Guatavita Lake, the salt cathedral and Villa De Leyva

I was picked up by my driver in Bogota and we drove out to Guatavita lake, a completely circular lake that is the source of the El Dorado legends, with multiple attempts (mostly unsuccessful) to drain the lake to recover the riches that supposedly lie at its bottom. The place was nice and quite interesting but I was out to find out if it was worth taking in - or instead choosing Zipaquiera. Zipaquiera is the home of the salt cathedral. Whatever thoughts I had of what a salt cathedral would be were quickly dispelled in the haunting cathedral, an enormous structure and very impressive. There are 14 stations of the cross en route, and the cathedral itself is made up of all sorts of surreal interconnecting chambers. After the main tour we did a miners tour, and saw how the miners worked, and it provided a very interesting look into the life of a salt miner. From Zipaquira we drove on and got in to Villa De Leyva after dark.

The following morning I got up early and wandered around the beautiful colonial village of Villa De Leyva. The town is so striking that the whole town was declared a heritage site as early as 1953. I checked out a couple of museums, being especially impressed with the Acuna museum, a museum showcasing the Colomian artist who spent his latter years in Villa De Leya. In the afternoon I walked out to El Fossil, a remarkably well preserved 120 million year old fossil of a Kronasauraus. It looks like an enormous crocodile, measuring 7m without the tail which didn't survive. And apparently this one was just a baby! After another excellent dinner it was time for bed.

Back to Bogota for one more night, and then time to head back to the cold of the UK! Couldn't last forever! But as I vowed last time I left Colombia, I will be back!

- David

Amazon III

We started off early again and walked and rowed back to the first Yaguas village we stopped at. From there we were picked up in a small motorboat and headed across the river and into the Peruvian Amazon (though without the hassle of any official border crossings). We stopped at another tribal village and visited a local home where the kids were very curious about the “foreigner”. We continued down the river, spotting a solitary grey river dolphin on the way. The river is so large that from the middle it looks like it's a lake as you can see land in every direction. We pulled into a little cove where we saw the beautiful Queen Victoria Lilies, about a metre in diameter. We continued on and stopped in another tribal village, and went into a house which was to be home for the night. My hosts were very friendly and made up a Copa Asu juice, and we chatted while the kids looked on fascinated.

After lunch we headed out piranha fishing, though we only managed to catch one between us, though we did catch some catfish and a very sharp toothed dog fish jumped right into the boat. We came back to our new base for dinner, and Wilson and our hosts talked excitedly about animals supposedly seen, “a big cat”, “this big”, “with webbed feet”, “able to climb trees”. The Amazon is a place where myths take hold as easily as they are difficult to dispel.

After dinner we headed out in the dark on the water. Armed with our torches we were on the lookout for alligators and crocodiles. After about half an hour Domingo spotted a baby alligator and quickly scooped him up in his hand. He gave him to me to hold and despite being no more than a foot long I struggled to hold onto him as he squirmed with surprising strength. I looked around a little nervously for the mother but there was no sign. We headed back to base and set up my hammock and mosquito net, and had another great night's sleep. Those big hammocks are really comfortable to sleep in.

The following morning we headed back along the riverside, spotting Capachino monkeys, tortoises, parrots and a pod (apparently it's not a school!) of pink dolphins that popped up suddenly and then disappeared back under the water, making photography a game of chance, which I played for about half an hour with limited success. Every so often they would pop up right beside the boat, and frighten us, but be submerged again before I got my camera pointed the right way. I'm sure the little fellows were playing games with me! We arrived back at the Yaguas village, transferred to the fast boat and found ourselves back in Leticia. My three and a half days in the Amazon was thoroughly enjoyable and not another tourist in sight! Fantastic!

