The pacific coast.....
A few hours from Cali and we were in BienVentura, along the pacific coast. It reminded me so much of Madagascar and Diego in the north coast there. I suppose the coastal way of life is similar everywhere, what makes a difference is the language, the customs, the food and i guess along with a coastal culture there is also another local culture to differentiate these places along the coast.
From here and another boat ride away and we were along the beautiful coastline where there are secluded beaches with sand as black as rich(not materialistically..of course...we are not talking about the druglords) and the people there and and the ocean so wild but so warm and welcoming.
Here we went whale watching and it was amazing that after about 15, 20 minutes on the boat already we started to see the whales. I could have stayed there all day watching them take over the ocean but unfortunately after a few very good glimpses and an hours worth of rain and rough boat rides, we had to get back to the hotel.
In the afternoon we walked away from the coastline and were taken in a boat along the river and to a beautiful waterfall and then on the way back we were able to meet the indigenous community...this time not a tourist trap but a truly indigenous community.
Medellin...
The flower festival with the silleteros carrying their beautiful flowers through the city in a parade was just amazing. We managed to get a place right at the front, right under the midday sun but it wasn´t a spot we were willing to give up. Already another lady tried to push in and was given a whole lot of abuse and a bottle of water over her. Apart from that we saw the beautiful town of rio Negro and had some delicious dolces, went up the brand new cable cars to get an amazing view of the city and then off to my next destination
Cartagena.
I did not have long enough in this beautiful city. But it was stunning to walk around the old city on a sunday afternoon. It was empty and i had it all to myself. You buy a box of sweets, from the ladies at the gate and eat them as you walk around and admire the old colonial architecture, the hidden beautiful, old fashioned bars and restaurants and just hear salsa coming from underground basements or locked houses. It´s a stunning city . But very different at night, there are seats in the square and salsa dancing and then there are bars like ´the queens´..full of foreigners and local girls looking for a good time.....that was my last night in cartagena...dancing to ymca......quite regretful
Santa Marta...Tayrona National Park...
I didn´t see Santa Marta much at all but it´s just another big colombian city like any other. Taganga in the bay however is beautiful but an American and israeli hot spot which kinda ruins it a bit but from here I got the boat to get to la cabo San Juan and then to the beautiful beaches of Arrecife.....here the atlantic coast is at it´s best. Snorkelling a few hundred metres in and you see a whole new world of underground boulders and beautiful fish. and at night, what could be better that sleeping in a hammock under a stary carpet with the sounds of the waves. The most soothing thing in the world.
Friday, 15 August 2008
Friday, 1 August 2008
COLOMBIA..SUMMER 2008
Arriving to Cali
It was a long journey getting from London to Cali, Colombia. Getting from London to Bogota was a long flight but it was when I got to the airport in Bogota that things were always going to get interesting. I arrived at the airport at 8:45 in the night and was gonna have to spend all night there. As I sat on the hardslippery, wooden benches in the waiting lounge, I thought i was never gonna make it till 4:00 am and there was no way that I was ever going to wake up if I fell asleep. I was exhausted and yet had to stay up. As I sat there wondering what I would do all night, a stranger came to sit opposite me. Should I talk to him, should I just leave him alone...who knows how long he was planning to sit there....was he american...or south american.....but then thanks to the annoyance of a lottery vender, he started a conversation with me. A dutch journalist who had been living in Caracas for the past two months. hearing our English voices, the only other foreigner, a 19 year old girl who had spent the last six months working in a hospital in Quito. It was amazing, we had stories to share, annecdotes to recount and most importantly look after each others belongings when one of us needed the bathroom or a fag. Time passed quickly and before i knew it it was time for us to check into our next flights. I was so glad that I had changed my original plans and was going to Cali instead of Venezuela.....it sounds like the most dangerous city on earth......would like to hear more about it from people who have travelled there.
At check in, I realised I was at the international check in when I had a domestic flight and thats where I met my next new facebook friend. A colombian musician with his guitar going to play in Venezuela. I know I have said it many times but this is what I love about travelling.....meeting people everywhere.
Finally I arrived at Cali airport to the sweetest welcome ever. Valery was holding up a beautiful welcome sign and there was my brother and his wife who I hadn´t seen in such a long time. I was exhausted from not having slept for 2 nights in a row but the warmth and amazing welcome I got from the people here kept me going till midnight. We started the day with a delicious colombian breakfast, hot chocolate and cheese bread...what more could I ask for. Then we went shopping and walked around the old city with my own personal tour guides......such amazing people here.....everyone wanted to meet me and show me around....and finally we went to "La Loma"...to hear the sounds of the beautiful andean music and eat delicious arepas. It was amazing. One guy getting over 200 youths to spend the night learning how to dance indegenous dances and having so much fun instead of them hanging around drinking and not getting up to much good. It was a perfect way to end my first day in Cali. Getting right into the city and its culture with a circle of friends around me at all times.
It was a long journey getting from London to Cali, Colombia. Getting from London to Bogota was a long flight but it was when I got to the airport in Bogota that things were always going to get interesting. I arrived at the airport at 8:45 in the night and was gonna have to spend all night there. As I sat on the hardslippery, wooden benches in the waiting lounge, I thought i was never gonna make it till 4:00 am and there was no way that I was ever going to wake up if I fell asleep. I was exhausted and yet had to stay up. As I sat there wondering what I would do all night, a stranger came to sit opposite me. Should I talk to him, should I just leave him alone...who knows how long he was planning to sit there....was he american...or south american.....but then thanks to the annoyance of a lottery vender, he started a conversation with me. A dutch journalist who had been living in Caracas for the past two months. hearing our English voices, the only other foreigner, a 19 year old girl who had spent the last six months working in a hospital in Quito. It was amazing, we had stories to share, annecdotes to recount and most importantly look after each others belongings when one of us needed the bathroom or a fag. Time passed quickly and before i knew it it was time for us to check into our next flights. I was so glad that I had changed my original plans and was going to Cali instead of Venezuela.....it sounds like the most dangerous city on earth......would like to hear more about it from people who have travelled there.
At check in, I realised I was at the international check in when I had a domestic flight and thats where I met my next new facebook friend. A colombian musician with his guitar going to play in Venezuela. I know I have said it many times but this is what I love about travelling.....meeting people everywhere.
Finally I arrived at Cali airport to the sweetest welcome ever. Valery was holding up a beautiful welcome sign and there was my brother and his wife who I hadn´t seen in such a long time. I was exhausted from not having slept for 2 nights in a row but the warmth and amazing welcome I got from the people here kept me going till midnight. We started the day with a delicious colombian breakfast, hot chocolate and cheese bread...what more could I ask for. Then we went shopping and walked around the old city with my own personal tour guides......such amazing people here.....everyone wanted to meet me and show me around....and finally we went to "La Loma"...to hear the sounds of the beautiful andean music and eat delicious arepas. It was amazing. One guy getting over 200 youths to spend the night learning how to dance indegenous dances and having so much fun instead of them hanging around drinking and not getting up to much good. It was a perfect way to end my first day in Cali. Getting right into the city and its culture with a circle of friends around me at all times.
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