Blogs from Barichara, Santander, Colombia, South America

Being back in this beautiful country for another month before we ship Tortuga from Cartagena is turning out to be very enjoyable so far. After we left Cuenca mid-January, we put in a few long days of driving to get up to Ibarra, in northern Ecuador, where we spent four nights back at one of our favourite campgrounds, Finca Sommerwind. It was great to catch up with our friends there and spend a few days relaxing around camp before crossing the border into Colombia. We had been wondering how the border crossing would go this time, as when we crossed over last August it took a very long time and the immigration officials were completely overwhelmed by the huge number of Venezuelans heading south. The night before we left Sommerwind, an unfortunate incident occurred in Ibarra, ... read more

Walking through the little pueblo of Barichara, nested in the Santander area, I had to redefine my conception of tranquility. Until now, I would find peace & quiet in remote natural areas or exploring the underwater world, but Barichara had this very same effect on me. With little more than 4000 inhabitants, Barichara remains a tiny town but one that has understood that protecting its architectural & cultural heritage was the way forward when it comes to attract tourists. So here I was, rooming Barichara cobbled stones alleys, amazed at every corner by the combination of white washed facades with linear dash of colors at the base, stone works and just as colorful wooden doors & windows frame. The town is quite hilly which add an extra once of charm to it. Mid day and after ... read more

Day 193 Saturday 21st April We need to get tickets out of here for tomorrow so before breakfast we went in search of this and the first stop was the Brasila Expresso office near our hotel but they only go back towards Cartagena but he said to head towards the Cementario – really no one leaves this town. We walked around and could not see anything obvious but just opposite where we had dinner last night there was a small office selling tickets to Bucaramanga. After a bit of discussion we have arranged to be picked up at the hotel at 6.30am tomorrow and taken to El Banco by we think a Land Rover Collectivo and then a bus to Bucaramanga at 9.30 we hope this is in the morning and not the night. ... read more

When we found ourselves in the small colonial town of Barichara in the heartland of Columbia, we were so utterly charmed by the friendly atmosphere and scenic setting that we decided to stay a week longer than planned (really sticking to the plan of no plan!). Barichara is a photographer´s dream. Set high on a sloping hillside, whitewashed buildings line stone-paved narrow streets. The red roof tiles and blooming flowers give the town a Tuscan feel, but the lush sweeping gorges on either side make it distinctly Colombian. Plus Semana Santa was fast approaching and we had heard enough about it to know that it was a really really big deal. Of all the religious festivities on the Catholic calendar, Semana Santa (or Holy Week, or the week before Easter for all those who missed out ... read more