TODAY I CLOCKED UP 15,000 KM IN MY 45KM RUN FROM SUPIA TO ANSERMA.

15,000KM RUN! HERES TO THE NEXT 5,000!

MY 15th AND MOST DIFFICULT 1,000KM IS DEDICATED TO MY NEPHEW AND GODSON MARK SALMON, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK!

I JUST HAD A LOVELY NIGHT CELEBRATING WITH A RUNNING FRIEND PAUL MAHON AND HIS GIRLFRIEND HILARY FROM IRELAND. THANKS FOR TREATING ME TO DINNER FOLLOWED BY A DELICIOUS ICE CREAM AND TAKING CARE OF MY HOTEL BILL!

WE ARE STAYING IN A LOVELY HOTEL IN SUPIA CALLED HOTEL PREMIUM BISS.

THE PLAN TOMORROW IS THAT HILARY WILL TAKE THE BAGS ON TO LA VIRGINIA, ABOUT 90 KM AWAY, WHILE PAUL AND I WILL RETURN TO WHERE I FINISHED TODAY IN ANSERMA. PAUL WILL RUN WITH ME AND WHEN HILARY FINDS A PLACE IN LA VIRGINIA SHE WILL RETURN TO RUN THE REST OF THE WAY TO LA VIRGINIA WITH US. IT’S GREAT TO HAVE SOMEONE TO RUN WITH AGAIN THANKS FOR YOUR GREAT HELP GUYS

She wore a red baseball cap, a white shirt, black silk pants, white casual tennis shoes, aged about seventy. Her clothes were spotless. I couldn’t help wondering why she was washing another load. She lived a one hour hike up a mountain trail in a small proud house. I had stopped for directions. She pointed me over a mountain to the south-east. I hadn’t eaten anything in 24 hours and offered to pay for a meal. She cooked me a large plate of rice, a fried egg, 3 potatoes and small chunks of fish. Her name was Martha and very camera shy. A pity,  I told her this memory will be etched permanently into my memory bank as one of my most memorable experiences of the run.
Que pasa? What are you doing here? She asked me.
As I ate my delicious meal I told her…
Well Martha I left Ireland 15 months ago and have run almost 15,000km in my quest to run around the world. I want this to be as continuous a run as possible around the world. Yesterday was the first time I came to a standstill when the authorities wouldn’t let me run through the tunnel from km 40 that leads to San Cristobal. The tunnel is 4.5 kilometers long, one lane each way and even though there is a pedestrian path I was not allowed to run on it. A man called Oscar who lived for six years in Belgium stopped and got out to help me persuade the toll booth attendants, but to no avail.

OSCAR

 I knew that near the tunnel entrance there was a 4-wheel drive road to San Antonio and if I could make it there I would knock about a half day off the run and also avoid the large city of Medellin and most important of all make it through the tunnel. Oscar offered to give me a lift through the tunnel but I refused. This time I will try going cross-country. It may not always be possible to do this in the future, say if its a sheer cliff, I am refused permission or deep snow but any of these is a get out with my mission statement, but just like Mexico and the so called dangers I had heard so much about, I at least want to give it a shot.
I had estimated the distance to be between 12 and 15km. Three hours taking it handy, I figured. There were no shops here, just a restaurant and as I had already eaten a large breakfast and had a mid morning bowl of bean soup I just decided to go for it.
The road started off on decent tarmac up a very steep windy hill. Two young school girls were walking up it almost as fast as I was running up it with my pack on my back and my red satchel across my chest.

After about 20 minutes I came to a few houses with some youths hanging about, I was feeling a bit vulnerable, it’s different on the road, here there were not many people about and a shout for help would not be heard. All it would take would be a phone call ahead to an accomplice and I could be ambushed. One of the men seemed friendly enough but I didn’t want to hang about too much. In English he said something which seemed strange at the time but I was to hear his words over and over in my mind later.
” I hope you brought your lunch with you? ”
In fact I did not even have as much as a Smartie with me.
I came to a school and turned left to follow the road which gradually deteriorated into first a single lane and then totally impassable due to rock slides. I ran on as the track gradually became a hiking trail over the mountains.

 I was a bit surprised by this but just kept running on.
After a while a brown terrier came across a field and started barking at me. I figured there must be people about. Right enough just as I turned the next bend there was a black dog and two ugly, toothless campesinos walking their burro down the trail. They greeted me in the usual friendly but knowing every campesino worth his salt carries a machete. I don’t carry any weapons as the first rule in carrying a weapon is you got to be prepared to use it and be sure it is not used against you. All very well saying take someone out with a weapon, then you go to prison! I prefer to take my chances and use my senses and hopefully better judgement.
As I was running towards them one of the campesinos was to my left and in the long grass off the trail. The burro was blocking the trail standing at right angles to it. The other campesino was standing towards the head of the animal and towards his friend. He invited me to step around the burro and between the two men. No way was I going to do that, but pretended I was and then just feigned my move around the back of the burro who got a bit startled. I moved on up the trail swiftly as they waved me a good afternoon. I am sure they were friendly, but this is not the time for photo taking and chatting, plenty of time for that another day.
I passed a couple of abandoned houses and cow sheds. I passed through about ten gates with bared-wire loop closures.

FOR SOME STRANGE REASON I MARKED SOME OF THE GATES PLACING STICKS TO THE SIDE

 For some strange reason I decided to mark some of them by placing sticks to the side and also sticking small branches into the barbed-wire section of the gate. I ran over about 5 or 6 streams of which two had waterfalls.

 Then at half past four I came to a 3 room building which appeared to be abandoned. It was tempting to stay the night, at this stage I was starting to get worried that something was a miss. I ran on and on and at about six pm I came to a shed, though grubby had cover for the night. There was signs of daily usage, perhaps a worker. I don’t know what I expected to find but with half an hour of daylight left I ran on and left that shelter.

 Fifteen minutes later, my worst nightmare, the trail ran out. It ran right up to a river bank and ended at some dense shrubbery. This area is not traversed much, perhaps the locals know the area well and clear out the trail with their machetes, to me it was a stone wall. I climbed down off the bank and figured I would find my way back to the trail easily as this part of the river has a lot of fallen rocks and trees in it.

