Well it is border crossing day again, we are not travelling far today so we are pretty slow on the breakfast and packing up front. Skill goes out to make the necessary photocopies for the border authorities and we are off. It is a pleasant but slow ride up over the mountains with the inevitable traffic and stops for roadworks. The Ecuadorian roads have proved to be very good and those that are a bit rough are under reconstruction, hence quite a lot of roadworks.We arrive at the Ecuadorian border at about 12.30 and are processed pretty quickly, all goes according to plan. As mentioned previously, we are very sad to say goodbye to Ecuador, we came here with no pre-conceived notions and thought we would skip through, however we have loved it here, and will probably rate it up there with our all time favourite countries. The reserved but friendly people, the diverse scenery, the amazing animals, the ease of travel, the good roads, the better drivers, the great accommodation and of course the value for money have all added to our love of this country. Ecuador really is one of those hidden gems, it is in our opinion, a must see destination.

Welcome to Columbia

It is then over the bridge to the Columbian side, where once again we are through immigration within 10 minutes. Skill then goes to Dian (Customs) and returns within 4 minutes to say that we are in for a long wait as there is no electricity. So we wait and wait before moving the bike to the front of the Dian building. After about an hour another foreign motorcyclist turns up and we wait together. Finally after an hour and a half they motion for us to come in to the building and they start processing the bikes manually. However we hit a snag, even though Skill has all the relevant documents photocopied, they need a copy of his Columbian entry stamp which we can't get photocopied as there is no power. OK what to do, Skill walks back over the bridge to Ecuador and gets his photocopying done there before returning, no one stops him or even questions him, its a bit of a free for all at this border. Well finally after 2 and a half hours the power is back on and they ditch the manual processing and re-enter our details on the computer. We should say the Columbian Dian guys are incredibly friendly and patient (as are we) through out the process, and then finally we have Success!!!! Yay It is up the road for the SOAT (insurance) and finally at 3.30 pm we are on our way. We opt to stay in a little hotel in Santuario de Las Lajas about 10 kilometres away, it is small, clean has hot water and costs us $20.00 a night. They also let us park the bike in their storeroom come garage.

Check out the view from our window

There are quite a few armed military guys walking around the village, we soon learn that young military men sporting machine guns are an everyday sight in Columbia

It is at this point we realise we haven't eaten since breakfast, so we find a wonderful cheese/dough snack that I can't remember the name of then it is off for a walk down to the church which is spectacularly situated on a stone bridge straddling a canyon. It is a Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the worship and veneration of Our Lady of Las Lajas, Ipiales. Apparently it has been a tourism and pilgrimage destination since the eighteenth century and is second only to Lourdes for the number of miracles claimed for it. The current church was built between January 1, 1916 and August 20, 1949, with donations from local churchgoers. It rises 100 metres high from the bottom of the canyon and is connected to the opposite side of the canyon by a 50 metre tall bridge. It really is pretty spectacular.

Our Lady of Las Lajas, Ipiales Cathedral

After our very quick visit it is back up the hill for a new beer. Poker. Perhaps I should also mention that “guy” Guinea pig is pretty big around here, you can see them rotiserating (is there such a word) all over town.

Skill tries a new beer (check out the picture above him)

Later that evening we opt for dinner downstairs before it is an early night, for some reason all that hanging around the border has tired us out.

Next day we rise early for us and as we plan on riding only 80 km to Pasto, we take it easy and find a pretty dodgy breakfast.

Tea or Coffee we aren't sure even after we taste it! We are in Columbia one of the biggest coffee growing countries in the world and this is the coffee we get for breakfast, instant, weak, milky and soooooooooooo sickly sweet - just awful.

We then go for another walk down to the church before we get the bike out of the garage to pack it up. While we do this we are entertained by the locals and a lovely young man from Cartegena who gives us his contact details with the parting words “If you have any problems at all, call me, I am in the Marines”.

The Church at Ipiales

Pilgrim collecting sacred water

Lan hanging around

The Church at Ipiales

We get away by 10.00am and make it to Pasto by midday, we miss the bypass (of course, we are hopeless) but manage to get “Extra” (higher octane) fuel for the bike. We then make the decision we will push on to Popayan, it is only 285 km but we know it will take us us 5 and a half hours. We are pretty sure we can make it before dark as this is not a road you want to travel at night. We only just get out of Pasto when the heavens open up and we have to get out the wet weather gear, it is then a lovely ride up and down the mountains although the continuous change in altitude is a pain as you are profusely sweating in the wet weather gear one moment and then 30 minutes later you are at altitude and quite comfortable. Finally after a couple of hours we are just too hot with our rain gear on so we stop and peel off our rain jackets.

