Central to South America

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Central to South America Traveler
Panama City, China and Yugoslavia
January 25, 2023 in Panama ⋅ 🌧 29 °C
I was warned various times by different people that Panama City is quite boring and there is nothing to do. Not in this case. I was hosted by a nice family that I met in Boquete.

My personal experience was different and I really enjoyed spending time with my hosts and meeting this city and country through their perspective.

The biggest surprise? Chinese influence on Panamanian culture and life. There is between 5-10% of Chinese people in Panama that migrated there in the 1980s. They have their own districts in the city, there are Chinese-focused parties in the night, most of them are market owners etc. even the food is quite present and many specifically Chinese snacks and pastries became a part of typical Panamanian life. I was there the weekend after Chinese New Year and there was a huge celebration in one of the parks. With all the shows, dragons, foods and decoration I could feel I was in China for a brief moment, which was definitely not an experience I was expecting to get in Panama, in the middle of the Americas.

Second biggest surprise?

“Josip Broz Tito”

The words spoken by my host in the perfect accent and pronunciation struck me in surprise so hard that I literally awed for five minutes. She remembers that Tito visited Panama when she was a kid and huge parade that was made in his honor. Contrary to the most countries outside the Europe that I visited, in Panama most people have a good understanding of what happened in the Balkans, and at last, where Serbia is. Is it good education, somewhat common history or just curiosity and chance…I don’t know. But it did leave me wondering.

The brand new apartment where I was hosted was overlooking the city and what once was a very poor neighborhood. Across the street from the building was the place where the mother of my host was born, when her ancestors were diligent workers who still didn’t have much.

With Lizzie, the daughter of the family we explored the city in the coming days. First day we walked Calzada de Amador - a long walk alongside Panama City’s three artificial islands that were made from the earth/rocks taken out when making the Panama Canal.

Casco Viejo - an old colonial part of the city now full of bars, restaurants and clubs.

On my last day there, we realized there will be a carnaval like-celebration of authentic folklore dresses from Panama. It’s for a reason they call it festival of 1000 colleras. I was positively surprised how many local people have come and how beautiful it all was. Panamanian people are so proud of their own culture and tradition.

Maybe not the most beautiful city ever, but I really enjoyed the cultural and historical diversity that Panama City offered.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Metropolitan Park and a bit on Guna Yala
January 27, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 32 °C
In the next days we decided to go to Metropolitan Park which represents a natural oasis with nice views of the city, while being located conveniently in the city. Ok, I definitely saw more beautiful and wild nature on this trip, but it was surprising to see all the wildlife thriving while being surrounded by skyscrapers and crowded roads within the short distance.

We saw colorful birds, monkeys, and even a deer! As we kept exploring and spending more time at some places, observing and receiving all the sounds and movement, we started seeing fireflies everywhere! It looked like the nature was glitching before our eyes - it felt too magical to be true.

Speaking of magical, in the following days we also visited the free Mola Museum in Casco Viejo. Mola is a specific way the materials are handwoven into nature-inspired geometrical shapes by the Guna Yala indigenous people that live in the west of Panama, in and around San Blas Islands. This group managed to retain a high level of autonomy to the state and have really interesting history and cosmology.

I highly recommend visiting the museum, as it is all informative, interactive and just, beautiful. To add a mystic dimension to the whole story, mola patterns are supposed to protect whoever wears them from evil spirits and bad influences.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Cartagena and a taste of Colombia
January 30, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
At first I really wanted to make the trip from Panama to Colombia by boat ( visiting San Blas Islands for 3-5 days) but after calling every known agency I realized that, like so many things, it has changed its status in the last couple of years from “alternative travel” to “I have money and I am European backpacker who wants to look like I am traveling alternatively on my Instagram”.

Why hatred? Well, most of the amazing remote places that I like to visit are now crawling with people because it is mentioned somewhere as a must thing to do. And everybody stays everywhere for a day, two or three and is seen as a quick ATM withdrawal by the local people. In all that mess, it’s getting harder and harder to see the uniqueness of the place. I am not talking about amazing landscape sights that are usually used to lure the tourists in. I am talking about meeting local family that will tell you which traditional meal you have to try or an old abuela that will tell you the whole story about when the road in front of you was constructed.

Cartagena was one of those overcrowded places but still an intense contrast to Panama. People smiling and dancing all day long with amazingly beautiful face features and athletic bodies. Colombia, where have you been all my life?

I joined Getsemani walking tour, which is an artsy neighborhood with street art, caffès, bars and clubs. The place underwent a substantial change in the last years and went from drug-selling ghetto to a must-visit and one of the safest places to be in Cartagena.

