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Sheila ScottSheila Scott
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traveled in 9 countries Read more
  • TravelerSouth and Central America
    Day 186

    Quito

    May 26, 2023 in Ecuador ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    Officially in Ecuador, the last country on my trip. I've linked back up with Joseph and Sarah for our Galapagos adventure. We have three nights here in total. Reports on Quito haven't been amazing but we were pleasantly surprised.

    Accommodation:
    Secret Garden Hostel. It has an incredible view from the rooftop bar. We're in a 16 bed dorm which comes with an animalistic snorer and an inadequate number of showers.

    -Day one: straight off my flight, I found the familiar faces ahead of me in the immigration queue. We had a few hours to kill before Lisa arrived from Ireland. Time passed quickly over a few espresso martinis while we caught up on the past 4 months since we had seen one another. Once all together we made our way to the hostel where I met Brian. The travelling world is becoming smaller and smaller. Brian was Kate's housemate and has been a sort of pen-pal during my trip for swapping tips and advice.

    -Day two: We went to a cafe called Atavico for breakfast and then on a free walking tour organised by our hostel. I do love a walking tour and this one lived up to my expectations. The most intriguing piece of information was to learn there are still indigenous communities living within the Amazon that have absolutely no interactions with the rest of the country or world. One of these communities has not been spotted for over 60 years. We met Clare, another dietitian to add to the collection who is also moving from London back to Dublin. Lunch was empanadas and the afternoon brought us to a local market. We headed back to the hostel for some happy hour drinks where I met Aiden who I had spent some time with in Colombia.

    -Day three: we had a slow (on my part hungover) morning. We had breakfast next door to the hostel which didn't leave us disappointed. We then went to a local food market which did leave us a little disappointed. It gave me prison dining hall vibes. The afternoon took us out to the Equator line. This was surprisingly very fun. This is the official centre of the world because it's the highest point along the equator line. It was crazy to see how magnetic poles affects your balance as you walk along the line. We also had a demonstration on how flowing water changes direction when it's brought to between the hemispheres.
    We went out to a fancier restaurant for dinner to get some typical Equatorian food. We had a random dog follow us the whole way there and even came and sat with us in the restaurant. Turns out it was the hostel's dog but it was still very random and slightly embarrassing. He left half way through our meal with a perplexed American family.

    Recommendations:
    -Do the free walking tour with the hostel
    -Los Jugos De La Sucre - great empanadas and fresh juices
    -Yumbos - chocolate tasting and chocolate shop
    -Atavico cafe - good breakfast and coffee
    -Convergencia - great breakfast next door to hostel.
    - Equator line. Got a taxi there and back which waited for us. Cost $40.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth and Central America
    Day 184

    Bogota

    May 24, 2023 in Colombia

    Bogota. Leaving the capital until last. Of course I'm very familiar with its airport since I accidentally spent nearly 24 hours there on route to Peru. But this time I'm back to see the city in all its glory.

    Accommodation:
    Viajero hostel because I'm now queen of the Viajeros. This one has a spa which is why I booked it and it's ridiculously fancy.

    Most people don't have great things to say about Bogota so I decided to limit my time here to one full day. I checked into the Viajero for two nights. My one full day was a pretty productive one with a mix of catch up, a tiny bit of culture and a lot of pampering.
    To my surprise, I had another unexpected overlap with Kim. She stayed in Bogota for longer than she planned so we met for lunch and caught up on what we had been up to for the last 2.5 weeks. It was really great to see her and as always, she had sourced out an amazing veggie cafe.
    On route back to my hostel I stumbled across Museo Botero which is home to Latin Americas most important international art collection. This has all been donated by Fernando Botero who is Colombias most prized artist. I had seen a lot of his sculpture work on the streets of Medellin so it was really enjoyable to see some of the same sculptures in miniature versions in the museum. Most of his work takes the same form of larger than life and exaggerated features. He has done his own take on some classics, including the Mona Lisa.
    I had an important 14:30 deadline to make back in the hostel spa. I was in "much need" of a facial and massage after a long six months of hard backpacking. I also rounded off the day with a pedicure for good measure.

