South Colombia

Last I wrote about Medellin and, leaving this city in the afternoon, I did not travel further then La Pintada. It was already night upon arrival, so looking for a place to camp was less easy. But eventually I found a massive driveway to some delux private homes and after asking around I was invited to sleep inside with three gay guys.

Adolfo turned out to be a hairdresser (many gay here have this occupation) and so my hair was cut the next day in his Salon de Bellesa. Happy with the back, I swallowed deep about the front. Here it's called a muchroom-head, in Holland een bloempot-kapsel.... Well, two months and hopefully I can cut some more to make it less straight......

In Pereira I took a bus straight into Parque Ucumari. This small park flows into Parque Los Nevados where huge vulcanos top the ride and my plan was to hike a circle from this park into the next and on to the highway to hitch hike back to Pereira where I had left half of my bag in a plastic-shop.

Nothing was really written about it and even the people along my way were not so sure I could do this on my own, but yes there were paths to be followed. Beautiful waterfalls guided my way up from 2000 to 4000m.

The first night I slept near the entrance, the second night near Laguna Otun. The hike went from rainforest to the Paramo (open highlands). A small area up here was littered with farms, cows and potato's. People with black dirt hands and cheeks red and burned from sun and wind. Here the paths were very unclear and many would develop in one while one would develop in nothing. But asking around and exploring with the right nose for direction I found my way with maybe an hour or so extra walking.

That night I planted my tent just somewhere beside the trail, the stars were so clear I could make a photo of them with my regular camera.

On the Second day walking I reached Laguna Otun in the high Paramo.
And I hiked on to meet the vulcanos topped with perpetual snow.
The Nevado del Ruiz is the largest and highest volcano of the chain of peaks (5325m) and only last erupted on November 13, 1985. It killed more than 20,000 people.
Nevado el Ruiz has three craters. This is the Olleta crater (4850m) which I passed with swift clouds passing by in the icy wind. From here it would only be downhill and to be honest, that was good enough for me, two days puffing with a pack at this altitude makes your longs explode.
On my way out of the park I caught a big fish in the form of the family Zuluaga.
They gave me a ride all the way to Pereira and at the end I was invited to stay at their house. They made me try Morsilla (a sausage filled with rice/potato/peas), I could have a refreshing shower and Isabel washed my clothes. I took the advantage of their computer with internet and stayed one day more to enjoy showing photo's from my external memory and to make two part for this site.
Me, Fernando, Ana Paulina, Isabel and Diego the cousin.
Valle de Cocora is another green paradise with fresh temperatures, cows, patchworks of agriculture and Palma de Cera (Wax Palm). It's strange to see those tall, straigh palms sticking out of the forest, they don't really fit in.

I camped near a humid river that night, alone and silent besides the rushing water.

On to Popayan. The busticket was really expensive so I screwed it and went hitch hiking. It's a very uncommon thing here, so not too many people will stop, but with the blue eyes, blond hair, female figures and willpower you'll get everywhere.

It was night upon arrivel, and so I was looking for a hotel for the first time here in Colombia. Silvia saw me walking and asked if I needed help, she acompanied me to one of the cheap hotels because the area was not to nice and after the seven minute walk she asked if I wanted to stay at her house. Amazing! Where do all those guidance angels fall from?

That night and the next day we strolled through this colonial town with many spanish build churches and white houses. She showed me all there is to see and we ate empanadas de pipian.

Being a very spiritual person I made a copy of the movie 'A Giant Leap' for her and we watched and talked lots about all the energy that is floating around us.

The next road I would take was the worst in Colombia. Because of massive rains it was incredible muddy, with stone slides and wild rivers. Whole parts of the road were washed away into the endles canyon and sometimes my brave heart made a little salto upon passing the gaps. 'Lets all lean to the right please.' But of course we would all hang as far as possible out of our windows to see the progress.

The busses here stop whenever the busdriver is hungry. The rides are often 4 to 7 hours and along those roads you need to concentrate well.

This is one of the warm stops where you eat a Sopa con Bandeja de Trucha, or if you're not that hungry a panela con queso y tortilla.

You can see the Trout smoking above the pots that are cooking on a wood fire.

Next transportation, hanging on the back of a colectivo.

To arrive in San Andres.

