Re: Fascinating ride

Same here, I was happy with 3000 a month, now I need at least 20,000

Re: Fascinating ride

Many thanks Ravi for the kind words and compliments. Farzana is elated and coveys her wishes to you & wife. Hope to catch you both soon when I am at Blr.
Colombia was indeed very different from our other rides. A good mix of adventure and uncertainties.



Thanks sumitro.

Thanks. Atleast we didn't see cocaine in any of the supermarkets, but seems things have sobered down since 2010


Thanks Jay

Good luck with whatever it is....

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Day–2 (Ibague to Salento)




We wake up to the wonderful sound of rainfall tapping from the sky. The surrounding mountains were covered in low clouds. Ibague is the music capital of Colombia and located in the Tolima province and features a tropical rainforest climate all thru the year. Our hotel had a well laid out buffet breakfast and the friendly staff pointed us to one corner where there was the pipping hot Colombian favourite breakfast dish ‘Tamal’. Yummmy.















After breakfast, we started out on a gloomy morning from Ibaque negotiating the narrow & wet streets with continuous rain that has been pouring thru the night. Although it’s a relatively short riding day, today, we had to negotiate the beautiful and twisty Cordillera mountains, with heavy trailer-truck traffic and at times visibility due to fog down to almost couple of meters. With a few traffic jams high up on this mountain road together with wet roads, our riding pace has been considerably slowed down, however, we get intermittent stretches without traffic and I make the most of riding the GS. Riding on we stopped for quick snack & hydration break.


























































The weather was chilly and from there on our ride was a slow crawl along those majestic mountains sometimes again covered in thick fog, sometime with road repair work, traffic blockages etc. We continue ahead passing on highway 40 thru Cajamarka and a few small villages and then branch right at Calarca amidst the coffee growing belt of Armenia region. Getting off the main highway onto another well paved country road swooping thru the many twists & turns passing coffee plantations and finally landing us onto the rustic town of Salento. It’s a small & charming place located in the Quindio municipality with many coblestone streets perfectly bisecting each other at right angles, but its like a roller-coaster ride with steep climbs & dips. Most of the town has retained its brightly colored colonial architecture and is generally a laid back place where everybody seems to know everybody…at times it looked like a giant Hollywood film setting in a past era, just that the people are real, not the extras and they are warm & friendly to us. We check into the Hotel Salento Real and dump our stuff there.




Later that evening google says this mean “Dangerous curves watch out your lane”












Keep wondering what those axle-cables do? Many small & big vehicles had them









Most road repair stretches had these valuable traffic controllers. Nice



























After a small wash, we quickly proceed to the famous Valley of Cocora renowned for its wax palms, the tallest palm trees in the world and the national tree of Colombia. It’s an absolutely mystical scenery once you are at the valley with the tall palms rising on the mountain slopes that are carpeted in rich green grass manicured by nature with the sunlight providing some spectacular visual effects, although today it was being interrupted at regular intervals by clouds. We settled in one of the restaurants there for a mouth watering lunch that comprised of Griddled trucha (trout fish) and Patacon gratinado con vegetarian with trucha soup, all this being gulped down while equally enjoying the spectacular view around.





































































After a long lunch at the valley, we headed to a coffee plantation, but the ride in itself was an unexpected adventure which we hadn’t anticipated. Asking for directions to the plantation, we learnt the hard way that in the Colombian countryside Uno km (1 km) is how every distance, short or long is explained!! We started from the town center with ‘uno km to destination’, but after riding thru some really treacherous and slippery dirt track for about 8kms, we were again told its uno km…..Frankly the ride was like a rally route with all kinds of challenges and at one point we had a seriously close call when I fishtailed my rear in the narrow slushy road with the frightening view of the valley many hundred feet below with no guard rails, it was pure luck that I managed to keep the bike upright.





















