Today, Colombia played the soccer game of their life ... and it managed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup! The whole country went crazy. We were at a bar in Bucaramanga and it felt like an earthquake every time Colombia scored ... especially when considering that Colombia managed to tie the game 3-3 in the second half when they were down 3-0 at the end of the first half. Unbelievable!!
Being in a place that is playing a crucial soccer game offers a unique way to experience a culture, a country, and its people at their best. The unifying effect that soccer has, the passions it inspires in people, and the universality of it all is just plain amazing ... humanity as a whole enjoying a common thing, coming together with joy. Nice.
The road out of Villa de Leyva this morning was one of the most picturesque roads we have been on ... green everywhere, small farms, hills, trees, beautiful scenery. It is interesting that, like Brazil, this country is also very clean which makes the whole nature thing more intense.
We also rode through the Chicamocha Canyon on our way to Bucaramanga. This canyon is an amazing formation carved by the Chicamocha river separating two of the largest mountain ranges in Colombia. Amazing road with endless switchbacks going down into the Canyon and up on the other side ... lots of traffic at times ... it is a long weekend in the country after all ... and everybody was also in a hurry to get somewhere by 4pm for the start of the game.
Tomorrow, we ride all the way to Santa Marta on the Caribbean coast ... the longest ride of the trip so far.
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