Playa Blanca, Colombia

Cartagena was not what I was expecting of the Caribbean, so Dave and I took a boat to some islands west of the city. Our first stop was to the aqua waters of Isla del Rosario, a tiny island surrounded by immaculate water with a very small aquarium on the mainland. A tiny place, we didn't spend long before jumping back on the boat and heading to the paradise that was Playa Blanca on Isla Baru.

We disembarked with the rest of the crowd, after a nice fried fish lunch we searched for a place to stay while ninety-five percent of the crowd left to return to the mainland. We found some hammocks to rent under a raised thatched cabana (under $4 US a night) and settled in with some beers and a swim in the crystal clear warm water. The sand was so fine it felt like clay, and we were treated on our first night to an amazing sunset and vast amount of colours throughout dusk.

The dark clouds that threatened during the afternoon closed in soon after dark, but we managed to survive a tropical lightning storm without leaving the confines of our hammocks. The wind blew straight through and sometimes the rain too, but in the morning all was forgiven as we walked five metres to an ocean sized swimming pool. We spent the day alternating between swimming, reading, eating and drinking. Again we were treated to a breathtaking sunset, but to our pleasure the skies stayed relatively clear and the nights sleep was much more peaceful.

The final days was the best of all. The calm night somehow managed to make the seas even clearer, every view was postcard quality. Again, swimming and reading took most of the day. Close to lunch we saw a canoe pull up on shore and the guy took to shore with a handful of still-kicking lobsters. We followed the guy who bought a few and hit him up for a fresh seafood lunch. An hour later we were tucking into the freshest crustaceans I have ever had the pleasure to eat. A perfect final meal.

The island was a paradise except during the times that the tourists filled up the beaches, only from 1-4 PM. Apart from that we shared the stretch of beach with perhaps 30 people, two-thirds of those permanent residents. We didn't want to leave but unfortunately Dave had a place to catch and with reluctance we left back to Cartagena.

At least we were rewarded with another amazing sunset.... I'm gonna miss this....

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Cartagena, Colombia

Much to my surprise it was roughly the same price to fly from Medellin to Cartagena as it was to take other transport. Saving twelve hours and not having to sleep overnight on a bus, it was an easy decision especially as Dave was on a tighter schedule. It was not without drama, trying to book cheap Colombian air fairs using Australian credit cards turned out to be impossible, but we eventually found a brick and mortar store selling tickets and although we missed some better deals we were soon on our way.

After an hour in the air we arrived to the hot and humid Caribbean city of Cartagena. After arriving to our hostel we took a walk around the city to get our bearings. The difference from Medellin was immediately apparent, the inhabitants and culture definitely has a much greater African influence than the southern cities. The city definitely felt a lot more touristy, never a good sign to see a lot of signs and advertisements in English.

Uncomfortably humid during the day, the city is much nicer around dusk and into the night, the sea breezes cool the streets and it is much more pleasant to wander the old colonial streets. Every night Dave and I would buy a few cheap beers and sit on the old fortifications watching the city pass us by.

A very nice way to pass the time and after a few cold beers I found the local street food, especially the 'Patacon con todos', absolutely delicious and very easy going down.

Unfortunately the weather at times was erratic, we awoke to torrential rain most mornings which wouldn't clear up until midday. The evenings were mostly fine, although we were caught in a sudden downpour on at least one occasion. We did get some periods of sun where the beauty of the city became apparent. Lots of old cathedrals, forts and old colonial streets, but if the skies are overcast the city feels run down and dirty. Maybe I need more time to get used to the humidity but Cartagena, while OK for a couple of days, was not a destination I would rush back to.

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Medellin, Colombia

From Bogota Dave and I took an overnight bus to the city of Medellin, once one the most violent cities in the world. Today the city is a lot safer, but not without its seedier side. Luckily we were staying in a nice hostel (free pancakes and coffee all day) in the safest neighbourhood of Medellin.

We took in the architecture throughout the city, only occasionally wandering into the dangerous parts. A definite highlight was visiting the aquarium (the largest of its kind in South America) and the technological museum above it. I felt like a kid again, testing my speed in a foot race against a cheetah (I lost), seeing a live thermal image of myself, and lots of other awesome experiments.

