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12. October 2017 Ecuador, South America Post a Comment

Three days in Quito

I arrived at my hostel at my hostel in Quito after a long journey from Ipiales. Quito was a place I'd heard mixed things about, but I was excited to make up my own opinion. Regardless it was exciting to be in a new country, and even though I was tired from travelling all day I couldn't wait to start exploring.

My first night in Quito a few guys that worked at my hostel invited those who wanted to go up and see the Virgin of Quito at El Panecillo after dark. I jumped at the opportunity as I knew I would never go up there after dark on my own. We took a taxi up there and were rewarded with a great, panoramic view of the city. It was great going up there with locals, as they could tell us things about Quito that we wouldn't have heard if we were going there by ourselves. When visiting El Panecillo, no matter what time of the day, it is always recommended to take a taxi as the road up there is known for robberies, especially of gringos. After admiring the view for a while we were introduced to a local drink called Canelazo, made of aguardiente, sugar cane and agua de canela (water boiled with cinnamon). Not too bad, and the quite decent amount of aguardiente warmed us up in the otherwise chilly evening. We then visited a pub in El Foch, where we played football games, ate and drank, but while the others continued on to a club to go dancing, I decided to call it a night. It had been such a long day, and I was completely finished.

Since I really enjoyed the free walking tours I'd been taking in Colombia, I decided to do one in Quito as well. It seemed like a good idea to get a certain overview of the city, and it really was. I made my way over to Community Hostel, and during the about three hour long tour through Quito's old town I learned a lot not only about Quito, but about Ecuador as well. I constantly find myself realising how little I know about South America, and then I feel really grateful for having this opportunity to learn. I'll definitely be doing more walking tours in the future.

When the tour ended, the same hostel offered transport to Mitad del Mundo, the middle of the world, and I decided that it would be a great opportunity to get this checked off my list. I payed 10 USD and that only included the transport, so this can obviously be done a lot cheaper if you go on your own. I still found the door-to-door transport convenient and it was also nice going there with a little group. The place itself is quite random. We paid about 4 USD for a guided tour of the actual middle of the world, and the first thing our guide said to us was "I'm now gonna tell you how the indigenous people used to shrink sculls". No introduction needed there. We couldn't help but laugh as we were expecting the tour to be about the equator line, but he also got to that eventually. We then got to try to balance eggs on a nail and walk on the equator line with our eyes shut, both difficult tasks, and obviously take a few photos with the "latitude 000" monument. It just had to be done. When finished at the actual middle of the world we moved on to what used to be known as equator before they had technology good enough to identify the right place. It costs about 3 USD to enter here, only to see a much bigger monument which isn't even on the equator. As we had already visited the actual one none of us bothered to pay, but we snapped a few photos from outside the fence before returning to the car to make the one hour drive back to Quito.

The morning after I woke up around 6:30, super excited to do one of the things I was the most excited about doing in Ecuador; I was climbing the Cotopaxi volcano. Although slightly curious about how I would deal with the altitude of almost 5000 meters above sea level, I decided that the past week should have gotten me sufficiently acclimatised and figured that I'd be fine. I went with a company called Ecuatravel and booked the tour through my hostel for 55 USD. This included the bus ride back and forth, a bilingual guide, breakfast and lunch, plus mountain bikes and helmets to make the ride down the volcano a bit more interesting. Once I got on the bus I discovered that most of our group were in their 60s, and quickly decided that I needed to make it to the top no matter what. In my group were also a couple of guys with whom I'd done the walking tour the day before, and it's always nice with familiar faces when travelling by yourself. On our way to Cotopaxi we made multiple stops, to have breakfast, gradually get used to the altitude, stock up on snacks and coca leaves, also because of the altitude, and so we could use the toilet. Eventually we made it to 4600 meters above sea level, which is where we got out and started the climb from. We were advised to walk slowly, take deep breaths and listen to our bodies. I had expected to feel a slight headache, which I luckily didn't, but it was weird feeling how quickly the altitude made you run out of breath while climbing. Once I found a steady pace and a good rhythm for my breath, the altitude stopped bothering me. I brought out my inner mountain goat and pulled my group of about six people towards the top, being the first of us to make it to the highest point you are currently allowed to climb. I'll admit that I felt a little bit proud about that. As the volcano is active and had its last eruption only two years ago, a refugee at 4864 meters above sea level marks the end point for adventurous climbers like us. Unfortunately we were up there on a foggy day, so the sights weren't great, but we still got some celebratory pictures taken. We then chilled at the cafe in the refugee for a while, and for the second time in the same amount of days I cursed myself for not bringing my passport along. Both on Cotopaxi and Mitad del Mundo it is possible to get your passport stamped and I missed out on both. Not the end of the world, but they still would have been cool additions to my passport stamp collection. When feeling sufficiently restored, we ran back down to the bus to start the mountain biking. We were each given a bike and a helmet, and some quick instructions before we set off down the volcano. Having no experience with mountain biking and not having biked in god knows how long, it is safe to say that I found the first kilometres challenging, but eventually I learned to trust the bike, and while my hands were pounding from clutching the breaks, I actually started enjoying myself. We finished the ride by a beautiful lake and were happy to find that we all made it down safely. We got back to the bus, made a stop for lunch and then got on the road back to Quito. I returned to my hostel tired, but content. This was easily one of the best days of my trip so far.

Quito might have been the first city on my trip where I actually had a list of things I wanted to do. With only one activity left on this list, I decided that my third day in Quito would also be my last. I was eager to start my hike of the Quilotoa Loop and therefore wanted to make it to Latacunga that day, but I couldn't leave before taking a ride on the teleferico. I got a taxi to the teleferico for 3.50 USD, and was surprised to find the place completely empty. I bought a return ticket for 8,50 USD and happily entered the wagon I got all to myself. The ride up was great, with excellent views of the city. I spent a good hour admiring Quito from all angles before heading back down. It is also possible to do a five hour hike from the top of the teleferico, and if I hadn't been leaving Quito that day I probably would have gone for the hike. Instead I got back to my hostel, had some cereal for lunch and got on the trolebus headed for the bus terminal. The C4 bus takes you to the Terminal Quitumbe (in the south) for 0,25 USD, which makes it a cheap alternative to a 10 USD cab ride, and it doesn't even take that much longer. Once at the bus terminal I bought a ticket for the 1 hour bus ride to Latacunga, and left Quito about five minutes later.

