Can you believe it, Colombia has a desert! It is not very big, but due to the difference in humidity, this environment immediately becomes warmer and drier. However, the ride is fantastic! A great orange oasis of rocks with an incredible view.

When you think of Colombia, you probably think of drugs, crime and violence. Understandable if you look at the history of the country, but Colombia has changed and according to cyclists this is often their favorite country to travel through in Latin America. I will find out!

Along the way I once again have the pleasure to enjoythe great surroundings. The road between Touche and Salento is very green, beautiful and very steep. Slow but steady I drive up into first gear. When I look left and right, I'm a bit confused… I see palm trees everywhere, even on the mountains at 3500 meters altitude. Normally I associate palm trees with the beach, but that is certainly not the case here! What is going on? In one valley you don't see any palm trees at all, and in the other that's all you see! A strange change of scenery…

I continue on the road and have to get off the bike. If you're riding off-road all the time and then come across a paved road, that means it's a slope of 20% or more. Time for a challenge and see if I can ride this instead of walking!

During my break I have to get something off my chest. I've been thinking about this for some time now and I'm afraid you might not like my decision. Here it comes... It is illegal to drive through Los Nevadas National Park and much of it is inaccessible due to an active volcano. But in the coming days I will cycle through this National Park and drive directly to the forbidden section. I know it sounds crazy and a bit disrespectful, but the chances of the volcano erupting in the near future are very slim. The reason I'm telling you this is because it will give you a better idea of ​​some of the risks I'm taking, and I also hope you'll understand. Of course thanks in advance for all the support!

A few days later it is the middle of the night. Go time! Ready to sneak past the guards and hope no one sees me! The start is already rough… I'm up to my ankles in mud and hadn't expected this setback yet. The mud is so thick that my bike can stand without a kickstand. Fortunately it is not so bad later in the day and I can continue driving. I've been driving all morning and haven't met anyone yet. I am completely on my own in the National Park and enjoying this freedom to the fullest. Really amazing! This is the most wild landscape I've ever seen. I can drive this every day of my life.

At 4600 meters I reached the top. I can't get any higher than this. Fortunately I still feel very good, as it has been quite some time since I have ridden at this altitude. From now on, the real fun can begin! The road down is smooth and great to drive. Black-gravel roads are lit up by golden strips of sand. Something I've never seen before.

The next morning, just before 2 a.m., I'm back at the gate on the other side of the park. It was a great ride, but now it's time to recover for a few hours.

A few days later, I met Thomás and Luba. They cycle from Vancouver, Canada to the southernmost point of Argentina. Together with their dogs Fibi and Lolo  they are traveling and they enjoy their presence very much. Some routes we have to skip because the dogs can't come along, but at other times it's great to have them with us. The dogs have their own place in the trailer that is attached to Thomás' bicycle, but that is only for the busy roads. On the quieter roads, the dogs can of course walk by themselves. All in all a great story from this great couple. But I'm going solo again. Time to go!

A classic "Alee Denham day" today. Find the smallest, narrowest road there is and go there. The road gets narrower and narrower and I end up on a paved part. I'm sure this road will lead me to where I need to be, but it's (of course) going to take a lot longer than expected.

A few days later I'm back in town and heading for the Caribbean ocean. Fortunately, the road here is excellent and I can drive no less than 25 km/h. With a journey of 600km ahead of me, with a quick calculation, I arrive at a distance of 200 km per day that I can cover! That's a good prospect!

In closing at the ocean, I can say that this was my last day on this continent by bike. After a journey of no less than 19 months, it's over. I've ridden more than 5000 altitude meters up a mountain, been to 6 countries (including the highest climb in the world in Bolivia) where I have seen every coast.

Of course I want to thank you all for watching and experiencing my journey! The next trip will start in Panama and hopefully I can shoot even better images with my drone that I am planning to buy. Until next time!