My batteries had been dead since yesterday afternoon and I could not take pictures of the truck full of indigenous and the bull on the floor or of the sunset with the witnesses of Jehovah. I needed to recharge the battery and asked at the minimarket opposite our hut for a plug. Cabo de la Vela received electricity from a generator at the end of the village and this generator only and the policy of the village was to turn the electricity on from 15:00 hours to 22:00 hours every day.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.

I was condemned to wait; I had a Colombian potato and an Avena drink at a snack stand and had a chat with the witnesses of Jehovah at their hotel. I was hoping that they would go back today and would take me. Hitchhiking is a gamble anyway but up here in the desert, in the middle of nowhere, at the end of the continent it is almost impossible, maybe 10 to 20 cars leave Cabo de la Vela per day with basically all of them being commercial.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.

The silence was disturbed by the noise of a small generator in front of one of the clay huts close to the hotel and I asked the little boy in front of the entrance to please recharge my battery. He asked for money like all the indigenous here in the village did; for all kinds of services or favors, for everything. There were strange and sad vibrations in this indigenous village of Cabo de la Vela and so I wanted to take some pictures of the beautiful beaches and leave again.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.

The nature, the cape was spectacular, the sea calm and with the typical colors of turquoise and blue and as contrast the desert with the typical colors of crème and brown. I needed the camera to work just 1 hour and asked the little boy for my battery. He asked for money again, I took the battery and I gave him a very friendly smile and we had an agreement.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.

I walked back to our hut and had conversation with my hitchhiking colleagues and hammock neighbors, Juan from Chile and Ana from Colombia. They definitely wanted to stay for a couple of days, try to sell some of their art to the tourists and enjoy the silence and the extremely beautiful beaches. I walked one more time to the witnesses of Jehovah but I did not feel the good vibrations from yesterday. I did not really want to ask again, they pretty much knew my interest but they did not reply again. I walked to the end of the village and tried to locate the best place to wait for just 1 of the few cars to take me back to civilization. Behind every hut was a way out of town, all tracks led to the desert and that was the way out of Cabo de la Vela.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.

I waited for an hour, some 10 cars had left the village and to my surprise an off road, a tour operator with 5 tourists stopped and opened the trunk, moved one of the backpacks and offered me the corner. We did not drive the same way I had come yesterday; we took the scenic tourist route through the desert. The driver was an indigenous guide and familiar with the area and drove at a speed of 100 km/h all the way to the village of Uribia. Like yesterday the village of Uribia was the place for me to get off the car. I had a drink and positioned myself again.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.

Father and son in a Ford Pickup with Venezuelan license plates decided to take me to the crossroads “Quatro Vias” and from here a Colombian Major and his Lieutenant took me all the way back to Riohacha. It was just 15:00 hours and I wanted to push my luck and try to reach Santa Marta, but as much as I pushed my luck the sunset was the definite signal for me to accept that today I would not go any further. I walked first to the airport; the last flight had left and the doors were closed and so I decided for the general hospital again, back to my secure place next to door to the room for the emergency driver on night shift. He looked at me, I looked at him, our eyes met and we had an agreement for the night again.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.

For a small understanding of the days travel, I have included a Google Earth map. The red pins mark the locations I have stopped and taken pictures. At the bottom of the page you will find a link for all the pictures I have taken. The link will open in a Google+ Album.

Please click on map to enlarge!!!

See map and distances / Siehe Karte und Entfernungen / Ver mapa e distâncias / Ver mapa y distancias

0 km      Cabo de la Vela

70 km    Uribia

110 km  Yutaho

165 km  Riohacha

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.