Colombia 2009

Thursday, January 15, 2009   Planning - Colombia for One Month Trip

It all started with ideas about re-visiting South America as we did in 1967 when we traveled from South Africa through South America to the United States.

• A Rough itinerary was developed by Helmut December 2008:
  Arrive in Bogota. Stay a couple days to look city over. Can do more upon return after trip's conclusion.

• Head South to Popayan, Purace National Park, San Augustin, boat rafting, etc.)

• Further South, Pasto and its surroundings (including Volcan Azufral, most picturesque lake in Colombia: Laguna de la cocha, West of Pasto: Tomaco (on Pacific)Fly round trip from Pasto to Leticia/Amazon. (visit various tribes by boat, etc.)

• Upon return to Pasto, head North, to Cali. Spend a couple days visiting Rocio’s relatives. My cousin Politico will show us around, I am sure).

• Head further North to Manizales, glaciers, thermo springs)

• Next Northern stop Medellin, explore finca Villa Maria.

• Next Caribbean, through Cartagena, Barranquilla, and Santa Marta. Stay a few days around Taganga, a fisher village north of Santa Marta at the Caribbean).

• Finally, heading South toward Bogota: Stops at Bucaramanga (huge paragliding area - not that I want to try, or perhaps yes??), San Gil (nearby Barichara is regarded as the most beautiful colonial town in Colombia).
  
  Of course this is a very loose itinerary: We can improvise as we go along.
  
  January 29, 2009
  On January 29th I flew to Bogota, Colombia, to meet Helmut for our 33 days trip around Colombia. We wanted to follow the route we did 42 years ago and also see where Ari went the year before. Our trip was not as tourists in secluded hotels we traveled by bus and stayed in local hotels or hostels. This way we met many local people and many travelers from all over the world exploring Colombia, most of the from Europe and in the late 20. We visited Bogota, San Augustin, Pasto, Popayan, Silvia, Cali, Cartagena, Taganga, La Guajira (Cabo de la Vela), San Gil and back to Bogota.  Pictures here. 

Monday, February 2, 2009 San Augustin

Went by Bus on Sunday from Bogota to Melgar, great place to Chill Out at the pool and nice small town. 
Monday we toke two busses (Vans) for 7 hours to San Augustin. A very nice place staying at the Finca El Maco Hostel, a Swiss owner. Rooms are like huts you can see the stars, lots of fun. Will stay 4 nights and make trips, no horseback for these old guys, too dangerous.
Actually horses in town doing work and for riding.
Great scenery on way the mountains but tough to enjoy with crazy drivers.
Slow connection here so no pictures. 

San Augustin - Day 2
First night we slept in a 3 bed cabin w/out bath or toilette. We arrived one day early so we had to wait for our deluxe cabin with 2 beds and own bathroom, cost 18,000 pesos or $9 per person / day. Not very busy 2 Suisse, 1 Australian, 1 New Zealander, 1 English and 1 Dutch here right now. Beds are hard and almost on floor, roofs are out of grass and wood.
An interesting place Seija would like it Bob would not go near it! Had a nice ice cold shower this morning and a great breakfast (extra $2). Town is small 2,000 and not many tourists. Nice weather walked the town and explored some stores. Tomorrow walk towards the statues and other sights. After 3 more nights to Paso (6 hour bus ride?) for 2 days then Popayan 2 nights then Cali.

San Augustin - Day 4

Walked from Hostel to the Archaeological Park with religious monuments and megalithic sculptures (100+). Afternoon invited a young English fellow for beer and dinner, he has been for almost a year in South America and is living on very little money. Good evening with music and drinks at the hostel.

Next day toke a full day trip by Jeep around the area visiting more tombs and stone figures, water fall and scenery. Stayed the evening at the Hostel and had dinner with others. Packing for the bus trip to Pasto.

San Augustin.

The largest group of religious monuments and megalithic sculptures in South America stands in a wild, spectacular landscape. Gods and mythical animals are skillfully represented in styles ranging from abstract to realist. These works of art display the creativity and imagination of a northern Andean culture that flourished from the 1st to the 8th century.

Saturday, February 7, 2009 Pasto

Friday January 6 - we left the Hostel around 9:00AM after a good breakfast then with taxi to bus terminal. San Augustin is a small town about 2,000 people. From town we toke a one hour ride in a collectivo truck (8 people 3-4 in front the rest in the back sitting side ways) to Pitolito, another town. With luck we got a Van to the half way (Macoa) of our next destination Pasto. Macoa was 2.5 hours with 10 people in the van. We had two stops by military, one to get out and be searched (very common in this area). The driver was very good maybe too good since one passenger, a young pregnant girl, got very sick and had to use the "Bag" unfortunately she missed a few times and the bus smelled. it is very curvy road and the driver just had to go as fast as possible. At the military stop he cleaned the floor and sprinkled coffee on the floor to take the smell away.

Arriving in Macoa around 2:00 PM we decided to continue to Pasto, only another 140 miles but it takes 7 Hours driving as fast as possible. You don't want to start the drive in the evening and drive too long in the dark, because of the mountains. The bus was large a combination School Bus - Hummer. We had to get over two mountain passes. It is the highest we have ever been around 10,000 feet, and all on un-paved dirt roads most of them only for one vehicle and all switch-backs. Too many crosses on the side of the road. But the driver was very alert you can say like a good pilot, he probably drives in a higher altitude than Tim is flying his planes!

