D196: Alegria's Hostal @ Bogota, Colombia

Colombia, Colombia, how beautiful you are. People still associate this country with its notorious past. It is a pity as it is one of the most fascinating countries I have ever seen. Also this is thanks to their extremely genuine, helpful and beautiful people. So far what I have noticed that the most genuine people I could find in countries like El Salvador and Colombia. These countries had endured a lot of violence in the recent past and despite all these they still manage to look happy and positive. I find it impressive. 

Let's change the subject to food my favourite part! The variety of dishes came as a breath of fresh air after the not so creative rice and beans of Central America and Cuba. They have this delicious maize pies filled with different things like hard boiled eggs, chicken pieces, potatoes and also different kind of fresh fruit juices, amazing coffee called tinto, hot cocoa called milo. Yummy!! 

Despite all the good things mentioned above, a lot of people struggle with poverty and drug addiction. Violence still exists but at a smaller scale.

The first city visited in Colombia was the hot Cartagena with a restored walled colonial Old Town overlooking the Caribbean Sea. Here all of us from the boat settled in at different hostels in Getsemani the backpackers’ district of Cartagena. After five days in the boat I felt the need to splurge out on a better hotel with a top notch bathroom, air conditioning and TV. The Hotel Villa Colonial was so clean that I could continue walking barefoot, a habit that I developed on the boat after five days without wearing any kind of footwear. For a couple days it proved difficult to get used to shoes again.

The group from the boat was so cool that we continued to hangout in Cartagena for two more days. In the afternoon of D185 some of us went for lunch at the Plaza Santo Domingo, then visited the Palacio de Inquisition which hosted an exhibition of replica torture tools used in Europe. It was a bit creepy but to be honest I have seen worst.

Following this, Nicole and I were admiring some local dancers shaking their booties to African music in Plaza de Bolivar. It was pretty impressive!

The day had to be finished with some happy hour maracuya aka passion fruit cocktails and delicious local dinner with the group.

Next day (D186) the San Francisco quartet and I munched on some local sweets, wandered around the pretty streets and wall of the Old Town, checked out some souvenir shops at the Las Bovedas and stopped to hydrate as the heat was almost unbearable.

Later on the plan was to get on one of the Rumba Chivas aka party bus. The tickets were bought earlier that afternoon but when we arrived to the spot to be picked up were told that due to the earlier torrential rain the trip was cancelled. Disappointed but not given up hope, six of us walked to the entrance of the Old Town where usually these kind of buses stop. Here one tourist police arranged for us to be dropped off at a hotel in Bocagrande where a rumba chiva was leaving. At the beginning there were not many people on the bus but after a few rounds around the hotel the bus was full. Then they started serving rum and coke.

The first row which finished the bottle of rum was of course our row. No wonder as there were two from Ireland (one native and one naturalized :)) and two party animals from SF. 

Then the crazy dancing started on the benches. Later on we were dropped off on the wall. Here you could take a photo with fruit seller ladies dressed in Afro-Caribbean traditional costumes or with a baby sloth called Ariana. Next we were brought to a salsa nightclub and I danced my heart out with a Panameno with a pulled wrist. The bus dropped us off near the entrance of the Old Town where we hang out a bit more and walked to a bar to Getsemani. After a lot of booze I was starving. Luckily late at night the streets are full of food sellers and I could stuff my face with a huge perro caliente. Definitely a crazy and fun night with amazing people! After a fun night it was obvious for me at least that a relaxation day (D187) would follow :).

It was hard to decide where to go next as this country has many nice spots but one cannot explore everything. Eventually I chose to travel to the isolated town of Mompos. Early on D188 I got on the bus to Mompox. At Magangue the bus was put on a ferry on Rio Magdalena for an hour. Then we continued again on partly asphalted road.

Just 20 km before Mompox the bus was stopped by a road block. The inhabitants of Tierra Firma blocked the road with logs of wood as a sign of protest against the local government. Apparently the litter from Mompox is dropped in Tierra Firma and as a result of that children got sick. The inhabitants wanted a solution from the local government but they were hesitating to come to any agreement. Four hours later still was no solution but they had no choice just to let the huge queue of vehicles to pass. In these four hours I met curious people who asked a lot of questions about me and Europe. At around 7:30 after almost 11 hours on the road I arrived at La Casa Amarilla in Mompox and shortly went to bed with zillion mosquito bites.

