SALENTO TO THE DESERT

DAY-120

3/3/2012

        I currently have the cutest little 4 year old boy standing next to my chair watching me type to you and asking lots and lots of question. He keeps saying chow and then leaving just to sneak back and try an scare me. haha



        Alright let’s tell you about an epic day of riding Colombian style. Said my goodbyes and traded information with Dan and Jessica. (The little boy keeps coming back hola…chow) so far about 15 times. Hjaha So I made my way out of town and headed for the Tatacoa desert.  I had to climb over a huge pass which I must have passed over 100 trucks on the way up and another hundred on the way down. Awesome views although was very overcast all day. My bike made a few weird noises but I think it was just from altitude and going very slow, seems prefect now. I got very hungry, tired, needed food and water. I was running low on cash but found a place that seemed okay. Although I after a frustrating time with my bad Spanish I figured out they were out of Pollo, so I changed restaurants. I was exhausted and just needed food. I found my Pollo and ate very quickly getting back onto the road. Due to leaving around 10:30 and being told it would take 8-9 hours I didn’t think I would make it before dark.

        All of a sudden I realized I was making amazing time and if I found the shortcut I had been told of I might just make it before dark. I stopped at a gas station hoping they would take credit card, they did and also charged the card and extra 40 bucks and gave me cash, SWEET set for awhile. I was keeping my eyes out for the small sign that should indicate the shortcut; I saw it and blew right past it. I turned around and rode down a dirt road for about 5 minutes before dead ending into a huge river. I took a few pictures waiting for the boat on the other side to notice me. Not sure if this is it, but was told there would be a boat involved. Finally I screamed out Hola, yup that worked he fired up his little john boat and heading my way. Landed his boat, laid out a ramp, shook my hand, grab my bike with my help back it up the ramp and into the boat. I jumped in and sat on it holding it up right, we cruised across the river and beached it on the other side, quickly unloaded it. He gave me directions after a little confusion, he just looked at his wife who jumped onto a sweet Honda Super Cub and told me to follow. They got me onto the main dirt road and told me to go straight. I rode it for about 30 minutes and it was a lot of fun…I LOVE DIRT!!!! The road popped out onto a paved road and about 10 minutes later I was at the Observatory for the stars. Although it is too cloudy for them to open it up they let me set up my tent on their Property for the night. I walked over to a mess tent style restaurant and had Rice, eggs, plantains, and avocado. Now I just sat on the porch surrounded by dessert, then mountains in the distance, watched the sunset, and told you about my day.

 I was all set for bed, getting into my sleeping bag like an old man around 8pm. When I heard someone walking toward my tent, “HOLA” “HOLA” I didn’t say a word just waited, then I hear “Fletch?” What! No way it is Meit and Robin they made it, I crawl out and say hello. I grab my shoes and follow them to their Van; we sit and hang out with a few beers, while they make dinner. Nice to see them in the middle of nowhere, they didn’t think they were going to make it, due to the fact without the short cut it was an extra 2hrs. I headed to bed around 10ish.

Tomorrow I head for San Agustin.

MOTORCYCLES TO THE RIGHT FOR FREE!!!

WHERES THE BOAT?

HOLA!!!

ALRIGHT HERE WE GO

LETS ROCK

SITTING ON THE BIKE HOLDING IT UP

SUCCESS!!! TIME TO ROLL

NICE ROAD TOWARD THE DESERT

NICE RIDING

LONG DAY

AND IT WAS RAINING

CAMPING SPOT

SUNSET

SUNRISE

SUNRISE

SO SO LUCKY.. SO RAD!!

HIKING THE VALLEY!!

DAY-119

3/2/2012

        Walked to the center of town, on the way grabbing a bottle of water and snacks. I met up with 10 others from my hostel and climbed into an old Willy’s jeep, Dan and I hung off the back as we headed into the valley. We walked as a big group just talking and trading stories as we followed a trail for about 5km following a river twisting through an amazing valley. We got to the end where there was a Humming Bird Refuge, (or at least that is what you’re told) really it was just a cabin with plastic humming bird feeders everywhere. Was still very nice, we had a cup of free coffee and headed on our way. We started to climb up into the mountains, and the rest of the group was not a fan and bailed out heading back to the main trail. We climb up until it was too steep and never found the lookout but was still a lot of fun. We took the full loop and headed up climbing toward a ridge, we hiked through the famous Colombian Wacks Palms. It was an awesome time with rad friends, amazing views and pictures.

        We took a Willy back to town and everyone was very very tired, although we had to rally because it was Dan’s Birthday. About ten of us went to the same restaurant as last night and blew up balloons and set up streamers and waited for Jessica to show up with Dan. He was very happy, not to surprised I do not think but none the less very stoked. After dinner we headed to the square and sat around just 5 of us sharing some rum and stories. We met up with a lot more friends and enjoyed our night, maybe a little too much making a hard next morning.

