Off the main routes all manner of encounters in store
We awake in a great little Spanish town of Barichara, at 2600m. We had stayed in a posada selected mainly because it could fit the bikes with-in the walls, for our night security. The small double bed touched three of the walls and when you opened the wooden shutters for light you looked out on the kitchen and open court-yard. Very intimate living. They made a great breakfast for $ 5 NZ and we hit the road in the cool mist.
We had a different exit from this town to the sealed way in and Gareth suggested we go back the way we came in but I thought it would be nice to head down the gravel track. We were heading to San Gil 12km away where we could join a bigger road. This detour took us into a maze of mountain tracks and at one stage when the GPS said it was 2 km away as the crow flies we realised there was a problem as we were still nearly 2000m above it. Anyway 2 hours of rock hopping and a few back tracks got us there and we saw a part of Colombia most folk won´t ever see. I did let my bike lie down for a short rest in a muddy corner.
On again and we get to another architectural dream village where they all seemed to speak another dialect. Then an old chap leading a pack horse told us the road forward was only suited for horses. So back 30+ km to San Gil and onto a great road not on our map or gps to the next high mountain village of Villa de Leyva.
There is the largest main plaza in Colombia, but it is a cold cobbled place, impressive in its own way. Damp cold rooms in a stone hotel – urggh!
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