I feel like I could easily have spent more time in Quito, as I've seen far from everything. I only spent time in the old city, although I can't really say that regret that. After only a short time I found it easy to find my way around and I quite enjoyed just walking the streets of Quito. More than anything it was the activities that really made my time in Quito. Before I got there I'd read that a lot of people only use Quito as a hub for onward travel, but I definitely think it is worth spending a few nights there as well. For me my stay made for a great welcome to Ecuador and made made me excited for my upcoming weeks in the country.

♥ Erica

9. October 2017 Colombia, South America Post a Comment

Travel summary: Colombia

Green valley in Valle de Cocora, Colombia

I was counting on really liking Colombia, but I was still surprised at how much I ended up loving it. I had a few "sure you wanna go there, isn't that awfully dangerous" from people back home when I said I wanted to spend a month in Colombia, but I am now happy to say that the country proved them all wrong. As long as you use your common sense and don't wander into neighbourhoods that are known to be unsafe or take unnecessary risks after dark, Colombia feels just as safe as any European country I've been to. I did in fact skip both Bogota and Cali, which were the cities most locals warned me about, but I've also met people who went to both places and loved it. Colombia has come a long way from what you see on "Narcos" on Netflix, and if you ask me it should be added to any bucket list sooner rather than later. Colombia is amazing.

Colombia was great for starting my solo travels, as I found it incredibly safe and easy to get around. It is a big country with great distances, but apart from when taking the uncomfortable minibuses, I found the bus trips really comfortable. It does, however need to be mentioned that I sleep better than the average person while on the road. Apparently the roads can get extremely curvy and bumpy on most of the stretches, which I've heard is horrible. I was sleeping so I wouldn't know. I was impressed by the security on the buses in Colombia. As long as you go with the big buses of companies such as Bolivariano or Expreso Brasilia, it is perfectly fine to leave your luggage on the floor or on the shelves above your head, something that is not recommended in most other South American countries. I would also recommend buying bus tickets at the terminals rather than online. I bought my ticket for my first long bus ride online, and I'm quite sure I paid more than I should have. After that I stuck to buying tickets either when I arrived to a new city, if I knew when I'd be leaving, or just right before getting on the bus. I was lucky and never experienced full buses and rarely had to wait for long at the terminals, and I also found the buses reasonably priced.

I found Colombia to be very cheap, so cheap that it took me ages to get used to the currency of Colombian pesos because I found it tricky converting it to Norwegian kroner. I rarely paid more than 50 NOK for a meal, and these usually had at least two courses and a drink included. Alcohol is fairly cheap in stores and restaurants, but prices obviously increases in clubs and bars. As mentioned I also found transportation to be very affordable. Altogether I spent about 1500 NOK (190 USD) on transport in Colombia, and that includes every bus trip, metro trip and taxi ride I took during my five weeks there. In Colombia it felt like most activities could be done on my own instead of going on organised trips, which also brought the costs down.

I've only made a rough budget for travelling, and it isn't adjusted for which country I'm in. In Colombia I ended up quite far below this budget, although that was also what I expected.

I wanted to add this point as this was something I was curious about myself before going away. I found it both easy and difficult being vegetarian in Colombia, but in general it is not that hard. I had some great vegetarian food in Colombia, and especially the bigger cities have good options. When eating by myself it was particularly easy as I could pick restaurants that I knew would provide me with good, vegetarian food. Grabbing something quick with a group of people proved to be more difficult, as the popular "menu del dia" usually comes with a meat based soup and a main dish consisting of meat. I've had meals of plain rice or just salad leaves, just to avoid being difficult. Colombians love their meat and cheese, and as I don't eat either I've had quite a few street food vendors laughing at me when asking for options without the two. I've usually had to settle for fruit or an empanada dulce (filled with jam) instead. Delicious, only not as filling. Some restaurants, for example in Medellin or Salento, on the other hand, even have their own vegetarian menus, which I obviously appreciated. All in all I would say Colombia is quite alright for vegetarians (especially now that I've also been to Ecuador), and as with most other countries I guess it is only getting easier.

23. September 2017 Colombia, Ecuador, South America Post a Comment

My first border crossing – Colombia to Ecuador

Even though I spent five weeks in Colombia, my first border crossing came upon me quite suddenly. I don't think I realised that I was leaving Colombia until I was on my way to the border, even though the journey to get there was pretty long. Both for safety and convenience reasons I decided to split the journey up a bit. In that way I managed to avoid spending too many consecutive hours on a bus. I also avoided travelling by night, something I wanted because the stretch is known for armed robberies of buses after dark. It probably doesn't happen that often, but I figured I'd rather be safe than sorry.

My journey from Salento to Quito ended up taking me through Popayan, Ipiales and Tulcan, with overnight stays in the first two.

All my posts from Colombia can be found here.

Popayan was a town I was rather happy to add to my itinerary, and I chose to stay for two nights to get a full day there. The town is known as the white city, and it is easy to understand why. All of the houses in the city centre are painted white, and there is even a law that says that they have to be repainted every year before Easter in order for them to stay white. It is very beautiful. To get to Popayan from Salento I first took a local bus to Armenia, which takes about an hour, and then a minibus from there. The minibus took 6,5 hours and was just as unenjoyable as the last minibus I took. No more minibuses from now on. In Popayan I wandered the streets, did a free walking tour and had really nice food. Popayan is recognized by UNESCO as a world City of Gastronomy, so it is a good town to eat in. I was glad that I got to see Popayan, but when I left I also felt like 1,5 day was enough.

Travel time and cost: 1 + 6,5 hours (not including transit time), 4200 COP + 39 000 COP.

