Crackers in Caracas

Ahoyhoy,

Hello from a constipated Caracas, Venezuela. All is well and I´ve managed not to further damage myself or Sir Humphrey I´m pleased to say but any movement from breathing to sitting down is agnony without lots of codeine. Nevertheless I left the hotel Este in Guarana this mornign in the rain and followed Emily to the address Sam had found for me for a KTM dealer. There wasn´t one but whilst I rode though Barquisimeto I stopped at a random bike shop and on discovering they didn´t have any brake pads for Sir Humphey I became scared as another patron started yelling for the police. What do I do? I just stood there onbiously and had two young police women escort me to a bike big shop.

The guy in the shop translated for me that one of the policewomen loved doctors. I smiled and asked for brakepads. They had some and it took all my persuasion to let them let me install them myself but before I could I was accosted by another policewomen for a huggaly photo. I´m sorry Sam but you don´t want to upset the fuzz in Venezuela.

I managed it and was soon heading off for Caracas feeling much safer and quite flattered. Thnaks to Faraon motors for their help and generaly loveliness. Shame about the `Moany Stony´ Repsol Honda on the sign though.

The Continental TKC 80 rear tyre isn´t lasting well and is pants in the rain so I set Emily with the other address furnished by Sam for the Caracas KTM main dealer. An easy ride through rain and shine soon had me in the capital, a big and confusing mess of concrete buildings, tunnels and huge raised roads. The folks at the KTM shop soon warmed to me, gave me some chain lube and let me use their telephone to phone Max, the guy I had met on the road the day before. Max seemed delighted to hear from me and started off to collect me from the shop.

They wanted 2000Bolivians or over 400quid for a rear Pirelli Scorpion so I decided to wing it a little longer.  Funny how a safety imperative seems less important when its expensive! In the mean time I made loads of new friends including a little girl and her parents who gave me a Venezuela Motorcycle Federation sticker that now adorns Sir Humphrey.

I should also introduce you to the fellow in the bottom left courner of the photo. He is the mascot of the football team of Pasto, Columbia and was given to me near there. He is a Guinea Pig but he needs a name. Any suggestions? Did I tell you that the restaurants on one street in Ipiales, Columbia get through 4000 Guinea pigs on a Friday and Saturday nihgt? Nevertheless I was a tad more productive back in Caracas whilst waiting for Max and cleaned Sir Humphrey`s lights, the radiator and topped up his oil. The problem with the radiator`s air flow was mud and dragon flies:

A couple I met outside the shop, Peter and Lauren, invited me to dinner and as I´m going to stay a day here Max and I will see them tomorrow evening for nosh. Should be a good night, they were drinking Tequila at 4pm. Bike shops are the place to hang out it appears. When Max arrived I followed him to his appartment for dinner with his family. I was fantastic fish called Dorado. Yummy. Max is a 61 yo carpenter and boat builder and reminds me of my amazing old man. After dinner, tea and Lychees Max guided me through the torrential rain (is there any other kind in South America?) to where a friend of his had a workshop with an empty flat above it that I could bunk down in. When we got there we had a great hour talking about bikes and routes and some such nonsense which is fab is you´re there and crap if you´re being told about it.Thanks to Gensy whose place I think this is and will hopefully show me how to weld tomorrow.

So tomorrow I might change Sir Humphrey´s rear brake pads, try to weld the centre stand back together, do some shopping, see some more of Caracas and hopefully get taken to dinner and abused with alcohol. Well I can hope! I also hope that my Thermatest keeps my injury cosseted from the tile floor I´m about to sleep on.

Sorry for nothing too exciting to report.

TTFN,

Tigger (what every Venezuelan police woman wants)