Thursday 29th May 2025 El Remolino to El Bordo
Lovely meal in the hotel restaurant last night, all a bit strange big hotel, but sure we were the only guests, they had more staff on and definitely more pets, cats and dogs, Bingo was high alert, as an animal lover he is not keen on domesticated or semi domesticated pets, they tend to bite him. Up in the mountains all we needed was Jack Nicolson looking at us with those menacing eyes and the axe over his shoulders just like “The Shining”, though it would not stop me from sleeping.

Another stunning morning as we woke up glad not to be hacked to death my good old mate Jack, bit of breakfast then a cheery wave from the ever attentive staff still outnumbering us in the morning. Really not sure where we are heading north to a place just outside the town of El Bordo, basically we just pedal north, with a few little steep climbs.

Brilliant start through the tree lined roads smelling of honeysuckle with very little traffic on the roads, enjoying the early morning tranquility, as we twist and turn through the stunning green countryside, passing cowboys on their horses tending the cattle, so cool. Going passed little villages as the immaculately dressed school kids go to school, no idea how they get their white shirts and socks so brilliantly white, maybe we should give our kit to one of their Mums to wash once in a while, both the shirts looking a bit tarnished now, not surprising after so many days on the road, not sure how many as I am not counting, to busy pedalling and trying to remember the lyrics of so many songs, the one in my head goes something like:

The tree-lined avenue
Begins to fade from view
Drowning past regrets
In tea and cigarettes
But I can’t seem to forget
When you came along
Ingenue

Mono
Helps me keep going as I day dream through the ride or probably more correctly my life.

Stopped for the first break at a small truck stop just outside Mercaderes, had the hat trick here, Colombian coffee (best so far) soft drink and an ice cream, you can tell the sun is shining, lovely little stop just watching the world go by, without a care in the world, we both know how to pedal that’s all we need to do and check that we are going in the right direction which is not as easy as you would think. We have a 20 mile section just up and down a bit but no climbing so lets enjoy it, which we certainly did. Needed the expert melon picker now (Lyle’s work in Australia) as we went through the plantations, stopped and had one on the side of the road, gorgeous, but ended up with juice all over me as usual, attracting all the insects, Bingo just said pedal faster they will not catch you then, seemed like a good idea, so off we went. Just one little steep climb up to El Bordo, and it did not disappoint lovely tree lined climb but pretty tough and not much room if two trucks had to pass, fair play they do look after us, but they also need to push on, love it when they give you a little toot if we get in the gutter as they get through, all a bit of respect.

Finally made it up the vicious climb, into the bustling town of El Bordo, it was manic, little country boy likes the mellow countryside always, made are way out of the town then stopped for lunch, just outside the town, the girls made a right fuss of us practising their English, was really funny speaking broken Spanish and English all the time not sure how we got the order correct but they did so fair play and carried on telling us their names with a massive smile so good, little kiss on the cheek as we left think it’s their custom!

Then the last little bit to the place I had sourced on the map in Quito, way back when we was on holiday, turns out it’s the Columbian version of Butlins, great we are straight in all booked in a little chalet, tab sorted at the bar what could go wrong, nothing just a few sherbets and a swim.

Also need to congratulate young Carl Moses excelling at sport again, well done for getting selected for Kent at Bowls, well done mate, credit to the village