After many delays , the General and his party arrive in Honda , where the Governor , Posada Gutiérrez , have arranged for three days of fiestas . On his last night in Honda , the General returns late to camp and find one of his old friends , Miranda Lyndsay , waiting for him . The General recall that fifteen years ago , she had learned of a plot against his life and had saved him . The following morning , the General begin the voyage down the Magdalena River . Both his physical debilitation and pride are evident as he negotiate the slope to the dock : he is in need of a sedan chair but refuse to use it . The group stay a night in Puerto Real , where the General claim he see a woman singing during the night . His aides @-@ de @-@ camp and the watchman conduct a search , but they fail to uncover any sign of a woman having been in the vicinity .