Day 79, Mile 5327: Deeper into Colombia and I’m loving it!

1 March 2017
Aguachica, Colombia

I enjoyed my ride so much today that I ended up driving over 400 miles which may be a new record.  I left Cienaga nice and early and turned back to south.  I was disappointed that I didn’t get to kiteboard the coast but I found a couple lakes in more central Colombia so I’ll try there instead.

The ride this morning started with mountains on my left and banana plantations everywhere.  I’ve never seen so many in one spot, it was really beautiful.  Every so often I would pass a small airstrip with crop dusters; I would love to see the view from the air.

As I wove more south, the tropical vibe started to fade and dry grassland took over.  I was missing the mountain views but I’m sure to hit them again soon.  I stopped in Morpoz for what turned out to be a fantastic lunch.  Apparently Morpoz was shut off from the rest of the country for a period of time due to the seasonal flooding of the surrounding rivers so driving through felt like stepping back in time.  My lunch was excellent with a steak, beer, and fresh squeezed juice, all for about 9 bucks, can’t beat that.

Initially I planned on staying in Morpoz for the night, but while the town was pretty, it really didn’t feel as special as I thought it was going to be.  Anyhow it was still before 1pm, so I decided to continue on.  I’m sure I’ll btravelling through many colonial villages so I wasn’t worried.

A little after Morpoz I actually hit dirt.  Finally I’m getting to the areas where I don’t have to take the big highways and get to see the real countryside.  I was so surprised through Mexico and Central American by how few dirt roads there were left.  I have only hit dirt once in Mexico and that’s it!  Well I got my fill today, about 100 miles of fill to be exact.

Driving on the dirt road meant I had to slow way down but I didn’t mind because there were some fantastic views.  The road followed the Magdalena river so everything was lush and green.  I was able just to relax, listen to some of my favorite music, and cruise.  I even saw my first monkey for the journey!

I stopped for the night here in Aguachica.  It really is an ugly town which mostly feels like a truck stop but for only 30.000 COP ($10 USD), I got a nice hotel that is clean and has AC but not much else.  Once again I enjoyed an amazing cheap dinner, I could totally get use to eating here.  I’m itching to get into the mountains where it’s a little cooler and quieter so I can start camping.  I’m hoping I might be able to tomorrow, we shall see.