Ciao

After the Ecuadorian adventures I still needed to make my way back to Bogota for my flight to the States.  A flight from Quito to Bogota costs roughly $200 and takes an hour and a half.  A bus (or rather four buses) only costs $65 and you don’t have to pay for a hostel for a night, but is a 30 hour commitment.  Being the broke backpacker that I am, I took a bus.  Overall it was pretty smooth sailing.  There was a slightly aggressive Colombian on the first bus who insisted I needed a Colombian boyfriend, but that was a minor hitch.  The longest bus from Ipiales to Bogota was surprisingly empty and I had the front two seats to myself (very important not to be next to the bathroom) for the full 22 hours.

After 30 hours of straight traveling I made it to the hostel.  It’s surprising how exhausting sitting on a bus can be.  I walked around that afternoon and got a feel for the Candelaria barrio, but it was a mellow afternoon.

The following day I signed up for a free graffiti tour around the city (www.bogotagraffiti.com).  Christian runs Bogota Graffiti three days a week.  I was the only person signed up that day so I got a one on one tour.   

As we walked through the city he pointed out different artists and their styles, explained the history of urban street art, how it reflects the social and political scenes in Bogota, and even how it's gone mainstream and is becoming a form of mass advertising.  After the tour I checked out the Gold Museum, which houses gold Colombian artifacts and even a statue from San Agustin.

My flight home was at 12:15am on Wednesday morning, so Tuesday evening I shared a taxi with a French girl to the airport.  As I was waiting for the ticket booth to open I met an American whose family lives in Colombian.  Despite frequent visits to Colombia he was very interested in backpacking.  I was trying to explain it to him, but it’s hard to grasp the essence.  It’s just epic.

Over the past 55 days I’ve traveled through three countries, covering over­­­­­­ 3,000 miles in South America.  In that time I finally saw a boat pass through the Panama canal, learned how to surf (well, kind of), spent six days on a sail boat, got my PADI Advanced Open Water, have gotten completely lost, learned about the Medellin drug cartel and Pablo Escobar, hiked through palm trees, bartered over too many prices and taxi fares, drank guayusa with a Kichwa family, attempted to hike Cotopaxi, eaten beans and rice nearly every day, stayed in some very dodgy hostels, and met heaps of amazing people.  It has been two months very well spent.  If anything I only wish I had more time.  

Traveling is always an experience.  No two trips are ever the same.  For me this was the first trip I’ve really traveled alone.  I’ve always had great traveling partners, but there really is something about walking onto a bus or into a hostel and knowing absolutely no one.  It’s amazing how quickly bonds are made, even if only for a couple of days.  I’ve learned a lot over the past two months, especially how grateful I am for where I come from and the opportunity to travel.  I’ve gotten a lot of crap for being American from the Aussies, but I really wouldn’t change it.  

In three weeks I make the big leap across the pond to Spain to teach English in a small town in Galicia.  While I’m nowhere near ready to leave South America, I’m excited for the opportunity to make a new country my home.  I’m sad to go, but excited to see everyone back home.  Traveling is always so bitter sweet, but such a beautiful way to live life.

P.S.: A couple of my favorite travel videos...

MOVE from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.

So Ecua

Instead of heading straight from Salento to Quito, Dave and I broke up the journey and spent one night in Otavalo.  There’s not too much to do in this sleepy town aside from visiting the artisan market and eating at Shenandoah’s Pie Shop.  We ate there twice in less than 24 hours.

I had blackberry pie with ice cream and it was ridiculously good.  The market was interesting and incredibly busy, but mostly carried the standard souvenirs available from Colombia to Argentina.

Wednesday morning we made the short journey to Quito.  Dave and I parted ways at the bus terminal and I started the five hour bus ride to visit a friend in Archidona.

Nick and I met through a mutual friend last fall.  Since then he has moved to Ecuador to work with the Runa (www.runa.org).  Runa works with local farmers to produce guayusa, a native Amazonian tea leaf, where it is then sold in the States. 

The first day I was there we delivered 700 plants to local farmers.  Friday we got up at 4:30am to join in a local guayusa ceremony.  Indigenous families traditionally drink guayusa around a fire every morning before sunrise.  During this time the elders share stories and pass on their knowledge to the younger generation.  Shamans will play a bamboo flute and interpret dreams. 