- David

Amazon II

Due to my lack of time we decided to combine what would be two days on the tour into one day so I could get a taste for all there was on offer in the Amazon. But it meant a long day. We started early and headed into the Amazon again. This time Abelardo's father, the tribe's shaman or herbal doctor, accompanied us as well. As we walked through he would stop and explain the uses of various plants, ranging from posion used to shoot monkeys, and plants to make the darts to shoot them. He also showed me rubber trees and a whole range of medicinal plants used for conditions as diverse as maleria, diabetes, hepatitis, prostrate problems, muscular pain, arthritis, asmtha, bronchitus, rashes, ulcers and scorpion bites. “We have our own pharmacy in the jungle”, Wilson beamed.

We stopped for lunch at a small waterfall (a rarity in the Amazon) where Domingo and Abelardo quickly set up a little platform to enable a very refreshing shower with surprisingly clean and clear water. We had lunch, relaxed for a bit and then it was time to start the journey back. Normally a group would stay here and there was a shelter for hanging hammocks and mosquito nets. We headed back a different route, via Butterfly Canyon, where beautiful butterflies flitted up and down. We came across some tiger tracks a couple of times and the usual quiet Domingo suddenly became more animated, issuing forth a couple of 'Hijo de puta's, a phrase I remember from my youth when playing football with Spanish students. We arrived back to the camp, sweaty and tired after abut8 hours of walking, but it was thoroughly exhilarating. After a shower and another fine meal I hit the bed and was asleep in seconds.

- David

Amazon I

I was picked up from my hotel at 7am, and brought on the back of a motorbike down to the port, where myself and Wilson took the fast boat for about an hour to a Yaguas village (Yaguas are one of the tribes that live in the Amazon). From there we got in a small boat for about 15 mins and then hiked through the jungle for about half an hour – through the mud and across rivers on strategically placed logs - to the lodge that was to be our base for the next couple of nights. A lunch of Piraruqu (a delicious Amazonian fish that grows up to 180cm) with chips and salad was served up, along with a very tasty juice of a fruit called Copa Asu. After lunch Wilson produced a plastic bag which contained a Tarantula that one of the locals had just caught, and casually put it on his arm. He persuaded meto have a go, insisting it was fine so I put my arm out. It moved onto mine but instead of sitting quietly as it had on his, it decided to run up my arm, across the back of my neck, and onto the opposite shoulder. I somehow managed not to panic and after a quick photo, Wilson removed it and I breathed easy again.

After all that excitement myself, Wilson and Abelardo, a local tracker headed off into the jungle. We walked for about 3 hours, the mosquitoes and humidity a constant, but I have to say I was very impressed with both Wilson and Abelardo and the wildlife we saw – an array of different butterflies, frogs, monkeys, and birds, including eagles and toucans. Back at the lodge I took a shower and removed some of the wet dog smell that had begun to cling to me and lay down on the bed for a while to read. Then something flew across my room. And again. Then I glimpsed what it was – some sort of bat, a little bigger than a hand. I headed out for dinner. After dinner Wilson came to have a look for the bat, which had since vanished, of course, but I was very happy to have a mosquito net.

- David

Leticia

After flying back to San Andres and spending one final day by the sea, I boarded the plane to Bogota and was back in the capital. After taking care of some admin – getting my sandals repaired and sorting out money – I was back on a plane to Leticia, a border town in the Amazon that skirts the borders of both Brazil and Peru. As we arrived I could see the dense jungle below stretching as far as the eye could see in every direction. I had been in the Amazon before in Bolivia and had enjoyed it immensely, the huge diversity of life. The Amazon river holds an incredible two thirds of the world's freshwater and the rain forests are essentially the lungs of the planet. As I stepped off the plane a wave of heat hit me. I met Antonio, the local operator who had been recommended to me as someone who knew the jungle as well as anyone, spoke English and liked to do things a little differently. Instead of plying the same route as all the other operators we hashed out a plan that would take us deep into the Amazon, with guides who had more than twenty years of experience. Antonio was excited about the idea too which I thought was a very good sign.

Leticia is a lively little town that has undergone a major transformation, once the haunt of any number of narco-traffickers, the town now is a very safe place and quite a prosperous one, though this prosperity probably has quite a bit to do with its nefarious past. So the plan for me is to go deep into the jungle with one of Antonio's most experienced guides, Wilson and stay three and half days in a remote cabin deep in the jungle and experience the real Amazon, far away from the where the rest of the tourists stay. From that base we will be able to discover both the highland eco-systems and the those of the flatlands, traveling up the tributaries in a small boat, and possibly camping out one night in the jungle, weather permitting. I am really looking forward to it.

Tonight Colombia play Venezuela in a key football match so I have found out where the action is at and will be heading out to cheer on Colombia as they battle it out with their age-old rivals.

- David

Providencia

I arrived into Providencia on the first flight from San Andres. The tiny plane had barely taken off when we started to dip again towards the runway in Providencia, a tiny tropical Caribbean island and one that due to the only flights being from San Andres very much unspoilt by tourism. My taxi driver Dennis ferried me to my hotel, waving at almost everyone he passed along the way. With only about 5000 inhabitants, everyone knows everyone here.

I spent the day relaxing and catching up on the rest I needed. From beach to hammock to the sea and back again! The sun was shining and the temperature a beautiful 28 degrees Celsius. The next morning I ventured down to the next beach, Agua Dulce and met a couple from Glasgow on my way there. They had travelled nearly all of Central and South America over the years and this was their third time on Providencia and this time they had decided to spend their whole 3 week holiday there, despite having to make quite a mammouth journey to get here from Scotland. But the more the island grew on me and the slow slow pace of life and the very friendly and welcoming people here the more I understood their decision.
After another fantastic fish lunch in Agua Dulce I came back and arranged for a boat trip around the island the following day including some snorkeling with an Italian couple and a Danish girl that had just arrived from Bogota. We wandered up the beach after dinner and ended up in Richards Bar where we met Richard, the owner. A true rasta and a gentlemen with a dreadlock beard, we spent the evening chatting and listening to reggae, as he told us of his years working on ships around the Caribbean and how in the end he decided Providencia was the place where he most wanted to be and so he moved back. One thing that I found very unique about the place was that if the locals see you walking somewhere and they are going the same way they let you hop on the back of their motorbikes and bring you where you are going and there is no outstretched hand or expectation at the end. That is truly something you don't see very often anymore, and long may it last.

Today we did the boat tour around the island with Tank, our boat driver. The island is truly stunning and the colour of the sea was truly beautiful. The snorkeling is also excellent and there are coral reefs all around the island. Whenever I get the chance to come back I will definitely go diving, as its diving is rated as one of the best in the world. Tomorrow I leave, and I have to say I would have been happy to spend another few days, a week, hell maybe even a month here. The people, the pace (makes even San Andres seem rushed), the scenery and the food, Providencia is truly the nicest island I have ever visited and I hope I get the chance to come back again before too long.

- David

San Andres Caribbean island

San Andres is not somewhere I guess I would typically travel. It's not quite off-the-beaten-track and does attract quite a few package tourists. However it's not really that hard to see a different side, and that was my goal. So after I arrived and relaxed in the hotel, I went out to find the local's watering hole. It turned out to be a shop! So joined a couple of the natives and we chatted away fr the evening. Gabriel, a local guy was very excited when I told him that I wanted to get to know the real San Andres, the people from here, the food. He agreed to take me around the island the following day on bikes.

So we set off about 10 the following morning and took it quite slowly, cycling along the coast road line with palm trees and skirtig a sea of many hues of blue. The main language of the natives is English, albeit with a Caribbean accent an it was nice being able to chat to Gabriel in English. We stopped for lunch with some locals, a local fish dish with lime served up with coconut rice, fried plantain and salad. It had been a while since I'd eaten fish and it did not disappoint. In the afternoon I relaxed on the beach and went for a swim in the crystal clear sea. The pace of life certainly made for a change from the mad dash around of the last couple of weeks.

- David

Tatacoa Desert

After a short bus ride I arrived into Neiva, then hopped on a local bus to Villaviaja where Pedro Paolo, my guide, was waiting for me. Deciding to take advantage of the glorious sunshine we skipped the museum and drove straight into the desert on a three-wheeler. “It's not actually a desert”, Pedro confessed, “it's actually a dry tropical forest”. It was certainly greener than any desert I had been in but nonetheless it did feel like a desert, with it's sparse growth, cactuses and red earth. It was also very varied and beautiful. Pedro took me down to a natural pool, spectacularly set in the middle of the desert, where you could bathe and lookout at the dramatic landscape. Then on to my accommodation for the night, a room in a farmhouse of a 93-year old woman, known as “The Queen of the Desert” and she even had a plaque to prove it!

I met the French couple, who apparently were the only other foreigners in town and Pedro brought us all on a walk through an area known as Cuzco as the sun began to go down. The scenery here was truly beautiful and photo opportunities abounded. We all had dinner and a couple of beers before calling it a night. The next day I checked out the very small but interesting museum before checking some accommodation in Villavieja and Neiva, as the Queen of the Desert's accommodation was not up to the standard we expect unfortunately. Then back to Bogota on the bus.

- David

San Agustin

From Popayan I took the bus on to San Agustin, one of my favourite places in Colombia. In 2005 I stayed here for6 days and could have stayed longer. The place is blessed with many things – incredible natural beauty, from beautiful valleys to stunning waterfalls, a mysterious history – boasting a myriad of statues from the second oldest civlisation in South America of which almost nothing is known, and infectiously friendly locals. I know I keep banging on about the locals but for me Colombia's biggest attraction is the people, who have a genuine pride in their country and a warmth and welcomingness few other countries can match. On my first day I revisited the Archaeological park, again amazed by the excellent condition of most of the statues and wondered who were the people that made them, and what happened to them that they disappeared with almost no other trace. The park itself is also very beautiful with some very colourful flowers and dramatic landscapes. I even saw an enormous iguana in one of the trees. They are some gnarly looking creatures!
At the lodge I met a couple of Americans who had bucked the trend and lived in Mexico, becoming naturalised Mexicans and raising their kids there. For every rule...
The next day I took a jeep tour with the Mexican gringos! But to be honest I think an extra day in San Agustin would be better spent hiking or horse-riding one of its many beautiful trails. That said some of the waterfalls we saw were quite lovely.

- David

Popayan

Unfortunately I didn't have a lot of time in Popayan, but as I had been before I knew what I wanted to see, namely the ten block by ten block historic centre which gives it its name of the “White City”. Beautiful whitewashed streets give onto more beautiful whitewashed streets. The effect is beautiful and the uniformity gives it a very classic colonial feel. And the friendly locals certainly did the place no harm. At the hotel I me Annika from Sweden who had been adopted from a nursing home in Popayan that had since been destroyed in an earthquake. It was her first time in Colombia and she was understandably quite nervous and emotional but determined to find out what she could about her biological parents. As we walked around the old town she was very conscious of how similar she looked to everyone and couldn't help but wonder about the life that might have been.

- David

More in the coffee region

The day before yesterday I arrived into Armenia. No I have not quickly hopped continent, Armenia is one of the three towns that make up the corners of the coffee triangle - along with Manizales and Pereira. In fact there are many towns in the coffee region with the same names as countries or regions elsewhere - Syria, Montenegro, Palestine, Florida, Puerto Rico to name a few. I was met by the infectiously friendly Yicel who drove me around for 2 days to check out various farms that offer accommodation, as well as checking out the main sights in the area. The farm accmmodation selection is excellent, with some truly beautiful farms, many over 100 years old and maintained in the tradional stlye, with beautiful scenery, and an array of fruit trees. Each one has its own charm and I found myself constantly thinking, "Yes, this one is perfect!".

But Yical kept bringing me to more and eventually the one I decided on really is perfect! :-) Set well away from any roads, a small coffee farm with a beautiful soothing stream, a pool, comfortable rooms and excellent food. The farm is full of orchids and other plants, as well as the coffee plantations and plantains. I really didn´t want to leave.



