So if you can’t already tell, I really like Colombia. It has so much to offer. Some say it has all of South America packed into one little country, from grand bustling cities to charming historic colonial towns, from imposing Andes mountains to relaxing beaches, from coffee & chocolate to natural fruit juices, from 2 coastlines to otherworldly deserts & all the adventure sports one could want including diving, hiking, trekking to ruins of ancient cultures, kiting, rafting, etc. I agree. On my ever-changing list of fave countries, it probably now falls inexplicably second to only the elusive Vietnam.
Internal travel was on point – cheap intercountry flights always on time, cheaper buses always on time (at least for me)… although I did skip out on extended bus trips over what I’m told are less-than-ideal roads – why would I do that to myself when I can take a flight for 1/20 of the time at USD$40?
People are absolutely incredible – after visiting Cuba, I admit I wasn’t relishing in the idea of dealing with the machismo that so often comes in Latin cultures (a nod to Italy & Spain as well), but everyone I encountered in Colombia, as a traveling solo female, was not only kind, accommodating & helpful, but very respectful & that was such an overwhelmingly wonderful surprise. In fact, I had several Colombian men inquire about how I’ve been treated as if they were making sure their fellow countrymen were acting appropriately.
Bottom line… I could NOT overstate the extent to which I recommend you visit this country. I felt blessed to spend one month here but it wasn’t nearly enough. So I will be back.
Tag: Colombia
Bogota – better than expected but go for the street art
I admit, I wasn’t expecting a whole lot from Bogota. It’s a big city of 8 million & I had heard it was very well established, as opposed to Medellin’s growth arc, lots of traffic & smog, frequently rainy & overcast, & not much to see. Most of that is probably true although perhaps I lucked out in terms of weather as I enjoyed sunny beautiful days & no rain. The city was far prettier than I expected with much less smog. It featured stunning views from Monserrate overlooking the city. IMHO the old town leaves a lot to be desired, is unsafe at night & relatively uninspiring during the day so I stayed north near the great restaurants & nightlife. Perhaps it’s a sign of my humble digs during the prior 2 weeks, but I greatly enjoyed my Bogota hot showers & great experimental food but it’s also the first McDonald’s I’d seen on the trip.
By far my fave part of the city is all of the street art. Bogota is known for having the most street-artist friendly laws (i.e. it’s not illegal & building owners often commission murals) attracting famous street artists from all over the world. Of course this is the case after a truly unfortunate event in which a 16yo kid was shot in the back by police in 2010 when caught late at night painting a building. But since, the close knit street art community worked hand-in-hand with law enforcement & now in the eyes of the law, it’s viewed as an art form, so they’re allowed to do their thing with full support of the community & during the day when it’s saf. So I took a graffiti walking tour of Bogota & learned about the various artists & their signatures & then just had fun wandering the streets on my own in search of other artwork.
Alta Guajira’s Punta Gallinas… its eerie end-of-the-world landscapes make the journey a can’t miss
I’ve always said the places really worth visiting are difficult to get to. Difficult travels keep the casual tourist from visiting. Those are the places I like to find. Punta Gallinas takes that to the nth degree both in terms of travel & payoff. It is LITERALLY one of the most beautiful & wild places I’ve ever been to in my entire life (no hyperbole, really). The desert environment is harsh but so odd bc it’s unlike any desert I’ve ever seen with its aqua lagoons & plateaus, rocky cliffs & reddish-hued sand dunes rolling right into the sea. Temperatures are extreme but that’s the alta Guajira and Punta Gallinas is the Northernmost tip of Colombia & South America.