The river was fairly shallow, so I criss-crossed it about four times looking for the trail. I couldn’t find it. I then decided it was time to settle down for the night. I didn’t have a sleeping bag, instead I had my bivy sack. For those that don’t know a bivy sack is like a sleeping bag cover but made from waterproof material, a kind of a light weight sleeping bag tent but without the warmth of a bag. It’s ideal for warm nights, in reality one can sleep in the rain and snow in this and stay dry, but condensation is another matter! Mine has mosquito netting with a pull over flap at the head.
I settled down to sleep around seven pm under a tree close to the river. Fire flies lit up the forest, fooling me every time as I thought they were car lights in the distance, silly me, I got to get over that mountain first before I can hope to see anything. I wondered if I was lost. I was worried about no food, by morning it will be 18 hours since I last ate. There is no fruit on the trees, not a sausage!

 Suppose I run on and get terribly lost for another day, it might be too late to go back. At least I know the way I came and marked the gates just for my reassurance.
I decided I would run on. I worried about my folks back home, they would have noticed I left the road and was running cross country and not knowing why. Would they see the tunnel on the Spot map and guess?
I don’t mind admitting I was very worried. Should I go on, perhaps I am close to the road. The maps here are crap, Latinos will never win any awards for mapping, that’s for sure. I said a few rare prayers that night. I reckon I only slept for about two half hour naps. I really needed a good nights sleep, with no food I need to sleep the night away and besides I need my energy for the next day.
During the night I decided that in the morning I would have a quick look for the trail and if I couldn’t find it I would return the way I had come, I had ‘ lost my bottle. ‘
It was a very cold night. In the middle of the night I put my spare running tights over my head and around my chest as I had lost my hat. I pulled on my light-weight singlet as that was all I had got left. It rained heavily and except for some condensation I was dry, dry but very worried.

Martha’s cell phone rang a few times. I ate slowly and enjoyed the meal so much while she talked. I figured that even with one meal like this every day I could survive a long time out here.
She told me her husband was out working in the fields and they lived here on top of the mountain for over ten years.
Then I told Martha when I awoke that morning I had a fruitless look for the trail. I decided to return the way I had come and go back to the road. I was not expecting this and as a result was not fully prepared.
It took me several hours to get back to the road running through the overgrown trails, no worries about snakes now, I don’t have much option, just keep on going.

It was always a relief to find one of the gates I marked yesterday. There were cows all over the trail and I guess that’s what the gates were for, to keep them in a particular pasture.
The trail gradually became better till I had my 4-wheel track and then the road back, what a relief, and I didn’t even mind the cars and motorbikes honking at me, what a magical sound!
I ran by the school, I could hear the kids in class.

THE SCHOOL

 It was around noon, here things get slack around lunchtime. I was thinking that perhaps I may be able to sneak through the tunnel.
As I approached the road there was a restaurant at the tunnel entrance but if I was to hang about I might miss my opportunity to sneak through. I told Martha, even though it was almost 24 hours since I last ate, that I was not particularly hungry.
My plan to sneak through was going well. I slipped by two cops who didn’t notice me as they were busy giving a ticket to a trucker. The toll booth attendants unlike yesterday didn’t seem to notice me. On up to the entrance to the tunnel and I got stopped by a security guard. No way was he letting me through.
I spotted a paved path over the tunnel. The start of another trail I wondered and immediately wanted to take this
” Impossible! ” He kept on saying and then added it would take all day!
He also told me there were a lot of bad people there and I would be killed or robbed. I reckoned he just wanted to be rid of me.
I stopped a cop car that was about to drive through. He reversed back out. The cops told me I could not run on the pedestrian path, I wondered what it was for then, perhaps he was afraid of ‘ rubber-necking’ and as a result vehicles crashing. I don’t think he cared about my mission, nor did the crazy gummy guard as he kept shouting ” Impossible! ”
Impossible is my favourite motivator!
All along both he and the cops tried to no avail to get me into the cop car.
” No! Cien percent a pied. ” 100 percent on foot.
The cops told me the trail over the tunnel was safe. So off I went. It was paved for about 5 minutes and then became a trail. It was a strange sensation running over a tunnel, this of course was just like any other mountain. After another few minutes I saw two men taking a wash under a waterfall. They waved me a good day. There were a few houses along the trail also, houses on top of a road!
It was not too steep at this stage, a gradual climb. I felt I was making good progress and was more confident this time. So long as I keep heading south-east I will be alright. My only concern was to get finished in daylight hours, I don’t want another night up here, especially without eating.
I pointed the hour hand of my watch towards the sun. Half way between the hour hand and the 12 is due south, a handy compass.
After an hour that’s when I came to Martha’s house. She was very cautious at first, Till I showed her my card. After I said goodbye to Martha she pointed me over the looming mountain to the south-east. There is another house a bit further on up. Stop and ask directions she told me. I could not believe all the houses on these mountains actually have electrical connections.
On I went, running was very difficult for the footing was so unstable and uneven. At the second house the lady there was understandably suspicious of me and just confirmed I should keep on going over the mountain in a south-easterly direction.

I came to a gorge and had to climb right over it. There was a skeletal carcass, perhaps a cow, a dead runner I wondered. I looked up and saw a few buzzards.
” You are not getting me! ” I shouted at them.

