Escape to the hills!

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Setting off from Medellin, my intention was to slowly head North to the coast. I had no fixed plan, other than to take a circuitous route via some of the towns and villages of Boyaca, a region I hadn’t previously visited.

First stop en route was Guatape, a well-known tourist spot due to it’s numerous lakes and proximity to Medellin. It’s also known as the site of an immense rock that towers incongruously over surrounding countryside.

The massive letters GI that are painted on the rock are the result of rivalry between the towns of Guatape and nearby Peñol, who both claim the rock as their own. Apparently townspeople of Guatape decided to paint the rock with ‘Guatape’ in huge letters. The people of Peńol however got wind of it, and managed to disrupt the action when they’d only managed to paint the G and some of the U. It’s been like that ever since.

Like many of the more touristy places I’ve visited in Colombia, the town was filled with shops selling the same souvenirs and trinkets as well as tour offices vying for business. Nothing wrong with this, but it’s not really what I love in Colombia. So it was in Guatape that I began wondering whether the coast was such a good destination, given that I’d heard that many towns there were even more touristy.

I left Guatape with some spectacular scenery and views as I gradually descended towards sea-level.

Once at sea-level I rode relatively decent paths with gentle inclines (compared to the Andes) but was wiped out by the 40 degree (Celsius) heat (that felt hotter due to the still air). Towards the end of the day I would take a break and just wanted to go to sleep. It was evil. I had some sympathy for the owner of this roadside stall where I replenished my water supply. He was unimpressed that I’d interrupted his hammock-rest and wasted no time getting back to it!

So the decision was made to scrap plans for the coast and to enjoy the Andes instead. The harder work pedalling (inclines of up to 15% are common) is more than made up for by the spectacular views and the incredible friendliness and kindness of people in the villages and towns.

To get back up to altitude I took the easy option and caught a couple of buses and by the end of the day I was back up at 2700 metres. One of the great things about my bike is that it can be dismantled into two pieces, so despite being a beast of a bike, it can be taken in taxis and buses if necessary.

The villages are nicely dotted around the mountains with caminos (sand, stone or rocky paths) of varying quality joining them. Almost all have a cheap hotel or hospedaje. I’m not sure whether to be pleased or maddened that I’ve been lugging around heavy camping and cooking kit that hasn’t once been used on this trip!

Another universal in the villages is that they all have insanely large and impressive churches. Colombia is a very catholic country, and you’re never far away from a procession, statue, church, shrine, or someone praying.

Surrounding the churches, many of the towns and villages in Boyaca have impressively preserved colonial architecture.

And in between these lovely towns and villages, I can enjoy the spectacular countryside. The climbs and gravel paths are a small price to pay (click on image to enlarge).

As ever, thanks for reading this far!

Stuart