Cycling from Near Villa Rica to Popayan in Colombia
Riding between Villa Rica and Popayan in Colombia by bicycle, I met a very friendly family at a small restaurant, and didn't quite manage to dodge the rain!
Villa Rica to Popayan by Bicycle
Part of my Alaska to Argentina bicycle tour. Blog post entry from Colombia May 2010:
A long day of cycling over 100kms in hot conditions, but plenty of chances to refuel at friendly, family-run restaurants and snack places.
The cycle ride from Villa Rica to the city of Popayan was not without its challenges in the form of plenty of hill climbing.
I stopped off several times for drinks and food, and in one restaurant, the family who owned it was very chatty and friendly.
Fortunately, my Spanish seemed to flow a bit better today!
As the afternoon went on, the skies darkened, and it started to rain, so what perfect timing to get a puncture! And in the rear tyre again.
Schwalbe may be the tyre of choice for cycling expeditions, but I won't be using them again. The Panaracer I have on the front wheel has been puncture free since Mexico. (Actually, I do use Schwalbe tyres now still. I think I was just having a hissy fit this day!).
Related: Best Tires For Bike Touring
I managed to change the inner tube without getting too wet, although I got a nice soaking on the last 5 km as I floated into Popayan. Time for some rain gear I think!
Read more about cycling from Alaska to Argentina
Dave is a UK travel writer living in Athens since 2015. With 20 years of firsthand travel experience and over 80,000 km of bicycle touring across six continents, he's been blogging at Dave's Travel Pages since 2005. Every guide is based on places he's actually been.
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