I had met the Jehovah witnesses yesterday at their stand here at the bus terminal before they went home and I met the Jehovah witnesses this morning again. They are very present, very, very proactive helping other people, whatever helping means to them. I asked for the bus to Cerritos, the village just outside Pereira, the village I wanted to position myself and try to catch a lift to Cali.

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

I had my doubts but the bus drove the direction I wanted to go, the direction I had to go, I was on the right bus and actually the bus drove even further to the next small village and I got off at the crossroads. Before I could position myself and before I could have one of the delicious pineapple slices another urban bus arrived, I jumped on and drove to Cartago.

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

Now I had the time to have an orange juice and strengthen myself for the unplanned and unexpected 5 kilometer walk along the bypass all the way to the other end of Cartago. I tried to get a lift but without success. Getting a lift on this Sunday morning was not easy; most cars passing were full with families and then a woman on her way to church even recommended hiding my camera because the area was known for assaults. I asked her for the price of the bus to the next city when an off road stopped.

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

Noah drove very slowly like some drivers do on a Sunday but Noah simply wanted to enjoy the conversation; me as well but I enjoyed even more the drive through the beautiful valley. The highway had beautiful green trees to both sides which had grown immensely and created now kind of a tunnel, kilometers of tunnel.

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

It was lunch time and Noah insisted to take me to his house and have lunch. I appreciated the invitation but was in a hurry to get the next lift but Noah insisted and I had no choice. We arrived at his house and I was welcomed by his wife and his mother. We sat down at the glass table and had a fresh maracuja juice. How did they know my favorite fruit juice? Lunch was ready and served, beef with rice and feijao and a small side salad with lemon sauce. The first complete warm meal I had since the days on the Amazon River and the Voyager V, thank you very much Noah. I said good bye to the family and Noah insisted to drive me all the way to the outskirts of his city Zarzal, thank you again very much Noah, thank you for the lift, thank you for the conversation, thank you for your hospitality and thank you for the lunch.

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

Noah had left me at the last street bumper underneath a huge tree which offered complete shade. I had the next lift with an eccentric and hectic truck driver. We stopped quickly at the gas station but then continued to Tuluá. I had made now more than half the way, it was in the afternoon and I needed a miracle to still make it to Cali. I had to walk quite a bit to get past the last house of Tuluá which was actually the shopping center but no miracle.

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

I waited for another hour but no miracle. I had to create the miracle myself; I had to buy the miracle, I took the bus for the last 92 kilometers to Cali. 10.000 Pesos for 92 kilometers was a lot of money for a poor backpacker, it was cheap though for a miracle and cheap for a 92 kilometers bus tour.

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

We arrived in Palmira and out of a sudden and very quickly passengers to Cali had to change the old, dirty, small bus with a new, clean and big air-conditioned bus. We had various stops to let the passengers get off and arrived just after sunset but still before total darkness at the bus terminal which was extremely busy. I was hungry and had a Colombian potato and another Colombian potato. I walked all 3 stories of the bus terminal to locate a plug and maybe Wifi and found the only bench with plugs right next to it on the third floor. The Wifi signal came again from the busses but was not strong enough to really open pages or upload to the site.

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      Pereira

35 km    Cartago

90 km    Zarzal

130 km  Tulua

155 km  Buga

195 km  Palmira

225 km  Cali

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