Colombia - Christmas 2017

For Christmas 2017, we (Nancy, her two daughters, her son in law and myself) decided to get out of town and go to Colombia.  So the week before Christmas we set off for Cartagena, Colombia by way of San Francisco and Panama City.  Cartagena is a lovely old Spanish Colonial City, perhaps one of the oldest in South America after Santa Marta which is just a short distance up the coast.  There is an old town and a new town and coming in from the airport you see the ultra modern tower blocks of the new town, then you enter the walls of the old town and you are then in a totally different world - old narrow streets, beautiful colonial buildings, churches, squares, parks, all very nice and you don’t even notice the more modern side of town.

Old Town Cartagena

We were staying at the Hotel Bantu, a nice old building just off the Parque Fernandez de Madrid.  After checking in we set off to explore the old town for the rest of the afternoon.  It certainly is a beautiful city though the large number of tourists like us do tend to spoil the atmosphere a little.  Cartagena allows cruise ships to dock in the harbor so for certain periods of the day there are way too many tourists in such a small area.

After exploring the old walled city on our first day, we strayed over to Getsemani, another old neighborhood, once derelict but now showing signs of gentrification.  From there we went on to visit the Castillo de San Felipe.  The Castillo is an immense Spanish fort built back in the 1500's.  It is a truly immense fortification and is quite impressive.  The entire complex is riddled with a maze of tunnels, many open to the public.

Castillo de San Felipe

On the way from the fort we found a really nice restaurant for lunch in Getsemani - La Casa de Socorro.  Great food, great price, and great local beer - Club Colombia and Aquila.  I had the Robalo, which turns out to be Sea Bass.  We made more explorations of the Centro Historico over the rest of the day.

Getsemani Region of Cartagena

The next day we left Cartagena for Santa Marta a four hour drive up the coast to the north-east.  There was a convenient van service that picked us up at the hotel and shuttled us to Santa Marta in a quite luxurious small minibus.  On the way to Santa Marta we passed through Barranquilla which, as we all know, is the birthplace of Shakira.

Santa Marta is an older Spanish town on the coast, the first one actually; it was superseded by Cartagena because Cartagena had a more sheltered harbor.  Santa Marta is also famous for being the town where Simon Bolivar, El Libertador, died in 1830.  We arrived there in the late afternoon and took a walk around.  It is not nearly as nice as Cartagena, being a working port, with a not too pleasant beach and a crowded old town.

The Beach in Santa Marta

The next morning, after a lovely breakfast on the rooftop of our hotel, the Casa de Leda, we set off to join our group for the Ciudad Perdida hike.  Ciudad Perdida is the so-called "lost city" discovered in the 1970's that has recently become popular as a destination for those wanting to hike in the jungle.  The trip is typically a 4 or 5 day hike, 2 days in and 2 to 3 days out.  All hikers have to go with guides and the 4 or 5 tour companies are all government licensed and they all charge the same amount - around $250.  We were signed up with a group called Magic Tours and we assembled at their office in Santa Marta on the Tuesday morning.  I had expected that we would be the only group going but in fact there were some 20 people on our trip.  We all piled into the back of a couple of Land Cruisers (a most common vehicle in Colombia) and off we went to the trailhead, about a 2 hour drive away.

Pre-Departure Photo

At the small village at the start of the trail we had a lovely lunch and then set off on our hike.  I was thinking that the hike would be pretty easy and straightforward but I soon found out that was not to be the case.  The first few miles were uphill, steeply uphill, and much of it was exposed to the afternoon sun, it was hot and it was very humid.  By the time we reached the first rest stop, I was drenched in sweat and seriously overheating.  The trail continued to be quite difficult - either uphill or downhill and in places quite steep.  I must admit that first day took its toll on me.  When we arrived in camp, all I could do was lie on my bunk trying to cool down and stop sweating.

In Camp

The camp was fairly primitive, a series of two tiered bunks, each with mosquito nets, some room for hammocks for those not lucky enough to get a bunk, a dining hall, and primitive shower and toilet facilities.  Even after the heat of the day a cold shower still came as a bit of a shock.  We were served a nice dinner and we all retired to our bunks absolutely exhausted.

The next morning it was a 5:00 wake up, for a 5:30 breakfast and then a 6:00 am start on the trail.  For some reason we were the last ones out of camp - quite typical.  The trail was still steep, uphill and downhill, but in the cool of the morning it was more bearable.  At lunchtime we stopped at a camp alongside a river and we all went in for a swim.  Quite refreshing.

Typical View on the Trail

After resting and having lunch we pushed on towards our destination at the base of the hill below Ciudad Perdida.  Every now and then we came across local Indians on the trail.  The locals are Kogui Indians and they appear to have a subsistence life in the jungle.  Typically they have white or light tunics and are either barefoot or wearing Wellington boots.  They do not appear to be too friendly, in that they rarely look you in the eye and typically pass you without a word, even if you offer a 'buenos dias' greeting (admittedly their native language is not Spanish).  The groups are also usually solitary males or groups of women with children, and they are often accompanied by dogs.

Kogui Village

Kogui Women on the Trail

Fortunately we were in the dry season, but there were signs of how muddy and treacherous the trail might be in the rainy season.  I imagine it would be a real quagmire in the rainy season.  Perhaps that’s why many of the natives wear Wellington boots.

Muddy Trail Conditions

Just before camp for the evening we had a river crossing that required a footwear change.  Most of the stream crossings to date had been just rock hopping but this was a little more significant and I exchanged the boots for Tevas to wade across.  This was quite a large and very crowded camp and we were lucky to get beds - perhaps they took pity on us old folk.  Again, I collapsed in bed totally exhausted.  I had a top bunk and with the complication of mosquito netting it was not an easy entry or exit.  Fortunately I was so dehydrated I didn’t need to visit the toilet in the night.

Steps up to Ciudad Perdida

The next morning we walked a short kilometer to the base of the hill where the Ciudad Perdida was located.  From there it was a steep uphill of some 1,400 stone steps.  We dragged ourselves up the steps and then gathered around the base of the complex for an explanation of the history of the place.

The settlement was quite large but in reality it was not that spectacular, it certainly is not Machu Pichu.  The structures were all round huts with mud walls and palm frond roofs built over a stone foundation.  After a few hundred years all that remains are the circular stone foundations - not overly impressive.  We spent a couple of hours at the site wandering around and then set off down the hill again to start our trek back.

View from top of Ciudad Perdida

Our Group on top of Ciudad Perdida

At the previous night’s camp we had lunch and picked up our gear for the trek out.  It was a long trek on this our third day on the trail.  It was just before dark when we all arrived back in camp (the same camp we had lunched and swam at on the second day).  This camp was perhaps the worst one - a bit cramped, a bit smelly, and not the best facilities.  However, I was so exhausted I didn’t care and the food was most welcome - mashed potatoes, beets and beef stew.

Breakfast at Camp

Friday was our fourth and final day on the trail.  We were up at 5:00 and on the trail by 6:00.  Nancy was not feeling well - stomach issues - so we brought up the rear.  The daughter of our guide Maria, Youranis, was assigned to stay back with us and she patiently walked with us and made sure we didn’t get lost.

Unsmiling Kogui Indian Child

It was a long hot walk out but we made it without the aid of a mule or a motorcycle (some of the trekkers took that way out but not us, we persevered).  At the rest stop at the top of the last downhill section (the same one where I had realized on the way in that this was not going to be a walk in the park) we celebrated with an ice cold Coke.  We finally reached the small village at the end of the trail in time for lunch and, as we entered the restaurant to applause from our fellow hikers, I heard someone say “I want to be like them”.  Not sure I appreciate that so much but at least it's better than being called Grandpa as one of the Dutch men called me in camp one night.

We rode back to Santa Marta in the back of a Land Cruiser feeling tired and thankful our jungle hike was over.  I’m not sure jungle hiking is what I want to do again.

