Leaving Bogota and travelling slower than a tortoise in peanut butter.
4 days for two experienced cycle-tourists to cycle 160km! Easy…. Are we fit? NO! Are we altitude adjusted? NO! Was it easy? hahahahahahah……
The first 65km literally took us all day, with steep climbs, wrong turns and no oxygen. Cycling out of cities on nasty busy roads always sucks however, this was especially polluted, especially busy and especially sucky. Our campsite for the night though was anything but. Our WarmShowers ( CouchSurfing for cycle tourists ) host Daniel runs his own tiny campsite and gave us a beautiful free spot for the night; it was just a shame that we were rubbish guests and too exhausted to do anything but collapse in the tent and pass out.
Our plan was to take the back roads to Villa de Lleyva. That means no tarmac and STEEP gradients……. at altitude, with regular 2600 metres to 3000 metre climbs. The good part is that we get to see amazing views and Colombian rural life and hardly encounter any vehicles except for one notable exception.
Our second night camping was another beautiful site; a campground by a rock climbers hang out. The new tent is proving to be excellent.
The notable exception to being on quiet roads was finding ourselves climbing up a steep gravel road between two towns between which coal trucks, multiple, multiple coal trucks were ferrying their load. Nightmare. Wheezing like steam trains anyway on account of the altitude and sucking in lung falls of coal dust. We were shattered at the next village.
The next challenge was Steve waking up in the night with stomach related issues….. The next morning the stomach and Steve were worse. Faced with the choice of cycling sick on rough roads with big climbs or staying in a one horse town whose horse ran away, we decided to buy movement stopping drugs and cycle.
27 km later after 400+m of climbing and 800m of decent on a really diabolical road, we reached a village with taxis and more specifically, a taxi driver that agreed to put our bikes on his roof and drive us the last 20km to Villa de Leyva where steve crawled into the tent and tried not to die.
We’re now camped in the grounds of a lovely hostel where we plan to stay for the next few days with plans to head further north on Boxing Day.
And here’s a few more photos:
5 thoughts on “Leaving Bogota and travelling slower than a tortoise in peanut butter.”
Hi to you both.
Christmas eve and ready to settle down and wait for Santa Claus. Loved your latest blog and great photos. Are you both ok now?
I went to Forster today with Janeece and a friend of hers from Sydney. I bought oysters and prawns for lunch tomorrow. Her friend speaks a little French so we mucked around all day throwing in some French when we could . Back home to Janeece’s for late lunch.
Where are you for Christmas?
Love Mum
Amazing pics – thank you for sharing, I feel I’m learning a lot! I hope Steve has recovered totally and that you’re having a great time. Will keep following you.
Joy
Hey guys :-))
Merry Christmas and wishing you a Happy New Year. Hope Steve has recovered …. avoid the peanut butter lol. The photos are good, so good to see where you are going, even at snail pace. All our love L n C xxx
Happy cycling – great photos and narratives- I didn’t think about the number of trucks you’d face- something to put in your how to travel around the world on a bike guide! it must have been awful! Glad you are now away from the truck ( for a while) at least the locals are friendly and hospitable.
I was told by Larrys’ Colombian mother that one of the biggest challenges was the change in altitude- once you crack this ( after a few weeks ) then you’ll be ok! I really admire you both! What determination.
Great photos and running commentary !
We are engulfed by a deep grey white foggy blanket -apt for this time if the year – very Dickinson & atmospheric , with the blurry haze of twinkling of Xmas lights, vague ghostly outline of trees and houses- ice cold chill and freezing temperatures – you must be thinking – what a great escape ! Enjoy Sx
Love the photos and running commentary –
hope you’ve recover Steve!!
We are over indulging with the girls and a friend from Amsterdam. Going to South Bank tomorrow , meeting Ella and then to see Motown the musical! Busy day as usual. Would rather be there with you! Enjoy the snail pace it’s better than the rat race!
Fantastic descriptions and photos – thanks. Hope you are both feeling rested and Steve better. Gorgeous day today – bright, sunny, very cold, in spite of fog elsewhere in UK.
Love mum x