Visiting Nick in Archidona provided a well needed break in my backpacking travels.  It was nice not having to worry about finding a hostel, a good place to eat, or how to get places.  Having just graduated, it was also interesting to see where my peers have ended up.  Runa is a young company in almost every sense, but their dedication to organic and sustainable production and business operations was inspiring to see.  

I stayed with the Runa crew throughout the weekend.  Saturday was rainy so we watched movies.  Sunday we finally made it to the river, then had family dinner at the Runa house in Tena.  It was a great and relaxing weekend.  However Monday it was time to move again; back to Quito.

My plan was to stay in Quito one night to meet up with my friend Al.  Plans never quite work out traveling though.  I ended up staying three nights instead.  Quito is a pretty standard city by South American standards.  Tuesday we walked around the Old Town, visited the monetary museum, and climbed to the top of a cathedral to get a bird’s eye view of the city.  I forgot my camera that day so sadly there are no photos.  

While I was in Quito I stayed at Secret Garden, which came highly recommended.  It lived up to its reputation until 11pm when we were kicked out of the rooftop bar and sent to bed by the security guard.  I understand that it’s his job to keep everything under control, but one of the guys got yelled at for getting up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, he pulled a baton on another group who were eating some fast food in the common area after a night out, and was caught pick pocketing another guest.  Not exactly the ideal security guard.  

Wednesday Al and I rented a motorbike and rode up to La Mitad del Mundo because you really can't leave Ecuador without visiting the equator.  There are two different monuments marking the middle of the world.  The first is the  Inti-Ñan Solar Museum, which is actually on the equator.  Here a tour guide took us around different exhibits explaining the indigenous cultures and how they knew they were on the equator.

There were also a series of experiments to highlight the differences that occur at the equator though I doubt their validity.  The first involved balancing an egg on a nail, which is still difficult but apparently doable on the equator.  I couldn’t do it,  but Al could.

Next our guide poured water down a drain at the equator where it drains straight down.  When moved to either the southern or northern hemisphere it spins either clockwise or counter clockwise.  Finally we closed our eyes and tried to walk in a straight line, which is more difficult because you’re being pulled on both sides.  This experiment I almost believe.

After the Inti-Ñan Solar Museum, Al and I went to the second monument built by the French, which is about 200 meters off.  It was basically a huge tourist trap, but I was happy we saw both.

 

Early the following morning Al left for Peru and I headed out to Cotopaxi.  Cotopaxi is one of the tallest active volcano.  Since the world isn’t perfectly round mountains and volcanoes on the equator are very close to the sun.  For example, Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is the furthest spot from the center of the earth at 6,268m (20,656 ft).  The Cotopaxi refuge is the same height as the tallest mountain in Europe at 4,800m (15,750 ft).

I stayed at Secret Garden Cotopaxi, which was heaps better than its sister location in Quito.  Its layout is very similar to other eco-hostels in Central and South America.  The main common area, dining room and kitchen are in a different building than the dorms and private rooms.  There is also a composting toilet with an amazing view.
 

When we first arrived we settled in and went on a two hour hike to a waterfall.  Along the way I managed to fall into the river as the branch I was holding onto snapped.  At least I didn’t have to worry about falling in for the rest of the hike.  The waterfall was pretty, but I was more excited about the bouldering at the bottom of the first fall.  I worked the problem with one of the guys and it felt great to be climbing again.

When we returned to the hostel it was time for dinner.  Everyone eats together at a long dining table for a big family dinner.  Afterwards we grabbed a couple of beers and went to the hot tub.  It was freezing outside, but luckily the hot tub is enclosed with a glass ceiling so you can look at the stars without battling the cold weather.  We finished the night with marshmallows around the fire.  It was a good start to Cotopaxi. 

Friday morning it was time to tackle the volcano.  Or at least the Cotopaxi glacier, which sits at an ambitious 5,000m (16,400 ft).  The hike starts at 4,500m (14,765m) and from it's only a 1km from the parking lot to the refuge, but with 300 meters in elevation gain.  Having spent most of the last two months at sea level, I was not ready for the elevation.  Hiking up to the refuge is perhaps the most physical exertion I've ever experienced.  In addition to a lack of oxygen it was hailing and the wind threatened to blow me off Cotopaxi.  Frequent rests were necessary and within the first 30 seconds I was ready to turn back.  After 40 minutes of taking a beating from Cotopaxi we made it to the refuge.  Despite an attempt at reenergizing with hot chocolate and trail mix, we all agreed we weren’t going to make it any further.  The walk down was significantly easier and by the time we arrived at the car I was disappointed we hadn’t tried for the glacier.

