Colombia 2025

  Nothing exciting to add here. It’s just gone 8am and I am preparing to leave for the airport. It’s going to be a long boring journey back to the UK, but I have plenty to reflect on during the journey. This has been an amazing experience. One that I will never forget. I have seen some wonderful places, met some incredible people and done some great things. It has been a bit of a whirlwind at times, and totally relaxing at others. I think I got the balance between the two just right. Now, of course, I am already thinking about my next travels. Who knows where that might be? I have a few ideas to follow up when I am back home. But for now, farewell Colombia and thank you for everything. Te quiero mucho!

  My last full day in Colombia. I woke and laid in bed looking out at the view across the city. The sun was shining on the rooftops of the houses and buildings. A nice way to wake up. I noticed that the mountains behind me had a layer of clouds covering their summits; possibly putting an end to my trip up Monserratte. But, after a coffee, I could see the clouds lifting. I went up to the roof terrace to take in the 360 degree view of the city and the mountains. It was already getting warm when the sun was shining. However, the temperature dropped quite quickly when clouds moved across the sun. It didn’t look like there would be any rain, but I took no chances and packed my rain jacket in my day bag, just in case. Liz, the taxi driver messaged me to say that she would not be able to pick me up due to a double booking, but that she could get a friend to take me instead if I wanted. I declined and decided to go for a Uber instead; they are so cheap here. Arriving at Monserrate...

  I was a little sad to leave Santa Marta. It is not the prettiest city that I have visited but it has a certain vibe that really sat well with me. Cartagena was too busy and clearly has been overwhelmed by tourism, whereas Santa Marta enjoys a more laid back feel. The Caribbean culture is not as strong but it retains an identity that is intrinsically tied to it’s proximity to Tayrona, and it’s history as the oldest city in Colombia. I had tried unsuccessfully to pre-book an Uber for my journey to the airport, but I had seen that there were plenty of cars in the area. As such, I felt comfortable in waiting until the last minute to book a car. Sure enough, Ricardo arrived 1 minute after I had booked the car. Ricardo, like many other taxi drivers I have met, spoke no English. However, we managed a conversation about football. This began like so many conversations I have had with other drivers… “de donde eres?”, “soy de inglaterra”, “Ah Chelsea!”. The assumption that all English...

  Today is the day that I got a small taste of Tayrona, the jewel in Colombia’s crown. Covering 150 square kilometres, it is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. Set in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains, it consists of rain forest, marshland, arid mountain peak, and white sandy beaches. Apparently, it is one of the few places on earth where rainforest meets the sea. Today, I got to go to one of these beaches: Bahia Conche, or shell bay. My original booking was to get there by catamaran, but apparently the boat has been experiencing some engine problems. So, an alternative sail boat was laid on. The day consisted of a one and a half hour sail around the coast, from where we could get an amazing view of the Sierra Nevada mountains, falling away to the sea. There were about 12 of us in total. I chose to sit on the front of the boat in both directions, giving me a fantastic view, but also subjecting me to a lot of splashing from the waves as they crashed agains...

  Today is not what I had planned it to be due to the cancellation of my trip last night. So, as a last-minute thing, I booked something else for the evening. Still, very much in holiday mode, I had a slightly later start to the day. I didn’t fancy the same breakfast as yesterday as that seemed to play havoc with my digestive system. It has occurred to me that eggs have been a regular part of my diet since I have been here, whether it be scrambled eggs in the morning, or fried eggs on my evening meals, and even turning up in the occasional Arepa. I asked the waiter to just give me some fruit. He asked if I would like some pancakes with that and I said yes, then realising that these include eggs too. The pool man has done a fantastic job; the pool is crystal clear this morning and the signs telling us not to use the pool have been removed. Allowing myself an hour of sitting in the sun to let my breakfast go down, I went for a dip. And then another a short while after. Being in...

  After 12 days of travelling around, organising transportation and accommodation, sightseeing, hiking and generally taking everything in, it’s time to relax. I don’t regret going to the places that I have been, but there has been a lot going on. So, today is a holiday day. Once I found my way to the edge of my huge bed I got up, showered and went for breakfast. This consisted of scrambled egg, cheese, fried plantain and some small chunks of pineapple. I’m getting used to the somewhat random assembly of food that appears on any plate that I eat here. No arepa on this occasion, which did surprise me a little. This plate was followed by a huge bowl of fruit: melon, mango, and more pineapple. I certainly got my vitamins in me. I needed to buy a couple of bits for tomorrow’s trip, so I headed off into town. The shops here seem to be organised into streets, according to what you want to buy. There is one road that seemed to only sell electrical goods, another that had health and b...

  As usual on a travelling day, I was awake long before the alarm on my phone told me I should be. I had a better night’s sleep that the night before and felt well rested. I seemed to have found the sweet-spot with the AC unit. A shower and a quick repack later, and I was ready to go, with a good hour to spare. The terrace on the top of the Hostel was not yet in the sun, so, with a coffee in hand, I took in the warm morning air. The terrace is lined with pretty plants and flowers, none of which I could name. Grabbing another coffee from the reception, I sat some more and listened to the sounds of the city waking up. My cab to the airport arrived exactly on time. My driver today was Manuel. He was a very pleasant young man who was keen to practice his English. I agreed to help him if he would reciprocate by helping me with my Spanish. He actually didn’t need much help. So, our conversation was a mixture of Spanish and English. We talked about football, life in our respective c...

