Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
make it to Tierra del Fuego in time. My feet are a bloody mess. I feel
almost broken. God help me. I've got to get out of these boots.
So the days are getting tougher, and my body is breaking down
more. But the cheers and support from people I pass on the road spur
me on.
october 4
Much to the delight of the crew, today I started late, setting out at seven
o'clock instead of five. I needed a long recovery sleep after yesterday's
gruelling trek. The truth is, my legs ached all night, and I didn't get
much sleep. When we did start, the road led me straight up another
mountain.
I was delayed after we witnessed a motorcycle accident just out-
side the city of Medellín. The rider suffered no serious injuries, just
some cuts and bruises. I kept running and left Katie and Gustavo to tell
the police what they saw. It didn't take long, and they soon caught up.
Medellín is a large, bustling city that has been home to notori-
ous drug cartels, some of which were run by the late drug baron Pablo
Escobar, who was shot dead by police in 1993. The Colombian govern-
ment has put a halt to the activities of many of the cartels, but they
still exist, and kidnapping and murders continue to take place. We
met a colonel from the US army whose job is to work with the Colom-
bian army to flush out the drug gangs and guerrillas. Tourists are now
returning to this beautiful land, and the coffee trade is booming.
Katie adores the country and said to me that, while she has never
really considered living anywhere other than Australia, she might
make an exception for Colombia. I asked her why, and she said that
the place has such appeal: its friendly people, beautiful countryside,
colourful wildlife and sheer exotic nature. I think I know what she's
talking about.
Medellín was crazy with erratic traffic, but after 15 kilometres
of stopping and starting and ducking and weaving I made it through
and climbed another 25-kilometre mountain, accompanied by a Red
Cross and police escort. When I reached the top, my butt was burning
again. We were above the clouds; the views took my breath away. I hurt
my knees by going quickly down the mountain, but again I wanted to
make up some time.
