Barranquilla – Porte Veronica - 46 km
The next morning, we got underway at around 10 o’clock when the weather was
already scorching. The sky was cloudless, and the relentless sun made it an
exhausting day of biking. However, upon spotting a tiny coastal community, I
discovered accommodation on the beach. Lunch was in the shade of a gazebo; the
best spot on a hot day.
Porte Veronica – Cartagena - 87 km
Approximately 50 kilometres before Cartagena was Volcán del Totumo, a 15-metre-
high mud volcano. Not wanting to miss anything, I turned off and found an active
mud volcano. However, instead of spewing lava, it spat out mud. Ascending the
crater required scaling a wooden staircase to the rim in order to lower oneself into a
bottomless pit of smooth lukewarm mud. I wallowed in (what was believed)
mineral-rich mud, like a contented hippo. The nearby lake was a handy place to
wash off the mud. Then, I jumped back on the bicycle and onto Cartagena.