I left my hostel in Popayan super early to try and get an early bus to Ipiales. Due to an extremely slow taxi driver I just missed the 6.30 bus and had to wait at the bus station until 8.00 for the next one. This time I managed to get myself on a nice, big bus, which made the 8 hour ride to Ipiales quite pleasant. Most people traveling towards the border choose to stop and spend the night in either Pasto or Ipiales, with Pasto being the bigger and (apparently) nicer of the two. I still opted for Ipiales, as I wanted to get as close to the border as possible that day, and to be fair the town really isn't that bad.

Once I arrived I walked across the street from the bus terminal and got myself a room at Hotel Metropol. You know your hotel is a bit shady when they hand you a roll of toilet paper and a plastic bag with the remote control for the tv when you check in, but what do you expect from a hotel with single rooms for only 25 000 COP (66 NOK) per night? It worked perfectly for one night and the location was very convenient.

Travel time and cost: 8 hours, 40 000 COP.

Visiting Las Lajas Sanctuary

The following morning I woke up early to visit the Las Lajas Sanctuary before making my way to the border. I walked over to the bus terminal, and quickly located the colectivos headed towards Las Lajas. We waited a while for the colectivo to fill up and then drove for about 30 minutes to get there. Las Lajas is located deep down in a valley and might just be one of the most beautiful cathedrals I have ever seen. Another interesting thing about Las Lajas is that all around the cathedral there are thankful messages on the walls. These are set up by people who's prayers have been answered by 'Our Lady of Las Lajas', and there are so many of them. I admired the cathedral for a good hour, before getting a colectivo back to Ipiales. It was time to cross the border to Ecuador.

Travel time and cost: About 30 minutes, 2500 COP each way.

Getting from Ipiales to the border is easy. I once again made my way over to the bus terminal, where colectivos to the border leave from the same place as the ones to Las Lajas – just follow the man who asks if you're going to «la frontiera». Once at the border I was attacked by people who wanted to "help" me. I find it rather stressful how helpful the people around here can get, but I was able to change my last pesos into US Dollars and then went to get stamped out of Colombia. It was a bit of a queue as the line for entering and exiting the country is the same, but the actual stamping out took no time at all. When stamped out I crossed the bridge over to Ecuador by foot. It takes two minutes so there is no need to take a taxi, even though the taxi drivers will claim otherwise.

Travel time and cost: 20 minutes, 2000 COP.

Once at the bus station in Tulcan I was once again attacked by "helpful" ecuadorians, each one trying to make me buy a bus ticket from them. Buying bus tickets in South America is rather interesting as the people selling tickets will literally hang out of their booths reaching their arms out as far as they can get, while screaming destinations to the people passing by, as if that's gonna make anyone want to buy a ticket from them. I eventually got my ticket to Quito, after making sure that I would get a big, air conditioned bus. It left about five minutes later. A really annoying thing about taking buses in Ecuador, which didn't really happen to me in Colombia, is that the bus drivers keep stopping along the road to pick up more passengers, or even worse; lots and lots of people selling stuff. You can get anything from snacks to phone chargers while sat on a bus, and their most popular selling trick is to stuff whatever they're selling into your hand as if that makes it more likely that you will buy anything. Oh well, I guess it's a part of their culture.

Travel time and cost: the ride was supposed to take 5 hours, but took at least 6,5. I blame the frequent stops. The price was 6,10 USD.

Bonus tip: Quito has two bus terminals: Terminal Carcelén in the north and Terminal Quitumbe in the south. Since I was staying in Quito Viejo (the old city) I was told that the taxi to my hostel would be cheaper from the southern terminal. What I didn't know was that the bus takes an extra hour getting to this terminal as Quito is a very long city. Looking back I would have preferred to spend a few extra dollars on a taxi from the northern terminal, and thus arriving at my hostel an hour earlier. This is obviously a matter of personal preference.

21. September 2017 Colombia, South America Post a Comment

Salento – where the wax palms and coffee beans grow

Salento wasn't actually on my itinerary, but the more I spoke to people who had been there, the more I realised that I had to go. Therefore, instead of getting on the bus to Bogota when I eventually managed to pull myself away from Medellin, I boarded a small, uncomfortable minibus which took me to Salento in about 7 hours. I opted for the minibus as it is the only way to get to Salento without stopping in either Armenia or Pereira, but if I were to go again I would probably choose a big bus with a stopover. It would totally be worth it to avoid the heat in that unairconditioned minibus.

My first night in Salento was rather uneventful. I fell asleep as soon as I set foot in my hostel room, and only woke up to have a vegetarian curry in the hostel restaurant before going back to sleep. I guess Medellin and the bus ride just wore me out. In Salento I stayed at the Casa la Eliana, and really enjoyed it. It's a quiet hostel, but I guess that's exactly what I wanted at that point. The last night I even had the dorm all to myself, and after living with different people every night for five weeks, I definitely didn't complain.

The following morning I was up with the roosters, fully rested and ready to encounter the Cocora Valley and a five hour hike. The goal of the hike is to reach the valley where the wax palms grow. This is the national tree of Colombia and the tallest palm tree in the world. Definitely a must-see when you're in Salento. To get to the valley you take a Willy, a colourful jeep which is Salento's version of a collectivo, from the main plaza. You then get out of the parking lot and follow the road uphill until you reach a sign which marks the beginning of the trail. I chose to first hike towards Finca de Acaime, where you have the opportunity to visit a hummingbird reserve for a small fee. The hike there took me 1,5 hours, and included no less than six sketchy bridges. I then paid the 5000 COP (13 kr) it cost to enter the reserve. With that I got a complementary drink, which I enjoyed with some snacks and the hummingbirds flying around me. After visiting Acaime you have the option to walk towards Estrella de Agua or to head straight to Finca la Montana. I chose the latter as I wasn't interested in adding several more hours to my hike. The stretch from Acaime to Finca la Montana is the hardest part of the hike, as it includes about 1 km of steep uphill climbing, taking you to 2860 meters above sea level. The view from the top was great, and luckily it was all downhill from there. I spent 45 minutes getting from Acaime to Finca la Montana, and from there it is an additional 5 km to get to the valley with the palm trees. I finished the entire hike in four hours including my 30 minute stop at the hummingbird reserve, and thoroughly enjoyed it. It's amazing how excited you can get about seeing palm trees, but I really was. It was a great day!

