-There is food to be found EVERYWHERE; no need to pack for a bus trip because there are food vendors at least every couple meters of the country. Especially if you feel like any type of deep fried and stuffed corn patty that goes by many different names and comes in various shapes (pancake, lumpy ball, smooth ball, moon-shape, etc.)
-Colombians are among the nicest and friendliest people you will EVER meet. Strangers greet you in the street and some invite you to stay in their homes.
-The "tourist price" is rarely ever different than the "local price"- unlike places such as Mexico, Colombians are generally not trying to rip you off.
-Transport (eg. buses) is expensive but of good quality. This means they are equipped with reclining seats, bathrooms, sometimes a movie, and AC (which is also blasting way too high). The drivers are also less crazy than those in Central America or Asia, but there are still some white-knuckle moments.
-Public bathrooms are usually fairly clean but most cost approx. $0.25 and you must remember toilet paper (no squatters though, thank god).
-Taxis will always honk at you if you are walking somewhere, as if trying to convince you to be lazy and take a ride.
-A woman walking down the street faces very few degrading catcalls by local men (unlike Central America and Mexico).
-There is immense diversity between the various regions of Colombia- in terms of climate, landscape, clothing and accents of the people, etc.
-Mostly everywhere, the day seems to start out sunny and end up cloudy, with occasional rain depending on the region.
-Fruit and fruit juices are abundant, cheap, and delicious. Half of the fruits available do not even have a name in english because they don/t exist back home (eg. lulo).
-There are wide discrepancies in the standards of living here- there are many areas of cities that are modern, wealthy, trendy, etc. but that are usually not too far from the poorest of slums. Eg. on Isla Mukura the Pueblo which was of the poorest condition I have yet seen was less than a km from a 5-star resort and I bet the tourists that visit the island have no idea what is on the other side.
-a few average prices: Beer from the store- $1.00; Empanada- $0.50-$1.00; fresh fruit smoothie- $0.75-$1.50; full meal sometimes as low as $2.50 including drink; 12hr busride- $50.00 (ouch!); average night in hostel- $7-$10.
-Colombians are great partiers
-If you ask someone for directions and they don/t know them, they might still act as though they do and tell you where to go anyways. I am not sure if they are just to nice to say no or what, but this is a similar phenomenon as Central America and Mexico and so it is always best to ask a few sources.
-There is police and military everywhere. Military service is apparently mandatory but not too hard to get out of if you have money. The soldiers are mostly really young, they are all armed, and don/t seem to take things too too seriously. You might find yourself in a conversation about girlfriends and porn, their families, their plans, etc, or you might witness a couple of them drop their rifles in front of you and run off to wrestle each-other.
-It is not unusual have your bag searched upon entering an establishment, including malls, bars, and grocery stores.
-The country is overflowing with green space, even in the really large cities there are many parks and trees.
-Cocaine is not an alternate form of currency used to pay for groceries and other amenities (as I had been told prior to coming here). In fact I have not once been propositioned to buy cocaine and I have not met a single Colombian who actually uses it. Apparently it is mostly for export
(%80 of the world/s cocaine is produced here) and for use by the tourists here.
-The country is full of beautiful people- both naturally attractive and many with surgical enhancement.
-A shot of tinto (black coffee) can be found anywhere and is considered a national drink- the cost starts at $0.25
-Aguardiente may be considered the national liquor and it is not uncommon to see people pull a bottle out of their pocket or purse on the street or in a bar and take a shot.
-Colombia is not yet spoiled by tourism- there are still many places to go where you can be the only tourist around. I have been on many buses and in many public places where this has been the case.
-The tap water is drinkable in many cities.
-I still have no idea what a "typical" Colombian looks like- the population is a mix of mestizo, whites, black and white mixed, blacks, and indigenous; they do have height on the Mexicans and Central Americans
-Colombia is one of the most amazing countries that I have visited!! Viva Colombia!!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Hey Hey Cartagena!
Just arrived in beautiful Cartagena via speedboat from the island of Mukura. The ride was painful in many ways- the slamming into waves did a number on my back and the fact that I neglected to put sunscreen on my legs has created ugly lobster-red strips of burnt flesh, but only on the tops of my legs. Very attractive. Speaking of lobster though, I enjoyed a fantastic freshly caught and prepared lobster dinner on the island. I´m becoming quite skilled at extracting the meat from whole carcasses of sea creatures, although I haven´t yet brought myself to eat fish eyeballs or suck the meat from the brains yet....All in good time I suppose.