Cabo de la Vela is the most visited place in alta Guajira. In fact, I met many people in Cabo de la Vela who fell in love with it (& kite surfing) & have therefore stayed for 1wk to 1mo but haven’t bothered to head N on the trek to Punta Gallinas. Even kiting instructors who’ve been there for months haven’t ventured N… “no time & I hear the road is terrible”. Those fools clearly don’t know what they’re missing. Well the “road” is terrible. I’m not sure you can even call it a road. The 4hr drive is in a massive 4WD w a seriously insane driver ripping through the desert, sometimes following prior tracks & sometimes creating new. The drive, which starts at 5am, leads to a 30min boat ride on a wooden skiff before you arrive at 1 of 2 hostels in Punta Gallinas. Then there’s not much to do right around the hostel but for a beach 2km walk away w a stunning view of Bahia Hondita providing for lovely sunsets. To see what Punta Gallinas has to offer, that involves piling in an even more massive 4WD on a day tour. So again, it’s more work while at Cabo de la Vela, the shack you’re staying in overlooks the water. But wow is it worth it as my jaw dropped further & further in wonder & awe with each stop.
There’s no one around in Punta Gallinas. Only 8 Wayuu families live there & operate the hostels & run the tours. Not too many tourists venture this far N & those that do, are awfully cool. You bond rather quickly, even at 5am, when you’re crammed in a 4WD together, getting bounced & thrown nearly on top of one another w each turn & rut. We banded together over the next 2 days exploring during the day, enjoying sunsets at dusk, & playing rousing hands of cards at night. Surprisingly, the lodging conditions in Punta Gallinas were an improvement over Cabo de la Vela. I was expecting worse due to its difficult accessibility but it actually had running water & electricity (solar power & generator). It really makes me question what’s going on in Cabo de la Vela. While it has 50 Wayuu families & 1500 people, the ratio of tourists is probably consistent so I can’t believe the worse conditions are due to a cost issue. Sleeping conditions were the same but I sleep so well outdoors in chinchorros, I don’t mind it. And I hit a record for cheapest lodging per night as a chinchorro cost the equivalent of only USD$7 (Cabo de la Vela was a whopping USD$8).
Definitely one of my fave trips ever.
It was a bit bumpy on the drive
https://youtu.be/mzLF5gdDxSQ
Arriving by boat through the mangroves
https://youtu.be/xbcnJxbZikc
https://youtu.be/M2Hlbjze54o
https://youtu.be/glDXDiNZuXg
It felt as if you were walking over the edge of a cliff as you couldn’t see the very bottom til you’d committed
https://youtu.be/EnZmPb7xITM
https://youtu.be/0vR7sm7Uugc
Alta Guajira’s Cabo de la Vela… visit only if you really love kiting (or as an overnight before Punta Gallinas)
Palomino was in the low region of La Guajira. The high region or alta Guajira is like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Riohacha is the launching point (i.e. not a destination in & of itself) for the alta & its highlights include Cabo de la Vela, population 1500, & Punta Gallinas, far smaller. The region is home to the Wayuu tribe & bc they live in the desert, they can’t grow anything so while they sell their beautifully handmade chinchorros (large hammocks) & bags, they have also welcomed tourism. They invite you into their homes to stay. You sleep in chinchorros outside under a wooden roof for protection from the unusual storm & typical winds but in full view of the starry sky featuring more stars than I’ve ever seen in my life x 10. It’s hot during the day & cold at night thanks to the desert climate. It’s a brutal environment that scares away most tourists. So of course I wanted to visit.
In the recent past, few tourists ventured as far as Riohacha. Now most tourists who head further NE to Cabo de la Vela & further to Punta Gallinas do so courtesy of 3-day organized tours from Santa Marta in fancy SUVs for a lot of money, much of which does not make it into the hands of the Wayuu. I decided to do it on my own on the cheap & devoted 6 nights, although I wasn’t sure I’d need them all (or could stand them all). For the first time ever, & leveraging my Chicago-honed taxi hailing skills, I flagged down a bus heading E on the main road near the Palomino center, told the driver I was headed to Riohacha & he waved me aboard. 1.5hrs later I made it to Riohacha & pulled out the trusty LP to guide me the rest of the way. Hailed a taxi to run a few errands including cash as Riohacha is the last place I’d see an ATM for a week & everything operates solely on cash up N. Taxi then dropped me at a corner w colectivos looking to fill rides to Uribia. It took about 2 mins to find one w a spot for me, negotiated price & we were off, arriving 1.5hrs later. My colectivo driver seemed most concerned with helping me find the next transport heading to Cabo de la Vela & thankfully his other local riders didn’t seem to mind.