Next morning (D189) I walked out the hostel and I was mesmerized what I had seen. The roads were like two centuries ago so as the manicured houses. I felt like I stepped into Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “Love in the time of cholera” novel.

It was a fascinating walk on the shore of the Rio Magdalena. But the unbearable heat made me no choice just to return to the hostel to chill down with a cold shower.

The following morning (D190) I continued my trip to Bucaramanga. It is quite difficult and expensive to get out of Mompos after you are in. First I was taken to El Banco by a car filled with five adults (including the driver and me) and three children. The car was started by touching a few wires and bit and pieces were hanging from everywhere. It was quite crazy. One the way we were stopped for a random identity check but I have the feeling that the army guys saw that there was a tourist in the car so they stopped us. They were fascinated with my passport and even when I was in the toilet I could hear them talk about me. So funny :)). At El Banco I got on the bus to Bucaramanga. The trip was over seven hours. During the trip an indigenous woman and her son were vomiting all the way to the Bucaramanga. Poor people! The roads are quite bad in Colombia and not only that they are a lot of curbs passing through mountain ranges. I was not sure where I was heading from Bucaramanga and in the bus I decided I would go to Medellin, once the most notorious city of Colombia. The nice thing about travelling alone is that you can change your destination in the last minute and it feels invigorating. Most of the time in my everyday life I am not as spontaneous. Going to Medellin it meant travelling overnight. But luckily the overnight buses in Colombia are equipped with seats that can be made beds.

Once in Medellin (D191) I took the metro to the city centre to find a hotel. It was a bit creepy to walk among homeless drug addicts who acted quite weird. I have never seen so many junkies in one place in my life. Eventually I settled in the cosy and friendly Palm Tree Hostel.

I spent the day walking around Medellin people - watching as I was told by nationals that this city has the most beautiful women in Colombia. I was disappointed but by the end of the day the perception of beauty is different to every person. In my opinion Cartagena has a lot more beautiful men and women than any other places I visited in Colombia so far. 

The following morning (D192) I took a cab to the terminal with Monica and Rossy, two girls that the owner of the hostel introduced me to. I got the bus to Salento via Armenia whereas the girls got off in Pereira.

Salento is a small mountain town surrounded by coffee farms and the beautiful Valle de Cocora. When I arrived I went straight to Hotel Las Palmas owned by a local lady and her family. The atmosphere was very homey so I decided this was a good place to chill and explore the area for a couple of days.

In the morning of D193 I walked 5kms to reach Finca El Ocaso a coffee farm. Here I was warmly welcomed by the lady owner and Marco my tour guide.

He explained me the life cycle of the coffee tree, showed me the coffee plantation and pointing out the different type of trees for example Arabica.

Next we picked some ripe grains, took off the skin to get the seed and planted some seeds.

He also showed me a machine that would separate the skin from the seed by moving the handle. Next I was walked around to demonstrate how the beans are dried. At the end I grinded some toasted beans and I was offered a fresh cup of coffee without milk. It was absolutely delicious.

No surprised that Colombia is the No 1 in the world when it comes to the quality of the coffee. It is the 4^th biggest producer in the world though.

In the afternoon Monica (Catalana) and Rossy (Bulgarian living in Germany) who I travelled with the day before showed up at the hotel so together went to check out the crowded town. We ended up listening to some funny story teller students. Shockingly enough I could understand most of it.

Next morning (D193) after breakfast a vintage Land Rover took five of us to Valle de Cocora.

This is a beautiful valley surrounded by peaks and filled with wax palms.

We walked 10 km through the valley, the forest and crossing dodgy handmade bridges to reach a waterfall and farmhouse.

During our walk a very intelligent and beautiful doggie joined us, directed us and waited for us  (sometimes passing out of tiredness :)) when we were walking too slowly. Started to rain while we were coming back and it had not stopped for at least two and a half hours. We were lucky with the doggie that showed us the way as sometimes the bridges were off the path. I definitely adore dog. They are amazing creatures!

Me the wise one I forgot to bring my raincoat with me so by the time we got back I was totally drenched and shivering of cold. The only thing I wanted was to have a hot shower and dry clothes. Despite the wetness and muddy clothes I loved our adventurous day. Later on we went for some hot soup and yummy trout. I was a happy but a tired bunny. The beauty of travelling is that every day I experience or learn something different.

In the morning of D195 I packed my stuff and continued my journey with an 8 hours bus ride to Bogota, the majestic capital of Colombia.

It is situated at 2600m above the sea level which means that the temperature is fresh during the day and cold during the night. It is quite clean and welcoming considering it is a capital.I chose to stay at the cool and tranquil Alegria’s Hostal in La Candelaria, the oldest part of Bogota.

Early morning of D196 I set to explore this huge city. First I needed to top up my Hepatitis A vaccine so I was advised to go to the Cruz Roja. Luckily the public transportation is quite efficient and it can get you almost everywhere. Later in the day I just wondering around the pretty La Candeleria backed by some green mountains and the statue of Fallen Christ. The plan for tomorrow is to climb up to the Cerro Monserate at 3200m which offers great views of the entire city.

D179 – D184: Sailing from Portobelo, Panama to Cartagena, Colombia – 9 – 14 September, 2012

One of the things I was sure when I started my trip that I would sail from Panama to Colombia in the Caribbean Sea no matter the cost or time taken. At the around 6 o’clock in the afternoon of the D179 I embarked on the Gitana III sailboat together with nine more adventurers.

The group consisted of four friends from San Francisco: Nicole, Kira, Megan and Brian Ch; a group of three guys travelling together: Brian H, Sean and Blake; and two solo travelers: Lorenzo and Albert both from Catalunya. Our Captain Marc a Catalan himself was helped by a Cuban couple Orchidelia and Leondra and Maria, the Colombian girlfriend. The boat had five bedrooms and two bathrooms. The first evening on the boat we settled in and we were set to sail during the night to the Chichime islets of San Blas Islands.

When we woke up in the morning of D180, we were surrounded by three coconut islands and clear blue water. It felt like heaven on earth. 

The San Blas islands comprise of 365 islets (an island for each day of the year). They are inhabited and controlled by the Kuna indigenous group who are leaving off the coconuts harvested on the islands. After breakfast we started our habit to jump into the water to help to digest.

Later on Captain Marc took us with the dinghy to the bigger island. Here we admired the molas, the local handmade artwork and the ankle beads wore by the Kuna woman. Walking around the island felt like being in paradise but the litter kicked you back to reality. Later on the gang was brought back to have barbecue chicken dinner.

The next day (D181) after breakfast and the usual swim we continued to sail to Cayo Holandeses part of the San Blas islands. Just before sunset we reached our destination and anchored the boat in front of two uninhabited twin islands. Being in the sun and at sea the whole day sucked the energy out of most of us, so it was relatively an early night for everybody.

D182 was all about snorkeling and chilling at the islands. Nicole, Brian H and I decided to swim from the boat to the island. Everything seemed to be going well just before 100m before the shore when we found ourselves in shallow water with corals and spiny sea urchins. It was a bit of a challenge to walk to the shore knowing that we can be stung by a sea urchin. But we managed without any stings!!! 

Later on we were happily snorkeling around the island when suddenly Nicole and I were washed out to the shore by a strong wave scratching our backs and hands with the corals. 10 seconds later another wave came and were sliding on the sharp corals once again. It was not a pleasant feeling especially when we stood up and saw that both of us were slightly bleeding. Shocked, we walked back to the group and went to the boat to have lunch. Life is so funny! Even after this experience both of us had the courage to join others to snorkel in deeper water to admire the aquatic life. This time we saw tuna, huge eagle rays, a lot of parrot and other tropical fish. Definitely it was a full day and we were ready to start the continuous two - day sailing to Colombia. At least that was what I thought in that moment. 

Next day almost all of us had motion sickness and everybody was taking pills to be knocked out. Going to the tiny and claustrophobic toilet while we were sailing it was a torture. I tried to avoid it as much as I could.

