When I left Ibagué rather late at twenty past eight in the morning, the temperature was already at 28,5ºC. The steadily mounting street spiraled up in a marvellous landscape with splendid views into green canyons and on mountain ridges covered with palm tree plantations. Along the way simple huts with grounds of soil and sheltering large families. When passing by, after a moment of amazement, many of the farmers watching the traffic laughed brightly and cheered me with raised thumbs. At times, motor cyclists accompanied me for a while asking for my plans and whishing all the best. Nevertheless, at noon I decided not to continue further in the suffocating heat and after a meal in a restaurant along the street where I was the main attraction for passing bus passengers I found accomodation in the beautifully situated pueblo of Cajamarca.
The next sunrise saw me climbing steadily upwards to the pass of Alto de la Linea at 3288m. The palm trees gave way to green meadows covered more and more by thick clouds. At the peak rain and 11ºC – I enjoyed the hot coffee for breakfast. The fast descent down to Calarcá again was pure pleasure.
After a good rest in this nice town, I completed riding through a lovely milde landscape in the afternoon the 137km to Pereira where in the falling darkness I was warmly welcomed by Nancy Estella, her husband Alex and his mother Norris. We passed the evening eating delicious arepas at the street stand of her sister Lijia. What a delight to see all of them again!
It was the first day of my marvellous and dearly caring stay with this family in Pereira.
