Bogota was my first stop in Colombia, and is a pretty interesting city. I did most of the major sighseeing on the first day, starting in the historic center, Plaza Bolivar. From there all the interesting buildings (Cathedrals, presidents residence, older buildings) are quickly covered. Entrance to museaums was also free, so I visited the Gold museum, as well as the Botero gallery, which much to my suprise, I quite enjoyed. Botero is a famous Colombian artist, who draws (and sculpts) everything supersized. For great views of the city, I took the cable car up to Monseratte, a church on the [View Full Entry]

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I have said it before but it really seems like the whole world is in Colombia! I haven't come across this many travelers, locals or other South Americans in any other country. I know I have been here over Christmas holidays but it doesn't seem to be stopping even now. Some one said that the locals here are only just starting to feel safe enough now to travel again in their own country and I guess they have been waiting a long time. I am really enjoying Colombia for lots of reasons, the climate, the music, the friendly people. It seems [View Full Entry]

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After meeting lots of other travellers who had already been to South America, the general consensus seemed to be that Colombia was pretty high on the list of their favourite places. Although my original plan was to fly straight from Panama to Ecuador, I decided that it seemed a bit silly to miss out on a country that was so close to where I was already. After a quick phone call to my mum to check she wouldn´t disown me, my new friend Jenna and I booked a flight to Columbia and off we went the very next day!! First stop [View Full Entry]

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My roommates took off this weekend to go play in a mountain lake, and I'm left here alone. It's okay. First, I really didn't need to spend the money to go there, when in two weeks we are going there for free on a teachers retreat. Second, two people are coming down this weekend. One of my roommates is coming back, and then a good friend of us Judson guys is coming to stay for a while....like a couple months while. Its another amigo to hang out with, help on rent and help sub some of my classes. Also, we had [View Full Entry]

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At the end of our little cruise we touched down in Santa Rosa, which is the Peruvian side of the river. From where we stood, we could see Leticia (the Colombian border town) and Tabatinga (the Brazilian town) on this three-way border. After a few emigration formalities, mainly involving me paying a small fine for overstaying my Peruvian visa, we hopped from dirty nappy to dirty nappy to get into a boat for five minutes to take us to Colombia. Expecting full body cavity searches and hectic immigration, we were surprised to find absolutely nothing in the way of immigration - [View Full Entry]

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So, much to the dismay of my brother, I made it to Colombia. His warnings of the Cali and Medellin drug cartels, Pablo Escobar stories, the fact it produces 80% of the world´s cocaine, and has regular tales of kidnappings and murders, was enough to put some doubts in my mind. But the experiences of everyone else I have met on the road proclaims it to be one of the world's best kept secrets. Let´s keep it that way, eh? It is, and I am not exagerrating, one of the most beautiful, peaceful and friendly places I have ever been to [View Full Entry]

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Hola mis amigos! Right now I'm at an internet cafè in Cartagena, Colombia, after a day full of strolling and swimming at the beach. This city is incredible! It's the oldest Spanish city in the new world (The conquest world that is) and it has an enormous amount of history to tell and tresures to show. The city has about 1 million inhabitants and is hence a large city, but its size doesn't bother me at all. Instead all the great Spanish architecture, the climate, all the fresh fruit (of which half I know the name), the beaches and the general [View Full Entry]

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Bienvenido! Just a quick update tonight before I go to bed. Welcome and thanks to Chrissy and Adam. I'm so glad that you found my blog, and are actually taking the time to read it! I wonder sometimes if I have anything interesting to say, so its very encouraging to hear positive feedback. Thanks so much for the thoughts, well wishes and most importantly, thanks for the prayers. It's what I need the most. This last week has really seen me become not just comfortable with my new home, but actually pretty peaceful also. It was a rough going for awhile. [View Full Entry]

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My three month visa in colombia expires on thursday, and as of yet ive written nothing about this country. Im in the city of Popayan sort of in the south. Its another one of south americas white cities with its all white colonial centre, pretty nice although ive spent only about half an hour looking around in daylight. ill be leaving here early tomorrow morning in order to get down to the border with ecuador. So, Colombia started three months ago when i crossed the border into Leticia in the extreme south east of the country. Leticia is colombia´s gateway to [View Full Entry]

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I really had no idea that Colombia would be so beautiful, lively, cultured and modern at the same time. I had a vague idea about Bolivia even though it turned out to be so much more, but thinking back I don't remember seeing any images or descriptions of Columbia before coming here, I guess the world is just discovering it. I spent another few days in Taganga and another few nights in El Garage before deciding to go with Karen, Marlien, Bruno and Nelson (two locals) to a beach near the village of Palomino where Nelsons uncle ‘El Negro’ has a [View Full Entry]

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