We are very excited to feature a truly special travel report from Günter Engelhart on our blog. Günter has captivated us with his experiences and impressions from an extraordinary journey, offering not only his personal perspective but also many fascinating details and anecdotes. We hope this extensive report inspires you as much as it did us, providing a unique insight into local life and the beauty of the destinations. Enjoy reading and discovering!
Hola! „5 pics a day 1/25“
Today (and for the next 24 days), I’m fueling the fire for everyone who claims that I/we are "always away." Because this time, it’s true (for once 😅). Meanwhile, the departure whisky in the airport lounge has become my most frequent photo subject. By the way, I’ve seen—no, I have—my dream hand luggage suitcase. I’ll need to do some research to find out where it’s available.
As true traditionalists, we don’t stray from our vacation pattern and stick to the regularity that has become customary. After Tina’s “black continent” last year (can you still say that?), it’s my South American preference again this time.
We’re heading to a country named after a very famous Italian navigator from the 15th century whose first name was Christopher but who never visited the country named in his honor. Well, he died at the age of 55—probably too soon—because I had to wait until 62 to set foot in Colombia. Although that’s not entirely accurate, as "visit" would be more precise. I "entered" the country two years ago during a layover at Bogotá airport.
Incidentally, it was the vibrant colors in the shops and souvenir stores there that made me decide to see more of this country than just Terminal 1 of BOG.
Whether this decision was the right one or not will be revealed here over the next three weeks.
See you soon!
Hola! „5 pics a day 2/25“
What a warm welcome at Bogotá Airport: Johnnie Walker himself, dressed in Colombia’s national colors, personally greeted me. And yet, J.W. is far from being my favorite brand. But, as the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Anyway, enough about strong spirits. Let’s move on to something more spiritually uplifting.
Today, the Salt Cathedral was quite literally the “salt” in the soup of our Colombian vacation. I’m not particularly drawn to places of worship, but this one is truly special. While churches, cathedrals, and basilicas typically reach skyward, the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquirá does the exact opposite. It’s entirely underground, with a maximum depth of 190 meters. And, as the name suggests, it’s made of salt.
It was created just over 30 years ago through the extraction of 250,000 tons of salt. The resulting spaces—vaults, naves, and chapels—are now illuminated in colorful lights, and together with the 14 artistically designed Stations of the Cross, they deliver some truly sacred “wow” moments.
Our destination today, Villa de Leyva, is said to be one of Colombia’s most beautiful historical towns. Whether that’s actually true, we’ll find out tomorrow. For today, though, we were “tied” to our mojitos on the Plaza Mayor, where we watched the interplay of clouds and sunlight, whose final disappearance was gently accompanied by the taste of lime and mint.
See you soon!
Hola! „5 pics a day 3/25“
How great that Latin and Biology (back then: Natural History) were my favorite school subjects. Although, with Latin, I only realized this decades later. Anyway, I was able to immediately identify the Monastery "Ecce Homo" with the translation "Behold the Man." And due to my religious interest, which is limited to Jesus Christ Superstar, I know these words were used by Pontius Pilate when presenting Jesus to the crowd after the scourging.
Less because of my high school biology knowledge and more due to my curiosity, I was fascinated by the Museo El Fósil near Villa de Leyva. I had never heard of the fascinating "Kronosaurus boyacensis" found and displayed there. One could almost call this a gap in my biological education. Anyone who wants to close this gap can turn to Dr. Google.
And since I liked math, even though my academic success curve resembled an adventurous roller coaster, I got mixed up and processed eight photos instead of five. Three additional photos snuck in during the very relaxing stroll through the rather white colonial town of Villa de Leyva, to stick with the math, "cheating."
See you soon!
Hola! „5 pics a day 4/25“
Today, I felt a bit like Odysseus on his wanderings. When, on the plane – a 60-seat twin-engine propeller aircraft – high above the clouds, after an announcement in Spanish (and therefore also sounding Spanish to me) by the dark-haired flight attendant, suddenly about 50 Spanish-speaking people begin talking as if on command, and anyone who knows Spaniards knows what happens when they start talking, and a noticeable sense of chaos starts to spread through the cabin, something must be going on. When, at the time of the planned landing (pretty much on schedule with the takeoff), a cloud layer far below the aircraft still blocks the view of the ground, then something really must be going on. And when the plane finally lands with almost an hour's delay, and it takes great effort and a lot of imagination to interpret this patch of land as an airport, then it can’t be the place you were supposed to go. Even if you were asked to leave the plane. This has nothing to do with navigation knowledge, but with gut feeling.
