| Distance | 62.00 kms | 38.53 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 391 meters | 1,283 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 3.25 | - |
| Avg speed | 19 kph | - |
| Avg climb | 2% | - |
| Max grade | 8% | - |
| Distance | 14,418.32 kms | 8,958.93 miles |
|---|---|---|
| Climbed | 174,286 meters | 571,804 feet |
| Ride time (hours) | 1,136.39 | - |
Thursday, September 19th, 2013
A hot and mostly flat ride today was I made my way along the river towards Cali. I figured I would leave myself about 50 kilometers for tomorrow to get into the city early and have a half day to do chores. My plans changed in the early afternoon when Gustavo pulled up next to me on a motorcycle and we started talking. He worked for 5 years in New York and has hosted a few other cyclists that he has seen traveling on this road. He invited me to his house for lunch, an invitation that I gladly accepted, and I ended up settling in to stay for a day.
In the afternoon we rode two-up on motorcycles to a reservoir in the mountains above Bolivar with his two sons and another fried. We went for a swim in the cool lake that really hit the spot, then visited some members of his family that have a farm/ranch up in the mountains nearby. The farm is a fascinating jumble of animals, vegetable fields, coffee plants, fruit trees, bamboo forest, and pasture land. They have chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, cows, and horses all living together in chaotic harmony. They built their house and the other structures out of the thick bamboo trees that grow down in a canyon that lies on a corner of the property. We were served delicious coffee grown, roasted, and ground right there on the farm; followed by eggs straight from the nest and fried banana straight from the tree. It all seemed like a lot of fun and it got me to thinking I might like to have a place like that someday.
Brilliant views on the way back down to Bolivar where we spent a leisurely evening hanging out at Gustavo's house. When I told him about my blog and the casas de ciclistas I had visited he asked me to put his information up on the page in case any other cyclists are passing through. I'm going to hook him up with warmshowers as well.
Gustavo Madrid
Carrera 2N4-19 frente bomberos (across the street from the fire station)
Bolivar-Valle
email: pataconasjuanpis@hotmail.com
