Bellingham to Brazil, not coming back

[NCK]

so awesome!

[Almost There]

Great update.

[Supergringo]

Originally Posted by PorLaTierra

Here is a Tejo court, its a game Colombians get drunk and play. They throw a big metal disc at piles of gunpowder and watch it blow up. Its kind of like throwing bean bags, except with explosions.

Awesome man. I spent half a day playing Tejo at that court. After I bought a flat of beer, and hit the exploding thing a few times, I made a lot of friends!

[PorLaTierra]

Left Bogota, rode North to Villa de Leyva. The countryside is amazing, tons of green rolling hills and happy looking cows. I keep forgetting how big these mountains are, I rode up and down for hours before turning off on a smaller highway with no lines, and a few pot holes, but some great curves. I got rained on a little and then the sun came out. I felt the temperature change multiple times, which is one of the reasons I ride. Also, when I smelled something good, another reason why I ride, I followed my nose and pulled right up to a little Arepa stand. Arepas are like Colombias tortillas, they are usually filled with cheese or eggs.









Villa de Leyva is a rad town, its an old colonial city that has been very well preserved and still functions. On the weekends its packed with day trippers but the weekdays are lazy and the town is free of tourists, probably similar to how it has been for many years.
















No more bed bugs for me, I got em bad in Bogota at the Cranky Croc and I was happy to see this sticker.



Through town and up a dirt road to a hostel, the coolest one yet











Walking into town that night in search of food I was enjoying the warm dry climate and the cobblestone streets, reminded me a lot of Italy actually, with the red roofs and all, then out of nowhere a stupid dog came up and bit me in the leg, on the right calf, just below the back of my knee, ouch! What a Fu**er. The dogs in Villa de Leyva are big and people feed them and because of that they are big and strong. Not like the ones in Bogota who are sick and docile. I think someone should adopt them or shoot them. I like dogs when they are taken care of and trained a little, if they arent they can be dangerous animals and if I had a gun I would find that bastard and shoot him. I saw it again the next night and it ran at me but then stopped. It really doesnt like me I guess

I was bleeding so I decided to limp to the hospital and get it checked out. The nurse cleaned the wound with laundry detergent and told me to wait. The doctor was on Colombian time so I explored a little while I waited.





Haha, I like the wording here, Baby Weigher



The doctor checked me out, he was cool, from Venezuela actually and told me I would be fine but I needed a shot in la nalga.

The nurse told me to show her my colita and so I dropped trou and she stuck me in the ass. The walk home was long and up that dirt road I was worried I might have to fight another dog.



A little mondongo, cow stomach soup and I fell straight to sleep.



I woke up in the morning with a sore leg and ass. It felt like I had ridden a bicycle for 50 miles with one leg. The view is awesome though, even just from the dorm room. I feel like I have earned this, the view I mean, and now that I am finally in Colombia I feel great despite the setbacks. If I had gotten bit in panama I would have been cursing the whole isthmus and praying for a big wave to wipe it off the map. But here in Colombia everything seems to be going well, and I feel welcome here, both on and off the bike.

Colombia is cool. Oh, and there are very few topes and bikes dont pay tolls. Enough said.

Stay tuned, its about to get good.

Ryan

[b0rderman]

Besides the bite, it looks like Columbia is paying off big time. I am enjoying the RR, I am 25 and itching to get to it like you have. Be safe .

[PorLaTierra]

Besides the bite, it looks like Columbia is paying off big time. I am enjoying the RR, I am 25 and itching to get to it like you have. Be safe

Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions that need answering to get you on the road. I would certainly do a few things differently, which I plan to write about down the road somewhere. To summarize the bike debate that resurfaced here in my RR:

The best bike for a trip is one that you like, one that you are comfortable with. I would also add that it does not need to be big. The perfect bike for me would be 350-500cc with a nice big gas tank.

[Clem Kevin]

Originally Posted by PorLaTierra

Colombians make the acordion really cool. I love vallenata. If you havent seen "The Winds Journeys" you must rent it immediately, its on Netflix. Its a badass movie about a cursed accordion.

