Sunday, 21 October 2012

Day 106: La Pintada to Palmira, Colombia

Evening all
We had a good day today. Breakfast was supposed to be served at 8am but we "persuaded" the staff to open at 7. Seeing as how it was also supposed to be a posh pub I took an early morning photo of the swimming pool.




Meanwhile Shirley hassled the chef as she prepared breakfast. The process of orange juice.












And some yuka.




Soon we were out and down the steep steep driveway to the road. Wet and slippery cobblestones. Not great fun.




Then off down a lovely rural road through the town and out the other side. We then had a crucial decision to make - to go left through the cities of !anizales and Pereira with the chance of freeways or right up the windy mountain pass through San Vicente and La Virginia. The distances were about the same and hey! We're bikers so the choice was plain. Steep and windy it was. And boy it was!












It was great - the road surface a bit rumpity to begin with but it got better as we went up, eventually to 2,400 metres asl. Here everybody waves and smiles.




It is Sunday so some are going to church.




Like this one.




Or this one.




These weren't going to church ... I think they had escaped!




Eventually we came down out of the dairy and goat area and into the plantations.
Bananas.




Sugar cane.




More sugar cane.


And stuff.



We stopped for fresh pinapple. Yum!








While Dick and I had a serious conversation about something or other. I forget now. But it was serious and important.




Then we were on the freeway to Buga.




We had thought we would stay in Buga but when we got there there was Buga-all so we went on to Palmira. I stopped for petrol on the way.




And Dick bought some oil. We had a conversation with the local lads about the cost but finally got it worked out.




Soon we arrived in Palmira. We couldn't find a hotel so stopped to ask a young bloke on the side of the road. He tried to explain but it was too complicated so in the end he jumped on his scooter and took us. Such fantastic generosity. Afterwards he just rode away with no expectation of a tip or anything. Just a big smile.
And so here we are in the El Dorado Hotel in Palmira, a faded lady indeed. Our bathroom has a toilet seat but, alas, no rose. We had Chinese food in a Thai restaurant (go figure) and it will be an early one again I think. My ribs are giving me gyp but I am pretending to be Queen Victoria. If I can't imagine that it exists then I'm sure it doesn't.
Night all - hope Lachie liked his letter.
Today's ride: 347kms
Cumulative: 27,174kms
Tipovers: 6

Location:Palmira, Colombia

2 comments:

  1. there are probably people called doctors in that country wherever you are, perhaps you should get one to check out your ribs? thought of that?!!!

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  2. since you have been on the theme of asses lately, I thought you might like this one about The Pastor's Ass!!!

    The Pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.
    The Pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again and it won again.

    The local paper read: PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.

    The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the Pastor not to enter
    the donkey in another race.

    The next day the local paper headline read: BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR’S ASS.
    This was too much for the Bishop so he ordered the Pastor to get rid of the donkey.

    The Pastor decided to give it to a Nun in a nearby convent.

    The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day:

    NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.

    The Bishop fainted. He informed the Nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey so she sold it to a farmer for $10.
    The next day the paper read: NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.

    This was too much for the Bishop so he ordered the Nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where
    it could run wild.

    The next day the headlines read: NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE..

    The Bishop was buried the next day.

    The moral of the story is . . .

    Being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery, even shorten your
    life. So be yourself and enjoy life.

    Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer!

    ReplyDelete