Blogs from San Gil, Colombia, South America - page 5

With my gammy knee having recovered, I decided (as hinted at in the previous post) to do some "crazy" adventure activity stuff. I have to while I'm here - I'll have no credibility if I leave San Gil without doing something! Mónica (she who is always right), suggested La Cueva del Indio - Indian Cave. I've never done caving before so I thought "why not - it's not too extreme" :) It was actually super-easy to organise. I spoke to Blanca who works here at the hostel and she made a call, took my 25.000 COP and gave me directions to the bus station - I already knew where it was because I'd been to Barichara yesterday. I was instructed to get a bus to Páramo (3.000 COP) which is an EVEN SMALLER town than Barichara. ... read more

And now, for Colombia. I flew into Bogota on a Monday afternoon. I spent the afternoon looking at the old main square and visiting some museums. Colombia´s most famous artist is a man named Botero. There is an excellent little Museo Botero near the town square that not only features his work but has a great collection of Impressionist as well as Surrealist artists considering the size of the museum. The following day, and my first morning in Bogota, I met new friends Sue and Kim at the Platypus hostal. Up until then, I had really had a hard time deciding what I was going to see and do in Colombia. I looked at the map over and over but nothing came to me. So when the ladies from San Diego invited me to go to ... read more

So many people seemed worried when I told them my first country in South America would be Colombia. Apparently the reputation for cocaine and drug wars have painted a less than pretty picture. For your entertainment - here is what the Canadian government has listed on their website. There is no specific information about future terrorist activities or threats against Canadians citizens in Colombia. However, the security situation remains unpredictable. Possible terrorist targets include military and police vehicles and installations, restaurants, underground garages, nightclubs, hotels, banks, shopping centres, public transportation vehicles, government buildings, and airports located in major cities. Canadians should be vigilant and avoid any unattended packages or parcels and bring them to the attention of security personnel. On top of this you have to remember that toilet paper... read more

Let me tell you a bit about traveling by bus in Colombia (photos forthcoming). First of all, we are not talking rusty old open-air trucks with caged chickens on the roof and 30 people packed into 10 seats. Hardly! These inter-city buses are super deluxe coaches with cushy seats, full power air-con and movies galore. And thakfully so, since the lack of trains leave little alternative. Walk into a bus terminal, and you are immediately hounded by uniformed reps from the many bus companies whose purpose is to sell you a seat. Santa Marta? Cartagena? Para adonde vas? they all yell out to you. It's a bit dizzying, but if you can stay focused you know to go straight to the ticket counters. Check around before making any commitment: there is a lot of competition with ... read more

The movie was in German and Turkish with Spanish subtitles. El Otro Lado, The Other Side. It was a compelling indie drama about race and political persecution: a great way to spend a sleepy Sunday night in Villa de Leyva. The real attraction though was the "movie theater", if one can call it that. Set up in La Patriarca Salon de Eventos, the screening room was nothing more than a large-ish meeting room lined with rows of over-sized, swiveling office chairs, set up theater style to face a screen in the front of the room. An attendant offered in-seat service of drinks and snacks to the three people in the room, including me. It was oddly cozy, and I thought, who really needs surround-sound and jumbo screens and extra-large containers of popcorn? This works just fine. ... read more