    Recommendations:
    Quinoa and Amaranto - great veggie restaurant with one meal of the day rather than a menu.
    Museo Botero    Read more

  • TravelerSouth and Central America
    Day 177

    Salento

    May 17, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Salento is a very pretty, colourful town of colonial style. Unlike similar towns I have seen on my trip, this one has not been spoilt by tourism. Locals are still very much the main occupants of the beautiful, traditional houses. It was really lovely to observe them milling about their days, some trotting through the town on horse back. The town is surrounded by large coffee estates and also neighbours the impressive Cocora Valley. The valley is home to the world's tallest palm trees. Some are as tall as 200 feet.

    Accommodation:
    -Coffee Tree Hostel. It was very pretty with two massive St. Bernards. I booked my initial two nights here and then came back for a further two nights.
    -Viajero. I moved here as I knew a lot of people who were staying here. It was nice but was let down by the weather. It had a beautiful garden that overlooked the hills. It poured the whole time I was there so we didn't get to use it to its potential.

    I ended up spending a week here. This was longer than necessary. Being at the end of my trip I wanted to relax in one place and not waste another day on public transport. The days are a bit of a blur between rain and thunder storms.

    I arrived after a full day travelling from Medellin. I had Chandler for the bus journey so at least I had some company. I met back up with Jess, Tiger and Emily. It came as a surprise to have them in my hostel and I loved being back with them. Chris and Stanley were also here for the first few days. We spent the first night back together out at a suboptimal Italian and then headed on to play Tejo. Tejo is a Colombian game where you throw rocks at gun powder propped up on a clay pit. Obviously the aim of the game is to get the most explosions. During the week many games of Tejo were had. When we got sick of that we moved onto playing pool and card games.

    I explored Colca Valley with Emily and Tiger. Unfortunately Jess was sick with the typical traveler infliction and also had to go on the hunt for her missing phone (surprisingly she found). We panic bought some sun cream but we nedent have worried as is soon started raining cats and dogs. Then came the thunder and lightning which had us blacked out in the hostel for the rest of the day.

    The most exciting outing was mountain biking which actually had more impressive views than the valley itself. It was pretty tough, a few people came off but no serious injuries. Poor Stan had it the worst and had to get back into the jeep half way through as the nerves were a little shot. Will came off his bike at one point and the bike went straight into a ten foot drop off the path. Will was our celebrity for the day as he plays for Harlequins.

    Our last hurrah with Chris and Stan was a night out in a local bar. Locals danced salsa and we met our biking guides who fed us plenty of shots. Salento isn't known for its roaring night life so we did pretty well to have a rager.

    Salento is a huge coffee region so it was high on my list to do a coffee tour. Evie and I did a roasting class in a local coffee shop. The owner was amazing at explaining everything and warned us to never buy a dark roast. We ground the coffee ourselves and tasted three different varieties.
    The following day I ventured to a farm. Unfortunately it poured so we couldn't go out to the fields. They also had a power cut for the first hour so we couldn't even drink coffee. It was a tad miserable.

    A very big and delightful surprise to was meet my friend Ellie again. I had met Ellie in Guatemala and I had been keeping up with her trip on insta. She had flow straight from Nicaragua. It was great to catch up and get to hang out for a few more days.

    Lots of final goodbyes were made. Some were more emotional than others. It was sad to see Evie and Ben go as I had been with them for a little over a month. However, I've promised to see them when I visit David in Liverpool.

    Recommendations:
    Do the mountain biking
    Cocora Valley
    Coffee farm
    Play lots of Tejo. There are two places you can do this. Las Amigos is my preferred place. They also have it downstairs in the pool hall
    Brunch de Salento - good food and great coffee. This is where I did the free coffee class.
    La Mafia - food truck with a very friendly owner
    Jesus Martin - good coffee    Read more

  • TravelerSouth and Central America
    Day 167

    Medellin

    May 7, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ 🌧 29 °C

    Arrived to Medellin with Evie and Ben on an overnight bus. I'm getting very used to sleeping well on buses so the 16hours passed easily. Medellin is a really great city and I ended up spending 10 days here.

