Santiago de Cali

Had a nice relaxing day in Cali ... visited the Cristo Rey for a great panoramic view of the city, went to a great Botero exhibit at the Library, walked to the park by the river where the cats of Cali are (cat statues painted in different patterns), and walked through San Antonio, one of the oldest and hilliest neighborhoods in Cali ... very bohemian.

We had a farewell dinner with Mikkel and Diana and their girls at an amazing restaurant. A great way to end an unforgettable trip. After dinner, we walked around the neighborhood ... everybody was out ... people in the park, dogs playing, children painting, people sliding down a hill on milk cartons, music playing, street vendors, hippies all around ... all in the middle of the night outside having fun!

We are now all packed and ready to go ... our journey back home starts tomorrow at 5am ... good bye Colombia!!!

The Last Run

Today was our last day riding. We had a home made breakfast at our Casa de Campo close to Armenia and left on a nice ride along the river and the side of the mountain range that goes all the way to Cali. Did a little dirt riding, saw lots of sugar cane plantations, and did some nice roads with big sweepers. A nice way to end a great 2-week adventure across the country.

Just realized that we had fresh made juice at least 3 times a day since we arrived and that it is cheaper than bottled water in some cases ... maracuya, lulo, mora, mango, papaya, guanabana, tomate de arbol, pitaya ... always a list of 10+ fruit juices in every menu.  Everything seems to grow here effortlessly.

We made it to Cali safe and sound ... took a great group picture to celebrate an amazing adventure with no incidents!

Today, we went to Chipichape for dinner ... a shopping center built inside, outside, and around an old  railroad station and railroad repair facility ... after, we were invited to Diana's 30th birthday party (Mikkel's wife) ... everybody dancing, their cute 4 and 2 year old girls too, great live music, great food ... a great way to see why Colombians show up in many surveys as the happiest people in the world.

Tomorrow is packing day and a rest day in Cali. We fly home on Sunday.

Resistance was Futile ... And Unnecessary

The area around Medellin is one of the most stunning natural settings in the world. The mountains, the villages, the rivers, the elevations, the valleys ... everything is so green, the temperature is a perfect 75-80F all year round. The contrast of all this green with the red dirt all around these mountains makes it all the more intense ... the rivers run red too.

Thinking about the first European explorers that came to this area ... wondering why man has an urge to explore the world and push boundaries ... are we meant to explore and settle once we find a great place or is exploring the end in itself? I think it is the latter ... but why? Is it because exploring provides an endless endeavor and an ongoing reason for being?

Riding today was great. Up and down mountain ranges around great nature and some of the tightest and endless curves of the trip so far. All of us have now become one with our motorcycles ... we can almost just think what we need to do next and the bikes just do it. We have been assimilated and resistance was futile : ). A great feeling when doing this type of riding.

We stopped for lunch at a roadside restaurant that had its own "mojarra" farm by the river ... we picked our own fish from the tank and they prepared it for us right there. As fresh as it can get. Santa was a great host.

We arrived to our beautiful house for the night outside Armenia. A nice weekend home with 6 bedrooms, an infinity pool, a jacuzzi, an incredible view of the valley below, a cook ... and a masseuse! ... yes, this is the life!

Tomorrow, we head to Cali.

Double Hell

Getting on a motorcycle to ride from a 200ft elevation with tropical climate to a couple of 9000+ ft. mountain passes over roads with interminable and tight turns is a good description of motorcycle heaven ... except when there is a heavy rain, very thick fog, and a massive traffic jam in very steep terrain caused by a single truck that broke down and shut down the road on both directions.

Being wet, cold, with limited visibility, dodging trucks and cars on the left, right and center lanes, at times with barely enough space for our handlebars to pass ... was an adventure to say the least. Or, like Alexandra enjoys saying - "double hell"!

Once we got over the passes, the weather cleared, and we started descending towards Medellin. Amazing terrain. The impact nature like this has, once you can see it : ), on the human spirit is so raw that it touches the soul. We are really meant to be outdoors.

