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out on the mountain roads heading for Villa De Leyva
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4145-XL.jpg we rolled thru a little town that we were going to make a turn at to an even smaller town called Gambita but locals told us the road had been washed away! It was horse day in the town for some reason http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4152-XL.jpg in the middle of nowhere we came across a speed roller blading oval...strange http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4721-XL.jpg on the road of of the town http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4157-XL.jpg taking the dirt road to Leyva http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4189-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4194-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4790-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4816-XL.jpg Villa De Leyva is an old colonial town, a lot of pople come here from Bogata and the prices are high because of this, but as its national holidays the prices were up even more, first two hotels we asked for prices were $300 and $240 a night :eek1:huh to much for two dirty bikers so we found a campsite in the middle of town for $9 http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4206-XL.jpg walking arond checking out the old town and some of the interesting stores with unique just waiting to go home to Bogata they say a picture is worth a 1000 words...well here's 29,000 for you http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...AM_4207-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4729-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4738-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4739-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4745-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4753-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/2...MG_4774-XL.jpg |
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the ride to Villa De Leyva
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just got an email from Paypal letting me know a few readers/ riders donated to my gas/ beer/ rtw fund
may thanks to the following for there very generous donations D Grossman - C Houston - G Jones - |
sometimes its not about the ride, some things are so close by you have to take time out and go see what others are talking about, it was time to play tourist for a day...a short ride out of Villa de Leyva, just over 1 km heading south, look to the right...we looked here as directed
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-WM...WMtNbNz-XL.jpg we couldn't see it so doubled back and with new 'better' direction found the road, a small dirt road off to the right but the house wasn't visible until a few hundred meters from the turn then there it was http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Jt...JtBqxwL-XL.jpg the following is how it is described by the owner: Whoever passes by Terracotta House inevitably attracted and intrigued by the unconventional form, colors and textures, as well as its volume and its built-up areas. With the work front, questions begin to arise in the head: what is this place? What does it do? Who does it belong? How will it feel to be inside or even live there? Apart from being the world's largest ceramic, Terracotta House is a place located in Villa de Leyva (Boyac�, Colombia) where it combines architecture and design, as well as other arts and crafts, and that since its origin and concept, Colombian architect Octavio Mendoza Morales seeks to promote an alternative lifestyle and harmonious for both the individual and the community, and to the surrounding environment. the pictures can do the talking on this one as any comments by me will be superfluous http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-QK...QKhQQLh-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-wC...wCBHHnh-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-8H...8HjG2BQ-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-MW...MWtM7xG-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-J5...J5bKN9W-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZS...ZSW29dN-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-SV...SVmzQwK-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Z5...Z5KBpJs-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-xz...xzs6VSh-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-SN...SNBmDvc-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-wg...wgr2msW-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-HD...HDT3kvG-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-dc...dcWv9px-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-FP...FP5rV6x-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-LQ...LQsGhfF-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-5Q...5QqN5XN-XL.jpg |
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a short ride to Zipaquira and more tourist time...now its lots of walking around the Salt Cathedral
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-mP...mPpT6w9-XL.jpg it is difficult to describe the size and scope of this place, all i will say is it a must see if you come to Colombia... so here's what Wiki say about it The Salt Cathedral of Zipaquir� (Spanish: Catedral de Sal de Zipaquir�) is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 200 meters underground in a Halite mountain near the town of Zipaquir�, in Cundinamarca, Colombia. It is a very popular tourist destination and place of pilgrimage in the country. The name "Salt Cathedral" is mostly to attract tourists - while a functioning church that receives as many as 3,000 visitors on Sundays, it has no bishop and therefore no official status as a cathedral in Catholicism. The temple at the bottom has three sections, representing the birth, life, and death of Jesus. The icons, ornaments and architectural details are hand carved in the halite rock. Some marble sculptures are included. The Salt Cathedral is considered one of the most notable achievements of Colombian architecture. Also it has been denominated as "Jewel of Modern Architecture". The cathedral represents for the Colombian people a valuable cultural, environmental and religious patrimony. http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-5t...5tGZxX7-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-4k...4kQ6m33-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-B8...B8BWCQj-XL.jpg |
these tunnels are about 100 meters deep
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we stayed an extra day in Zipaquira, Ryans ankle was still bugging him so just a day to chill out around the main square