To keep it short: we didn’t land where we were supposed to. I haven’t (yet) managed to answer the question of where and why, hijacking wasn’t involved, as that would’ve been noticed in the cramped cabin. Plus, we were asked to return to our seats for a restart. And where we then landed after about half an hour had even less to do with an airport. But: it was where we wanted to go. The place and area are called La Macarena, and it’s quite far south in the country, in the tropical belt near the equator. Which, by the way, means: higher temperature mixed with higher humidity. In short: it was hot and sweat-inducingly humid.
A short hike with a quick stop to warm up in the water (and cooling down could not be mentioned, not even by the loosest interpretation of the term) ended with a rather "wild" finish.
See you soon!
Hola! „5 pics a day 5/25“
Today was "hiking in a steam bath," or as it's called here in Colombia: "Caño Cristales Hiking." To put it in numbers: 34°C, 90% humidity, and 12 km over rocks and stones, ideally in long sleeves and pants, because here, for environmental reasons, conventional sunscreen cannot be used (you can swim in certain parts of the river, but you want to avoid an "oil film" on the water's surface to protect the ecosystem). And you feel the power of the sun in the evening, when you're sipping your Guayaberaso on the lodge terrace.
Of course, you could have this cheaper if you spent six hours fully adjusted in the steam bath at a hotel spa. But, first, I think that would get boring pretty quickly, and second, it would look, let's say, a bit strange.
Caño Cristales is a body of water in the South American Orinoco River system, also known as the "River of Five Colors" or "Liquid Rainbow." The colors come from the vegetation on the riverbed and range from yellow, green, blue, black, and red. I'd add purple and orange, then we'd have the full rainbow.
Caño Cristales is a highlight here in Colombia if you're interested in nature.
The pictures today, despite their vibrant colors, might paradoxically seem a little monotonous. But they dominated today's day.
See you soon!
Hola! „5 pics a day 6/25“
Forty years ago, this morning I would have ended up in a time vacuum. Because I would have had to wake up earlier than I usually got home. Chronologically speaking: 3:45 AM instead of 4:00 AM.
The day started with a boat ride from the darkness of the night into the sunrise, which was forecasted for 5:37 AM, as the kickoff (of the otherwise sparse) program for today. So, in the light of a flashlight, we descended a makeshift ladder down the riverbank into a somewhat unstable raft powered by 50 Yamaha horsepower, heading straight into the black hole. Every now and then, the boatman checked with the flashlight to ensure the boat still had water beneath it.
From the boat, tied to a tree branch on the shore, populated by many birds and a few alligators, we waited for time to do its thing and watched the sun slowly rise from behind the horizon. Basically, it's a sunset with reversed signs.
After that, it was just a flight back from La Macarena to Bogotá, and now I know the reason for our odyssey on the outbound flight (see "5 pics 4/25"): Since La Macarena Airport only has space for one commercial aircraft, we couldn’t land because that space was occupied due to a takeoff delay. So, we circled around until our fuel was running low, and finally flew the remaining 300 km back to Villavicencio to refuel. The second attempt was successful.
The highlight of the evening in Bogotá was dinner: A six-pack of Club Colombia from the supermarket, along with empanadas and arepas from the street vendor, all enjoyed in the hotel room with a view of the city lit up at night through floor-to-ceiling windows.
See you tomorrow.
Hola! „5+ pics a day 7/25“
Surprisingly, I was able to find something endearing and sympathetic in Bogotá, a city I initially approached with some skepticism due to its 10 million inhabitants. The reason for this was the La Candelaria neighborhood, the picturesque old town of the metropolis with its colorful houses, some from the colonial era, and the artistic graffiti.
