June 24, 2022
June 24: Corozal to El Viajano
The original route given to us by Gabriel had us going into Montería, but would add roughly 30km to our ride to Medellín. We decided instead to head straight south and find a hotel somewhere along the way about 80km from Corozal. We'd also been told by a companion before coming to Colombia that Montería should be avoided. Either way, we forged our own path for the day.
The first thing on our list was to visit a bike shop, as I wanted to get my rear wheel trued to prevent my brake pad from rubbing as I pedal. I'd adjusted it as best I could but it would still rub the rotor slightly as I pedal and slowed me down. Very annoying when you're already loaded down and going slow. Frank at Bicicletas Frank was a godsend, getting my wheel true in a matter of minutes and talking up a storm while doing it. He didn't charge either, just asked for a photo. Thank you Frank!
We left Corozal by 11, basking in the cloudy weather that had lowered the temperature considerably. We were pleasantly surprised to have a bike lane to ourselves for the first 7km of riding too!
Our riding then continued to take us south, passing between farmland and small towns. Many of the towns seemed to specialize in their own artesanal crafts, including several that were hubs for beautiful handmade wooden furniture. It's always fun to see what local variations there are in handicraft. We also stopped for a delicious meal of sancocho, a creole soup with chicken, corn, plantain, lime, and broth. It really hit the spot.
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After lunch we continued to make great progress and pressed on through several smaller towns, with the scenery becoming ever more beautiful. Palm trees started to line more of the rolling hillsides, and canopies of trees covered the road. We saw signs for monkeys, anteaters, and sloths, as well as little elevated corridors for those animals to pass over the roadway. THIS is what I imagined when I thought of Colombia.
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As evening fell, we had trouble finding a hospedaje as all were booked up in town, and the next nearest one was 14km away. We started to pedal for the next town, but as we left town Brian happened to stop at a Terpel gas station and it just so happened that they had several rooms available. We gladly accepted and managed to haul our bikes up the spiral staircase to the second story. Not what I'd anticipated for the night, but certainly grateful for a place to stay!
We ended our day with a plate of seared pork and plantain in town before walking back to our room. On our way back we got caught up in conversation with some local high schoolers hanging out in their front yard. It was great to connect with some of the locals to hear what life is like in this rural part of Colombia. Part way through our conversation a distant relative of theirs pulled up on motorcycle and joined in. I learned after the fact that he is a local drug dealer, which would explain the odd questions he peppered me with as Brian continued chatting with the high schoolers. It was stark to see the difference in conversations and dispositions. On one side, two seniors in high school looking forward to graduating and aspiring to be engineers, and on the other an 18 year old selling drugs. Poverty here has been stark, very similar to what I had seen when living in rural Mexico, with many houses made of mud and sticks and without power. There isn't much opportunity here besides small-scale agriculture and little local businesses and tiendas. To hear the hope in the high schoolers' voices was exciting, and I hope they can do whatever possible to attain their dreams.
Today was a perfect summary for life when on the road: sleeping in a has station hotel room and chatting it up with the local dealer, all in rural Colombia. Let's see what tomorrow brings!
Today's ride: 99 km (61 miles)
Total: 445 km (276 miles)
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