Day 868
Laguna de la Cocha
After the massive effort of the Trampolin de la Muerte surely the hills would get easier? Nope! The Andes just keep on giving. Though back on tarmac we were faced with a 5,000ft climb straight away. The road wound its way up the mountain and each corner seemed to get steeper and steeper. The monsoon rain we had ridden through 2 days ago had eased but still it rained and the mist stayed with us all day. After a few hours we pitched the tent beside the road just to take a break from the rain. Debs took this opportunity to hand over some brake blocks she had brought from the UK for fellow tourers, Sieman and Jana otherwise known as @pedal_eat_enjoy_repeat. They had reached out on a WhatsApp group for cycle tourers for help, and the day before we flew to South America Debs managed to find some for them. They were heading north, so the deed was done, stood by the road in the rain!
We were greeted at the top by the sight of some weird plants, Espeletia but more commonly know as ‘Frailejones’ which translates as ‘Big Monks’. These plants grow at high altitude in areas of Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela. They are particularly important as their leaves capture water from vapour which they then release into the soil, which helps create underground water deposits and lakes, which in turns flows into rivers. Unfortunately, they are being attacked on two fronts. Despite it being illegal to dig them up, they are still being uprooted as the land they grow on is ideally suited to grow potatoes, and if the farmers don’t get them, beetles, moths and a new type of fungus are destroying them. Grim stuff, but we stood and admired them in the mist whilst we still can.
Down below us was our destination, the Laguna de la Cocha, a lake created in the crater of a volcano. It has a small island, La Corota, which is now a protected nature reserve. We had planned to camp at a hotel with a restaurant, La Jardin, but the endless rain drove us inside to a room with a view. Trout, 5 different ways, was the menu and we happily tucked in. We needed the calories!
The view of La Corota brought to mind Ometepe Island in Nicaragua. Though we hadn’t visited it our friend Carla had, and loved it. She had said it was a place so special that she contemplated ending her journey and settling down there. At her funeral attendees had been asked to write down two things on a piece of paper - something we were grateful for, and something we would like to change about ourselves, and these would be buried with Carla for her to help us all in the spirit world. For those who couldn’t physically be at the funeral, it was suggested they bury them somewhere special, and perhaps plant a tree. We carried the papers with us until we found somewhere special, and this view was pure Carla. Although we didn’t get to plant a tree the wildlife there was incredible, especially the butterflies and birds all around.
The following day we were back on the bikes, climbing up yet another winding hill. Today though it seemed so much easier. It wasn’t as long, nor as steep, the sun was out at last, and we both felt fitter and more at ease. Our time in Colombia is drawing to an end and we were savouring every moment. We descended to the city of Pasto. We are planning on a few days here, to rest, explore its many churches and museums, and probably refuel with some great food.