CARCUS IN THE GORGE

The trails kept disappearing and then reappearing with junctions and decisions. I was not worried as I knew the general direction.
My climb over the gorge was difficult and precarious. It was a straight up climb. I had my backpack on and a satchel across my chest. I more or less just inched my way up about 100 meters of a climb, criss-crossing for the best foot and hand holds. Some of the rocks were loose and came away. I heaved my way up grabbing some roots and whatever I could find.
I came to a second gorge and had to do the same.
On I ran slipping a couple of times. Once very heavily on my right knee, twisting it slightly but thankfully all was well after a short breather. This part of the trail is probably not used, I see no sign of animal waste or footprints. To have a broken ligament up here could result in death. But I always have the emergency SOS button on my tracking device. I would push it if needed but only as a serious last resort. I don’t know what the Latino rapid response would be like! Somehow I have no faith in them, for they barely have any computers to find my location. Almost all of the police stations I stayed in in Central America had no computers or even phones. Just radios and the officers having to use their own mobile phones. All typing I saw was done on the old-fashioned manual typewriters.
I ran on went over another couple of mountain peaks till I came to the top where several electrical pylons were located. From this vantage point I could see two houses and what looked like the outline of a road between them. It was about another half hour away. I pushed on without renewed excitement. If there is a road there, It has to go somewhere!
I got to the gravel road and turned right, hiking it as fast as I could down hill. I could not move very fast now as my tired and battered joints just didn’t allow for a fast downhill run.
There were several houses here and two people told me the road only led back up the mountain again!
Nevertheless I ran on. I rounded a bend and saw the glorious sight of a large town!

IT MUST BE SAN CRISTOBAL!

 That must be San Cristobal… I was so thrilled I could hardly hold my excitement.
If I run across the fields and with three hours of daylight I will make it without the fear of another food less, cold night up here…

But which path to take down. As luck would have it I came to a farm and asked the farmer if I could head down the mountain through his land. He pointed to a trail which gradually became a battered paved trail. Ten minutes he optimistically told me. Well half an hour later I was running into San Cristobal. The tunnel exit was 500 meters to my left. I had made it across!

I MADE IT ACROSS THE TUNNEL WITH 500 METERS TO SPARE.

Had I not found that trail at the farm it would have been easily two hours as the terrain was tough, ankle twisting stuff.

Once in San Cristobal I went about looking for a place to stay and to my amazement for such a large town there were no hotels, that’s a first for such a large town.
I went to the police station and asked there but after a runaround for over half an hour I was told it was not permitted and would I not run on into ‘ town. ‘
Town I soon discovered was the city of Medellin and not the center of San Cristobal, as I was led to believe. On I went, It started raining heavily just as I reached the last few buildings of the town out on the highway. I went into a restaurant and had a delicious steak dinner. After a while I asked the owner if I could sleep there once he closed at nine o’clock.
No problem I was told. There was an old lady that kept moving my things around from one table to another, she was about eighty and had incredible energy, so much so that she was pestering me. I wondered if she was the owners mother and he just gave her a job to keep her happy. I just need to relax now!

THANKS FOR THE SHELTER, AND THE OLD LADY!

Eventually it was closing time and I settled down at the back of the restaurant in my bivy on some cardboard. At about 2 am the old lady shouted in through the open door to see if I was ok!

Next day I made my way into Medellin, a large busy city. Infamous for Pablo Escobar’s drug cartel. DETAILS HERE 

At the height of its power, the Medellín drug cartel was smuggling 15 tons of cocaine a day, worth more than half a billion dollars, into the United States. According to Roberto, Pablo’s accountant, he and his brother’s operation spent $250 a month just purchasing rubber bands to wrap the stacks of cash—and since they had more illegal money than they could deposit in the banks, they stored the bricks of cash in their warehouses, annually writing off 10% as “spoilage” when the rats crept in at night and nibbled on the hundred dollar bills.

 I was told that two of the football teams here were used to launder his money. Also many of the tall expensive buildings with nobody living in them now was another guise.
The tourist brochures here have made a shrine of his death place. See where Pablo (and not Escobar) lived and was killed. Fly into his secret airport. I was told that many people were holding large amounts of  dollar cash for him. And when he was eventually taken out of it, most likely by the CIA, well it was ‘ happy days ‘ for all those people holding hiis cash. The place where he met his end has been left the same as when he was blown out of it. Many of the locals have dug up the land looking for his money.
It seemed Escobar was considered somewhat of a Robin Hood as he built schools, and sports centers in the poor neighbourhoods, or barrios as they are called here.
I was told he was even elected to government till the Colombian government stepped in, enough is enough!
I stopped on the outskirts of Medellin and observed a tall, probably 30 story high rise under construction. The brickies were working out front on the entrance. One man with a hard hat on was just standing around, he was clean, probably the foreman I thought, you always know the foreman, the clean one! I looked closer and saw he had a pump-action shotgun slung across his back. The security man.

IS THIS THE FOREMAN OR THE SECURITY GUARD WITH THE PUMP ACTION SHOTGUN BEHIND HIS BACK!

Truck drivers and security seem to me to be the two biggest industries here!
I stopped at a shoemakers stall to get a couple of stitches in my running shoes for I had gotten a couple of rips on the jagged rocks. This seems to happen easier when the shoes are wet, as mine where as I had to run through several streams.
The shoemakers name was Oscar, he ran a coffee service also and gave me a free one.
1,000 pesos or 50 cents was my bill!

I made my way through Medellin to a subburb called Itagui. I need a nice soft bed tonight. Two nights sleeping on hard ground is more than I can take without an air matress. I think I am gone soft in my old age!
Then running out of Itagui that Sunday morniing was a pleasure. It seems they close one lane of the highway for a 23km stretch. Runners, walkers, skaters and cyclists have a blast without the intrusion of motorised vehicles.

IF ONLY COLOMBIAN ROADS WERE ALWAYS LIKE THIS

 It was such a joy to see so much activity, pushing the baby in jogging strollers and all with such great enthuaism. I was told this happens every Sunday and festive day. There were food stalls and even bicycle mechanics along the route. It was a slow day for me. I was shattered, especially as I headed up into the hills. I think the exersions of my tunnel escapade have taken a toll on me. I was also very late leaving as I spent too much time on the internet and Skyping. I ended up finishing early due to a heavy rain downpour. I was just 50km from la Pintera and went and sheltered at a roadside restaurant. I really should have gotten a bus to the town and commutted back, another mistake, but so long as my mistakes are minor I am not complaining.
I spent a pleasant evening listening to my music on my computer. A group of kids cam over to listen. I was a bit surprised when none of them had even heard of U2. I guess they just don’t listen to western music as they don’t understand the lyrics.