LOOKING GOOD I WOULD HAVE TO SAY

JESSICA AND DAN RIDING OUT ON THE JEEP TOWARD THE VALLEY

HEADING OUT FOR OUR HIKE

HIKING DOWN THE VALLEY...MOOOOOOO

WACKS PALMS

ONE OF MANY BRIDGES

THE VALLEY

HUMMING BIRDS

TOP OF THE RIDGE

DAN, JESSICA, AND MYSELF

THE VALLEY

COOL SHOT

WALKING BACK TO THE TRUCK

SWEET VALLEY SHOT

RAD VIEWS

TREEHUGGING HIPPIES ARE ALL OVER THE WORLD, NOT JUST IN CB!

WACKS PALMS

COFFEE TOUR DAY

DAY-118

3/1/2012

        First of March!!! I had a nice cup of coffee and walked into town with two Sylvania girls to go to the market. I made a nice little breakfast and decided to go for a walk. I walked all through town up 10 sets of stairs to the top of a hill overlooking the town and valley on the other side; I walked for about 3 hours. I grabbed lunch and headed back to the hostel for the Coffee Tour. The owner of the hostel and farm is hilarious. He is from England moved to Salento 5 years ago and opened the Plantation Hostel, and then two years later bought a coffee farm from a 70 year old lady. There are 24 main steps to start to finish of coffee making, from growing the seeds to pouring into mug. We got the chance to watch and help take the shell off of the bean, pan roast, grind, and finally drink. IT WAS AWESOME!!!! We then walked around his farm, he has, blackberries, pineapples, strawberries, bamboo, and many other sections throughout his farm. He was defiantly a happy go lucky kind of guy and it had paid off for him.

        A few of us stayed at the farm and got to know each other, I got along very well with a London Couple, Jessica and Dan. We walked up to the owner’s house and watch the sunset and headed for dinner. We head an awesome dinner at a Spanish Chefs restaurant and finished with Coffee Wine. Which is they take the water that they fermented the coffee cherries in and make wine out of it. You just a have a small shot of it accompanied with a coffee flavored cookie. We headed out to an Australian owned bar for a few drinks.

        SALENTO IS A MUST STOP FOR ANY TRAVELER GOING THROUGH COLOMBIA!! STAY AT PLANTATION HOSTEL!!

24 COFFEE STEPS

LEAFS TO GROUND COFFEE

SHELLING THE BEANS

CLEANING THEM UP

ROASTING BEANS

ALMOST READY FOR COFFEE TIME

GRINDING AWAY

COFFEE TIME TIME TIME!!!

YEAH!!!!

ALONG THE WAY

RAD SUNSET TO AN EPIC DAY

COFFEE WINE AND COOKIES YUM YUM YUM!!!!

SALENTO COLOMBIA

DAY-117

2/29/2012



        Alright let’s try this again, check out, grab taxi, arrive at Africa Moto, and talk with Alex. Sweet good to go, I load up the bike, pay my bill; get a few pictures with Alex. As we are taking the pictures next to my bike, he yells out AMERICA HELL YEAH!!! Ugh you’re going to get me beat up.. hahaha I get my directions out of Medellin and head for the hills. I realize right off my suspension is much better but also very very stiff. I will have to play with it once I make it to my next destination. As I make my way-out of town I come up on a slow car and truck, put my blinker on and go to pass the car and then the truck. Nope the car swings out I slam the breaks and see a huge what car about to side swipe me into the wall. Nothing I can do so I lean my wait toward the car ready for impact…..nothing…. somehow by the grace of the moto Gods he missed me. I finally pass both of them and get out of there not to stoked but no need to get my panties in a bunch just keep riding and smiling. I ride up into the mountains twisting my way through up up up, and then down down down. I dump into a beautiful valley with rivers everywhere, brown ones. I stop for lunch and to walk around get the blood flowing doc’s orders. I make my way hugging the base of mountains, just dancing through. It starts to drizzle and I flick my hand warmers on first time using them in a long long time. I start to head up into the mountains again, now it is raining pretty solid only for a few minutes at a time then it stops. It goes from rain to drop back and forth for about an hour. I do not get lost; the roads are marked awesome here.

        I ride this small paved road up into the hills, and finally dump out into a nice little coffee town, all I can do is small it feels very piece and relaxing. I find the hostel that I had been told about from my friend Cosmo from home, they set me up with a bed for 10 bucks and safe gated parking. I grab a cup of coffee and make some noodles (I was starving and cold from the rain). As I am sitting there a couple walks in and its Robin and Miet from Belgium, they have been traveling from the US by a Mitsubishi 4x4 van. I have met them randomly in San Blas-Mex, Puerto Escondido-Mex, Panama City-Pan, and now Salento-Colombia. They invited me to throw in on some Lasagna, wine, apple crisp dinner. We hung out all night with some really cool people and talked and shared stories. The food was awesome and good company. Tomorrow I am signed up for a coffee tour, should be interesting.

INSIDE AFRICA MOTO

OUTSIDE THE SHOP

ALEX AND ME

VIEW FROM LUNCH

SHE'S LOOKING GOOD, WITH A NEW FRIEND ON HER

STORMS BLOWING OVER

ANIMAL'S GOT MY BACK NOW!!!

JUMPING FOR COLOMBIA!!!