That afternoon I left, defeated by Cotopaxi, back to Quito.  Nick and the Runa crew were in town for the weekend so that night I met up with them.  We went out to Mariscal and started the night with a round of guayusa cocktails.  Saturday was a much needed day of rest.  That evening we all went to Robin’s for a pizza party.  It was a diverse, but very good group of people.  Nick left around 11pm to pick up his friends from the airport.  On my way back to the hostel I stopped in Mariscal to met them for a drink.  By the time I made it back, I only had four hours before my taxi arrived for the bus terminal.  I opted to forgo sleep.  Somehow my taxi showed up an hour early, which is unheard of in Ecuador.  By 6am I was on a bus, making my way back to Colombia. 

Salento

The only low point of Medellin was when Meredith left for Bogota on Friday to catch a Saturday flight back to the States.  Thus began solo travels.  The beauty of traveling alone is that you’re never actually alone.  I spent Friday night with the Aussies and by the following day had stumbled upon my new travel buddy, Dave.  I woke Saturday morning to Dave packing his bag, headed to Salento, which just so happened to be my next stop.  Perfect.  

Dave and I made our way to the bus terminal for the seven hour trip to Armenia.  When we finally arrived at 9pm the last bus to Salento had already left.  We easily found a room across the street from the bus terminal.  Backpacking doesn’t always lend itself to the most spectacular of accommodations, but this was hands down the dodgiest of the trip.  For $3 each, Dave and I split a small room in the basement of a house that vaguely resembled a jail cell with daunting metal doors and bars on the window.  The dozens of small children, running and screaming in the hallway gave it the feel of a McDonald’s play area.  Either way, it was a place to sleep and the close proximity to the bus station meant we were up early to make our way to the Salento the next morning.  

When we finally arrived in Salento the weather was cool and town eluded the tranquil colonial vibe I've come to know so well.  Being Sunday the plaza was busy with church goers who later filed into restaurants and dozens of the small shops.  Dave and I had arrived too late in the day for El Valle de Cócora hike that Salento is known for so we spent the day shopping and walking around town.  That night we went into town to play tejo.  

Tejo is roughly horseshoes meets bags and add gun powder.  On each end of a narrow dirt court there are wooden boxes filled with clay and a metal ring in the middle.  On top of this circle packets of gunpowder are placed.  Teams of two then take turns throwing steel pucks, aiming for the middle of the circle.  If you hit the gunpowder they explode, which is very entertaining.  The locals are incredibly good at this game and frequently hit their targets from 60 feet away.  We however were put on the kiddy court, which is about 20 feet and includes smaller pucks.  I attempted to throw the 5 lb puck on the proper court and almost took out a local two courts over.  I was quickly sent back to the kiddy court.

The next morning we were plaza by 7am for the Jeep to Valle de Cócora.  Our goal was to make hike in time for the 12:30pm transportation back, shower, and then head back to Armenia for a night bus to Ecuador.  It was a big day.

The hike takes you past valleys of huge palm trees and cloud forests.  It was a fairly easy and spectacular hike for the first couple of hours.  We stopped at a hummingbird farm half way for hot chocolate and cheese, a Colombian favorite.  

 From there we headed up.  The elevation gain was tough, but views at the top absolutely worth the sweat.  The hike down passed even more palm trees.  And we made it back in time for the noon Jeep.  Showers were an absolute necessity after 5 hours of hiking and we were well worn for the 14 hour bus ride that evening.  

We made our way to buy our tickets to the border and were met with the bad news that there was only one seat available on the bus.  Fortunately someone in Bogota had missed the bus so there was an extra seat not shown on the computer.  A dozen phone calls later and we both had tickets.  I had heard horror stories of night buses being high jacked between Cali and the border, but it was a risk I was willing to take.  Luckily it was a very uneventful bus ride.  Nothing more than the standard poorly dubbed film and trying to find a comfortable sleeping position as the bus barreled through switchbacks on the way to Ecuador.

