Day 657
Duvan Andrés Duque López
So this was it, after a few days rest in Cartagena we were off riding towards Medellin. Our ride in South America has begun! First, there was the not-so-insignificant 10 miles to cycle to get us the hell out of Cartagena. Before we set off the thought of riding in that mayhem frightened the bejesus out of me. Now I actually enjoy it. Everyone wants to get somewhere, nobody wants to waste time by causing an accident so, as long as you keep moving, it works, sort of!
When we finally hit the open road we were in for a very pleasant surprise. Not only did it have a hard shoulder, they had actually resurfaced it so it was as smooth as a baby’s bum! Unfortunately we also became aware of the heat. Colombia is hot and humid. The first day I really struggled. Tom just about had to spoon-feed me my tea when we stopped for the night. I was struggling to breath, dizzy and hating this country. The following day Tom struggled, I mean the roads were flat but that meant a headwind, we were two very miserable cyclists. We needed a boost, and we got it!
On day 4 we collapsed at a small roadside cafe. It was Good Friday and many places were shut. We just about managed to croak, ‘comida’ and flopped down. We had pretty much interrupted a family get together. We were made so welcome, and had the opportunity to observe the deep love this family has for each other. Duvan, who is 15, started chatting to us to ensure we got everything we needed. He was somewhat hesitant at speaking English but he clearly spoke it so well. His granny joined us, beaming with pride at her intelligent grandson. We sat with them talking about Colombia, his life, his family, our trip, the future, and so much more.
When we get asked what is the favourite part of our trip, the answer is easy. It’s meeting people like Duvan, his mum, his granny, his brother, his aunts and all! We went from being 2 weary fed-up cyclists to feeling relaxed and happy. We stayed for over 2 hours and finally tore ourselves away, but not before we got loads of hugs. Think we’re going to like Colombia after all!
