[12/06/18~07/04(D+308) Colombia/Popayan-Ipiales] Saying good bye to the most kind country.

The package was supposed to arrive in Cali around 12th of June, but it was not arrived until 15th of June. I couldn’t wait it too long because I stayed at host home. So I just went the next bit city, Popayan. It will just take two hours from Popayan to Cali by bus so that I decide to wait it in Popayan for a few days more. But USPS which is the company of package is really bad that I couldn’t check where my package is. If I knew that USPS is the slowest company, I must ask them to send it to the next country, Ecuador.

It is hard to wait because I am not staying at my home.

Popayan is like Cartagena. There are many historic building.

It is an old bridge.

I try to exchange the book in one of hostels in Popayan, but there are not many books I can change. It is hard to read the book during traveling.

Waiting is too long in Popayan. One of Korean travelers contacts me so that I meet him. I have met some Korean who live in other country, but it is my first time to meet Korean traveler.

Every building is white in the old town.

I eat chicken Arepa with Korean traveler. He is also like me that he worked in Canada for a year with a working holiday visa.

It is my first time to meet Korean traveler on my way so that I enjoy talking with him.

When it is time to say good bye, he gives me Korean alcohol as gift. I am so glad and happy to get it because I miss Korea so much these days. Also he gives me Mexican can of pepper which I love.

I wait too long my package. Thank to host, I can stay at their house until I get my package. It was supposed to arrive in one week, but the true is that it takes over three weeks. Totally I hate USPS that they always say “we don’t know where your package is.”

When I take the bus to go to Cali to get my package, I see aboriginal people. Their clothes are so fantastic.

Cali has Millo as their bus system that it is so clean and convenient. Government of Colombia doesn’t have their own post office. I think that’s why post office in Colombia is more expensive than other country. I pay 5 $ for tax to get my package.

YEAH!!!!!!! Here I go!!!!
I had problems with my panniers so that I sent a message to the company. Thankfully they send me new Ortlieb panniers for free, even they upgrade panniers. Actually I didn’t like Ortlieb before, but now I do thank them.

My ex-panniers were roll style, but my new panniers are different way.

Inside is the same as before.

But material is different from old one. I think roll style is harder and heavier. The new one is like plastic and thinner. I hope new one is stronger.

There is also plastic foot so that I can keep cleaning my panniers from the floor. I think this is really good idea because roll style doesn’t have this one.

They also send me more tools for new panniers.

Although I didn’t ask to sponsor but recall, they are so kind that I am really touched.

It is still valuable so that I can’t throw away. I remove a screw from the old panniers to put my tent and sleeping bag.

I’ve heard that it is so dangerous from Popayan to the next city, Pasto. So I take the bus.

There are amazing canyons on my way.

Colombia has really beautiful scenery.

Actually I regret a little bit that I don’t ride a bike at here, but there is no choice for me. The safe is the most important to me. If I don’t feel safe, then I will not ride a bike.

It looks so difficult to ride a bike but definitely it would be amazing to ride a bike.

The bus is too fast to see everything. I think the bike is the best to see everything.

I heard here are lots of guerillas. I can’t believe that how they survive at canyon.

Although the distance is only 250 km (156 mi), it takes over 6 hours by bus. Still it is hard to ride a bike at a big city in Latin America because of terrible terrific.

I have the problem with front rack which was made by Guatemalan. The other side which was made by Mexican is still good! Yeah Mexico!

I fix it in a hardware store. I had only thought goods made by factory before traveling, but these days I am seeing goods made by hands.

I stay at local people home in Pasto. We have dinner together, and I lean Salsa from host at Club , and they show me around volcano. I have so much fun, but I have only one picture which I eat during drive. Sometimes I don’t take the picture.

There is really hard uphill from Pasto. I start to ride a bike on Andes which is the longest continental mountain range in the world. There is a boy like me who carry heavy weight.

When I reach at the top, I eat a broiled beef intestine which is like Korean food. It is expensive in Korea, but here is so cheap that it is only 2,000 pesos (1.3$)

Its taste is good, but I feel bloated because of smell later.

I like to try new food, and I see this one in the same restaurant. It is like a donut and price is 600 pesos (0.3$).

It is hard to go from altitudes of 2600 m (8530 ft) above sea level to 3200 m (10498 ft) so that it takes over 4 hours for 15 km (9 mi). I will go a downhill for 25 km (15 mi), but I have to go up again from altitudes of 2300 m (7546 ft) to 2900 m (9514 ft). I hope that there is no downhill, because if I go to downhill, then I have to go uphill again which is between 2,000 m (6561 ft) to 3,000 m (9842 ft). Even there is a drizzle so that it is so chilly.

Anyway let’s enjoy downhill!

Everywhere is like the above picture.

I feel weird during going downhill. So I hold brake carefully not to fall down.

I find my flat tire. There was no flat tire for 5,000 km (3125 mi) since I changed my tire, but it happens two times in Colombia.

It is hard to ride a bike in the Andes Mountains, but totally it is worth.

Colombia has many different buses, but this one is the cheapest I think.

When I cross a bridge, I just hold my brake because there is stunning scenery.