Pablo Escobar

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Pablo Escobar he was the king of cocaine and head of the Medellin Cartel in the 80’s and 90’s.  The intensity of the drug trafficking and ongoing war between cartels made Medellin one of the most dangerous cities in the world in the late 90’s.  Since then the city has made drastic changes to overhaul its image and increase tourism with the Pablo Escobar tour as a favorite among backpackers.  Over three hours our tour guide, Alejandra, took us around the city explaining the life of Pablo Escobar and culture of the Medellin drug scene.

Our first stop was one of Escobar’s old properties, of which there are hundreds around the world including the United States.  When Pablo would buy a property, car or other major investment the titles would be listed under someone else’s name (a gardener, neighbor, pet, etc.) then that person would be bribed to keep their mouth shut.  Escobar’s properties have a distinctive style with white exteriors (because they were financed with cocaine money) and surrounded by palm trees, reflecting his love of the “Miami style.”  Although the buildings are elaborate even by today's standards they remain vacant.  Colombian law dictates that if a reposed property (such as one from a drug lord) is rented a portion of the profits have to be invested within the community.  Due to the high levels of corruption, officials would rather leave the properties vacant than pay out a portion of the income.

As we drove around Alejandra explained different aspects of Pablo Escobar’s life.  He was either loved or hated by the people of Medellin, though most people I spoke to fell into the latter group.  However had Pablo not been a gun happy drug lord he has potential to be a pretty cool guy.  He had a very ironic sense of humor.  For example, he offered to pay Colombian’s $10 billion debt to the United States because he thought it would be funny since the majority of his product was sold to Americans.  Essentially the United States was repaying itself. 

In addition to Escobar, we learned a lot about the cartel culture in Medellin.  For example, after a cartel member died his friends would take him out for one last party.  First the corpse would be propped between two people and driven around town on a motorbike.  The party then continues to a strip club where the deceased was given alcohol, cocaine and even a lap dance or two.  After the festivities the body was delivered to the cemetery to be buried.  I get the impression that this ritual was much more popular during the height of the drug scene, however isn’t unheard of today.  

The next stop was La Rosa Mistica, popularly believed to be the spot to pray for miracles in Medellin.  Plaques and signs are scattered throughout thanking the Mystic Rose for the miracles that have been received.  Alejandra explained that during the chaos and danger of with the drug cartels and wars, faith was so important because people needed something to believe in. Religion and faith have an odd, if not contradictory position in the history and culture of the Medellin cartel.  Members would pray for protection and safety before going to kill someone.  Guns were often ordained with small religious medallions to give guidance and protection.  

After the Mystic Rose we continued throughout town visiting other important buildings in Pablo’s life, stopping by the airport to see some abandoned planes previously used for drug smuggling, the house where Pablo was murdered, and finally his grave.  Colombian law dictates that all tombstones have to be flush with the ground, however Pablo’s grave is identifiable by the large palm tree shading it.  

The tour was definitely one of the highlights of Medellin.  It was very informative not only about Pablo Escobar and the drug cartels, but what it was like to live surrounded by violence and uncertainty.  After speaking to a few locals in their twenties about their childhood I was very grateful to have grown up in the safety of the United States.  The drug wars of the nineties remain fresh in Medellin history and are still a sore topic of conversation for many people.  Despite its past, Medellin is a beautiful city and one I highly recommend visiting. 

Medellin

Medellin has a great name along the backpacker trail and rightfully so.  Night buses on the other hand have a very different reputation.  Night buses in Central and South America are beyond cold.  It’s not uncommon to see people sporting huge jackets and blankets in an attempt to combat the excessive air conditioning on a twelve hour bus ride.  Having learned my lesson last summer in Guatemala, Meredith and I piled on all the clothes we could before boarding the bus from Santa Marta to Medellin.  While I was still cold the ride was tolerable.  Across the aisle Meredith was taking off layers as she sweated out a fever.  Poor girl was pretty beat by the time we made it to the terminal.