Colombian art, souvenir and confectionery made locally











On our return journey, we had the added challenge of two stray dogs ferociously barking & running beside us, where one mongrel lost interest soon but the other continued its pursuit…. I had a heavy bike to steer, slushy road with a steep climb and trying to avoid our canine foe biting us!! As expected, I knew the dog would have scared the living daylights out of my long haired general, and I was myself sweating in my helmet with so many challenges and in a fit of rage, I screamed at the dog at 100 decibels in my native malayalam language ‘poda nayinde mone’ (crudely translates as - get lost you SoB) and the dog abruptly shut up and left us thinking we belonged to another planet!!! I asked my wife, did you get that on camera and she replies, “what camera?? my hands were trembling & I was thinking of a colombian dog bite as a souvenir to take back to India!!!” We had a hearty laugh afterwards. We finally ended a wonderful & eventful day in Salento.

Re: Fascinating ride

As always.. Super write-up.. I would love to take tution from you on this

hehe.. There is nothing like shouting in our mother tongue when angry.. Best way to get rid of the heat..

looks like your 'long haired general' gave you a pass on this for your effort And give her one souvenir like this.. And see the living hell.. Hehe..

(be safe always..)

Re: Fascinating ride

Ah lovely set of pics! Loved the second set because it reminded me of western ghats in KA and KL during rain.

The dog incident was hilarious!
BTW, sirjee how do you carry your helmets? Sorry to ask, but I'm not sure if I missed reading about it. You carry your own helmets right? Or you rent them out too?

Re: Fascinating ride

Yes Divya, we carry our own helmets, jackets, pants, boots etc. Besides, the Scala intercom unit with mic & headphones is fixed to each of our helmets. Wife uses the Arai and I use the Nolan flip-up (my aging Nolan is soon to be retired and hopefully replaced with a new Shoei Neotec). Normally one check-in bag has all the bike gear and other bike stuff (full list is on my website in the 'Resources' page). While the other check-in bag and one hand carry bag has all our regular clothes, under clothes, over clothes etc... And on every trip our most tense moments are waiting for the check-in baggage at the airport....if it does not arrive, we are......!!

Re: Fascinating ride

Ah yes, now I remember the Alps T-log. You mentioned a baggage for riding gear!
I must say, Scala Intercom is a boon on the highways.

Re: Fascinating ride






The previous evening when we checked into the hotel, I was annoyed at not finding air-conditioning. But the manager had smiled and said, firstly if you remove your space suit you will feel a little more airy and secondly, just wait for the night to arrive. He was damn right. We woke up to a very chilly morning in Salento. After a simple breakfast of fruits, fresh juice, freshly made Arepa (Colombian flatbread of ground maize) and omelette, we pack up & strap up soon and put on our inner jacket liners. We hit the road heading north wards. With a bright sun, its getting really warm and steamy inside our jackets so we shed the warm liners as the ambient temperature started rising and hence it was a hot & sweaty ride.



















No wonder we found Colombia a very clean country

























































































We fuel up the bike and for lunch we selected the adjacent truck stop for two reasons- safety & good/fresh food. It was an ordinary roadside eatery but lots of trucks and other vehicles around. Also there was a clean toilet for our use. We use google translate on our phone to order food and feast on another wonderful round of Pollo sopa, pollo frei with arroz al vapor (Chicken soup, Chicken fry and steamed rice). The service at this eatery was wonderful and always with a warm smile.





















We continue on Rte 29 northwards merging into Rt 25 which is a major north-south artery highway in Colombia. The ride went thro' some scenic mountains carpeted in green foliage and jaw dropping valley views. We also had our fill of negotiating thru unending 18-wheeler traffic crawling up the mountain, road construction zones, traffic jams in tight switchbacks making the ride a lot more intense and time consuming. We were gliding thru a series of small mountain passes with well paved motorcycling tarmac slow enough to enjoy the scenery but fast enough to enjoy the road. Our ride takes thru La Pintada, Santa Barbara, Caldas etc.













































































































Respect for these guys to keep the city safe (sorry for the unwanted special effects!)







Wow, after Mrs & Mr Adventure just gained some more wisdom on 'EXITO', we picked up some fruits and small groceries and finished the day with a simple dinner. It was a long and tiring day for both of us but nevertheless enjoyable.

Re: Fascinating ride






































Fruit sellers with a mic & loudspeaker is common sight in the cities!