right by this cathedral... http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-xZ...xZJ59Q9-XL.jpg and up close... http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-hS...hS9nDPC-XL.jpg sitting drinking a beer and a willy's WW2 jeep rolls by :huh http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Ph...PhdvVWJ-XL.jpg the ride out the following morning was again spectacular, starting to run out of superlatives for this country, everyday seems better than the one before for riding http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-DL...DL2RpGp-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-b7...b7j7V5Z-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Cs...Csq4kQ9-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-7X...7X2T3sh-XL.jpg |
we rode though Honda and over the big bridge in the middle of town
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-RJ...RJg6hn9-XL.jpg normally there would be guys in wooden canoes fishing but as it was a holiday the locals were disturbing the fish :lol3 http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-bn...bnk6n5h-XL.jpg for the rest of the day it was mountain roads, we had some suggestions from Mike at motolumbia.com in Cali and he picked us out some great roads...from here on its just roads you wish you were riding with a perfect 85 degree temperature with views like these :clap:clap http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-46...466ndZJ-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-w7...w797kb4-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Q7...Q7fZttG-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-mN...mNFc4R8-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-hQ...hQJ7pML-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Cw...Cw3jF36-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-RL...RLtp3kr-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-s5...s52h5nb-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-fH...fHLmJtL-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Xj...XjtBgf2-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-vP...vPmgNpr-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-jw...jwtXHCM-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-fG...fGgtq3T-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-bC...bCVkg2S-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-GK...GKKzGp7-XL.jpg |
Great pictures Paul.I like the sculptures in the mine.:smile[2]:
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yesterday we ended up in santa rosa de cabel, the ride out in the morning took us thru more mountains :clap
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-bx...bxQPJtF-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-5w...5w26wvf-XL.jpg riding thru Pereira you cross an amazing bridge that seems out of place http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-cW...cW8xB9x-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Hk...HkVxZFC-XL.jpg Filandia was the next destination, it has a look out tower that boasts THE best view in Colombia, problem was when we were there it was early morning and the dew creates a mist that kind of looked like smog but all the same it is a great view looking towards the town and also towards the snow capped Los Nevados http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-58...58mXZcS-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Rc...Rcxnd2t-XL.jpg this is a close up of the same church as we rode out of town later http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-8c...8cxCbZS-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-qc...qcctrGF-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-DD...DDz6F5C-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-hW...hWxn7bX-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-9k...9kndXrb-XL.jpg a short ride from here back to the route 29 and south a km's is the town of Salento where we planned to stay... |
we got there and found a small hotel in Salento, from here the place EVERYONE heads to valle de cocora, it boast some of the tallest palm trees in the whole world...now at this point in my head i had kind of built this place up and put it on a pedestal, did you ever do that and when you get there, it just wasn't kind of what you were expecting...so i did a very quick video for dramatic effect
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OK, so a few things have come up at home i need to deal with so this time around Cuba is off but the RTW is still on...
lets just say its personal and leave it at that - :cry...ask no questions and i'll tell you no lies!!! other info that might be useful because of this is i got my bike booked to fly from Bogota to Miami for $915 with Lynn Cargo, now thats a deal so a few emails back and forth between me and throttlemeister and he knew already the Cuba deal was off so i got a "well if thats the case you need to go here then, email..." i'm come to that in due course, right now sitting in Mediellin, at Casa Kiwi, Al wasn't around at The Shamrock but of course as soon as i check in here i get an email from him, figures...so its off to his place tonight for a few suds - :freaky:freaky:freaky:freaky:freaky:freaky:freaky |
getting up with the birds in Salento and going for a walk up to the Mirador (lookout)
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-3n...3ntjSNp-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-5G...5GKcvbT-X3.jpg by the time i came down the town was coming to life with some of its brightly colored doors starting to open http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-QD...QDm92Cq-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-g5...g5SrJPG-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-jh...jhHnBHv-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-cW...cWJc46X-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-mn...mn5Mp6t-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-hS...hSq7k36-XL.jpg what's your favorite color? :evil http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-WT...WTn3z6g-XL.jpg the bells rang from the church in the main square and the towns dogs went on their daily search for food http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-3K...3Ktgn5N-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-q7...q7xzc6R-XL.jpg i agree with this...from an ADV standpint http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-tt...ttp5wvp-XL.jpg after i done my walking it was a quick ride to Cali... http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-S4...S4XZfMt-XL.jpg trying to not get run over by the sugar cane trucks, longest one i saw was a SEVEN trailer, empty, and a FIVE trailer full, so if they are 40 footers plus the tractor thats 300 feet to get around before someone else shows up http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Bg...Bgm4rPP-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-6S...6SLBkf6-XL.jpg |