When we got out of the taxi at the Pit Stop Hostel, Meredith was ready for a proper bed and immediately crashed on the couch.  We arrived on Sunday morning around 10am to backpackers still going from the night before.  Among them was our friend Tom who we’d met in Cartagena.  Medellin is known as a party town with beautiful women, but it’s a great city all around.  It’s the only city in Colombia with a metro system, making it very easy to get around.  There are lots of parks and green space, which are widely used by locals.  I spent almost a week there taking it all in.  Here are some highlights:  

-        Our first full day in Medellin was a complete failure.  The streets aren’t on a grid and it’s very easy to get turned around.  Meredith and I spent the entire day lost.  We had planned on visiting a few sites around the city, but couldn’t find any of them.  To make matters worse it was a holiday so nothing was open.  It was good practice for Tuesday though (also known as Day One 3.0)

-        Once you do figure out your way around there’s a lot to do in the city.  Our first outing was to the botanical garden.  It’s pretty, but there’s not too much to see.  I was especially excited about the squirrels and birds, but Meredith was not impressed.  She wanted to see a monkey, but a statue was the best we could do.

 

-        On Tuesday night we went out for Leroy’s 24^th birthday.  A local recommended that we go to El Eslabon, a salsa club in the city center.  There were some amazing dancers there.  Unfortunately we were not among them.  We still had a great time making fools of ourselves on the dance floor.

 

-        Wednesday afternoon we ventured out from the hostel around 3pm for food.  On the way we were stopped by a local TV station who asked Al to do an endorsement for them.  I still haven’t seen the final footage, but it was good fun watching Al try to string some sentences together after a late night.

-        Throughout Medellin there are sculptors by Fernando Botero, a Colombian artist, known for his “exaggerated proportions.”  The majority of them are in Parque Botero and they make great photo ops. 

-        After posing with the statues Meredith and I sampled the local beverage of oysters with miscellaneous mixers. I went for tomato juice, while Meredith had brandy and milk.  I know oysters, brandy and milk sounds disgusting, but it was actually quite delicious. You can hardly taste the oysters.

-        Medellin is a huge city with a population of almost 4 million.  Despite its size, it’s very easy to get away from all the hustle.  Thursday afternoon Meredith, the Aussies and I took the cable car up to Parque Arvi, which is less than an hour outside of town.  We were ill prepared for numerous hikes that are available and opted to grab lunch instead. 

-        And finally, Medellin is not complete without the infamous Pablo Escobar. Post to come. 

Parque Tayrona

To get to Tayrona National Park you can either hike or take a boat from Taganga.  Our plan was to hike the two hours in then take the boat back before heading to Medellin.  Meredith and I left some unessential items at the hostel in Taganga so our packs wouldn’t be too heavy.  They were still by no means small.  Overall it was a very manageable hike especially under the coverage of the jungle.  Things started to get a little more difficult when the trail took us along the beach with no protection from the noon sun.  Plus sand makes for difficult hiking conditions.  Despite the challenge the scenery was beautiful and I had a great time climbing the boulders along the way.  

After a quick stop for lunch we arrived in Cabo San Juan de la Guia, the most popular of the sleeping options in Parque Tayrona.  The set up is very similar to a summer camp with tents on the lawn, collections of hammocks under mosquito nets (where we slept), set hours for the dining hall, and lights out at midnight.   

Meredith and I spent the first day on the beach after the morning hike.  While the beaches are beautiful the strong currents and rip tides make them dangerous to swim in.  As I’m not the best of swimmers I opted to stay on the beach while Meredith played in the water.

Since we didn’t have time to do the Lost City trek (a six day hike), the next day we did the hike up to El Pueblito (only three hours).  LP warned that it was difficult, but worthwhile.  They weren’t lying.  The ascent was an almost two hour scramble over boulders.  Some were large enough that we had to boost and pull each other over them.  When we finally arrived we were covered in sweat and well worn from back to back days of hiking.  As for El Pueblito, it was not worth the trek.  There is very little evidence that 2,000 people used to live there other than a clearing in the jungle and a few carvings in rocks.  As we stood atop the hill Meredith looked down and her only response was “Pathetic.”   

 

In the end we had a good laugh with another girl from Canada who had finished the hike with us.  Our hard work climbing up meant the walk down was very easy and we got to enjoy the scenery.

The rest of the day and following morning were fairly quiet.  Meredith was starting to get sick so she retired to the hammock early each night.  I imagine being sick in a hammock is not fun, but our upcoming accommodations weren’t very promising either; fifteen hours on a night bus to Medellin.