Distance travelled (by bike): 9120
Setting of at 5am to beat the heat, rain and traffic, heading north. A long way to Medellin, but the scenery was amazing. The route took me through the main coffee producing region of columbia, i stopped at the national coffee park for breakfast and a sample of the goods.
Back on the bike i was 200km from Medellin when, going around a corner i caught the side stand on the road, resulting in both the bike and I sliding along the road for about 25 metres. Luckily there was no on coming traffic. Some local bikers helped me up and helped to lift the bike out of the drain it slid into. (Lee, i apologise, all the time you spent getting the auxiliary lights to work has been wasted, one of them is now crushed somewhere on the road). The panniers were worn through and now have holes in them, the handlebars are no longer straight and i hope i'm wrong, but the front forks look and feel a bit twisted, resulting in no front suspension! i have a jacket which is now patched up with duck tape. Regardless i drove on, had to get to Medellin, not nice driving.
Approaching the city i got pulled over by the police, after checking my papers they asked me if i wanted to follow them through Medellin to an area with hostels, i jumped at the chance. When the police pulled off i was immediately i was flagged over by a biker, Albert. Albert is scotlish, but owns an irish bar in Medellin, which also has rooms in the back. Accommodation sorted. He also knew a mechanic who could look at the bike the next day, bonus.
parked in front of the hostel in Cali
looking down the valley over the coffee plantations
coffee
one of the new holes in the panniers
parked in the pub!
some of the damage to my jacket, now patched with duck tape
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