The ride is quite enjoyable and incredibly scenic. At every major bridge there is a reasonable military presence which gives you a reminder that this area was once a FARC stronghold, not to mention problems with armed bandits not so many years ago. It is just so beautiful and peaceful now it is hard to imagine that less than ten years ago it was an area of significant conflict.

As we get closer to Popayan the going gets slower with continuous roadworks. Once again we stop to put on our rain jackets, then it takes us over an hour and a half to do the last 30km in the pouring rain. At one point we are stopped for half an hour at roadworks trapped between buses and trucks belching out fumes. In the end we follow the local motorcycle riders lead and ride up the wrong side of the road to the head of the queue. About ten minutes later an ambulance comes up the wrong side of the road and all the motorcyclists take off to follow it through the roadworks. Off course being rule followers we don't follow, until about 10 minutes later we are surrounded by bikes again, all of a sudden they just decide to go past the STOP sign and are off up the road, this time we do follow. Much to our amazement there seems to be no problem on the closed section of road, no one really working, no machines in the way and no accident, so for nearly 50 minutes we have been queued for no reason at all. After that it is an easy 20 km into Popayan, although Mr Zumo does try to take us on a few non existent roads but we arrive at the hostel just on dark, without further incident.

After checking out the hostel which has at least 20 steps, no parking and an unhelpful receptionist, I return to the bike and say to Skill “It is going to be one of those days”. He gives me the name of a hotel up the street to look at, which I do. Hmmm I would say the most expensive hotel in town, a bit out of our budget. As I am returning to the bike I notice a little hotel with a motor scooter parked in the foyer, I go in and ask for a room and the possibility of parking in the foyer. “No problemo” is the response, so back to the bike and Skill with good news. It takes Skill 10 minutes to negotiate the one way streets, but in no time we have the panniers off and are parked next to the reception desk. We then drape the room in wet weather gear, clothes socks and boots, it looks like a giant laundry.

Once again we are parked beside the reception desk

We have been on the bike for over eight hours with no lunch so after a quick shower we venture out to the recommended Italian restaurant up the street and eat an enormous dinner before it is back to the hostel and bed. It is definitely an ear plug night, although not a party hotel by any means, the gregarious Columbians are not known for their quietness.

Next morning we awake to rain on the roof surrounded by our smelly Chinese laundry. Bugger, not a lot has dried overnight. After a reasonable breakfast, armed with a city map we hunt down an automatic teller and an information office where we eventually obtain a dodgy road map of Columbia. Then it is off to look at the sights of Popayan. Popayan is apparently one of Columbia's most attractive cities with cobblestone streets and whitewashed mansions. After a disastrous earthquake destroyed most of the city in 1983 the residents of Popayan (many of whom are very politically active, no fewer than 11 presidents have come from this city) banded together and rebuilt their city. The centre really is quite lovely.

Popayan

Popayan

Popayan

Later in the afternoon Mai Brit and Morten arrive at our hostel (our Landrover driving blockade travelling companions from Peru), we had been emailing each other hoping that we would catch up somewhere in Columbia, they are returning South to ship their vehicle from Montevideo, Uruguay.

We spend a lovely evening together back at the same Italian Restaurant.

John, Lan, Morten and Mai Brit

From Popayan we had planned to ride the dirt road to San Agustin but after speaking to several people including Mai Brit and Morten and reading several recent blogs we decide against it, as apparently the road is currently in bad condition, and we don't fancy a muddy slippery five to six hour ride with the possibility of land slides so we opt for Plan B. It is off towards Salento, the Coffee growing region of Columbia. As it took us 8 hours to do 350 kms the previous riding day we opt for a much shorter ride to the town of Buga half way between Popayan and Salento. We arrive around 2.00pm and accidentally check into the Buga Hostel also known as the “The Holy Water Ale Brewing Company Hostal”. What a groovy little place. There is no parking but there is a Parquedeiro across the road, we can see the bike from our bedroom window. For the rest of the afternoon we plonk ourselves in the bar/restaurant, have the best gourmet sandwiches and some of (well in truth, most of) their artesanal beers. What a great find, Skill thinks that this is a great franchise opportunity, beer and beds. Once again we are in a pilgrimage city, but we only see the church from afar. That evening there are huge storms all around, we perch ourselves beside our huge window, beer in hand and watch the lightning from afar.

