Week 111: to Cruz del Vizo: shortcut and mangoes - Racpat RTW 2015-2017 - CycleBlaze

May 11, 2017

Week 111: to Cruz del Vizo: shortcut and mangoes

Yesterday we took a restday. There is not much to do in Tolu, but we spent the morning watching the Giro d'Italia, then go out for breakfast and get back in time to watch the second semi-final of the Champions League Football. We had tentatively planned to take a second restday here, but Tolu is a bit disappointing with nothing happening on the beach and few restaurants. We had planned two restdays here, but now decide to move on and arrive in Cartagena a day earlier.

The paved road from Tolu to Cartagena makes quite a detour to the South and East before turning North. There is a "shortcut" road shown on googlemaps, but it is dirt. We read that other cyclists took it, but when I ask the hotel owner he tries to talk me out of it. First he says the surface is very bad, sandy and muddy during the wet season. And he thinks it might not be safe for us. We decide to try it anyway since it cuts at least 25km of the ride, and tomorrow is already long. When we wake up this morning though it is pouring rain; that's not going to improve the road.... Fortunately it stops raining by the time we leave.

We set off at about 6 am and head north down flooded Tolu streets. The road we are looking for is blocked by a large hole that was dug right in the middle of it, there is garbage everywhere. Instead of a landfill with all the garbage in one spot, it is scattered all along the sides of the road. Maybe our hotel owner just did not want us to see the ugly side of town....?

After a couple kilometers past this, things improve. The surface is packed gravel and sand, the scenery is very nice with pastures, cows and large trees. We pass by several Fincas or Haciendas, donkeys grazing at the side of the road. It starts to rain again, but except for a short section the road is in good shape. We were expecting the paved road at about 16km, but it takes us 23km to get back to asphalt. About 200 meters from the asphalt, we can see traffic on the paved road, a short bad section does bog us down in sticky red mud that clogs up our fenders. Once again, the bikes are muddy after looking so clean after the wet ride into Tolu.

Reaching the pavement, the rain has stopped completely and it starts to get hot. The road is pretty good at first, traffic not too heavy and a good shoulder. Then the surface deteriorates, we lose the shoulder and it seems like traffic picks up with lots of big trucks. We stop a couple of times for cold drinks, but there is not much choice along this way. Just about every house along the way is selling Mangoes. We pass the junction to Maria la Baja and after there is a gas station hotel we could have stayed, but we want to get closer to Cartagena today. Going on further today, makes tomorrow shorter and we will ride into a busy city a little less tired.

At about one o'clock we reach the Cruz de Vizo junction. We were told by Tom and Hillary that the hotel at the gas station is best. The hotel is to our right behind the Petromil Gas station, so we head straight there. It is indeed a nice place, for only 30,000COP we have an air conditioned room, good WiFi and a TV with lots of channels. They must be used to cyclists because we are offered a downstairs room. We have to wait a little for it to be cleaned and we go have lunch next door in the meantime.

After we are settled-in and watching yet another European football game. One more day of riding in South America tomorrow.

The "shortcut" road has a large hole dug into it that appears to be used to dump garbage.
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Not the prettiest side of Tolu.
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The dirt road shortcut gets prettier though, we ride past pastures with nice large trees.
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We had expected to reach the pavement by now. In a small village this guy points us in the right direction.
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Wall paintings at shops.
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Wall paintings at shops.
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Couple more kilometers of dirt.
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Big tree.
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Poor roadside houses, people selling mangoes.
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Guy hauling palm-oil fruits to the roadside, probably to be picked-up by trucks to take to the presses.
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Today's ride: 94 km (58 miles)
Total: 31,768 km (19,728 miles)

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