Day 226-227 (Tuesday December 28, 2010 to Wednesday December 29, 2010): Salento

The typical dish in this region is trout, made in several ways, with a flattened fried plantain. My favourite trout dish is made by marinading a fillet of trout in tin foil with milk, tomatoes, onions, with some basil, cilantro, and pepper over-top. Just thinking about it makes me hungry!

I hope the following pictures will show even half of the beauty of the town and surroundings. Valle de Cacora (home of the tallest palm trees in the world) is absolutely stunning.

Valle de Cacora

Coffee beans drying.

Doesn't do the scene justice. Probably the most quintessential farm scene yet.

I am sure some people have noticed a theme when it comes to pictures of me. I am always looking away from the camera. There was a picture of me looking away but since I lost the camera I am using Derek as a proxy.

Tejo! A heavy metal disc is thrown at a clay covered board with four packets of gunpowder that explode when you hit the target. The person who was in charge of the Tejo court that night, told us that we should throw from the halfway point instead of the full length because we were new. After thinking that I had enough practice I moved to throw from the full length which was about 15 to 20 meters and foolishly said to Derek, ''what could possibly go wrong?'' One throw later, I broke the light sitting above the clay covered board. Good work Glendon.

Day 225 (Monday December 27, 2010): Bogota to Salento

After reports of the trip from Bogota to Salento taking upwards of 10 hours due to re-routed traffic from the landslides I am anxious to get out of the city as early as possible to make it to Salento before nightfall. Unfortunately, the consensus amongst the five people I ask on how to exit the city was incorrect and the next few people I stopped to ask either didn't know of directed me to roads that were closed due to landslides. Two hours after departing the hostel I am finally on the correct road with a train of vehicles travelling at 15kph in front of me. Single-lane traffic and wide semi-trailers in both directions and constant blind corners makes passing to the left of vehicles rather dangerous. Good thing my panniers make my back end no wider than my handlebars  and there is a rather wide shoulder which most vehicles stay out of since motorcyclists are constantly trying to squeeze past. Still not the safest way to pass traffic since there was a wall of vehicles on one side and a steep drop on the other but after breathing exhaust from poorly maintained vehicles, everything seems like a good idea. After three hours of passing vehicles the road finally opens up and I get half an hour of  incredibly well maintained twisty roads with very few vehicles in sight, most of which being motorcycles that have passed the 20 semi-truck barrier that caused the delays. If I keep scraping my pegs on the ground I am going to have to buy new ones.

I quickly stop to get something to eat and purchase the best fruit salad I have ever had. Unfortunately, my camera is lost so I do not have images of the massive and delicious $1.50 meal. While I eat, it starts to rain heavily but that doesn't detract from the fun of the remaining ride. In total the trip to Salento only takes 6.5 hours. The power of lane-splitting!

The hostel Colombian Plantation House in Salento was full so they directed me to Las Palmas Hostel which was a terrible place to stay because of the constant damp, mold smell, tight quarters, poor facilities, and high cost. The reason I was directed there was because Las Palmas is affiliated by Colombian Plantation House which has given me a very poor opinion of Colombian Plantation House. After one night I moved to Tralala Hostel which was clean, beautiful, and owned by a Dutch motorcyclist.

The Camera

It has served me well but alas... it is lost to me. The images posted here for the moment will be through the lenses of others with their consent.

Day 222-223 (Friday December 24, 2010 to Saturday December 25, 2010): Bogota

Christmas in Bogota! Sunrise in a club on the 30th floor on Christmas day.

Merry Christmas! I thoroughly appreciate that people read my blog.

Day 221 (Thursday December 23, 2010): San Gil to Suesca to Bogota

I travel with a French lady, who bought a bike in Ecuador and is riding it north, for about two hours, but part ways at Barbosa. She is travelling how I should have tried travelling after the motorcycle fire.

Suesca does not make me want to stay and since it is only noon I decide to stop in Bogota since Salento would be another 8 hours of riding.

This fountain is kind of ruined by the lights. However, still very impressive.

Day 216-220 (Saturday December 18, 2010 to Wednesday December 22, 2010): San Gil

Whitewater rafting and paragliding: Check
Scraping pegs on one of the most amazing roads I have ridden yet (Barichara to Guane): Check
Inspiration: Check

The church near the central park of Barichara.

The interior of the church. Note the wooden roof.

View from La Capilla of Barichara.

Where I did some para-gliding.

Day 215 (Friday December 17, 2010): Villa de Leyva to San Gil

The amazing roads are broken up by landslides and unfinished construction but at least they are passable. I take opportunity while waiting for my turn to drive on the roads to talk to people on the roads. Absolutely blown away by the friendliness of strangers.

The girl is an attention whore.