Lars goes America's

[gudy]

Hallo Lars
Alweer even niets vernomen op het Forum? Gaat het daar nog een beetje? Waar je ook bent met de feestdagen, ik ben jaloers.
Hier in Nederland hebben we een mooi weekend achter de rug. De zon scheen en het was lekker koud. Mooi trainingsweer voor de wintertrektocht. (*grin) Ik weet nog niet of ik dat ga doen. Fietsen met warmere temperaturen heeft toch mijn voorkeur. Maar de warme chocolademelk in Durgerdam in een restaurantje aan het IJsselmeer was fantastisch. Maar de vorst zet niet door, alleen de meerkoeten en eenden schaatsen over het water. Alvast fijne feestdagen Lars! Nog geen heimwee naar Nederland?
Groetjes
Gudy

[renaw]

Hé Lars,

Sorry, dat we zo lang op ons laten wachten, maar ook hier wordt wat afgefietst deze dagen. Van huis uit naar m'n werk is toch gauw al een half uur, regenpak aan en regenpak uit meegerekend, en dat twee keer per dag... pfffffffffffffff

Omdat jij constant in het perfekte warme weer vertoeft, is er geen zonnetje te zien hier in Nederland. Het ziet er naar uit dat de winter echt gaat beginnen... zal het een witte kerst worden??? Waar ben jij tijdens de feestdagen? In de zon..... OK, maar waar?! Heb je al een leuk plekje voor jezelf uitgezocht? Oud en Nieuw onder de palmbomen aan een wit strandje klinkt niet slecht. Niet vergeten foto's (dia's) te maken.

Think about us........ those left behind (snik, hahaha).

Groet,
Rena

ps: Keep smiling your way around the world!!!

[henk de wit]

Hallo,

Wij wensen iedereen die Lars op zijn reis door Noord-, Midden- en Zuid-Amerika volgt het allerbeste voor 2004.

Wij hopen dat jullie, net als Lars nu, je dromen kunt waarmaken.

Henk de Wit

[henk de wit]

Hallo Lars,

Wij wensen je heel veel gezondheid en een goed 2e gedeelte van je fantastische reis.
Wij spreken de hoop dat je na terugkomst het vermogen hebt je weer aan te passen aan onze geordende maatschappij.
Wij kijken uit naar eind maart als je hopelijk behouden arriveert op Schiphol.
Haal er uit wat er in zit en laat ons vooral meegenieten.

Groeten,

Pap & Corry

[lars de wit]

2 weeks ago,5 december, yes, Sinterklaas, well, camping is really nice but I didn't know where to put my shoe... inside the tent, between inner and outside tent, outside the tent ??? Didn't have a carrot also, only an empty can of mais and tuna...Well, maybe next year I've more luck. Although, ain't I havin'luck? Thought so !!!Back to the future part 27. 10 december, imagin a huge lake as big as Norrd Hollanfd I think. An island with two vulcano's, one you can climb... So I did. First km through banana- cacao and coffee fields, then through tropical dry forest and higher tropical rainforest. A trail, sometimes only 30 cm wide, left and right huge green walls of vegetation.Clouds are between the forest which is very wet. On the edge of the vulcano there is a rope to go down into the crater were a lake is, a lagoon inside a vulcano, so nice!! You can also swim in it, really impressing! Next day to Costa Rica, a few km before the border my 5000 ste km . In Costa Rica, camping at a house, I had seeen that a few hundred meters back there was a party or something like that. There was a rodeo, young man riding on bull's... I prefer my bike ha ha ha. Also lots of music, food and beer, so fun !
Cosat Rica is even more greener than the other countries. Also more rain...I hope that if I am going back to the coast tomorrow rain will be history again...I went to vulcano Arenal, an active one... Smokes and roars at daytime and at night red-hot lava burst from the top... Ha ha, know waht you're thinking, no no, ain't climbing this one !!!
Am now in st Elena, high in the ( wet) mountains. Today did the sky walk, a trail through the wet forest with several bridges so that you walk above the trees, very nice ! Many butterflies here in middle america also, so I visited a butterfly garden. Big butterflies, from blue, yellow, red, well all the colors and big as well, some as big as an orange. So, tomorrow going to Jaco, at the pacific coast where the beaches are wite, the ocean blue and the palms are green. I'm brown and wishing you all a merry cristmas and a happy new year !!!
By the way, planned to spend christmas near Golfito, Zacundo beach, yes under the palmtrees, 30 degrees or so. New years eve in Panama City, wouldn't that be great?
Hasta la vista

[johntelleman]

Hoi Lars,

Fijne feestdagen!
Het leven is gek nog niet.