Going back a few days to Carnaval- damn do these Colombians know how to party! The festivities are supposed to last for 4 days straight, however in true Colombian spirit the rumba (party) begins weeks in advance for the Pre-Carnavales. Luckily for my liver I declined to attend these, and 2 days of full-on Carnaval partying proved to be enough anyways.
It all started Saturday when we bought tickets off some hawkers for $90 for 3 days of seating in the stands (the 4th day is free entry). The day started off early by stopping at the liquor store to fill water bottles with rum, followed by pounding a couple of beers in the hot sun while trying to barter for our tickets. By 1130am the bottles of spray foam came out and the fight was on. Once in the stands, there was flour added to the foam, which made for a nice white paste. And then came the rum and whisky, flowing from the bottles of people in the stands via shot cups or directly down the throat.
Although the floats were really impressive and the costumes and dancing really phenomenal, our attention was stuck in the stands for the most part, where the party was taking place. Our group consisted of 6 of us from the trek and one local woman (Alba), who is a professional Carnaval partier. Before I knew it, the floats ad dancers had disappeared and it was dark out, signaling it was time to go for some food and more straight shots of random liquor. Saturday night was an early one, and no one had trouble falling asleep on the concrete floor of Alba´s apartment until the next morning.
Day 2 began with a breakfast of pork and deep fried pork rind (which I have never been able to eat despite it´s popularity in all Latin American countries). The events of the day followed a similar beat of the previous, only myself and Collette decided we had not been fully prepared garment-wise the day before. Everyone in the stands was dressed up but us. We hit the corner store and bought our supplies- a marker, tons of sparkles, tacky wristbands and hair-ties, lollipops, a jar or caramel, balloons, and for myself a child´s t-shirt of a popular cartoon which I later chopped up quite nicely. Oh, and shower caps, the hit of the day.
After the main Carnaval events, we again hit the streets for food but this time we stayed out until 4am parying hard. There was free entertainment including a theatrical act, a live band or two, professional dancing, fire-spitting, etc. Maxi talked his way backstage and we got pictures with all the performers. He even convinced the fire-thrower to let him have a try at it.
Aside from that, Isla Mukura was fantastic- super relaxed after all the excitement that came before. We stayed at a resort-type place that is in the process of re-opening but as of yet had no other guests. It had been abandoned when it was taken over by para-militaries a few years ago and is only lately being renovated. We had a couple hours of electricity the first night because it was the owner´s birthday, but the second night there was none.
Cartagena, where I currently am, is absolutely breath-taking. I won´t bother trying to describe it. but will post some pics soon. I plan on leaving here tonight for Medellin and would like to get down south to Ecuador as soon as possible.
Going back a few days to Carnaval- damn do these Colombians know how to party! The festivities are supposed to last for 4 days straight, however in true Colombian spirit the rumba (party) begins weeks in advance for the Pre-Carnavales. Luckily for my liver I declined to attend these, and 2 days of full-on Carnaval partying proved to be enough anyways.
It all started Saturday when we bought tickets off some hawkers for $90 for 3 days of seating in the stands (the 4th day is free entry). The day started off early by stopping at the liquor store to fill water bottles with rum, followed by pounding a couple of beers in the hot sun while trying to barter for our tickets. By 1130am the bottles of spray foam came out and the fight was on. Once in the stands, there was flour added to the foam, which made for a nice white paste. And then came the rum and whisky, flowing from the bottles of people in the stands via shot cups or directly down the throat.
Although the floats were really impressive and the costumes and dancing really phenomenal, our attention was stuck in the stands for the most part, where the party was taking place. Our group consisted of 6 of us from the trek and one local woman (Alba), who is a professional Carnaval partier. Before I knew it, the floats ad dancers had disappeared and it was dark out, signaling it was time to go for some food and more straight shots of random liquor. Saturday night was an early one, and no one had trouble falling asleep on the concrete floor of Alba´s apartment until the next morning.
Day 2 began with a breakfast of pork and deep fried pork rind (which I have never been able to eat despite it´s popularity in all Latin American countries). The events of the day followed a similar beat of the previous, only myself and Collette decided we had not been fully prepared garment-wise the day before. Everyone in the stands was dressed up but us. We hit the corner store and bought our supplies- a marker, tons of sparkles, tacky wristbands and hair-ties, lollipops, a jar or caramel, balloons, and for myself a child´s t-shirt of a popular cartoon which I later chopped up quite nicely. Oh, and shower caps, the hit of the day.
