El Dorado – Tumeremo - 71 km
It rained on emerging, rain that continued through the day. Cycling was thus quite
enjoyable, as I enjoy cycling in a drizzle. The weather cleared shortly before we
reached the small mining town of Tumeremo. More dark clouds loomed ahead, and
we wisely opted for accommodation. It was a good thing too, as no sooner were the
bikes unloaded when the rain came bucketing down. I was happy to see the rainy
season wasn’t over, as it brought a welcome relief from the heat.
I dashed to the bakery, and bought fresh bread and ingredients to make soup.
Afterwards, Ernest peeled, chopped, and cooked vegetable soup which we ate with
bread.
In subsequent years, sleepy Tumeremo became infamous for two massacres in the
town. On 8 March 2016, 28 miners were kidnapped and murdered. However,
according to reports, the National Armed Forces and the CICPC claimed no evidence
of any such massacre or confrontation could be found. The governor of Bolívar state
declared: “There wasn’t a single thing to show they’ve died or been massacred.” In
October 2018, another massacre occurred, and, this time, a Colombian guerrilla
group was held responsible for the murders.