Het beste voor het nieuwe jaar, met veel veilige kilometers.

Groeten, John.

[lars de wit]

Hello John, dank voor je berichtje.
Ik heb problemen met mijn fietscomp, cateye at 100, heb jij ook. Hij is een keer goed nat geworden en nou doet hij het niet meer. Heb jij daar ook ervaring mee en een eventuele oplossong ?
Groetjes Lars

[johntelleman]

Hoi Lars,

Wat een ellende! Nog zo lang te gaan en dan zonder computer.
Hoe hou je in godsnaam je logboek bij?

Mijn computer is vaak zeiknat geworden (ik ook jammer genoeg)
Nooit problemen behalve dan dat de contacten richting magneet sensor nat worden, ze kortgesloten worden.
Het gevolg is dat de stroom spaarfunctie de computer in de standby-stand gooit. Doet jou computer helemaal niets meer of alleen als hij nat is?
Bij mij is even afdrogen voldoende en hij geeft weer snelheid e.d.
Misschien is door vocht de stroom opname tijdelijk heel hoog geweest.
Een verse batterij kan de oplossing zijn.
Lars, ik hoop maar dat hij bij voldoende dragen weer functioneerd.

Groeten, John.

[nathalie]

hoi john,

ook ik wou je bij deze even fijne feestdagen wensen

groetjes nathalie

[Jarno]

Hello John, dank voor je berichtje.
Ik heb problemen met mijn fietscomp, cateye at 100, heb jij ook. Hij is een keer goed nat geworden en nou doet hij het niet meer. Heb jij daar ook ervaring mee en een eventuele oplossong ?
Groetjes Lars

Ik heb vaker gehoord dat mensen die teller voor zover mogelijk in een plastic botterham zakje stoppen. Dat zou de ergste buien moeten weerstaan. Lezen wordt er iets lastiger op. Wellicht wat doorzichtig folie er omheen winden.

[renaw]

Hi Lars,

Mocht je comp-teller echt kapot zijn en kan je geen nieuwe krijgen, maar wil je er wel één, laat het me weten en wie weet kan ik een nieuwe sturen... als kerstcadeautje! Moet je wel een postadres hebben natuurlijk.

Prettige kerstdagen & een gezond en gelukkig 2004!

Groet,
Rena

[lars de wit]

Buenos diaz allemaal !
Op weg naar Pavones, een surfparadijs. Komend vanuit een ander paradijsje, Manuel Antonio... Witte stranden, blauwe zee, groene jungle daarachter...men, men, wat was dat mooi...´s avonds de zon in de zee zien ondergaan, zittend op het strand een biertje in de hand...
Allemaal een hele fijne kerst toegewenst !!!

Ps de computer geeft alleen de hoogte aan en de temp. Ik heb ondertussen een nieuwe gekocht en probeer die andere in de loop van de reis te fixen.

Allemaal hartstikke bedankt voor jullie reacties, echt heel tof !!!
Groetjes Lars

[johntelleman]

Hoi Lars,

Dat je daar zomaar een fietscomuter kan kopen zeg!
Je hebt trouwens wel pech dat je niet kan surfen daar in al die surfersparadijzen. Veel veilige kilometers gewenst voor 2004 en tot op de op pad beurs. Mocht je er behoefte aan hebben val je altijd in te roosteren voor zuid amerika. Hebben we in ieder geval zeer verse informatie.

Groeten, John.

[renaw]

Ik vrees dat Lars nog niet terug zal zijn met de OP PAD beurs. Of heb je je route verlegd Lars en kom je eerder terug??? 8O

Maar, als het goed is komt Lars wel aan op de dag van de Europese Fietsroutemarkt, 28 maart 2004, die in Rotterdam gehouden wordt. Vlak bij huis voor Lars dus. En dan nu rechtstreeks vanaf La Paz voor u ingevlogen................. Lars!!!

Je hoort het Lars, stiekum hopen we allemaal dat je weer terug bent voor de beursen. We kunnen niet wachten op je verhalen, je dia's, je expressies en al wat er bij Lars en zijn beleving komt kijken. Maar..... als ik jou was zou ik gewoon door blijven genieten en fietsend het nieuwe jaar in gaan!

