Part 9 Northern Colombia, May 17

Part 9: Northern Colombia

Cartegena, the old city

Day 53 Near Sincelejo

This morning I had a long conversation with a woman while packing the bikes. She had stayed at the hotel with her two teenagers on a run to town to by supplies. The sacks, grocery bags and bales of wire were loaded into the farm’s pick-up truck that was parked beside our motos. She said her family raised buffalo. The conversation was helped along by her clear and simplified Spanish designed to accommodate the linguistic fumbler before her.

She became quite interested in our story and asked many questions. She wanted to know what gear we were carrying, which cases held the camping gear, the kitchen, and so on. Isabelle happened along and joined in the conversation. The lady, she was only a little younger than us and I didn’t get her name, seemed emotional in some way. She was a bit difficult to read. Her manner was reserved and refined but her body language gave off hints of sadness or regret. She wished us a happy journey (feliz viaje) then went to her car, her children having already gone inside. We continued the packing of the bikes but she returned a minute later with her hands full of home made dried goods and snacks in zip-lock bags. She hugged Isabelle after giving her the food and again wished us both a happy and safe journey. This time she drove off.

The first part of the morning’s ride wound its way through the wide, swampy valley of a flooding river. The water was thick like soup and coloured with a creamy brown silt. There was a unique and noticeable aroma to it. The humid air quickly warmed past 35 degrees by 9 am.

The valley narrowed after a while and eventually the high, lushly covered hills that enclosed it blocked out any breeze that might cool the people who lived there. Artesian wells were numerous and squirted water in all directions. We avoided a small one spraying up out of the asphalt.  Local people have learned to pipe or hose many of these water spouts from the hills to the roadside where they run truck washing businesses. They advertise by decorating the roadside in a series of liquid arches that reach impressive heights. This likely helps to cool people. We had the wind from riding to cool us, except when putting along in a wasps’ nest or behind a line of trucks.

The intenseness of the colour green was striking, many different shades and all of them with such intensity! The smells were all new for us and equally intense. The Darien Gap is said to exist, in part, to maintain ecosystem separation between the Americas. Each unique aroma in this new America touched our noses as we passed through or near its source. Road workers cutting back bushes and trees released different scents from different species. Other scents revealed themselves when we were passing a crop in a field, a fresh manure application or when trailing a livestock truck. The sources of aroma were familiar and predictable but the aroma characteristics and strengths were a complete surprise.

Beginning the climb

After the valley ride came the foothills. We were excited by the beginning of the climb knowing that today’s ride would bring us relief from weeks of humidity and heat. Most of it was done in second gear because of the steepness and the tightness of the turns. Long lines of trucks going at sub-first gear speeds required clutch slipping by us that could cause excessive wear if we got too close to the truck in front. Very slow speeds also cause balance problems for motos. You dared not put a foot down to let the truck in front get ahead a bit because the gigantic rig behind you would complain loudly or would pass you, not wanting to lose precious momentum.

Lunch stop in the foothills

Through the rest of the day we developed a way of getting past them. Oncoming traffic came in bumper to bumper lines led by that pack’s slowest truck. These were followed by equally long clear patches. The trouble for safe passing was seeing ahead in the constantly swirling track of the thickly forested highway. The small motos would sometimes, reluctantly attempt to filter past on the inside track of a right hander but this was dangerous too. The trucks’ rear wheels trailed deeply into to the tight 1^st gear turns, threatening the vulnerable biker. The trucks were too long and the climb too steep for the small motos to gain an advantage on a left-hand corner. Their riders simply didn’t have the power needed to jump ahead quickly, even when given the largest of opportunities.

Rest break, getting higher!

But I did. Our bikes perform wonderfully in the mountains, even fully loaded. I would see an opportunity up and around a left-hand corner and easily shoot forward past the truck. The bike would bark a bit but still have plenty of power in reserve. I would then be “eyes ahead” for Isabelle, giving her a running commentary through the headset like, “clear to pass, oodles of room, nothing in sight…” or, “green truck then clear to pass”. This gave her the confidence to make the blind pass, and to do it safely. We used this method so much that some of the small bike riders, seeing its success, tagged along behind Isabelle on each pass!

Hard to believe, these are still the foothills.

The climb lasted about 4 hours. It had countless ups and down and reached 2800m at its highest. Isabelle’s confidence and skill levels are improving rapidly. I’m really proud of her. There were lots of fun twists and turns, many affording stunning views. I was able to stop a few times for photos but the road was too busy and dangerous for more. We arrived at Hotel Santa Rosa de Osos at 4pm and 2600m. The sun is shining and the temperature is 20 degrees Celcius! Our hotel has blankets and hot water. What does that say?