Buga Hostel

Buga Hostel

The following morning it is a cornflake and powdered milk breakfast in our room before we get packed up and under way. A fairly uneventful ride through the sugar cane growing area, until we hit the centre of Armenia. Mr Zumo has taken over from Carmen the Garmin and takes us right through the centre of the city, bloody hell, Columbian mapping is pretty crappy. We arrived at Salento quite early, got ourselves settled into the older Plantation Hostel which could do with a bit of a spruce up but is still a good place to stay and meet other travellers. We just get unpacked and park the bike when the heavens open up in the daily downpour.

After delaying our walk into town long enough for the rain to abate and for Skill to have two cups of GOOD coffee from the hostel's kitchen we go for a wander around town. Salento is at the heart of the Zona Cafetera, the coffee growing region of Columbia and is a delightfully scenic little town, very much on the Gringo tourist route. This is often seen by travel purists as a bad thing. I always think that touristy places are touristed for a reason, they are often places of scenic beauty and they usually have a wide variety of services, restaurants and cheaper hostels (because of the competition). I don't see how this can be a bad thing as long as it doesn't upset the locals, which in this town appears not to be the case.

We stay for three nights, managing a few shorter walks around the surrounding area and also a coffee tour with Tim, our hostel and coffee farm owner. Skill really enjoys the tour and Tim's extensive knowledge of the illustrious coffee bean.

Coffee farm tour - Lan enjoying Tim's enthusiasm for the coffee bean

Coffee farm tour - Lan enjoying Tim's enthusiasm for the coffee bean

Coffee farm tour

Coffee farm tour - Coffee plant

Coffee farm tour- A selection of coffee beans from picking to fully roasted

Coffee Farm tour

Coffee Farm Tour - Roasting (cooking) the coffee beans

To round off our coffee day we head to Jesus Martin Cafe where we have the best coffee we have had so far in South America.

Skill enjoying a coffee at the famous Jesus Martin Cafe

On one evening we join a group from the hostel and go out for an evening of Tejo and beers. Now Tejo is not some exotic South American food it is a game played in an indoor court. You form teams and throw a weight at a round target in a clay pit. The idea is to hit the triangular discs which then explode very loudly. It is sort of like Bocce with gunpowder, and it is fun. We have a late evening and Skill and I prove to be reasonably OK at the game, however we are playing on a short course. The locals throw the weight some 25 metres.

Lan playing Tejo

The target set in a clay pit

A few beers

On our last day in Salento it is off to our Columbian run restaurant of choice for breakfast, we collect our washing from our friendly washing lady then we mooch around. We go for a walk to the mirador which is shrouded in mist and cloud and wander the quiet, quaint streets.

Skill enjoying the view from the Mirador

The busy streets of Salento, it is peak hour

The busy streets of Salento, it is peak hour

The following day we leave Salento at 9.00 am and have ridden about 100 kms up over the mountain pass with incredible truck traffic when all of a sudden the bike starts to run really badly (on one cylinder) and then the clutch decides it will be problematic. It has been a bit dodgy for a while, we blame the 3 hours worth of traffic jams in La Paz, way too many hill starts. So a change of plan is in order, we ride the 200 kms to Bogata on one cylinder. We decide we will stay outside Bogata so we can do some research on hostels with parking, get some GPS co ordinates and organise a mechanic. We really don't want to ride into Bogata with no plan. Unfortunately after we try 7 hotels (not one with wifi which is very unusual to say the least) we end up on the outskirts of Bogata in insane peak hour traffic.

After a couple of hours of stop start with a dodgy clutch, we negotiate one way streets the wrong way and various road blocks which we ignore and just ride around until we finally arrive at a hostel, “The Cranky Croc” only because it was in the GPS mapping and I liked the sound of it, but alas they only have dorm rooms left. However they do give us a lead on a hostel and their night guard walks me there, they have parking but no rooms but their sister hostel has rooms so I walk there too and then back to Skill who is still parked and also looking exhausted. Oh I forgot to add it is also raining.

You can imagine my disposition by this time, it is now 7.00 pm, we have been on the road for over 10 hours. We eventually get parked and unloaded, it is out for food, 3 litres of water and a couple of beers (very dehydrated, our own fault) and then we collapse into bed in the pretty ordinary hostel. We stay here for two nights until Skill finds a mechanic via the wonderful HU community, he braves the crazy traffic and takes it across the city to the workshop where they start work on it immediately. They have no English but Skill now has enough “Motorbike Spanglish” to get by, and they also use google translate.