For my last day in Salento I did the one other thing you should be doing while being there. When you're in the centre of Colombia's coffee region you simply can't miss visiting a coffee farm or two. I chose to hike for about 30 minutes to reach the area where most of the farms are located, but it's also possible to take a Willy. The first farm I visited is called Don Elias, and is a family-driven ecological coffee farm. They do tours in either English and Spanish for 10 000 COP (26 NOK), and if you're lucky you could get guided by Don Elias himself. I wasn't that lucky, but it was still really interesting to see how the farm works and how the coffee is made. At the end of the tour we got to try the coffee, and it was probably the best coffee I have ever tasted. I bought some to take home with me to enjoy when I'm back in Norway. After finishing the coffee and having a little chat with the other people on my tour, I made my way to Finca El Ocaso, which is located right next to Don Elias. This is a much bigger farm which produces coffee on a larger scale, and I figured it would be interesting to see the differences between the two. When I arrived at El Ocaso a tour had just begun, but luckily the guide let me join. We were each equipped with a basket and after a quick coffee lesson we were sent out to search for ripe coffee beans. They were hard to find, as it wasn't harvesting season just yet, and when our time was up I proudly presented the one bean I was able to find. I clearly don't have a future as a coffee bean harvester. After our rather unsuccessful search, we were led through the process of making the coffee, which was similar to the one I had just witnessed at Don Elias, only with bigger machines. Also this tour ended with a coffee tasting, and while the coffee was tasteful, it wasn't as good as the one I had had earlier, which was good as I didn't feel the need to buy coffee there as well. There is only so much coffee a backpacker can carry, right? This tour costs 15 000 COP (40 NOK). It's hard to say which of the two I would recommend, as they were very similar, but yet different. I enjoyed the harvesting session we had at El Ocaso, but also the more intimate feeling the Don Elias farm gave. Choose one of them or go to both. Either way you'll have a great experience.

I took a Willy back to town with the people from my tour, before having the most amazing veggie burger for lunch. Every time I eat a veggie burger I tell myself it's the best I've ever had, but this was really the one. While most backpackers will probably pick Brunch Diner as their favourite restaurant in Salento, which is fair as they also have great food, my pick would still be Meraki, located a few blocks down the street. I literally rolled out of the restaurant, and was unable to eat for the rest of the day. Budget tip for you, right there!

9. September 2017 Colombia, South America, Travel diary 1 Comment

Never have I felt more grateful to be part of anything

Street art picturing a face with brown hair

At one point the narrow streets opened up into a bigger square, where we stopped for a break. We got to witness the famous escalators, given to the people as a mean to help them out of poverty. The poor people living on the steep hills now had a way of making it down to the city, making getting a decent job a realistic opportunity for them for the first time in their lives. It was so inspiring witnessing how the city of Medellin really cares for its people, wanting to inspire them to break away from the city's infamous, dark past, and then watching the people giving back. It was a beautiful, sunny day; all around there was laughter, and there I stood in the middle of it all, knowing that this was once the most dangerous neighbourhood in Medellin. You couldn't have felt it if you tried.

A group of teenage boys entered the square. They rolled out a mat, put music on their speakers and started break dancing. They danced one by one, or in small groups. An inspired about five year old spontaneously entered the mat, copying the boys' moves as best as he could. The teenagers laughingly cheered him on, allowing him to be part of their show, and the crowd cheered with them. There was such a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Once again I had to remind myself where I was and how amazing it was that I got to be a part of this moment. There are lots of reasons why I love to travel, but small yet significant moments such as this one is truly a huge one.

The people of Medellin want to talk about their past, but yet they don't. They want to talk about how far they've come. They know how to celebrate even the smallest of victories, for they are still carrying all of their losses with them every day, and they are probably the nicest, most welcoming people I have ever met. They see the fact that tourists are now finally coming to the country as a proof of the successful transformation Colombia has been through, and their gratefulness shows. It kind of makes you just wanting to stay there, and to tell everyone you know to go there too.

On Plaza San Antonio in Medellin stand two birds made by the famous Colombian artist Fernando Botero. One is broken and the other one whole. The birds are known as the "birds of peace". The first one was blown up by a bomb that killed 23 people on a concert in 1995, and the second then placed next to it in 2000. One marks Medellin's past, dark and violent, but the other one reflects the present, with Medellin being the modern and innovative city that it is today. The man who told me this story, a Medellin native, spoke with passion, and I pressed my nails into my palms as a way of begging my eyes not to tear up. "You are here, that means you are all a part of Medellin's future" he told his group of listeners. Never have I felt more grateful to be part of anything.

6. September 2017 Colombia, South America Post a Comment

Medellin – the hardest one to leave yet

As my bus drove into the "Terminal del Norte" in Medellin around 6:30am I felt more overwhelmed than ever. Medellin just felt so big compared to the places I had been in Colombia up until then. Luckily I had befriended a guy on my bus. He seemed to know where he was going, so I let him navigate me through the bus terminal, onto the metro and eventually to the barrio "Poblado" where we both were staying. Once I had a base in the city my shoulders dropped and I felt ready to explore.

The city that made me fall in love with Colombia

One week later I made the decision to spend a second week in Medellin. Medellin might just be the most fascinating city I've ever been to, and I simply wasn't ready to leave yet. I also enjoyed my Spanish school in Medellin a lot more than the one in Cartagena, so I booked another week of classes hoping to improve my Spanish even further.

If there is one city in Colombia I would recommend everyone to go to, that would without a doubt be Medellin. And although the city definitely has a great party scene, I hope you take the time to get to know the city and the people as well. There are a lot of great stories being told around here.

Where to stay in Medellin:

Most travellers choose to stay in El Poblado, and as did I. It's quite commercial and touristy, but I still really enjoyed it. I stayed in two different hostels; Purple Monkey Hostel, which is closer to the metro, and Friends to Be, located close to pretty much everything (except for the metro). I found myself enjoying both of them. Friends to Be had fewer guests and I can imagine it being a bit quiet at times, but I ended up making some great friends while I was there.

