03 Jan

HAYWAY Episode 30 – Pasto, Colombia #Festive500

Welcome to our special edition #Festive500 podcast.

The Festive500 is the brainchild of the cycle clothing designer Rapha and is designed to get people riding their bikes between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve at a time when most of us are keen to get on the turps and stuff ourselves full of mince pies.

The challenge is to ride 500 kilometres in eight days and we thought we might as well take up the task here in Colombia since we were planning on riding south anyway, although perhaps not this quickly.

This podcast is a summary of our week on the bike with stories from the road between Sevilla and Pasto in Southern Colombia, an area of stunning scenery in the Northern Andes mountain range.

Cycle turing in Colombia

Clockwise from top left: A wonderful Christmas with Mauro and his family in Sevilla; we set off as a trio from Sevilla on day 1; sugar cane fields in the Cauca Valley; Shelley gets some friendly advice from a local; Buñuelo is a crucial ingredient in a Colombian breakfast.

Cycle touring in Colombia

Clockwise from top left: Buga’s Basilica; Baden with the friendly nightwatchman at Buga’s sports complex; we meet some kind bikers in Piendamo; Shelley riding to Popayan; Shelley with our host Lilia in Santander de Quilichao

Cycle touring in Colombia

Clockwise from bottom left: The white city of Popayan, festive for the Festive500 in Popayan; around Blanca’s breakfast table in Popayan; New Year’s Eve dummy; Baden riding with fellow cycle tourist Gunnar.

Cycle touring in Colombia

Clockwise from top left: Shelley shares a Lulo juice with new friend Ever in El Bordo; “The most beautiful pool in the world” in El Tablon; the odometer passes 10,000km for our journey since London; time for a celebratory boiled egg on the road in the Patía Valley; hot but rewarding riding in the Patía Valley.

Cycle touring in Colombia

Clockwise from top left: the parade ends in Chachagüi’s plaza; the park where we slept through New Year’s Eve celebrations; Chachagüi’s mayor immortalised in paper mache; Venezuelan President Maduro is vilified; woman power in Chachagüi’s parade.

6 thoughts on “HAYWAY Episode 30 – Pasto, Colombia #Festive500

  1. I just found your podcast and I love it. I am a cyclist and I love finding and listening to cycling podcasts especially while riding. Anyway to answer your questions I am great and I am in Jacksonville, Florida USA.

    • Thanks for listening Johnny! We also love listening to podcasts while riding our bikes, especially when on gruelling Andean climbs

      • Nice… Yeah with me here in Jacksonville, FL we don’t have “gruelling” climbs to speak of. With the exception of the man made bridges over the river most of my riding is at or below sea level. Thanks for the reply 🙂

  2. hey! Wishes you all the best for 2016! I love to read your adventures! Love from Belgium (Antwerp). I stayed with Anita in Nidrum, Hoge Venen)

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