After the main Carnaval events, we again hit the streets for food but this time we stayed out until 4am parying hard. There was free entertainment including a theatrical act, a live band or two, professional dancing, fire-spitting, etc. Maxi talked his way backstage and we got pictures with all the performers. He even convinced the fire-thrower to let him have a try at it.
Aside from that, Isla Mukura was fantastic- super relaxed after all the excitement that came before. We stayed at a resort-type place that is in the process of re-opening but as of yet had no other guests. It had been abandoned when it was taken over by para-militaries a few years ago and is only lately being renovated. We had a couple hours of electricity the first night because it was the owner´s birthday, but the second night there was none.
Cartagena, where I currently am, is absolutely breath-taking. I won´t bother trying to describe it. but will post some pics soon. I plan on leaving here tonight for Medellin and would like to get down south to Ecuador as soon as possible.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Pricey Post
Just a quickie- I`m safe here on an island called Mukura. The internet is super expensive because there`s no electricity. Will post again tomorrow or next day!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Carnaval!
Off to Carnaval in Barranquilla this morning. I´m going with a big group- half of which are from the trek and the other half locals. Should be a gong-show and I can´t wait. The guys are having their first beers as I write this (715 am).
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Lost City Found
And now for the account of my trek to Ciudad Perdida...
It all begins after arriving in Santa Marta on the coast and booking the tour through the hostel there. I am told that I have arrived just in time to take advantage of the last day of tours at the price of 400, 000 pesos. This price equates to approximately $200 Cdn for a 6 day all-inclusive hike and it certainly sounds good to me. My first friend from the tour is Nick, a Californian guy staying in the same dorm room as me. We go out for a shrimp cocktail and check out the scenery before heading in early to pack and get some sleep.
The tour gets underway late but by around 10 am we are 13 people squeezed into 2 jeeps with all the supplies and food. It is a tight and unpleasant ride- especially the 13 km at the end on unpaved roads which takes almost 2 hours to cover. There has been more rain than expected for the time of year and things are tough going. We get to a small village just before the trail begins and have a quick lunch- fishy rice and deep fried corn and plaintains. At this point everyone is a little weary about what we´ll be eating the next 6 days.
Very soon after departing we reach a river crossing with water at about knee-height and I stop to change into my sandals from my hiking boots. At the same time, a group returning from the trek is crossing in the opposite direction and a guy laughs at me kindly, and tells me not to bother as no article of clothing nor foot wear will remain dry for the next 6 days. Ok, good enough. I step into the frigid water. Turns out he is quite right- there is more mud, water, rain, and mule shit than I could ever have imagined along the trails to follow. I resign myself to this very quickly and thus am not bothered by it all too much. A couple slips here and there result in some awkward messes- but nothing the river crossings don´t wash off. And on the third day there happens to be 9 crossings of the very same river- the highest point being just higher than waist deep.
The first and second day go rather leisurely- some mild huffing and puffing but only during some lengthy uphill sprints. The guides are great and very experienced- they know just when to stop for a break or a snack of either fruit or straight sugar from wild sugar cane, cookies, or chocolate. Aside from the snacks, the meals are actually really tasty as well. The groups are supplied with cooks who do a great job, although no one could quite figure out why it always took so long.
The first day is probably 4 hours out on the trail, including the rest stops. By the time we reach our first sleeping shelter, it is getting dark and starting to rain. The shelter belongs to the family of one of the tour guides. It is farmland- used for agriculture mostly but there are also some chickens hanging around in the trees (don´t ask). Here, we amalgamate with another tour group to become roughly 20 people. In the morning we lose 2 though- an Austrian pair that just couldn´t hack it on the first day.
Everyone in the group is great- there are people from the US, Ireland, England, Austria, Argentina, Australia, and myself- the solo Canadian. No one seems to hang back too far either, which is nice. On the first morning while waiting for breakfast, there are rumours of a tour of a cocaine factory. Yes, it´s true. I couldn´t believe until I saw it either, but cocaine is a big part of Colombian export, and like coffee plantation tours- where there´s money to be made...
A bunch of us pay our $12 and follow a man from the farm into the jungle. Shortly after crossing a couple creeks we come across a small clearing and see a type of shanty set up. This clearly is not a cocaine factory, but we are told that the real deal is just a ways up the hill. This area is set up to show tourists just how cocaine paste is made from coca leaves. The man goes through the process, explaining what chemicals are used and how, going through various filtering processes, etc. It´s actually quite sickening to know what is used- gasoline for example is a key ingredient, but one that is extracted towards the end of the process. The whole tour takes about an hour and if nothing else, kills the time until breakfast.
