VENTURING SOUTH on DRZ's

It was very surreal. Thanks for the support dude

Yes, it is the pirate that I speak of. Hear about her form Bryce....Apparently I missed out.

Went and walked my usual route around El Poblado to get coffee and breakfast and swing through the grocery store for some fruit. On my way up Calle 10A with all the motorcycle shops I spotted a Barber above the Kawasaki dealer that was open. Thank Goodness!! I haven’t had a haircut in 3 months and it was really getting to me. It was on my list as first order of business in Medellin but everything has been closed. Here is my barber. All I said was cut it short….because that’s all I knew how to say. And for $7 I got a damn good haircut.



Then we did the typical room swap. Move our shit out, wait for check in, etc…. Tonight we stay in a dorm for the first time.

Then Al and I decided to jump on the bikes and head to Gautepe to check out a big rock. Straight out of El Poblado you hit the twisties to scale the mountains that we have been nestled between. A nice viewpoint of the town is quickly reached:





A local this morning told us how this used to be a favorite road of the FARC and how they would frequently stop buses and escort the Gringos off for a hot case of kidnapping. It has since been cleaned up. Not much to say, just a really beautiful place to be riding.

Local grub in the mountains: Rice, Beans, Sausage, Plantain, Salad, Avocado







These folks were taking alook at a pickup that just careened off the edge:











The rock is indeed large. There are 753 steps to climb to the top. I opted out and Al went for it. The view was already pretty good from where I was, it wasn’t cheap to get a ticket, my toe still hurts from the rock incident in Cartagena, and I’m wearing Motocross boots….so give me a break. I did sit and drink a beer while I gawked at all the lovely silicone trying to jump from the shirts of beautiful local tourists…..I believe I chose wisely.













Back in the saddle we jettisoned home but not before getting stopped by a group of cops. They just wanted paperwork but after talking for a bit we started joking around. They thought we were nuts for riding from the states to come down here. Then they started calling each other pussies and faggots and one asked Al to fight the “pussy”. “No sir he has a gun”. “Don’t worry he’s a big pussy”. Yeahhhhhhhh, so it’s time to get my paperwork back and I’m getting out of here before this gets any weirder.





At the hostel we met some German & English folks and headed for the Shamrock for food and drinks. While there we forced John out of his room to tell us stories of his travels.

Then off to the clubs. Dancing is definitely not my scene but heavy peer pressure and too much alcohol and I become willing to shake a leg. Alex watched the sunrise…..I didn’t make it quite that long.

I’m never drinking again! Moved out of the dorm and into the hallway and a few hours later into a new room that is now back downstairs. Nothing is going to happen today.

Except an awesome dinner of tortillas, beans, salsa verde, and jalapenos.....that were carried here from Costa Rica.

A real nice time in Medellin that only happens on Thursdays or the weekends IIRC is a trip to the Tres Cordilleras Micro Brewery tour, have it in English too, it's a good all around party with great scenery Makes for a pretty reasonable beer drinking night, take the wristband and exchange it for another free beer at one of their vendors after the tour and your regular tickets run out.

Here's the guy that runs the place, you can get some neat swag for the bike.
Andreas or something like, good guy:

man thats a cool picture. .. oh and beer is good too, so are bikes on boats.. for some reason?

Would have been better photo if he wasn't such a pussy and humped his ass up to the top











































One of the neatest areas of Colombia imho

oh ha!
did he pay someone to walk to the top with his camera and take the picture for him. i just looked at the pictures. i cant read im illiterate

I just giving him hell for not climbing the many steps, its a haul especially with a busted up foot in moto boots
Very scenic area, you are already pretty high at the parking area before you even climb to the top for the higher views

Was hoping for some shots of the silicone...
Sounds like you guys are having a great time!

woot! caught up to real time, great RR! thanks for all the cool pics & stories. sub scribed.

Thanks for another great tip. It's Thursday afternoon and we're headed to the brewery in a few hours.

I've got a whole week to try and appease your appetite. I'll do my best

Glad to have another reader. Thanks!!

