Back in Colombia

So what was going on with us for the last three months? We got to US and managed to top up our budget; we spent some time in San Francisco, which I personally like a lot; we went to LA to visit our friends and had great time with them. We even managed to do a few days trip to US Parks that we like so much. This time we choose South and the heat of the desert. We went to Anza-Borrego State Park and Joshua National Park, which is stunning! And then we flew to Europe for Christmas to spent some time with our families.

Now we are back in Colombia. We flew to Bogota and that is where we left from three months ago. We went to exactly the same Hostel we stayed in the first time. Three months ago, a day before our flight to US we walked Ania and Kamila to the bus stop, because they were going to Peru after three weeks of travelling with us in Colombia. So when we got to the hostel this time it seemed as if we just said ‘Bye’ to the girls. Somehow it felt to me as if we never left Bogota.

Few days ago we picked our bikes and when we first saw them they looked miserable. We left them covered with a tarp, but in the meantime they were doing some painting and had to move our bikes and never covered them back. So they had thick layer of dust on them, they were splashed with whitewash, full of spider webs and with tires flat. I thought we’ll need hours of hard work before they can take us anywhere. But it was enough to wipe the dust off, pump up the tires and they looked so much better!

Our first ride after 3 months was a real challenge! 10 or so kilometres uphill on a steep windy road full of crazy Colombian drivers under genuine tropical Sun with all those extra kilograms of food and other luxuries that we brought from Europe. But we made it! Slowly, but surely we got to the top :)

We are now in Casa del Cyclista just outside of Medellin taking advantage of the generosity of Manuel, his wife Marta and daughter Manuela, who not only open their house for us (and other cyclist; including us there are 5 cyclist in the house now!), but also let Raul use their bike shop, where he can give his ‘babies’ new look. And in the meantime I’ve been doing, as usual, the ‘computer stuff’ (which is anything that involves using computer – writing, organizing pictures, googling etc.), but I cannot complain, because I’m sitting on a porch of their little ‘finca’ (finca means house in a farm, but here they use it for any countryside house, whether you do farming or not) with beautiful Antioquenas mountains in front of me. 

Ah! And Journal is completed all the way to Panama! Have a look!