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.
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