Now this was the fun part. I was loaded onto a 4WD (bc that’s the only kinda vehicle that can make it any further) & “enjoyed” a bone crushing, teeth chattering 2.5+hr journey to Cabo de la Vela. The truck was like those you see in movies. A big cab w a metal frame in the bed containing wooden bench seats along the side & thankfully metal safety guards to keep you from bouncing out. Then on top? It’s piled high w anything & everything the driver is bringing back to Cabo de la Vela on behalf of various business owners along his route. This includes massive styrofoam containers filled w ice & refrigerated items (bc there’s no refridgerators & barely electricity in Cabo de la Vela), gasoline (a LOT of gasoline including a massive drum that traveled w us in the rear – I chose not to consider what would happen in the event of an accident – bc there’s no gas stations beyond Uribia), various food items & a massive amount of beer (noted). Perched atop everything was my backpack secured w rope. The driver’s 3 sons served as the packers who piled things perfectly in a mound atop the frame & rode atop it until each delivery stop where, in a jenga-like game, they had to carefully remove the intended package without everything else toppling over. It was really quite fascinating. All the while, I’m crammed in the back as the only tourist accompanied by 11 Wayuu women & 5 children on laps w more packages, fruits & veggies, eggs & the massive gasoline drum in between us. It was a trip. We must’ve looked amazingly ridiculous bc all of those rich DBs who paid USD$1k for a 3-day trip were racing up in their fancy SUVs as we neared Cabo de la Vela just to get photos of the circus on wheels & the gringo along for the ride.
The driver kindly dropped me right at my hostel located a 10min walk outside of town right on the water bc of course, it was on his delivery route. The hostel was recommended by the coffee finca owner & is owned by a couple who’ve been in the area for years & operate a kite surfing school. So my plan in Cabo de la Vela was to finally learn how to kite. I was sure it probably wouldn’t go well but I was down for a challenge & always some laughs. Unfortunately, the owners left last minute due to a family emergency & left the place to some overwhelmed volunteer backpackers & the remaining kiting instructor was far too busy &/or did not excel at time management. He was unable to accommodate all of the kiters on his own so after repeated promises that kept falling through, I decided to call short my time in Cabo de la Vela & head N to Punta Gallinas via a supposed even more harrowing trip. You see, while Cabo de la Vela is a lovely place & the hostel was located right on the water, there is really nothing going on in that town unless you are very into kite surfing. The desert heat leaves you constantly seeking shade & while waiting & hoping for my lessons to begin, I wandered the town, watched other kiters (but that just made me envious), made friends w some local Wayuu kids & of course bought some Wayuu bags.
After the rustic nature of the accommodations in Cabo de la Vela – showers by bucket, toilets as you can imagine (SE Asia prepared me well), no / minimum electricity, few resto options so cooking on your own in a rustic kitchen, occasional mice & cockroaches – given the fact Punta Gallinas is far more remote, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but I was down for it & excited.
Video of the drive:
https://youtu.be/fxskFbcpiGk
Casa Playa on Los Naranjos beach… there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself every now & then (or 2 wks into your trip)
I was a bit indecisive when it came to choosing lodging for my Parque Tayrona visit. I tried a couple spots but they were shockingly booked up. Meanwhile, I had been emailing w this dude for a couple weeks… at first regarding availability about one of his properties (booked) & then regarding my questions on Tayrona. He was pitching me a room in another property that was more than I wanted to spend, but I found him to be helpful as he offered to buy my Tayrona ticket & coordinate the taxi. So I decided to splurge a bit on a room in Casa Playa, only a 10-min drive E from Tayrona right on the beach near where a river intersects the sea. I had the bus drop me at the drive & found the lovely casa w it’s private pool perched atop a bluff directly overlooking the sea to the front & the river to the rear, flanked by crazy ridiculous beaches & equipped w a house man Benedicto. Best part? I was the only one to rent a room so not only did I get the best room but I had the whole place to myself which was perfect after an exhausting day at Tayrona. Only downside? The house was so close to the sea, the waves crashing below were pretty darn loud at night. I can’t even type that with a straight face. No the downside is I only had 3 days / 2 nights here.
