Crossing the Colombian Alps to Bogota

Climbing the mountain toward Bucaramanga

There are two ways to reach the south of Colombia from Cartagena. One can take the west road using the Pan-American Highway through Medellin and Cali, or the east road, through Bucaramanga and Tunja. We took the latest, in part because it is less touristy, and also because there were some people we wanted to touch base with in the capital.

Along the east – or dry – route

After getting the containers guarantee back on Monday morning, we said good-bye to our French friends. They would use the other road, so we were splitting. We may meet them later, around Popayan.

The first day of driving was one of the hottest we got so far. Hot and dry. I hear Colombia is in the middle of a drought, which doesn’t help. I drove 500 kilometers (310 miles), and we stopped to camp in a farm.

At the farm

At night, we played dominoes with the kids. Such hot climate is difficult, because in the morning and evening, you REALLY want to take a shower, which can be hard. When it’s not so hot, we can take a shower every two days, and take care of the rest of our needs with buckets of water. Luckily, on this precise night, we were able to take a shower at the farm.

Mountain village

The following day, shortly after we left, the road began to climb in the mountains toward Bucaramanga. We reached the big city in the afternoon, and took advantage of the populated place to go to a supermarket. It was somewhat difficult to find places to shop, as we crossed mostly small villages on our way.

The Canon

After Bucaramanga, the road became one of the most beautiful I ever drove. The Canon del Chicamocha in particular is worth seeing before you die. As night felt, we reached the entrance of the national park of the same name.

Mountains as night fall

We tried our luck and asked if we could camp inside the park. They let us in after the police gave us the authorization, and we were given an amazing spot few meters from the canon. Probably the most notable place I slept since Guatemala.

Our campsite, overlooking the canon

If you happen to be around there, go to the park, find the administration building, ask them the authorization to camp, then go to the police building where they will take your plates and passport numbers. Te overall procedure takes ten minutes, and is free.

Breakfast in the early hours

The morning after, the view was still as splendid, and we continued our way, up to 3,200 meters high (10,500 feet). The most beautiful part was right before reaching Tunja.

North of Tunja

From there we went west to spend the night in Villa de Leyva, a major touristic destination 150 km from Bogota.

There, we could not get anyone to let us camp, so we went deep in the hills, far from everything and tried to find a spot in the cold and lunar landscape.

Villa de Leyva main plaza.

After picking one, took the table out, opened a beer, and began to set camp in the strange area. We didn’t stay for long. After few minutes, we began to hear a mysterious music and people singing in the night. Let me tell you that we were out of there in no time.

Iglesia del Carmen

Street of Villa de Leyva.

Later, in the center of Villa de Leyva, we found a camping, and were happy to pay US$10 to not be attacked by ghosts from an Indian cemetery.

Street of Villa de Leyva.

Next step, Bogota where Frank, the chief of the Andean news for the AP got us a spot for few nights.

The large main plaza

Adventures through the mountains

In the Guatemala highlands

In the morning, I got some work done on the truck, including new break pads, and got a new gasket for the exhaust oxygen sensor, which reduced the noise. The guys at Toyota don’t think much about the constant heat inside the truck, so we will try to not think about it. Since many days now, we roll with the hood open 3-inches, which keep the general temperature down. After all, it may not be abnormal for the truck to get warm, given the load we are carrying.
After Huehuetenango, we took the mountains road in the northeast direction, to reach the highlands, where are probably the most desirable places to see in Guatemala. In general, in Central America, we will avoid overcrowded capitals, in an effort to avoid criminality, and also because it is more easy for us to set up a bush camp outside of populated areas.

Market in the mountain

Our first day in the mountains was fine, even if it gets more difficult for Nadia to eat what she wishes, since she is vegetarian. Most people can’t believe someone would not eat meat. Already Mexico was not a vegetarian paradise, but here it seems worst.
In the heart of the mountains, close to Rio Blanco, a family let us use their little piece of land to camp. A lot of people here have at least one family member working in the U.S., so I think they are happy to welcome someone coming from there.

Unpaved roads are getting more commun

Some roads are completely cut by rockslides

Market scene

In the morning, we found a river where we could bath and clean up a little. Thanks god for that, after few days without a shower.
Then, as we were going deeper east, the road became unpaved, and more and more difficult. Often, our way was reduced to one lane because of rockslides due to rain. At one point, the road was even completely cut, but a deviation was in place, which saved us 10 hours of driving going back and taking another route.

After the accident, people don't complain, but just want their money back

People are driving fast here, including passenger buses, and in the afternoon, as we were on a paved road, and accident happened in front of us. A truck lost wood logs, causing a truck carrying beverage and a passenger buses to fly outside the road.

Nick and the bus passengers cleaning out broken glass

As we stopped, I ran back on the road to make signs for upcoming vehicles to slow down, and then, with other travelers, we cleaned up the pavement from broken glasses, and gas-propelled Pepsi bottles.
45 minutes later, and after loading the truck with a 12-pack of drinking water bottles (very desirable for us), we continued our drive in an increasingly dry environment. The landscape changed to cactus and scarcer vegetation, similar to south-Texas.
Before Chiquimula, another family let us sleep in front of their house.

On another note, people who want to contact nadia can do so at nadia2805 [AT] hotmail.com.
She will be glad to reply herself the marriage proposition I get in my mailbox now. Just in case I didn’t make it clear when I introduced her, she is a friend of mine from France, and we are not romantically tied. I will be glad to be the witness at her wedding as long as you are a decent guy.