ACTUNG BABY! WHAT YOU MEAN YOU NEVER HEARD OF U2!

Next day was also another bad day, only 24. More hills but I am physically shattered running with the pack, eight straight days now. Its great when I can do it and negate the commute, but this effort is compounding. I need to start commuting again and get a break. It’s the netbook computer that’s the problemn, it’s half my weight I haul. I wonder will I just do the blog and post the pictures from internet cafes. It may not always be so convenient but running with my pack I cover less ground, even with no commute, I seem to do worse.
I wonder about all those journey runners I have heard about that run with 10 kilo packs. I am starting to not believe this. As I have said, you get away with it for a while, feeling like a horse but the effort is compounding and catches up with you. I am only carrying a little more than 4 kilos.
So I did commute a couple of days using La Pintera as base running 41km and then a 44km to Supia.
The first day I met Roger when I stopped at a place called Mirador del Pipinta a plush resort with a swiming pool. I had stopped for water and to see if they would give me a discount for the next night, not a hope.
Roger orriginally from Nottingham in the UK is 67. He spent most of his life in much of the area in Canada I ran through, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He made it big selling insurance. After a failed marriage he took a severance package from his firm and settled with a very generous pension.
Now he lives the ‘ life of Riley ‘ here in Colombia driving a really nice VW Colwagen sports car and a nice house in a gated community.

Nice car Roger!

To top it all he has a 21 year old Colombian girlfriend!
” I am under no illusions that she loves me, but I have my fun and it’s well worth putting her up in an appartment, paying her a monthly allowance and her university fees!
” I can well affford it and life is great for me, the best thing I ever did was to retire and come down here, I am the luckiest man in the world, I could have been back in Canada still argueing with the ex-wife. ”
I finished my run for the day at the resort and as Roger had nothing else to do as he said he dropped me back to La Pintera. I bought him a beer as he had rushed off leaving his wallet at the pool.
Next morning I stopped by just before I started and he stood me a nice breakfast telling me about how honest the people here are as he was immediately presented with his wallet upon his return yesterday. Over Breakfast we got talking about the ‘ two Escobars ‘ Pablo Escobar as mentioned above and the other Pablo Escobar, the unfortunate Colombiaan player that scored an own goal to eliminate Colombia from the 1994 World Cup. This ‘ mistake ‘ resulted in his execution, such was the fortune lost in gambling. Roger sent  me this information if anyone wants to check it out > The TV show that I told you about is called “The two Escobars”. I don’t know if you have the facilities to do this on your journey, but all you have to do to watch it is log on to Utube, then type in that title. I think it’s split into 7 or 8 segments. < Thanks Roger

I got an email from an ultrarunning friend of mine. Paul Mahon from Dublin just happens to be here holidaying with his girlfriend. Like all good ultra runners Paul packed his running shoes!
He said he will try to hook up with me for a run on the road, today Thursday.
Well as I type this on the bus it’s almost noon. This commute from La Pintera to where I finished yesterday in Supia is not working out due to road works delay. Yesterday when I ran by here a digger was busy clearing fallen rocks from the side of the road. They just closed the road for about three hours and counting. Obviously here there is little regard for the road user. When I was involved in road construction both in Ireland and Colorado the road user was treated with the uupmost respect with minimual delays. They just did a little clearing before moving aside to let the traffic through and then get the flaggers to open it again. As it’s coming up to their noon lunchbreak I bet they will open it for a short while!

FOUR HOURS STUCK IN TRAFFIC MEANT I DIDN'T GET TO THE START LINE TODAY, REST DAY DECLARED.

There doesn’t seem to be the same amount of respect here.
As a pedestrian here I should know, I am treated like the lowest of low! As I sit in restaurants and talk to nice truckers and bus drivers I wonder what it is that possesses them to become so bad tempered once they get behind a wheel.
Driving here in latin America is considered to be so macho, I could never understand why driving is considered so macho, seems more lazy to me!!
I hope Paul is not looking all over for me, he said he would take a bus down the road and look for me. Too bad I was too late to make the commute back here last night, that would have saved a lot of grief. It will be a short one today, if I get going at all. The commute is killing me, I have been up since 6am waiting for this bus as nobody was sure what time it left.

HI ALL. TODAY  I HAD A BAD DAY AS THE BUS I WAS COMMUTTING TO ON THE WAY TO MY FINISHING SPOT IN SUPIA LAST NIGHT. I GOT STUCK IN SOME SERIOUS ROADWORKS AND A 4 HOUR WAIT ENSUED.BY THE TIME I GOT TO SUPIA AND FED IT WAS 2.30, SO TOO LATE TO GO OUT AND RUN A SMALL DAY, NOT KNOWING WHERE I WOULD BE STAYING ETC. SO AFTER 17 DAYS ON THE ROAD, I FELT MY FIRST SOUTH AMERICAN REST DAY WAS A WISE DECISION.

I SENT A TEXT MESSAGE AND AN EMAIL TO MY FRIEND PAUL AND HIS GIRLFRIEND HILLARY AND HOPE WE CAN STILL MEET UP AND THEY DID NOT MSS ME ON THE ROAD. BY THE SOUNDS OF HIS EMAIL LAST NIGHT HE SOUNDED HE WAS RUNNING A BIT LATE WHICH IS GOOD.

I LUCKED OUT IN THE HOTEL I CHOSE! CALLED ‘ HOTEL PREMIUM BLISS ‘, IT’S CLASSY, CLEAN, FREE WI-FI, EVEN A FRIDGE, AC AND CAN YOU BELIEVE, HOT WATER IN THE SHOWER.. ALL FOR $10. LUXURY AND THE FIRST TIME SINCE SOUTHERN MEXICO I HAVE HAD HOT WATER, I JUST CANT GET USED TO THESE COLD SHOWERS. BUT HAVING SAID THAT I NOTICE ONLY IN THE LAST WEEK AS I NEAR THE EQUATOR, ABOUT 4 DEGREES AWAY THAT THE WATER IS BECOMING SLIGHTLY WARMER.

IN THE BUS TODAY I FINISHED OFF MY TUNNEL CROSSING BLOG AND SHOULD HAVE IT UP ON THE SITE SOON.