Day 54 Beautiful Medellin

Everyone from Medellin that we have ever encountered has told us how beautiful their home city is. The ride from Santa Rosa de Osos, 82 km to Medellin took us through some of the most stunning scenery we have ever witnessed. The photos we took are disappointing. They don’t portray half of the region’s beauty. It’s no wonder the people of this region seem to be among the healthiest and happiest looking we have seen. The crops and even the livestock we see are healthier looking than that of Central America.

Walking through the neighborhood

The closer we got to the city the more difficult traffic became. The phrenetic buzzing of thick clouds of wasps, other traffic and navigating took all of our attention during the ride into the city so we haven’t really seen anything of the actual city. We plan to spend a week in Medellin. I stripped down the bikes after getting settled into our hostel. Tomorrow we will ride them to the dealership where they will be stored until being serviced a few days from now. Today is the Friday before a long weekend. We will be pedestrians for a while.

Looking north up the Medellin Valley

We walked to an area that was recommended by one of our housemates and had a nice dinner. It has been a wonderful day filled with great scenery, fun riding and numerous encounters with warm people.

Looking south down the Medellin Valley

Day 55 Medellin

We rode the bikes to Ruta 40 BMW for servicing. The 700 needs new rear brake pads, a new rear tire and the upper crash bar mount repaired. The 1200 needs a new headlight bulb and the engine bash plate repaired after an encounter leaping down from a hotel sidewalk to squishy grass. The young man, Luis, who served us was friendly and he spoke English well. He spent some time with us describing things to see and do and restaurants to try. He took Isa’s Whatsapp info and sent her restaurant names and promised to answer any questions she might have about Medellin this week.

A small part of North Medellin from the cable car.

We took the Metro north to the end of the line. It is all above ground or raised up even higher so you get a good view of the city and surrounding mountains. We passed the cable car line and decided to come back to it. We got on the first train back and found that the cable car line is part of the Metro and our ticket was still good. We rode it to the top above the barrios (neighborhoods). These barrios cover the steep slopes that surround both sides of the Medellin valley. Richard, one of our house-mates, tells us that the lower socio-economic groups are at the top and the higher ones are at the bottom of the valley. We saw the slow changes in the neighborhoods as we passed over them.

Further up the mountainside

At the top of the city the Metro part ends. You can continue for several kilometers over the top and across the highland plains nature preserve, ARVI, for another small fee. We continued and were rewarded with a fun visit to the park. There was a small market with very clean street food stalls, where we had lunch. We also had an excellent espresso. There were displays that explained the surface geology of the region, some of the history of local indigenous people as well as the flora and fauna. We were unprepared to hike one of the many trails. They looked too tough from the cable car ride for our street shoes. Perhaps we’ll come back.

The slow descent of the 3000ft slope in the cable car delivered striking views of the city of 11 million people. We took the metro further into the centre of town to Plaza Botero and saw the famous sculptures by Fernando Botero. His sculptures in the park number around twenty and are fun depictions of people and animals in everyday life. He seems to have been fascinated with rounded forms and joyful moods. The final Metro ride to our neighborhood was followed by a quick trip to the grocery store before heading home. That rounded out a really fun day.

Day 56 Medellin

The day began with a great breakfast comprised of local fresh fruit and yogurt. The yogurt here comes in bottles and has the texture of table cream. We topped the parfait with some artisan granola and completed things with bodum filtered Colombian coffee. It was delicious. By 11 o’clock we were walking towards the Metro.

The first place we went was a neighborhood called El Poblado. We had been told that this was the hip region with all the really popular bars, clubs and cafes. We began our visit with the Sunday morning farmers’ market. It is situated on the edge of a linear nature park that follows one of the many tributaries that run down from the mountains and into the Medellin. Couples of all ages, many with children were enjoying their free day.

In the club zone in El Poblado

The linear park ended and we began our tour of El Poblado. There were great looking cafes and restaurants that were punctuated by hip looking hostels every couple of blocks. We could only imagine what the place looks like at night. The area was huge and covered many blocks in each direction. We were looking for a restaurant recommended by Lius, our contact at Ruta 40 BMW, called “Mondongos”. They serve traditional Colombian food in a modern atmosphere. The place is large and popular but we got lucky and were given a table on the street side right away.