The rest of the city I discovered by myself or with other travelers. Even though everything was adjusted to tourism, you could still sense that there was a regular local city flow just beneath the curtain of overpriced tours. An example: people sitting on a chair with typing machines in front of them, offering to type your contracts and agreements in order to make them valid in the court. Another example: I went to a supermarket in the local neighborhood and 6 bananas, 1/2kg lemons, a deodorant, almond milk, sanitary pads and 300g of brownies costed 4$Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Tierra Bomba, contrast to Cartagena
February 1, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 31 °C
As my hormones got more saturated in my system, my ability to communicate, explain, and organize others went straight to zero. I decided to go to the nearby Tierra Bomba Island with a really nice group of people from my hostel, and mostly let them organize everything, without much participation.

Unfortunately, we were kinda scammed, paying upfront for the round trip boat ride from Cartagena to the island and back. Bottom line, the experience was still
nice and I particularly enjoyed part when we were waiting for the boat in the local port, playing with kids and trying street food for 30 cents. On the upside we were scammed for about 3$ per person, so that made it easier to make our peace with it.

The island Tierra Bomba was very empty and we headed to a famous beach on the other side of the island, that looked quite close. The roads are mostly dirt roads and we saw no cars - only motos. It was easy to get lost, so we did it couple of times, but we always found our way. The walk was nice and the sea even nicer, but every squared meter of the beach belonged to a bar or a restaurant so we had to choose one.

On the way back we headed to another port village as we thought that’s where the boat will pick us up. The place was super local, and there was a lot of poverty - like a negative of the modern skyscrapers dominating the other side of the sea…just a quick 15-minute boat ride away. Everyone was curious about us, they were asking, suggesting, calling someone to ask something. I was out of the chaos and let the kids play with my hair, play with my hands, play with my skin, closing my eyes and focusing on their words and moves. I let their happiness dissolve my monthly inner disagreement with myself and really enjoyed the moment of not knowing when and how we will be back but also not feeling responsibility. That day, after a long time, I flew.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Santa Marta and a rich couple
February 4, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
When my friend Milan arrived from Serbia, we met in Cartagena and after rerunning the city tours over the next two days, we headed to Santa Marta.

We liked the town more, it was touristy but it was calmer than Cartagena, and somewhat more picturesque, like only smaller towns can be.

Two important things happened: in two days of Milan’s presence, I became señora from señorita and all the prices doubled or more. We enjoyed market in Santa Marta, ate some of the best arepa con queso. After a day, we headed to Minca.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Minca and its hikes
February 5, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Minca, Minca, Minca… cute, touristy, hippie. Lots of backpackers, but also lots of people who just stayed there. I liked it.

We did two different hikes starting and ending in Minca and enjoyed both of them.

Cool waterfalls, natural pools in the river, several nice viewpoints overlooking the village with the views stretching even all the way to the sea. Then, amazing craft beer brewery in the middle of nowhere, reached only by couple of hours of hiking (well, there might be other road, but we didn’t see it).

Strong presence of indigenous people and culture, intertwined with backpackers. Felt like I would go back. The definite highlight was Cerro Kennedy, but more on that in the next post.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Cerro Kennedy and Sierra Nevada
February 7, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
There is a certain melody in which I pronounce “Sierra Nevada” because it awakes a distant childhood memory when I read a book of the same name.

Little did I know then that I would be literally a breath away from its snowy peaks some 20 years later. Cerro Kennedy seemed like a logical choice for two nature lovers and adventure seekers like Milan and I. It meant two days without internet, inability to book accommodation in advance and just being completely cut off the world and most of the touristy craziness happening in the lower altitudes.

We opted for a hostel called El Ramo, as a recommendation of another traveler. I cannot express my happiness when I discovered many hammocks and swings waiting for me to jump in. To get there, we first had to take a bus for half an hour. Then we had to walk some 20 kilometers uphills. At some point we officially entered national park, and it was a subtle change of environment: air thickened, light was dimmed with constantly passing fog (read: cloud forest) and pine trees mixed with tropical trees scents started tickling our alveolars.

On the way up, a dog, looking very much like German Shepard, started following us. Over the next three days he will prove to be one of the most loyal animal buddies that I’ve ever had. He followed everywhere, waited patiently for us, led the way when we were not sure which trail to take. Miss you Hassan 💕

El Ramo is run by a local family of very modest and easy-going people. The place is full of plants, flowers and humming birds. They were literally everywhere and really added up to the special warmth of this place.

Cerro Kennedy itself is closed for visitors as it is a military property, but a viewpoint on the way to it is really a perfect spot to wait for the sunrise and admire the vastness of the snowy massif of Sierra Nevada.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Riohacha, my secret favorite
February 10, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ 🌬 32 °C
Riohacha is a small city on the Carribbean and a capital of the Guajira department. It is not touristy and there is not a lot to do - most people use it as a gateway to La Guajira desert tours.

