Observations on Colombia

After “patiently waiting” (there’s a whole world to explore in that little phrase) to get to Colombia, the arrival was wanting. The “greased” entry was antagonized by a tramitor that was not especially energetic. Anyway, here are a few of my thoughts on Colombia:
The National Police and Army are very visual. We passed through many roadblocks along our way but in justice to the authorities, we were only required to provide documentation once.
Coffee plantations in the areas we transited were very small. In fact, I was disappointed that I didn’t see Juan Valdez, but I did see his donkey’s cousins. Lots of donkeys and horses were used for local transportation as well as motorcycles.
Which brings me to my next point. Small motorcycles along the highways were like swarms of mosquitoes. They were everywhere and usually under 200 cc’s. I did see five people on a motorcycle – two adults and three children (no helmets of course). Thirty miles from the nearest town, a small motorcycle could be found racing along at top speed to keep up with traffic. I was told that the reason so many small motorcycles are used is the cost of fuel (about the stateside cost) and the tax on cars is so exorbitant that it reduces the buying population.
There is a big valley in Colombia that stretches from Medellin in the north to Popayan in the south. It’s a very fertile area that supports a lot of different crops including: Carrots, green peas, onions, cabbage and in the lower areas, sugar cane.
The roads in the area that we rode through were not always in good repair. The roads in the big valley were the best – good surfaces and good signage. The roads in the mountains were challenging. Twisting and turning, narrow lanes, pot holes and heavy truck traffic made it difficult to pass through the mountainous areas – thirty miles an hour was a good average.
And finally, the women of Colombia wear the tightest pants that I’ve ever see. One and all. Spandex is in and apparently, they all love it. The women of Colombia win the prize for the tightest pants – they cannot lose the prize, they may only be tied.