Columbia 2024
November 16 Bogota
Arriving at night in the rain is always disconcerting….however….meeting my ride at the airport was seamless….Hotel de L’Opera is an interesting mishmash of decades and styles…..arrived just behind a group of 20 French tourists….happily had a glass of wine in the atrium while they got checked in….huge bonus of only a 2 hour time difference…meet tomorrow at 8 am for a farmers market tour
November 17
4 AM shouting….loud speaker blaring…..crowds cheering…..more shouting….hotel very close to Freedom Square……oddly all the loud speakers stop at 7 AM….definitely a conspiracy to prevent me from sleeping…..breakfast in the atrium…..lots of plate juggling since buffet is on the lower level….tables up one or two flights of stairs…..French group taking up most of the tables…..how is it that French women always know exactly how to wear a scarf?
Meet my guide Maylin….head towards the market…..had to take circuitous route because of the bike race ….explains what all the noise was about at 4 AM..…Gran Fondo de Ciclismo de Bogota is on the largest cycling events in South America…..the market is bustling…..the flowers gorgeous…sad I couldn’t bring some back to put on my table….this market is the second largest in Bogota…..wandered through the throngs of people out shopping….sample a bread made from Cassava….tried a variety of fruits….purple passion fruit…..something called LuLu…a tree tomato that was more like a soft apple….some huge white slimy thing that I am happy not to know the name of……tried a type of tamale with rice…pork….yellow peas….all wrapped up in a tiny corn pancake….absolutely amazing….washed it down with sour soup fruit juice…..lots of strange tastes….good thing we walked 5 miles
Ambling through the old town and some newer parts of the city…..I have never soon so much graffiti street art…..retaining walls….underpasses….walls around parks….many buildings have commissioned artists to enhance the front or sides of their buildings……the government promotes the art and has new artists featured every 3 years…..some of the artists have become quite famous….. everywhere you looked there was some type of mural….Bogota is surrounded by mountains….some very close to the area of my hotel….other mountains could be seen across the valley….luckily the rain held off today since we were walking most of the day….skyscapers….churches and cathedrals dominate the skyline…..large boulevards have trolley/bus lines….with center section a wide bike path….all planted with palm trees….6 lanes of traffic….2 million people come into the city everyday for work or school…..glad I am here on a Sunday when there was hardly any traffic
Heaven know how I am hungry….decided to try Prudencia……crazy hidden door …you had to know which large unmarked wooden door was the entry to the restaurant…..reminiscent of a speakeasy….opened into a large industrial atrium space dominated by a huge wood fired oven…..6 small courses….tiny plates of perfection….wood fired bread with homemade butter….organic grilled veggies with fresh goat cheese….intermittent lovely fresh fruit infused drinks….. ginger beer garnished with tiny oregano flowers on a slice of pickled carrot….perfectly grilled grouper with fermented mustard and herbed butter….beets figs and strawberries in a rhubarb reduction with mini ferns and pea shoots….honestly starting to be very full….only 2 more courses to go….fennel yoghurt and curdles cream….some kind of celery apple jam for a palate cleanser….finale Landeau chocolate cake served with smoked Columbian black tea garnished with blueberry mango coconut bonbon….thinking a cup of soup for dinner will be fine….have a 6AM pickup for the airport……things I hope to NEVER see on a menu again….slow cooked beef foot and peas …..or Madrid style pig trotters…pig foot cooked in stew of blood sausage and chorizo….waste not want not!!!
November 18
Flight to Pereira….closest airport to Salento….the usual airport scene…..manage self check in and bog drop off….Colombians are smarter than we are…they have shops and restaurants BEFORE security….so families can see loved ones off….45 minutes later meeting my ride to Salento and Hotel Kawa Mountain Retreat… …amazing what a few thousand feet of elevation can do…..massive groves of towering bamboo….steep hillsides covered with coffee…truly a jungle…soaring eucalyptus…banana trees….started to rain half way through the drive….mist hanging over the mountains….hard to tell how many more mountains are behind the ones that I see poking through the clouds….finally leave 4 lane road…tiny road twisting up and around….feels like something a child would draw on an Etch O Sketch….we enter Salento….absolutely charming….colorful shops and restaurants surround the square….which is anchored by a church….leave paved road and bounce up a rutted dirt track….finally see a sign for my hotel…with gears grinding Marden (my driver) catapults us over the remnants of some kind of cobblestone…steep road suddenly drops down….a huge valley opens ….negotiate the tight turns into the reception area…..jaw dropping view….even though it is still raining….lush green….beautiful….orchids spilling from tree stumps….huge wooden planters filled with all types of flora….I think Heaven might look like this…….decide to explore….take the trail into town…..very muddy track…..I will confess that on a rainy afternoon with no one else around…..I did glance over my shoulders a few times in case a jaguar was sneaking up on me…..have a lovely lunch….later I meet Pedro, my guide for the next few days…..we play several games of Tejo…..think corn hole but instead of a board….the target is a 36 x 36 tray filled with clay….in the center is the bullseye surrounded by tiny triangles of folded paper….some of the papers have gunpowder inside….so if you are lucky enough to hit the center …..there is a loud bang and lots of smoke…..I did hit the target just right ONE TIME….very exciting….you get a free drink when playing….imagine it gets quite exciting late in the evening when everyone has been imbibing
November 19
After a night of heavy rain…..wake up to clear skies…..a view of the highest ridge line….the clouds start as tendrils of white that eventually obscure the tops of the peaks…..the valley becomes enveloped in fog that drifts in and out…..up and around like a sigh…..spent the day touring nearby town of Finlandia….colorful town with a dark history….a quick lunch at a local cafe…popped into a great spot for the perfect cup of coffee….listened to the history of the region…particularly Salento….cruised the Main Street renovation project with the mayor….climbed 285 starts for an overview of the village….which is laid out in a pattern of a cross….a couple of outdoor activities cancelled because of rain…..I decided to get a massage…wearing all my clothes I go to the “spa”….basically an enclosed porch….nothing but screens between me and all that cool moist air……not sure I will ever be warm…..during the coffee exfoliation treatment…the cover is suddenly torn off my face….bright light overhead piercing my retinas….masseuse says “Sorry…please sign.” I scribbled something….did she think I was going to dash out the door covered in oil and coffee grounds….scrub…scrub….she tries to remove the grounds….still feeling very gritty….please just hand me a towel and I will go back to my room to shower…..happily plenty of hot water….hoping for less rain tomorrow
November 20
Woke at some point in the night and could see the highest ridge across the valley….birdsong drifting in the window….glimpsed numerous parrots and a bird called a Carraqui…bright yellow with a black head….a pair of them darting through nearby shrubs….colors flashing….fun to watch…quite a variety of birds around the hotel….several people staying here have come to go birding….a visit to a coffee plantation in Buenavista is on the schedule today…..the road from Salnto is quite small and full of tight turns….Marden is in full road rally mode as we zip along…..racing around one turn when suddenly a large cow is right in front of us….slam on the brakes….barely missing the cow by inches….cow steps into the other lane still dragging the lead rope….his owner running through the street trying to catch her….drive was a bit long but the scenery could not have been better….dropping down over 1000 ft made a huge change in the foliage….a type of eucalyptus grows in large clumps and from a distance looking like immense ferns….approaching the town of Buenavista the hillsides are covered with orange trees that could have been green gumdrops dotting the hills from afar….banana and plantain trees mixed in with coffee trees…hibiscus are planted amongst the coffee to help control insects….colors you can hardly imagine and blooms the size of Frisbees…..the tour of the plantation is fascinating….this plantation is one of the first fincas in the area…..inside the coffee lab I attempted to learn how to be a coffee nose….full disclosure….I failed miserably….only got 1 correct answer….aroma was next….much harder than I anticipated….however the coffee they made as a reward was worth looking like a coffee neophyte….all in all a lovely day with some the most unbelievable landscapes….stopped at a roadside cafe for lunch….the house special was a delicious dish called Sudao Montanero ……beef with potatoes..yucca…rice…a huge slice of avocado…..plus soup…..Columbian portions are HUGE…..decided to stop in town to do a little shopping then took the jungle trail back to the hotel….one perfect day with NO rain
November 21
Visit Cocora Valley…home of the Wax Palms….tallest palm tree in the world….growing to over 195 ft…even though this is a national park…..lower access area is private land….dirt track ascending through cows and horses….climb gains almost 1000 ft…suddenly we are in the clouds….giant palms piercing through….palms grace the tops of hills…it is magical….you feel like you are a tiny person surrounded by giants….very Dr. Seuss….since it rained again last night…opted to do 4 mile loop not the 12 mile trek ….going down seemingly endless stairs….I was so grateful I had brought my walking sticks….of coarse it had started to rain again……conditions were getting slippery….just as we past the entrance….a large commotion…it seemed a man on a horse ride was thrown/fall from the horse and landed on a sharp object….blood very obvious….girlfriend hysterical……sadly the horse fell as well….we saw it being lead away….do not have a good feeling about the outcome for the horse….back in town in time for lunch…..a group of 30 tourist from Poland filled several nearby tables….while strolling around town heard Scottish…German…French…Norwegian….thankfully not of lot of Americans…..had a free afternoon…..booked a spot in the sauna….a free standing wooden type….a large window allows you to sit and enjoy the view which is pretty remarkable since you are perched on a deck overlooking the valley…….there is something very satisfying about sitting inside a cedar scented space sweating while it is raining outside…..watching the fog ebb and flow below you….it is the warmest I’ve been in 4 days…..hotel doesn’t have heat…..all the public rooms have open doors….no matter the weather….4 am wake up tomorrow for flight to Santa Marta….and hopefully warmer temps and less rain
November 22
My ride picked me up at 4:30….imagine my surprise when I opened my door and found the hotels LARGE German Shepard sitting there….he calmly looked me in the eye…..I squeezed past with my suitcase hoping he was ok with my movements….Pereira to Bogota flight….quick change of planes …arrive Santa Marta….blissfully warm and humid….feels wonderful after the rainy chilly weather in Salento….roads are absolutely awful…..seemed they had received a good amount of rain as well….this driver is the exact opposite of my last driver….he is slow…cautious….stops for dogs….old women….a child that looks like they might be thinking of crossing road….crosses himself every time there is a roadside shrine….the rain hasn’t done a favors to the road to Hotel Cayena….potholes the size of hot tubs…bounce along through the jungle….spy sign for hotel…..enter through an enormous wooden gate…beautiful pool…shady gardens….huge crescent beach…..only a handful of people scattered around…..take a lovely walk on the beach…..enjoy a wonderful meal….early to bed
November 23
Enjoy a delightful breakfast ….beautiful fresh fruit…perfect temperature…..birds calling overhead…..meet my guide Diva at 7:30 for a hike in the Tayrona National Park….loads of people already in line for tickets…..it is fun people watching while we wait our turn to enter….all the young girls with their beautiful long black hair practicing their Instagram faces….everyone slathering sunscreen…..2 women at the hotel had done this hike yesterday…so muddy that one of them rode a horse back down the trail….her friend was not sure if her shoes would ever be clean….tickets in hand …off we go…some of the trail is dirt or mud…..a plethora of stone stairways….many wooden walkways or stairs….my knees were sure that they had climbed 10000 stairs today….6 miles…Rainbow Lizards…Howler monkeys…Capuchins and the stunning blue Caribbean …..many people come for the beaches only and gallop past you on the trail….I was happy to let them pass…gave me a chance to catch my breath…..there are several private holding inside the park including a handful of hotels…..decided to stop at the half way point rather than continue in the muddy quagmire…..saw several people that went ahead only to turn back…..easy to imagine a lot of twisted ankles and bad scrapes since sometimes you to squeeze between granite boulders…lots of missing boards on walkways….vines slapping you in the face or tangling around your feet….branches across the trail at waist height…..had lovely lunch above the gorgeous beach….5 am departure for long drive to Cartagena
November 24
Stagger down stairs to meet my driver…..5 hour drive to Cartagena…..once we get past Santa Marta the road follows the coastline…..estuaries….thousands of snowy egrets…pelicans….numerous smaller shore birds…..villages and towns fly by…many trucks on the road….4 lane has diminished to a 2 lane road….sometimes oncoming vehicle will be in our lane since they are passing…..even though there is a double yellow line…they flash their lights…telling you to get out of the way….takes a certain amount of fortitude to be a passenger….motorcycles weave through the lanes like minnows….sometimes going the same direction as us….sometimes not….large bicycle race outside Cartagena…..lots of animal crossing signs….crabs…rats…snakes….armadillo and my favorite puma…..deposited at the dock to catch water taxi to Hotel Punta Faro…..eyeing the boats tied up to the dock…none of them seem particularly seaworthy…..more like pangas…holds perhaps 10-12 people….dreading what a 2 hour ride in one of them would be like….thankfully my taxi turned out to be a 30 passenger size…..2 hours of wind beating your face….I could hardly feel my forehead….hair a tangled mess…..upon arrival …bells toll and a fair number of the staff appear to welcome you….handed a blissfully cold beverage under an enormous ficus tree…..went straight to the restaurant for an incredible grilled fish lunch…..this hotel is refreshing in that there are no room keys…..no TV…..loud music on the beach is forbidden….this island is one of the least visited of the San Bernardo Archipelago….too hot for the beach this afternoon……strolling along the shaded path that circles the island……suddenly directly ahead and large iguana jumps/falls from the tree and lands with a loud thump on the path….gave me a bit of a start…I was fortunate to get a bungalow right on the water….glad I have a flashlight since I would think it is easy to loose your way after dark
November 25
Woke to a beautiful sunrise…last full day in Columbia….while it is a cool 84 degrees decide to walk around the hotel notice there are several Milvado Chima Chima…a good size hawk….staying alert for things falling from trees…coconuts….iguanas….breakfast is like a scene from the movie The Birds….some type of grackle and the hawk swoop down on your food the moment it looks like you aren’t paying attention…..waiters are ready to spring into action to save your food….a few folks swimming….blue skies…..no music blaring..…just the sounds of the waves and some birds….very laid back place….many thatched palapas that offer shade….later in the afternoon during low tide I walk over to the nearby fishing village….tiny beach in front of an handful of houses……nets drying….great shells everywhere…..I ask if I can take one….and slowly make my way back to the hotel….a great place to end my holiday in beautiful Columbia
November 26
A little rain this am as I wander to breakfast…..head to the boat taxi for trip back to Cartagena…..about 1/2 hour into the trip …..deck hand hands out rain ponchos….the skies open….rain coming from above….from the side…dripping under the canvas cover…..between the roar of the engines…the angry ocean and lowering gray sky…it was like being in the rinse cycle of a washing machine…..lasts for what seems like hours but probably more like 30+ minutes……water has seeped under the poncho…. sitting a puddle….sun makes an appearance as we pull into the dock….sprint for the ladies room to change before going to the airport…..3 men are working inside…..I wave my arms trying to explain….finally bolt into the last stall….peeling off soggy clothes and stuffing them in my suitcase….grab a taxi to the airport which is thankfully quite close…..check bag then head for the interminable immigration line….huge concrete room….loud speakers booming…cannot understand anything that is being said…..sounds echoing off the walls…deafening….no air moving….everyone is shuffling along in a stupor…after the peace and quiet of Punta Faro this is a true assault on my senses…..longing for quiet…..overnight in Atlanta then home to the frozen north…..Hasta la proxima
