Day 89

Odometer  32,836  – 33,101  —– 265  Miles (10,401 Miles Total)

Cali, Colombia – Mocoa, Colombia VIA Amazon Jungle

I was ready for a long day of exploring today when I woke up and I’m sure glad I felt that way for what was coming up. I got out of bed at about 7 and loaded up the bike. I typed in Mocoa on google maps and it was 10.5 hours away. I put it in my head last night that I wouldn’t try to make it there today. I would take my time enjoying the view  and stop maybe halfway. 

The ride started out pretty nice through some small towns and nice windy paved roads. It felt good to be back on the road again. I was riding and saw a few motorcycles loaded up with a bunch of gear at a little restaurant on the side of the road so I decided to join them for breakfast. I ordered some breakfast and one of them spoke great English so we chatted for a bit. They were all pretty young and lived in Medellin. They just started their trip yesterday leaving home and heading to Argentina as well. Fresh on a new journey I loved it. One of them scared me saying the death road I wanted to take by Ecuador was really bad and I shouldn’t take it. His buddy immediately told me to disregard it a minute later! We chatted about bikes for a bit and their plans. I told them how a guy I knew made it from Colombia to a small city in Brazil via the Amazon river for about 10 days and then riding from somewhere in Brazil to Bolivia. They kept it as an option for when they get turned away at the Peru border. They’re going to the Peru border anyway to give it a shot and see what happens.

We parted ways and started riding. I forgot whether I read something or heard something but it talked about living in the moment. Something about appreciating doing the dishes, feeling the water running over your hands, the temperature, the satisfaction of cleaning a dish and getting food off of it. I was thinking about it during my ride after getting breakfast. I was really enjoying every second of the smells, the scenery, the nature, the temperature and everything around me. It made the ride so much more enjoyable than ever before. I wasn’t thinking about tomorrow or yesterday or anything else. Just now. It was lovely.

That was just a thought no I won’t be writing about how im finding myself on this trip now! Haha 

 Fast forward an hour later and I was in a small valley with beautiful landscapes all around me. I couldn’t believe how beautiful it all was. The road was going back and forth between dirt and paved roads. There were waterfalls all around me every few minutes. I stopped a few times for some pictures. Slowly the road became top notch and I came around one corner to find a massive waterfall. I parked my bike in front of it and snapped a few pictures while the mist was covering everything nearby. There was a group of people taking pictures too, a family I think. One of them saw my license plate and at the same time another tried to talk to me. Word spread quickly how I was from New York and next thing I know I’m surrounded by 10 people getting asked 100 questions. It was pretty funny. They thought I was nuts for traveling alone and I said to one of them, yeah it’s so dangerous down here to be surrounded by people like you! Hah I snapped some pictures of them with my 5D and told them I would email them the pictures.

I got back on the bike and the next corner was even nicer than this one I just came around! I literally felt like I was inside a picture and someone was editing the colors of the green hills loaded with cows grazing the grass while a crystal clear river was flowing through the middle. It felt like Switzerland. It actually looked nicer than Switzerland where I was. I don’t ever remember green grass and trees being as bright as this my whole life. I sat there on the side of the road for a few minutes taking it all in getting some shots of it all.

 Maybe 5 minutes later the road started to climb and the next scene blew my mind. Long running green hills with Colombian houses on the meadows with a huge cloud formation creeping in behind them. The clouds were touching the ground as it was creeping in thousands of feet over the houses. I sat there in the strong winds and took some pictures as well. 

Back on the road suddenly 15 minutes later I came to a roadblock for road work. A red truck pulled up next to me asking me something in Spanish. They asked me where I was from. I told them about New York. They were interested in my story. Next thing I know they were asking me why I didn’t take the highway to Mocoa and my reply was because it’s boring. They laughed. I didn’t ask them where they were going, which I regret. When we were allowed to pass through the roadblock the road turned to dirt, and it stayed like that for the next two hours. They passed me at one point. The road was terrible and I wish I asked them how much longer it would be like this for. It surely couldn’t be this way for the next 150 miles….or could it? Well I wanted some adventure after leaving Medellin and I’m sure I’m getting it now. My bike was rattling like crazy over the rocks, dirt and mud. I don’t know how the hell these things last as long as they do. I’m putting it through hell and back.

