Cycling The Globe

A Cycle Touring Expedition Around The World

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Day 1626, Sahagun – San Onofre: When the Going Gets Tough

Posted by Thomas Andersen Posted on Mar - 29 - 2015

Distance: 110.28 km
Ride time: 5:41:28
Average: 19.37 km/h
Max speed: 51.68 km/h
Total: 34084 km

The days are getting more and more monotonous out here on the flat pampas towards Cartagena. It was one of these days where it was all about reaching the 100 km mark and finding a place to sleep rather than enjoying the ride and taking hundreds of photos. On a long ride like this not all days can be spectacular.

The one thing that made the day stand out was when my bicycle computer ticked over 34000 km. These moments always make me happy. I looked at the map the other day and learned that I still have about ten thousand kilometers to cycle in central and north America before I reach Canada. There is only a few hundred left in south America!

The afternoon cycling was HOT and humid. I have now been down here near sea level for a couple of days but I have still not adjusted to the relentless heat. Usually things are OK as long as I cycle because you get some kind of natural ventilation. I made a couple of short stops to buy drinks, but unless the small kiosk had a fan it was too uncomfortable to stand still for too long. I would then drink my carbonated water in the shade and get back on the bike as fast as possible to get some air in the face again.

For the same reason I’m not taking a lot of photos these days…

For the night I once again ended up in very simple room in a very local village. I still find it interesting to get an idea of how life is in these rural settings, but on the other hand I’m also starting to look forward to reaching Cartagena and the civilization again. Two more days to go!

Categories: Colombia
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4 Responses so far.

  1. Jean says:

    Hey Thomas,

    I’ve been reading your entire blog in just a few weeks, ever since I found it, and it’s really inspiring! I’m planning on doing a similar (although smaller trip), cycling from the French Vosges to Istanbul this summer.

    I was wondering about two things – why are you no longer using the GPS? It was really nice to be able to see the actual route on the blog. It would be nice to see the entirety of your trip on Strava too (imagine how cool the heatmap would look!).

    And the second question – are you planning on taking a ferry to the city of Panama once you’re in Cartagena? It seems like there’s no road connecting the North of Colombia to Panama.

    Keep writing & taking lots of photos – it’s always as pleasure to read on your updates!
    Happy riding,
    Best,
    Jean

  2. Hi Jean. Thank you for the message and glad you liked the blog! I lost my GPS somewhere in New Zealand (must have put it in the grass and forgot to take it with me when I packed my tent one morning). I didn’t miss it too much because it was often running out of battery when I was camping. And yes, I will be taking the ferry from Cartagena to Panama. Looking forward to see central America!

  3. thomas says:

    Hang in there: Always a pleasure to check in, seeing what progress you have made.

    Imagine yourself still sitting here stationary in US of A: Yuck! :0

  4. Thanks Thomas – always good to remember to put the things into perspective 🙂