July 11, 2022
July 11: Toche to Ibagué
A light rain was falling when we awoke at 6:30, so we chose to have a slow start to our morning in the hopes it would dissipate. While waiting, we got breakfast at the corner restaurant that we had dined at the previous night. We also spoke with our hotel owner about Ibagué, our intended destination. We had heard mixed things regarding safety in the town, so we thought we'd get more local knowledge. He said it is a fine city, and just advised us to be cautious when exiting the small tunnels on the west end of town.
The rain finally cleared up by 10 and we hit the deteriorated dirt road out of town. There was an immediate climb that brought us out of Toche and further into these already remote mountains. The road climbed and dove a number of time, each time bringing with it a small water crossing at the base before ascending again. Our first hour and a half was spent that way, until we came to Aguas Termales El Machín. Now, if you know me, you know that I am a fan of a good hot spring. I did the Idaho Hot Springs Mountain Bike Route several years ago and loved it, so to have a hot spring on this chilly morning was a treat. It was delightfully rustic, and we soaked with a kind family from Ibagué. Their young son practiced his English with us, which his parents were quite proud to see.
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
We soaked for about an hour before drying off and hitting the road yet again. Because of our later start and time spent soaking, we needed to push to get to Ibagué before dark. The route descended some from the springs before climbing again. We stopped at a small town to grab some snacks and were caught up in an enormous downpour that set us back another 30 minutes. Still though, once the rains cleared the sky was absolutely breathtaking and the road quiet, albeit very muddy. I had to laugh, as we each seemed to say some variation of "wow" or "that's incredible" more times today than on any previous day. The vistas were just that special.
| Heart | 2 | Comment | 0 | Link |
We eventually topped out for the day amongst the clouds and then began our long, jarring, muddy descent out of the mountains and towards Ibagué. The road we were on crossed many more washouts, and you could see evidence along the hillsides of previous landslides. There is so much water falling through this region that the terrain must become overly-saturated at times and fail. Many of the crossings had precipitous dropoffs, which we did our best to avoid looking down.
Daylight was waning when we passed through two long, wet tunnels into the outskirts of Ibagué. We wanted to find a room before dark, and luckily we did after only a few minutes of urban riding. We rode around a curved entrance and spoke to the receptionist, who kindly asked us how many hours we wanted the room. And then it hit me: this was one of the infamous Latin American "love hotels." The location on the outskirts of town, the hourly rates, the hidden entrance, the garage at every room to conceal your car. This place was clearly meant for amorous interludes and not three smelly, muddy cyclists. Still, they cut us a good deal and we had space aplenty to store our bikes so we jumped on it. We were shown our room which had a jacuzzi tub, further cementing this place as an amorous roadside pitstop. Perhaps I'll sleep in my sleeping bag tonight...
| Heart | 2 | Comment | 0 | Link |
I love just how unexpected things can end up. Here I am, blogging from the bed of a love hotel in Ibagué, Colombia, with two people I've only come to know over the last month. Just a few minutes ago I was covered in mud, sweat, and cow shit, having just flown down a mountainside from a remote town far up in the Andes. Life is a wonderful, if a tad absurd, thing indeed.
Today's ride: 57 km (35 miles)
Total: 1,291 km (802 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 5 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |