Visiting Colombia would sadly be the final destination of our 13 month travel expedition. By now I was honestly getting pretty tired of the 13 plus hour bus rides, wearing the same 3 pairs of leggings and daily budgeting. However, we had heard from so many fellow travellers that Colombia had been one of their favourite destinations so I was willing to remain upbeat about the up coming month of travel. Also, seeing as we were on our final countdown, there was no other option other than to make the most of what remaining time (and money) we had left because before we knew it we would be back to the daily grind of working the monotonous 9-5 ....(the horror!)
Ipiales
Ipiales, a small Andean city near the border of Ecuador would be our first destination in Colombia. Getting here was by another bus from Quito where when arriving at the border, a long queue ensued waiting to be seen by border police. The Colombian-Ecuador border is known for being a bit of a long painful process with some stories we read online of people having to wait for hours and hours. We were fully expecting a similar experience. The thing that struck us most about this border crossing here was the separate queue for Venezuelan people, many being young males and many with not much possessions. Venezuela is a country currently in deep crises so thousands of people are trying to flee to neighbouring countries in search for a better life. It was a desperately sad sight to see as a lot of the people were of similar age to ourselves but were clearly living vastly different lives. At one stage we were told to leave our bags in a cage in order to progress through the queue and I hate to say it but I was very concerned our stuff would get robbed considering the obvious poverty that surrounded us and for the fact that our phone had got robbed back in Quito but nonetheless we didn't really have a choice in the matter. Thankfully after about two hours of queuing and queuing to get into another queue we got our passport stamped so were finally free to leave to do as we pleased. Our bags too were still where we had left them which was even better.
Many people who enter Colombia through Ipiales, don't hang around for too long. However we had read about a church and sanctuary called Las Lajas and going by the pictures it looked pretty impressive so we decided to spend a night nearby to check the place out. Not ones for mass going, we sure have visited a lot of places of worship throughout our travels and I must say that this place was certainly up there as being one of the most unique both in location and structure, being constructed within a deep valley along the Guaitara River in beautiful gothic style. We spent a few hours here strolling the church grounds while admiring our surroundings.
Popayan and Indigenous Market at Silvia
Leaving Ipiales after a flying yet enjoyable visit, our next stop was to the colonial city of Popayan, situated South West of Bogata at the base of Purace Volcano and known for its white washed colonial buildings. Nicknamed the 'White City', we spent the majority of our time here meandering through the bright white streets and enjoying plenty of people watching.....one of our favourite past times!
One of our main reasons for stopping off in this city was not only for its charm but also for the weekly indigenous market held in the nearby town of Silvia. Every Tuesday the local Guambiano Indigenous people arrive dressed in colourful traditional clothing from the little towns surrounding the mountain village to buy and sell their goods.
The majority of the market is held indoors and is bustling with both buyers and sellers of fresh produce, household wares, textiles and mountains of potatoes! As we wondered through the stalls we found a few kitchens tucked away down a dark passageway so decided to grab our lunch and try whatever was cooking....a hearty soup filled with potatoes was on offer along side a main of rice and fish. There's no such thing as choosing from a menu in these parts as you eat what you are given and most of the time its pretty damn good and of course super cheap. We really enjoyed our time at this market as very few tourists were about and we got the opportunity to immerse ourselves in the indigenous way of life and culture.
Cali
Our next stop in Colombia was to the bustling and vibrant city of Cali. This city is known primarily for its salsa dancing and the people here love nothing more than dancing to the rhythm of these infectious beats. It's a pity I couldn't say the same for Paul as the last thing I knew he wanted to do was dabble in more dancing after his feelings of embarrassment in dancing the tango back in Argentina. Thankfully however after a little persuasion and some puppy dog eyes he reluctantly agreed as after all no trip to Cali would be complete without experiencing the cities number one claim to fame. There are so many salsa clubs in Cali to choose from it was hard to find something to suit complete beginners like ourselves but we managed to find a few that offered free classes for beginners. So we weren't very good at the start, perhaps a little self conscious at our total lack of experience but once the music started and we had learned a few moves we managed to enjoy a few dances in the clubs. However, we mainly spent most of our time watching and admiring the real dancers who moved effortlessly around the floor making it all look so easy.
Other than salsa dancing, Cali offered plenty more to keep us entertained for a few days. One of my favourite things we did was visit a unique butterfly farm nestled in the green hills just outside the city. Here we had the opportunity to encounter 15 different native species of butterfly, each one more beautifully coloured than the last. We learned about their habitat and how they reproduce. Some even posed for some photos!