I kept riding and riding and next thing I know I see tons of cars coming my way along with 18 wheelers, tour buses and you name it I saw it on the road. The trucks were nearly running me off the roads. I stopped maybe 20 times to check if I had a flat because my bike was riding like I did. The dirt road was so wet and muddy my tires were slipping off everything with zero traction. God I hope I don’t get a flat here! I stopped to take some stuff out of my top box because I was worried that the metal plate holding it to my bike would crack with how long this road might be. I eventually came to a road block where there was maybe a mile long of trucks and cars waiting because an 18 wheeler broke down on my side of the road. Did I mention it was raining pretty hard the whole time? What a day to go from the most beautiful road I’ve seen on this trip possibly to this hell?

I caught back up to the red truck with the guys I spoke to in the beginning. I asked them how much longer the dirt road was for and they said about another hour. I made a funny face, said thanks and kept moving. Now i’m wondering if he told me an hour for himself or did he shave some time off for me since im moving quicker on a bike? Oh well, it’s too late now. I kept an eye on the clock and was hoping I would be out of here in an hour. About 30 minutes later I looked back and my aluminum top box plate was cracked in the middle by a bolt. I guess when I get into town somewhere soon I’ll have someone weld it back together if anyone can even weld aluminum here!

I finally came out of the clouds at one point and was descending down. I stopped two people on mountain bikes that were on a big trip since their bikes were loaded up. They were from Holland and we chatted for a bit. I asked him how much longer it was going to be wet mud before it turned into paved roads and he said about ten kilometers. Well fuck. I’m already an hour into the ride like the guy in the red truck said. I kept an eye on the odometer now and one mile took a damn long time compared to riding on paved roads. As the odometer hit 2 the road was finally back to normal. That guy was way the hell off. Once I was back on paved roads my bike never felt so smooth.

I was ripping now, having a great time. I rode through some small towns with some more dirt roads but it was all dry mostly and I could see the sun popping out here and there. I came around some twisty roads and saw a truck that did not look like it belonged here. It was a pickup truck with a camper on it but it looked European. It was on the side of the road and the door was open. They were cooking lunch. I passed them, turned around and saw Swiss plates. I almost went back to chat with them but I had to keep riding. I came up to a small roadblock next to where the military was checking some guys’ cars in front of me. They usually let me pass but they had me stop this time. A guy went through my panniers seeing what I had in there and then noticed the big knife on my tank bag. He called another guy over to look at it. I told him I eat with it when I camp. He pulled the knife out of the holder and said it was illegal and had to confiscate it. I pulled my phone right out and started to bullshit him. I told him it was a gift from my brother who passed away recently and ill do anything to keep it. I made a sad puppy face look at him and he said I can keep it. hah. Got ya!

They asked me a few questions and I walked behind my bike and pointed to the line I wrote in marker. New York to Argentina 2022. They all were blown away, took some pictures with me and let me go on my way. I rode through a small town and stopped for a plate of heavy meat. I think I’m done eating red meat. It’s just too heavy for my stomach lately and I feel it for sure when I eat it. I continued on with my ride and google took me down some more dirt roads as a shortcut to another main road. I had three hours left to get to Mocoa if I even wanted to make it. I started out the ride saying I won’t make it today. I need to ride slow and relax but here I am shaving a ton of time off while stopping for pictures. I was having so much fun riding today I just couldn’t stop. I rode hard and ripping through all the twisty turns through the mountains. I was having such a good time. My GPS told me I would make it at 7:35pm when I left this morning but now it looks like my arrival was 5:40pm. I can’t believe I’m making it before sunset.

I stopped for some shots of the sunset with a beautiful house surrounded by tall trees on a small hill with the sun setting behind it with the mountains. I eventually made it to Mocoa and checked into my hostel. It was barebones with one other guy staying there from California. I went across the street to get some fish for dinner and then I went back to edit photos for a while and work on the blog. This place was pretty nice and quiet. No cell reception, just WIFI. I stayed up till 10-11 working on the computer and then I clocked out. I was exhausted after today’s ride.

The sunset shot I tried to take. Heaven

A little bridge with a huge river flowing through it.

Clouds rolling over a small meadow with houses.

So Green!