Hi All I finished with a 44km today in Supia and commuted back to la Pintada. Yesterday I ran 41km. The days are tough but its great! I hope to meet up with a great running pal from Ireland this week  Paul Mahon and his girlfriend. I need 40 km for my 15,000km as 14,960km have been run. Perhaps tomorrow, but I got a 60km (nearly 2 hours) commute back to Supia and running a marathon in these conditions is now a big ask!

I am not sure whats happening with my Spot as here its just a big black page but my sister tells me its ok in Ireland. I hope Paul can find me on the road.

Press HERE for my route for rest of my Colombia route (except last 80km to Ipales) as far as Pasto.

My friend has my bag of gear in Pasto, so Plan C as mentioned a couple of weeks ago is working out great. I also got email fromMichael G. Russell,Irish Consulate,Lima, Peru. (I hope to be there in about 3 months) to say I can mail some stuff there. I really need a contact in Puno, Peru, near Bolivian border and if anyone is belonging to say a church and has contacts that may work or if they can do some research for me please!

I have a great  contact also at the Bolivia/Argentina border but havent hit him with the mailing bag yet! If he is reading this he may get the hint!!

As mentioned my PLAN C  is to carry this bag over borders and mail to my contacts roughly 1,000km away within their own country this should be fast and easier as no messing with customs etc.

Anyway these are my thoughts now

Thanks so much to Fergus Desmond a great Shamrock Rovers fan www.shamrockrovers.ie  in Dublin for his very generous donation to my expenses fund! The next couple of days on the road have been made very comfortable thanks to Fergus
 

Anyone that wants to sponsor a meal/hotel night I got my bank account and Paypal details on this page to the right. I will mention you in this blog!

Sorry I gotta rush.

Talk soon, Tony

I ran about four really routine days where I have not much to report and wondered how I could make then interesting reading in the blog!

TELL ME SOMETHING INTERESTING BUDDY!

Running out of Dabeiba last Sunday morning I was stopped by a lady who was probably in her eighties. She was outside her house sweeping the road. I greeted her with. ” It’s so kind of you to sweep the road for me ”

THANKS FOR CLEANING THE ROAD FOR ME!

We had a laugh and then the usual where are you going questions. She called out her husband to talk also.

They were a simple family and very typical of many of the Colombians I have met, very house proud and generally very tidy and clean. They are such decent people.

So far from what I have observed Colombia’s  roads are as clean as any I have run over in Canada or the USA and indeed with much of Europe. Since southern Mexico I have not seen any evidence of bleach or even disinfectant been used, except in a couple of places where gringos live. I wonder do hotels and restaurants consider this to be a waste of money.

On the bad potholed roads enterprising children still make a living filling in holes and then waiting for ‘ payment ‘ I often wonder if I were to run by here in a few years would they be still standing over the same holes, like some of the construction workers I know back in Dublin!

I think Colombia, though not as dangerous as it once was, still has a bad image abroad. After  all the negative press of the kidnappings and the drug cartels perhaps this bad publicity remains in peoples minds even during calmer times. Perhaps once an image is stained it may take many years for people to realize this. Much like Belfast in Northern Ireland. I get people, even now asking about ‘ the troubles ‘ and why we are killing ourselves almost two decades after the IRA declared a ceasefire.

That day I ran 26km and the next day 30 finishing just before a heavy rain downpour at a 24 hour restaurant, Rancho del Occident. I made a note of this place while travelling to my start location in South America as the bus stopped here for a meal break. I figured it would make a good place to stay the night as it has wi-fi. The very friendly staff let me sleep around the back on some cardboard under a sheltered area.

I saw this man climb this hill, a hidden trail that was barely visable. he climbed it at an incredible speed carrying a large drum of weed killer on his back.

Highlight of this day was stopping for some fruit at a fruit stall. I placed my two water bottles which I always carry in my hands on a wall. Next thing I know two snoozing terriers I awoke jumped off the wall and frightened the life out of me! As usual the owners just looked on saying… ” Ellos no van a tocar!”  or. They wont touch you!

It’s unreal the amount of dog encounters I have. Just about every journey runner or walker I know of have said to me that they never EVER have had a problem, and they usually say that’s because they don’t show fear!

But this is the bit I don’t get…. Sometimes dogs are the furthest thing from my mind and I am not afraid of them, I am running along having a lovely daydream and they come charging out, so it’s nothing about displaying fear!

I mentioned that my dog zapper, Dazer 2 got burnt out from all the use in the Central American rains, well Dazer are mailing me a new one.

For the moment I am using my ‘ Dirty Harry ‘ technique!

” Don’t even think about it PUNK! ” I shout!

Or. I sometimes shout….

” Hey this is the most powerful water bottle in town, a  Mangan 750 ml bottle,

” So what’s it gonna be punk, Do you feel lucky, come make my day, punk! ”

DO YOU FEEL LUCKY PUNK! I GOT THE MOST POWERFUL WATER BOTTLE IN TOWN, A MANGAN 750ML!

If they get a bit too close I squirt my water on them, which usually gives them  a surprise, followed by another…

” Don’t even think about it PUNK! ” I run on followed by a ” Wuf Wuf ”

And then the neighbouring dog comes out, and a chain reaction down the road.

CHAIN REACTION

 Dogs are the Latin American alarm system.

The next day was a lovely day, dull and overcast! I was comfortable all the way running the 35km all the way to a small village before Catvino. Some lovely mountain running with stunning vistas.

Just before I finished. I stopped for a snack at a shop and sat outside on the deck. The owner came out had a look around and I just knew by his actions he was looking for this mysterious bicycle everyone keeps asking me am I riding thru on.

Just as he was saying… ” ¿dónde está tu bicicleta? ”

I said. “ No tengo bicicleta! Estoy corriendo! ” I have no bicycle, I am running.

As I have mentioned before, people just can’t comphrend me running through. Even when I hand them the printed (in Spanish) cards I hand out, and even having talking to them for a few minutes about the run it always comes back to….

