Oh Columbia, sweet Columbia,
With your tasty patacones and arepas (banana beignets and cornflour tortillas)
Your big bum chicks and wonderful fella's
We love you Coluuuumbiaaaaa!
We took a 20h bus direct to Cali, the birthplace of our beloved friend Pablo living in Scotland now (and also Salsa dance, but that’s nothing compared to our wicked friend).
We loved the city, probably because we just entered Colombia and met its friendly population. It is not a myth, people in Colombia ARE different, they ARE friendlier than any other country we visited until now, they ARE closer to you (the girls also DO have way more beautiful bums, says Tom).
Playing some music in San Antonio a Sunday afternoon I was never alone; altogether maybe 10-15 random people came and sat down with me for a chat, boy or girl… and NEVER had the feeling of being insecure, which happens a lot to me when it’s guys getting too close.It’s funny how in Europe you always hear “Watch out Colombia, it’s the most dangerous country blablabla”; but in fact, after being robbed in every country we visited, Colombia seems way friendlier!
With your tasty patacones and arepas (banana beignets and cornflour tortillas)
Your big bum chicks and wonderful fella's
We love you Coluuuumbiaaaaa!
We took a 20h bus direct to Cali, the birthplace of our beloved friend Pablo living in Scotland now (and also Salsa dance, but that’s nothing compared to our wicked friend).
We loved the city, probably because we just entered Colombia and met its friendly population. It is not a myth, people in Colombia ARE different, they ARE friendlier than any other country we visited until now, they ARE closer to you (the girls also DO have way more beautiful bums, says Tom).
Playing some music in San Antonio a Sunday afternoon I was never alone; altogether maybe 10-15 random people came and sat down with me for a chat, boy or girl… and NEVER had the feeling of being insecure, which happens a lot to me when it’s guys getting too close.It’s funny how in Europe you always hear “Watch out Colombia, it’s the most dangerous country blablabla”; but in fact, after being robbed in every country we visited, Colombia seems way friendlier!
After Cali
we headed to Salento, a tiny village in the subtropical area, to meet my friend
from the US that I met in Edinburgh, Mike. . The place
was paradise, with plenty of peaceful walks to do around. Andres, the manager
of our beautiful hostel, gave us his warmest welcome, together with Mike, who
was so exited to show us everything that had to be enjoyed in the area.
2nd day we did Cocora walk, with its cascades and butterflies. The walk goes all the way up to the top of a mountain and back to the bottom, and you need to get e jeep to commit with the village. So we took the jeep and started to walk, and after maybe 30min we thought: “Wow, this place is so wonderful! Let’s have a break.” When refreshed we walked again for another 30minand got to a cascade: “So cool, let’s have another break!”. But after that, we had to take a decision: we had not enough time left to go to the top, in which case there would be no jeeps left to bring us back to the village, but too much time left to just go back… So I offered Tom to get back THROUGH the river, meaning properly into it! I already experienced canyoning in France, I know it’s a bit dangerous, but the river seemed totally appropriate to it, and I was sure we would have great fun… But such a work to convince Tom that it was safe and that we wouldn’t die hahaha Because I saw that there was no way to reassure him I just jumped both feet in the river and started the adventure, followed soon by a very clumsy Tom =)
After the festival we headed to some clubs in town, where we met the beautiful Paula, with who we spend the rest of the night drinking in town. She offered us to come and visit her in Manizales, where she lives, the next day, which fitted perfectly our plan to go to the hot baths there. We walked to the bus station early in the morning, still drunk, Mike and the girls were heading back to Salento, and while waiting for our buses, something scarry happened: the driver of an empty bus took the turn in the station, and we heard the very loud noise of the breaks of the bus breaking down, and then the bus was projected away of the asphalt to crash on side on the trees! Mike acted like a hero and ran to help, followed by Tom. We girls stayed away, a bit scared. In the end, the driver had been thrown out by the window and was injured, but not to death. Strong Mike came back all white and feverish. Life's hard sometimes...
At night we met Paula at her place, along with her 3 flatmates, Johana, David and (oups, I forgot). The next day I went with Johana to a beautiful park of Manizales, and offered her to come back with me to Salento for a couple of day, while Tom would go directly to Medellin to make some money in preparation for the cross to Panama. She was a great companion and together we enjoyed one more time the peacefulness of Salento.
