Triptus Interruptus

Well, it was destined to happen.

We had left Medellin without a problem. Melanie’s knee has been giving her issues since Mexico. At one of our early stops Melanie’s foot slipped on the peg and she twisted her knee again.  We taped it and put a brace on it and made it to Termales.  Termales is known for its incredible hot springs and waterfall.  For the night we had booked a cozy hostel, cabaña el portal.  This place was just down the road from the Thermal Spa Santa Rosa.  After a good dinner next door we hobbled to the hot springs for a good soak on that knee.

In the pool we had a long discussion about what this would mean to our ride south.  Although many scenarios came up, we decided to wait until morning and see how the knee was.  In the morning the knee was still very sore. We decided to go with plan x64.  That plan was to get Melanie an Uber to the nearest big city, Pereira.  After a couple days of rest the knee still hurt with any weight on it.  So the plan was for me to continue south.  Melanie would rest for a few more days. She would then fly to Quito where we would go to Horizons Unlimited Ecuador. It’s just south of Quito.   BTW, the fuel is only about US$2.20-2.50/gallon.

Melanie had a very boring week being stranded and eating Italian. Because of that, this blog will be about my ride south to Quito.  The timeline gave me about 5 days to wander and meet Melanie in Ecuador.  The first place I decided to visit was Cocora Valley. This place is known for their incredibly tall, 60+ meters, Quindío wax palm trees.  This is also the national tree of Colombia.  It also happens to be the place that inspired the location of the famous Disney film Encanto!  The palms have been described as belonging in a Dr Seuss book.  This is a very popular tourist destination and was just jammed with a horses and jeeps.  Too many people for me.  I had a cup of coffee with Juan Valdez, snapped a couple photos and rode on.

I was going to spend the night at a new MotoCamp in Columbia.  This place was just opening when COVID hit. They struggled.  But they kept building and keeping a dream.  This is the start of their second season.  Donkey Sunrise is the name of the MotoCamp.  I like to think of it as MotoCamp Columbia.  The reason for this? To me, MotoCamp Bulgaria is what all others should be judged against.  They have rooms, camping, and a place to fix food.  Above all else, it is the vibe.  And this place has it in aces.  The owners, Tim and Isa, have what it takes to make this work.  Plus it has a fantastic location.  It is right off the Pan American highway.  It’s an easy two to three day ride south from Cartagena or Bogota.  Plus this area is full of great things to see and fantastic riding.  Many of the tour groups in Colombia run tours in this area.  I would suggest to anyone riding north or south to definitely stay here for 2 to 3 days.  It’s a great place to decompress and cloverleaf ride.

When I arrived I was greeted by Isa and a couple other travelers I had met at HU Italy.  Paulo and Arianna had co-hosted the event and we’re now starting their ride through South America.  Thanks for the breakfast, Paulo.  The homemade jam was incredible.  That night I didn’t want to go to a restaurant to eat. Down on the corner was a small grocery.  I walked down and grabbed some canned tuna, canned vegetables, chips and hot sauce.  A perfect meal.

I left in the morning and we just ride south for the next couple days.  The roads were flat and boring.  But the real excitement comes from a little game called “dodge the trucks”.  It’s fairly harmless and if done right, a lot of fun. 

The second night I stayed in the town of Popayàn.  I found a small hostel that would let me park my bike in the garage.  It was within walking distance of downtown so I took off to see some sites.  It was starting to get dark so I decided to duck into the first restaurant I came across.  It happened to be Italian.  I ordered a chicken and mushroom lasagna with a couple of glasses of red wine.  The fresh homemade bread was delicious and the lasagna some of the best I’ve ever had.  All of that for US$8. 

The next day I would be crossing into Ecuador. Just before the border there is a very cool church that I wanted to see first.  But we will save that until next time this till next time.

Cheers,

2WANDRRs