We mainly spent the rest of our days in Cali, strolling the pretty streets and taking in the buzzing atmosphere, one little park we came across being the cat park which consisted of a huge variety of colourful statues of cats, all painted in unique designs. A fun way to spend an afternoon and of course I love cats so I'm easily amused, just a shame they weren't the real thing.
Salento
Moving on from our dancing nights and lazy days in Cali we headed on a 3 hour bus towards the small Andean town of Salento famous for its coffee estates and postcard perfect wax palm trees. With its colourfully painted facades and proximity to Cocora Valley, this is probably one of the most touristed spots in Colombia.
Salento was the perfect place to play Colombias favourite explosive sport...Tejo! Yes, I had never heard of it either but apparently it's the countries most loved traditional sport. The aim of the game is to throw a small weight at little targets containing gunpowder which explode on impact. We weren't very good and soon found ourselves watching the locals show us how its done. A completely bizarre, (probably a bit dangerous) yet highly enjoyable game.
One of the main reasons people flock to the region of Salento is for the coffee. It's kind of a pity Paul and I aren't actually huge coffee drinkers but we knew we couldn't leave this region without sampling some of the black stuff. We were lucky however that we are lovers of nature, quaint small towns and endless green mountain scenery as this place had tonnes of it.
We spent a whole two days here going to numerous different small coffee plantations where we learned all things coffee related such as growing and harvesting the beans, drying, milling ,storing and drinking. From seed to cup the journey to your coffee cup is actually a long but an interesting journey. In each coffee plantation we sampled some of their products while enjoying the beautiful green surroundings. For a couple who are by no means coffee enthusiasts, we actually really enjoyed our time here exploring the region. However, I still don't think I'll be needing a coffee to wake me up each morning!
After filling ourselves with copious cups of coffee, we decided to explore more of the beauty of this region with a visit to the infamous Cocora valley, a short 30 minute drive from the main plaza in Salento. There are numerous different ways to hike through the valley so we of course chose the hardest one. We sure do like to punish ourselves but travelling can't all be about eating and drinking! The workout was great after all that coffee and the views on the way were worth the effort. Cocora valley is a cloud forest so the landscape here provides ample waterfalls, trees, creeks, green fields and of course, muddy pathways. On the way along the ridge we got our first glimpse of the massive palm trees which was only building our anticipation for the views that were to come. The end of the uphill climb was soon in sight and once we reached the halfway point, it was all down hill from there. From the path down there were numerous look out points where we stopped to admire the beautiful views that lay before us. These huge towering wax palm trees, some stretching as high as 45m were an astonishing sight to behold amongst the misty low lying clouds and fog.
As we waved through these enormous wax palms we took our time to enjoy our unique surroundings not only because we were fairly exhausted from hiking the past few hours in wet muddy conditions but also for the fact that these huge giants were nothing but fascinating and such a unique sight to behold.
Medellin
Next up on our Colombian adventure was to the city of Medellin. This city has undergone a huge metropolitan rise in popularity with tourists flocking to its colourful streets to soak up the cool vibe and interesting history. Medellin was also where for the first time in 12 months we would meet familiar faces from home in Ireland which we were both immensely looking forward to!
One of our favourite activities we did in Medellin was the Comuna 13 tour. Just a few short years ago Comuna 13 was a no go area of the city, renowned for its gang warfare, drug dealing and illegal trafficking. However, nowadays the streets tell a very different story. The area has undergone a huge transformation which now sees thousands of tourists visiting to lay eyes on the amazing graffiti which covers the street walls and to enjoy the many dance and art performances by locals. The construction of a metro cable which traverses the steep hill sides have also made this area so much more accessible for both residence and tourists alike.
Another interesting tour we signed up for was the Medellin city tour which told the story of how the people and the city emerged from the shadow of violence from the Pablo Escobar era. Of course the drug trade still exists in these parts but not to the same extent as when Escobar was at the height of his power. We always felt safe while exploring all the exciting things that this city had to offer and locals often stopped and asked about where we were from and were happy to see foreigners visit what was once considered one of the most dangerous cities in the world thanks to Escobar. Paul even managed to get one of the best beard cuts of his beard life so far!
Later that evening after our day enjoying the sights of the city, we met up with our Irish friends to experience the atmosphere of another South American football match. Like Argentina, and indeed most of South America, football is life and after having a 'ball' at a Bocca game in Buenos Aires, we were excited to find out that a local football team was playing a match that night. For the next 90 minutes we enjoyed the roar and banging of drums by the devote supporters. The atmosphere, as hoped, was electric!
The next day, we mustered up the energy to rise early for a day trip to Guatapé. Only a short bus ride from Medellin, this quirky resort town is known for its colourfully decorated houses and a giant granite rock where hundreds of steps lead to sweeping views over the sprawling artificial lake below. Climbing the 740 steps in the midday heat to the top was both knackering and sweaty but worth it for the views. Often called one of the best views in the world (it's NOT by the way!), it was still certainly worth the effort. To award ourselves for our efforts, we enjoyed the rest of the day taking in the sights of the town and people watching as we hydrated ourselves in one of the many street cafes. Every building here is like a piece of art with home and business owners painting their dwellings in the brightest of colours. I just loved it!
The next day Paul and I decided to do a food tour with a lovely young local girl who showed us all the weird and wonderful fruits of Colombia. To my shame I can't remember the names of most of the fruits we tasted but I do remember the amazing tastes and smells that surrounded us. One thing I learned from our travels is that I love a good bustling food market and this place was up there with the best in terms of variety and chaotic scenes of busy shoppers and food vendors. A tasty last day in the city of Medellin indeed. That night us and our friends enjoyed some civilised alcoholic drinks in our hostel while playing an epic dice game called 'Farkle' (look it up for some lockdown fun!)
Cartagena
Moving on from a great few days in Medellin which was filled with tasty food, Irish amigos and funky colourful buildings, our next stop on our Colombian exploit was to the colonial city of Cartagena situated along the northern coast and our gateway to sandy beaches and blue seas of the Caribbean. This historic town lends itself to cobbled streets and beautifully preserved historic buildings all nestled within the old colonial stone walls which offer views out over the glistening blue waters. We spent a few days here enjoying the old world feel of our surroundings, people watching and soaking up the bustling atmosphere. Plenty of more colourful buildings were found on most street corners for me to feast my eyes on.
Rincon del Mar
With our flight home looming closer and closer we wanted to escape the craziness of the cities we had spent the last while in and instead spend some time relaxing and reflecting on all we had done and experienced over the last year. Cartagena, being a gateway to the Caribbean gave us plenty of options for some much needed downtime. Many of the beaches close to Cartagena seemed like they would be busy with tourists so Paul did some research (what he does best!) and came across a small fishing village called Rincon del Mar which was off the beaten track and the perfect place for some relaxation while also giving us the real Caribbean experience. The fact this place was off the beaten track proved indeed to be very true as it took us a very slow 5 hour bumpy bus ride to get us, not to our final destination but merely the closet town to it. By the time we arrived it was nightfall and once we dragged ourselves and our backpacks off the bus, we were immediately greeted by a plethora of rowdy locals with motorbikes offering to bring us the rest of the way (about 30mins). Through the barrage of local men shouting at us looking for our business, we got talking to an older, more pleasant man with a rusty old car. In true backpacking style, Paul did his best at some haggling and got us a decent deal for the 30 minute journey and at least with the car, rather than a motorbike, we could fit in all of our gear. The rest of our journey lead us down a pitch-dark pothole infested dirt road that would eventually lead us to Rincon. We managed to find our hostel right on the beaches edge and lay our heads down for the night looking forward to spending the next week here with our feet up.
We awoke the next morning to the noise of local fishermen getting their boats ready for a day on the waters. After our morning breakfast of deliciously crispy empanadas which we had bought from a local street vendor, we relaxed on the golden sand beach and watched as the local men, woman and children went about their slow way of life. Children here were having such a great time playing marbles in the sand and dunking and diving in the sea. Do children in the Western world even know what marbles are??! We watched the children from sunrise to sunset and it was great to see them so happy in their surroundings with no TV's or mobile phones to distract them from having fun. This small fishing village had a real authentic vibe to it as tourism had clearly not found its way here yet (which in my eyes is a very good thing). When we weren't swinging on hammocks or swimming in the water we took the time to explore the many dirt roads, small houses and shops all the while admiring the beautiful simple way of life. I'm sure as we wondered through these peoples surroundings we looked very out of place as there wasn't too many other white tourists around which again for us made it that bit more special and unique. That evening we would see the fishermen come in with their days catch. The men would drink beers and joke with each other after a long day at sea while the women would be busy cooking up the evening meal. We too enjoyed eating our evening dinners served to us right on the beach. We would rinse and repeat this pace of life for the next few days the highlight being a 20 minute walk from our hostel where we would have a beach trapped between palm trees and the ocean with nobody else around. Just what we were looking for!