Such a good movie!

[cidadebaixa]

PorLaTierra I start to follow you some days ago. Congratulations for your bravery. At Brazil you will face a lot of problems to, but without them the trip would not be a adventure. Then do not give up the idea of travel here. The roads will be the worst part. They are bad, a little dangerous, but not impossible, you will need only take care. Come you to the south, you will be welcome. Have a nice trip and sorry about my bad english.

[nomadicbear]

reel me in I'm hooked more Please!

[PorLaTierra]

I have a visitor this week. I will try to upload some photos asap. Bogota to Salento was amazing, I am really really into Colombia right now. Its so easy to ride here yet so fun and exciting at the same time. All the annoying things from Central America are mostly gone. Colombia is well signed and FULL of cool shit to see. People are cool and its been a pleasure so far.

PorLaTierra I start to follow you some days ago. Congratulations for your bravery. At Brazil you will face a lot of problems to, but without them the trip would not be a adventure. Then do not give up the idea of travel here. The roads will be the worst part. They are bad, a little dangerous, but not impossible, you will need only take care. Come you to the south, you will be welcome. Have a nice trip and sorry about my bad english.

Obrigado, eu falo portugues si voce quiser escrever.

I will let you know when I tire of Colombia, wont be any time soon. I love all the offers for hospitality though, its actually pretty amazing.

[arjones]

I've been following your thread for quite some time now and, as a Brazilian living in northeast Brasil (and have been travelling all the way south to Ushuaia last summer) I can tell you something about our roads.

They are dangerous because the amount of heavy trucks and mad drivers (but that's manageable, being careful). The main roads ARE FINE. I really didn't understand that last post of this fellow brazilian, but I can assure you, even though our roads are not like your main roads or high ways in USA or Europe, they are very good right now (both BR 101 AND BR 116, the main ones), with good tarmac and much less/almost none pot holes than we use to have sometime ago.

And if you where looking for good tarmac and service on the road side, great high-ways and stuffs, you would be better and safer staying in USA or Europe.

So, don't worry. Our problems are others and I'm sure you will be able to get some glimpses of them all.

I'm proud of our uprising economy condition, even though we have some major social-historical problems very hard to get trough in a matter of years. They will consume lots of years to be solved. Pricey and not to god gas is an issue, but you will be amazed by our hospitality, girls and the open heart that only a truly brasilian can offer you.

PM me if you need ANY information regarding the routes to get to BraSil and if you need help.

Ride safe and hard. We are waiting for you.

Best of luck.

Márcio Arjones.

[cidadebaixa]

Mr Marcio Arjones I appreciate your support to PorLaTierra trip. But about "I really did not Understand That last post of this fellow Brazilian" the explanation was already given by yourself: "They (the roads) are dangerous because the amount of heavy trucks and drivers mad." And is good remember that roads without potholes and well signposted are the exception not the rule. But I agree with you PorLaTierra can come to Brazil and have a lot of fun (with some care). We will readiness to support PorLaTierra here.

[bigbird18]

Hello how are you? I am new on this site and not even sure how to use it but I wanted to ask are you the one that posted going to Brazil? I am in new Hampshire and I just purchased a Suzuki vstrom 1000 and looking for people to ride with. Iam used to the race rocket bike. This is my 1st on/off road bike and I am very extited cause I love the out doors. Any way before I keep writing I just want to make sure I am actually writing to a person. By the way I am from Colombia south America.

[cidadebaixa]

1º) Fine
2º) I am not who posted "going to Brazil",
3º) Congratulations for your purchase, you bought a very good bike, and beside it, this bike is offered in Brazil and then its maintenance is easy here,
4º) Yes I am a person and I live in Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul, the most southern state of Brasil in the border with Uruguay and Argentina.
5º) Take care, a little, and you will arrive here with no big problems. The worst are the customs, beside of course, the not so good roads.

[makinwaves]

Bump.

Long time, no update. Hope everything is okay. Excellent ride report.