Skill writes........................... As a few of you know we had more problems with the Vstrom a few days ago, seemed pretty major, started running on one cylinder with raw fuel and backfiring in the exhaust, all with no prior warning of any issue. Then the clutch started squealing and grabbing on take off, all happened at same time, very strange, very worrying and bloody difficult to ride in that condition. We limped slowly into Bogota and HU community here recommend a few mechanics, we selected one and they started work on it immediately. They replaced the spark plug in front cylinder and it was running again, surely it couldn't be that easy. The only problem they could find was the throttle bodies way out of sync, with the front being the problem. With the bike running on 2 cylinders the clutch seemed to be working fine again, huh? It was late in the day so I rode back to the hostal after making arrangements to return first thing tomorrow morning. Although the bike and clutch worked fine riding back to the hostal and returning to the mechanic next day, I was not convinced that all was good. So after adjusting and balancing the throttle bodies we remove the clutch, but the plates looked just fine. The clutch basket had the rattle that most Vstroms get, but since it doesn't cause any other problem than being noisy and being $400US for a new one, we decide to reinstall the original clutch plates and basket. We decide the clutch problem must somehow be related to running on one cylinder, why this would be the case eludes me. So as not to completely waste the effort of removing the side cover, I decide to replace the water pump seal that has been weeping for a while. So with new gaskets, oil, coolant, spark plugs and throttle balance it seems to be running really well again, but I remain sceptical that we have found the real problem. So the only way to know for sure is to take it on a long test ride to really see if it's really fixed. It was an easy fix in the end if that's really all it was, I had been anticipating a major engine problem.

Bike problems

Bike problems

Our mechanic in Bogata

As we weren't sure how long we would be in Bogata, we had moved into a nicer hostel. After double checking our booking of a private room for 7 nights (in person) we thought we had things sorted, but when we arrived the next day they told us we could only have four nights and one of them has to be in a dorm room, I had a bit of a spit but as I have learnt in South America don't take anything too seriously and half the time just ignore what they tell you. Friday night was meant to be our night in the dorm, so we packed up our stuff but just left it all in the nice room then went out to spend the day at the gold museum.

Gold Museum

Gold Museum

Gold Museum

The Gold museum's most famous piece - The Raft

When we return from the museum Skill went out in a taxi to get the bike. On his return the guys at the hostel helped him get it parked at the very secure car park across the road (under the French bakery) and we just stayed in our private room, no one told us to move. In the afternoon we watched the Australia verses Chile soccer game, a few beers playing miniture Tejo (non-explosive this time) at the hostel.

On Saturday we had a bit of a slow start and went out to the Botero Art Gallery (he is the Columbian artist who paints the voluptuous people, horses, fruit etc)

Skill at the Botero Gallery

Botero certainly has a sense of humour

The gardens of the Botero Gallery

and then in the afternoon we head off to the police museum, the museum is mainly dedicated to the hunt for the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar (who at one time was the 6th richest man in the world and even had his own political party), we get to see a terracotta tile soaked with his blood, oooeeeee???????

The Police Museum - Skill admiring the confiscated Chinese Chang Jiang (similar to a Russian Ural or old pre-war BMW), the police start it every month to keep it in working order.

The Police Museum - A small selection of Pablo Escobar's weaponary

The Police Museum - Some of Pablo Escobar's belongings and "The Tile"

That afternoon Columbia wins it's first round game in the World Cup, anyone would think they had won the world cup itself, it was party, party, party, so much noise. Fantastic!

The locals celebrate Columbia's first round world cup win against Greece

Sunday in downtown Bogata is very quiet. It is presidential election day and nearly everything is shut, It is hilarious, because of the election, as from 6.00 pm Saturday night nowhere is allowed to sell alcohol, you cannot get a beer anywhere, lucky we have supplies.

The following day we manage to leave Bogata at a reasonable hour and the traffic is fairly light (by South American standards), we end up on the wrong road, the mountain road and not the direct freeway to Espinial, however the road was very scenic and despite making the day much longer it was a pleasant ride through the mountains. We stop at Espinial for lunch, a Lechoneria where we eat half a roast pig each before continuing on to Nevia.

Skill consuming half his body weight in Pork

It has been a fairly long day and it is now very, very hot and although we have GPS co ordinates for a hotel the GPS does not have enough mapping to route us there (the OSM mapping for Southern Columbia is sketchy), in the end we resort to the old fashioned method “Ask someone on the street”, eventually after asking 5 people we make our way there and are met by a great local family who welcome us warmly. It is a lovely little hotel with parking, a ground floor room, air conditioning, a fan and cold beer. What more could you want? We spend the evening in, only venturing out for a quick dinner and a visit to the supermarket for more water and drinks. When travelling in the warmer weather we just do not drink enough water. I am feeling pretty awful with a massive headache.

Next day we dispense with breakfast and it is off towards San Agustin, another pretty ride, however the truck and bus traffic does detract from the experience, it takes 5 hours to do just over 200 km. We seem to be continually stopping for road works, fortunately it is expected that bikes just go to the front of the queue.