What to do in Medellin

Take a free walking tour

The free walking tours with Real City Tours have a great reputation. I rarely take guided tours of the cities I visit, but decided to give this one a go. The tour has to be booked in advance. As it fills up really quickly I didn't get to take the tour until my third day in the city. I would recommend taking it as early as possible as it provides you with a great overview of Medellin. Learning the story of the city and its transformation is truly what has made me enjoy my time in Medellin so much. The tour takes you to about ten places with great significance for turning Medellin into the safe and developed city that it is today. It is quite a long tour (3-4 hours), but it is incredibly interesting.

Price: Free, but remember that the guides don't get paid for the amazing job they do. They definitely appreciate a tip if you liked the tour. I bet you will.

Take a tour of Comuna 13

Once the most dangerous neighbourhood in Medellin, but now a proof of the transformation and innovation that has been going on in Medellin for the past years. I took a graffiti tour organised by my Spanish school, but people I've talked to have also recommended the company "Stairway Storytellers", who offers a similar tour.

Comuna 13 is overpopulated and located on a hill. This means here are both huge level differences within the neighbourhood and way too many houses put closely together to house all the people living there (as is the case with several neighbourhoods in Medellin). The neighbourhood suffered greatly during the reign of Pablo Escobar and even afterwards, as the drug cartels remained in control of the area after Escobar's death.

A controversial operation in 2002 put a stop to the violence and fights. Instead the people of Comuna 13 started voicing their opinions and emotions through graffiti. Since then both national and international artists have come to the neighbourhood to express themselves through art and support the people living there. It is clear that happiness, peace and hope have returned to Comuna 13. Going there, hearing the stories of the people and witnessing this with my own eyes truly was one of my favourite experiences in Medellin. At the end of the tour our group was even allowed to make our own little masterpiece.

Here's a few reflections I made while visiting Comuna 13. It was a powerful experience.

Take a day trip to Guatapé

Another must-do whilst in Medellin! Guatapé might be the most colourful city in Colombia, and is well worth a visit. Buses leaves quite frequently from Terminal Norte, located next to the Caribe metro station. The journey takes about 1,5 - 2 hours.

I got off the bus at La Piedra to climb the 740 steps of El Peñol. From the top you can take in the amazing view and drink a Cerveza Michelada. This is a local drink based on beer that I'm not completely convinced about, although most people seem to enjoy it.

Safely back on the ground I decided to make the trip to Guatapé by foot. I expected it to take me about 45 minutes to get there, but I spent no more than 30 minutes and quite enjoyed the walk. Tuktuks are available for those not eager to walk. Their prices start at about 8000COP, but the drivers eagerly haggled the price down for me while chasing me as I walked. Their final offer was 2000COP, but I still walked.

As I arrived into the town of Guatapé the colourful streets instantly brightened my day even more. I spent hours just walking aimlessly around, greeting the locals and simply enjoying myself. Eventually hunger struck and when I quite randomly walked past a restaurant advertising their vegetarian menu del dia, I was instantly sold. For only 15 000 COP (40 NOK) I was served the most amazing three course meal I have had in Colombia. The restaurant is called Ramé and I would highly recommend it.

A lot of people go to Guatapé on organised tours. Some even allow you to go paintballing in Pablo Escobar's former mansion. I opted to go by myself as I wanted to be able to choose how to spend my time. Personally I was pleased with my choice. I compared my expenses with a friend who went on an organised tour, and we appeared to have spent about the same amount. How you choose to do it is simply down to personal preferences.

Price: 10 000 COP for the bus from Medellin to La Piedra. 13 500 COP back from Guatapé. 18 000 COP to climb El Peñol.

Ride the cable car and visit Parque Arvi:

One of Medellin's biggest attractions is its cable cars, and I don't think you've really been to Medellin unless you've ridden one of them (or both). I took the one that leaves from the metro station Acevedo and terminates at Parque Arvi, as I wanted to go hiking in the park. It actually takes two cable cars to get there and you have to change at Santo Domingo to go all the way to the top. The ride takes a while, but provides you with a great view of the city and some of its (seemingly) less fortunate neighbourhoods. I found myself (once again) overwhelmed by the size of the city and how incredibly densely built it is. However, I love a city seen from above and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

The second cable car leaves from San Javier metro station, which is also where Comuna 13 is located. I didn't actually try this one, so I couldn't tell you which one is better.

I would recommend doing a little bit of research on Parque Arvi before going there. I went there quite spontaneously and therefore didn't plan anything beforehand. When I also wasn't in a hiking mood after all, I felt like I didn't get as much out of the park as I could have. The park has a lot of different trails where you get to experience the nature and fauna of the area. You can follow the marked trails or go on a guided tour. I (obviously) opted for the first, but ended up getting lost on numerous occasions and having quite a lot of trouble finding my way out of the park.

My favourite part of Parque Arví ended up being the lentil burgers sold in the market outside the cable car, but don't take my word for it. I'm sure the park is great.

Price: 2300 COP for the metro to the cable car. As long as you don't exit the Acevedo metro station you can get on the first cable car without buying a new ticket. The second cable car costs 5200 COP each way.

Visit Pueblito Paisa and enjoy a great view of the city:

Pueblito Paisa is a mock Antioquian village located on top of Cerro Nutibara. It portrays how Antioquian villages are usually put together. To get there you take the metro to Industriales, walk for about 10 minutes and climb a cute amount of stairs (a little workout, really). The little village has a church, a restaurant that offers traditional paisa dishes such as Bandeja Paisa, and a few souvenir shops. It is also very cute and colourful, just like the actual Colombian pueblos.

After having had a look around the little village you make your way to the mirador to enjoy an amazing panoramic view of the city. There is also a little city museum up there which is pretty interesting, with exhibitions that are frequently changing.

Price: It is free to walk around Pueblito Paisa and to enjoy the view. The museum only costs 1000 COP (2,60 NOK), so you might as well have a look while you're up there.

