We awaken and go have our daily scrambled eggs and fruit, plus some other random thing, breakfast. Our host, Andre, was totally awesome with his service, offering choices of each thing. His small hotel was completely charming. As we packed up to leave, I quickly ran out to the square and droned it for some aerial footage. Done, we said goodbye to Villa de Leyva.
Heading towards Bucaramanga (B-manga on signs), what shows as 100kms away directly, turn in to 280km once the bends of the road are considered. We have already been pretty lucky with the fantastic motorcycle riding roads but today was just fantastic. Starting out in a beautiful farming community with rolling hills of panted crops, lined by fincas with moderate climate trees, we work our way into a warmer region, with bamboo and palm trees. Finally, we end in a more desert like zone featuring barren rock formations adorned with cactus. Twists, turns and switchbacks galore, making for a most entertaining ride.
On a sadder note, along the ride we say many people walking the highway, carrying suitcases, backpacks and more. Many were families. These are Venezuelan refugees, walking the road to Bogota (and perhaps beyond). It is a tough thing to witness while myself enjoying the privilege of travelling the world.
Arriving in B-manga, a city of half a million, we hit the rush hour traffic. People here seem to drive quite politely though, and we weave our way through to the city center and our hotel. Our hotel is also super friendly. As we drive by the front I call out to the door man and ask where the parking is. He bursts into a run and shows us where to go. He then helps us from the underground garage and carries Chris’ stuff to the lobby and after checkin, on to the room. His name is Jesus, and for Chris, thank god he was there because the bags are heavy! The hotel also offered us a welcome latte, which was excellent. We are in the Hotel Cuidad Bonito, centrally located and extremely nice for $50 a night.
We walk around town for a bit just seeing the scenes. After dark, we walk about a kilometre or so through the city to a decent bar and restaurant area. The city seems very safe and pleasant to walk through. After dinner we walk around a little more and then back to the hotel, Chris is tapped out a little from all of the walking, so I cruise around the area for another hour or so before heading off to bed.
Colombia Motorcycle Ride 