Exploring Colombia

In recent years, Mexico has frequently been portrayed as a country marred by a dangerous and unrelenting drug war. The fact that over 60.000 people have been killed and many more affected in a number of different ways should certainly not be ignored, but this depiction is of course highly simplistic and serves to distort the complex reality while simultaneously casting a shadow over everything the country has to offer. The same could apply to Colombia, another country often misrepresented in global media and my first stop after Mexico before heading to my next Dream Year destination. 

Cocaine, violence, kidnappings, FARC - these are usually the words mentioned in reports about Colombia, although recent focus has been on the ongoing peace talks in Havana. Again, many issues of concern remain and the AidCom NewsWatch has in fact sent out alerts regarding a variety of incidents over the past few months, including a national strike that caused severe disruptions at the end of summer and multiple guerrilla attacks last month. As is the case in Mexico, most of these attacks are limited to certain areas that have long struggled with insecurity. And despite its ongoing troubles, Colombia is in many ways just as safe as other countries on the continent and a great destination for travellers seeking a good mix of bustling city life, beautiful nature and exciting culture.

My trip to Colombia was rather spontaneous - a holiday booked about a week before I departed Mexico and planned together with a good friend from Norway who is studying in Argentina at the moment. We originally met in Guatemala several years ago and were both excited about exploring more of Latin America together. After comparing prices from both our locations and taking into account tips from friends and the online world, we decided upon Colombia.

Our first couple of days were spent exploring Bogotá - surprisingly wet and cold, but loads of fun nonetheless. Highlights included a walk to the National Park with a new friend, eating cinnamon buns and feeding pigeons in the historic neighbourhood known as La Candelaria and enjoying a tasty lunch accompanied by live piano music at the top of Monserrate. We then moved on to Cartagena and were slightly overjoyed to be met by glorious sunshine, consequently heading straight to the beach at Boca Grande (which, despite being constantly approached by guys selling bracelets and women offering massages, is pretty decent). To our suprise, our visit happened to coincide with the annual Miss Colombia and Independence Day celebrations in Cartagena (which meant we got to experience a great carnival atmosphere with huge parades, although we went home covered in foam, blue paint and flour), as well as the arrival of the Chilean Navy on a fantastic tall ship. To conclude our stay in Colombia, we spent a few days hiking different trails and sleeping in hammocks in the rain forest by the beach in beautiful Tayrona National Park. Needless to say, we had a great time.

Cartagena!

Independence Day parade participants

Grafitti-filled street in Getsemani

Chilean tall ship

Beautiful Tayrona National Park

Tayrona (who can spot the Colombian flag?)

As I boarded the plane to start my very long journey to Kuala Lumpur - exhausted, full of mosquito bites and a little confused after having just been suspected of being a drug mule - I felt very grateful to have had the opportunity to explore such an amazing and diverse country. There is so much I did not have the time to see in Colombia - or in Mexico or the rest of continent for that matter, but I know I will be back. For now though, it is time for my first visit to South East Asia! What a job.