Saddle Views - The Road to Palmira and the White City.

Before updating my activities of the last 48 hours an engaged reader of this blog enlightened me on the reason behind the difficulty in locating Juan Vadez. Evidently, he popped his clogs on January 9th this year, or at least the person on whom the Colombian coffee icon is based. The input was much appreciated and I am hoping for further illuminating correspondence, in particular related to the missing racing rodents of Bogota. Urban myth perhaps?

For Saturday's journey from Filandia to Palmira through the Valle de Cauca I popped the camera onto the helmet and collected views from the saddle. See the trip as I did, a description of each picture can be found below the video.

1. Typical countryside heading west from Filandia to Quimbaya.
2. Banana trees are commonplace in the mountains, with many roadside stands selling the fruit. The bunches are covered in blue plastic bags while on the tree (which can be seen on one of the trees). The bags protect the fruit from insects, birds and from rubbing against other parts of the tree, which causes black marks apparently. The perfect specimens must be exported, the only ones in the stores here are covered in black marks. They still taste good though.
3. Quimbaya on a busy Saturday morning.
4. Blue sky over the mountains, the first seen in five days.
5. Topes - or speed bumps, are present throughout towns when bisected by busy highways. For two-wheelers they provide a convenient place to overtake trucks and buses that slow to a crawl, a moto can zip by. Watching the locals and learning the ropes for topes; some actions would attract a ticket back home. When in Rome!
6. Rural Valle de Cauca on the Pan-American Highway. Sugar cane is the primary crop.
7. Imagine a cow tethered on the verge of the M1 in the UK, or I64 in Virginia. 
8. Maturing sugar cane.
9. Police/Military check points are common. Vehicles are picked at random; they point - you stop. I passed 4 in the space of 90 miles. Thumbs up and all is good. So far they have been directed at me or I have been ignored along with other motorcyclists. 
10. An area of tiendas along the Pan-American. They are all selling the same thing, not sure why one would be chosen over another. In this particular spot grapes and grape juice was in abundance, so they must be produced nearby, though I never saw any vineyards.
11. The Pan-American like other major highways is a toll road. Motorcyclists don't have to pay and a narrow lane is provided on the right hand side of the toll booths to pass through without waiting. Civilized I think; something for the NJ Turnpike Authority to consider!
12. Road trains hauling sugar cane are common place, most tractive units pull four trailers. This one was a record, five trailers. They are very long and caution is required to get past them, though they seem to move at a decent clip once underway. Numerous points on the highway have 'Tren de Canero' crossings between fields. They are patrolled with guards who halt traffic on the Pan-Am to allow them (and road travelers) to navigate the crossing safely.
13. Passing through a sugar cane plantation on the way to the Museo de la Cana de Azucar.
14. 15. 16. Views from the museum where exhibits dating from the late 16th century to the 20th trace the development of the sugar industry, all set in beautifully manicured gardens.

On Sunday, Feb 3rd the journey south continued through the Valle de Cauca to Popayan. It is called the White City, the pictures provide the explanation.

                             

                              

The main buildings wrap around the main square which itself is very nicely maintained. A walk over a well preserved brick bridge dating from the 1600's, once the primary route into the city, rounded out a pleasant afternoon stroll.

Tomorrow it is back into the mountains, east towards San Agustin.

All the best. 

T2