I was worried we would have trouble getting up the steep road out of the Steel Horse Campground outside Filandia. GANNET2 proved me a worry wort and Hugh the Canadian Land Rocer driver was entirely correct. We stormed up the mile and a half single track, the worst parts cemented, without a problem or a hesitation. GANNET2 shod with new gnarly all terrain KO2 tires roared up the hill in first gear faster than I could take pictures of the wet road. It’s steeper than it looks in these pictures from when I went for a walk when the road was dry.
I had been feeling a bit despondent from all the rain that had been falling. “ This isn’t normal” the campground manager told us in that irritating way locals shrug off meteorological cataclysms.
Bugger normal, this was hellacious with thirty six hours of downpours. Rusty hung out in the living area provided for our comfort an area equipped with hot showers a kitchen and places to lounge and use the WiFi. Outside we drowned. 
Inside we napped.
Sunday morning with butterflies in my stomach and my towing strap and shackles laid out ready for us to get stuck, we bad farewell to our friends who have an appointment with a Land Rover mechanic:
And wiggled our way out of the campground into the one lane road to the distant top of the hill. Thanks to these two we have learned a lot more about the capabilities of our properly shod van and thanks to them encouraging us we have stretched our comfort level on tricky roads. Out we went hoping we see them again before too long, on some other gnarly road.
Of course we met a car on the hill but miraculously we were alongside a very rare pull out.
They barely slowed down and for some reason I wasn’t even slightly worried about tackling the next grade from a standstill. Sure enough GANNET2 had the bit in her teeth and off we roared straight to the top.
That experience of running our hefty new tires straight up a steep continuous hill was confidence boosting to a remarkable degree. All terrain tires are noisy and wear faster but these KO2s have proved their worth on dirt mud gravel and steep grades. They track perfectly and are confidence inspiring. I should have bought them years ago.
It was a gray day but we figured a little more sight seeing might be in order. The Valle de Corcora is famous in Colombia for its scenic beauty and its two hundred feet tall wax palms and it’s only 40 minutes (18 miles) from Filandia.
But as we drove we noticed some heavy traffic and tour buses and in our retirement fog we remembered it was a Sunday. Whoa! We need to pull over and wait the weekend out. iOverlander to the rescue and look what we found just outside the entrance to the heavily touristed valley:
iOverlander’s instructions were to park on the grass outside the hotel parking lot and there we were, alone level and with the sound of the rushing river and views of the hills and distant passing horseback riders. It felt like one of our wild camps on public land in Colorado.
For $10 a night (40,000 pesos) we get a hot shower, a fully equipped toilet, pretty strong WiFi and restaurants nearby. I think I may veto any movement on Monday; I like it here. Oh, and the sun has been putting in an appearance. At one point our 400 watts of solar panels were generating twenty amps.
And the kicker? Rusty is in heaven, no other dogs, thick grass and lots of room to roam. The rough graveled entrance to the parking area:
GANNET2 snugly anchored in the distance.
Master of his domain:
The river and the views:
A couple of young guests from the hotel were packing their motorcycle when they saw us and they walked over… bringing a pack of cards.
I got this picture from the Internet as I failed to photograph the fast moving game of illustrated Snap. Match the symbols -and we called them in English!- as you spot the same symbol on one of the cards you are holding. I learned a new Spanish word for “kite” which is “cometa” oddly enough:
Thry are oil engineers working mostly from home for a US petroleum company. They are recently married, have two dogs and try to get away at least once a month together to explore Colombia. They are planning a honeymoon in Brazil (they speak Portuguese) or Mexico.
An exchange of WhatsApp numbers which is what everyone in Latin America uses to communicate, and a tour of our home of course and then goodbye.
Here we are outside Salento baking in the sun for a change and expecting more rain of course…
But the rain held off.