Explore the nightlife:

It has to be mentioned! Medellin is known for its nightlife, at least among backpackers. Even I, who have steered clear of partying for quite some time, found myself going out every night for a week and extending my stay in the city just to go out some more. I guess I've enjoyed myself.

Price: It can be done pretty cheaply if you buy your alcohol in a tienda and drink it on the street. It's both fun and social! Beware of the police, though. They will give you fines for consumption in public places. Bars and clubs come at all price ranges, so how much you spend really depends on your budget.

Inside tip/warning: For my last Thursday in the city I went to a club called Bandita Seas with a group of friends. Every Thursday they have free entry for girls (40 000 COP for boys). Once you're in you get as many free bottles of rum or aguardiente as you can drink before 00:30 am. We went there around 11 pm, emptied quite a few bottles and showed up to school a little bit reduced the following day. There's just something about unlimited amounts of free alcohol so go there at your own risk...

26. August 2017 Colombia, South America Post a Comment

San Gil – Colombias adventure capital

Empty colonial street with white buildings

I wasn't immediately blown away by San Gil as my bus entered the small town. The town felt worn out, and I wondered why people were speaking so fondly about it. It didn't take me many hours to reconsider, though. San Gil is in fact rather charming. To most people San Gil is known as the adventure capital of Colombia, and offers a wide range of activities such as bungee jumping, white water rafting, paragliding and cave trekking, but to be honest I didn't really come here to be adventurous. San Gil is also only a 45 minute bus ride from the colonial town of Barichara, known as one of the most beautiful towns of Colombia and this town is what brought me to San Gil. I'm happy it did.

Where I stayed in San Gil

In San Gil I stayed at Sam's VIP Hostel and like with the city it took me a little while to discover its charm. I guess the people I met made it grow on me, while also changing my mind regarding the adventure sports. Suddenly I was signed up to go paragliding with two guys I shared a dorm with, not knowing whether I'd find this to be a good decision or not. Guess you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone every once in a while, right?

Exploring San Gil

My first day in San Gil was rather lazy, as I was tired from the 11 hour night bus I took to get there from Santa Marta. I walked around the city, discovering the loveliest streets and had a nice veggie burger (yes, I live off those at the moment) at a restaurant owned by my hostel. When I at one point almost fell asleep next to the hostel swimming pool after lunch, I decided I needed to wake myself up with another walk. This took me to Parque Gallineral. The park may not be the most exciting one, but it was nice for an afternoon stroll. I even spotted both a squirrel and a few parrots. The evening was spent hanging around the hostel pool and taking my first hot water shower in Colombia. It was nothing less than amazing.

My first time paragliding

The next morning I enjoyed the complimentary breakfast at my hostel and had a chilled morning mentally preparing for going paragliding. At 1.30pm we were picked up and were first taken to an office to complete some paperwork. Then we drove for about 45 minutes to Curiti, which is were we went from.

At site we were given a quick safety briefing (in Spanish) and then we went off into the air three people at the time. It was a blast! We were only in the air for about 15 minutes, but I found this to be the perfect amount of time. When I had gotten comfortable being up there, my flying partner enjoyed himself by making spirals in the air. Some of those turns really made my stomach twist and I'm sure I let out a few screams of excitement. I will admit that it also made me a bit nauseous afterwards, but it was totally worth it. I landed on the ground really happy that I had gone through with the paragliding. Afterwards we had celebratory beers and were very pleased with our day.

Once again we had a chilled night in, simply because there aren't really that much to do in San Gil in the evenings. Especially not when you're graced with the kind of rain that we had that evening. When hunger struck we ran out to a restaurant close by called El Maná, which had really good food. Otherwise it was best to stay warm and dry for the rest of the evening.

Barichara – a colonial beauty

I had postponed my trip to Barichara until my last day in San Gil, and when I woke up this morning I was excited to get going. Two guys from my hostel wanted to come along, so after a quick breakfast we made our way to the local bus station only a few blocks away. The ride took about 45 minutes and cost 4800COP.

We had decided to do the Camino Real hike whilst in Barichara. This is a short hike to the neighbouring town, Guane, and to avoid the worst mid day heat this is how we started our day. The hike is fairly easy, but you are mostly walking on cobblestones so I would recommend wearing good shoes. I wore my trainers, which was perfect. We completed the hike in about 1,5 hours, and celebrated with local beverages, such as the very interesting "La Chicha". After walking around Guane for a while we hopped on the bus back to Barichara to explore this town a bit further as well. We had a little laugh when the cute, yellow bus turned up, but got in and enjoyed the ride. Later we realised that there were also normal buses for about half the price, but we definitely had a more enjoyable ride.

Barichara is indeed very beautiful. You can easily wander aimlessly around for an hour or two, enjoying the pretty streets and the incredibly friendly locals who will welcome you with open arms. Eventually it was time to leave, so we made our way back to the plaza where we had arrived to, and got on the bus back to San Gil.

San Gil to Bucaramanga to Medellin

As I had a night bus to Medellin this evening, I only had time for dinner and a shower before I had to get a cab to the bus station. When my bus arrived there was no seat for me because they had overbooked the bus. It was chaos for a while, and the bus company ended up paying a woman to have her ten year old son on her lap for the 2,5 hour ride. Not fun in a tiny minibus! Once we were all seated we got on the road and headed for Bucaramanga. Here I got on a bigger bus which took me all the way to Medellin.

Before coming to Colombia I was very curious about the state of the buses, but the ones I have been on, both with the company Expreso Brasilia, have exceeded all my expectations. They are clean, spacious, (overly) air conditioned and the staff seem to take safety very seriously. I know that the state of the buses will vary as I get to different countries, but so far so good. I now have at least a week in Medellin, as I'm going back to Spanish school. Hopefully my Spanish will see even more improvement, although I feel like it has already gotten better only from my first two weeks here.

♥ Erica

23. August 2017 Colombia, South America Post a Comment

The enchanting Casa Elemento, Minca

Girl in a giant hammock overlooking beautiful scenery

After going back and forth about whether to even go there, I eventually decided on spending two nights in Minca. Casa Elemento was my first choice for accomodation, and to be honest it was the only place I really wanted to stay. Sadly it appeared to be fully booked. I contemplated skipping Minca altogether, when I suddenly found a booking site with one bed left on offer at Casa Elemento after all. I quickly booked it, repacked, as I only cared to bring a small backpack for the two night stay, and got going.