    Accommodation:
    Viajero hostel. It's a pretty nice one. Very busy rooftop bar.
    Two other Airbnbs that I shared with Evie and Ben. Both were basic but cheap and around the corner from the Viajero

    The nice thing about doing my route through Colombia is that I'm going the same way and same pace as most people I meet. I've been able to meet up with a lot of my original gang from Carpe Diem in Minca.
    My days here are all a bit of a jumble between partying, days chilling and taking in some sights. We started off our Medellin stay with a local football match. The atmosphere wasn't as good as what we had been promised but it was still good to see.
    I ended up doing Communa 13 twice. Once with Amy when I did the walking tour and again with Evie, Ben and Chandler. Comuna 13 was once one of the most dangerous areas in the world. It wasn't until 2011 that it became safe to visit. Because of the street art and performers it's now the most touristic place in Medellin.
    I did the free walking tour and had an excellent guide. He touched on the Pablo Escobar era and mentioned how the people of Medellin really don't like to speak about him. Referring to him as Voldemort, he mentioned how some of his classmates parents were killed in random attacks and car bombings and he was always terrified as a child the same would happen to his.
    I did a day trip to the town of Guatape. It's a very pretty town and climbed up to the top of a massive rock to take in the view.

    Recommendations:
    Real City free walking tour centre and downtown.
    Go to a football match
    Modern art museum
    Comuna 13
    Guatape day trip
    Night life
    Take the cable cars up to the park - we did this too late in the day to do any hiking in the park. Also the cable car takes a lot longer than expected.
    Botanical gardens

    Food:
    Hijamia - exceptional brunch. I ate here nearly every day
    Criminal Taqueria - great Mexican
    Mercado del Rio - food court
    German street food - stays open late
    Olivia - good Italian

    Make sure to stay in the area of El Poblado

    *ATMs - Davivienda. No fees    Read more

  • TravelerSouth and Central America
    Day 165

    Taganga

    May 5, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 31 °C

    I thought it was time to delve back into diving and properly check out the Caribbean sea. I decided to do a short one night stop to the small fishing town of Taganga.

    Accommodation: Divanga Hostel. It's run by a lovely french woman called Lucy. They also run the diving school so booking everything was very easy. It's a little gem.

    I had a great surprise on arrival as my friend Kim had also just checked in. Kim and I met in Cartagena and saw each other again at the party at El Rio. We were trying to link up again to do a jungle stay but it didn't quite work out with my Palomino dates. It was really great to have her here in Taganga and I instantly regretted only booking one night.
    We went out for dinner to a very popular restaurant called Pachamama. It was one the best meals I've had in a really long time. I had cod in a saffron sauce with a chorizo crumb!
    The following morning I booked a fun dive which consisted of two dives for £45. I hadn't done any diving since I was in Australia five years ago so I was a little nervous. My instructor was great and ran through all the basics with me again. I saw gorgeous stretches of reef and even a tiger fish. Typically I got sea sick while on the boat so I really didn't enjoy the time between the dives. It was very rocky and windy and I had to almost throw myself overboard with sea sickness. To my horror, several people had to go into the sea to wash puke off them. When I apologised profusely, they reassured me that it was actually from some other poor girl at the far end of the boat.
    Once back on shore I met Kim again for a post dive lemonade and had a goats cheese salad lunch at Pachamama. I left Taganga in the afternoon to head to my night bus in Santa Marta to take me to Medellin. I met Evie and Ben again at the bus station to do our next travel leg together.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth and Central America
    Day 162

    Palomino

    May 2, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Palomino was a little beach town. It was more undeveloped than what I was expecting but this did add to the charm.
    Accommodation: Dreamer hostel. This hostel had been hyped up by previous backpackers and seemed to be the most popular place. It was quite a let down and had an awful lot of annoying people staying there. I'd recommend staying at Tiki Hut.