We also found time to visit the beautful villages of Filandia and Salento (see photo above), picture postcard type villages with lovely colonial style buildings, and bright colours. Further on from Salento we visited Valle De Cocora, a beautiful valley famous for its trout and enormous wax palm trees, the national tree of Colombia. These beautiful trees rise from the ground through the clouds that shroud the valley and up above them to heights of up to 70m. After an excellent trout lunch we walked out into the valley and admired the scenery. Horses are also available and exploring the valley on horseback is also very popular.

I´m now in Cali, the party capital of Colombia, so I think I will have to reaquaint myself with the nightlife here tonight... It´s a dirty job but someone's gotta do it :-) Tomorrow on to the colonial town of Popayan.

- Dave

The Coffee Region

I arrived on the nightbus into Manizales, one of the main towns in the coffee triangle. The buses here are very comfortable but for some weird reason they all turn on the AC full blast at night so it´s freezing inside the bus. Fortunately I had been warned and had my jacket, hat, towel etc. to sheild me from the cold. Met up with a local tour operator and we discussed various options for the main itinerary and for the various add-ons we intend to offer. They were quite excited by the itinerary and said it would be quite unique as no other overseas operators were doing very much in this part of the country, and the possibilities were excellent. Having been in Colombia for 6 weeks before made it a lot easier to make decisions, and discuss the options available.

The following day I set off on a tour to Los Nevados de la Ruiz, a national park with a unique biosphere and landscape. It contains a volcano that rises above 5,000m and the scenery all around looks like you have just landed on the moon. The day was quite foggy at first but when we got high enough we broke through the cloud and the views were truly spectacular. We climbed slowly up the volcano for about an hour, not to the top but up to the snow-line. At that altitude it´s important to climb slowly but consistently. But it was incredible, the snow against the bare rock, very sparse and hostile territory, but very beautiful. We stopped for lunch and then relaxed in the pool that is filled with water from the hot springs, the perfect way to relax after a hard day! I was the only foreigner on the bus and in typical Colombian style, I got to know everyone on the bus and got several invitations to visit people in various parts of the country. The people here truly are very special.

- Dave

Fruits of Colombia

One of the lesser known facts about Colombia is that it is home to an incredible array of fruit many of which are unique to the country. A walk around any fruit market will show you what I mean, with all sorts of weird and wonderful looking fruits and a sea of colour that begs to be photographed... so here's one of mine.

Off to Manizales in the heart of coffee country this evening on the night bus. And down from the heights of Bogota so temperatures should be quite nice, currently about 25 degrees. Think I can deal with that :-)

- Dave

Bogota, Colombia

Back in Bogota, and happy to be back. This city must have the friendliest taxi drivers in the world, had loads of good chats with them yesterday as I drove to meet up with people on all sides of the city! It was a fairly hectic but useful day, meeting various useful people from tour operators, tourist board representatives and hotel owners. After an early night and a chance to catch up on some sleep, it was time to climb up to Monserrate church, a Bogotan fitness pilgramage of sorts. With the cold I have just caught and the fact that Bogota is at more than 2,500 metres, it was quite a struggle. But also quite a spectacle watching people of all ages and walks of life walking up. Some people do it barefoot and alledgedly some do it on their knees! That I wasn't quite ready for.


The views over Bogota from the church were lovely, and the sense of achievement at the top made it all worthwhile. The church in the picture is Monserrate. I will be heading on to the coffee region on Sunday night, a day earlier than planned as more than one of the people I met yesterday raved about Salento so I decided I had to fit in to my schedule. Apparently they have palm trees that break through the clouds, so you see tree, clouds, then more tree. Certainly sounds like it might be worth a look.

I'll be back again soon with more updates,
Dave

Countdown to Colombia

It's been more than 3 years since I first went to Colombia and fell in love with the place - the warmth of the people, the Caribbean coastline, its incredible Lost City, the incredible array of fruit, the coffee - and of course, la Fiesta. No one knows how to party like the Colombians.

And they are only too aware of what the world at large thinks of their country and they are only too grateful to those who decide to ignore the media and come and see for themselves. People used to avoid Northern Ireland as they thought it was a war zone so I can understand where it all comes from. Anyway two more days and I'm back on my way over... I really cannot wait.

- Dave