I don’t know much about art or its history (both old and modern). It’s neither my job nor my hobby. As they say in the countryside: "Oh, what a beautiful picture!" or "Oh, how awful!" In my view, the paintings by Colombian artist Fernando Botero don’t fall into the first category. Although these works, with their "out of proportion" style, are worth millions of euros, I wouldn’t hang one in my living room. Still, the visit to the Botero Museum wasn’t a waste of time. Being interesting and being liked don’t necessarily go hand in hand.
El Dorado – that’s not only the name of Bogotá’s airport but also the mythical city of gold in the Colombian Andes, often searched for but never found. What is certain is that the pre-Columbian peoples and tribes were excellent goldsmiths. Many of these finds are on display at the Gold Museum, which, although monochromatic (unlike the old town), shines with authentic gold.
And in the evening, we were already on the plane to Neiva.
See you tomorrow.
Hola! „5 pics a day 8/25“
My peers probably still recognize the term "Klapperl." Younger members of my audience might want to look it up. There are useful results.
Today I brought out my "Klapperl," of course in the advanced and modern version "hiking sandals." The ones with the rubber cap as a bumper for the toes. But the two hiking trails through the Tatacoa Desert were perfect for that, considering the terrain, temperature, and weather. Rain would have been bad luck, as it’s a dry area, partly in private ownership.
The Colombian woman who passed away recently was 120 years old and one of the landowners, a proud mother of twelve children. This "dozen" in turn produced an above-average number of descendants, resulting in 80 grandchildren.
For a current thought, I wondered what a Christmas celebration would look like in such a large family. How would the grandparents choose gifts for 80 grandchildren? When would they start buying them? And how would they manage the financing? And what about the feast – the cooking and the dishes?
Ah, to avoid misunderstandings: the "current occasion" is the upcoming Christmas, not the idea of being grandparents with 80 grandchildren.
To bring it back to the Tatacoa Desert: Two one-hour walks through the gray and red parts of the desert left no doubt that I hit my step goal.
Until tomorrow.
Hola! „5 pics a day 9/25“
"You don't have to do anything, except die" – this popular retort from my youth in response to a parental "You have to..." usually didn't bring much joy to the one giving the command, and it shaped today's day. We dealt with death, dying, and, specifically here, burial rituals. Not just any rituals, but those of pre-Columbian cultures. For this, we had to rewind time by 1000 to 2000 years, back to the period from 100 BC to 900 AD.
This was easily achieved with a visit to the archaeological park in San Agustín. In this UNESCO World Heritage site, a number of sculptures are displayed, which were found in the area and, to put it simply, served as tombstones.
We were given an interesting explanation about the meaning of eagle, crescent, and jaguar eyes, the tusks, or the different hand positions. It was – since we couldn’t visit the family graves back home for All Saints' Day – a rather unique cemetery visit. We were convinced that only about 30% of these historical remains were uncovered, the rest still lies beneath our feet (and, as planned, should stay there). It was a bit scary.
The mental leap from death to football during our walk through San Agustín may seem a bit arbitrary, but it only seems that way if you don’t know that the city's original colors are green and white, my favorite colors in the local football scene. Although now, more and more colors are being added to the houses, making the original color scheme harder to find.
Until tomorrow.
Hola! „5 pics a day 10/25“
"We were there" – who knows how much that will be worth in ten or fifteen years when they break through and conquer the stages, concert halls, and stadiums of the world. Maybe not as "Estación 1950," but with a catchier name, like "Rodando Piedras" (DeepL can translate it). And if not, no worries.
So we were there when six boys and one girl, aged 14 to 17, gave a quite enjoyable concert as "Estación 1950" at Club Maco in San Agustín. Many rhythms, many styles, lots of variety.
"Estación 1950" is a product of the "Escuela de Música - Magdalena Music School" in San Agustín. This music school is special because it was created last year as a social project by our local tour operator, Chaska Tours. The children of the community can attend for free, and part of the tourism revenue helps fund the school. I really hope the students can make a living with their music. Some already had great charisma, confidence, and some impressive moves, even though their mom with the "snack bread" during the break was very much appreciated.
Later, we crossed through a landscape in a comfortable Hyundai van that, though a bit cloudy, reminded me of southern Styria, but with signs warning of tapirs, jaguars, or spectacled bears crossing the road. That’s when you know where you are (at least if you paid attention in natural history class).
The day’s destination was Popayán, a still little-known tourist destination but with a much whiter cityscape. Even the white of our Hyundai looked a bit gray there. I'm writing this journal entry early in the evening for a good reason, as Popayán is known as the gourmet capital of southern Colombia. And who knows if after a full stomach and a head full of beer, I’ll still be able to hit the right letters on the phone keyboard (it’s already a challenge as it is).
Hasta mañana.
Hola! „5 pics a day 11/25“
Today we met Silvia. Silvia is a beauty from the Colombian mountains with a very special character. Silvia is unique, and with a bit of imagination, one could almost give her the last name Misak. However, Silvia can’t move, but she keeps growing bigger and bigger.
Silvia is a town in the southwest of Colombia, and it's the center of the Misak, one of the country’s most traditional indigenous groups. Here, the world really does turn a little differently, and traditions, culture, and customs from earlier days are still kept alive. We were lucky to be there on market day.
One thing that isn’t originally from the Misak but has a certain charm is the repurposing of vehicle tires, in violation of traffic regulations, into design furniture. While it may not be economically successful in our regions, it does have a certain appeal. And there are expensive designer chairs where you’d feel much less comfortable sitting.
Until tomorrow.
Hola! „5 pics a day 12/25“
I’m always happy when I plug something in, flip the switch, and the device starts working, whether it’s lighting up or running. I also feel satisfied when it doesn't work and I find the problem (like a broken lightbulb or only pressing one of the two switches, like with a saw or hedge trimmer). In that sense, being an electrician could be my dream job. But that would only work in Austria.
Things are a bit different in South America. There are a thousand jobs I would rather do here just because I enjoy life so much. Although it’s not completely unfamiliar to me due to past travels, I am still fascinated by electricity, especially the wiring of the public electrical grid. To survive as an electrician here (and I’m not talking about financial survival), you either need a university degree with honors or, like a cat, seven lives.
Today, however, was a rest day. Stage day. After a short morning walk through Cali, we were back on the road again heading north to Armenia, the entrance to the Coffee Triangle. What I’m happy to say I didn’t miss were those “piles of garbage” along the roads. It’s actually a lot cleaner here (at least in the areas we’ve been) than, for example, in Peru. So far, we haven’t seen any car in front of us throwing out unnecessary packaging material (like plastic drink bottles). Of course, there’s still room for improvement, but it’s much less than elsewhere.
Until tomorrow.
Hola! „5 pics a day 13/25“
The reason for our trip to Colombia was, apart from my strong South America obsession, rather accidental: during a layover at Bogotá Airport two years ago, the shops with colorful souvenirs immediately caught our eye. It was "painful" in the sense that we decided then to add this colorful country to our travel list at some point. That it should happen this year, even though initially we were planning Vietnam, Ecuador, or Scotland, is a story that can’t be explained in a few words.
Today, however, we encountered the (architectural, since we had already seen the biological) explosion of colors. Specifically in Salento and Filandia, two towns located in the Colombian Coffee Triangle. To stay true to the title of my journal, I selected only three out of about 10 raised to the 13th power pictures (a few more can be found in my story).
The other two pictures of the day are dedicated to the Cocora Valley and its wax palms, the tallest palms in the world. However, the explosion of colors was somewhat limited, as the rich green was mostly complemented by a mystical, foggy gray that filled the horizon. And maybe a bit of horse white and brown, with occasional splashes of red or yellow from flowers.
And since there’s no railway here, and even 300 km by car takes quite a long time, we are, once again, in an airport. This time in Pereira, waiting for our flight to Medellín.
Until tomorrow.
Hola! „5 pics a day 14/25“
The only thing we haven't heard yet is "Last Christmas." But otherwise, it's already Christmas in Colombia (too). Colorful, blinking lights, overcrowded Christmas trees, shops with thousands of useful and hundreds of thousands of useless decoration and gift ideas. It almost feels a little like home.
To escape from that, today was easy peasy – just hopped on a plane and off to the sea with sunshine and summery temperatures. From the destination airport in Nuquí, we took a boat (exclusively) to the Seaside Eco-Lodge "La Kuka." Unfortunately, I wasn’t brave enough to take a photo or video of this adventurous "hell ride" over the Pacific. I was too scared to lose my phone (and ideally, myself along with it). "Storm boat" at the Prater (or whatever amusement park it is)? In comparison, no more than a dinghy ride in a swimming pond. Soaked to the bone is dry compared to what we were. But with trust in our captain at the gas throttle of the Suzuki outboard and in the crash resistance of the polyester hull of our boat, we arrived at the intended destination, where our bungalow with an outdoor shower, hammock, and other comforts was reserved: In the front yard of paradise called "La Kuka Eco Lodge," powered exclusively by solar energy.
Hasta Mañana.
Hola! „5 pics a day 15/25“
I’m somewhat of a water person. Not just because of my zodiac sign (Cancer). Whether it’s the 50-meter pool in the southern part of town, the dreamy beaches of the South Pacific, or a "flaming" cocktail served by the bartender. So, it’s no surprise that I admire yachts. But anyone can own a 350-million-dollar boat like Roman Abramovich’s (if they’ve won the EuroMillions at least twice). The real vessel for the water is the slim Colombian dugout canoe. Reduced to the essentials, without unnecessary frills. So, we rented one of these – with a captain = first officer = helmsman – to explore the jungle by waterway.
First, the captain had to ensure the boat was ready by scooping out water from the passenger cabin. The question of whether the water was entering due to rain or a possible leak in the hull remained unanswered, as I didn’t even ask. Fortunately, this dugout canoe was just the transport boat to the actual one, which was a bit larger but much drier. As for seating comfort, there were some deductions, but our helmsman moved the heavy canoe with a wooden stick as gracefully as Olympic champion Giovanni de Gennaro steering his canoe through the whitewater course.
Otherwise, today was for relaxing, and that was also the plan of the lodge cat, who visited our bungalow and made herself comfortable with us. She is the subject of the sixth picture of the day.
See you tomorrow.
Hola! „5 pics a day 16/25“
I was quite shocked when I looked in the mirror this morning. I had two completely different eyes. Not because my right eyelid has been swollen for a while; no idea why, but as long as it doesn't hurt and I can still see, it can't be that bad. No, one eye had been crying a lot today, while the other could barely stop laughing.
Today was the day to say goodbye to Nuquí, a visual gem in Colombia, after just two days by the (Pacific) Sea. And as you could read yesterday, I am a person of water. So, sadness accompanied by tears spread across one half of my face.
At the same time, my cerebral central lobe knew there was still a bit of Caribbean ahead. And that made the other half of my face delight in joy.
A last morning walk on the beach with quite low tide made for a fitting farewell to the Pacific, before we took the "storm boat" (though with calm weather) across the water to Nuquí airport. If "Aeropuerto" hadn't been written on the building, I would have thought it was a fairly decent private property by local standards, with police protection, and I would have walked past it.
Before my Caribbean holiday finale, though, there are two days in Medellín, the city of "eternal spring"; a name that's quite sweet, but doesn't do justice to the second largest city in the country, as its character is marked by a dark past. I'll tell you more about that tomorrow.
See you tomorrow.
Hola! „5 pics a day 17/25“
Pablo Escobar and I have almost nothing in common. Except maybe that we both were willing to go over bodies (in his case, he already did). And we did so in very different ways: while in my case it’s limited to cemetery visits, he did it literally.
But how can such an evil person also be so warm-hearted? One could also ask the question the other way around.
Today, we dedicated the day to this man and visited the four most important places related to his life: the memorial at the site of his former house; "La Catedral," his self-built prison; "Cancha El Dorado," the football stadium he built; and his final resting place at the cemetery in Itagüí.
"Fascinating" might not be the right word, given the scale of his atrocities, but there is a certain eerie fascination surrounding his personality.
I recommend anyone who’s a bit interested in the history of South American drug trade to Google it and read the details about him and the "Medellín Cartel" on Wikipedia. Here are two short quotes from it:
"Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (also known as 'El Doctor,' 'El Patrón,' or 'Don Pablo,' born on December 1, 1949, in Rionegro, and died on December 2, 1993, in Medellín) was a Colombian drug lord, drug trafficker, and terrorist. Through large-scale and first-ever industrialized drug trade, he became the head of the Medellín Cartel and one of the richest people in the world. He is considered one of the most powerful and brutal drug lords in history."
"Escobar was also socially engaged: he financed hospitals, social housing, and schools, and thus enjoyed a good reputation among the poorest part of the population in his hometown of Medellín. The football stadium of his local team in Envigado was built with his funds. Escobar founded office and apartment complexes in Medellín, nightclubs, and numerous restaurants, and his traces are still visible today."
And here’s a quote from our guide: "In the 1980s, Escobar put a bounty of $1,000 for each police officer killed. As a result, a bounty hunter blew up a bus with 50 police officers, making a quick $50,000."
Interested? Then don’t forget to close your mouth while reading.
A quick note about the pictures, as not all of them are self-explanatory: Pablo’s gravestone; the view from his grave over Medellín; the El Dorado stadium; La Catedral, his self-built "prison" with game halls, an entertainment center, and other amenities (like, for example, an escape route), which a prison requires; and the helicopter landing pad on the La Catedral grounds.
See you tomorrow.
Hola! „5 pics a day 18/25“
The organization of last night, which mostly consisted of watching the NFL game between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs on my phone via DAZN during dinner, inspired me toward the end of the game to write today's journal entry: I’m taking a (literary) time-out. Today, I’ll just let the five pictures of "Inside Medellín" speak for themselves, increasing them to ten and adding captions.
I ask for your understanding, but the fact that in one week, I’ll be back on a plane heading back to Austria is slightly inhibiting my creative flow.
Tomorrow will be better, so...
...Hasta Mañana.
Hola! "5 pics a day 19/25"
I worry about humanity. It is responsible for the ever-smarter Artificial Intelligence, which I find concerning. But what worries me even more is that, at the same time, its Natural Intelligence seems to be heading towards zero, gaining speed. An example? From the moment a plane lands to when the doors open, it takes at least five minutes. Even while the plane is still slowing down, a third of the passengers jump up and rush to the aisle, which only has space for one person per row. The other half of those still seated only do so because they begrudgingly realize the aisle is hopelessly full, yet they still try to get up. Those who succeed end up trapped like a question mark, stuck between the seat in front, their own seat, the overhead compartment, and (usually) a nervous seatmate. About half of the remaining two-thirds have resigned themselves to the “not-aisle seat” fate, and only the other half remains cool, waiting (usually engrossed in their phone display) until the doors open and then getting up when it's their turn. (On an A320 with about 150 seats, that means the reasonable (intelligent) fraction is just 25 people.)
This inevitably made me think of Alex Kristan, who addresses this situation in one of his comedy programs, ending with the line: “Bet we all get off the same plane?” And I add: “Before (God and) the baggage claim belt, we’ll all be the same again.”
The crowding at the baggage claim is another story. Maybe I’ll get to that one day.
Exactly 20 years ago, we visited the Caribbean for the first and only time (Dominican Republic). Today, it's time again: Santa Marta on Colombia's Caribbean coast was waiting for us. In the few hours since we landed, this place has shown us a completely different side of Colombia: loud (not only because of the World Cup qualification match against Ecuador, which was playing in hundreds of bars on hundreds of monitors (and Colombia lost 0-1)), hectic, and somewhat dirtier than we’ve been used to.
Let’s see what the next two days of hiking bring, but probably no Wi-Fi, so the next diary entry will likely not appear until Thursday (Friday CET).
Until (the day after) tomorrow.
Hola! "5 pics a day 20/25"
Colombia lost the World Cup qualifying match against Ecuador. However, the mood, the hustle, and the noise in Santa Marta barely seemed affected, and so we escaped to the quieter grounds of the Sierra Nevada. We once again explored history and the jungle. First, we passed the Piedras de Donama, stone carvings from pre-Columbian times, which are still used by indigenous people for ceremonial purposes. Then, we ventured into the botanical heart of the region. In about five hours, we covered around 15 kilometers, passing through all imaginable zones of rainforest vegetation, as well as coffee plantations, avocado trees, and cattle pastures.
In the midst of it all was the prehistoric stone city of Bunkuany, an archaeological complex that is also known as “the second lost city,” after the more famous but much harder-to-reach Ciudad Perdida.
And finally, the rainforest lived up to its name: We not only saw the mystical, low-hanging clouds, but we also felt them. Not for too long, just about half an hour, enough for everything to get soaking wet. Luckily, we had made belts with suspenders, first covering the backpacks with rain covers and then throwing a poncho over everything.
Our accommodation today is somewhere in the middle of nowhere in the Colombian mountain range, without a phone network but with electricity and Wi-Fi (which you need as much as a bite of bread when the night begins right after dinner at 7:00 PM).
Hasta Mañana.
Hola! "5 pics a day 21/25"
I had imagined it so nicely: I bought Saucony Goretex trail running shoes, and added 4 mm spikes that I would have screwed into the soles. And just like that, I would have been able to walk safely and steadily over Lake Baikal in Siberia, frozen solid, for 42.2 km. But then, COVID messed up my plans. The following year, a certain Mr. P. came along with an order for his subjects to make an, let's say, unlawful visit to Ukraine, which continues to affect the situation today. So, the Saucony (the spikes still work) have been sitting at home since 2021.
I know the bus with the people who are interested in this hasn’t arrived yet, but I can't think of anything better to share today. Today was day two of exploring the Colombian jungle.
And now, here’s where the Saucony come into play: after not being able to use them for their original purpose, and knowing I probably won’t be able to anytime soon, I allowed them to accompany me on this journey and, under equally difficult but completely different conditions – 90% humidity and almost 30°C instead of bone-dry cold – they lost their virginity, late but at last. Right away, I can say that they proved themselves (just like the day before) as the ultimate expedition shoes. Grip like there’s no end, like a Formula 1 tire on the A1 Ring, even on wet rocks, a tread that could handle even the muddiest ground, and the water resistance of the upper material only met its limit when it transitioned to the hiking socks. If I ever go back to the jungle or similar botanical terrain, these shoes will again be my connection to the planet.
So, between the first and second day of the expedition, I could relax peacefully in the hammock or enjoy floating in the natural pool. Even the mules by the side of the road happily wagged their tails at my newfound surefootedness.
After losing an estimated ten liters of sweat over the last two days, we’ve returned to civilization in Santa Marta, and tomorrow we’ll start the final, 180 km stage of our small, lovely round trip to Cartagena by bus.
See you tomorrow!
Hola! "5 pics a day 22/25"
A pretty exciting day today! I invented something, I/we dove into another world, stood on our feet, as they say, and added one more t-shirt to our collection.
I invented the “negative tip.” That means: instead of us giving tips for kindness and helpfulness, we receive one for enduring an awful attitude. Our bus driver did his job of safely getting us (and others) from point A to point B, but he had, as they say, a truly unpleasant attitude that would have ruined the day for all his passengers. If I had already figured out how to implement my invention, we would have gotten off the bus more than we got on. So, in the end, it was just a zero-sum game. But I’m still working on ways to make it happen.
Upon reaching our final destination, we realized: On one side, there’s Colombia, and on the other, there’s Cartagena. This city is, based on our first impression (we’ll know more tomorrow), an entirely different world. Loud, modern, fairly clean, full of life, colorful, and definitely worth seeing.
However, when we checked into our accommodation, we encountered something far worse than the bus driver’s attitude (which was already almost to the floor): we were supposed to end our vacation in a hole! The room was filthy, moldy, in short: a dump. That it was tiny and only had a window facing the hallway was the least of the issues. So, the last memory of Colombia was supposed to be a bad and unpleasant one. But then we remembered the words of our travel expert from Chaska Tours, who had told us to let her know anything that wasn’t right so our trip would be as pleasant as possible. And that’s exactly what we did. Within an hour, we were in a hotel of such quality that we had to close our mouths in surprise. Although that’s part of their job, this level of flexibility, speed, simplicity, and professionalism isn’t always guaranteed, and we want to give special thanks to Delia Koch from the local operator Chaska Tours, a partner of an Austrian company. Thanks to her, the trip now has a good chance of ending with happy memories.