The following day (D183) I woke up realizing that the sailboat was not moving. During the night the boat had a leakage and all the fuel was lost at sea. But luckily Leonardo (the multi-talented Cuban) mixed some chemicals to be used as fuel and managed to re-start the boat for us to reach the closest island. On top of the lack of fuel there was no wind either so we were sailing at snail speed. Just before we could spot some land a bunch of cute dolphins were jumping around the boat. What a treat!

Once at Islas de Rosario, Colombia, a friend of Marc brought some fuel to be able to finish the trip. 

It was already dark when we could see the lit skyscrapers of Cartagena. We were brought to short just after midnight and from here we took three cabs to the noisy and full of live Getsemani District of Cartagena. Finding a place to sleep for nine people at this hour on Friday night proved to be quite difficult. Eventually seven of us ended up sharing a ten bed dormitory with a non-functional air conditioner.  It was like sleeping in an oven. But at least I could lie in a bed which was not swaying with me!

For sure with this sailing trip I accomplished one of my dreams. Also I realized after meeting Albert (who is travelling the world for the last six years in a wheelchair without money) that the only thing that can stop you being happy and accomplish your dream is you and your controlling mind.

D178: Hostel Captain Jack @ Portobello, Panama

Early morning of D170, I took the bus from San Gerardo to San Isidro. On the bus I was travelling together with Nico, whom I met at the Albergue at Cerro Chirripo. Both of us were heading to Paso Canoas to cross to Panama with a short coffee break in San Isidro El General. Despite read and heard rumours, the border crossing was easier and more time efficient than anticipated. To find a bus to David was easier than to find a piece of bread in that messy and busy Paso Canoas.

Once in David, we decided to head to Boquete a mountain coffee town backed by Volcan Baru, the highest point of Panama. We settled in the pleasant and friendly Hostal Nomba hostel. Here I started eating at cheap local dishes consisting of rice and a piece of meat.

Unlike Costa Rica, the population of Panama is huge mix of races and still has a few native tribes which have maintained their language and culture. It is quite common to spot indigenous women wearing traditional clothes but the same does not apply to indigenous men.

The following morning (D171) we set to reach Pedasi on the Peninsula Azuero passing through the Interamericana. This meant travelling on five different buses changing in four different points (David, Santiago, Chitre, Las Tablas). During more than eight hour trip we had not encountered one single tourist so mainly we were travelling with locals. They were curios, helpful and kind. At some stage two siblings came to us and started ask question about our countries and families. Very rarely it happened in the last half a year that a child would have the courage to approach tourist. Not to mention sitting beside you and asking you questions. It is quite interesting to see how children think. At first they think you are from the US as they encounter a lot of expat Americans from the US and see a lot of US television shows.

After a long day travelling we arrived in Pedasi after dark. This was a small village which had only a handful of expensive hotels and only one hostel owned by a nice Israeli man. The private rooms were tastefully decorated but out of our budget range whereas the dormitory was okay budget wise but did not look that attractive. Eventually we decided to take a bed each at the dormitory. This was followed by dinner at a local restaurant where while we were eating the electricity was cut for 10 minutes. Luckily we were almost finished! Next step was to drop half dead in the bed.

The initial plan was for the next day (D172) was to reach Playa Venao. We woke up early in the morning to get the bus that meant to leave at 7. One hour passed, two hours passed still no bus in the horizon. Every person you asked said something different. Finally we made the decision to hitchhike. This only lasted 20 minutes, fed up and tired went back to hostel. We left our bags and walked 2.5kms to Playa El Toro which was huge and almost deserted. At this stage both of us just wanted to chill and snooze. Two hours later the sky became black and started to rain a bit so we walked back to the hostel and had a do nothing Sunday afternoon.

Fed up with the idea to get to Playa Venao, next morning (D173) headed to Panama City via Las Tablas passing over the world famous Panama Canal through the Puenta de las Americas. From here the view is just breath taking. Once in Panama City we took a bus and walked to Luna’s Castle in Casco Viejo. The hostel is housed in a green colonial house overlooking the fascinating Avenida Balboa filled with majestic skyscraper buildings. Walking in Casco Viejo reminded me a lot of Havana Vieja which I adore. This neighbourhood is quite small so everything is at walkable distance. On one side the Panama Bay can be seen backed by Avenida Balboa whereas from the Plaza de Francia the Amador Causeway and the Puenta de las Americas can be admired.

