Chapter 22: Exploding Batteries – Welcome to South America
The Vega Omega, where Vancito was crammed into one of those containers
After 3 days of bureaucracy, Vancito rides free!
While John is attempting to free Vancito, Lilly and I wander around Cartagena. Although we don’t love cities, it’s a novelty to stay in the heart of one for a few days and just walk around with no van to worry about. It’s a very touristy town, full of restaurants and hotels and tour guides, but has interesting architecture to see at every turn. John joins us for sight-seeing every evening, after his day at the port battling to find Vancito.
Massive doors with interesting handles and knockers everywhere
We walked around the walled town with John. You can walk on the top of the wall itself, dodging drinking teenagers and crumbling cannons. To one side is the Caribbean sea and the other side is the city – an interesting contrast to hear crashing waves on your left and city horns/music/chatter on your right.
After the terrifying exploding-battery-on-the-highway incident, we find a remote jungle reserve and recover for a few days. There are no other cars or people for miles except the friendly owners. We can spread all our worldly belongings outside on the ground to reorganize. There are hiking trails, a swimming hole in the river, scarlet macaws, giant Amazonian fish (Arapaimas), and a pet Titi monkey to play with. Lilly wants to stay here forever! (And, they let us plug the van into their house with a ridiculously long extension cord, erasing our concerns about living with only one battery for the first time!)
I didn’t know monkeys could be so tiny! This one squeaked like a loud mouse. They called it R2-D2.
First day of 2nd grade!
Chapter 23: Friendly Colombia
Beautiful Chicamocha canyon
John going back to his raised-on-a-farm roots, milking a goat to make cheese while camping on the farm of a friendly Colombian/English couple
Colonial town of Barichara
We hiked up to the Jesus statue above Villa de Leyva
Zipaquira is a cavernous church built 200 meters underground in a salt mine. It is still a functioning salt mine used today to provide 40% of Colombia’s salt. Can you imagine carving even just that one pillar out of a solid wall of salt? It’s gigantic!
You walk through long tunnels, further and further down with every step, passing various alcoves depicting the 14 stages of the cross (Jesus carrying his cross to his crucifixion). Eventually you get 200 meters down, and the tunnels open up into an enormous cathedral. It’s incredible!
Colombian curiosity and friendliness is never-ending. This couple walked up to us in a parking lot and knocked on the door. The man came in and started playing us songs by his band!
We can’t park anywhere in this country without people coming to talk to us. This time I decided to get a photo – 3 guys all taking video with their phones of John lowering the roof on Vancito
We camped on a hill above the town of Ibagué. We ended up spending the evening with the host family sharing food, playing guitar, talking about the stars. We couldn’t leave the next day without Lilly getting a bag of hand-me-down toys and even a new pair of shoes!
We camped in a nature preserve for a few days, and the owner Cesar insisted we hike into the mountains and stay at his cabin for a night. Here we are frying plantain chips from plantains he harvested right outside his cabin.
Dirt road detour turned out to be 3 of our best driving days! Slow, safe driving with virtually no other vehicles or people around. Incredible, expansive views from almost the entire drive. Lilly sat on my lap in the front seat with the windows down as we trundled along on the dirt listening to music and pointing out things down the hillside = my favorite kind of driving!
We camped in a little pull-out overlooking the valley, with great views and total peace and quiet. I really love wild camping – it’s like backpacking into the wilderness, except with all the creature comforts of our house on wheels and no backpack to carry – what an amazing combination. This was our breakfast, lunch, and school spot, before we finally tore ourselves away in the afternoon
The only traffic we saw was on foot or horse. Kids going to school on horseback, and a few different people walking.
That night we camped in a pine forest. John decided to do a Physics class, which first required building a lever and fulcrum, which he decided meant that Lilly should learn to swing an axe