Medellin is a unique city that climbs the side of the mountains that surround it in all directions forming a bowl. We rode the subway and the Gondola to the top of the mountain to have a better view. The gondola was actually built on top of a squatters area that has been somewhat urbanized. The residents of this area use the Gondola to get to work down in the center. We decide to go native and explore the neighborhood - kids in uniform going back home after school, kids playing everywhere, steep streets and steep concrete stairs going up and down the mountain, small businesses everywhere located below people's houses ... lots of energy ... alive!

At night, we went to Parque Lleras for dinner - a nice park surrounded by restaurants, bars, shops, discos ... a bit empty since it was not the weekend yet ... and there was no more soccer.

Tomorrow, we go to a small village outside Armenia.

Party Again?

We began our ride back from the flatlands of the North to the high mountain ranges of central Colombia. We rode through a vast area where farming and cattle ranching are the main activities. Very prosperous, very hot and humid, lots of water everywhere ... with the ethnicity of people beginning to change as well ... more of a mix and less African.

We left Cartagena in the morning traffic, saw a fort up in the hill, crossed a few bridges ... and had our first motorcycle failure of the trip ... not really, just a loose battery cable : ) On the way down south, we ran into an army post with some cool hardware so we stopped to take a picture with them ... Colombia continues to maintain military checkpoints in all roads throughout the country. Last time I was here 6-7 years ago, showing papers and passport and getting sniffed by bomb detecting dogs was the norm ... today, they mostly watch, wave when we go by, and give us the thumbs up ... a remnant of the Uribe days when they wanted to reassure the population that they were there to protect them. BTW - the army down here has some great toys (weapons/equipment) ... wonder where the got them from : )

We finally arrived to Caucasia for a nice overnight stop before we do our final push to Medellin tomorrow. A mid-sized city at the foothills of the central mountain ranges with a great vibe.

Because Colombia was playing their final qualifying soccer game (not that it matters since Colombia already qualified) at 6pm, we decided to go the "Zona Rosa" were all the bars, restaurants, and shops are and were everybody was supposed to go to watch the game. A great way to end a long ride. Colombians seem to always find an excuse to party. It is Wednesday night and the whole town is out celebrating life ... again!  Damn, I am beginning to suspect we work too much in the US ... or take things too seriously ... or something ... this way looks more fun : )

Colombia won again ... the crowds, the noise, the friendliness, the arepas con carne y queso ... just fun. We even bought official Colombian team shirts to wear to really get in the spirit ... and try to blend in a bit. 

Tomorrow, we go to beautiful Medellin.

African Queens

We spent the day getting to know Cartagena. The walled city is actually very large. We wondered what life was like through the ages in this area as we walked through plazas, churches, convents, fortifications, armories ... 480 years, 24 generations, 5 centuries.

African influence is everywhere ... a lot like Cuba. There is even a very popular place to dance salsa inside the walled city called "De Fidel" with Cuban everything ... and a Bodeguita del Medio restaurant like in Havana. We also visited the less developed part of the fortified city ... real people, old decaying buildings, normal daily life ... a great real estate opportunity for those with vision, money and a sense of adventure.

We went to the beach, got an umbrella, some chairs, and watched life go by ... endless vendors peddling everything under the sun ... mangos, water, beer, ceviche, sandals, jewelry, massages, hats, tattoos.  And, an endless procession of people of all colors and flavors enjoying the sand, the sea, and the sun.

"La Negra Zulli" and her friend "La Negra Ingrid" came wanting to give us a foot massage and before we could say no, they grabbed our feet and while we got a foot massage we talked to them about life in Cartagena, the surrounding islands, their families ... very interesting.

Later in the day, we strolled through the main shopping area and had Ajiaco, lattes, ice cream and chilled. A nice relaxing day.

Tomorrow, we head back south to Caucasia.