We set out again for another 4 hour day- not overly challenging but a good pace. We find that there is quite a bit of downtime when we get to the second shelter, and thankfully some people thought to bring cards. The tour guides are also quite entertaining and on the second night we hear some live Colombian rap from 2 of the guys. Surprisingly it is also relatively comfortable sleeping in hammocks, and I find that my worst night of the trip is the only night where we sleep on a flat surface. I´m thankful to have brought a sleeping bag too, because the temperature dips pretty low at night.
The third days marks our arrival at the Lost City, and it is definitely the most challenging day- approx. 7 hours of hiking and 9 river crossings. The final challenge is the climb up more than 2000 steps to the ruins. The view at the top is spectacular though and worth every effort. We are the only people at the Lost City with the exception of the some 28 military personal ordered to keep watch of the archeological site. We soon discover that these military are quite bored out here all alone and seem to really enjoy the tourists that come through- some of us girls got some nice pictures with them holding us up and posing with their rifles.
We do most of our touring of the city the next morning. This is where we learn the history of the site- built by the Tayrona Natives in the 8th and 9th century but abandoned around the time that the Spanish arrive and discover that it is rich in gold. All the Tayrona are believed to have been wiped out by slaughter, disease, famine, etc. The city was re-discovered in the 1970´s when gold artifacts started turning up for sale in the markets of Santa Marta.
The fourth day after touring the site, we head back the way we came and spend the night in the same shelter as night 2. Similar events take place- eating, chatting, playing cards, and heading to the hammock around 930pm. The most difficult part of the tour may be getting up early every morning in the freezing cold and putting back on the same soaking wet and smelly clothes and shoes as the day before. Day 5 we visit a couple impressive waterfalls, but I decide not to climb down and swim in them because I feel my good luck at not injuring myself may be running out. Day 6 we find ourselves back at the village for lunch before piling back into the trucks to head back to civilization.
The whole group got along so well that we all decided to meet in the next town over- Taganga- for drinks to celebrate our success. Some of us are still travelling together at the moment- Nick, Maxi, and I just got back from Cabo de la Vela, and are heading out to Carnaval in Barranquilla with 2 others from the group tomorrow.
It all begins after arriving in Santa Marta on the coast and booking the tour through the hostel there. I am told that I have arrived just in time to take advantage of the last day of tours at the price of 400, 000 pesos. This price equates to approximately $200 Cdn for a 6 day all-inclusive hike and it certainly sounds good to me. My first friend from the tour is Nick, a Californian guy staying in the same dorm room as me. We go out for a shrimp cocktail and check out the scenery before heading in early to pack and get some sleep.
The tour gets underway late but by around 10 am we are 13 people squeezed into 2 jeeps with all the supplies and food. It is a tight and unpleasant ride- especially the 13 km at the end on unpaved roads which takes almost 2 hours to cover. There has been more rain than expected for the time of year and things are tough going. We get to a small village just before the trail begins and have a quick lunch- fishy rice and deep fried corn and plaintains. At this point everyone is a little weary about what we´ll be eating the next 6 days.
Very soon after departing we reach a river crossing with water at about knee-height and I stop to change into my sandals from my hiking boots. At the same time, a group returning from the trek is crossing in the opposite direction and a guy laughs at me kindly, and tells me not to bother as no article of clothing nor foot wear will remain dry for the next 6 days. Ok, good enough. I step into the frigid water. Turns out he is quite right- there is more mud, water, rain, and mule shit than I could ever have imagined along the trails to follow. I resign myself to this very quickly and thus am not bothered by it all too much. A couple slips here and there result in some awkward messes- but nothing the river crossings don´t wash off. And on the third day there happens to be 9 crossings of the very same river- the highest point being just higher than waist deep.
The first and second day go rather leisurely- some mild huffing and puffing but only during some lengthy uphill sprints. The guides are great and very experienced- they know just when to stop for a break or a snack of either fruit or straight sugar from wild sugar cane, cookies, or chocolate. Aside from the snacks, the meals are actually really tasty as well. The groups are supplied with cooks who do a great job, although no one could quite figure out why it always took so long.
The first day is probably 4 hours out on the trail, including the rest stops. By the time we reach our first sleeping shelter, it is getting dark and starting to rain. The shelter belongs to the family of one of the tour guides. It is farmland- used for agriculture mostly but there are also some chickens hanging around in the trees (don´t ask). Here, we amalgamate with another tour group to become roughly 20 people. In the morning we lose 2 though- an Austrian pair that just couldn´t hack it on the first day.