” Pero Tony…  ¿Dónde está tu bicicleta? ”

I guess half of it is my fault as I dress like a cyclist and not a runner as I find my own modified cycle top to be the most practical running attire.

COW DAY AFTERNOON

Then I had a decent day running 45km with the first 21km all uphill, I stopped in Santa Fe for lunch, well soda and a big bag of crisps!

In some rural areas a series of hoses are connected together with outlets to the various houses.

I even saw one home set up with a constant supply from a small waterfall. Simple, just a bucket collecting the water.

There have been a lot of mudslides in this area. Also parts of the roads are just closed off due to structural damage.

People are often surprised when they see me sprinkling salt into my water bottles. I tell them it’s a cheap electrolyte.

All the way thru Central America salt was for some strange reason rarely on the table. I always had to ask for it, sometimes they would come out with a spoonful, other times with a small amount on a piece of cardboard.

Here thankfully it’s always on the table.

I have never taken sugar in my tea or coffee before but now I do just to get the extra calories, I reckon I am not getting as many as I could so it’s an easy way to get more. Mind you most of the time one doesn’t have a choice as coffee often comes pre-sweetened.

I made it as far as San Jerinimo and got a nice discount on a nice hotel which Liam Mycroft kindly sponsored along with a nice meal.

Thank you very much Liam.  Anyone that wants to sponsor same via my Paypal, or bank account details on homepage will be mentioned in this blog!

Routine days, but happy days.

Oh! I almost forgot that I saw my very first snake movement (other than the coiled up rattler in Arizona)

It was just before San Jerinimo. I stopped for a pee near a roadside drain. In about a second flat the black  meter long and about one cm wide reptile slithered about 10 meters down a hill! I was amazed by it’s speed.

A PEE BREAK WITH A DIFFERENCE!

 I am sure this happens a lot, I am just unaware of it as I run down the road. They say, thankfully! snakes are fearful of humans.

HI ALL JUST A QUICK UPDATE IN CASE YOU WERE WONDERING WHAT I WAS UP TO THESE LAST 2 OR 3 DAYS!

I HAD A PROBLEMN GETTING THRU THE TUNNEL ABOUT 30KM OUTSIDE(NORTH OF MEDELLIN)

I SPENT 1 AND A HALF DAYS MAKING 2 DIFFERENT ATTEMPTS GOING POVER THE MOUNTAINS! THE FIRST THE TRAIL RAN OUT AND I DECIDED IT WAS SAFER TO RETURN. I SLEPT IN THE COLD MOUNTAIS THAT NIGHT.

IT SEEMS TO ME THE SPOT DIDN’T TRACK ME, A PITY AS I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE KNOWN HOW FAR I WAS AWAY FROM THE EXIT OF THE TUNNEL ON ROUTE 62.

THE TUNNEL IS 4.5KM LONG AND PEDESTRIANS ARE NOT ALLOWED,NO EXCEPTIONS

THE SECOND TIME I WENT DIRECTLY OVER THE TUNNEL AND WAS SUCESSFUL!

ALL THIS HUGE EFFORTS ON TRAILS TO KEEP THE RUN CONTINUOS, I AM A BIT WEARY NOW AND WILL BE HEADING SOUTH SOON.

THANKS AS ALWAYS FOR ALL YOUR GREAT SUPPORT

TONY

PS.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SERENA, MY TUNNEL CROSSING IS DEDICATED TO YOU

Next day I had a lovely day I made so many stops I did well to run 41km finishing in a small bustling town called Dabeiba.

My first stop was at a road side shop. The owner called Carlos asked me what I like about Colombia.

Jokingly I said… ” The coffee and the beautiful girls, the prettiest of the whole trip, so far..”

” Well Tony, I can’t do anything about the girls but here is some coffee! ”

Carlos also gave me some pan dulce or sweet bread.

THANKS FOR THE COFFEE CARLOS

On I run, it’s getting hot so I am looking for another place to rest. I came to a military checkpoint. The soldiers point me down a laneway saying there is a store there. It’s about 100 meters off the road, a few locals are painting a community hall of sorts. They look up and wave.

DOWN A LANE I RAN TO THE STORE

 Down further I arrive at the store. A woman is serving some soldiers and is clearly surprised to see me turn up!

I order a soda and also get my second complimentary coffee of the morning.

After the soldiers have gone I ask the lady  how many hours a day the soldiers are out on the road, she says 12 and at night time they are in the mountains, it’s too dangerous on the road, what with sniper fire. I love asking questions, probably too many, one of these days I will probably be accused of being a spy!

So I ask where they sleep and she points out a dorm building. They do their own cooking and washing there. They are mostly young lads, kids really.

Back out on the road I am told that the FARC enemy DETAILS HERE  though I am told are not as effective as before, still burn out buses and cause disruption.

I am told they are also not as popular as before. I am also told that many people in civilian clothing are amongst their ranks, so one never knows for sure who the enemy is.

The last election here was in 2010. They want to disrupt the government. Their beliefs are of Lennon and Trotsky.

I talk to another soldier. His name is Raul. He tells me he has not seen his wife for two months as he has been stationed at this checkpoint.

” Tony Please put this picture up on your website and tell Maria I love her so much!  I will text her your blog and she will watch out for the picture. ” Makes you want to cry!

RAUL ON THE RIGHT SENDS ALL HIS LOVE TO HIS WIFE MARIA.

Later it’s hot, really hot so I put up an umbrella as I run. There is not much traffic and the air is windless. I am not running fast so I can manage it, even if it is a bit awkward. It keeps some heat off me, whatever about the humidity. I can have a break from wearing a hat. They say wear a hat, but sometimes you get really hot with a hat.

So there I am skipping thru the mountains with my umbrella, just like Mary Poppins! What’s that song…

Super CALI…. Well I will be in Cali in a couple of weeks!

I know at km 105 there is a tunnel. I always worry about tunnels, especially this one as I know there is another checkpoint immediately before it. I worry I will be told no pedestrians.

At km 102 I come to another checkpoint.

He stops me. He is not a nice person. I feel this guy is on a power surge.

He asks me for my passport. I hand it to him.