Street art along the edge of the linear park

Isabelle had a type of chicken soup with potatoes and onion in a large bowl. I had an “almuezo typica” (set menu regional lunch) that began with a bowl of pork and beans. Then came a plate with three sections; finely ground beef, then white rice with an egg on top, and finally a long roasted plantain half with a long square piece of deep fried back bacon beside it. Everything was great but expensive. My lunch closely resembled one we had in the mountains a few days earlier that cost about 1/4^th the price. The location and hip, modern atmosphere of course made the difference and that’s OK.

Almuerzo

A short ride on the Metro took us to Pueblito Paisa, a reconstructed village atop a steep hill that is typical of the early settlements along the Medellin River. We hiked up the stairs and path huffing and puffing our way through the forest. The valley floor is elevated to about 5,000ft elevation. It wasn’t bad, it just took a few more breaths than expected. Our bodies will adjust slowly to the altitude as we ride higher in the coming days. We will spend the next 4 months at altitudes that are quite high.

Pueblito Paisa

The summit affords revealing 360 degree views from near the city centre that are stunning. We hiked down the other side and back to the Metro. We finished our walking day with another visit to the store to buy fresh fruit for the morning. It was another fun day off the bikes.

Day 57 Medellin (Comuna 13)

Economic polarity still exists

We rode the Metro and walked about 30 minutes to the area known as Comuna 13. This place had the reputation of being the most violent area in Medellin. The last ten years have seen great efforts at improving the community including the installation of a hillside escalator series designed to make it easier for people to get to work in the city centre. Street art is encouraged and protected in Comuna 13 as part of the rehabilitation project, to help give a sense of ownership and responsibility to the people who live there.

One of the escalators in Comuna 13

Below is just a sampling of the tremendous street art we saw in Comuna 13

Day 58

It was a slow morning. Isabelle went to have a mani/pedicure and I stayed in to work on the blog. We went back to El Poblado for lunch and saw the hip area on a business day with all the bars and restaurants open. There weren’t many people around though and we had no trouble getting a table overlooking the park plaza. We had excellent coffee and desert at a café around the corner before a slow walk through the liner park back to the Metro.

Tomorrow afternoon we will pick up the motos and ride them out to our hostel. We’ll leave the city the next morning. We have really enjoyed our time in Medellin. It has been a refreshing and renewing break. We’ve spent some time seeing and getting to know the city. We’ve had the chance to learn general travel tips as well as things specific to Medellin from other English-speaking travelers at the hostel.  We’ve met and interacted with people who live here and have formed some of our own interpretations of the place.

Medellin has put a great deal of effort into its rehabilitation. Let’s begin with the police. They are ubiquitous, almost always in pairs. They are armed of course but only with a holstered pistol and a night stick. Gone are the shotguns and assault rifles of Central America. Officers make eye contact, give a smile and greet you at every opportunity. They are quick to help if you ask a question. They have permanent posts in every Metro station and city park and they can be seen on foot, on a bicycle or on a motorbike (DR650’s) on pretty much every block. They clearly have a mandate to connect with people in a positive way.

Looking at Comuna 13 as a microcosm of the impoverished barrios one can see the positive effects that have come about. Hillside escalators, at a cost of 5.6 million dollars (cheaper than a new street) allow easier mobility up and down steep slopes to jobs and shopping and have been decorated extensively with street art that draws in tourists. Community beautification, facilities and organized sports, youth centres along with a heightened but positive police presence add to the security of the residents. The garbage gets picked up. Businesses flourish, people have meaningful jobs and are able to get to them more easily. Everyone pays taxes that help the whole system work.

Community and sports/recreational infrastructure

There still exists a wide polarity between the rich and the poor but there is clear evidence of a healthy and growing middle class. Our hostel is in one of many flourishing middle class zones in the city. This past long weekend saw the streets here filled with people at all times. Couples with and without children, young people and old and people of many different colours enjoyed the sunshine and closed off streets. They cycled and strolled and went to cafes and bars and family events.

The streets are clean and the Metro system is immaculate, in the poorer zones too. Violent crime has dropped off dramatically. Petty crimes such as pick-pocketing still exist so zippered pockets are a good idea. Medellin is hip, modern, clean (you can drink the water from the tap) and much safer feeling that some of the places we have been in recent weeks. Medellin has shown positive change after experiencing extreme despair. We will miss this city.

Part 8 Crossing the Darien Gap, 18 May 17

Part 8: Crossing the Darien Gap

Day 45 Boarding the Stahlratte

We got to Panama House at 6 am and loaded the bikes. Then I brought them out to the road as the other two riders, Stefan (German retired surgeon) and Phil (Swiss, IT guy) arrived to meet up for the ride out. They joined Glen (American/Australian teacher) and us for breakfast and we got going at 7:15. There was a lot of traffic even though we were going out of the city in the morning. We were stopped several times at checkpoints and had to fish out our documents. We also had to pay a tax to the Kuna of 23 USD each for permission to enter their territory.

