Day 844
Highs and Lows
We had a wonderful evening in Solento. Being a busy tourist town, it not only looked cute but had dozens of coffee and cake shops and loads of vegetarian options in the restaurants. Such a joy. We do love to try the local cuisine, but traditional Colombian food is sometimes very repetitive and heavy. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are virtually the same - eggs, rice, cheese, local flat bread, meat and a few extras depending on the time of day. Take it from me a simple pasta with fresh tomatoes was a joy!
Then it was back to reality and what we were here for, the Alto de La Linea and the wax palm trees. Anyone who knows my Tom knows the T in his name stands for trees! We’ve seen the Redwoods, the Sequoias and now for the wax palms. The tallest palms in the world, they are unique to this area, growing only in two local valleys. We could have taken the tourist route to the smaller valley but no, we decided to climb 5,000ft to the less visited area with more trees and fewer people. The road was rough but reasonably graded and we both loved the climb. We were passed by small trucks loaded with mountain bikes and riders, they did look a bit shamefaced as we battled on uphill. The owner of @biketouringcarbonera stopped and handed us some peanuts and fruit which we gratefully accepted.
This particular part of Colombia is the heart of its coffee growing centre. A combination of the soil and rain makes perfect conditions. Twice a year the rain is particularly heavy, April and October, usually from midday! So, with that in mind we decided to stop just before we reached the trees. Clouds were building and the whole mountain top was covered in a thick mist. We passed a couple of wild camping spots but decided to treat ourselves to a bed for the night. Perched up on the hillside is the Refugio El Rocio or Eagle’s Nest. It’s a small farmhouse, with a big bunk room. We had the place to ourselves and spent the afternoon bird watching, eating the endless treats the owner kept bringing, trying and failing to spot any palms and generally just relaxing.
In the morning we finished the last few miles to the top, were greeted with cheers by the mountain bikers and then it was straight down to the trees. We were blown away, more and more stands of them lay before us. Covering the hill sides, some so close we could just touch them. They also provide home to a great variety of birdlife, we heard more than we could see, but one part of the valley was full of parrots, we could see pairs flying above us and hear thousands more singing there hearts out. We felt like joining in!
Then as we left the trees, we descent down to Toche. The road was really rough, I think the recent heavy rains have created many deep ruts and exposed a layer of stones. It went on for miles and wasn’t much fun. At one point, a couple of miles out from Toche, a few workmen were concreting a 10-metre section. It was rather bizarre but fortunately we got by. Toche was much smaller than we expected. A restaurant ( closed), a tiny store and a hostel. It was raining heavily but we decided to push on, up into the hills, to the base of the local volcano, Machin. We had read that this road was in better condition and though we would have yet more hills we would be avoiding the main road. It was to be a very bad decision.
The climb from Toche was tough, Tom repeatedly went ahead, parked up his bike then came and pushed my bike up the hill. I was shattered. Around 5pm after being on the road nearly 10 hours we arrived at a small restaurant with rooms and more importantly pools filled with hot water from the volcano. Home for the night. The room was tiny, no shower, how we squeezed us and the bikes in I’m not sure but we just about fitted. We relaxed in the pools letting the hot water soak away our aches. This ride was proving to be tough but the rewards made it worth it.
In the morning Tom said he felt unwell. His infection was back. We made what could have been a very bad decision and continued on. We really should have backtracked to Toche and rejoined the main highway. Instead, we opted for 30 miles of up and down on a very rough road. It soon became clear that Tom simply was too ill to continue and going downhill fast. By some miracle we arrived at a cluster of properties. I asked the locals if anyone had a vehicle and a young lad led me to Emir. He was busy working, his truck was packed to the gills with stuff. Despite this he readily agreed to take us and our bikes to a hospital, nearly 3 hours’ drive away. The journey was a nightmare for Tom, from the cab the road looked no more than a dirt track. Time and again I thought we would get stuck in the deep muddy ruts or even plunge to our deaths down into the valley where the road had been washed away to half its size. Emir was unfazed, half the time chatting on his phone, driving with only one hand on the wheel! In reality It was clear he knew every inch of this road and drove it like the star he is. I felt rather selfish as I loved the ride.
Finally, we arrived in Ibague. Emir found us a hotel and we said our goodbyes. Without his help we really don’t know what we would have done. He gave us his daughter's phone number, she speaks fluent English and was ready and happy to help if needed. What a beautiful family. Without the kindness of Emir who knows what would have happened if we had been stuck the mountains.
When we got to the hospital they admitted Tom as an emergency and got him on IV antibiotics straight away, which started bringing him round. After several blood tests and armed with a bag full of pills and rehydration powders he was allowed to leave. With strict instructions to rest, fortunately that’s all he wants to do. Colombia is sure proving tough!