https://youtu.be/1QQK3xQfn20
https://youtu.be/iJ7MJcULEHs
Hammock video especially for Cash
Cartagena… a little reminder of Havana
I was super excited to see Cartagena, a gorgeous Spanish colonial city on the Caribbean Sea. I thought I’d spend 5 nights here. I was planning to until I had to move up a future destination. So I only had 3 nights. It was enough although I had to cut out a jaunt to some outlying islands where I probably could’ve found some decent scuba diving (I need my fix).
A couple things about Cartagena:
(1) Cartagena is an outlier in Colombia as it’s expensive with prices nearing US levels. Which is a bummer.
(2) I was forewarned in the coffee country about the heat. I spent months in SE Asia so I admittedly shrugged it off. It’s MF hot in Cartagena. When you’re on the equator, that sun is just so goddam strong. So my schedule in Cartagena went something like this: sleep til 8, eat breakfast & hit the city by 9am before it’s scorching hot. Lunch at 1ish & then spend the rest of the afternoon in the shade on the rooftop of my hotel or lounge by the pool. Anything to get out of the sun. I’d come back to life around 5 & head out again to wander & enjoy the night.
The thing to do in Cartagena is wander. Wandering photogenic cities just so happens to be my favorite thing to do traveling, taking pitstops along the way in gorgeous chill plazas at coffee shops, restos & bars. It’s impossible to get lost as long as you stay in the old town as it’s fortified by large stone walls. The city is lovely & it reminded me a bit of Havana with its picturesque winding streets although the difference is Cartagena is a pristine colonial town unlike the dilapidated Havana (which in my opinion, just adds to its romanticism). I’m not sure there will ever be a more charming city than Havana so I should probably just remove it from any future equations.
Coffee (& chocolate) in Colombia… La Zona Cafetera
Thinking about Colombia, what comes to mind? Cocaine & coffee right? The country’s heyday on the former is thankfully past so tops on my list was most definitely to dive into the latter. No better way to do that then actually stay on a coffee farm in La Zona Cafetera, the Arabica-growing coffee mecca of Colombia, located just a 5hr bus ride South from Medellin near Manizales. The bus was more of a van jammed w 9 people plus the driver. Thankfully I had a bucket seat so while legroom was severely limited, there wasn’t anyone sitting on either side. I managed to convey to the driver before leaving that I wished to be dropped approximately 20 mins before Manizales at a pedestrian bridge with a restaurant nearby as I was going to a coffee farm, Hacienda Venecia. I was a tad bit anxious about it as I was unsure whether myself or the driver would recognize the site but turns out, there was nothing to worry about as it was very obvious. The driver swung over, dropped me & my backpack in the middle of nowhere & I wandered into the charming little restaurant near the bridge in order to call the ranch for a pickup & enjoyed fresh fruit juice while waiting.
As an aside… Colombia is justifiably known, in addition to coffee, for its freshly made fruit juice & it has become a daily staple in my diet featuring both known & previously unknown fruits (guanabana???). I’m more than a little obsessed.
Back to the coffee… the ranch driver scooped me & we were on our way down a rutted rough one-laned road into a valley surrounded by lush hills. The coffee farm was lovely. Three different accommodations including expensive main house, middle-of-the-road guesthouse & economical dorm bed hostal. I chose the middle-of-the-road featuring private rooms & baths & super cool travelers along w a pool & great indoor/outdoor communal area. House breakfasts, lunches & dinners features delicious local food & all the coffee you can drink. The coffee tour the next morning was really interesting & informational but I may have tuned out for a second as it dawned on me I’d done similar (but not as in-depth) tours in numerous wineries throughout my years but had never thought before to learn about the coffee process. I drink quite a lot of coffee. Perhaps I drink more wine?