I left a week to Tom to get rich and met him in Medellin. While he was being a star in the city, I went for a free city tour and leaned a lot about the city of Pablo Escobar: 10 years ago it was the most dangerous city in the world, it was even safer to go to Tel Aviv where the war was open! But you probably know these stuffs, we ear them everywhere, still now, which is where the problem is, because in realiy Medellin is now the most innovative city in the world, with its recent and beautiful metro, its 9 new library to induce better education, etc... A nice fact for example, was to see the old square for junkies and prostitutes, formerly called the Square of Fear, was now rebuilt in a enlightened square, called Square of Hope, hosting the new Secretary for Education. A nice way to turn bad vibes into good energy for a better world! So conclusion, Medellin is safe AND beautiful!
 |
| Salento's main square |
2nd day we did Cocora walk, with its cascades and butterflies. The walk goes all the way up to the top of a mountain and back to the bottom, and you need to get e jeep to commit with the village. So we took the jeep and started to walk, and after maybe 30min we thought: “Wow, this place is so wonderful! Let’s have a break.” When refreshed we walked again for another 30minand got to a cascade: “So cool, let’s have another break!”. But after that, we had to take a decision: we had not enough time left to go to the top, in which case there would be no jeeps left to bring us back to the village, but too much time left to just go back… So I offered Tom to get back THROUGH the river, meaning properly into it! I already experienced canyoning in France, I know it’s a bit dangerous, but the river seemed totally appropriate to it, and I was sure we would have great fun… But such a work to convince Tom that it was safe and that we wouldn’t die hahaha Because I saw that there was no way to reassure him I just jumped both feet in the river and started the adventure, followed soon by a very clumsy Tom =)
In the end, apart
from my flask that I lost in the river, we had a magical time, very close to
the nature, with the sweet feeling of very cold water in our feet (water which
took 3 days to dry, everything has a price hehe).
And the following day (Saturday), surprise! It was National Day! 20th of July, celebrating the Columbian declaration of independance. All Salento was vibrating of good energy, Salsa and Cumbia running their usual battle for which is gonna be danced the most, the only shopping street of the village filled with street artists and handcraft workers... The whole hostel was gathered for some drinks and after awhile the group headed up to the "main square", where we carried on drinking and jamming in the warm atmosphere of this magical night for Columbia.
On the Sunday happened to be the reggae/hip-hop day of a festival in the closest town, Pereira. We headed there with Mike and 3 other girls, struggled a bit to get in (they were asking for passport and many common things were forbidden in the festival, like usual alcohol, arms and drugs, but also cables as telephone cable, lighters, and even cigarettes!). We ended up seeing only the 3 last groups, which was still very good: one was "the Alcolirykoz" (link) de Medellin, kinda Columbian Cypress Hill... They were amazing on stage! They made up jump jump jump!!! And finally followed by, total surprise, Lutan Fyah! He was playing with a bunch of local musicians, and it was very good... but after the full power of the Alcolirykoz I have to say something was missing.
After the festival we headed to some clubs in town, where we met the beautiful Paula, with who we spend the rest of the night drinking in town. She offered us to come and visit her in Manizales, where she lives, the next day, which fitted perfectly our plan to go to the hot baths there. We walked to the bus station early in the morning, still drunk, Mike and the girls were heading back to Salento, and while waiting for our buses, something scarry happened: the driver of an empty bus took the turn in the station, and we heard the very loud noise of the breaks of the bus breaking down, and then the bus was projected away of the asphalt to crash on side on the trees! Mike acted like a hero and ran to help, followed by Tom. We girls stayed away, a bit scared. In the end, the driver had been thrown out by the window and was injured, but not to death. Strong Mike came back all white and feverish. Life's hard sometimes...
In Manizales we went like planned to the hot baths... which were closed! Well, saying closed meaning only that there was absolutely no one there... not that the place was actually close hehe... So we sneaked in the expensive place to enjoy an hour of hot swimming pools in the open air of the mountains! What a treat!
At night we met Paula at her place, along with her 3 flatmates, Johana, David and (oups, I forgot). The next day I went with Johana to a beautiful park of Manizales, and offered her to come back with me to Salento for a couple of day, while Tom would go directly to Medellin to make some money in preparation for the cross to Panama. She was a great companion and together we enjoyed one more time the peacefulness of Salento.
I left a week to Tom to get rich and met him in Medellin. While he was being a star in the city, I went for a free city tour and leaned a lot about the city of Pablo Escobar: 10 years ago it was the most dangerous city in the world, it was even safer to go to Tel Aviv where the war was open! But you probably know these stuffs, we ear them everywhere, still now, which is where the problem is, because in realiy Medellin is now the most innovative city in the world, with its recent and beautiful metro, its 9 new library to induce better education, etc... A nice fact for example, was to see the old square for junkies and prostitutes, formerly called the Square of Fear, was now rebuilt in a enlightened square, called Square of Hope, hosting the new Secretary for Education. A nice way to turn bad vibes into good energy for a better world! So conclusion, Medellin is safe AND beautiful!
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