  Cartagena is a city that is rich in history and has a central part in the story of Spanish colonisation. It was the main port through which slaves would arrive from Africa, and shiploads of plundered wealth would leave for Spain. As such, walking through the city can sometimes feel like walking through a city in Spain. Narrow roads are lined with balconied houses, ornate windows and terracotta rooves. I had a fitful night’s sleep as I couldn’t find the ideal setting for the air conditioning unit; I went from boiling hot to freezing cold several times. This isn’t the quietest hotel and my room’s position near the reception didn’t help either. I rose early as I wanted to get out and explore before the streets became too hot. That was pointless because at 7am, it was already stiflingly hot. The air was thick with humidity and I was sweating profusely within a few minutes of leaving the hotel. Undeterred, I headed for the park just a few hundred yards away. The streets that wer...

  So, this city was only on my list of places to visit as a possibility. Whilst it is full of amazing history, and an important place in the story of the modern Colombia, it is also known as a very popular destination for tourists, especially from the US. Additionally, it is known to be expensive and there also some problems with street crime; not to the extent of Medellin or Bogota, but it’s a known issue. So, I have always be a bit torn about whether to include it or not. Seeing as it did not seem possible to go directly to Santa Marta (which has always been on the list) without going via Bogota, it turned out that a direct flight to Cartagena, then a bus journey along the north coast to Santa Marta, would actually the better way of doing things. It’s a 4 hour journey on the bus but it follows the coast and also goes through Barranquilla, which will be interesting. The flight from Pereira to Cartagena is about an hour. Internal flights are not always the cheapest way to go, b...

  My plan to take the Jeep from the main square of Salento to Filandia fell at the first hurdle. I did not anticipate that there would be many people making the 30 minute ride to the next town. However, when I arrived at the kiosk at 1100, I was told that the next available ticket was at 4pm. I wanted to get to Filandia and enjoy as much of it as I could so I ditched that plan and ordered an Uber instead. I was taken to Filandia by Jhon, who was glad that I spoke English because he wanted to practice with me. Jhon is an aircraft mechanic at Armenia airport, but does some driving on his days off. He told me all about the area and asked me what I thought about Colombia. Like just about everyone else I have spoken to here, he loves the country and would never leave, despite knowing that his skills could earn him a lot more money in the US or Europe. “Why would I leave this beautiful country?”, he said. I kind of see his point. We talked about so much in that 30 minute journey. A...

  This has been on my ‘things I must do in Colombia list’ for a very long time. The iconic image of the tall wax palms nestled in a deep forested valley is commonly seen whenever you look for images of Colombia. The wax palm, the tallest palm tree in the world, is a slow growing palm. Many of the palms you see there are hundreds of years old. The wax palm is the national tree of Colombia and is protected by law. After a somewhat uncomfortable night’s sleep on the hard mattress, I woke still feeling the nausea that I have had for a few days now. I had a large meal the night before and that was a mistake. It seems that, whenever I eat, I get these stomach pains. Shame really because the meal was very nice; Bandeja Paisa, a dish that you find everywhere in Colombia apparently. There is enough meat, rice, beans and egg to satisfy the heartiest of appetite. I couldn’t finish it. The trip to Cocora Valley is about 30 minutes by Jeep (or Willys as they call them here). These small, ...

  I woke feeling better. Which was a good thing as I had been really worried about taking the bus again feeling the way I had. Lara messaged to say that the scan was all good, and the little one was wriggling around just fine. What a relief. So, off to Salento. The bus station at Pereira is a very busy place. I walked up and down looking for the ticket booth of the bus company that I know goes to Salento. I walked past it 3 times and asked 2 different people where it was before I spotted it, right by the entrance. After another successful ticket purchased in Spanish, I boarded the bus. Well, I say bus, more of a mini-bus really. The old thing struggled up the mountain roads. After 55 minutes, we arrived in Salento. It was hot and a little humid, but my first impression was that this is one of the prettiest little towns that I have ever seen. All the building are of the colonial style, like in Villa de Leyva, but each is painted in bright colours. There are palm trees everywhere...

  I am actually writing this entry on day 7, The reason for this being twofold: firstly, by the time I got to the hotel in Pereira, it was early evening, and the room was very small. I didn’t fancy sitting on the bed to type; secondly, I was feeling very ill indeed. As this entry goes on, the details will become clear. I woke for my last day in Villa de Leyva before the alarm went off. I had fallen asleep whilst watching a thunderstorm up in the mountains, that I could see from my bed. It was quite a display. To accompany the storm, there were many fireworks coming from the festival. There had obviously been some rain overnight, but it was now warm and still. A perfect morning. I declined breakfast as I didn’t want to travel with a full stomach. Instead, I had my last coffee whilst waiting for the Uber to arrive. As it turns out, the Uber didn’t arrive, so I walked down to the bus station instead. I had a feeling that this might happen, with it being a small town, so I had bui...