Getting from Santa Marta to Casa Elemento

I'm getting quite good at getting around to the places close to Santa Marta, and quickly located the colletivo to be taken from the "Mercado" (carrera 9, calle 11). I payed 8000COP for the 1 hour long ride. When I got to the centre of Minca I knew I would have to take a motorbike to get to the hostel, but had no idea what kind of ride I was in for. I probably should have suspected it when I heard the price of 20 000COP. This is a lot by Colombian standards, but I still expected a nice 10 minute ride.

In reality Casa Elemento is a 45 minute motorbike ride away, and is basically located on a mountain. The ride was scary to say the least, but oh so worth it when I finally arrived at the hostel. Casa Elemento is probably the most amazing place I have stayed in my entire life. I arrived there around 5 pm. Shortly after we were rewarded with the most incredible sunset, taken in from the comfort of a giant hammock. The night was spent having dinner with all the other travellers before chilling around a camp fire. It does get really chilly in the evenings. Going to bed in an actual bed was also nice after spending the past two nights in various hammocks.

An exhausting waterfall hike

The morning after the amazing view was all gone due to intense fog. I spent the morning reading in one of the hammocks, before being lured out on a hike to one of the surrounding waterfalls, called Cascadas de Marinka . We spent about three hours getting to the waterfall. The hike was mostly downhill, and therefore uncomfortable but not really tiring.

The hike back was a different story, when ee had to hike back up all of those hills. As so many times before in South America I was drowning in my own sweat, but the heaviness of my legs was a new experience. The hike definitely qualified as a decent workout session, both for us humans and the adorable black puppy that decided to grace us with his company. Getting back just in time for lunch was just perfect, and the shower I took after, despite being ice cold, was equally needed.

This world has some amazing places

Afterwards I spent a few hours reading in a hammock whilst watching the lightning light up the sky and the surrounding mountains. It was actually quite beautiful, and I kept on getting amazed by this magical place located in the middle of nowhere, in the jungle in Colombia. I could have stayed right there forever.

Casa Elemento serves excellent meals, and always with a vegetarian option, which I obviously appreciated. The veggie burrito with guacamole and a tomato and onion salsa was my favourite by far. We ended the evening with a few drinking games in the bar, before I made it an early night as an early wake up the following morning awaited.

Back down by jeep

My decision to not go by motorbike on the way down was made about five minutes into the ride up there. I asked my driver how long it would take me to walk down. He told me three hours, and I figured that would be manageable. When two of the girls in the hostel asked if I would rather share a jeep down with them at 6.30 in the morning for 30 000COP (vs 28 000 for motorbike and colletivo back to Santa Marta), I quickly jumped at the opportunity. I won't say that it wasn't a bumpy ride, but it was way more comfortable than the alternatives.

I could easily have spent more time in Minca. Actually I could've spent hours just lying in a hammock and taking in the view, whilst feeling incredibly lucky to be able to visit such places. On the other hand there were more places to be discovered, so after the early morning jeep ride back to Santa Marta I prepared for my first night bus experience.

21. August 2017 Colombia, South America 1 Comment

My guide to Parque Tayrona

When doing my research on where to go in Colombia, Parque Tayrona seemed like a must-visit. The pictures of secluded beaches with crystal clear, blue water immediately appealed to me. I just knew that I had to stay on the Caribbean coast for a few more days after leaving Cartagena, just to experience this little piece of paradise. Well, I certainly wasn't the only person visiting while I was there and it got pretty crowded during the middle of the day. I still enjoyed it so much that I chose to stay for a second night.

I read a lot about Tayrona before going there, but found some of the information to no longer be true. This is my guide to visiting Tayrona National Park, based on my experience from my visit in August 2017.

Getting to Parque Tayrona

Getting to Parque Tayrona is fairly easy, but takes a bit of time. I left my hostel in Santa Marta around 7.30 am and made my way over to the centre (the mercado). The bus for Tayrona leaves quite frequently from carrera 9, Calle 11, and costs 7000 COP. The bus is spacious and air conditioned and drops you off at the main entrance.

At the entrance you pay the entrance fee, which is 44 000COP. I had heard that I could get a discount by bringing an international student ID, but this turned out not to be correct. It is then possible to hike 5km to the beginning of the trail, but I opted to take a colletivo for 3000COP. Recommendable for sure!

I chose to follow the trail all the way to the camp at Cabo San Juan. This is the camp furthest away from the entrance. I walked quite fast, but still spent about two hours getting there. The hike is nice and mostly through the jungle, which is good as the trees provides a bit of shelter from the sun. It was still incredibly hot, and I arrived drenched in sweat and very ready to throw myself in the ocean. I had also read that because of strong currents you cannot swim in the sea at Cabo San Juan, but luckily this turned out to be untrue as well.

Actually getting a place to sleep:

Getting a place to sleep at the camp site was quite a process, really. I thought I had arrived early when I got to the camp at Cabo San Juan at 12.30 and that I would surely be able to secure myself a hammock. Not many people could have managed to get there before me, right? I was mistaken. Apparently all the hammocks had sold out hours ago, but they still had tents available. Oh well, I thought, and figured I'd settle for a tent. I was told to come back at 1.00pm, as it wasn't possible to book tents until then.

When I came back half an hour later there was already a huge line. I quickly realised the tents were selling out fast as well. When I finally reached the front desk I was told that they gave the last tent to the guy in front of me. Great! But surprise – now they suddenly had a hammock for me instead. After all that hassle and time wasted I still couldn't help but feeling happy. The hammock was my first choice after all.

Securing myself a viewpoint hammock

A guy I met walking over to the camp told me how he had been able to get one of the best hammocks on the site, by waking up at 7.00 am and putting his name on a reservations list. The hammock was located on a really nice viewpoint, so I quickly decided to do the same the following morning. At 7.15 am there were already several names on that list, but I was able to place my reservation and I'm glad I did. When I came back to check in at 11.00 am the hammocks in the camp and on the viewpoint was all sold out.

