few months ago since I updated the blog, several months in which many things changed, things went really good and some not. I have no pictures to show, my camera was intent on not work so I recommend any internet search engine to understand better what I am told.
Let us return to where we had left in the last entry ... Ecuador-Colombia border.
Moneychangers ... these if they are a breed apart, people (including cities) to live to change wallpapers in the border areas. In the previous crossings had not seen that particular both literally'll come up with the money in hand shaking, striking with the notes as if they were Locomía, shouting "change, change!" ... In my case was not much to offer, just fifteen dollars and some coins soles came creeping into my backpack from Peru to idea of \u200b\u200bleaving them to the collection, but as the situation is running out ... anyway, I got pod and stick by that and I went to do the same rigmarole a while ago, but this time of entry.
The difference in gas prices between two countries is enormous, on the advice of Juanfer charge me a few cans of gasoline before crossing the border, it had to at least get to Popayan, and that's something these times of scarcity of foreign currency in my wallet, something is more than a lot.
Right there near the border but the Colombian side went to see the Sanctuary of Las Lajas, a neo-Gothic church built in a ravine, with some remnants Romanesque somewhat medieval, with a bridge linking both sides of the barrel vaulted arches, the river below, finally, an implementation simply spectacular, the church itself, in style and detail (especially inside) leaves much much to be desired, even some become unpleasant, but of course, the natural environment supplies all these issues. The bottom of the altar, with the rock of the mountain looming (although I have to say I left in no doubt about the naturalness of this issue) the only thing I found redeeming about the interior.
In the remainder of the day drive to Pasto, my first major city in Colombia, I really did not have much to do there, just spend the night, after finding a station service, for the first time all trip, I was denied more than three times the same day your tent in the parking lot of the stations.
When I found one that accepted me, far away from downtown, suits me, I take a few reds that I was invited by the beach ... clarify doubts and though some are obvious, which is called Tinto black coffee is not this taking the habit of drinking ...
The next stop on my road was Popayán, which had not too much information ... the road from Pasto to this city is paradise itself to do so on a motorcycle, the vastness of the landscape as only in few places I felt the depth of canyons, the sun bathing the mountains, the road constantly ledge, as wonderful as admire it while driving is dangerous, I do not get tragic, but any distraction, no matter how small just might end, you can imagine ...
in Popayán, the white city (I think it should be the fourth or fifth white city in which way), stop with some artisans a little pedestrian, something I sold, at least for the day's expenses and taking into account that my spirit dealer is quite poor, it's going well. In this comparison of Pasto city, at the pump the better, I was invited to dinner, of course, the people's surprise at seeing me with the bike loaded up to stop and listen when I tell them where I come from growing inversely proportional to the distance my place of origin, in Creole, but I am far, but they sound incredible history. Spend two days in Popayan, traveled a little historical center, very nice.
De Cali unfortunately not take the best impression I actually wanted to leave as soon as before the tangle of bikes 2T, they spray the city with their sound and atmosphere petardero so special. Cali is the third largest city, relatively large, late hours (no exaggeration) to reach the center, I never knew which was the central plaza or just "the center", nor the police knew to locate me, partly because it disrupted the traffic, sometimes hamper the metro more than you ordered, in some places causes, for example, that to get from one street to another parallel is less than 100 meters have to do a whole endless loop, resuming, waiting for traffic lights and new ( if not the only miscues right way) you get where you wanted, a mess, and then again turned to suffer the bad directions of police and bystanders, not a bad intention, I believe it is only lack of understanding. The problem is that they explain to me a very rudimentary way, as if I lived right there when my nationality mature falls just hear me say two words, no clutch explain stress as they would anybody else there. Anyway, apart from the chaos of the city itself had to withstand a downpour while trying to locate a tourist office or something that tells me where to grab. And screwed to the edge of town, I was almost running away in search of peace in any village, and was to end in Buga, I remembered that Marcelo (motochileros) had told me there and had stopped in Ibague in the firehouse, which I had not done so, stop all kinds of places but never on fire, was a good time to start. Those days I walked populate, Buga, Cartago, Anserma, in these last two places I spent a weekend of festivities, celebrations such as payments for my lost long ago ... career balineras (carts with wheels bearings) kite competition, a festival where the whole family participates, takes to the streets, sports, and at night the spirit becomes the protagonist in the whole town, the streets of Anserma become a grand ballroom, people in street drinking, dancing, uploaded to your horses or bikes spin around town in a situation as chaotic as funny, even bizarre at times, a lack of control healthy enough if you will.
I was still complicated with Service stations, which in other countries was set to sleep and bathe in Colombia became an odyssey of five gas stations that stop to ask, hopefully, in a me leave, sometimes I think it's confidence but I also do not understand what I try to tell you when I stop, I get the feeling they think I want to stay to live or have a picnic like a campsite, no, build a campfire and get to play the guitar ... I guess they must be unfamiliar and strange to get crazy with the bike all loaded asking putting up a tent for the night.
Pass Pereyra, capital of Risaralda department, full and almost coffee-length followed the next day and was in Manizales, Caldas department, fans remember Xeneizes not very happy the team in this city Once Caldas, who lost Boquita the final of the Libertadores believed won before ... Anyway, this city is something different from other major cities in Colombia, very "falduda" as the Colombian people is that it is a city built on mountains has a particular topography, the climate is generally steady throughout the year ... always cloudy! The week I was there could not be otherwise, it rained almost every day, when it did not rain, it pours. Spend a week in good company at the home of a friend, Erika, her sisters and her mother.
In this area I saw some very good buildings in Guadua, a type of bamboo, is amazing shapes and structures that can be achieved with this material, relatively little used given the abundance and constructive qualities he has. It is clear that no widespread use of these materials has everything to do with the image and the idea that got us and we are getting into the head of what is meant by being socially, the "house of material" (ie cement , brick, etc.) with its many shortcomings, the monopolies of multinational companies (steel, cement), the lack of new universities in terms of new construction systems, imposed on their taste parameter which "should be "a" home " while both are still wasting the benefits (environmental, construction, economic) of materials that offer much more than we imagine.
Moving on, in Manizales GPS he put his hand to that already given up as lost and I did work, though rushed and anxious and want to use it, I finished shitting all, was good while it lasted.
Medellin would be the next stop, but Medallo deserves a separate entry. Salud!
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