COOKING AND BRAAAAPING AROUND THE WORLD

Friday, March 9, 2012

JEEPING IT UP

DAY-122

3/5/2012

It has been 4 MONTHS- 8,000 MILES-12,875km, since I left Colorado 11/5/2011.
My night in the hammock was very comfortable, first time I have ever slept in a hammock overnight. I woke up early and headed into town for a little coffee and breakfast. A lot of people from the hostel were going on an 8hr jeep tour that sound pretty fun for around 15bucks. Last minute I decided to join them and jumped into a Trooper with seating for 8 and a huge roof rack. We drove into the hills and stopped for pictures on a high road with a 1000ft drop off to the right. He told us that we could ride on the roof if we wanted, so we took turns all day riding on the roof we had 4-5 people up at a time. We drove some crazy roads up, down, and crises crossing through the mountains. It was a nice day meeting new people, relaxing, cruising, and seeing the Colombian Mountain side. We did all different hikes, stone carving parks, delicious lunch, amazing views, waterfalls, and lots of laughs.

We made it back to town around 5:30, grabbed a cup of café and freshly made Pollo and Potato empanadas. Had a relaxing evening and passed out in my hammock.

HUGE WATERFALL!!

THUMBS UP FOR RADTASTIC VIEWS!!

WATERFALLS EVERYWHERE

SUGARCANE BEING BROUGHT IN BY HORSE

JUICING SUGARCANE!!!

THERE IS A FIRE UNDERNEATH THESE TUBS, THEY USE ALL OF THE CRUSHED SUGAR CANE AS FIREWOOD

MALTED COOKED DOWN SUGAR CANE!!

COOLING DOWN AND THEN BLOCKED UP READY TO SHIP!! VERY TASTY SCRAPS!!

THERE YOU HAVE IT, HOW SUGARCANE BLOCKS ARE MADE!!!

DROPPING INTO THE VALLEY

ROOF TOP RIDING

MARY'S WATCHING OVER

WE SAW LOTS OF CARVINGS AND GRAVES TODAY

RAD DAY!!!

Thursday, March 8, 2012

TO SAN AGUSTIN

DAY-121

3/4/2012

The sun woke me around 6:30am, nice cool morning with beautiful views. I took a nice morning pee in a field and started my day, walking around taking photos. I saw Robin was up, talked with him for a little bit, he was working on a drawing. It was actually a comic and it was a comic of me!! A picture of me wrecking on my bike.. haha

I packed up my tent and gear and headed off for San Agustin around 8:30, I made good time all day twisting through the mountains. Starting off was nice with about 10km of dirt, bouncing down the dirt road smiling, dodging cows, splashing through rivers, and lust laughing! I got to the first town, with a few bad directions and 10 minutes of getting lost I was on my way. The road was awesome; I was ripping through gnarly hairpin turns, huge turns, S-ing my way through the hills of Colombia. I climbed high into the mountains then came whipping down to the rivers and back up again. There was not too much traffic on the road due to it being Sunday. Stopped for breakfast which consisted of veggie soup, rice, fried eggs, and a cup of café. The road signs are quiet impressive, the best on this trip so far. There were tons of dogs all over the road today, but there was one sitting in the middle of the road a puppy maybe 10 weeks old with a bow around its neck. (I hope it didn’t get hit!) The last pass I had was a cold and rainy one. I was ripping up toward the top when I saw one of the most amazing waterfalls across the valley from me, that I literally pulled to the side stopped and took pictures right from the bike. The views of had in Colombia do not compare to anywhere I have been thus far on the trip. It is amazing that I never thought about travelling through Colombia Before this trip , I will have to come back again and travel some more. Colombia defiantly took me by surprise, it is radtastic!

I pulled into San Agustin around 2ish, stopped in the rain and grabbed a bunch of groceries for the next for days. I had to climb a pretty steep and muddy road to get to the hostel. I wanted to camp (5bucks a day) but all of their camping areas were swamped out from all of the recent rain. The dorm room was around 10 bucks, but instead I was able to grab the last hammock for 5 bucks. I dropped my gear off the bike and headed for the Archeologist Park. All of these massive sculpted stones all over the park, a nice 2hr walk or so. I climb up the steep muddy hill back to the hostel. I was nackered, I ended up reading my book and falling asleep around 8:30PM.

WALKING THROUGH THE PARK

GRAVE

RAD CARVING

NICE VIEWS FROM THE BIKE

CARVINGS

MY FAVORITE

HOLY CRAP!!!!

EPIC SHOT

DESERT

SO RADTASTIC!

EPIC WATERFALL SHOT IN THE RAIN FROM THE ROAD

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

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.