Water and Mompos

I’m now tucked away in the mountainous folds of Colombia’s beautiful Santander province, in the town of San Gil – more on the incredible dirt road riding potential around here later.

In the meantime: after my muddy toils to reach Mompos, this short post records the watery escapades to leave it…

Waterworld.

DSC_8458.jpg

Our posse of six bicycle tourers finally flee the beguiling clutches of Casa Amarilla. Leaving Mompos involved a stint of pavement riding, culminating in this bizarre, Evel Kneivel style bridge over the swirling Magdalena River.

DSC_8471.jpg

Then an outburst of rain had us slipping and sliding along muddy, tacky trails. Conditions weren't in the same league as those on my barefoot push through El Salado, but they were bad enough to undo all my industrious bicycle and clothes-cleaning efforts from just the day before...

DSC_8515.jpg

Motley motorbikes and ancient jeeps form the main mode of transport in these watery, muddy parts. The sight of half a dozen mud-splattered tourers passing through town turned many a head.

DSC_8517.jpg

Three Brits, two Dutch and a Belgian. And all their accompanying paraphernalia.

DSC_8504.jpg

Dutch boys Joost and Michael, have ridden down from Alaska.

DSC_8511.jpg

As has Russell, from Bath, UK. We have a mutual friend in common: Robin Mather, the fine framebuilder.

DSC_8639.jpg

Belgian Siska has ridden down from Los Angeles on her Koga Miyata.

DSC_8550.jpg

The Magdalena River. Heavy rain had flooded her banks, requiring a medley of boat rides to link the dirt tracks that would lead us out of this watery region.

DSC_8545.jpg

Michael's flags, from the countries crossed so far, lent our overloaded canoe something of a nomadic, vagabond vibe.

DSC_8629.jpg

Along with motorbike-riding locals, we were punted across the shorter crossings. Prices ranged from 50c to a couple of dollars, depending on distance, precariousness and bargaining abilities.

DSC_8622.jpg

We went two by two. This skinny canoe crossing was particularly dicey - at one point, Joost and I nearly flipped right in. We mulled over the consequences...

DSC_8613.jpg

No problems for local riders.

DSC_8646.jpg

A watery, surreal, inundated world.

Complete villages and ranches were flooded. We punted our way through animal pens, opening and closing gates as we went.

Cattle was being moved to higher ground, the only real traffic on the road. 
DSC_8658.jpg

Michael takes a gamble across one of the many stream crossings.

This one a little deeper than expected...

DSC_8687.jpg

After a long day of muddy riding and a succession of hop scotch boat journeys, we made it to El Banco, weaving our way through the chaos to general astonishment.

DSC_8694.jpg

There we loaded up our bikes for the final river ride, wich would lead to an intact road linking us with the main Santa Marta-Bucamaranga highway.

DSC_8710.jpg

Underwater El Banco. A scruffier version of Venice...

DSC_8711.jpg

The year's heavy rain and the resulting widespread flooding is being blamed on El Nino and climate changes. Somewhat appropriately, Joost and Michael are riding to Argentina to promote awareness of water issues across the continent.

DSC_8717.jpg

They're riding Calfees, which bike nuts will know for their incredible frames built from natural bamboo.

DSC_8720.jpg

The tubes are mitered together.

DSC_8721.jpg

Then bound by hemp.

Nifty. A bamboo spoke.

DSC_8726.jpg

Colombians are insatiably curious about visitors to their country. Everyone wants to know where you are from, and where you are headed. These three teenagers drive alongside me for a while, then pulled over to buy us a big bottle of Coke.

DSC_8748.jpg

From the juntion, it was a hot, hilly three day ride to Bucaramanga, battling a never-ending stream of diesel-belching trucks. Landslides have closed off the main thoroughfare to Bogota, so this narrow mountain road was three times as busy as normal. The change from our backcountry adventures felt sudden and stark, and not entirely welcome...

DSC_8753.jpg

Fancy a little carbon with your breakfast?

5 thoughts on “Water and Mompos

  1. Susie Moberly

    Great to get this wonderful read as well as your great images this afternoon… following a long ordeal at Immigration here in Chiang Mai… VERY muddy here after torrential rain as well but we do have the comfort of this fabulous house and not a tent… always a joy to receive your blog. Keep trucking and stay safe X

    Reply
  2. emp99

    We passed all of the other cyclists bar you along the route to Bucaramanga. I am terrified of the trucks and heavy freight on that road and I’m in a 4×4!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.