Fiets 'em der in! (Dat is een nieuw themaweekend volgend jaar... hahahaha).

Groet,
Rena

[lars de wit]

looking forward..
Hello everyone, first thank you all for all your nice replies, everytime a good time reading them, makes me feel a little at home.
I am now in Panama city, the streets are crowded with people, it´s a good place to be.Made this day my 6000 km, last four day´s cycled almost 500 km. Every night very tired and sleep very good, ha ha.
Wenn I came over the big bridge, crossing the Panama Canal I saw a blue ship in the harbour... Yes, MAERSK SEALAND in big letters on the side. I thought I could read the name Jens Maersk on it. Many Maersk containers on the terminal. Thinking back now for a while... christmas eve in Costa Rica... After a wonderfull meal, prepared by myself, macaroni, the stuff I am eating for months now and still isn´t boring me, a can of tuna, mais, fruiting an onion and some garlic, covered with some local herbs which I bought on the market, little glass of wine, mjammie !!!! Okee, after that sleeping, well thats what I thought... 01.09 am....suddenly I open my eyes as if I knew something was going to happen, and it did.
The ground I was lying on is shaking...an earthquake I know immediately, my brain working full speed...no high buildings near, my tent won´t collaps and so what.
Man this is scary, you can´t imaging what it is when the whole earth is shaking under you... My hart beats like crazy, mouth is dry... Then it stops, it only took a second of 4 or 5 but it scared the shit out of me !!! A few little less havy aftershocks and it is over, whow !!! The day after found out that is was 6.1 op de schaal van Ronald ehhh Robbert, Richard, nee hoe heetie nou , ha ha ha . No serious, epicentre was in Panama, 60 km away...an expirience never to forget.
On my way in Panama met a guy from Canada who invited me on his 68 feet boat, located in Panama City bay.
Planning to spend new years eve on the boat, he said I could camp at deck. Looking at firework above the city from the water, drinking my just bought bottle of champagne...sounds great !! Don´t know what ship it is though, could be an old fishermans boat, smelling like hell to fish, ha ha. Or it is a white yaught, filled with delicious food, beer, wine and women... I tell you later, okeee ???
Bought this afternoon my ticket to Quito, Equador. Leaving the second januari, onto the second, much harder part of my adventure, both fhysically and mantaly, but I am ready for it !!!
Today, checking in in my hotel I found Brian walking down the stairs !!!! I have cycled a day with him in El Salvador and now meet him here !!! What a coincidence! One minute later the three french men I´ve met in Honduras walk down the same stairs.... het moet toch niet gekker worden ha ha.

All of you a very happy, enjoyable and healthy NEW YEAR. Have fun, so will I ... see you, Lars

[Leon]

looking forward..
All of you a very happy, enjoyable and healthy NEW YEAR. Have fun, so will I ... see you, Lars

Thanks! Ook voor jou een fantastisch 2004 gewenst.
Groeten, Leon

[lars de wit]

Hello everyone!
An update from Quito, ecuador : old years day went to visit the locks in Panama Canal where the ships have to take several meters of different water levels, kortom gewoon sluizen dusss. But very huge : 330 m long and I don´t know exactly anymore but something like 30 meters wide. Arriving there on my bike there were no ships, chekking out learned that within 3 hours a big ship was coming, so I waited, biking around. At right time I was back, moments later I could see a ship in the distance, surrounded by green roling hills, a magnificent sight !!! and the ship was light blue... Looking through my binoculors my hope grew even more, white containers on deck with big meter size letters... This was a Maersk ship, no doubt !!! Lucky me, first ship here and it is one from my work ! Turned out to be the Margaretha Maersk, made some beautifull foto´s, hoping there is another foto contest this year, ha ha ! It was a great sight to see the locks in action. Back to Panama City, looking for the boat where I was invited. Biking on the 5 km long pier to the end of it where the ship should be I doubted if this was the right choice; the city far away and there was a really strong wind. Decided to check it out and make up my mind. At the marine office called the Dreamspeaker on marifoon, no answer...decision was made for me ! Went back to my hotel, checked in again, put my bottle of champagne in the fridge and had a great night on the streets. Next day on same streets almost got robbed, bit of stupid of me ( blamed it on too much alcohol last night). One guy tried to take my wallet, I hit his hand back and walked on, maybe a bit to relaxed ha ha and said something like no man, don´t do that ! Wen I walked further got a beer from another guy, far away...didn´t try ta cath it, things were a bit frithing now and I walked faster looking for a way to escape with was luckily no problem, one street to the right was full with ( normal ) people. So nothing serious happend.
Next day was washing day and preparing for aeroplane to Ecuador. At the airport I had forgotten something... pepperspray for dogs and human dogs was still in my pocket, safety peoples wouldn´t let me take it in my hand luggage so I had to go back to check in balie, put the spray in another bag and check it also in, problem solved ! Stupid of me to forget, ha ha ha.
So now in south america at 2850 meters high, acclimatisise for a day or two and then going firts 20 km north, to the equator, is that evenaar in english, and then go south. These days of doing nothimg are hard for me, like to move, seeing the country, people and this wonderfull nature here ! Well, thats all for now folks, hasta la vista !!!!

