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Happy in the Carribean
Me and Patrick just passing the night on the beach 8 months ago if you had asked me which South American nations I would be visiting on my upcoming trip I would have told you that Colombia did not feature in any of my plans. The reputation for Drugs, Danger, and Guerrillas was my reason, but after having spent months meeting travellers whom had ventured into Colombia my view on the Cocaine Capital changed. I was told time-after-time that the land and people are only matched in beauty by one another, and that to miss the oppurtunity to go there would be very unwise.
My oppinion of Colombia has been so dramatically altered, that now I am here in Colombia!
I caught a flight out of Quito and arrived in Bogota at 8am on Tuesday morning.
The first Colombian that I really interacted with was my taxi driver, whom was fill of joy and enthusiasm for the entire duration of our 25 minute journey to Platypus Hostal. We spoke about my travels, and his wonderful home city of Bogota, then when it came time to part I could really sense his feelings of grief and loss as I disappeared from his life, and into the welcoming doorway of my hostal.
Gold figure
From Museo De Oro in Bogota After ten minutes sitting and intentionally overhearing other peoples conversations in the modest dining room in Platypus my mate Patrick wandered in, and from that point our Colombian adventure really had begun.
We went for a recon walk around the streets in the near-vicinity to try and locate a spot for breakfast. Although we had intended to spend the day enrichening our cultural knowledge and appreciation of Colombia and its people through visiting the various museums that were scattered throughout the city, we discovered the streets empty.
Toning down our walking pace to match our befuddlement we walked through the Ghost City to consider the possible reason why there was nobody around on a Monday....
We were not left puzzled for long, as Patrick came to what he thought to be a blindly obvious reason... Mayday, or Labour Day (evidentally a universal holiday).
This theory was confirmed after walking into a wide street to discover thousands of armoured policeman with riot-shields, and people dressed in yellow costumes. There was also a couple of water cannon tanks, parked around the corner, and it appeared that some sort of riot was anticipated.
We didn't hang around to find out, but rather
Fly
They got hops! They got hops! continued our mission for cultural enrichment and a bite-to-eat.
Our minds had understandably strayed from the path of enlightenment after more then 10 minutes walking, and the fact that every Museum seemed to be closed gave us an excuse to follow the desires of our begging stomachs. A few big city blocks later Dunkin Donuts answered our stomach's calls, with filled sandwiches, hot chocolate, and the obligatory choclate coated donut.
Other then eating it was destined to be a compulsory day of rest with nigh on everything closed for Labour Day, so we looked forward to tomorrow.+
A visit to the police museum.
We rocked up to the understated entrance of the Bogota Police Museum at about 10:30am hoping to take a tour of the various Pablo Escobar displays that were rumoured to reside within. But our enthusiastic attitude was met by two closed solid green doors, and a rather unsure Police officer that told us we could come back at 2pm.
That was nearly enough to detur us from returning, but after having looked through the Museum of Gold, Military, and Contemporary Art (Alot of museums) we returned.
The doors opened to our touch this time, and upon
Hand Puppets
Some peoples skills exceed my own entering we were ushered into a very comfortable waiting room to sentarnos on brown leather and brass buckle seats that faced a memorial wall celebrating all the officers that had died in the last year (there was quite alot).
We sat there for 5 minutes thinking that this is no ordinary museum procedure, and that maybe we should get our stories straight for a possible upcoming interrogation.
After a while a young military costumed guide came and lead us upstairs into a more lavish waiting room, and offered us coffee or tea whilst we were to wait for the Major to personally come and welcome us. At this point we had really begun to wonder if perhaps the officers had mistaken us for royalty or journalists. Our uncertainty was vanquished by the entrance of the Major whom came out of his grand office with a wide grin on his face and an outstretched hand to greet us. It seems that he especially appreciates foreign visitors to the Museum, and he proceeded to talk to us about his travels, and his job, whilst our guide stood to attention in the corner.
He orded us to take a seat on the leather
More Gold
Museo De Oro Bogota. There was endless amounts of gold in this place! couches, as to save him the trouble of continiously looking up, and he also offered us more drinks. We concluded our time with the Major with a look at his office, board room, and a story about how he feels like crying everytime one of his friends leavess Bogota (he was referring to us as his friends).
It was really quite an experience. I don't think they get too many visitors.