The balance of my 3-day stay was spent lazing about in hammocks, eating, drinking coffee & to stay somewhat active, going on hikes into the hills for pretty spectacular views of the valley. As a special treat, the owner kindly showed off the cacao he’s now growing on the farm. We picked a fresh cacao & sucked the pulp off the beans which to my surprise, tastes quite fruity. To make chocolate, the beans are dried for days (so flash forward like those magic cooking shows), then roasted til they popped, peeled to separate the bean from its outer coating, smashed & then ground for 24 hours. We tasted the cacao frequently as the grinding would constantly change the consistency & taste of the chocolate. By the next afternoon, it was a real bitter flowing dark chocolate. We first added sugar to make a proper bitter dark chocolate, sampled quite a bit, & then added milk powder to make a milk chocolate. We finally poured the chocolate into molds, cooled in the refridgerator & enjoyed our freshly made milk chocolate bars that evening for dessert. Pretty damn great if you ask me. Although I’m clearly not used to “manual” labor as the 2hrs spent peeling the cacao beans left me w borderline blisters. I’ve got a lot to do before I take up farming. The bonding coffee experience brought us together as did shots of the local Colombian anise flavored liqueur, Aguardiente, & local Caldas rum. All in, a phenomenal trip to the coffee region.
Colonial Santa Fe de Antioquia for some culture
While I was enjoying Medellin, it struck me the end of day 2 that it was a truly modern city & unlike a lot of places I visit on my travels, it was a bit devoid of culture & history as most old buildings had been razed. To get a little culture, I decided to take a day trip to Santa Fe de Antioquia & try out Colombia’s bus system. An advertised 2hr bus trip was really 1.5hrs through gorgeous mountains to Santa Fe, which is the oldest city in the region & has maintained its colonial history. I visited on a weekday when prices are significantly cheaper as I read it was a key weekend getaway destination for Medellin locals. It was pretty empty which is just how I like it. Nestled in a valley, it was stunning & perfect for wandering the streets snapping photos, interacting w the locals & enjoying long lunches & great views.
Modern Medellin… my intro to South America
Due to a plane’s flat tire, my flight left 3.5 hours late from Miami to Medellin. The upside is I was able to watch most of the Packers playoff win vs Dallas. The downside is I didn’t land in Medellin until 1:30am & the airport was dead but for pre-arranged taxis which seemed like a really good idea in hindsight. Travel books say avoid private taxis for security reasons & only use official yellow Medellin taxis. Well that wasn’t an option so I found a man, who seemed like a very nice man, who operated a private taxi, and I talked to him in my elementary Espanol for 10 minutes about generalities & where I was going to ensure he was familiar with the area & he didn’t come across as an overt murderer, rapist or thief. He was nice & charming & it thankfully all worked out just fine as I happily arrived safely at my digs only a 3 block walk from the center of El Poblado, the supposed hip & trendy but oftentimes noisy hood in which I was staying, at 2:30am. So first trip snafu conquered with ease.
I happily explored much of Medellin for the next 3 days & despite its somewhat recent sordid history in cocaine trafficing courtesy of the late Pablo Escobar, it’s really come quite a long way in a relatively short time. The neighborhoods are interesting & welcoming. The metro system is the only one of its kind in Colombia, includes metro cables (cable cars) to its relatively impoverished barrios up in the hills & is far nicer than Chicago’s el. From what I can tell, it’s a happening modern city that’s very safe, accommodating & livable. The best part was the people. My recent trip to Cuba revealed the machisimo that’s a part of everyday Latin lives. I had heard & was expecting it to only ratchet up a notch in South America. To my very pleasant surprise, I’ve come across none of that so far in Colombia & I’m going to choose to believe it has everything to do with the kind, respectful nature of the Colombian people & nothing at all to do with the fact that I may have overreacted by chopping all of my hair off & dying it from platinum blonde to my more natural brunette.
amusemusings 