[lars de wit]

Hello everybody !
First biking day here in Ecuador I rode to the equador ( evenaar ), had lunch there with one half of me on the north side of the globe and the other on the south side. Cool to be there !
Yesterday biking was very hard. A gravel road, well gravel, can you name stones as big as an orange gravel ?, only 37 km long ( I thought ). First 20 km were allright, starting at 2800 meters slowly climbing to 3200 meters. Then it was a guess about how many km to the place I wanted to reach, a lake. Looking on the map learned it was half way a track of 28 km long so I thought 14 km, right ? Biking further, road climbing seriously now, also sometimes in the clouds which made it cold and wet. Road sometimes a mudd pool, good for pigs, not for schwalbe marathon XR ( my tires, ha ha).Yes, now I can laugh about it, then I didn`t !!!.
14 km, Ì`ve biked 9 so 5 left ???. Asking people learned that it was much further, at least 15 km !!!
Ahhhhh !!!! With this terrible road, the cold and wet weather, the altitude of now 3300 meters it was not pleasure...also I was tired, last day`s my `milt' is hurting after 30 km or so. Shortage of oxigen ??? I don`t know. Well I still wanted to reach this lake so further on. Sometimes I had to walk, I could`n bike 10 or 12 % anymore which I used to do. Well, not now !
To make my day complete it started to rain. Also I reached the point where according to the people I spoke the lake should be...no way Jose !!! Only climbing, climbing and more climbing. I am at 3800 meters now, my highest point sofar but time to enjoy, well not know. I am so f....g tired and still no lake to see. Then the road turnes to the right and it goes down. I see a little village with many hostals, here it must be!!! 3850 meters high and I so tired. It is 5.30 pm, I thougt this morning I`d be here at 2.00 pm or so... 55 km made today, an average of 9.2 km an hour, normally I do 16 or 18 an hour. As tired as I was I had to see the lake before making camp, thats`s why I suffered so much today ! I went up a few stairs and looked down.... lying in a crater, there it was !!!
A magnificent sight opened before my eyes... YESS !!!!
Beautifull blue/green water surrounded by rough mountains, 150 meters above the lake which is round and maybe a 1000 by a 1000 meters large! A really great picture would this make so I went down to get my camera. Returning to the lake it was completely gone !!! Filled with clouds I couldn`t make a picture... My lucky day I thought not very positive...
I went to a hostal with some nice grass in front of it and made camp ( in the rain again... )
After a really hot shower I almost fainted. I have it at home also when I`ve sported very hard and then taking a hot bath. Nice to be in but when I get out everything gets black before my eyes and I have to do really slow... So this happend here also. I could hardly make it to the room of the hostal where the shower was. Sitting in a chair I stared before me, not able to do anything else. There were two other dutch man there but I couldn`t communicate with them, so far `away`I was. After 5 minutes I was feeling a little better, could talk again and even took a beer in front of the fireplace. After that I went to my tent to make dinner. Still so tired I had trouble lifting my arm to cook, really exhausted I was !!! Eating lying down, sometimes with my eyes closed and almost sleeping. I had to push myself to eat, knew I needed it. After I had finished I went into my sleeping bag, ate my cookies with my eyes allready closed...
Waking up following morning with a headache... Altitude sickness ?? Possible at almost 4000 metres and after yesterday`s exhausing ride. Took a pill for headache and went to the lake again which was visible every now and then so I could make my picture.
Was this worth it ? After all I say know yes, yesterday I didn`t... Although, I had lunch in a tiny village. Everybody stared at me and I stared back. Wonderfull dressed indians, great to look at!!! Feeling the atmosphere in this village, talking and laughing with those little indians I was forgetting how tired I was. The mountains, little houses, lama`s and pigs aside the road, yes, even the cold clouds made it a ride never to forget...