” English I see! ”

“No Irish, but I also speak English.”

” So you are English he repeats. I hold myself back from saying..

So you are Spanish! Should you not be speaking an indian language! The same thing happened to my country.

Twice he asks me for my cell phone and can’t believe I don’t have one.

” Is this the number of your passport ” He barks point out my passport number. They always do this, especially hotel receptionists, it’s a mystery to me.

” Yes”

” How many days is your visa for?”

” 90 ”

I am waiting for him to say something like Colombia normally issues a 30 day visa. I was asked by a nice officer back in Medellin airport how many days I wanted. I said 60 and he gave me 90.

” What do you work at? ”

” I am running around the world. ”

He goes through my possessions. The plastic Zip-lock bag I keep my passport. I wonder what he is looking for.

” Where is your money. ”

” I don’t have much. ”

” Then how do you buy sodas? ”

” I drink water mostly. ”

” So you got no money? ”

” I got an atm card. ”

I think he realizes he has asked too many money questions and tells me to be ‘ tranquilo ‘ or relax!

” Are you married? ” Is the next question. I am thinking about not being let through the tunnel and try to humour him.

” No I say, I am as free as a bird! ” And I make wings with my arms and float around the area!

Next he pulls out a motivation poem I have and asks me what religion I am and am I Catholic.

I tell him it’s not important, that it’s not a prayer it’s a poem and I need to get running.

So then he says.. ” Listo” You are ready.

I nod and run on, a bit faster than I ran in.

I get to the tunnel and stop for a snack at a restaurant. There are a couple of soldiers there but they ignore me.

JUST TO THE RIGHT OF THE TUNNEL IS WHERE I TRIP ON THE RUBBLE

About 20 meters before the entrance another soldier stops me. This time it’s only to ask friendly questions. I run towards the entrance, turn to wave and trip on loose rubble and fly forwards cutting my shoulder and hand, only minor. 

I assure the soldier I am ok. Once inside I see there is a pedestrian path on the left side. But it’s too dark to run on it, there is more light in the center and besides there is no traffic.

Water is gushing from the roof and the walls, it’s a sprinkler system of sorts, I guess for some kind of maintenance.

It’s about 350 meters long. About halfway through I hear strange mutterings and what look like white figures coming towards me! Zombies I think… I am going to be ambushed by Zombies! It turns out it was two soldiers patrolling the tunnel! Imagine patrolling the tunnel and in the dark for there were no lights. Thankfully they didn’t question me, I just ran on, Just as I jumped clear a truck came barrelling towards me.

I run into Dabeiba just before dark, I am shattered. There must be about 5 or 6 hundred people milling around the small street. I feel everyones eyes. There are bicycles and motorcycles everywhere.

Tonight I had a lovely steak dinner from Stuart Guerin, from Figtree, New South Wales, Australia. Thanks to Stuart for his donation to my fund, anyone else that feels like sponsoring a meal and or a hotel night please feel free to use my Paypal account! I will acknowledge all kind donations in this blog

TOTAL KM RUN TO DATE = 14,634KM / 9,093 MILES FOR 336 ROAD DAYS.

PLEASE SEE MY OVERALL ROUTE MAP ON THE ROUTE PAGE.

FOR INFORMATION ON COLOMBIA PRESS > HERE

At last I made it to my start location in Colombia! I had always known where I wanted that to be a small place called Pueblo Nuevo, just 25km north of Necocoli in northern Colombia. Pueblo Nuevo is on the Caribbean coast as can be seen on a Google map at the end of a road marked ‘ Unknown Road. ‘ The locals tell me a bus leaves town at 7am. Well it’s not really a bus, it’s a converted truck! It’s packed out, I am so excited. I am on the way to the start of continent number two! So we head east instead of north and past the cemetery as my research had told me. I scratch my head, then shake it. Everyone on the bus tells me ” Si Senor, Pueblo Nuevo ” They tell me we are indeed going there. We bump along the narrow potholed road picking up very young school children dressed in their white pristine uniforms.

BUMPING ALONG THE POTHOLED TRACK TO PUEBLO NUEVO

 They stare and smile right up to my face and laugh, pointing out the gringo. It takes over an hour to get to my destination. On the way I see some of the most bizarre sights. People on the roofs of pickup trucks with re-enforced roof racks, they are taxis..

 Paula who works as a nurse at the medical centre is horrified that I want to run from here! ” But Paula where is the playa, yes the sea? ”

“There is no coast here! Only mountains! ” She tells me. Eventually I realize there are indeed two Puebla Nuevo’s! ” But you can’t run from here Tony,” she pleads with me. ” Why Not? ” I am thinking of ‘ pulling the plug ‘ and heading for my Puebla Nuevo, which I later figured was the name of a bay or inlet that I just took off Google Maps. Besides it really doesn’t matter where I start as long as it is north of where I finished in North America, a place called Yaviza, Panama. Really I am going to far too much trouble as I could easily have started just north of Turbo two days down the road, two needless days of extra running just to say I am not advancing from North to South America by unfair mechanical means. Yes just north of Turbo would have been perfect and I would still be north of my finishing point in North America, but as usual I choose to do things the hard way, two extra hot days running for crying out loud! Paula asks what am I going to do.

 ”Run from here Paula. ” ” But it’s too dangerous, there are a lot of crazies here! ”

 ” But I have run every meter from Merrion Square North and I ain’t gonna stop now!” I protest. ” What about a police escort? ” I ask. ” We got no police here, it’s too dangerous for them! ”

” Tony whatever do you do don’t take any photos, they don’t like that! ”

 ” So what do you say? ”

 ” Oh! My Jasus! ” I said.

 ” Well you better run fast!

 ” Luis here on his motorbike can escort you, it will cost 4,000 pesos about two dollars.”

Paula, Luis on his motorbike and another Luis

 Writing this blog a few days later and having witnessed how the Colombian government have responded to crime by heavily patrolling the highways with police and military checkpoints at the beginning and exit to almost every little town, I really cannot believe they would be afraid to enter this area. . That morning I only witnessed nice people waving and giving me the usual friendly welcomes. I wonder how much of this was an exaggeration, I will never know, I have run on and like most places I tramp through, never to return.

