When the subject of Colombia comes up its all too easy to talk of
guerrillas, kidnappings and danger. Yes, Colombia has all that but there's another side to the country, a side that never seems to be given the justice it deserves. Without a doubt Colombia is the friendliest country we have ever had the pleasure of traveling through. With one exception we received nothing but hospitality and friendliness.

The one exception was in Cartegena (where we shipped ourselves and bike to from Panama). Having brought the bike into the country somewhat illegally and ridden it to a hiding place in the early hours one morning we had arranged for an agent to deal with Customs and get the paperwork in order for us to ensure we wouldn't get locked up (for having and illegal bike in the country anyway). The agreed fee was $15 USD. After a great deal of wrangling and a few outright lies we had our Customs papers in order. However, when it came to handing over the cash to the agent his fee had inflated from $15 to $100 USD. There was no way we were going to pay that kind of money so an hour of arguments and heated exchanges began on the dock side. It looked like things were going to get pretty ugly when 5 of the Agents 'boys' turned up, but when we explained how difficult it would be for him if we were to go back to Customs and ask them what a fair price was for his services and that we may let it slip that he had been less than truthful with them he soon backed off. To cut a long story short the fee went from $100 to $0 and we left Cartegena pretty quickly as people know people in Colombia!

We made our way south across baking plains into the cooler mountains of the Sierra Oriental, one of three mountain chains that joins the Andes. After the small countries of Central America we were taken aback at the scale of Colombia. We would ride for 7 or 8 hours a day but feel like we had got nowhere. The unchanging scenery of the plains and the never ending bends of the mountains. In Central America the scenery changed on an hourly basis, here it was daily at most. However it was a refreshing change to be putting in serious miles without hitting a border crossing after what sometimes seemed like 10 minutes. We chose our route carefully, avoiding the regions of Cordoba and Choco where the guerrillas have been forced back into under the current clamp-down on their activities but nevertheless the military presence was very strong. Check-point after check-point, snipers in trees and tanks on the roadsides but it was more reassuring than disturbing knowing that they were there for our benefit. More often than not we were waved through with a nod and a smile but from time to time we were stopped and questioned. Not the expected questions of where are you going and where have you been etc. but "How fast does your bike go" , "how big is the engine" and "how big is the gas tank?" We would share a cigarette and chat before riding on smiling. For other people it was a different matter and it wasn't unusual to see car seats on the side of the road as someone had their car searched or an entire bus load of passengers being questioned but for us we were seen as guests in the country and treated exceptionally well.

After a few days of riding in a convoluted route along dirt roads we made it to the beautiful Villa de Leyva, a small town high in the mountains where the air is thin.

Cobbled streets, white washed adobe houses and a relaxed atmosphere of people so laid back they have to remember to breath! Never having been to Colombia we associated the civil unrest of the country with poverty but in fact Colombia is relatively affluent and Villa de Leyva is no exception.

Thursday Market

Potatoes are an important cash crop here

There is very little poverty and everyone works, until 4:00pm that is. At 4:00 the central plaza (the biggest in Colombia) transforms from a quiet centre for people to sit and chat into an expanse of danger and flying missiles. The greatest Colombian pass-time is flying kites. As soon as kids finish school and parents finish work they all descend on the plaza to fly their kites, big ones, small ones, stunt kites and home made kites. The sky is full of them until the last moments of daylight, hundreds upon hundreds. Adopting the rule of 'when in Rome' we bought ourselves a a lovely little kite for $3.00 and 100 metres of string (sold separately) and elbowed our way between a few kids into the plaza. Our fist attempt at flying our kite was more "Oh bugger" than "up, up and away" but we were soon given some excited instruction by a 3 year old and a soldier (literally). It was a little odd watching someone fly a kite with string in one hand and a Russian made 7.62 calibre rifle in the other but it paid off. It only remained for us to wrestle our kite back off the 3 year old and we were in business.

If you have never flown a kite since you were a kid we would highly recommend going out and buying one, climbing the nearest hill, launching it off and then laughing your head off as we did. Our $3.00 kite has seen a few aerial dog fights, won some and lost some. Its a little difficult to see the pattern on it now due to the copious amounts of duct tape holding it together but it still flies. Its fair to say we're a little hooked on flying kites now. So much so that just outside Bogota we ran the gauntlet of 3 lanes of traffic to buy a whopping 5 foot kite from a lady at a roundabout.

However, we're saving ourselves and she will see her maiden flight on the salt plains of Bolivia. We reckoned not too many people have flown a kite there so we will!

Still in Villa de Leyva we left our hostel one morning with the intention of riding out to have a look at some fossils in the area but we didn't get much further than the plaza again. The streets were full of people waving flags and clapping as marching bands went past, people on horseback in their best finery and companies of soldiers in No.1 dress. we had no idea what was going on but grabbed the camera and followed the crowds. It didn't take us too long to work out that it was Colombian Independence Day (7th August) so again "when in Rome" we grabbed a flag each and joined in the celebrations. It was a very formal affair with everyone from school kids to high ranking military on parade as a succession of speeches were given by VIP's. It was also a very emotional occasion for many. Colombians are very proud of their country (and rightly so). Many people were moved to tears as they silently reflected on the trials, tribulations and successes they had seen their country face during their time and the last 30 years of civil war. We were privileged to be a part of it, and we were a part of it too. We were not seen as tourists but as people sharing the day with then as they shook our hands, kissed our cheeks and wished us well. The celebrations continued all morning before the crowds dispersed only to return with kites in hand.

We reluctantly left Villa de Leyva and wound our way south through the mountains towards Bogota, stopping in villages and towns along the way. Travel in Colombia can be hard at times, not because of the guerrilla activities so much but more due to the fact that everyone wants to talk. We would arrive in a town with the intention of staying only for the night and still be there 3 days later having got talking to someone who would then take us home to meet their family and friends before taking us out in their car to see the local sites. Under normal circumstances it takes us 10 minutes or so to load the bike up in the morning but in Colombia I don't think we did it in under 45 minutes. Crowds would gather, all asking questions and shaking our hands and wanting us to wait while they got their friends. It was bizare to be treated like a celebrity and one of the family at the same time. Colombia is full of supprises and for us all of them pleasant. Its the best kept secret of South America and we've only just got here! We could write for pages and pages about our time in Colombia but we will only say that it is probably one of the most misrepresented countries in the world and that if you ever get the chance to come don't pass it up - unless you're the Dutch woman who was caught 8 weeks ago trying to smuggle cocaine INTO Colombia of course. Absolutely true!