5 stops by Police and Military on the way 3 of them out of bus searches and one pass control. All for terrorists, I believe. Two young American kids from Denver were with us until Pasto.

Arriving in Pasto at 9:00 PM we headed to the center of town the Koala Hostel, had a 4 bed room the first night (last room available) and shared it with the two Americans, this night we are in a 3 bed private room with bath for $12 total for the two of us.

Walked half way up the mountain this morning (to 11,00 feet ?). Lunch in a BBQ place. A Colombian picked us up at the mountain, Lawyer and Farmer, showed us around and the Lunch place very happy to help and meet two foreigners a great experience for us. Tomorrow morning to a lake (4 hour trip) then by bus to Popayan, about 6 hours away.

February 8, Trip Pasto to Popayan (by Helmut)

Trip Pasto to Popayan notations from observations peaking out the Magdalena bus:
Pasto is 2,530m above sea level. Its highest mountain is the 4,276m Volcano Galeras. The numerous other mountains are nearly as high.

One must see the panorama we enjoyed looking at throughout 200 plus miles trip.
Looking in any direction we could see never ending peaks and valleys with a lash green vegetation. There was not a 100 yard straight road, winding its way through the chiselled out Pan American Highway. Here and there were earth movements that made passage as little bit challenging for the driver (since this is an earth quake prone are, the cause could have been from a recent earth quake, or just from heavy rains, as I could not see much of rocks in the soil).

The most amazing part was that in spite of the high altitude, anywhere I looked, the slopes always reflected a deep green, whether is was on the hills or in the valley. The cows looked fat and happy, ready for being milked.
With ever changing altitudes, the vegetation was mostly fat green grass, mixed in with palm trees, banana trees, bamboo trees. There were countless other trees that I could not make out.   In sum, this 8 hour bus ride was a spectacular treat.

Monday February 9 Popayan 

Arrived last night in Popayan after a 7 hour bus trip in a great comfortable bus.
Roads were paved and the scenery spectacular again over several mountain passes of 10,000 + feet. Staying at Hoastaltrail one of the best Hostels so far, many private rooms and very clean in center of town. Owners are Scottish travelers that got stuck here. Check out their web pages of Colombia and other South American countries. Explored the city this morning.

February 9, 2009

Helmut's Food 
Arepa with Cheese fresh from the bakery, also Rocio's favorite food. But she is not here so we eat for her.

Pasto to Lake Laguna de la Coche by Helmut
Trip Pasto to the lake Laguna de la Cocha (altitude 2400m, approximately 15km long with the island Isla Corrotal less than one hour ride easterly of Pasto.

Isla de la Cocha has a pristine jungle vegetation. I was amazed about that kina of vegetation in the high altitude. A walk through its jungle was like being in the Amazon jungle. It reminded me somewhat of the island “Mainau”, located in the Lake Constance in Germany with tropical vegetation, highlighted by red wood trees imported from California, or the palm trees on the Isle of Man, located in the North sea between Ireland and Scotland.
The travel book Lonely Planet calls it Columbia’s most beautiful scenic lake.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 Trip to Silvia  (Helmut)

Trip to Silvia (8310 feet altitude, south east of Popayan).

Silvia is the center of the Gumbiano Indian region. The Indians live in small mountain villages around Silvia. They wear colorful clothing and head covers .

On every Tuesday is Market Day in Silvia, to which many of the Indians come me to Silvia to market their hand made crafts and agricultural products.

The Indians travel to Silvia by Chiva bus. These unique buses are almost distinct. We came to see these buses in action. These buses where once Colombia{s main means of transport. The body of the bus is made almost entirely of wood, have benches across the bus. Each row of the bus is accessed from the outside. Each Chiva is painted artistically. No two Chivas look alike. Chiva bus

Silvia, Popayan short notes

A short recap - the last day in Popayan we left our luggage in the hostel and took a bus to Silvia to see the local market. In the afternoon we left Popayan by bus to Cali, about 4 hours to get there. - In Cali we stayed 3 nights, visiting Helmut´s relatives. Lunch, Dinner and driving around to see the surroundings of Cali. - From Cali we left Friday the 13th to Salento a beautiful place. Coffee and wachs Palm trees. 

Nicknamed the White City, Popayan is a beautiful colonial town of white-washed houses and grand churches encircled by rolling green hills. Although the capital of the Cauca region and the former capital of Southern Colombia, Popayan somehow retains it's relaxed small town feel.

Silvia Indigenous Market - This beautiful Andean market town is absolutely bursting with color and energy on Tuesdays. Guambiano Indians from the surrounding communities make their way into Silvia all dressed up to sell their produce and socialize with friends from neighboring towns. 1 Hour + ride from Popayan. ds. Not many tourists here it is off the beaten path.

Salento - When you imagine the Colombian coffee region, rolling green hills, sunlight glinting through the vegetation as you wind along the country roads - the real thing doesn't get much closer than Salento! Set amid a magnificent landscape lies this friendly and hardworking community of 10,000 formed mainly for the purpose of cultivating and processing some of the world's finest coffee.

Salento itself is a beautiful, Colonial-influenced town with lively multi-colored buildings against a green, hilly backdrop. The large plaza with it's regular market and relaxed outdoor restaurants is a great place to sit back and soak up the atmosphere, but as nice as the town is, the real attractions lie in the surroundings.