CESAR AUGUSTO MUNOZ GUTIERREZ: SERAK RIDER AND PHOTOGRAPHER
By Paul Strubell of Dirt Orca’s – 4/9/18
For the seventy first installment in our ongoing interview series here at Dirt Orca’s, we are very please to speak with Cesar Munoz. You may know him as @serak_m.
“Enjoy the little moments as if they were the biggest ones.” – Cesar
This tells you almost all you need to know about where Cesar is coming from. He is humble and adventurous.
I came across Cesar’s travels on Instagram last year. I love his feed. It’s simply all about riding a BMW r1200gs into remote parts of South America. It goes without saying that this is a lot of fun. He takes great environmental riding shots and is a very active rider so his content is always fresh.
You can view his Instagram gallery here and his Facebook profile here. I suggest following him on both platforms and making Cesar’s travels a part of your day.
Adventure motorcycling is vibrant and exciting. Cesar does a nice job of capturing these qualities in his photo’s. I always feel his excitement passed on to me when I see a new post from him. Even when you can’t see his face underneath his helmet, you know he has a big smile in there.
As you’ll see below, when reading the interview, this makes a lot of sense.
What do you consider to be your place of work?
Riding on my motorcycle, all my country (Colombia) is perfect to be my place of work.
Tell me about your bike. What do you call it?
I have a 2015 R1200GS BMW. Actually it does not have a name but my girlfriend calls it “The Beast”.
When and how did you get it?
I began 12 years ago with a Scooter 125 cc. Was just to solve a mobility issue. After a year I bought a Suzuki GS500, and then I bought a Suzuki Bandit 650 S because I needed more power.
Inside me, there was a need to go to unknown places with a motorcycle that could have “everything”. That is why I got my BMW on August 2013.
What other vehicles did you consider and what made you ultimately pull the trigger on the one you bought?
I considered two models: The first one was a Triumph 1200 Explorer but was too heavy for what I needed. The second one was a Kawasaki Versys 1000 but was just for street purpose.
The trigger to buy my BMW was due to this phrase: “it is not the best of all in the world, but it has everything”.
Have you made any upgrades or changes to it?
In 2015 I changed the year but not the model. Why?, because this one brought three new things that I liked. One, the Gear Assistance Pro. Two, the keyless ignition. And three, the alarm.
What is your favorite part about it living off of your bike?
Seeing my country from different points of view. Cultural, economic, agricultural, fauna, flora, customs and our roots. But the most important thing, the feeling of freedom.
What is your least favorite part about it?
Colombia is a third world country and it makes you question many things. You feel helpless of not being able to help your countrymen in many ways.
What is the best place you have taken it?
It is difficult to talk about the best place. I think we need to talk about “the best moment” in those places. For example in the Laguna Quilotoa in Ecuador, when I got there, it was nice and had a great view. But when the sunset got into that place, that moment was amazing and unforgettable. Oranges, purples, greens, the different colors in the mountains, in the lake and in the sky. Everything was perfect on that specific moment.
Is there just one?
There are a lot of different and best places around my country. From La Guajira, the northernmost point in South America, to Putumayo which is very south close to Ecuador. Each place has its magic.
Favorite road you’ve driven?
I love to ride off road. My favorite road was in La Guajira desert, surrounded by sand dunes, sea, in the middle of the desolation but with great friend united by a passion.
In one word, what describes your approach to life?
Unlimited
If you could give a person one piece of advice when thinking about living off of a bike, what would you tell them?
Enjoy the little moments as if they were the biggest ones. It does not matter what motorcycle you have. What matters is that you are passionate about what you do. Make life a ride!
It takes a special kind of person to recognize that the journey, not the destination, is the point of life. Travelers know this. Was there a point in your life where you became conscious that you were those kind of people?
I think I’ve always known. I have never minded the goals (destination), but the importance of the pad (journey) to reach them. That is why I take many pictures every time I can. However, reach the destination is priceless.
You have found a strong place in the community of adventure riders. What values do you think your home or family instilled in you, that you take on the road?
Everything starts at home. My family taught me to be respectful, to take care of the planet and to value what we have.
I admire your outside the box approach to career and home. Do you see yourself as people who took a leap of faith to live in an unconventional way or do you think it kind of just happened?
For me it just happened. One day you just want to solve a mobility issue and the other day you realize that you have traveled a large part of your country and finding a strong place in the community of adventure riders.
Where do you want to go next? (geographically and career wise)
I would love to go to Australia and do the BMW GS Safari Enduro.
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