PowerCycle

11/04 Stopped at El Fossil and took some pictures. They had a nice setup even if the museum wasn’t very large. The 120 million year old fossil of the kronosaurus was impressive. On the way back to the main highway there were a couple other signs for dinosaur things but I skipped them. Nothing beats Drumheller in Alberta for all things dinosaur. I saw the ostrich place but decided I didn’t want to eat one of them.

I’ve been riding at 8500 feet or so for the last couple days and up until today had been lucking out with the weather (and finding cheap motels with hot water). Shorts and a long sleeve shirt have kept me plenty warm. The rain finally caught me today going up and over a mountain pass that broke 10,000 feet. It got pretty cold and I had to stop and bust out my rain pants, socks and jacket. It’s pretty awesome doing a climb like that, getting to the top and then acting all like your stuff don’t stink as you ride slow and check out the scenery.

I’m staying in Zipaquira tonight and tomorrow. Very cool city. There are a couple plazas with a style that’s different from any other ones I’ve seen. I mean one of them had a couple palm trees in the center and the altitude here is 8600 feet. The big attraction is a cathedral built right into the mountain in what used to be a salt mine. It can hold 8400 people in it. They only offer guided tours every hour and I got here a little too late so I’ll stay the extra day to see it and check out more of the city.

Finding a stove has become my new top priority. I keep passing places to camp but would prefer not to starve to death or suffer from having to eat cold food or miss out on hot coffee in the morning. I’m not planning on going into Bogotá even though that might be my best best for finding something. I’ve had enough of riding in cities with 7.5 million+ people. Every time I get into a new town for the night I go on a walk to see if any of the hardware stores have anything but they never do. Cali is probably my next best option for finding one. I might fly to Florida from Ecuador for a visit so I’ll have something in a month. Hate to wait that long though.

The bike is doing well but it’s time for a new rear cassette. My 2nd highest gear is gone and the other ones can’t be far behind. Fortunately I know where there’s a decent bike shop a few days away.

[osm_map lat="6.403" long="-73.241" zoom="6" width="400" height="250" gpx_file="http://www.powercycle.net/maps/leg3/110310-110410.gpx"]