Everyone in the group is great- there are people from the US, Ireland, England, Austria, Argentina, Australia, and myself- the solo Canadian. No one seems to hang back too far either, which is nice. On the first morning while waiting for breakfast, there are rumours of a tour of a cocaine factory. Yes, it´s true. I couldn´t believe until I saw it either, but cocaine is a big part of Colombian export, and like coffee plantation tours- where there´s money to be made...
A bunch of us pay our $12 and follow a man from the farm into the jungle. Shortly after crossing a couple creeks we come across a small clearing and see a type of shanty set up. This clearly is not a cocaine factory, but we are told that the real deal is just a ways up the hill. This area is set up to show tourists just how cocaine paste is made from coca leaves. The man goes through the process, explaining what chemicals are used and how, going through various filtering processes, etc. It´s actually quite sickening to know what is used- gasoline for example is a key ingredient, but one that is extracted towards the end of the process. The whole tour takes about an hour and if nothing else, kills the time until breakfast.
We set out again for another 4 hour day- not overly challenging but a good pace. We find that there is quite a bit of downtime when we get to the second shelter, and thankfully some people thought to bring cards. The tour guides are also quite entertaining and on the second night we hear some live Colombian rap from 2 of the guys. Surprisingly it is also relatively comfortable sleeping in hammocks, and I find that my worst night of the trip is the only night where we sleep on a flat surface. I´m thankful to have brought a sleeping bag too, because the temperature dips pretty low at night.
The third days marks our arrival at the Lost City, and it is definitely the most challenging day- approx. 7 hours of hiking and 9 river crossings. The final challenge is the climb up more than 2000 steps to the ruins. The view at the top is spectacular though and worth every effort. We are the only people at the Lost City with the exception of the some 28 military personal ordered to keep watch of the archeological site. We soon discover that these military are quite bored out here all alone and seem to really enjoy the tourists that come through- some of us girls got some nice pictures with them holding us up and posing with their rifles.
We do most of our touring of the city the next morning. This is where we learn the history of the site- built by the Tayrona Natives in the 8th and 9th century but abandoned around the time that the Spanish arrive and discover that it is rich in gold. All the Tayrona are believed to have been wiped out by slaughter, disease, famine, etc. The city was re-discovered in the 1970´s when gold artifacts started turning up for sale in the markets of Santa Marta.
The fourth day after touring the site, we head back the way we came and spend the night in the same shelter as night 2. Similar events take place- eating, chatting, playing cards, and heading to the hammock around 930pm. The most difficult part of the tour may be getting up early every morning in the freezing cold and putting back on the same soaking wet and smelly clothes and shoes as the day before. Day 5 we visit a couple impressive waterfalls, but I decide not to climb down and swim in them because I feel my good luck at not injuring myself may be running out. Day 6 we find ourselves back at the village for lunch before piling back into the trucks to head back to civilization.
The whole group got along so well that we all decided to meet in the next town over- Taganga- for drinks to celebrate our success. Some of us are still travelling together at the moment- Nick, Maxi, and I just got back from Cabo de la Vela, and are heading out to Carnaval in Barranquilla with 2 others from the group tomorrow.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Oh the Suspense...
I am currently in a place called Riohacha. Spent the weekend in a very quiet and relaxing town called Minca and left for a place called Cabo de la Vela today. Problem was that we left too late in the day and are now stuck half way in a not so beautiful town. Making the best of it though, we went to a bar called Tequila, Sal y Limon, and had a couple of shots of tequila. Which prompted us to buy a bottle of tequila as well as a bottle of rum for the 2 nights we´ll be spending in Cabo de la Vela. I´m currently travelling with 2 guys- one really cute Argentinian named Maxi, and Nick from the US- both of which I met on the tour to Ciudad Perdida. I still promise to get around to writing about the trek!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Update
All is still well, but not quite in the mood yet for a lengthy account of the trek. I will keep everyone in suspense for a little while longer. Just relaxing at the beach in Taganga.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Safe Return
Just a quick note to say that I am alive and well- have returned from the jungle intact!! Will write more soon...
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
In Search of the Lost City...