In Santa Marta we picked up our bags that we had stored there and then got a ride back to Tayrona where we had a hotel for the next 2 nights.  The hotel was quite nice and our room even had a bit of an ocean view.  A refreshing dip in the pool and a meal at the hotel restaurant and then a well earned rest in a proper bed.

Beach at Tayrona National Park

The next morning we had a leisurely breakfast and then we took a van down to the Tayrona National Park where there were supposed to be excellent beaches.  The coastline was nice and there were beaches, but it was a 2 hour hike to the first beach where we could swim (apparently there a serious rip tides and undertows on most of the beaches - people drown there).  A 2 hour walk was not exactly what we were expecting but it wasn’t so bad and the water was lovely once we got there.  We dined on the beach and then made the trek back to the entrance to the park and our ride back to the hotel.  Our hotel was a little remote so we again dined in the hotel that evening.

Nice Beach but Dangerous Surf

The next day, Sunday, was Christmas Eve.  We started with a swim in the sea nearby the hotel, or at least I did, Nancy, Erica and Arden seemed to take exception to my swimming in the surf.  I felt completely safe and it was most exhilarating, they thought it dangerous and that I was going to be swept out to sea.  We then got a van to take us back to Cartagena.  It was a 3 or 4 hour trip (including a stop to fix a flat tire) and we arrived in Cartagena in the mid afternoon.                                                          

We cleaned up and went out for our Christmas Eve celebrations.  Other than a nice cocktail and an appetizer, it didn’t turn out so good.  We opted for dinner in a nice looking Italian restaurant, which turned out to be simply the worst meal ever.  My shrimp ceviche was tough and the Bolognese sauce was quite inedible.  You win some, you lose some.

Early on Christmas morning, Joe and Erica departed to return to the USA while Arden, Nancy and I left a little later to fly to Medellin.  The benefit of flying on Christmas Day is that the flights are cheap and fairly empty.  We had a $50 flight on LATAM Airlines.  We took a taxi into Medellin (fortunately fixed price) and once again were saved by Google Maps as the taxi driver didn’t know where the hotel was.  We were in the Poblado district, one of the more upscale neighborhoods, in a very new Marriott.  We got a great deal on the room as the hotel had only just opened.

We took a cab to find a restaurant for lunch and ended up in a nice Colombian food place, Hato Viejo.  On the way back we found an upscale supermarket, Whole Foods type, with a great selection.  I bought raisin bread, the ladies bought Champagne.

In the evening we walked around the Poblado district.  The ladies found a church service to attend while I walked around the Christmas light decorated parks.  They make a big thing of Christmas here - the parks were resplendent with lights.  We couldn’t find a local restaurant close to the hotel that looked good so we dined in the hotel - it was surprisingly good.

Christmas Lights in Poblado

On the Tuesday, Boxing Day, we had signed up for a Graffiti Tour.  Some sections of Medellin are renowned for their graffiti.  We assembled in a coffee shop not too far from the hotel and set off to walk down to the metro station where we boarded the Metro to the San Javier station where we then boarded a bus to the Communa 13 neighborhood.  The Metro is quite wonderful - clean, efficient, affordable and it moves a huge number of people around this huge city.  The bus system worked well too - small buses using the same tickets as the Metro and a very frequent service.

Modern and Clean Metro System

Communa 13 was once one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Medellin and for a while it had the reputation of being the most dangerous place in the world.  It was controlled by Pablo Escobar and after his death in 1993 it was fought over by various other drug cartels until the government stepped in to reestablish law and order.  It has since become a safe and thriving, though still poor, barrio visited by tourists like us who come to see the remarkable graffiti and street art.

Comuna 13

As well as Medellin being served by a Metro, there are also several Cable Car extensions to the Metro - an innovative method of moving people through an existing hilly neighborhood without disrupting too many residences.  Also there are a series of escalators moving up the hillsides.  They all seemed to be functioning and they must certainly make life easier for the residents.  On the way down, one section had a slide - great fun.

Graffiti

More Graffiti

And then there is the graffiti - it is everywhere and it is spectacular.  Apparently there was some sort of Graffiti Artists Convention in Medellin some years back and lots of significant graffiti artists added their work in the neighborhood.
After the tour finished we took a trip on one of the Cable Car extension to the Metro.  What an innovative addition to the city’s transportation.  We just rode up to the end of the cable car and stayed on for the trip down the hill.