On D174 we took the Panama Canal Railway train along the canal starting from Corozal, Panama City (the Pacific side) to Colon (the Caribbean side) passing through jungle and a lot of artificial lakes filled with huge cargos. In unattractive and dodgy Colon, we took a local bus to Gatun locks where we could see the lock in operation. The boats come from one of the ocean and pass through all three locks to get to other ocean. At each lock they are lifted and lowered to the level of Panama Canal and pulled by some mules. The Canal has three locks in total and under construction a fourth one. Watching this human made masterpiece in operation was one of the highlights of my trip. From the locks we returned again to Colon and took an express bus to Panama City.

Next on the list was to visit the Parque Natural Metropolitano, a forest in the middle of the city with a viewpoint on top of the hill. Unfortunately the view from the top was overrated as the visibility was reduced due to tall trees. But the fast walking up the hill was quite welcomed.

After five chilled and fun days travelling together, Nico and I said our goodbyes early morning of D175.

My plan for the day was to explore the Amador Causeway and have a closer look at those tall and fascinating buildings on Avenida Balboa. First I taught I figured out the bus system of Panama City but I was wrong. So eventually I needed to take a taxi to the entrance of the Amador Causeway. This is a 2km palm tree lined promenade that connects four small islands (Naos, Culebra, Perico and Flamenco) to the main road.

On the left you have the view of the Panama Bay whereas on the right the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal passing through the Puenta de las Americas can be viewed. It felt like dreaming walking on this promenade and somehow it felt like home as it reminded me of the Galway promenade sans the heat and sun. At the end of the causeway there was a shopping centre with a duty free shop.

The second half of the day I spent walking and admiring the different shape and size skyscrapers on Cinta Costera, the pedestrian path of Avenida Balboa. Shortly after the tropical storm started I paid a visit to the cinema to see the new Bourne Legacy movie. It was a beautiful and fresh evening and I really fancied a walk back to the hostel. At first I was hesitating to walk in the dark but I could see a lot of people jogging, walking, cycling and patrolling police on the Cinta Costera so I decided to do it. I got back in one piece and I was ready to sleep after a long day.

The following day (D176) I packed my stuff and jumped on the bus to Yaviza in the Darien Province. When we entered the Darien province everybody had to get off with their bags to be checked by the police. As I was the only one tourist on the bus my passport had to be registered at every checkpoint so sometimes the bus had to wait for me. Every police officer asked me where I am going and how long I am planning to stay. They also informed me that without a permit from Panama City I cannot visit the jungle areas except main towns like Yaviza and La Palma. After 8 hours in the bus, I finally arrived in Yaviza. This is the town where the Central American Interamericana (Pan Americana) Highway ends and would re-start 150km further south in Columbia, South America. The police guy at the bus terminal directed me to walk around a kilometre to register my arrival at the military headquarters just beside a Rio Chucunque. While I was walking with my big backpack everybody was staring at me as they would not have seen a human being before. I was the only tourist around so I assume it is quite new for them to see an outsider especially a female. After registration I walked back to the only one hotel in the town so I had no choice just to settle in. The service was crappy and the room was expensive but it was fine for a night.

The morning of D177 I hit the road again back to Metiti to get the connecting bus to Puerto Quimba. In Puerto Quimba I got on a boat to La Palma. The half an hour boat trip on Rio Tuira through the jungle was scenic enough.

 In La Palma I checked out the Hotel Biaquira Bagara. The owner was raw and  directly told me she does not have time to waste by showing me the rooms. But eventually she did. The hotel has a back porch overlooking the Rio Turia and the immense Darien Gap jungle.

Today it was all about getting to Portobello via Panama City. Next step was to inquire about a boat that sails to Colombia in the next few days. I was lucky enough to get the last place on a boat that leaves tomorrow afternoon. The first leg of my trip is over! It has been an amazing 5 months and 3 weeks visiting the beauties of Central America but now I am ready to move on. South America here I come!!! Adios Centro America y hola Sur America!