To avoid breaking a holiday tradition, we had to visit the Hard Rock Café in Cartagena, where we had a burger and also bought a t-shirt, which has now brought our collection to about 20 similar shirts.
PS: I don’t want to blame the tour operator for the unacceptable hotel room, since Google reviews range from one to five stars. Unfortunately, we got assigned one of the bad ones. And those who speak up, like me (which I do far too rarely), end up benefiting.
Until tomorrow!
Hola! "5 pics a day 23/25"
Following the logic of many "After... is before...", I also apply "After the vacation is before the vacation," although I'm not sure if my version of this saying is the original one.
Anyway, times change, and today I decided to give this saying a little dynamism: "The last days of the vacation are already before the vacation." The reason for this is my first-sight love for Cartagena. What started to show yesterday has been confirmed today. This city has seen me for the first time, but surely not for the last. So, during today's walk through the Getsemaní district, we started making plans for a comeback: since Ecuador, a neighboring country of Colombia, ranks among the top five on our world exploration bucket list, we will tackle it with a stop in Cartagena. A possible time could be in 2027. So much for medium-term planning.
Anyway, the Getsemaní district has been named one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world by Forbes Magazine, and their idea of "cool" is almost, well, actually, congruent with mine. As proof of that, I’m adding some photos alongside the usual five.
In the evening, we headed to La Boquilla, a fishing village on the outskirts with over 200 years of history, and Afro-Caribbean roots. The village youth keeps the tradition alive by offering drumming, singing, and dance performances that reflect the rituals of the three cultures: African, Caribbean, and indigenous Colombian.
See you tomorrow.
Hola! "5 pics a day 24/25"
As if the last day of vacation wasn’t already going by too quickly, we hopped onto a speedboat to speed things up a bit more. In fact, it turned out to be more of a delay, because due to the speed, a lot of life came at us in the last few hours, and the day was still packed with activities.
That's what happens when your flight doesn’t depart until 10:30 p.m. So, we hopped from island to island for fun. Five times in total, in the sea off the coast of Cartagena. And since we’re in the Caribbean, we ended with a bit of that Caribbean vibe. You could even say it was a Bacardi kind of feeling. 34 degrees Celsius, and with everyone in the hotter temperature range, it doesn’t exactly make saying goodbye any easier.
And since the guys at the mobile bars know how to mix drinks, I might be betting on the number of photos.
See you at the graduation entrance tomorrow.
Hola! "5 pics a day 25/25 (Last Day)
Finally back in Europe, and with that, it's time for some numbers (aside from the 30 degrees less and 6 hours more): Of the 24 nights, we spent 23 in 14 different, geographically very diverse accommodations. Night 24 passed as we were high above the Atlantic.
To get to know a fair bit of Colombia, we needed seven domestic flights covering a total distance of about 2,100 km and we spent about 1,700 km in a car. By boat, we covered about 150 km.
If it doesn’t rain (or hardly rains, and if it does, it’s hardly disruptive) during the rainy season, you can consider yourself lucky. We had that in considerable measure. We were aware of the risk. However, there’s something to note: If you want to travel through the whole country, due to its size and proximity to the equator, there is no "right" or ideal travel season. Because: If you want to see the famous colorful plants in the water at Caño Cristales, this is only possible when the rainy season is happening in the Caribbean part (and therefore the north) of the country. But if you want to avoid the risk of rain there, you’ll definitely exclude the possibility of visiting Caño Cristales.
As our former chancellor F.S. once said: "It’s all very complicated." And Caño Cristales is one of the highlights in Colombia. Colombia doesn’t have extreme tourist hotspots like Peru with Machu Picchu or Bolivia with the Salar de Uyuni, but it still offers a lot of different things to see and experience, whether landscapes, history, culture, or of course the people with their types and characters.
Maybe just two more words about safety: Colombia now and Colombia from 20 or 30 years ago are not comparable. By following the minimum standards of caution (which, by the way, are also needed in Vienna), the country is safe. We heard several times that Colombians live in more danger than tourists because even the "bad guys" know that tourism is essential for the country, so a bad reputation isn’t an option, and they prefer to hit each other over the head, as they say.
With that, I’ll close my "5 pics a day" diary and start prioritizing where the next posts will come from.
See you later!
Comments