Well an early start this morning as we have a taxi booked for 7am, breakfast doesn’t start til 7 so we may have to forgo that but we just take a look at 6.50 and we can get fed.
Downstairs for 7.05 and still no sign of our taxi, we wait until 7.15 and then get another and head off for the shippers to finalise booking the bikes in. We arrive at 7.50 and expect to go to the airport straight away but end up sitting in the office for another 2 ½ hours whilst the rest of the paperwork is finalised. Motorcycles are classified as dangerous goods because of the oil fuel etc so it is a more involved process than a box of tissues.
Finally we follow Andrea in a taxi to the cargo area and then more waiting whilst they are booked in and then a further wait whilst 2 trucks unload to allow us to get to the loading bay. The bay is lorry load height so a ramp is produced and we are told to get a good run to get up there, I go first and on reaching the top the bike keeps going up in the air and I wheely into the warehouse, it’s probably worse for Martin having seen my efforts.
Onto the scales and we can finally park the bikes in the warehouse, they will be put on a pallet but not boxed up this time.
Now off to the police with more paperwork and then to DIAN, equivalent to our customs and excise, sadly these 2 offices are at opposite ends of the cargo area so plenty of walking toting our personal luggage. All paperwork complete we are now told the police want to inspect the bikes but go to lunch between 12 and 2 so we need to go and get some lunch and come back later, we have to check in for our flight at 3 so this could be tight.
Off we go to the passenger terminal and have a bite to eat and then decide to dump our bags in left luggage before returning to the warehouse. Once there we wait for the police to arrive as well as a security lady from the airline and on arrival Andrea explains to them that we have a plane to catch so can this be expedited quickly?
We open all the panniers etc and he randomly checks bits of them choosing to check different bits on my bike to Martins and the security lady is tapping all the tubes checking they are hollow and she also wants us to let some ar out of the tyres, we thought as a precaution due to pressure, no she wants to smell the air. I guess they are keen to curb any potential drug smuggling and the smugglers are more inventive than we give them credit for. Lastly start the bikes up so that they can see them running and then they are wrapped in pallet wrap, like a giant roll of cling film, whilst the police observe and then we are done.
Goodbye and thanks to Andrea for all her help and then back to the passenger terminal retrieve our luggage and check in, wow that was close.
Once on the plane it gets quite hectic quite quickly with food and drink being served, bear in mind this is a 12 hour flight but we get everything all at once, they obviously have a routine to follow. Then a film followed by an attempt at sleep, legroom isn’t too bad as planes go but when you are as tall as Martin and I, comfortable it was not, still we got some rest even if I thought I had broken my hip when I woke up.
We land at Madrid and now have about 3 hours to kill so that should go quite quickly. We have to change terminals and then go back through the security process, well talk about thorough, everything out of all your pockets, belt, shoes, computer and a comprehensive frisk completes the operation.
We have now been delayed half an hour, Martin thinks they were changing a wheel on the aircraft, but I don’t know.
Well that’s it, it’s all over, and we are being met at Heathrow for a long awaited reunion with our families and then what. More photos soon and........
Well if you are interested do come back here because we are going to do an equipment review, some of which will wait until the warranty claims have been sorted but I will keep you informed as to what is going on with a little narrative posted quite frequently.
We would both like to say a huge thank you for your interest and support both before and during our epic trip and I think we will do a post trip gathering to tell and show, nothing arranged yet but you will be informed.
To all our fellow travellers who we met on the way and have also chosen to follow our progress, good luck with you travels and stay safe.
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
15th March Bogota 15 miles
Well the day didn’t start well when the shippers asked for copies of our documents as they need to do a days work on those before we meet them. We get these sent off and sort the bikes ready for shipping and then off for a 2pm meeting at the shippers.
It is about 7 miles and should take about 10 or so minutes, we allowed and hour and arrived 4 minutes early having travelled 15 miles. On arrival we are told that we won’t be able to do a lot today as they are still processing our documents so leave a cell phone number and go to the airport tomorrow. Having told them that we are flying tomorrow suddenly things start to happen, they can work it out and we need to take the bikes to Aduana (customs) and then go to the airport in the morning to sign some forms and we will be clear to make our flight in the afternoon.
Well we sit in the office for 2 ½ hours and then get down to the nitty gritty, time to pay. When the bill comes it is $1800 more than the quote so long discussions ensue as to why, including involving the sales manager and eventually an alternative quote with a different airline comes close to our quoted figure. During the discussions another bombshell is dropped where we need to have our panniers and top box completely empty, wow that is a bombshell as they are crammed full. It is suggested that we take them as baggage and pay the excess fee, hmm, that is certainly an option, can you imagine taking 2 panniers, a top box, a tank bag and a large grip type bag, perhaps not. This issue is soon put to bed having established that the panniers can be locked, amazing the difference, coming out we had to leave them unlocked and leaving Colombia they must be locked. Having paid we are now to go to Aduana, it is now 6pm. Having dressed and readied ourselves there is yet another change of plan. We cannot do Aduana this evening so we need to be back at 8 am and do it in the morning, the process should be completed in about 3 hours.
We leave our bikes there and get a taxi to the hotel, it takes 40 minutes and he goes a completely different way to us, we book him to take us back in the morning at 7am, so no breakfast for us.
Wish us luck tomorrow.
It is about 7 miles and should take about 10 or so minutes, we allowed and hour and arrived 4 minutes early having travelled 15 miles. On arrival we are told that we won’t be able to do a lot today as they are still processing our documents so leave a cell phone number and go to the airport tomorrow. Having told them that we are flying tomorrow suddenly things start to happen, they can work it out and we need to take the bikes to Aduana (customs) and then go to the airport in the morning to sign some forms and we will be clear to make our flight in the afternoon.
Well we sit in the office for 2 ½ hours and then get down to the nitty gritty, time to pay. When the bill comes it is $1800 more than the quote so long discussions ensue as to why, including involving the sales manager and eventually an alternative quote with a different airline comes close to our quoted figure. During the discussions another bombshell is dropped where we need to have our panniers and top box completely empty, wow that is a bombshell as they are crammed full. It is suggested that we take them as baggage and pay the excess fee, hmm, that is certainly an option, can you imagine taking 2 panniers, a top box, a tank bag and a large grip type bag, perhaps not. This issue is soon put to bed having established that the panniers can be locked, amazing the difference, coming out we had to leave them unlocked and leaving Colombia they must be locked. Having paid we are now to go to Aduana, it is now 6pm. Having dressed and readied ourselves there is yet another change of plan. We cannot do Aduana this evening so we need to be back at 8 am and do it in the morning, the process should be completed in about 3 hours.
We leave our bikes there and get a taxi to the hotel, it takes 40 minutes and he goes a completely different way to us, we book him to take us back in the morning at 7am, so no breakfast for us.
Wish us luck tomorrow.
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