Annica

Finally I got the chance to visit this highly praised country in the middle of the Carribean. So many people had told me it is a fantastic country, that I persuaded my favorite travel partners to come and join me: my brother Peter and his g-friend Karin. And in any case, it is almost like being a part of a live experiment of a different government form... Like many other people we were curious about learning how Castro's Cuba is working. Actually, Castro never does public appearances. A guy from Havana I spoke to told me that he was 46 years and had only seen him once, a very long time ago. Because of the security risk he does not meet his citizens. Nowadays nobody knows where he or his family lives, if he still lives... ... read more

El Cocuy was like nothing I could have expected... First of all, it took a full day driving there from San Gil, even though, according to the map, it should be possible to get there in an instant! It was not only the length, or the conditions of the routes that clearly are not the most frequented roads in this country, that surprised me, but also the change of temperatures, vegetation, people and architecture along the road. Seriously, during one particular part of the way, when the frailejons started showing up - some strange plant that partly looks like a cactus, partly like a plant that only lives in very cold, unfriendly places, I urged Valentino to stop like every 200m to take a photo! And then even more when the frailejons started carrying flowers!!! And ... read more

My guidebook told me that the travel to Mompox was long and exhausting, but I read on the Internet that there was a new road, so I thought it would not be too bad and since I really wanted to see Mompox... I talked another kitesurf babe into coming with me ("there will be no wind anyway, the weather forecast is lousy..." ;o) The trip there was really long, and really exhausting. Partly because you have to take a bus, then a boat and then a car. But mostly because of the heat. Cartagena is a very warm and humid place, but since it is close to the ocean, at least sometimes there is a sea breeze, and you can always jump into the warm ocean. In Mompox, there is no wind, and the "playa" of ... read more

Wow, what can I say? I don't know where to start, because I am bustling with emotions and positive words when I think about Medellin. The city probably mostly known for Pablo Escobar has so much to offer: Sensual Tango, Excellent Parties, International Food, Gorgeous People, Great Shopping, Much Culture, Clean City, Beautiful Surroundings... Pretty much all you can ask for. I should probably start with the Tango. It is a wonderful dance, so different from all other dances I have ever danced. Since I was in the capital of Tango (if you don't count Buenos Aires) I decided to take some private lessons to see what the dance had to offer me (no way I would be in a class with rythmless airheads... :o) I did have a lot of fun, but it was also ... read more

I went back to lovely Family Quiros and got fed (rice and coke and lemon because I couldn't eat anything else... hahah) and had a nice night's sleep and felt surrounded by nice people. The day after Paola, Marcela's sister, and two of her friends, Andres and Jose, decided to take me to Lago Calima, one of the best kitesurfing spots in Colombia. We started quite early in the day, packing the motorbikes full of camping gear (and really, I have never seen motorbikes with that much packing). On the way we passed by Buga and the cathedral, having a fresh fruit juice on the main square and then lunch with Paola's family. } Then finally we continued up into the mountains and on to the small road that goes around the huge manmade lake of ... read more