This has been a very busy last week or so hence the delay in updates to the blog…
I arrived into Medellin on Thursday evening after a fun trip on the bus. My passenger neighbour noticed my leg cycling sun tan line and wanted to talk about his love for cycling and all the bikes he owned. We spoke for a large portion of the journey which was nice although being crammed in the bus for 10 hours made me appreciate the bike. When I got to the bus station I decided to take a taxi to the hostel. I’d been told to not cycle at night time due to dangers from the traffic and from meeting people that you don’t want to bump into. I intend to stick to this rule. I therefore rolled off the bus put my bike together and headed to the taxi line. Almost everyone I’ve met in Colombia has been very friendly and open; the taxi drivers are no different. A small taxi pulled up and gestured to me that he’d like my custom. I can confirm that his taxi was too small. But “no hay problema Senor!” Before I could react he’d taken my bike and stuffed it into the boot half hanging out the back. He wrapped some rope around it and away we went.
The hostel was situated in El Poblado which is a very nice part of Medellin. I arrived and checked in and the standard hostel question of where I’d come from was asked to me. What I said “Sincelejo” the woman behind the counter looked shocked. She couldn’t understand how or why a tourist would have come from this little town in the middle of Colombia. This was the town that she was born and raised and she was excited that I’d seen where she was from. Cycling means you get to go through these small places.
The day after started with a tour of Comuna 13, this is famous for previously being the most dangerous area of Medellin. The danger was from the drug cartels who wanted to control the territory due to its good location between two main highways. It was a fascinating tour and I’d highly recommend. The tour guide grew up in the comuna and hearing his stories was both interesting and moving. The community was very warm and welcoming and it seemed a far cry from the horror stories you hear about.
Before returning to the hostel I went searching for cooking gas for when I camp. It’s not easy in Colombian to find this style of camping cooking but after hours of searching I found some in Nómedas Outdoor which is worth noting.
The following day I took a hike up to Park Arvi which involved going up a huge ski lift into the hills surrounding Medellin. The ski lift itself is worth the trip as the views of the city are incredible. As you get higher the townships become increasing poor to be point where at the top they are self contained villages. The government doesn’t recognise them as part of the city, due to the fact the city has grown so big so quickly, and they do not have access to electricity or water. Seeing the townships from the ski lift is a strange feeling as it feels a bit like you’re in a zoo peering in on their lives. However it’s still an interesting experience. In addition I had the best food I’d eaten in Colombia up by the park!
I managed to buy football tickets for the local derby match in Medellin. We went as a group of some people from the hostel and some friends I’d met on the Lost City trek. I’d heard that football supporters were crazily intense in Colombia but I could not prepare myself for the true experience. The football supporters sing for 90mins and there is no sitting. Even during half time the music is loud and overbearing. What starts off as an exciting feeling is quickly overshadowed by a tense feeling of having to be on your guard. Fights were breaking out in between supporters of the same team – imagine if the two came together… A very cool experience and something I would recommend however I think once is enough for me.
On my final day in Medellin (I’d stayed longer than I’d planned!) I decided to go to Guatape. I went with some people from my hostel and for 15,000 pesos (3 pound) you can get a bus to the town. This is a strange but beautiful place. The town is right next to this odd looking rock with sharp steep edges to the sides. A climb to the top reveals a superb view of the area around the town which is full of lakes which are clay pits that have been filled in water. It is stunning although full of tourists. The town itself is pretty and has many colourful houses which add a nice charm. Half a day here was sufficient for me.
After a few days in the city I was ready to push off on the bike and get some cycling done. I set off at 6am (as soon as the sun was rising) to try to escape Medellin before the traffic was too hectic. It worked and I was out the city with relatively little stress. I climbed up a hill into a small town on the outskirts. Here was the first time that I had seen day cyclists as the weather is too hot up north for the locals to ride. This region is why I came to Colombia to cycle and you can see the increased wealth, reduced heat, quiet roads (and more mountains!) make cycling a very popular sport. People were shouting a lot at me as I continued to climb out of the city and I couldn’t understand a word. I decided to presume it was positive and smiled and waved. I followed a tarmac road for a few kilometres before coming off onto my first dirt track. This road is the nicest cycling I have ever done in my life. The road was never too steep and the quality of the gravel was perfect. My bike was well adapted to the terrain. The path cut through the valleys in the mountains and I was quickly surrounded by only farmers living peacefully in the wilderness. It was hard to make much process as at every turn I had to stop and admire the views. At times the sounds of the birds and the insects became deafening as the monotone ringing gets in your head. Every few kilometres I’d stumble across another farm with dogs that love chasing the bike. They are however all bark and no bite.
I cycled into Fredonia after about 50km and 1000m climbing. I checked into a hotel and went to get some dinner. Here I bumped into a group of 15 or so cyclists who looked European. Turns out that they were from the UK and were completing a cycle from Bogota to Cartegena. They had carbon fibre racing bikes and were being supported by a team through the country. It looked fun and it was nice to meet other cyclists. They parted ways and I had another 2 pound Almuerzo del dia.
That night there was a huge storm with torrential rain and thunder. I took the opportunity to read and watch the night sky in the city. Tomorrow I cycle to Jericó.
Cycling South America 