Asked around for free camping, found a garden for two nights and during a short evening walk I met one of the students that are taking a course to guide tourists around this small town in the Andes. They told me to come drink some hot herb stuff with them, and I had to dance with the big teacher. The next day I tagged along when the teachers were taken around to all the tombs by the students that have lived here their whole lives.

In those mist-shrouded hills lived a civilization that we know little about. They thrived somewhere between the 7th and 9th century AD and left behind elaborate underground tombs. There are about a hundred discovered. The funural temples are 1 to 9 meters under the ground, large steps go down in spiral form.

Then you stand infront of an almost round tomb, some 2 others 7 meters in diameter. The bigger once have pillars and many are painted with black and red geometrical motives on a white background. In addition figures of heads are carved in the pillars and walls of many chambers.

It's always amazing to imagine who made those sacret places and to marvel upon how well they are preserved.

One of the kids in the group knew a family member along the walk and we were shown to the back of the house to drink some fresh sugarcane juice, Guarapo.

The garden contained a coca tree.

We passed the open place where the simple mais, beans, potatos and rice meals are cooked.

Between the two houses...

... and my jaw dropped at the sight of this old-time traditional picture.

A horse walks around to power the wooden blocks that crush the juice out of the sugar cane. The whole structure is made from wood, no metal is used. The man and woman were more then dirty and probably super sticky. The air was full with sweet fermented cane and bees zoomed about.

The juice was delicious, sweet and fresh. But it was the whole scene that stole my heart. The difference between my life and what I saw was so immence. I felt little, stupid, humble and an intruder and never do I dear to take photo's in such moments. But because my guides of the day took out all their phones and camera's to click and shoot, I felt I could do so too.

When leaving San Andres to head so San Agustin I made a stop at the market in Inca.

I got up before the sun and rode my first Chiva, a massive wide bus painted in all colors, build for the mountain roads and all potato's, vegetables, blocks of Panela, chickens and people that want to be transported. You don't see them on the main roads, only in the small towns, and although I have traveled in those ways, I've never seemed to get one on my route.

But this morning it was bonus, so I took the chance and marched right to the top for the most intense experience and best views.

Close to Inca we had a little problem, two massive rocks had rolled down the hillside and a few meters further a whole part of the road had washed away that night. All Chivas full with market stuff stood in line and we all got out to see what was going on and to watch the big crane machine come into motion to move and repair for free passage. Of course we were all drinking coffee because someone made money of this and sold his hot drinks before arrival to the market.

I'm sitting on top of my Chiva in this photo.

We had some funny man working at the meat department. Yes, they eat absolutely EVERYTHING, even the head of the cow.

This lady sold all her Arepa Rodondo in three hours.

MP3's, CD's and DVD's. All copies and all between the one and two dollars.

This guy sells snale slime against pain in your joints.

The rest of the day was needed to travel to San Agustin, another historical site where

many satuas are found of a people that lived 500 years later then the tribes in San Andres. All those groups have no written language but congregated here to bury their dead and honor their memory with monumental stone statues.

More then 500 carved objects are found, as well as pottery and gold object in the toms in the hills behind the statuas. The sites are all scattered around, so its immense delightful to walk around in the countrysite to visit them all. A massive canyon is home to huge, narrow waterfalls and many butterflies guide your way.

The hostel owned a dog that is one of the only ones that I would have loved to make my companion.

Pepe.

Two days I walked around this area, meeting some tourist for the first time sins Cartagena.

Another Andes crossing, with a similar road that went not much faster then 30km per hour, winded up to the paramo, showed incredible sights and made the time fly by.

This little girl became my friend and was very taken with all I had in my bag.

Incredible no? So little, so old and 80kg of potato's on his back.........

Who am I with my 18kg backpack.....

On my way to a famous pilgrim place I passed this:

Asado de Cuy, known to us as a friendly pet for our children: the Guine pig spitroasted and sold whole for $12. I did not want to eat a whole one, so I was given a head to try with a potato (lots of potato here). A good meat with a distinkt flavour and firm meat, definably delicious.

Sanctuary Las Lajas was my last visit in Colombia. This pilgrims place is build in a deep gorge. A beautiful sight with many plaugues to thank the holy Mary in hope of wonders.

Well, that was it, I walked to the boarder with Equador, stood two hours in line to recieve my stamp without questions and kissed Colombia goodbye.

What a wonderful wonderful time I've had here. Never did I expect such easyness in this country with such a bad reputation. It will be touch for the rest of South America to be equally Alegria.