On the road between San Augustin and Popoyan the bus stopped at what we thought was another army roadblock. There were several that day. This time, however, a scowling man wearing a hat that said F.A.R.C appeared. He aimed a machine gun through the window. A ripple of anxious murmurs passed through the bus. We realised that we had been stopped by the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - Colombia's most dominant and infamous guerilla group. We got off the bus and the joined the crowd stood waiting outside the other five or six buses that had already been stopped. The area was perfect for an ambush. Steep muddy banks and dense vegetation loomed over the winding dirt road. A few FARC soldiers sauntered past but paid us little attention. I, along with my travelling companions ... read more

The residents of Salento seem to live in a different era to those of the other towns that I have visited. Cowboys saunter through the cobbled streets, and their neighbours congregate in the town square to chat and watch the world not go by. The locals seemed unaffected by the packs of backpackers wondering around - it appears that the town is firmly on the backpacker trail. I hadn't seen so many, well pretty much any, backpackers since I left the Caribbean coast. From the hill overlooking the town - on which of course there is a big crucifix - I could see the grid of pastel painted adobe buildings united by the church on the edge of the main square. From the look out point on the other side of that hill I could see ... read more

I spent six weeks in Bogota and have now covered most of the tourist attractions and made a number of weekend trips to the surrounding towns. I stayed with my girlfriend Angela, who I initially met through Couch Surfing. She has a comfortable flat in Candelaria, the old part of the town, close to the one of the universities - a perfect and relatively safe location. Candelaria is full of beautiful colonial buildings, alternative bars, restaurants, and home to several universities. The area has a cool, alternative vibe thanks to the abundance of young students decked out in designer clothes, piercings, and expanded earlobes. One particular street, El Chorro, is full of bars selling a pungent home brewed indigenous corn beer called Chicha, and at the weekends is packed with young, trendy people drinking in the ... read more

As our boat arrived to Cartagena harbour we were treated to a spectacular sunset against the serrated skyscraper shoreline of the new town. After one night at backpacker's favourite, Hostel Media Luna, we moved to Hostel San Blas, being significantly cheaper, quieter, and with aircon - a much better choice. Cartagena was an important shipping hub for the transportation of gold and other plunder from the continent to Europe, often regrouping in Havana before beginning the long, treacherous Atlantic crossing. It was an affluent city with grandiose colonial architecture, picturesque parks and squares, and many similarities to Havana. A favourite destination of wealthy holidaying Colombians, a lot of money has been pumped into the city both to restore the old city to its former glory and to provide a private police force to keep violence off ... read more

About an hour from David, on the return journey, I stopped at a hostel called The Lost and Found, in order to break up the long journey to Panama City. I was immediately impressed by what the two Canadian owners have created. The hostel is isolated in the midst of a large cloud forest national park with excellent walking and nature spotting. Aside from the beautiful location they have essential created an interesting attraction in the middle of nowhere with many things to do and even it's own book. They also put out food for the Kinkajous (Honey Bears) and other nocturnal mammals so they come to the hostel in the evenings. It's well worth a stop if you're travelling to Bocas. Late the follow evening I arrived in Panama City. Thanks to the canal and ... read more