Other then the unprecedented hospitality we recieved at the Police Museum every other aspect of the 4 museums we visited on that single day were very museumesque, and quietly enjoyable.
Medellin
The Lonely Planet had said that night buses were not recomended in Colombia due to the risk of Guerrilla stop-points. Unfortunatley I lost the Lonely Planet a couple of days ago, so we caught a night bus to Meddellin from Bogota. The bus was really comfortable, with a very safe and secure aire about it. And 9 hours after having loading our packs under the bus into the baggage compartment we were happy to find them in exactly the same place. So we jumped in a taxi and headed off to the Black Sheep Hostal
The Black
Old Statue
Museo De Oro Bogota Sheep Hostal is a hostal run by a Cantrerbury born kiwi joker, with 2m long beds, and everything else that any traveller could need. So we checked in, and headed directly into bed to catch up on the sleep that our down hill winding night drive had deprived us.
Our first Medellin adventure was to travel on the Metro (a brilliant quality metropolitan rail system), up a free gondola to the top of a panoramic hilltop viewing spot perched in one of the many red slate roof-topped hilltop suburbs. We also went through the bustling city streets, standing out like the gringos we are, and copped endless comments from the locals (often blush worthy remarks made by colombian girls). After our day out and about we went to the Zona Rosa for a little night life, and at some time in the morning I vaguely remember my head finding the soft support of my pillow.
Our three days in Medellin consisted of walking around and meeting unfathomably nice people, then in the evenings we would go out to different bars and meet more. We seemed to be very popular in this wonderful city of sunshine, culture, and natural beauty.
Maverick
Maybe more of a Goose I enjoyed our time in Medellin so much so that I now hope to find time to return there and stay a while.
Some fool said that all good things come to an end!
Well I can disprove that statement by saying that ice-cream is good and there is no end in sight for ice-cream, but as for the good thing that was our time in Medellin, It came to an end!
We departed the city of two million Meddelinians on another night bus, but this time we were destined for the Carribean Coast, and the historic Town of Cartagena.
It was overcast outside as our air-conditioned bus pulled into Cartagena bus-station. Patrick was saying somthing about the disappointing weather, and how it was alot colder then he had imagined it, but then I stepped out of the bus. Grey skies mean nothing here on the Carribean, and the wave of heat that had hit me as i stepped down onto the paved carpark seemed to find the same expression of suprise on Patricks face as he sleepily stumbled down the bus steps.
It was a long drive through Muisne like streets before we arrived inside the old city
Another of my toys
Light weight armoured tank with mid-range artllery, and a wonderful paint job. walls and at our hostal here in Cartagena. But unlike Black Sheep Hostal in Medellin, this place wasn´t very good. It was so not good infact that we decided to split from Cartagena to spend the next night swinging from hammocks on a Carribean Island.
The Island of Playa Blanca.
We bartered for a bit at the ferry terminal in Cartagena before getting a cheap price that included a visit to the Aquarium on Isla Rosario, a drop off at Playa Blanca, and Lunch. It was actually quite impressive how low a price we managed to wrangle, and it seemed that we had done really well until at Playa Blanca we weren´t given lunch. Fortunatley we found a little hut that prepared freshly caught seafood, and provided hammocks further down the plam tree and white sand covered beach. For two days we switched from swinging in our hammocks, to swimming in the Carribean, to eating fresh feasts of fish, lobster, and crab. The only draw back to this slice of paradise in Colombia were the relentless Sellers that insisted on us buying necklaces, massages, and shrimp. We adhered to the ´Kia Kaha´moto, and I managed to get off the
Botero Bottoms
He likes people round and curvey island with no more then a bunch of necklaces, a massage, and some shrimp (pretty much everything).
Two days on a beach was enough for us, and now we are back in Cartagena ready to hit some museums, and take some of those wonderfully cliched tourist photos that I am sure you all want to see. Cartagena is interesting and full of history, but I can´t help but think of how nice Medellin was. I hope Santa Marta (where we go tonight) can continue to offer us a wonderful Colombain experience.
I will catch up with you after my six day lost city trek in Santa Marta, and until then look after yourselves and smile,
Andrew
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tore haaland
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I will follow in your and many other footsteps in colombia-definitely...when i have fullfilled my mission in the southern parts of the continent