I like Medellin, a nicer city than Bogota and Cali, but we quickly learned that during October it starts to rain at 3:00 PM every afternoon. We were caught out twice, the second time whilst attending a free rock concert in the park. We were thoroughly drenched by the time we made it back to the hostel, but the days are warm and the nights pleasant and it is nice to be staying in a smaller, more managable city.

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Bogota, Colombia

I left a small cosy town tucked away in the misty mountains of central Colombia and spent all day on a bus to arrive in the heaving, sprawling capital of Bogota. At 2600m and having a population of over 8.25 million the city is the polar opposite of Salento, I felt the difference within moments of stepping off the bus.

From the terminal I took a smaller metro bus into the 'La Candelaria' district and withing minutes of getting the bus to stop I eventually managed to squeeze my way through the packed carriage and onto the streets of Bogota. I stayed in a neighbourhood covered in great street art and close to a lot of bars and restaurants but the homeless situation was immediately apparent, so far it was the worst I have experienced in South America.

The next day I wandered the streets to get a feel for the city, and waited for my good friend Dave Miller to arrive. He turned up in the afternoon and after cracking a few cold beers to celebrate we set off to experience the city. We wandered the streets taking in the many churches, cathedrals and squares which are clustered adjacent to our neighbourhood, Bogota is a city of great history.

The second day we climbed 'Cerro de Monserrate' which at 3200m gave an amazing overview of the area. One side of the valley showed the sprawl of the city, the other a view of mostly untouched forest. At the summit we chatted to a group of very inquisitive young kids, further reinforcing my opinion that Colombians are the friendliest people in South America.

The remainder of our time in the city was spent walking the city, a definite highlight was the amazing 'Musuem of Gold' housing over 34,000 pieces of gold jewelery, religious and cultural artifacts.

A city worth experiencing but after a few days we wanted to leave the big city for something a little less oppressive so we made our way further north.

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Salento, Colombia

Nestled in the mountains of Colombia is the small, unhurried town of Salento. The region produces a lot of coffee, and the charming guesthouse I stayed in promised freshly brewed cups all day long. Needless to say it was the icing on the cake and decision was quickly made.

Salento is a very small town and I spent most of the time chilling out in the hammock, drinking coffee and reading. It managed to rain most afternoons which eased my conscience at being so inactive. Most days the mist hung around the mountain tops, and it wasn't uncommon for it to descend and blanket the town for a few hours.

On a clear morning I set off to Cocora valley, deciding not to wait for the 4wd taxis I walked the 11km road to Cocora, then the addition 5km along muddy trails and through wet forests to the Acaime nature reserve. It began to rain as I was walking the trail and the numerous horse back riders churned the paths into a mire, luckily I have great hiking boots.

I was rewarded by the long wet trek on my arrival to the nature reserve, I has handed a huge mug of 'Aguapanela', a very sweet honey flavoured drink, just the thing to warm me up. I sat and watched the numerous hummingbirds flitter to and from the many bird feeders around the lookout, well worth the effort.

So far the people in Colombia have been very friendly. On the walk to the nature reserve I met a really nice Colombian couple, as I was crossing one of the bridges they just came up to me and started chatting (and also gave me a cookie and a mandarin!). I also managed to get a ride back with another group who were visiting Salento for the weekend.

A very relaxed few days (except for the small earthquakes on my final night), the polar opposite of my next destination, Bogota...

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Cali, Colombia

Twenty four hours after I left the hostel in Quito I arrived to Cali, Colombia. The border crossing from Ecuador was simple, although in my haste I allowed myself to get ripped off when changing money over. After having dinner in the border town of Ipiales (where a group of young girls took a fascination of me, and a toddler was so delighted to see me writing my journal he climbed onto my table and started imitating me when I gave him a sheet of paper) I took an overnight bus to Cali. Arriving in the morning I was immediately struck by the heat of the city, I found a hostel and waited out the heat of the day in the shade.

I was given a guided tour of the downtown area and northern suburbs by some very friendly locals I met through the couchsurfing website. A great way to see the place and get an insiders perspective on the city. Something that I should have tried sooner.

After three sweaty days I was ready to head to slightly cooler climes and a safer city. When walking around downtown I saw riot and motorbike police give chase to a young guy across the adjacent street from where I was. Cali has a reputation of being a dangerous city, it was time to head somewhere a lot more relaxed. 

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