in Cali stopped at the Casablanca Hostal, thanks Mike, didn't see you to say goodbye, had a great time
i didn't get to see much of Cali as mainly i was trying to arrange very short notice shipping to Miami (two posts back), but i did get to see this, yummy http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-pH...pHmbf3P-XL.jpg and this above a banks doorway, guess where the profits are going, not back to the customers...:huh http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-pG...pGCP84N-XL.jpg and a poster on a wall that i played with a little to correct its look - :deal i did see plenty of this on the road but never this full, thats more Guatemalan style http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-n8...n85PjP2-XL.jpg |
TM you're up
so TM and i have a few emails going back and forth, he knows Cuba is off so he emails me and said well if thats the case you have to go to Buenaventura and find the old Cali road, he told me he did it from BV back to Cali, as i was leaving and heading north then i figured i would do it from Cali west and come back towards Buga as i wasn't returning to Cali like he did he sends all the details i need we go back and forth and i find it on the map online, but we agree that its not showing exactly on any may for the garmin, and i have three COLRUT, garmin SA and OSM, Colrut is the closest so he tells me to use that i get out of Cali and head for dieciocho a town outside of Cali the ride up is amazing views as normal, and the occasion giant cow, the road i am looking for is about 3 - 5 KM's from there http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Ld...Ld2XgP9-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-W2...W2TV9bg-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-kP...kP69hQR-XL.jpg now at this point, if your Spanish is like the video below then you get bad directions, or understand badly...yes that would be me:lol3:lol3, but i did try, <iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4cKGyOE_jOI" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> so i looked and looked and looked and asked and got turned around :huh, felt a lot like this :dog and then some of this :ddog with a lot of this :kboom loads of this :baldy and then of course this :hmmmmm because maybe i wasn't asking for the right place - if you see his photos you'd understand why, so post them up TM i took the main road down to BV and it was a blast in places literally, as they were dynamiting holes in the mountain side. About every 2-3 km's there was a new work crew either working on the road or working on a new tunnel http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-P8...P8mGFkB-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Kt...Ktt2vg6-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Xn...XnpCmnL-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Rg...Rg2rtT3-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Tv...TvLKft7-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Zj...ZjZhLzG-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-dn...dnLHvpq-XL.jpg when you did get in a tunnel they were long, badly lit, potholed and full of dust http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-T2...T2r6L7x-XL.jpg so on the way down there were lots of military, usually anywhere in Colombia you get a thumbs up, not here they were shaking there heads at me, then i see this, 50 cal's pointing at me http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Zq...Zq8wcQs-XL.jpg i tell them i am going to BV, they shake their heads but let me pass, so i wonder what i am heading into, then the rains start, and when that happens i am still 15km's short of the end of the road, i fill up with gas and grab a snack and wait for the rain to subside...it doesn't it gets worse, so at this point i cut my losses and turn around, i simply didn't have time just incase something went wrong to keep searching as i have a plane to catch (one thursday) and a bike to check in first thing monday morning in Bogota...sorry TM...this is one for John Downs to find once he's finished playing Captain Blythe between Colon and Turbo, amongst the other routes i have sent him and his little bike to go check out so riding back i have the opportunity to take some photos and if this is the road cut into the side of the mountain that he wanted me to go on then i am jealous and somewhat annoyed i couldn't find the entry point just past 18 http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-dm...dmqK37M-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-c9...c9Knd7R-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-kn...knBhw28-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-SB...SBqrqCv-XL.jpg |
after sitting in road works for hours i had to make a judgement call looking at the map to make the most of my last few days riding in Colomba...so i headed for Salento for the second time in a week, know this would leave me with a few good solid days of various mountain roads for those last few days
i found a good dirt road to Salento, that i think was a coffe plantation track and as usual on a big bike rolling down the road creating a big dust clod the locals look at you in total dumfounded awe http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZQ...ZQCTk7T-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-z6...z6pD7t7-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-ZX...ZXrsn6H-XL.jpg even found a tunnel that seemed so out of place http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Lk...LkRx2wQ-XL.jpg i got into town and the Trucha (trout) festival was in full swing every room was sold out, but by chance i bumped into a guy i met earlier in the week and he asked a friend who he knew had a spare room if i could use it (for cash) so he agreed and i handed over $11...sweet sun was starting to drop so time to walk to the main square and walk thru town to the Mirador (lookout) http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Tj...TjPzQbt-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-4m...4m6gHcm-XL.jpg the steps up were full of people heading up to see the sunset http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-bD...bDrLKZz-XL.jpg its quite a unique location, first the sun drops and fills the valley with shades of orange http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-FZ...FZrHTHJ-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-kw...kwb2GXw-XL.jpg then you literally turn around and watch it drop behind the town http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-tB...tBhbCs4-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-L4...L4JhJck-XL.jpg |