The global Indian brand- Mahindra in Colombia








We then ride up the hill to El Pueblito Paisa where we do some curio shopping and take in the magnificent views of the sprawling metropolis below. What we noticed about Medellin is that nearly most parts of the city, buildings, parking areas etc are under heavy CCTV surveillance. There are lots of very friendly but fully armed cops around most parts of the city. Mrs Adventure also exchanges greetings with a lady cop.


The rider is a lady cop (we meet her later for a pic)




































The customary departing shot from the city of Medellin





















Once out of the city we are heading eastwards taking the wonderful highway 60 with a riot of greenery all around. We pass thru beautiful mountain roads, cross a tunnel and continue on the same winding smooth tarmac for many more kms.


























Colombian fruit- Zapote




























The El Penol in the background














Zocalos carvings on houses


























The humble Indian Bajaj autorickshaw with a South American touch!

























Soon after the relaxed lunch break we start our downward journey back to Marinilla from where we turn left and continue on Hwy 60. The ride is absolutely enjoyable going thru most parts under the tree canopy with lots of unending sweepers and climbs & dips. At one point just after a curve, we are suddenly facing an oncoming van barging at us in our lane and I luckily manage to steer onto the shoulder (watch intro video). The roads are well paved, but in many parts there is thick fog for kilometers on end which slows us down considerably. And our late start in the morning means, it is quickly getting dark and then we are riding on a dark highway with very little traffic and just the headlight of the bike and brightly lit screen of the GPS for company.

Re: Fascinating ride





Our room was air-conditioned so we had a good nights sleep but there was no hot water in the bathroom (as if we needed it in a hot & humid place!). After an early morning stroll in the sprawling garden of the resort we were staying at, we were treated to a nice breakfast of Arepa, bread, cheese, fried eggs, fruits and some Colombian coffee.













































































































































The sprawling town of Honda has nothing to do with some Japanese manufacturer of automobiles! It takes its name from Ondaimas, the indigenous people that inhabited the banks of the massive Magdalena river. The city is nestled along the river in Tolima province and was once the main river port of Colombia from 1850 to 1910. This place is super hot & humid almost throughout the year so not a great place for daytime tourism! We are staying at the historic Botique Posada Las Trampas Hotel built in the 1600s. The city has its own charm with narrow cobblestone streets with lots of old and well preserved buildings.






























Late evening view from our window






We went out for an evening stroll to the main town square that had kiosks selling cut fruits, ice creams, and other stuff, but we settled for another enjoyable Colombian snack- plantain fritter. Later in the evening we dined at a local eatery with some excellent food and then went into a super market for some grocery purchases, most important being a gallon of WATER! Also picked some freshly cut fruits - lulo, mora etc. We had to give up on other stuff since it was all in Spanish and google translate was going bonkers with our overload of translation requests!!















Flat and out in bed after an exhausting day in the hot scorching Colombian sun.

Re: Fascinating ride

great going there all the best for many more rides to both of you

Re: Fascinating ride

for last 40 min I kept this only open in my screen but still lost some 25% pic (which are not got loaded) but what ever I seen @ Haroon bhai rox

Re: Fascinating ride

Many thanks harikeshpk

Thanks sumitro. Infact I have downsized the pics, but probably its the internet speed thats slowing down. Anyways more pics will be on the way...

Re: Fascinating ride

Needless to say, beautiful pictures flowing as always!!


"Por Favor No Molestor" was the pick though!

Re: Fascinating ride

Day–6 (Honda to Bogota)



As usual we had a nice breakfast served by our host and went around the Posada Las Trampas hotel enjoying its old world charm. Honda being an extremely hot & humid place, we had to repeatedly gulp down huge amount of water to fight off dehydration (remember, I told you we bought a gallon of water the previous night). Still the ride started with both of us dripping in sweat.















That’s a choice of Indian tea (not the strong variety we Indians are used to sipping!)






No harm in a bit of help from Google-Translate to order the choice of eggs!






Our friendly hostess








The ‘Tea-kit & kettle’ we carry on all our global rides




Yeah, that’s a whole damn gallon for the heat & humidity!!!







Load up the bike and slowly made our way out of the narrow streets of Honda city and onto the highway heading towards Bogota. Again my dashboard flashes low pressure in my tire. Fortunately, there was a gas station nearby where I went and had the puncture fixed once & for all.


































