Las Lajas, Colombia to Quito, Ecuador.

Santuario de Las Lajas, Colombia. Before kissing Colombia goodbye I had to make my pilgrimage to Las Lajas, just 10 miles northeast of Ipiales. Without a guidebook or any prior knowledge of anything but the primary tourist jaunts or major cities, Las Lajas was a mystery to me. But nearly each Colombians who I discussed […]

Popayán. Colonial Colombia.

The ride from Cali to Popayán is stunning. Blessed with good weather, decent roads and lush green jungle that crawls up the mountainous terrain. Glittering reflections off corrugated roofs that dot the hills in the distance catch my eye. I see no roads climbing the hillsides, but along this road young men ride horses or […]

Cali Come. Cali Go.

Coffee & Bananas Everywhere in the department of Quindio, Colombia Sprawling rooftops and homes of Montegregro, the heart of Colombian Coffee growing region. I loved getting lost and riding up and down the hills of Calarca, Colombia – also in the coffee growing region. Moving coffee and other goods is still done by horse drawn […]

Armenia, Colombia: Where is Juan Valdez?

A plan for an early start was foiled by early morning rainfall. I waited. But as the clock ticked, I got antsy. So I packed the bike and headed toward Manizales. Climbing through the mountains the temperature started to drop. Then I descended into a valley and out of the rain. It was in this […]

Making My Way To Manizales, Colombia

Getting out of Bogota was easy thanks to Mauricio’s map and the help of my friends at the Capital Hotel. I had noticed it earlier at the Girag office at the airport, but I finally figured out what was going on. In many of the Latin American countries I’ve been wandering through police officers are […]

Welcome To South America — Hello Colombia

Hello South America. Happy Birthday, too. The little over an hour flight to Bogota was quick, easy and extremely scenic from my window seat as we flew over the Darien Gap and pristine islands with crescent shaped white sandy beaches. I blast through immigration and customs at the airport and in less than an hour […]