More roadworks but at least bikes are at the front of the queue.

Unfortunately I am not feeling that well, I still have a massive headache/migraine so on arrival at San Agustin we check into the lovely Casa de la Francois and I collapse into bed, where I remain until late the next day. Skill checks in and gets the run down from the charming Francois about the hostel and local attractions. Francois, concerned for my well being, kindly offers me coca tea and a few other herbal remedies, I decline, I am not sure Panadeine forte and coca really go together. Then again who knows????

The following day I am still not feeling that great and remain in bed for most of the day while Skill and most of the other occupants of the hostel watch the football including the Australia verses Holland game, probably a good option as it rains fairly heavily for most of the day. While feeling bloody miserable, I cannot complain too much, in the fifteen months we have been away this is only the second time I have been sick.

San Agustin is another one of those places you come to for a couple of days and could stay at for two weeks, (a bit like our host, who came here travelling 20 years ago and forgot to leave) it is a haven, so calm and relaxed and in a very pretty setting. It is also the geographical setting where the mighty Andes Mountains branch into three mountain ranges and the head waters of the mighty Magdalena River. Long before Europeans inhabited the hills around San Agustin they were ruled by a mysterious group of people who buried their dead and honoured them with magnificent volcanic stone statues and gifts of pottery and gold.

On Thursday feeling a lot better we head off to the the Parque Arqueologico. We are stunned at how beautiful the setting is and are also amazed at the number and the quality of the statues. Because it is Columbia's second World Cup soccer match we have the whole park to ourselves. We spend a peaceful four hours just wandering around. It truly is a wonderful site.

Surprisingly little is known about the 100s of stone figures of men, animals and gods that surround the area. The figures date from 3300 BC to just before the Spanish Conquest. The figures in the Parque Arqueologico were excavated by German ethnologist Konrad Preuss in 1913/1914. I think this translated quote from him sums up our feelings of the place pretty well “The pure spiritual tension which shaped such colossal images is enough to astound and overwhelm the beholder”.

The amazing statues of San Agustin

The amazing statues of San Agustin

The amazing statues of San Agustin

The amazing statues of San Agustin

The amazing statues of San Agustin

As we finish wandering around the Parque Arqueologico we finish up at the museum where all the staff are glued to the television, we are asked to join them which we do and watch the last 10 minutes of the Columbia verses Ivory Coast game. Once again Columbia wins and even 2 kms from the town you can hear the celebrations. As we walk back to village, every car, bus, bike and pedestrian that passes us is in a frenzy of celebrations. Once back in the village the mayhem is amazing to watch but after half an hour we decide to retreat up the hill to our more tranquil surroundings

The following day we take a jeep (4WD) tour with a group from the hostel following parts of the mighty Magdelena River to some of the more remote archaeological sites and South America's second highest waterfall. We took many 4WD back roads through tiny little sugar cane growing villages. Once again it was a pinch me moment, here I am bouncing along in the back of a pick up in the Columbian Highlands, Oh my Goodness, I can't believe it, me, I am here, in the beautiful Columbian Highlands.

It looks more like a golf course than a archaeological site

More amazing statues

More amazing statues

A huge sarcophagus carved from stone

South Americas second highest waterfall

Sadly the next day we leave this beautiful little village and the friendly Casa de Francois, despite being unwell for a few days I so enjoyed my time here. We have a huge breakfast and get away at a reasonable hour, we find a money machine that actually dispenses us some money and we are on our way. We are not looking forward to the truck, bus laden roads back to Neiva, however this does not eventuate, being the Sunday of a long weekend there is absolutely NO traffic, and we so enjoy the untrafficed roads, our best ride in Columbia so far. We stop outside Neiva at a small service station, get fuel and drinks and ice creams, once again the weather is very hot, and we have learned our lesson, we need to stop more frequently and re hydrate.

Arriving in Neiva we manage to negotiate our way through the city and find ONE sign to Desierto Tatacoa, truly amazing, a sign indicating the direction you need to take. The ride to Villavieja, the small village near the desert, was great but by the time we arrived at the hostel we were a lather of sweat. Our Hostel of choice was the very basic Saturno de Noches, however being a long weekend the place is heaving with campers (mostly local motorcyclists) and local tourists, we manage to secure the last room and settle in with a couple of beers and a cold shower.

Our very basic room

It has been a great day, we get to enjoy a fantastic sunset over the desert and despite the warm night, we go to bed with the Southern Cross clearly visible through our bedroom window, a wonderful comforting and familiar sight.

Sunset over the very scenic Tatacoa Desert