper look .
Problem was i'd now used up all my currency on petrol and a small breakfast (a chicken roll).
Got to the border and it turned out that ;once again ,the dickhead (am i allowed to say that??) at the entry point had messed up the carnet and was told that i would have to wait a couple of hours as they found me on their computer system but they needed to connect with the other post and they were on lunch (i think)?
Fortunately half an hour later they called me across and said i could exit Peru.
Now to find the Ecuador control post.It's wierd ,most of these places have huge distances between border posts and it's incredibly difficult to find the country of entries passport control room and then often their customs is another couple of km in an opposite direction??
It eventually took 2 hours and I was into Ecuador and what a difference.
It was like someone had cut the two countries in a certain spot and said ¨Ok you get the dry hot sandy dustbowl,and you can have this tropical ,equatorial paradise¨
Not fair really The Peru okes should get their money back!
Somewhere into Ecuador I was passing through a largish town and ,to my surprise ,spotted a large modern shopping centre.
Thirsty as hell at this point i parked right outside the doorway and drew 100 of whatever they use at the ATM .Wasn't sure what they'd be worth but they were sure to buy me a cooldrink.
Then i looked at the slip and there'd been a mistake .They'd deducted $100 american.
Took out my wallet to look at the currency and go and ¨kak¨ the oke out in the bank and noticed that they were dollars.
They use american dollars here as their local currency?
Filled up with fuel with my new cash at R3 per litre.I like Ecuador already!
After another 300 km of riding through countless small villages I found a half decent place at Naranjal,which had a yard where i locked my bike in behind a huge sheet metal gate ,showered and went out to have a bite to eat.
Ate at the side of the road where most locals eat and had a braaid and marinated piece of veal i think with a small salad.Together with this i had a huge plate of rice and lentil stew.(cost R14)
It was dark by the time I got back to the hotel and ,as I was entering the lobby the owner came hurrying up to me saying ¨tres amigos (3 men) motos(motorbikes)¨ and half dragging me to the yard.
I thought some other bikers might have arrived but we hadn't seen any bikers really in the past couple of weeks.
Into the yard and therE stood the two Hondas and the 1150 GSA.The odds of us landing up in the same Hospedaje after coming in from another country must be a million to one.So go figure!
Any way we rode together today and have landed up in what appears to be a fascinating Quito.
Only arrived at 7pm so haven't seen any of it as yet but we are going to enquire as to what the possibility is of us flying from here to Panama with the bikes.
I have though (through Cheryl) just received an e mail from the guy we were originally going to sail with from Cartegena to say that we must contact him when we arrive and he can get our bikes across from there.
Let's see what happens?