"THE SEA IS DANGEROUS AND ITS STORMS TERRIBLE, BUT THESE OBSTACLES HAVE NEVER BEEN SUFFICIENT REASON TO REMAIN ASHORE... UNLIKE THE MEDIOCRE, INTREPID SPIRITS SEEK VICTORY OVER THOSE THINGS THAT SEEM IMPOSSIBLE... IT IS WITH AN IRON WILL THAT THEY EMBARK ON THE MOST DARING OF ALL ENDEAVORS... TO MEET THE SHADOWY FUTURE WITHOUT FEAR AND CONQUER THE UNKNOWN". Ferdinand Magellan

I put the flags back on Angelina and off we went on the Panamerican highway towards Cali, first 2 hours were made between the Andes, spectacular views very impressive.
Traffic was slow, many trucks on the road. At times visibility is poor due to the low clouds and the height we were at. We also were caught in traffic that was stopped, a lane was closed and each end of the traffic was passing through one at a time, it ended up being an advantage to us as we passed all the buses and trucks as they waited for their turn to go. A few kms up we found out why the road had closed, a bus and truck collided blood everywhere. We didn't want to take a photo as we assumed there might have been some dead casualties.

Of course from then on the whole road ahead was empty but the oncoming traffic was getting hectic. On several occasions passing trucks sent us off the road, it is the most dangerous stretch i have made ever, my knees buckled more than once, we were very lucky.

At Ibague, we changed currency. It is a big place, beautiful and the people are very friendly. They approach me at the traffic lights to see where i'm from, the flags are a curiosity.

Before arriving at Armenia we were stopped by the police for not wearing the required fluorescent jacket and having no insurance. I gave him the same spill as always, that I had spoken to the ambassador of Colombia in Sydney, the officials at customs and important figures of the police force and all agreed that the jacket nor the insurance was a requirement nor for foreign number plate holders. So the police asked who would pay if we killed someone, they gave us a slap on the wrist on the condition we bought insurance at the next town. When we arrived it was midday, everyone was having a siesta and all was closed so we kept going.

We ate on the road, chicken. Instead of on a plate it comes on a wooden cart on top of banana leaves (i think). After a few more kms, we stopped at Hotel Parador Urisan in the Uribe valley, $15000 COP no hot water, bikes inside the lobby, i recommend it.

SAME TEXT HERE IN SPANISH: Día 30………………………Miércoles 27

Le puse las banderas a Angelina y salimos por la panamericana con rumbo a Cali las primeras dos horas entre dos ramas de los Andes, vistas espectaculares, nos impresiono

A Shorty y a mi, el trafico lento muchos camiones, hay momentos que la visibilidad era muy pobre, ya que andábamos por las nubes, de pronto todo el trafico parado, que es común, cierran una vía para arreglar, se comunican con walkies talkies , y están los trabajadores con sus carteles siga o pare, con la ventaja de la moto empezamos despacito a pasar camiones autos buses, muchos de los camioneros acostados en hamacas debajo de los camiones., después de varios kms pasando trafico nos encontramos con la causa, un bus adentro de la cabina de un camión en una curva, sangre en el piso y no quisimos sacar fotos ya que pensamos que alguien había muerto.

Pasamos por la cola del bus y la barrera protectora de la carretera, suficiente solo para las motos y por supuesto teníamos toda la carretera vacía delante de nosotros, la cola estaba en la opuesta ahora. Igual tuvimos suerte nos encontramos varios camiones en nuestro camino de frente, sin darnos mucho lugar teníamos que ir para la cuneta, es el tramo mas peligroso que he pasado en mi vida, muchas veces las rodillas se me aflojaron.

Antes de llegar a Armenia nos paro la policía que nos ganamos una sanción por no tener el chaleco iluminoso reglamentario y sin seguro, le di la lata de siempre que habíamos hablado con el embajador de Colombia en Sydney y oficiales de la aduana y personas importantes en la polaca y todos nos dijeron que no necesitamos el chaleco con chapa extranjera y el seguro no era obligatorio, me dice y si mata a alguno quien paga, nos dejaron ir con un reto y la promesa que en el próximo pueblo compraríamos seguro, pero era de mediodía todos en siesta y cerrado por lo tanto seguimos camino. Antes de esto estuvimos en Ibagué (Grande y muy lindo) donde cambiamos plata. La gente súper simpática, lleno dicen iono o full y playa le dicen plaia, se acercan a mi en los semáforos y me hacen preguntas y con las banderas se me acercan demasiado para ver de donde soy. Comimos por el camino pollo a la carretilla en vez de plato te traen la comida en una carretilla de madera, la comida arriba de hojas de plátanos (Creo), unos kms mas y paramos en el hotel Urisan en el valle de Uribe por 15.000.00 sin agua caliente, motos en el lobby. R.