Cable Car extension to the Subway

Cable Car out to the fringes of the city

Back in the Poblado area we walked around and dined at a large Colombian restaurant (Mondongo).  Very popular with the locals and I loved it, but for the life of me I can’t remember what I had.

In the late afternoon, I left the ladies who went shopping while I went back to ride on the Metro.  This time I went through the center of town to Santo Domingo and out on a cable car extension out to Arvi, a National Park.  It was too late for me to look around the park but I did float across the top of the forest in my cable car.

After the success of the Graffiti Tour we decided to take another tour the next day. This one to Guatape a town in the hills outside Medellin.  We loaded on a bus in the early morning and off we went.  A breakfast of arepas and coffee on the road and then a brief stop in Marinilla.   Not a very inspiring town.  Then we moved on to Piedra del Penol which is at the foot of this massive granite pillar of rock.   Some enterprising person built steps up the outside of this rock, some 700 of them, and now they have a steady stream of visitors paying a few dollars each to climb to the top.  It is still a family owned enterprise and they must be doing very, very well indeed.

Piedra del Penol

View from top of Piedra

We make the trek to the top from where there is a nice view of the surrounding area.  On top there were lots of tacky souvenir shops and far too many people so we headed down pretty quickly.  At the bottom we have a pretty basic lunch before boarding the bus and moving on to the town of Guatape.

Guatape is a colorful town that is not that old but it has become popular by promoting the creation of colorful relief decorations on its building called Zocalos.  They are indeed quite creative and very colorful but when you realize they are a recent addition it deflates any real interest.

Guatape Street Scene

Guatape

The trip continued with a boat trip - a tedious jaunt from the dock in Guatape across the reservoir for an hour or so.  Not really what any of us wanted to do but we endured it.  Back on the bus we had a long drive back to Medellin and got caught up in the heavy traffic re-entering the city.  The surprising thing about the heavy traffic was that the most of the vehicles were buses.  There are a lot of people moving in and out of this city.

We had an early start in the morning to catch a plane back to Cartagena.  We flew Viva Colombia a new budget Colombian airline.  Back in Cartagena again we checked into our hotel in the old town, this time the Casa La Fe.  Arden was not feeling well and so we took it easy and had a leisurely walk around the old town.

In the afternoon we went to the Getsemani area again where we were enrolled in a cookery class at a restaurant called Ooh La La.  This was my first cookery class and it started well with instructions on how to make the perfect Mojito.  After the lime Mojito, I mastered the guava Mojito and then we moved on to proper food.  I am not sure quite what else we made now - lots of plantains, tapioca, chopping of vegetables, preparation of ceviche, etc.  We then sat down to eat what we had made.  Somehow it seemed to be quite different from our modest preparations.  I think they added a lot of finishing touches in the kitchen after we finished all our efforts.

The next day, Friday, 29th December, was our last day in Colombia.  Arden was still feeling ill, so we took it easy.  Breakfast at La Brioche, the coffee shop we had visited many times before.  Then a bit more shopping until the afternoon when we took a taxi to Castillo Grande, part of the newer part of Cartagena.  This section of town is very modern indeed - lots of new high rise apartments with views over the harbor and beach area.  The beach was not the best, but we found a spot to sit (paying for a sun shade and chairs) and we savored our last day in Colombia.  The water was not the best either but we took a dip and lounged under our sun shade watching the constant parade of beach vendors selling everything from ceviche, to ice cream to massages to temporary tattoos to balloons.

Beach Vendors at Castillo Grande

The Beach at Castillo Grande

Back at the hotel we relaxed by the pool and then set out for our last evening in Cartagena.  Somehow more shopping is required and then we go back to La Casa de Socorro in Getsemani and have our last meal of robalo (sea bass).

We were traveling back different ways, me early via Panama City and San Francisco, Arden and Nancy later via Panama City and Denver.

There are more photographs here.