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Colombia
  • Uncle Woully
  • Uncle Woully

Colombia

Three weeks to explore a new country. Read more
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  • Trip start
    August 25, 2024
    Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler

    Medellin Colombia

    August 25, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Took the red eye from Denver via Houston to Bogota and hopped onto Avianca to reach Medellin on a Sunday morning. I just realized that I had not been back to South America since 1995.

    A friend had put Columbia as a bug in my ear and it piqued my interest to go check it out. I read a lot of great travel accounts of how much people love this country but the night before leaving a YouTube video was served and it featured huge safety concerns, so much so that I almost canceled my trip.

    I'm glad I didn't because as I took a taxi to the drop off spot in town, I was walking and found this leftover party from the flower festival and a music performance attended by locals I didn't see a single tourist, just perfect. Nice lunch too. What a great way to be welcomed here.

    Off to the hostel to take a good nap, there wasn't enough sleeping on the airplanes. Then I went for an afternoon walk and was back in the hostel by 8:00 p.m. Mike, a hostel resident has been here for 9 weeks as he is in therapy to overcome losing his wife to cancer 7 years ago. We talked for 2 hours, he is just one day older than me. He's gone through a lot but it sounds like he's finally on the road to recovery.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler

    Communa 13 and plaza Berrío

    August 26, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Communa 13 was the most murderous section of Medellin in the 1980s and 90s. Cocaine flowed through here and control of the trade was violent. I had a guide to explain it to me and show me around. Nowadays it is a huge tourist trap with bars and shops and entertainment.

    Pueblito Paises is a little town on top of a hill in the middle of the city. It has an excellent exposition of the works of local photographers in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It was fascinating to see the changes as the city grew up. Especially plaza Berrío where the Church of Guadalupe still stands. It is such a strong marker since everything else has either burnt or been demolished. So I visited that square and walked around in a time warp remembering the old photos and where buildings stood.

    Plaza Botero showcases the famous artists' statues with the Palacio in the background.

    The subways are packed tight, this is what I was expecting in Japan and did not see, they even have cages for people to line up in.

    First visit to a supermarket, the surprise is that prices are very much elevated compared to the standard of living. I'm not sure yet how that works, restaurants are a lower cost option in Colombia.

    My initial safety concerns are still valid, but it is completely manageable. There is military grade barbed wire in many places and every home has metal gates, typical of Mexico as well and even in Tucson.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler

    Botanical garden

    August 27, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    It's going to be a simple and relaxing day. On the Metro I meet a Colombian who lived in the Netherlands for 2 years in Haarlem which is the town I was raised in. It was a very quick talk in about five stops.

    As I enter the botanical garden I see a yoga class that is just starting so I join in for the upright portion.

    I spent quite a bit of time admiring all the flowers and plants and trees and had a great lunch.

    On the way back I decide to get on one of the aerial trams but it turns out it's under maintenance. I'm a little rundown and have a scratchy throat so I go down for a nap with some vitamin C

    In the evening there is a salsa class which is an eye opener, these are some great moves.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler
    1

    Parapente over the city

    August 28, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    The weather has been superb for these 4 days in Medellin. I have never done paragliding but they offer it here. It's an activity splurge but this is a good one. I took a rickety but very fast bus up all the way to the top and hung out for a good hour at the launch site watching them float on the wind and the thermals.

    It's like hanging from a kite and while it looks very smooth when you are watching them float by when you're actually flying there is a lot of wind and you can totally feel a ton of forces acting on the chute. It's probably as close to being a bird we humans could ever be. I was able to sink into the seat and relax a little. Of course the pilot which I was thankful for, needed to come down towards the end and he did so by executing a spiral which put enormous g-forces into my seat and the blood rushed from my head right into my toes. It's dizzying. Paragliders are something else!

    Had a nice lunch at the lookout restaurant and got a ride back down to town from two young Puerto Ricans who were on vacation.

    In the afternoon I went to parque Arvi by gondola. On the way back I got to sample a slice of Colombian life. Their lives are colorful, full of action, music, and they hustle bustle. I had a Caprimagna, a cheese filled deep fried dough ball with hot sauce. Yummy.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler

    Off to Jardin

    August 29, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 19 °C

    After 4 days in Medellin it is time to seek a more quiet location. I think Jardin is going to be a locals spot. My cold is getting worse and I hope I don't sniffle too much on the 3-hour bus ride.

    Pico Tusa sticks above the forest like a pointy triangle and it is totally asking to be climbed, it turns out there is a trail. Access however is more difficult as I would need to rent a motorcycle to get there.

    I arrived in Jardin totally wiped out and devoid of energy, the cold is taking over. The lady at the hostel points me to a room all to myself even though I had requested a dormitory bed. It turns out to be exactly what I needed so I don't infect others. I'm down for the count.

    I do walk around town and find a farmacia, get some food and tea and I slowly walk back. I'm still dreaming about the flight and I could see going back and just paraglide for the next two weeks.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler

    Getting over it

    August 31, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 21 °C

    Two days ago the cold took over and I was completely wiped out and I didn't do anything but go into town to get some food and more medicine. I never felt so old.

