After 2 weeks of staying in Bogota (a week longer that was planned) and my great friends patiently letting me stay at their place, I am FINALLY getting the bike! The bike was delayed in Miami due to some paperwork issues but after getting that resolved the bike has finally arrived!
I set off to Tampa Cargo, which is near the Bogota Airport and after arriving there I am told that I have to get my paperwork processed with DIAN, which is basically Colombia's Customs. Fortunately the DIAN is walking distance so it's NO big deal to get there. Once there I am promptly attended to and the guy that is filling out my paperwork starts asking my opinion on legalizing marijuana, since I'm from California and California has on their ballot a proposal to legalize it. Obviously regardless of my political stance on this I would have to tell him that I am opposed to it otherwise I feel like it is a pseudo entrapment.
Regardless of this, the guy does seem like he is genuinely trying to make small talk but never the less I find it weird that he wants to discuss this at a customs office. After getting my paperwork finished here I end up going back to Tamp Cargo where they are trying to figure out to unload my bike to the ground level which is about 3 feet high from the warehouse floor. They are normally used to having cargo trucks come by to pick up packages and NOT a private owner that plans on riding their motorcycle from their parking lot. I am NOT allowed to document this with my camera, but the first time they try lowering my motorcycle they tie a strap to the top of my motorcycle crate and when the forklift picks it up the metal bows in ie failure. (Thank goodness that is all that happens!. Next they retry it with the straps on the bottom of the crate and there is success with lifting the bike and lowering it to the ground level!
During this time a crowd starts forming and starts checking out the bike. In the meantime I am removing the wrap that is along the outer portion of the metal crate that is holding the bike. Although I am excited about finally getting the bike I am also a little leery because I want to make sure that no one messes with me and/or the bike. After a few minute I realize people are just curious and they mean no harm at all. In fact people start helping me remove the dismantled crate out of the way so that I can discard the remains of the crate.
After taking the bike out of the crate I plug the battery cable back in then put the keys in the ignition and start the bike up.
SUCCESS, Off to my motorcycle adventure in South America!!!
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