  Due to my changed plans, I have been able to spend another day in Villa de Leyva. There was a problem with the Redbus website whereby they could not complete my booking for the bus to Bogota tomorrow, despite taking the money. Not wishing to take any chances, I decided to walk down to the bus station to buy the ticket in person. I managed to book my ticket completely in Spanish, which gave me a bit of a confidence boost. I am hoping that Redbus refund my money over the next few days. It’s not a lot of money, but it is the principal. Interestingly, the seat that I was given at the bus station is the same seat that I was trying to book. This morning, I noticed that I had caught the sun on my forehead yesterday. Which was a surprise as it was overcast most of the day, with only occasional periods of sunshine. So, I decided to buy myself a hat. I am not really a hat wearing person, but I think I am pulling it off. In the shop, I tried the hat on and the young woman serving me sai...

  This is a place of great historical significance for Colombians. Once a military stronghold for the conquistadors, following the liberation from the Spanish, it became a centre for the New Granada; now known as Colombia. The town has several small parks that bear statues of some of the liberatadors. The main plaza is apparently the largest in South America, although Plaza Bolivar in Bogota seemed bigger. Maybe it’s a bit of a bragging rights thing they’ve got going? My day began with what was described as an American breakfast. Eggs, 2 small croissants, fruit juice and coffee. I was asked how I like my eggs, by the young woman cooking the food in a tiny kitchen. She speaks no English, so I had to draw on my recent knowledge from my holiday in Fuerteventura, where I had noticed that scrambled eggs is called Huevos revuelto. So that is how I had them. The coffee here is divine. It is strong but smooth. I had seen some travel vloggers on YouTube complaining about the coffee. B...

  Impressions of Colombia so far- I am only a few days into the trip, so these opinions can only be based upon my experiences so far, most of which have been in the capital city. So, these opinions might change. Firstly, and probably most importantly, the people here are lovely. Not just nice, or polite, but actually very kind and genuinely friendly. They love music and dancing and seem to take any opportunity to sing. There is a real zest for life that is quite infectious. They don’t see tourists as a problem in the way that some countries do (including the UK sadly), but they really want you to have a good time. I have lost count of the times that I have been asked what I think of the country. Which brings me to the next point, they are very proud of their country. Not in a far-right, flag shagging, let’s set fire to a mosque kind of way, but in a collective belief that they can shake off their violent past and build a better country. Since the Uribe and Duque governments we...

  I had a very good night’s sleep, in 3 distinct instalments, each with it’s own very lucid dream. Interestingly, each dream came to a natural conclusion before I woke up. It was like my brain finally making sense of things and allowing me to move on. I was awake before my alarm. I went and had a coffee in the garden under an umbrella despite the rain. My Uber driver arrived about 15 minutes early and I had only just got out of the shower. I checked out and met Juan, the driver outside. Unlike Ubers in the UK- which are nearly always brand-new cars, Juan’s car made mine look like a Bugatti. He swerved in and out of the Bogotá rush hour traffic, whilst watching a YouTube video about car interiors. We had a chat about my trip and about city life in general. I couldn’t resist but to ask him in Spanish “A que hora terminas?”, that obligatory question that you have to ask every taxi driver; What time do you finish? Ubers are not actually legal in Colombia, but they are still the ...

  After a good night’s sleep, I had a couple of coffees in the Hostel and a shower, then headed out to see Bogotá in the day light. Not much seems to be happening in the morning apart from street sellers setting up for the day and café’s putting out tables and chairs. So, I took advantage of the mostly empty streets. I wandered around looking at the brightly coloured houses that line the cobblestoned streets. This is a touristy area, so there are plenty of little shops selling hand crafted items and the usual tourist merchandise. I walked down to the small square that I had seen in so many travel videos. Then I headed towards the Museo del Oro (the Gold Museum). This was fascinating. There were displays of the crude stone tools that were used by the indigenous people to craft amazingly intricate artifacts that were used in various ceremonies. The security around the museum was incredible; armed guards, vaulted doors and cordoned off areas around the museum. The items here are...

  The start of a long journey to South America began at Lara’s house, with Tilly laying next to me. Tilly has always been very aware of any little signs that I might be going away, even before I start packing. So, the last few days, despite her suffering from a tummy upset, she has stuck by my side all the time. When I was having a coffee with Lara, Tilly was giving me that look that says “you’re going away and leaving me, aren’t you?”; she does it so well. Lara drove me to the train station at Ford and we said our goodbyes. The journey to the airport takes you through some of the most beautiful countryside that the south of England has to offer. And, as a bonus, the train takes you directly to the South Terminal of Gatwick. The flight to Madrid left a little late for some unknown reason. Knowing that I had a fairly small window to get to my next flight, I was getting a little anxious. However, the pilot seemed to be in on the plan and flew the plane like he’d just stolen it...