{"id":8026,"date":"2024-09-02T00:42:27","date_gmt":"2024-09-01T22:42:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.streetpepper.de\/worldtravel\/?p=8026"},"modified":"2024-09-11T22:59:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T20:59:19","slug":"route-planning-and-the-rio-magdalena","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.streetpepper.de\/worldtravel\/2024\/09\/02\/route-planning-and-the-rio-magdalena\/","title":{"rendered":"Route planning and the Rio Magdalena"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We use Komoot to plan our routes. There are of course many other tools, but this works for us. It’s enough to find out the length of the route, the condition of the road (asphalt, road surface, loose surface), the type of road (main road, side road, path, cycle path) and the altitude when planning the daily mileage. This works better in some countries and worse in others. But it’s enough for a rough overview. If necessary, we check Google Maps again to see what the road quality is like using the satellite function. We also consider whether there are at least small towns to stock up on food and water. And last but not least, I scour the various travel communities for places where there may have been an increase in robberies in the last 1-2 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All of this has resulted in a route for us here in Colombia, which we adjust slightly every day if necessary. According to our route plan, we will stay on the Rio Magdalena for quite a while.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Colombia, 80% of the population live around the 1600 km long Rio Magdalena. Every country is defined by its borders, both natural and artificial. What the Mississippi is to the USA, the Rhine to the Germans, the Magdalena River is to the Colombians. It runs from the southwest through almost the entire Colombian Andes to finally flow into the Caribbean Sea near Barranquilla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The towns that line its banks like urban pearls give the brown water its real shine. They exude a dusty charm because the signs of time make them look like mothballed antique furniture in an abandoned building. They seem to be just waiting for new life to be breathed into them again. We are on our way :-).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ruta del Sol runs through the valley. Something like a highway, 4 lanes, with a hard shoulder. We hope to make good progress on it. Every now and then we want to cross the river by ferry. Sometimes Kommod doesn’t know this. We also take this into account in our considerations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again and again I read about disappointed users of route planners and of course it doesn’t work 100%. I wonder how we traveled 15 years ago without smartphones and digital route planners :-).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first few days are pretty lonely on the route, but the closer we get to the cities of Bogota and Medellin, the more crowded it gets. The trucks are huge and every now and then the road becomes two lanes wide and the hard shoulder narrow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the hours when we think about alternatives again, but sometimes we just have to persevere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sandy tracks are only of limited use to us. Our equipment suffers and we only make slower progress. We can do that, but we don’t want to. Yes, we sometimes like to stay in beautiful places or areas, but our trip involves us \u201cdriving\u201d around the world and that means, above all, making progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But with all the tour planning, things turn out differently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right at the start in Neiva we decide to take the road on the other side of the river, we want to go into the Tatacoa Desert. As if we hadn’t already had enough desert!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s getting hot, once again over 40 degrees. Another one of those things where we ask ourselves why we are doing this to ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If we get a fresh orange juice in this situation, it is guaranteed to be the best oranges in the world!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We set up our tent at a small campsite and sit around, waiting for the heat to subside. Then it does, and in the evening and the next morning we discover that it’s not just a desert. Not unique, but I hadn’t thought of Colombia as such a \u201cdesert\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It’s actually quite green for a desert and somehow not really desert-like, but still pretty dry. A mixture of Capadocia, the Grand Canyon in miniature, the white rocks on the Sinai, or the colorful rocks in Jordan. So nothing new and yet always impressive what our earth can do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When the sea disappeared and the two mountain ranges formed, the Tatacoa Desert was created in between. Very high average temperatures and the double rain shadow of the two mountain ranges led to the formation of this dry area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Not that I’ve ever been a fan of cacti, but they are beautiful in the wild. Anyway, I can’t stop photographing them. I think I’ve snapped them all :-).<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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