After downhill for 25 km (15 mi), it starts an uphill again. I stop at police office to get water and use bathroom. When I am back to office after bathroom, there are three ponies which is popular drink in Colombia. When I drank pony at first time, it tastes strange. Now I know that its taste is like sugar cane.

The forest fire fan out.

The mount on which I rode before Medellin was the hardest one and it is so green. However today is not that bad, but it is so wild land.

When I push my bike, I think that the mount wants to tell us something. Everyone is slower on the mount, because the mount wants to teach us the nature.

Total distance is 50 km (31 mi) today. I ask local people to set up my tent. Thankfully, they invite me at their house and dinner.

I try to set up my tent at their yard, but they say it is cold so that they want me to sleep inside.

Also they invite me at breakfast. It is time to say good bye to my dear friends.

It starts to ride a bike on the Andes Mountain again.

Although it drizzles all the time, the scenery is superb. I want to take the picture of mine, but my tripod is inside.

I stop so many times, because it is so beautiful.

Colombia is known as people are so kind, but I didn’t expect that Colombia has also amazing nature.

When I stop at a gas station, I find a fruit tree. I ask the people what this is. He says it is TOMATO. It looks totally different from other one.

He hands me some tomatoes. It is a little bit bitter than normal one.

Today also I hold brake on the bridge because there is nice nature.

It looks a little bit horror.

I am too slow to find a store. I find a small store during pushing my bike. I just see a new kind of food so that I buy! It is called Haba bean and costs is only 50 cents (1,000 pesos). When I am fighting to eat it, the owner gives me free an ice cream. What a nice people!
However it is too hard to chew in one time. I have to go to a dentist for broken teeth, unless I eat carefully it.

When I eat Haba bean carefully on my way, I just see Guerilla which I’ve heard. There is not only one, but several Guerillas who threat me with their guns. I calm down and take picture of them.

Such a cute Guerillas ~ ♡

Many different plants make the mount mystery.

The mount and the sky are higher.

I can see rainbow because of drizzle. I push my bike so many times that I am slow. Anyway I reach at altitudes of 2900 m (9514 ft) in the afternoon. Colombian friend introduced me his friend in Ipiales.

People in Ipiales look different from other city. I think it is because of highland.

Las Lajas where is near Ipiales has so beautiful church.

Nature around the church is also beautiful.

I can see aboriginal people and their unique clothes.

The road is historic to the church.

I think many aboriginal people live around Las Lajas.

There is beautiful nature around church.

The inspiration for the church’s creation was a result of a miraculous event in 1754 when an Amerindian named Maria Mueces and her deaf-mute daughter Rosa were caught in a very strong storm. The two sought refuge between the gigantic Lajas, when to Maria Mueces’s surprise, her mute daughter, Rosa exclaimed “the mestiza is calling me…” and pointed to the lightning-illuminated silhouette over the laja. This apparition of the Virgin Mary caused pilgrimage to this location, with occasional miraculous cases of healing reported. The image on the stone is still visible today.

From wikipedia

If people’s dream comes true, then they leave word to thank to Maria.

Isn’t it beautiful?

It is my Colombian friend who shows me church. Her dream is to travel Latin America with a bike. So I give her my old front panniers as gift. I hope someday she makes her dream real.

It is me.

I can hear the flowing river on the church.

I want to buy something for my friend, but I couldn’t find something special.

The next day I cross the Ecuadorian border with another Colombian friend. Sometimes I am jealous of people who can cross the border very easily because I am from SOUTH KOREA. We go to the China restaurant. It is dish of Eliana’s boyfriend.

It is mine. I am so glad that it is so big!!!

We look around Tulcan. Eliana and her boyfriend come to Ecuador for shopping because it is cheaper than Colombia.

It is a park.

Tulcan has a beautiful park.

Actually it is a cemetery.

I’ve never seen a beautiful cemetery.

I feel weird because it is so beautiful, but it is surrounded by dead people.

There is a girl seeing park.

Life and dead.
It is weird when I go upstairs because dead people are under stairs.

I guess that local people want to stay here after their dead because it is beautiful.

It is a weird park for me.

Colombian friends want me to have a special experience because today is my last day in Colombia.

A special event is to eat a guinea pig.

Taste is weird. It tastes fish and chicken. One time is enough for me!

There were too many people around the border in the daytime so that I couldn’t get stamp. Eliana and his friend are supposed to go to Capital of Ecuador, so we get stamps together in the night.

Finally it is time to leave friendly Colombia. I already got Ecuadorian stamp yesterday and exchanged money. Everything is perfect to go to Ecuador.

===================================================================
Route

Days in Colombia= 67 Days
Distance in Colombia = 1416.13 km (885.08 mi)
Cities I stayed = 22 Cities
Cartagena, San Juan, Sincerejo, Pueblo Nuevo, Caucasia, Puerto Valdivia, Yarumal, Don Matias, Medellin, Bolombolo, La Pintada, Supia, Santa Rosa, Pereira, Tulua, Cali, Santander, Piendamo, Popayan, Pasto, Verede, Ipiales
Costs in Colombia = USD 450$
(1$ = 1700 pesos)