I loved it. We stayed in a small hotel with great breakfast and rooftop chill zone over looking city and sea which is where I spent most of my time. There is even a coworking that charged you by hour which adds up to be super economic if you work part time like me.

I could swear that in 4 days we spent there we saw like 4-5 other tourists. We loved the fact.

There is one common piece of advice we heard from everyone: so it’s worth mentioning: don’t go to the beach in the night, it is super dangerous.

The local indigenous Wayu people come to Riohacha to work and sell their handycrafts so there is a lot of movement and selling involved in the city. The market is where we tried the best arepa con queso in all of Colombia and ended up returning 3 times there for more.

Riohacha might be the cheapest place I’ve visited in Colombia. There are also nice cafes and bars and even a craft beer stand. One night we went looking for the craft beer and ended up talking to the local lady who lives there. She said that the stand would open tomorrow and if we want she can also cook for us traditional food of the region for the fraction of the price it would cost anywhere else (3$ or 2.5e).

Next day when we came back for the food, I asked if I can wash my hands and was escorted to the very modest bathroom inside, and what called my attention were three of the young girls diligently making Wayu crafts in silence.

After couple of days, we visited some surrounding places and headed to Cabo de la Vela, in order to go on a desert exhibition.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Mayapo beach and immigration
February 13, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
While enjoying Riohacha to the maximum contrary to the all expectations, Milan and I wanted to see at least one more of the praised beaches in the surounding.

We went to the Mayapo beach, and while Milan spent hours swimming, I didn’t really like the brownish color of water close to the coast (due to the wind and sand), so I stayed outside and read a book. The beach was sandy and extensive but vacant and with odd feel to it.

A local boy soon joined me. He looked young and skinny and was interested in us - where did we come from, why, how. Likewise, I was interested in the way he lived. He told me that he came from the nearby village and that he comes everyday to swim and collect shells. We played some of his games - one was a guessing game, trying to identify which object the other person chose. The second one was guessing how many shells has the other person hidden in the sand. Very simple and straightforward games - he told me they play them often in the village.

Then we talked a bit about life, and the boy revealed to me that he was not local Wayu, but that his parents came from Caracas in Venezuela, when he was born. I think at that moment I realized the proportion of the horror of Venezuelan situation that caused all the immigration. What was a couple with a newborn baby running away from, if they found peace in a desert, where nothing except cactus grows, without drinkable water and the highest poverty rates in Colombia? Whatever it was, it for sure meant death for them. The boy revealed that he is 14 years old - not as young as he looked, but was probably underdeveloped due to the conditions of life.

My life shook a bit that day, but that was just a glimpse of what was about to come in the following days.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Cabo de la Vela
February 16, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C
Our next stop was Cabo de la Vela - the starting point for exploration of La Guajira desert. We spent two days there. The local Wayuu people hold a sort of monopoly - prices are double of what they are in Riohacha and although it is supposed to be authentic experience and backpacker’s spot, tourism is highly developed and everything revolves around it.

There is a slight feeling of a ghost town. The majority of people rushed to advertise their hotel and restaurants but the hoards of tourists never came, so now they are a bit resentful and exploiting towards anyone who does come for a visit. The life there is tough - most of the children you see on the street will try to get any money from you, mostly through begging, selling, or even asking for water. Cabo de la Vela’s beach is very shallow but with constant strong winds, hence a kite surfing paradise. There is a small and lively kite surfing community here.

We did a 4x4 desert tour. As there is not a lot of things you can do on your own, this is a good option. I am not particularly fan of spending a day in a car and stopping just to get photos, but those were some nice photos. The sea is restless with heavy currents and wind, so when we were there, it was not really possible to swim.

Everything seems harsh and unwelcoming but beautiful to see. In Riohacha, I learned couple of Wayu words, since learning a local dialect previously helped me when traveling. Not this time, people that I tried to connect with were not only unimpressed, but kinda confused what to make out of my efforts.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
La Guajira - sand, poverty and resilence
February 16, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ 🌬 27 °C
The next day we hopped on a 3-day desert tour of La Guajira, from the sand dunes, through the lakes and cactus fields to Punta Gallina, the most northern point of South America.

The trip was exhausting and intense, in every possible way.

The ride through the desert is a bumpy and slow one, and the countless kids holding chain and rope barricades don’t help. We had to stop every 5-6 meters at one point, paying for our passage by money, water, sweets and other food. We were prepared, but not sufficiently - we ran out of everything half way through the day and the driver was just heading straight through the ropes/chains and people who would drop them down and jump away to the side.

