"IT WAS KIND OF SOLEMN, DRIFTING DOWN THE BIG, STILL RIVER, LAYING ON OUR BACKS, LOOKING UP AT STARS, AND WE DIDN'T EVEN FEEL LIKE TALKING ALOUD". Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

When the going gets tough, the oldies take a bus

We left the amazing Coconuco (Purace) straight after breakfast and headed towards the archaeological park of San Agustin (Huila). The road was a disaster, rocks, dirt, potholes...5 minutes into it we returned to the hotel where we left the bikes, the bags and took a walk into town to catch the 10am bus - for 25.000. The first 20kms the scenery was spectacular, then we came into a sort of jungle very boring and with the horrible road the bus ride was not very enjoyable either. It took 6 hours to make 100kms. A paved road began some 20kms before reaching San Agustin and we crossed a bridge over the Magdalena River, with postcard views.
The bus left us at a point where the road then splits into two, a road to Patalito and one to San Agustin, where a taxi picked us up and took us to a tourist centre. An employer took us to see some hotels, he also tried to sell us a guide, books, the lot, we looked at two hotels but Shorty didn't like them. The employee then took us to the house of some of his relatives where they have guest rooms with private bathroom and for $15000 COP each we looked and we liked it. It is midway between the town and the archaeological park. It is farm style land, with fruit trees and coffee beans which the owner, Betty roasts and processes each morning and serves for breakfast. The place is called EL BATAN. Basic but highly recommended.

We walked into town to find internet, with difficulties we finally got connexion. We had dinner, not very nice it was some chicken in papaya juice. We returned to El Batan exhausted i fell asleep instantly.

SAME TEXT HERE IN SPANISH:
Día 32 viernes 29 - Cuando la ida se pone dura, los viejos se toman un bus.

Dejamos Coconuco (Purace) ni bien terminamos el desayuno, tomamos el camino para San Agustín (Huila) un desastre, todo levantado, piedras, barro a los cinco kilómetros regresamos al hotel dejamos las motos y los bolsos y nos fuimos caminando al pueblo a tomar el bus a las 10 a.m por 25.000.00, los primeros 20 kms todo lo que nos rodeaba era un placer después entramos en un tipo de selva aburrida y con los saltos del bus el viaje no fue muy agradable para hacer menos de 100 kms duro mas de seis horas unos 20 kms antes de San Agustín tomamos pavimento y antes de cruzar el puente del rió magdalena, para donde uno mire es una postal. La carretera se abrió en dos una para Patalito y la otra para San Agustín, nos dejaron ahí y nos vino a buscar un taxi todo incluido, nos llevo a un centro turístico y un tipo salió con nosotros a buscar un hotel, nos quería vender guías, libro, de todo. Fuimos a dos hoteles que a Shorty no le gustaron y al final no llevo a la casa de unos familiares que tenían piezas atrás con baño privado por 15.000.00 cada una la vimos nos gusto a mitad de camino entre el pueblo y el parque avenida quinta. Tenia árboles frutales, de café y la señora recoge el café lo tosta, muele y te lo sirve, se llama El Batan y la señora es Betty. H.R básico.

Caminamos hasta el pueblo, Internet con problemas pero al final pudimos comunicarnos.

Comimos pollo, feo con jugo de papaya, regresamos caminando ya de noche, súper cansado, me dormí enseguida.