out of Salento to Medellin was an all pavement fast ride thru the mountains, not many photos at all and just a quick video (1 min) of some the roads
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i was only in Medellin for the afternoon & night, some people need an urban fix every once in a while, for me living in a city of over 10,000,000 people for years and years i don't need that
i had a quick look around and saw these http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-K5...K5VwwTQ-XL.jpg look at the tank area???? http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-kg...kgd6TLp-XL.jpg and now my bike the XT660Z is for sale in Colombia http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-f2...f26sDQT-XL.jpg so leaving in the morning from the Casa Kiwi before Medellin was awake and heading east out of town http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-wM...wMzHqfL-XL.jpg going out of town over the mountain it was 8C or 46F degrees, but felt a lot colder, i headed to El Penol and it wasn't open so i took a couple of shots, i wasn't going to wait for a few hours climb 639 steps and headed on... http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-3j...3jLZ3FP-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-46...46gVr2Q-XL.jpg following the lake around i headed to Guatape and its not awake yet either!!! http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Js...Js5f3xw-XL.jpg as i roll out of town i check the map and see Granada, but the problem its a full mountain range and no obvious way across, i looked at my GPS, i was using three different maps, OSM, Garmin SA and Colrut, none of them showed a complete route, roads just ended and 10-20kms they started again...so in true Throttlemeister style i just said f**k it and rode on hoping it would come out somewhere useful...but keep in mind here i have to be in Bogota in two days to drop my bike off at the airport, OK lets go http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-W9...W9gLJ7x-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-pm...pmtRSk5-XL.jpg i headed towards San Rafael, in the tiny little town i asked a cop if i could get to San Carlos, he points down the road i'm on and tells me go straight...about 5 kms later in come to split in the road, there's and army check point they ask where i'm headed, i tell them San Carlos and then Granada, they tell me i can go straight, this is the point that i have no roads on my map (any of them consistently all the way thru), i reconfirm and they say sure San Carlos/ Granada, no problem for you...:D so here it is on two maps the first one is where the checkpoint was and the second was where i was headed, the army pointed me southwest, not along the road to the east http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-GK...GKGxHqL-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-9n...9ngTK4M-XL.jpg so if you are headed this way i have a track for you if you want it...but...a few km's later there are landslides http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-zp...zpksmFZ-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-rm...rm9DPBX-XL.jpg its possible to ride around them but from here on out its dirt all the way, and amazingly the occasional truck, i figured later they must only go so far then turn around http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-kT...kTQbDfx-XL.jpg small sections are very steep and reminisent of the hancock pass in Colorado, big boulders, full throttle to get up and of course i was having too much fun and forgot to take a photo or two :cry i make a turn and there is a big army checkpoint and about 20 soldiers surround me, as usual more interested in the bike and where i'd been. Once we are done with the 'short' conversation they want to know where i'm headed, i say "Granada?" Sure they point ahead, it was the only way other than turn around, i ask if its safe for me, sure no problem, i usually get the opposite answer in this kind of situation! Got me some Throttlemeister luck rolling here i'm told it could take two hours to get there, but once i can see Granada the road will turn back to pavement so i head on and hit peak after peak, amazing scenery but one thing stands out every single building is empty for miles, but there is some graffiti so was this possibly a drug running route years back and why so many army guys in such a remote area, even riding along i pass some military just walking along the road? http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-xH...xHC5Dtc-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-WF...WFSL5P7-XL.jpg hey TM swimming holes...but it was too cold http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-wt...wtzJL5C-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-2H...2HSGhn8-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Sm...SmNwWwk-XL.jpg |
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http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Q7...Q7sfp8X-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-vp...vpR72J7-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-FP...FP8hrKL-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-xw...xwxM5L7-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-H5...H5xzJfG-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Kc...KcG3WvB-XL.jpg so i see Granada and i'm still on dirt...the military were wrong :huh http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-zv...zvjRjF5-XL.jpg then i go around the next corner and the pavement starts...the military were right :lol3 http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-tm...tmkNLbG-XL.jpg just before town i find a lady selling empanadas by the side of the road - two please http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-3r...3rRP2j6-XL.jpg so a few posts back i tell you these aren't around anymore http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-n8...-n85PjP2-M.jpg on this day i see seven of them in the Granada area, they must be some of the only old GMC ones left, but everyone comes by me on a blind bend and i never get a good shot in time, so if you want to see the fully loaded old chicken buses in Colombia then Granada is your town http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-x7...x7wB5mD-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-s7...s7L7M7P-XL.jpg once i get thru Granada, there is another mountain pass that eventually drops you onto a main road, i make a left, thru a peaje (toll) and then on my left i spot an amazing waterfall on the other side of the valley, time for a break and a few photos http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-bG...bGFbJZP-XL.jpg |
a family stops to take a photo too and as the little boy gets out of the back of the car he immediately shouts WOW!!!