I had seen advertised in our hostel a trip to see some bioluminescent plankton. I had seen many pictures online of such natural phenomena's so to get the chance to see this event in person was defiantly something I was going to sign us up for. As night fell, we went down to the waters edge where we would be greeted by our boat driver. Us and a few other travellers boarded the rickety wooden boat and headed off into the night to get a glimpse of these creatures. Once having arrived at the hidden secluded bay, our driver then allowed us to get into the warm waters. The water surrounding us immediately started to glow a mystical bluish-green and with each movement the glow grew stronger and stronger. As we splashed through the water it felt like we had been transported right into a fantasy movie. It was a thoroughly unique and enjoyable way to spend a few hours in the dark other than drinking cocktails!
Mucura Island
After spending a few really enjoyable and relaxing days in the quaint authentic town of Rincon del Mar, we decided to continue on exploring more of the Caribbean region and headed for the coral island of Mucura located in the Archipelago of San Bernardo in the Caribbean sea. If we thought Rincon del Mar was beautiful, this place was on a whole other level in terms of beauty with the clearest bluest waters we have ever seen and the softest powdery sand. However although stunning, perhaps lacking the same local and authentic feel as Rincon with many resorts dotted throughout the island with a definite increase in the number of tourists present. However, this didn't really bother us much as we were solely here to relax and unwind and thats exactly what we did for the next few days.
We drank copious amounts of coco loco cocktails, slept on our sun beds with the shade of the palm trees protecting us from the hot sun and cooled ourselves down in the crystal blue sea. It really was the best way we could have ended our 13 months of travel not only for the fact that we were utterly exhausted but for the fact that our surroundings were just perfect. With many couples here on honeymoon or from cruise ships, we definitely felt lucky to be here on our shoe string budget.
Bogata
Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and with that meant the end of our few days in paradise. But all was not lost as we were headed to the vibrant capital city of Bogota. Bogota is Colombia's sprawling high altitude capital offering us more colonial era buildings in the cobblestoned centre. As this was the end of our trip we wanted only to further relax and enjoy our time together before moving back in with the parents back home (the horror!). It was hard to believe that after 13 months, we were now at the end of our epic journey but we made the most of it, creating our final few memories. We have done our fair share of walking tours in the last 13 months so no better way to end our trip with our final city walking tour. The tour not only got us up out of bed early but gave us a great sense of what Bogota had to offer and is the best type of introduction to any city. This tour took us from indigenous times, to the arrival of the Spaniards and right the way up to modern day Bogota. We were at the scene of the infamous Palace of Justice Siege in 1985 that left 12 magistrates dead at the hands of a guerrilla group. The outline of a body in the main plaza is a constant reminder of the violent history of the city.
Later on that evening, Paul had it in his head that he wanted a bit of live rock music having had a drought of his favourite music genre over the past few months. After some research online (where on earth would we be with this online research business!) he found a district of Bogota which seemed to offer a plethora of live music casual pub gigs to suit all tastes. We took a taxi and having exited the car after about 30 minutes, we found ourselves in an area where we seemed to be the only foreigners. Never letting this hold us back, we wanted to embrace our new surroundings and Paul certainly didn't want to turn down the chance of a bit of live music...especially in the city of Bogota of all places. We found one pub where a stage was set up with guitars and drums, just our scene but unfortunately no seats were available except for two reserved seats at the bar. The waiters came over to us knowing there was nowhere for us sit for the night and not allowing us to stand, we were politely told to leave which was a big bummer after coming all this way. We found ourselves stranded on the street surrounded by large groups of people who seemed to know exactly were they were headed. Pity we couldn't say the same for ourselves. Walking aimlessly around the bustling streets deciding where to grab a beer where we could sit in peace, we stumbled into a rustic looking pub that had plenty of hipster beers on tap but unfortunately no live music. We decided to order ourselves two drinks and enjoy our surroundings either way, music or no music. With not that many seats free, we took our places beside two men, who like us, didn't seem like they were from these parts. In true Irish style, we got talking to the two men, who we found out were two pilots who flew a private jet for the American Embassy in Bogota....pretty cool if you ask me! Funny enough as we continued chatting over a few strong craft beers, we told the two pilots of our disappointment at not being able to bag a seat in the pub with the band set up. We couldn't believe it when they proceeded to tell us that it was actually themselves that had the seats reserved in the pub as they had made it their local while living and flying in and out of the city. What a coincidence! Seeing as we now had made two American pilot friends, we headed with them over to our original place we had planned for the night and they kindly offered to let us sit on their chairs for the night and enjoy the Queen tribute band from the best seats in the house!