Got up and today was no different. Switch rooms again. Move our stuff into the hallway and wait…..I peak inside room #7 (where we are to stay) and there is only 1 bed. Now I’m pissed. I’ve stayed at this hostel moving all over the place so they know good and well it is the both of us so why did they sell us this room. It is also expensive. We don’t have a problem with one bed and sleeping on the floor and all that good stuff but not for this price. Screw this I’m going camping!



Al wants to do laundry so he picks up a dorm room and I hit the road. I drive about 3 hours to Rio Claro where there is supposed to be some marbled faced river and caves, etc…. I get there and it is only 1400 ft elevation and too hot for me. Fine I’ll stomach it….how much? Twelve bucks for a crappy little piece of grass with no view. I don’t think so. Besides, I’m in this for the ride and it was a nice couple hours of twisty mountain roads and crazy traffic. I’ll take another dose please!

This guy sucked at corners:

















This was a cool waterfall that probably stretched about 200 meters down the rocky face of the mountain.





I drive half way back and roll into Guatepe (place with the big rock) around 5:30 where I heard there was camping to be had. Through town and into backcountry and didn’t see anything and the sun was just about gone so I turned back. Landed at the “Lake View” hostel where I found a Californian and an English man that owned the place and were happy to let me camp in the backyard for $5. They also gave me keys and a towel for a hot shower whenever I pleased. Beers are in a fridge and on the honor system. Just put tallys next to your name as you pop each cap……where were you before Lake View Hostel??





I crashed out in my birthday suit pretty early but was startled awake by fierce thunder and white flashed that lit up the whole interior of my tent. The rain was pounding down but after an hour or so I finally caught some Z’s.

Up early I was going for some offroad that Throttlemeister pointed out to me. First made some hearty oatmeal….wish they knew what brown sugar was.
Quickly dropped through some scenic mountains from 6500 ft. down to 3K.

A wet morning:

























I love highways with dirt gaps. Squeeze the knees and open it up.



And overgrown roads with rocky/dirt go-arounds:







Then in San Carlos I stopped at a Tienda for some lunch. I ask for a can of Frijoles (beans) and a can of Salchicha (sausage) and the old fart tells me 5 mil. Okay, that seems steep but whatever. Handed him a 5 mil note and then he says 6 mil. I ask how much for each. “3 mil for frijoles, 3 mil for salchicha”. “okay I don’t want the salchicha anymore I’ll take the frijoles”. Okay, hand him my 5 mil note and he gives me back 1.5mil. I don’t know a lot of Spanish but I’ve got the numbers down pat. I snatch the 5 mil note out of his hand and tell him to keep is shitty beans. Off to the next store I get yogurt and granola for 2 mil. HA!!! Take that sausage man.

Then head up into the hills to take a peak at the Los Cascadas.















Back on the road the highway quickly turns to gravel/dirt with washed out sections to eek through. This is really beautiful country and probably only about 6 cars on the ride for the whole 60 km of dirt….and like 10 horses. All the military boys give me the thumbs up and I’m glad to have them around.
Fantastic day of riding and saving some coin.

Hope you guys found out if it was open, my memory is going bad. Drink one for me

Sent you another pm with a master route out of Medellin down towards Manizales that I know you'll like once you finally get out of town.

Party on

Looks like you and Valentina like the same picture spots

Your's:


Her's when I took her on a little over night loop around Medellin:


I think RtwPaul took the same shot too

Me too, great stuff so far.

I was having a great time reliving my first days south of the border, until I read about your run-in with that truck and my heart just about stopped! So glad to hear that everything is still on-track and unbroken. I wasn't quite so lucky, just ask Ulyses and JDowns.

When you guys get back through Portland, hit me up and the first round's on me.

ahah yeah Medellin is not known for having the hottest women in the world for nothing
Good to know you went to parque lleras, I really enjoyed the different night life style of that place :)

See you went to el peno, you missed out on not getting to the top you can have a fantastic view... you even see Escobar's villa on one of the small islands around :)
Did you hear the "story" about el peno why there is "GI" written there? So Guatape's habitant wanted to write the name on the city on the rock to officialize that the rocks belongs to the city and not the other nearby, but it was so dangerous to write it and so many people died doing so, they abandoned leaving the G and the not finished U. Now the rock is supposed to be haunted by the dead guys