MY OFFICIAL START LOCATION IN SOUTH AMERICA, PUEBLA NUEVO,COLOMBIA

Luis followed behind me for only about 3km stopping many times to talk to friends. Eventually we came to a bend in the road, he pointed on ahead as he stopped for another chat. That was the last I ever saw of him and he never did get those 4,000 pesos. I had been told he would stay with me for a short while, I was thinking of hiring him for the whole run to Necocoli. I made it all the way to Necocoli without any incident and even stopped at a shop along the way for a refreshment. My first impression of Colombia is that they are nice, decent people although curious just like anyone else is about my run, they don’t crowd me out.

 I chilled out in the hotel for a couple of hours and ran ten more km that day. Next day was a tough day all 33km of it. I don’t think there will be too many easy days from now on, even the short days will be tough. I can’t believe the amount of cops patrolling the roads also the military have road blocks with their armoured cars coned off at the side of roads every few km.

 I just wave and say hi and they smile. On I run through the Colombian tropics past banana trees. Thousands of them growing closely together, each with large blue plastic bags covering the bananas. I am not sure if this is to prevent them falling to the ground or to ward off insects. It seems there is only one yield per tree. The bananas are all over the side of the road I don’t bother to pick any up.

 Later I stop for a juice and the lady gives me four finger bananas. I run into Turbo which is a well known hub of drug activity. The drugs are shipped in and out on boats and planes from this area. There used to be a ferry service from here to Panama but the Panamanians stopped it because of the huge amount of drug activity. That is also the reason the Panamanians are opposed to the building of a road through the Darien Gap Jungle.

Turbo is where I make my connection with the ocean.

There are an incredible amount of bicycles everywhere and motor bikes. Hundreds peddling and charging up and down every road and side street. Every wall has several bikes lying against it. They are parked everywhere. It’s like the old pictures of China. Next day Wednesday and my third day on the road I decide to count the amount of cop vehicles I see. I lose count after about twenty. I have also passed about 60 or 70 soldiers. Everyone tells me the highways are safe here, I wonder why!

The humidity is really kicking in. The temperature is not so high, maybe 28C but humidity can make this seem to me to be more than 50C. About 85-90% humidity I am told.  I guess just like wind chill factor makes the cold even colder.

An elderly campesinpo called Jose Somethingorother stops his bicycle and we have a brief chat in the gravel shoulder. He fills my two water bottles, this doesn’t happen often so I enjoy the moment.

 I make it into Carepa that night but have to commute back to Turbo for my pack. The round trip takes 3 hours including a stop for a delicious burger. This means I can run straight out the door of my hotel in the morning. I can leave my bag at the hotel and return on a bus for it. This is how I now have to do it. Every day I have to modify my plans and find out what time the first bus departs, some are early others are too late and if they are too late I have to figure something else out.

 Not many banana trees now, mostly coconut and mango and a few teak trees. After about 20km I pass a ‘ finca ‘ ,or small  farm and stop to ask for water.  It’s called Finca La Esperanza.

The boss man tells me to sit down one of his hired-hands hands me a soda. There are about eight of them standing around asking me the usual questions. They are very interested in the run.

THANKS FOR THE SODA AND WATER LADS

 One of the lads even wants to see ‘ all my pictures ‘ I suggest I can return to sleep here and they agree. All I need is an outside roofed area to lay my sleeping bag on the concrete floor. I have only run 20km and want to clip out another thirty. In the afternoon I stop at a roadside shack. The lady there is called Erika, she has a five year old daughter. She is very pleasant. She tells me there is not much work, just the odd truck or local stops by for a soda or phone credit. I look at her, she is incredibly beautiful. She tells me her husband left her and his daughter five years ago for another woman, she has a glint of sadness in her eyes but a contented smile.

JULIANA AND ERIKA

That day I ran 50km. I don’t think I could have run 51, I was whacked, and out of breath. My finishing point was just 50 meters from a restaurant and yet another military checkpoint. I tried stopping a bus half an hour ago but the driver of the half empty bus didn’t want to stop. later I was told this is because of the fear of crime. I ask a soldier to stop the next bus back to Carepa. An elderly lady offers me a mint. I take it and smile. Simple and nice I thought. It’s great to be back amongst nice people after my torrid time in Panama, the less said about that place the better, I will reserve my ‘ hatchet job ‘ they deserve for the book. I can’t believe they used to tell jokes about the Colombians!! Twice I had ice creams wrapped in plastic bags! They saw me running down the road, tongue hanging out on hot days. The last I hope I ever see of that place is the airport, my favourite part after The Darien. My worst nightmare would in years to come win a trip to Panama on a game show! I am certain my eyes would go up to Heaven and I would just hand the tickets back, ‘ thanks but no thanks!`

After a 30 year wait a certain country has been dusted off and moved up one place from the bottom (least liked) of my almost seventy countries visited. Panama is rock bottom where they deserve to be. The lack of compassion I experienced through that country, especially one womans actions I will take to my death bed. Afterwards I took her photo so as I can highlight this later. She thought this was great. I feel a certain sadness making these comments having met a few nice people there. As I say, my shocking experiences there will be reserved for the book.

 Because of the uncertainty of the buses not stopping I decide it would be unwise to risk going back to Finca La Esperanza tonight as I could be stranded on the side of the road early next morning. No it’s best to stick to the main towns.  A couple of days later I met the boss man and his assistant on the road. They sounded dissapointed when I explaied my reason for not stopping. I am so sorry lads, sometimes I have tomake difficult decisions. They understood and wished me luck.

So tonight’s round trip between Carepa and Mutapa was four hours between waiting,dinner and the return on a battered potholed road. Today there was a little shoulder on the road, not much, the previous three days I have been running on a tight rope as trucks and buses whiz by leaving me little room. I need to concentrate so as not to trip. More often than not I ran on the lumpy gravel which plays havoc with my joints. The trucks passed so close I could even reach out and touch them, but the cool air as they whizzed by made it all so worthwhile.