Bogota is not only the capital of Colombia but also the emerald capital of the world so this is where I decided to purchase a stone to get made into my engagement ring.....I consider that to be a great souvenir to remember our trip by! This city has its own emerald district where the stones come straight from the mines to be cut, polished and sent for their debut on the emerald market. If you don't know much about emeralds (like we didn't), shopping for the perfect stone can be quite the overwhelming process with copious amounts of shapes, colour and clarity ratings. You can even buy them from traders on the street rather than in jewellery shops if you're really feeling brave enough. In order to help us with this journey we found a Canadian guy online living in Colombia who offered tours of the emerald district and thankfully was happy to help us in our plight for a good quality stone. He worked in the industry here so we were hopeful we could trust him.
Meeting our smooth talking tour guide for the day, we spent the next few hours learning all about these beautiful stones, how they form, how they are mined and most importantly how to tell the difference between a good and bad quality stone. He was a man in the know so in order for us to find a stone that was worthy for an engagement ring he brought us to a few shops on the third and forth floor of the Emerald Trade Centre. Wrapped up in pieces of white paper, one vendor in a tiny shop on the third floor pulled out stones of the most vibrant green colour. that glistened in the light. I shifted gently though the pile and laid my eyes on a beautiful rich stone which I knew instantly was worthy for my engagement ring. After examining it for a little while and not having seen anything else that really caught my eye in the same way, we decided to seal the deal! As they say, when you know you know!
There was one other thing we had to do however to prove its authenticity and that was to get a GIA report. A GIA report contains a full scientific and unbiased assessment of your stones 4 C'S - colour clarity, cut and carat. Thankfully our guide knew someone that worked in the lab where testing occurs and me being a laboratory worker, it was quite the joy for me to get the chance to see my own stone close up under the microscope. Within about an hour, my GIA report was issued and as expected all results from the lab gave confidence to us that my stone was of great quality, now ready and waiting to be crafted back home into my perfectly unique and personal engagement ring.
The 31st July 2019 was our time to say goodbye to 13 months of amazing experiences and head back to the Emerald Isle, with my emerald stone in tow. Paul wanted to surprise his family so we didn't tell them. I told my family when we would be arriving as they're hard to get a hold of at the best of times. The last thing I wanted was to arrive home to an empty house! Paul's pal Barry kindly offered to collect us from the airport and drive us to Kells where we would meet Paul's dad out painting the garden wall. Little did he expect for us to greet him that afternoon. How lovely it was to finally get to see some more familiar faces and that feeling of being on home ground again was something special. There really is no place like home!
I could write a full post (another time!) on what I learned about traveling but I will try to summarise it in just a few sentences. We really need very little in this world to be happy. We left with 10kg backpacks back in 2018 and lived off the contents of those bags for 13 months. It's not fancy clothes, phones or cars that fulfil us but it's our experiences. Leaving our comfort zone of working the 9 to 5 enabled us to experience the world......all of the good, bad and plenty of ugly. Appreciating and learning about new cultures was fascinating. When we visited a new destination we tried to immerse ourselves in the history, customs and cuisines and in doing so came to realise that we aren't all so different after all.
Some people might know of my impatient streak...Paul certainly does anyways but traveling definitely taught me that not everything will go to plan and when it doesn't, try not to sweat it as everything will work out. There was many a day we faced long delays with flights and buses or communication barriers with trying to organise a trip or a journey but these little obstacles taught me a lesson in patience which I try my best to follow back home....but to my shame, unfortunately not always!
One of the best things for me about traveling was really getting to appreciate nature. I always seemed to be at my happiest and most content when I was deep in a mountain canyon or half way up the side of a mountain pass. However, on the flip side of this, we also realised just how fragile our planet has become. Seeing first hand the reduction in glacier density and size, pollution in third world countries, dead coral reefs and forests that have disappeared at times made us extremely sad and ashamed. Our own carbon footprint during this year with the sheer amounts of flights, buses and car journeys has been something terrible and often shameful. But in doing so we have learned to appreciate every natural wonder, every tiny insect and every little bird. I have learned that for me, being happy takes very little and I am happy at home in little Ireland looking forward to now exploring what our own country has to offer, which I know is plenty.
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