The final 45 minutes across the San Blas Hills and down to the coast was spectacular riding. The road was paved but had just enough disintegrated parts to make it fun to dodge the obstacles. The hills were steep and the curves were very tight. Second was the gear of choice. It provided great engine braking on the steep descents and it transmitted waves of smooth torque to the road on the “ups”. It is on this kind of terrain that our motorcycles were designed to excel. Even heavily loaded they were nimble and light, flicking left and right through the mountain road. The first time the toes of my boot scratched on the pavement came as a surprise. I hadn’t realised how far into each turn the motorcycle was leaning. The moto didn’t ever give a sign of not being able to handle what it was being asked to do. It was glorious riding and all of it was at slow speed.

Arrival at the Ocean and our ship, the Stahlratte

The final 500 meters were easy gravel and suddenly we were at the ocean. The Stahlratte was waiting off-shore and we were directed to the third concrete pier. All the big bikes needed to be narrowed so we set about removing the side cases and a few other things. Our luggage was put into “lanchas” by the Kuna workers. We rode the same long motorboats the short distance to the ship.

All the bikes before being stripped down

The Kuna made short work of unloading and storing all the bulky luggage from the stripped down motos. Captain Ludwig brought the 114-year-old steel hulled modified schooner to the dock and the motos were hoisted aboard. By this time two more BMW’s had shown up. It was fun to watch experienced hands perform the heavy task without causing even a scratch to the bikes. There were in total, two DR 650’s and five BMW’s that were roped to the exterior of the upper deck and covered with tarps against the salt spray.

Princess Leah gets a lift

Manhandling it to the deck

We motored for about an hour into the San Blas Archipelago. The entire area is controlled by the Kuna. We spent the afternoon swimming at the nearby reef, jumping off the ship on a huge rope swing and chatting, getting to know one another. We would be spending the next 5 days together in very close quarters. The heat in Panama City had been the worst so far. It isn’t really any better here on the sea so we kept cool by jumping off the ship every half hour. It was a great day, definitely a highlight so far.

 The top deck table, a gathering place

The bunkroom, ours is the first opening on the right

Day 46 San Blas Archipelago

We were among the first up and enjoyed a beautiful breakfast with the Captain and Glen. Swimming was next then the first of many visits from the Kuna. A two hour motor cruise brought us about 30 Km along the archipelago to a reef protected group of small islands. There are a few other smaller vessels here for afternoon and overnight. They too are taking backpackers to Colombia. The younger crowd is quite a bit noisier than us middle aged (and older) moto travelers. The afternoon filled out with much swimming and rope swinging and visiting by the Kuna and by people from other vessels.

Stow Away

The trip to the islands took us well out of the reef’s protection and the ship began to heave. And so did Isabelle. After the worst of it was over she went to bed and slept for a couple of hours. Her spirits improved throughout the remainder of the afternoon and evening. She ate dinner but did not feel up to going to the evening beach party. The Kuna had lit a fire for us and the ship’s crew had loaded beer, rum and food onto the dingy.

Kuna houses on one of the islands

Dinner was very tasty and we spoke at length with Captain Ludwig about the ship’s history and about life, economics and politics in this idyllic place. The evening seems cooler today, quite comfortable really in the breeze. I stayed on the ship with Isabelle and am enjoying the sound of the nearby surf while I write this entry. Soon we will leave this incredibly beautiful place but not before we get to enjoy it for 1 more day. The 30 hour sailing to Colombia is scheduled to begin during tomorrow night.

Enjoying the San Blas archipelago for a couple of days

Days 47-49 The Kuna bring dinner

There was a bit of a breeze today. The moving air and lots of swimming combined to help everyone keep their cool. There were several visits from the indigenous Kuna people who live on the islands in the San Blas Archapeligo. Sometimes they arrived in a dugout canoe and sometimes in a motor canoe. Sometimes they were selling groceries or sea food and sometimes they just came to visit. Dinner today featured grilled fresh fish and a stew made from huge fresh langoustine (sea prawns). Vegetables and the fish were all bought from the Kuna.

Grocery shopping from the Kuna

Just here for a visit

The anchor came up right after dinner and off we went. It became dark after 6, as usual at these latitudes but there was enough light to see the waves that were making the ship buck and roll so much. According to Captain Ludwig the sea was “dead calm” and the waves didn’t even register. Our perception, the 8 passengers, was a little different than that of an experienced man of the sea. It felt like a ride at the fair for the next 24 hours.