    Two good nights of sleep and tons of vitamin C and I feel okay enough to go for a short hike to the Chaco Amore waterfall today. I kept on hiking and did a loop to get back to town. That's when I ran into this Mirador Cafe that had a stunning position on the hillside offering great views and a trampoline type hangout spot.

    I'm pretty comfortable in Jardin and I'm going to stay here for two more days to get the other two hikes in.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler

    Cueva del Esplendor

    September 1, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 15 °C

    Sunny start of the day, time to get some exercise finally. I'm hiking from town to a cave with a waterfall. All trails app is guiding the way. It's supposed to take 3 hours to reach per the hostel rep.

    I'm feeling good again. Not much sleep though last night, a 3am thunderstorm played the drums on the tin roof for a few hours.

    The trail is mostly a 4x4 access road for high elevation farmers, also used by the tour jeeps. A few groups climb by in low gear.

    A sign said 70k pesos for the Jeep tour and the entry of 20k included. Oh, lucky I have some money with me. It's well organized and provides jobs for people and those who run a cafe there as well.

    The cave is impressive, I get a quick swim in and climb the steep trail back out to the locked gate. I manage to find a way through the bushes where the fence ends in a total down pour and get situated in the cafe so I can run out into the storm to take a different route down. It feels lonely on this trail until I run into 2 Belgians who are coming up, and they say, hey so we're not alone up here.

    Back in town I'm treated to a live Sunday concert on the plaza. I dance a bit to the bass heavy Latin music.

    Its great to be alive!    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler

    Las Siete Cascadas hike

    September 2, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C

    Despite lack of sleep due to noisy street until 2:00 a.m. I still got an incredibly great hike in for 6 hours.
    Leaving right from town walked a 4x4 road up to a remote farm from where the single track started, climbing into the woods over steeply rooted sections, running by 6 waterfalls. There are ropes to hang from to prevent slipping on the wet roots. Awesome challenging fun.

    At the seventh cascade I hear voices, it had been a solo deep in the woods experience, partly in a horrendous downpour. I run into two Dutch, one German and a Kiwi who are stayed at the bio farm hostel that I walked by. They were trying to find their way. I hooked up with them as were headed in the same direction. They were a ton of fun as lively conversation never ceased. Ah, the energy of the young is so invigorating no matter how young you are in your own mind.

    There are owls in the grotto under the cliff they point out, I go check and see if I can get a picture. Back in town I find out they were oilbirds, aka Gaucharos, an endangered bird that has been protected in a Colombian national park named just for them. What a treat to see them here unexpectedly.

    We walk back to town on the road that another group used coming in the other direction after using a Jeep for a high elevation drop. Now we understand how they got so far so fast. The farmer asks for a ransom to pass their gate, 17,000 pesos per person. Daily they earn what's considered a small fortune in this country. Smart thinking!    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler

    Travel day to Cali

    September 3, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    My last 3 egg breakfast at St Peppers hostel, made for me daily by the wonderful lady of the house.

    It's a comfortable 3 hour bus ride back to Medellin Terminal Sur, right by EHO domestic airport from where I catch a ride on an ATR 42/72 operated by Clic airlines. The pilots did a great job navigating through the tall cumulus and turbulence.Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler
    1

    Cali Salsa

    September 4, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    The hostel is set up for salsa lessons and I got my second salsa lesson on the rooftop.

    Right after the group went to La Topa Tolondra to dance and watch the Colombians show of there style. It isn't the more popular Cuban style, it's more improvisational, but I have never people dance this fast, so well. Cali is the capital of salsa I'm told.

    The Colombian truckers are protesting the increase in fuel prices diesel notably because the government needs to remove the subsidies which are costing them 13.5B annually. As a result the main roads are blockaded. The last time they did this a couple years ago food and fuel became scars in the country ground to halt. I am not very keen on getting stuck in a situation like that since I want to be back on time to see Oliver in Denver. So I quickly changed all my flights and tomorrow I will use a taxi to get through the back roads to the airport.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler

    Cali street tour & blockade

    September 5, 2024 in Colombia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    My last day in Colombia until I come back here for another extended trip. It's a beautiful and lively country. Cali ès Cali papi!

    I take an impromptu street vendor tour which includes some history of the city. It also covers the incidents that took place during and after covid, which gives me confirmation for my decision to leave earlier. In 2021 the government raised the price by 100 pesos per liter and it was a huge mess with deadly riots, this time they are raising it by 1000 pesos. Things can go south quickly here, not necessarily in this case but I'm not taking that risk. Time will tell, I'll be following the news. I also have some things I can focus on. Is there some regret to go early? Yes of course, the people in the hostel were very welcoming and fun to hang out with.

    Well during the taxi ride the news came that the blockade is over and sure enough the road is wide open directly to the airport. United raised it's prices on my original date so it makes little sense to swap back the flight.

    I met great travelers on the road here. The circuit is alive and well.    Read more

  • Uncle WoullyColombiaTraveler
    11

    Flying back

    September 6, 2024 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    At the last minute I changed my trip to save on 24,000 miles that I get to put back into my mileage account.

    As a result I fly over Washington DC and get to spend some time in the Udvar Hazy air space center. I enjoyed an incredible collection of historical airplanes and space vehicles.

    On to Denver and then Gunnison.    Read more

    Trip end
    September 7, 2024
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