i turn and look up where he is looking... http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Jg...JgL9QTH-XL.jpg looking back to the waterfall and more paragliders are playing in the thermals http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-h7...h7gHBLz-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-8w...8wrpJFz-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Gz...GzS98pB-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Kk...KkFKkRQ-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-5t...5t6d2NK-XL.jpg very cool :clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap:clap :clap:clap . |
i stopped outside Bogota in a small town called La Vega, reason for that was finding somewhere in the city with secure bike parking, having been to Bogota before i know its kind of crazy with a population around 9 million, New York and Mexico City are the only two cities north of here with bigger populations. So a small town was an easy option
i head straight to the cargo airport and met up with Veronica from Lynn Cargo, she had all my paperwork prepped and ready, just a few signatures from me, my bike waited...BTW i had to get it steam cleaned before i brought it here US customs are getting difficult about dirty bikes being flown in i was told, not as bad as Australia but getting that way, you are warned :deal:deal:deal http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Z9...Z96Dpdd-XL.jpg once i was cleared to go into the building i was told to ride thru a door to get the bike weighed, the room i rode into could have been the scene of a very low speed accident that would have caused a lot of damage. The whole floor was cover in rollers, as the tires went over them the bike slipped from side to side, putting my feet down i had no firm footing, and BTW it was a freezer so the floor was a little icy, because where i had to weigh the bike was where the flowers and fruit comes in and out of so its for storage too, about 50 yards long http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-22...226w5Vq-XL.jpg you cross the yard to do custom clearance inside the building in the distance http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-tt...ttx6W7t-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-Bj...-Bj6SCSZ-M.jpg and this is where the bike is held waiting for a police inspection that happened about 1 hour later, the cop that did it spoke good english and i stood there and watched him open my bags and smell everything, he didn't find the odor he was sniffing for :rofl:rofl:rofl he told me he can smell cocaine :huh, closest i had was coco powder for hot chocolate :evil http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-GS...GSksxkc-XL.jpg once he was done i paid my money over $880 for the bike to go to Miami (there's a $40 clearance fee at the other end) and hopped in a cab with one of Bogotas Mario Andretti cab drivers and was in the Candelaria section in about 10 minutes and to my new digs for a few days, Hostel Sue 2 Bogota isn't my favorite place in Colombia, big and dirty and the thing you notice around the downtown area is the amount of graffiti EVERYWHERE http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-LX...LXPmDrp-XL.jpg but also there are murals everywhere too, does one breed the other and make them both acceptable???? http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-wj...wjksHtc-XL.jpg has anyone thought about doing a RTW on an off road segway? http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-6j...6jgB3Qt-XL.jpg new architecture http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-ks...kspnGzF-XL.jpg old architecture http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-LD...LDsW3Vn-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-mr...mr5ffbL-XL.jpg cops on horses controlling traffic http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-k8...k8qm6zW-XL.jpg street performers http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-WZ...WZBDQGX-XL.jpg but after a few hours walkng around in the smog of downtown my throat was seriously hurting, every street vendor that i heard talk had a croaky voice and now i understood why, on the way back to the hostal i looked up to the church on the hill above the city and you could hardly see it for smog :huh ...thats all for South America for now http://dmh65.smugmug.com/photos/i-kV...kVqHb4s-XL.jpg . |
i haven't posted on here for a few years since i stopped riding the 660, back then i had planned on bringing it to the UK but it never happened.
...but life moves on and i'm on xt1200z nowadays, i have covered over 150,000 miles since i started in 2011 and just got a message from Air Canada that my bike has landed at Heathrow, so i will be riding the UK and Europe for the next year or so Might bump into a few of you, drop me a message if you are planning any rides you think i might be interested in or you want to meet up My direct email is on my website (sig line), probably easier to get in touch with me that way https://photos.smugmug.com/RTW-2016/...2018-24-60.jpg |
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Seriously though, it's good to hear from you and that you've finally made it to the UK - even if it's not on the 660. |
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