Just packing up to depart Bucaramanga (actually Floridablanca) for Santa Marta in order to get on board the hike to Ciudad Perdida. I purchased hiking shoes and a sleeping bag for the trek, as well as a new pair of sweat pants, which essentially equates to an overflowing and painfully heavy backpack. I desperately need to sort through my belongings and chuck what I don´t need- which is practically 3/4 of what I have, but I´m a girl, what can I say?
I spent the past few days relaxing with Tania and her family, as well as Jonas from Switzerland. We shopped for my trek gear, hung around the pool near Tania´s house, watched some movies, and ate tons of delicious but very unhealthy food that is so typical here. Think: deep fried pork rinds, plantains, arepas (buttery deep fried corn patties), etc. I´ve also been enjoying the heat- the days are comfortably hot and the nights warm, with manageable humidity and occasional showers. I know what awaits on the coast though- insufferable heat and humidity.
In the event that I don´t post before I go on the 6 day trek, I would like to ask everyone not to worry- I have spoken to at least 20 people who have done the hike and there is practically no risk of anything bad happening. If I leave on Friday, I probably won´t post again until the following Friday. That´s all for now folks!
I spent the past few days relaxing with Tania and her family, as well as Jonas from Switzerland. We shopped for my trek gear, hung around the pool near Tania´s house, watched some movies, and ate tons of delicious but very unhealthy food that is so typical here. Think: deep fried pork rinds, plantains, arepas (buttery deep fried corn patties), etc. I´ve also been enjoying the heat- the days are comfortably hot and the nights warm, with manageable humidity and occasional showers. I know what awaits on the coast though- insufferable heat and humidity.
In the event that I don´t post before I go on the 6 day trek, I would like to ask everyone not to worry- I have spoken to at least 20 people who have done the hike and there is practically no risk of anything bad happening. If I leave on Friday, I probably won´t post again until the following Friday. That´s all for now folks!
Sunday, February 1, 2009
No More Cobblestones!!
Current location: Bucaramanga- try saying it out loud, it´s great fun. I´m staying with Tania, a super nice couchsurfer that I met in Bogota. She lives with her parents, her sister, and her dog. Last night we had a cosy slumber party, us 3 girls, in the bunk beds. This was after we went out to celebrate another couchsurfer´s birthday. We went to an outdoor games spot which to me resembled a driving range, and played a game called Tejo. It consisted of throwing heavy lumps of metal at a target box filled with clay. The purpose was to hit the the red triangle target in the middle, which happens to be a small explosive that when hit fills the air with smoke. I was horrible at the game and couldn´t even get the lump into the clay...
I spent the 2 previous nights in San Gil, which is known as the adventure sport capital of Colombia. The only activity I was interested in was the bungee-jumping, but I couldn´t find anyone at the hostel to go with me and it´s not something you want to go doing alone... Instead, I went on a hike to some impressive waterfalls then to Gallineral Park the first day in San Gil. Yesterday I hopped a colectivo to a nearby town called Barichara- the guide book calls it a colonial town ¨par excellence¨. The streets were all cobblestone like Villa de Leyva, which for me means nothing more than that it´s hard and painful to walk on. Despite this, I decided to hike an hour and a half to the even smaller and more remote town of Guane, named after the indigenous group. At the start I did not realize that this path too was all cobblestone, built sometime in the lates 1800´s. Oh well, I thought- I´ll just take the bus back. But alas, I missed the bus back by about 5 minutes because I had to stop for a tropical jugo natural. 3 hours on cobblestone does not put Krista in a good mood. I am considering it all training for Ciudad Perdida though- the 6 day hike that I will be taking very soon.
I spent the 2 previous nights in San Gil, which is known as the adventure sport capital of Colombia. The only activity I was interested in was the bungee-jumping, but I couldn´t find anyone at the hostel to go with me and it´s not something you want to go doing alone... Instead, I went on a hike to some impressive waterfalls then to Gallineral Park the first day in San Gil. Yesterday I hopped a colectivo to a nearby town called Barichara- the guide book calls it a colonial town ¨par excellence¨. The streets were all cobblestone like Villa de Leyva, which for me means nothing more than that it´s hard and painful to walk on. Despite this, I decided to hike an hour and a half to the even smaller and more remote town of Guane, named after the indigenous group. At the start I did not realize that this path too was all cobblestone, built sometime in the lates 1800´s. Oh well, I thought- I´ll just take the bus back. But alas, I missed the bus back by about 5 minutes because I had to stop for a tropical jugo natural. 3 hours on cobblestone does not put Krista in a good mood. I am considering it all training for Ciudad Perdida though- the 6 day hike that I will be taking very soon.
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