The bottom line is: if you're arriving from Santa Marta then leave as early as possible. Even if you do the hammocks in Cabo (I have no experience with other campsites) might be sold out. They do however take reservations at the entrance to the park, and I would definitely recommend placing one.

What to do in Cabo San Juan, Tayrona

I went to Parque Tayrona to relax and it turned out to be the perfect spot for just that. I laid on the beach for hours just reading, listening to music and taking in all the beautiful scenery. In the evenings the temperatures cooled down, which was appreciated after hot, humid nights in Cartagena and Santa Marta. I did however find myself freezing during the nights in the hammocks, even when wearing a thick sweater and sweatpants. The camp has one restaurant. The food is mediocre, but works for a day or two. There is also a small shop at the site. It has all the necessities, but is expensive so bringing some water and snacks is not a bad idea.

For the active souls Tayrona is excellent for taking a few hikes. I just decided to stay pretty much inactive for my two days there and soak up as much sun as I could get.

I ended up spending my first day in the park with a German girl who was also travelling solo. When she left the following day I enjoyed a few hours on the beach before getting ready for dinner. I was pleasantly surprised when I found a big group of students from my Spanish school in the restaurant. We had dinner and played German card games until bed time. The night, however, was less pleasant. An entry about that might come at a later time.

The hill where I stayed the second night.

I would definitely recommend paying Parque Tayrona a visit, and I guess most people travelling in the area will. The hike might be long and warm, but it is worth it in the end. I am actually not sure if I would recommend sleeping in a hammock at the viewpoint, though. It may seem lovely on a sunny day, but not so much when the weather changes during the evening. Sadly it's one of those things we just can't control, but I for one slept way better in the hammock in the camp.

Most people will probably spend a night or two in the park, but it is also manageable on a day trip. For those not eager to hike back and forth during the same day, there is a boat departing for Santa Marta and Taganga at 4 pm every day.

Read about my time in Santa Marta and Taganga here.

♥ Erica

19. August 2017 Colombia, South America 1 Comment

Santa Marta and Taganga

A quick walk around Santa Marta

I never had any special desire to visit Santa Marta, but after an intense week of Spanish classes, getting up early and trying to get used to this whole travelling thing, I figured one chilled day there before going hiking in Tayrona wouldn't hurt. It was nice not being woken up by an alarm for once, but as my hostel lacked air conditioning I didn't have much of a sleep in anyway. I figured I might as well check out the city centre instead.

My hostel didn't exactly have the best location, so the walk to the city was a long one. I almost gave up at one point, as I didn't bring a map and had a feeling I was getting lost. Then suddenly I spotted the sea and figured any road leading to the sea must be the right one. This time I was actually right. I spent about an hour checking out Parque Simon Bolivar, the Cathedral, Parque de los Novios and the malecon. Then I walked past a cute cafe, and stopped for a banana cake and a juice that looked way fancier than it tasted. After that I felt kind of done with Santa Marta.

In conclusion Santa Marta isn't really anything special. If I had to go again I would make sure I'd stay in the Centro Historico.

Simon Bolivar is a popular guy, and people were flocking around his statue.

Rodrigo Bastidas, the founder of Santa Marta.

Some cool graffiti I came across on my way back to the hostel.

A beachy afternoon in Taganga

An American guy at my hostel spoke very warmly about Taganga. As the day was still young I decided pay the little town a visit. Taganga is a small fishermans village with gravelled streets, cute, little boats and beautiful scenery. I managed to find the public bus, which took me to Taganga for 1600COP. As I walked down the beach I immediately felt relaxed. Taganga had a nice vibe.

I found a spot on the beach where I sat down and observed everyone and everything in my surroundings. Taganga had everything from backpackers to Colombian families, all of them just chilling and having a good time. On my way from the bus to my spot on the beach I had spotted a restaurant advertising its vegetarian food. I immediately decided that this would be my dinner spot for the day. When it started raining and I eventually decided to leave the beach, I sat down there and enjoyed an amazing lentil burger.

As I wanted to get back to Santa Marta before it got all dark, I then hopped on the bus back. The bus appeared to be in pain as it was forced up the steep hills back to Santa Marta. I felt kind of bad, but luckily we made it back safely.

I ended up having a really good day in Santa Marta and Taganga, but was also fine with not having more time to spend around there. The rest of the evening was spent doing a bit of travel research (I had no clue about where to spend the upcoming week) and getting ready for a couple of days in Parque Tayrona, of which I was incredibly excited.

Free walking tour of Quito

Mitad del Mundo

Climbing the Cotopaxi volcano

A ride on the teleferico

♥ Erica

First some statistics:

Traveling in Colombia

Costs of traveling in Colombia:

Traveling as a vegetarian in Colombia:

♥ Erica

Popayan – two days in the white city

Ipiales – the one with the shady hotels

Visiting Las Lajas Sanctuary

From Ipiales to the border

The border to Tulcán

Tulcán to Quito – and a useful tip for your arrival

Arriving in Quito

♥ Erica

♥ Erica

♥ Erica

The city that made me fall in love with Colombia

Where to stay in Medellin:

What to do in Medellin

Take a free walking tour

Take a tour of Comuna 13

Take a day trip to Guatapé

Ride the cable car and visit Parque Arvi:

Visit Pueblito Paisa and enjoy a great view of the city:

Explore the nightlife:

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♥ Erica

Where I stayed in San Gil

Exploring San Gil

My first time paragliding

Barichara – a colonial beauty

San Gil to Bucaramanga to Medellin

♥ Erica

Getting from Santa Marta to Casa Elemento

An exhausting waterfall hike

This world has some amazing places

Back down by jeep

♥ Erica

Getting to Parque Tayrona

Actually getting a place to sleep:

Securing myself a viewpoint hammock

What to do in Cabo San Juan, Tayrona

♥ Erica

A quick walk around Santa Marta

A beachy afternoon in Taganga

♥ Erica