Colombia

I am now in my last country that I will travel in on my journey in South America - Colombia. I have only been here for 10 days, but so far have found the country and its people to be warm and welcoming . Colombia is famous for many things, some being - cocaine, plastic surgery, coffee and FARC guerillas to name but a few.

I spent around a week in Quito, just getting stuff done on the bike and taking some time out to catch up on DVDs and email and as the guest house had a good kitchen, some home cooking, which made a good change from getting the local fare, which is pretty bland. I crossed the border in to Colombia and felt a great relief that my journey in South America was coming to an end. Not a relief in the sense that I don't like the place, I do, but it has been a tiring 6 months, the road conditions, poor driving standard and constant changes in altitude have all taken there toll. I have also been suffering from an annoying cold for the past two months, which I have finally had diagnosed as bronchitis, nothing terrible, but combined with the travel it has made me low on energy . So i now have a ton of antibiotics to take, which I detest, but need must. Now Ecuador is very like many south American countries, in that it has a rather strange political system and while I was there, the general election was taking place. As there were 85 candidates, to make it easier for the voters, candidates were given numbers, just in-case you vote for the wrong person. No wonder these countries are always in crisis. Still the UK seems pretty screwed and we only have the choice of three!

Riding out of Quito I rode across the equator, so I am now officially back in the northern hemisphere - I almost feel I am in Alaska! Its always strange feeling crossing the eqator, but looking at the map, it feels a long way from Ushuaia, almost the most southerly place on earth and having come by motorcycle all the way. I felt good at this accomplishment, but also a feeling of fatigue when you look at the map and see how far it is to Alaska.

After crossing the border in to Colombia- a remarkable easy task, I rode through the lush hills, that have a very different feel to that of Ecuador. It often amazes me how different a country can feel and look, within just a few miles, the topography was totally different, the hills were far more rugged and rocky, as opposed to the more rolling feeling that you have in Ecuador . Though I was no higher in altitude, the valleys where much deeper and dramatic, the other big change was the people; much more friendly, that's not to say the Ecuadorians were rude in any way, but the people here , in part due to there isolation for so many years, are so inquisitive about what you are doing and what you think of their country, its a really refreshing feeling.

I arrived in the whitewashed colonial town of Popayan where I fund a very comfortable place to bed down and park the bike and took a relaxing walk around the lovely old buildings and being stared at like I was from outer space; clearly they don't get any tourist in this part of the world, but it was a friendly feeling. From here I rode up a really crap and bumpy road to the small town of San Agustin, to see the archaeological park that has stone statues carved by the some of the areas earliest inhabitants, around 3000 years ago. The town is set amongst some lovely countryside and I took the opportunity to do some horse riding, something that I enjoy, but confess to not being very skilled at, but it was nice to be out in the hills and enjoy the nature.

I also visited the small market town of Silvia, to see the local indigenous people came down from the hills to do their weekly trading and bartering. Now this was not the most spectacular market for goods for sale, but it was what they wear that was the most fascinating. I don't want to sound like I am taking the piss, but who ever came up with the concept of wearing a violet blue rug over your shoulders if you are a women and wrap it around you waste and wear it as a skirt if you are a man? Top This off with a very small rimmed bowler hat and a pair of shinny black or blown boots with yellow laces and I though I had turned up to a clown convention.

Im sure there are perfectly good reasons for this kind of get up, but I could see nothing practical in it at all. Don't take this out of context, I would hate to think that in a few years that everyone will have traded in their prime bowler for a baseball cap and their violet rug for a pair of fake Levis, but I think the question is still valid - who the bloody hell came up with the style and why was it adopted by the whole tribe, it was just bizarre, but incredibly enjoyable to people watch as men strutted around the town plaza with chickens under there arms ready for the pot and engaging in animated conversation, which I could only but guest to its content .

My next port of call was Cali, the home of Colombia's plastic surgery industry, where women and men having procedures to enlarge there boobs, reshape noses, have liposuction, their teeth straightened, and believe it or not bottom implants. Bum implants, bloody hell there are some women in the west that definitely don't need that. People just look plastic though, I have never been to a place where so many people have braces on they teeth and bandages on there noses. I found it all rather sad actually. Don't get me wrong a well sculpture pair of breasts are fantastic, but you have to draw a line somewhere and in this town its an obsession and not a healthy one, there are very few gyms, just a clinic on every corner.

I have decided to make some changes to my travel plans, for several reasons. I really want to get to Canada and to Alaska and I am running out of time, so after spending a couple of weeks seeing Colombia, the plan is to fly the bike to LA and skip central America and Mexico. Now I'm sure you are all aware of the current health problems in Mexico, which are being blown out of proportion, but I am concerned that if things escalate that the US could close the border. Now that probable wont happen, but if I fly direct to the states, it will put me back on schedule. Also I am feeling travel weary and feel like getting to a country that has road signs to find your way and street names in towns, and people that hopefully can give you directions rather than being sent 6 different ways and ending back where you stared. In fact I should even be able to use my GPS again, what bliss!

So I have left my bike in storage in Cali and have taken a bus up to Medellin, where I intend to do some partying before heading to the coast to get a tan and lay in a hammock before having to take those bloody pills. The plan is to be in the US for around early June then head to some of there national parks to camp and enjoy the great outdoors once again, I cant bloody wait.