Soon we were ascending the mountains with lots of road repair stoppages as well as landslide clearance. One thing that particularly impressed me is that any road construction zone is well marked, well manned and motorists are also well mannered waiting in line patiently. Seems it is also customary to have a lot of street vendors who sell their stuff at these road repair sites. We also saw a ‘mobile cafeteria’ lodged on a small Bajaj Pulsar 150cc bike…. By now we both are also familiar with the 2 boards that road repair crew hold directing traffic – PARE in red color (means STOP) and SIGA in green color (means GO)…wow, our Spanish knowledge has substantially increased!! It was foggy in places (a hallmark of Colombian climate), while there were some more fresh landslides and slushy road repair works along the route.

















Wow! A mobile cafeteria…probably missing only a cappuccino machine!!












Rear pic…..No, we are not on the wrong side of the road.

































After some more riding, we stop for lunch at a nice local roadside eatery. Lunch consisted of steamed rice, Arepa, salad and the Colombian version of Rotisserie chicken with their spices. After a nice & fulfilling meal, we continue our ride and refreshingly, as we started ascending on highway 50 soon the temperatures started dropping as we begin to follow the zig-zag route towards Bogota gliding thru pastures and mountains covered with wild shrubs. Along the route, we had some more entertainment when we were following a covered pick-up truck transporting a bunch of naughty school girls heading home who were showing funny gestures to all passing motorists (nothing rude just the friendly kiddy stuff), so Mrs Adventure promptly starts the video camera and instantly the girls panic and cover their faces with their school bags. We found it very hilarious…
























The ‘naughty school girls brigade’ shying away from the camera….






Again we have heavy rains lashing at us just before Bogota together with slushy roads slowing our pace. After some more kms of lush greenery in the countryside, we are slowly beginning to see bits of concrete jungles emerging in the background. Proportionally, the traffic density is also increasing on the roads and we have to negotiate our fair share of crazy drivers on the road. The continued heavy rains sabotaged our plans for some local sight seeing of parks and other attractions in Bogota while when we still had the bike. Once inside the city limits, it’s a painfully slow crawl in mad city traffic (with rain) into the heart of the city and we navigate our way towards the B3 hotel where we check-in again.






































Mission accomplished!







Later in the evening we returned the bike and went out for an evening stroll to again taste the addictive ‘salpicon’ fruit drink. At the juice joint we met two wonderful Colombian women, who were returning home after work and although they did not speak a word of English, but somehow with a mixture of sign language and a few words here & there we had a very interesting conversation about Colombia and about India and the 4 of us perfectly understood each other. At that point Farzana was telling me, the people are so friendly here, wish we had known some more Spanish and it would have a been an even more enriching experience.


















Infact the day we first landed in Bogota, we were both very apprehensive about where we went or what we did due to reading and being told about all the past horror stories in Colombia. But having travelled alone thru the country armed with only a motorcycle and a smile (obviously the smile substituted for Spanish) and interacted with so many wonderful people in Colombia, we were more comfortable & confident of the country and our personal well being. Besides, with our Indian tanned skin color we easily blended into the local crowd except whenever Spanish language came into the equation!

Next morning we take our flight out of Colombia, but we are both left with a feeling of wanting more travel in South America, ofcourse certainly after learning some more Spanish.

Distance travelled: 176 kms

On a closing note, with our arrival back into Bogota on the bike, this marked 2 very special milestones for Mrs & Mr Team Rideforpassion- Firstly, the successful culmination of our ride in Colombia in one piece and secondly the fact that we as a Indian husband-wife team have now done a motorbike ride on all the major continents on the planet. We are surely nothing like those hardcore RTW travelers, but in our own small way with the given challenges of originally coming from humble backgrounds, having limited resources, money, time, school going children etc, we were able to accomplish this feat which to us is an important personal accomplishment. Thanks to the almighty and also the encouragement from our friends & relatives.



Two Indians with our beloved tricolor after completing the ride in Colombia




Gratitude to the almighty







Don’t know where our next biking adventure will take us, but for now its adios…to all of you and thanks for coming along with us here.

Re: Fascinating ride

What a fantastic journey and great pics !!! [MENTION=11002]Haroon[/MENTION], if you dont mind answering, what was the total cost of the trip?