The main sail

Under way

The ship’s movements gave Isabelle a hard time. Gravol seemed to help but only to a point. Most people spent long periods of time on their backs, either in bed or on the upper deck. They seemed to be most comfortable this way. Walking around was challenging and required a hand or two for balance at all times. I made it through the crossing to Cartagena somehow unscathed. At one point, I too took a gravol but it was more for the sake of insurance than for need.

We arrived in Cartagena harbour in just 24 hours, the wind having aided our progress more than expected. We slept overnight in the harbour and Customs came on board the next day to process the motos. When they were finished we motored for almost an hour to a pier, Cartagena is a large harbour. We were released onto the pier at about 5pm, later than expected.

Cartagena seen from our ship anchored in the harbour

Huge "cigarette boats", very fast and expensive

Then came the ride downtown at rush hour! Traffic mostly moves well in Cartagena because so many people ride motorcycles but we have some new unwritten rules of the road (really conventions) to learn! Eventually (after two hours) we found our lodging for the night and collapsed in the air conditioning. Our northern blood still has trouble getting used to the heat and humidity. We can’t wait to get into the mountains and to a more temperate climate.

Day 50 Let’s get to the mountains!

The heat really was too much and we decided over breakfast to literally head for the hills. We started on our way towards Medellin. After leaving the city everything, including us, seemed to calm down. The scurrying motorcycles, aggressive cars and the constant beeping were gone. Even the heat seemed to ease a bit.

They were replaced by good roads, idyllic rural scenes and no road tolls! Motorcycles use a thin lane at the right side to pass through each set of toll booths without paying in Columbia. We rode only a short while before stopping at the “Malibu Hotel” which is very new, clean and cool with in room air conditioning. Tomorrow we will ride into the foothills. We spent the afternoon catching up with family and all things internet. It was a pleasant day.

Rural Columbia, coastal lowlands

Day 51 Columbian motorcycle culture

“Motorcycles in Columbia” will be the topic for just a little while, simply because it is such a big part of life here.

Taking a roadside break today

Small motorcycles, under 200cc, are everywhere. People are encouraged to ride them through various incentives because they help traffic move along and they are more environmentally friendly than single passenger cars. They often buzz around in local transportation hubs like wasps. With each other we call these places, “wasps’ nests”.

These hubs are where local and regional buses connect. They usually have a pedestrian crossing bridge that few people use. Buses bring in large numbers of people to these points on major roads. In Central America we have seen cabs, tuk-tuks, cars, animals and motorcycles bringing in even more people. It’s the motorcycles that are especially numerous in Columbia. Road-side shanty villages spring up here selling everything you can imagine. These hubs often feature multiple “gnarly” speed bumps that require almost a full stop. These obstacles make it possible for pedestrian vendors to filter through the traffic lines usually selling fresh fruits and vegetables but sometimes consumer goods too.

Small motos can easily go over or around the speed bumps, overtaking and filtering through lines of trucks and cars. On the faster roads the underpowered motos keep well to the right to allow the faster trucks and cars to easily pass them with almost complete disregard for on-coming traffic. It’s a good natured, well orchestrated and understood Crazy Dance! We are slowly learning some of the steps and may some day enjoy the dance too. Our hippo-like machines make much of it very awkward though.

Here's one chap with a load

We have seen small motos carry a passenger who might be holding pipes, plywood, sacks or the handles to a trailer being towed behind. We have seen motos carry an entire family at once. Today we saw four women individually dressed in white riding one. There might be bales of hay and other bulky agricultural products like sacked goods. Our sightings include stacks of caged chickens and trays of eggs on the rider’s lap up to his chin! There have been mountains of bread and buns, bits and pieces of furniture and of course the ubiquitous large tail-box on the delivery bikes in the cities. We have seen small motos towing other heavily laden motos, even two at once. The Police ride two up and use the second officer’s free hands for weapon carriage.

Happily putting along

Breakfast was at a roadside “restaurante”, the type that was called a “comedor” in Central America. Along with word usage and slang, accents have shifted too. We find it somehow more difficult to understand people here. We’ll adjust. Breakfast featured a very white potato-like vegetable, fried plantain, cheese and scrambled eggs. Oh, and coffee, Columbian coffee. Everything was freshly made and was delicious. We rode a few hours today and then just called it quits. There is no schedule now that the ship voyage is finished. We will simply ride south across the equator, chasing summer all the way to “the end of the world” and back.