    I spent three nights here in total which was definitely enough. It was nice to lounge around in the sun, take in a sunset at the beach and go tubing down a river. I spent my stay here with Evie and Ben. They had booked Tiki Hut which was across the road from my hostel. I spent the majority of my time at the hostel. We got to meet Chris and Stan again during our first night here. I also overlapped with Jess, Emily and Tiger for my first afternoon and it was great to get a catch up.

    Recommends:
    Tubing was relaxing but not overly thrilling.
    Great Lebanese restaurant
    Stay at Tiki Hut.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth and Central America
    Day 159

    Tayrona National Park

    April 29, 2023 in Colombia

    I spent three days in this area to see the Park and also to check out a very popular hostel

    Accommodation: The Journey Hostel. It's in an unbelievable location but didn't quite live up to all the hype on the fun front.

    I went to Tayrona with Ben, Evie and Amy and also with two Irish girls, Sinead and Yvonne. It was a two hour walk into the park and along the beaches to reach the most popular spot, San Juan. It was incredibly hot and we were drenched in sweat. I chose to spend the night in the park and sleep in a hammock at San Juan beach. I wouldn't say this was essential. I think overall I would have preferred to have walked back out and gone back to the hostel. None the less, it was a cool experience and it was nice to have a swim in the morning before hiking back out. I saw some creepy crawlies on the way out and some howler monkeys.
    I spent one more night back at the Journey before making my exit to head to Palomino.

    Entry to the park was around £12. You do need to bring a little cash with you to pay for a bus to take you a little further in and also to pay for a tax at the gate. Have a picture of your passport handy as they want it for entry.    Read more

  • TravelerSouth and Central America
    Day 157

    Buritaca

    April 27, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ 🌧 28 °C

    I moved onto Buritaca with all my pals from Carpe Diem.
    Accommodation: Buritaca House. Great Aircon.
    The main reason we came here was to go to a party that was being held at El Rio hostel. It was labelled as a festival and word had spread that it was going to be the biggest party of the year. It was like every Gringo in North Colombia had descended on the area. The party didn't disappoint. It was also really fun to bump into people I had met in Cartagena again.Read more

  • TravelerSouth and Central America
    Day 152

    Finca Carpe Diem

    April 22, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    I met Chris and Stanley in my hostel in Cartagena and together we travelled to an eco lodge just outside of Minca. We thought we were actually going to Minca but instead ended up in Finca. I absolutely loved my stay here and met such a fun group of people. The main standouts were of course Chris and Stanley, and Evie and Ben. The hostel was great so we spent most of our time here. We didn't do a whole lot of exploring but did a few short hikes and a tour of a cacao farm. I ended up extending my stay so I spent a total of five nights here. I morphed into the place so well it felt more like five weeks.Read more

  • TravelerSouth and Central America
    Day 147

    Cartagena

    April 17, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    I'm in Colombia! My very vague new plan is to start here in Cartagena, do a few stops up here in the north and then work my way down in a little loop to Bogota.

    Accommodation: Viajero. I don't have too much to say about this other than it's just another Viajero.

    I've spent five nights here in total which was definitely enough. I didn't quite embrace all there is to do here as I felt I needed a rest. I did the walking tour of the Getsemani area which was great for gathering recommendations and seeing the colourful streets. It's a beautiful town that has been covered in street art and colourful decorations. As a city it is very touristy but it was still enjoyable. The only real downside is how insanely hot it is. It's right on the Carribbean coast and you can do trips to the nearby islands. I opted not to do this as I was in chill mode. I met a new friend called Kim from Australia. We had a great time exploring the city, finding some healthy salads and trying to sample a little of the night life. I also met Pearl from the US who I enjoyed a few G&Ts with and shared some funny travel stories.
    I've met a few English friends, Chris and Stanley, who I'm heading to Minca with.

    Recommendations
    El Bololó - really nice healthy bowls with good veggie options
    Gokéla - great salads
    5 Islands tour - meant to be great but I opted against it.    Read more

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