Our car was bad and it broke down - luckily very close to a big gathering in the middle of the desert. I thought it was a restaurant, curiously poking around and asking for coffee. They didn’t let me pay, the main lady took my arm and walked me around the wooden establishment while the driver was negotiating how to fix the car. It was the anniversary of her father’s death - 8 years - and all the attendees were extended family, cherishing and remembering his existence. We went in the back of the kitchen and there was a big altar and more people sitting around it, everyone dressed up and looking very formal. She said that the closest family members came the day before to help clean the bones (remains) of the father, which are dug out every year, to show respect and love, and then put back after the feast. It was intense for me, but I was amazed at the lightness and ease these people showed in dealing with death and remembering the dead.

Punta Gallina although very famous and praised for tourism is nothing really - a short car stop to observe the raging ocean and take a photo at the most northern point of the South American continent.

After that however, we went to see the dunes and have a lunch there (turns out that our hostel was near the dunes as well).

Crazy, crazy, crazy.

One of my favorite landscapes in my life. Imagine big nothing of the desert. Soft sand, wind, blinding sun. Thirst. Salt in the air. Slippery sand where each step becomes two steps and your foot disappears u til the ankle with each.

Then with one step the mighty ocean shows itself, previously only hinted by the sound. Never have I seen before these two deadly environments coming together so well, and people living happily at their intersection. Tall, dark-skinned, skinny people. Happy people.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Bogota
February 18, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
After additional night in Riohacha we headed to Bogota.

Bogota is an organism - nice and terrifying big city, like most of them feel to me. There is something for everyone and competitive spirit between Medellin and Bogota .

It seems very unsafe, not by a general vibe on the street, but by what other people have told me. Everyone, literally everyone I’ve met from Bogota warned me about not walking in the city alone, avoiding crowded places, etc. During our time there we were approached multiple times by random people asking for money, “favors”, etc. Nothing happened and I can see that in Bogota you need to know your way around, contrary to what I usually do as a traveler - aimlessly wander until something captures my attention.

However, at the same time, we visited restaurants, bars, spas, and museums that Belgrade for example can only dream of. Big clash of everything, and that’s why I liked it.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
San Gil, Colombian adventure capital
February 20, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C
After a big city restlessness I headed towards the mountains to a place I just have recently discovered by recommendations, as it usually happens, San Gil in Santander department.

I stayed in one of the most famous hostels, and it had a perfect view, nice crew and great adventure activities offer. San Gil is famous as an adventure hub - everything is available from rock climbing, hiking, caving to extreme white water rafting and kayaking. I decided for the most famous ones - rafting level 5 in the Suarez River and paragliding. Besides that I spent couple of days just chilling in San Gil, which had a nice “hub” vibe even though it was rather small and peaceful town, enjoying amazing local coffee and pastries.

Huge recommendation for a local coffee farm and bar just in the center of San Gil - Las Cruces. Amazing coffee, great ambience and you’ll get to support a young entrepreneur who takes his family coffee business to a next level. He even put illustration of his parents on the packaging of the two most famous coffee blends from their farm. How cute is that! 😍Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Day trip to Barichara and Juan Curi
February 21, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
During my time in San Gil, my friend Carolina decided to join me and we explored the area together for a couple of days, while chilling and catching up.

We visited beautiful village Barichara, just in time for sunset…enjoyed dreamy colonial architecture (the all-white look really gives it unusual romantic feeling) and tried the delicacy of the region in a Michelin star restaurant ✨ants✨

Another day we visited Juan Curi waterfall, an easy walk through the forest where we took so many photos and enjoyed the nature, managing to find our own private spot even though it was rather crowded.

Not something that I would particular li enjoy on my own, it was great experience with Caro as we got to spend more time together doing new activities.Read more
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Central to South America Traveler
Rafting Rio Suarez 5/5
February 22, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ 🌧 16 °C
As the most important day trip in Santander I would definitely choose rafting in Rio Suarez.

Who knows me, knows that I am a new swimmer and rather uncomfortable in the turbulent waters. Well, the best way to get rid of a fear is face it - and in my case face it in a turbulent and crazy white-waters with waves up to two meters at certain parts.

It was absolutely amazing experience. Level 5 rafting is forbidden in most countries for safety, but not Colombia! Truly unique experience, a mix of constant adrenaline, being present in the every moment, physical effort. I loved every part of it, and even jumped in the river myself when it got a bit more peaceful, just to relax and enjoy the flow. Of course I was not able to swim back so had to just relax and let our rafting guide find me and pull me up. Hey, the gravity helped!

As a side effect of this amazing experience I became friends with group of four other travelers that were my rafting pals and we spend next couple of days together.

And I have only two shitty photos to prove all that 😄Read more
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