Next day I hadn`t the energy to bike to Latacunga, where I am now, so I took a bus. Bike on top of it and Lars inside the bus filled with those nicely dressed indians, looking at me as I am from mars or something, ha ha ha. Resting day in Latacunga, getting back in shape I hope. Planning to bike in 5 days to Cuenca, 350 southwarths, 70 a day. hope the wetter isn`t to bad with rain and so. Talked to the dutch man the other day and they said it was nice wetter in Argentina now. I`ve also thought of it, when the wetter stays bad and I`ve had enough rain I take a car,bus,train or plane to the sun !!! The carribean, do a little island hopping. Puerto rico, Dominican republic, Cuba.... and catch my plane at Miami, where I have to change planes anyway...
But Argentina and Chili also sounds great. Looked at weeronline.nl which is a magnificent site and learned that it is 30 degrees in Argentina right now... From there I can Bike north to Bolivia which is better in march also. So, I can go whereever I want and whenever... Not many people, especially here, can say that. I realize I am a very lucky and rich man...Free as I am, having the opportunity to make these disisions and do what I want...
With that feeling I say adios to all off you .

Pap, ik lees nu pas dat je 14 dec twee berichtjes hebt geplaatst, ga ze nu pas lezen, hi hi. Bedankt alvast en voor alles... Liefs Lars ( en voor Corry natuurlijk !!! )

[htheresia]

Lieve Lars,
Thanks for your reply back. Of course I didn't know I wasn't replying back to Lars goes America's, which I hope this does. You must not push yourself so hard as you just did. Almost blacking out is not good for your health! Good luck on the rest of your trip!
Veel liefs,
je nicht Hilda

[lars de wit]

Buenos tardes !
Had a really great time in Latacunga, wheater, is this correct inglish, wheater ??? don`t know...fact is it has improved enormous...all day sun again, temp around 25 degrees. Burning my skin of this high !!! Brown like an brownie, ha ha!!!
Okee, from Latacunga I did cycle in 5 days to Cuenca.
One night I spend in a radio station, got a room for free. Was trying to camp but people said it was dagerous so I didn`t. On top of the building I had great vieuws, to my left a smoking vulcano, the Tungurahua. It is active for 4 years now, so I was told. A huge colom of smoke, maybe 1000 or 1500 meters high, a great thing to see !!!
To my right I can see vulcano Chimborazo, with 6310 meters the highest mountain in Ecuador, top covered with snow or ice, also nice to see but that smoking vulcano...whow !!!
Made it relative easy to Cuenca, which is a lovely city. Wandering through the streets, many old houses and beautifull buildings, eating all day long. Fresh warm bread rolls, ice cream, chocolate, hamburgers, hot dogs. In the evening I ate one time a whole chicken with french fies, rice, vegetables and lots of wine. Sitting near a park, watching streetlife...great !!!
From Cuenca I rode to Loja, where I am know. It was hard to ride, many mountains here to clim. You have to work so hard cicling up, 2 or 3 hours. Then going down in 10 minutes and the next mountain is ahead...
I`ve read something about a altiplano which means if I`m correct high planes of hoogvlakte. Vlakte ? Well, not here ! Maybe in Peru but I don`t think so, yeah at lake Titicaca maybe but that`s allmost at the end of my trip. So I`m thinking of going south along the coastline of Peru. For sure to Chiclayo, which I hope to reach in six cicling days from the border with Ecuador.
A little scared by stories which I heard from the three argentino`s on bike about Loja I take the bus to the border. They told me 4 bikers were robbed around here by a pick up who drives you of the road, take everything, luckily not your life, and leave you behind. Not looking forward to that I don`n take a risk, therefore the bus.
The wheater is still warm and sunny, another advatage of bikink along the coast of Peru is also the wheater which is around 30 degrees again, like central america.
Yesterday made my 7000 km, hope to reach the ten thousend. Well that`s all for now folks, everything still perfectly in shape, the mood is good, the land is great, people are nice. Am having so much fun, beginning to like this life...
Gonna have some trouble returning to the old one but that`s still far away, as I am !!!!
Hasta la vista

Ps is there a price to win concerning most readed subject ??? Ha ha, over 2000 now... Thanks for all your interest, doeiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii