Back(packing) in Ecuador

After Machu Picchu I decide to go back to Ecuador to spend two weeks here. Because there's still a couple of things on my list to do here! My friend Chelsey and I fly back from Cusco taking an early morning flight to Lima. At the airport the security officers ask me to inspect my baggage so I open my backpack. After a thorough inspection the guy takes out the little package of licuorice ('drop'), Dutch candy. This seems quite an unknown substance to the officer and he takes a very close look, checking out the substance, its texture, etcetera. While he is doing his job, I am just killing the time eating my 'drop' and offering all the other officers one, which they kindly refuse. People waiting behind me start laughing because of this obnoxiously funny situation Another officer joins the club to do a second check to this potentially dangerous good. Finally they let me through, leaving the candy for what it is. We have a good flight to Lima and then back to Guayaquil, Ecuador, where I say good bye to Chelsey. She's heading back to the US.

From Guayaquil I take a bus to Quito, which will take there in about 8 hours. I'm going to Quito, because I want to do a trip to the Oriente, the jungle. Most of these trips can be booked from Quito. The bus leaves quickly and after about 6 hours of driving we make a short dinner stop. And when I say short, I mean very short. After a quick dinner I decide to use the restroom, as using the one on the bus usually is kind of a suicidal experience. Getting back to the parking lot the bus has left, leaving me backpackless in the middle of nowhere. After a split-second of desperation I decide there's no point waiting and a need to act. I quickly hail a cab to catch up with the bus, but even though driving the car at its speed limit, he doesn't make it and drops me off at the next toll station. I ask the cops for assistance and they try to call the bus company but that doesn't work out either. All I can do and do is taking another bus to Quito. Finally I make it to the bus company's office where I am reunited with my bag, only an hour later than expected.

In Quito I book a four-day excursion to the Cuyabeno reserva, which is in the far north-east of Ecuador. It's a gorgeous part of the Oriente, famous for its diversity in wildlife. In the jungle I spend the nights in a lodge and most of the excursions we make with the ten-person group go by canoe or walking. We spot a lot monkeys, birds (parrots, tucans), river dolphins and at our night walk we see some nice spiders. We even go swimming and piranha fishing... in the same laguna. Yeah don't ask me why, but I loved it. The only unfortunate thing is my camera that got stolen on the way back. Luckily it's insured so it's not too bad.

I get back into Quito on Friday. I've spent a couple of days here relaxing and getting ready for Cotopaxi, which I'm going to climb tomorrow with two friends! With an altitude of almost 5900 meters, it's the world's highest active volcano! After getting back to Quito on Tuesday, I'll the go back to Cuenca, spend a couple of days there and then start making my way to Peru and further south!

Machu Picchu: hike to the lost city!

Machu Picchu was a city constructed by the Incas in the early 15^th century on the top of a mountain. Hidden from the Spanish conquistadores it was never found. It wasn't until 1911 that it was rediscovered and today it is considered as the most familiar symbol of the Inca empire. In 2007 it was elected as one of the seven modern wonders of the world and now a must-visit for every tourist doing the gringo trail through South America. From Cusco, our starting point, Chelsey and I embark on a three-day journey to the lost Inca city.

Getting there seems easy: just take the expensive tourist train to Aguas Calientes. However, there's another way, the so-called 'back door' route. It will take us more time, but offers a stunning experience and no pricy train tickets apply. So we decide to give it a call and on Monday we take the early 7 am bus from Cusco to the jungle town of Santa Maria. This ride takes us through stunning landscapes with gorgeous views on snowy mountain peaks. Fully packed with food and Inca Kolas Chelsey and I enjoy the bus ride with us being the sole gringos on this bus: crazy! The final part to Santa Maria is a bit more rough, as the road is under serious maintenance and therefore very uncomfortable but nevertheless very interesting. In Santa Maria we meet a bunch of French tourists. From Santa Maria we get on a minivan that drives us through a rickety cliff and brings us to Santa beautifully located next to the Urubambe river that goes all the way to Aguas Calientes.

The next morning we start our hike from Santa Teresa to Aguas Calientes along the river. The sun is hot so we bring plenty of water... and Inca Kolas! The first part of the trail follows the river along a cliff. The views are wonderful. After about 45 minutes, a cop car passes by and the cops offer us a ride towards the next bridge. We jump in the back of their pickup and enjoy the smooth ride along the cliff, getting off at the bridge. Peruvian police: nice folks!

As the sun climbs, it's getting hotter and it turns out to be a tough walk. We meet a few other people along the trail. Our next goal is the hydroelectric facility. While enjoying the stunning views and taking several pictures on the omnipresent majestic rocks, we make it to the hydroelectric about 1.5 hours later. Expecting a huge hydropower dam, we're a bit confused about whether this is 'it' or not, but our doubts vanish in a split-second. From this point on we need to follow the rail track. We pass by a very well-maintained military base. The friendly guard tells us to hike straight through the forest as the train has to get up the hill the same way the Devil's Nose train in Ecuador does. So by hiking straight up we're able to cut off some of our walking distance.

The walk along the railroad track is exciting, pretty and exhaustive. The trees offer plenty of shade but nevertheless the hike is challenging as we're carrying all of our luggage. 'Do I hear a train? Get off the track!' is one of our frequent utters. I am hardly able to recollect my photo camera from the rails before the train would have run over it. Timer photographs, I love them! As we keep going, we're not completely sure about our progress. 'Are these km-signs?' we question each other and while timing our walking pace we enjoy the beautiful scenery, the majestic silence, being disturbed by a passing passenger train again. After about three hours we leave the track and walk into a town that seems to be our final destination for today. 'If this turned out not being Aguas Calientes, that would be funny'. I'm joking, but there is no doubt given all the touristic crap around us: this is the last stop before the top of the majestic Machu Picchu ruins. Walking into town we're being offered tonnes of accommodations, tours and many other things. Our first priority is to get entrance and bus tickets for the next day. Then we quickly find a hostel and decide to offer our muscles some relaxation in the thermal baths of Aguas Calientes. Even though the short uphill walk consumes all of our energy left, it's worth it. After the baths we have dinner in a Chinese restaurant away from the main strip, thus avoiding the turistic charges. Being exhausted and facing a 4:00 am wake up we go to bed early.

The alarm goes off at 4:00 am and we make our way to the bus stop. As we arrive, already 120 people are in the line as if it were their daily routine. Yeah this is serious stuff! The first bus leaves at 5:30, bringing us to Machu Picchu at 6:00. The reason for going that early is clear: we want to hike Haynu Picchu, which is said to offer a breathtaking view on Machu Picchu. We're on time so we get our stamps that allow us to do the hike. After entering the park our first glimpse of the lost Inca city fulfills me with magnificent awe. I can't believe I'm here, it's like the top of the world!

While lining up for our hike up to Huayna Picchu, we catch a glimpse of the first sun light touching the edges of this gorgeous mountain. The whole scenery offers a majestic and mysterious view. The hike up to the peak of Huayna Picchu barely takes us 30 minutes, literally leaving us breathless. The top offers us a 360 degree view on Machu Picchu, but that's not just it. Looking down on the river, we're able to overview our complete itinerary from the hydroelectric to Aguas Calientes we walked yesterday! 'It looks so close, I can't believe it took us hours!'. The Snickers bars that Chelsey sneaked in past the guards are a welcome treat at this point.

After Huayna Picchu we explore the ruins and their surroundings. Although thousands of people visit Machu Picchu every day, today seems quiet and because the site is huge, there's plenty of space. However, when walking through this ancient city I wander for how long they will allow people to walk and climb the steps of the well-preserved which clearly appears to suffer from heavy tourism. There's no way this destructive business is going to last much longer and I bet that in the near future parts are going to be closed for the public, stricter rules will be applied and probably a visitors' quotum will be required in order to preserve the beautiness of Machu Picchu for future generations.

Estoy en Perú

Yesterday I left Cuenca and Ecuador. This was my last week of teaching in which I finished my classes, took exams but was most of the time busy saying good bye to all people here. Which is not an easy thing after six months of living in definitely the prettiest city in Ecuador. Now the time to travel has come and I decided to do the first leg of my itinerary together with Chelsey, one of my friends and colleagues at CEDEI. She's joining me on my trip to Machu Picchu after which she's going back to the States.

So after all good bye parties the final thing to do is: pack. Pack all my stuff and leave my house. My last afternoon in Cuenca is kind of chaotic as i need to get a lot of things done. I spend it picking up my last paycheck, getting a haircut, getting food, paying my credit card bills and enjoying my last coffee in the beautiful downtown. Just before leaving my house I say good bye to my roommates and then head off to take a cab. The taxi driver tries to charge me $3 for the ride, which I refuse to pay as it should not be more than $2. I'm not gonna get gringo-taxed on my final day here! So I let it go and take the next one to the place from where the busetta (mini van) to Guayaquil leaves. Guayaquil is Ecuador's largest metropole and from there Ill fly to Lima. When boarding the busetta and driving off, the sun is shining.

The enjoyable ride through Cajas National Park to Guayaquil takes three hours. I meet two friendly Ecuadoreans and one Argentinian guy and we talk about South American economy and politics for about three hours, killing time. In Guayaquil I take a taxi to a very nice hostal called Manso. It's near the Malecón, which is a main tourist strip near the Guayas river side. In the hostal I run into Chelsey and we go out to grap some food before going to bed early. However, when entering the hostel's dorm room, someone else is lying in my bed. As it is already past midnight the hostel manager decides to give me a private airconditioned room straight away, which I truly appreciate.

I get up at 5:00 am and meet Chelsey a 5:30 in the hostel lobby to leave for the airport. At Guayaquil airport everything goes according to plan and when entering the waiting room near the gate, I'm surprised to see a bright blue KLM MD-11 aircraft waiting to take people to Amsterdam. For a second I get the tempting feeling to board it, but not now. Once we get on the plane there appears to be a delay of at least one hour. Since we've got only a two-hour planned layover in Lima, we're afraid to miss our flight. The friendly crew, however, tells us not to worry and everything will be fine. We leave Guayaquil with a 45-minute delay. At the end of the flight we're assigned the front seats of the business class, so we can make our way out of the plane first. So far so good.

Immediately after landing we're the first to rush out of the plane, run towards the migration, being the first to arrive there. They give us our stamps quickly after which we make our way to the baggage belt to pick up our bags. Leaving the secure zone I just ignore the final customs check and we run towards to the check-in counter of the next airline to check-in for our flight to Cusco. They tell us we can still check-in but won't get meals on this 50-minut flight. As if we care about this major punishment. Time before departure: 40 minutes. Then we run into the security check, which turns out to be very inefficient and slow at Lima airport, but we get on the plane on time and we even get served some decent empenadas and cookies. No punishment here.

Arriving at Cusco the landscape has turned dry. The darkish-brown landscape immediately reminds me of the landscapes in southern Italy and Spain. The landing in Cusco is challenging. As common in most Latin American cities, the landing strip is in the middle of the city, but before touching down the airplane first has to make a bunch of spectacular maneouvers in order to descend with an uncomfortable steep glideslope and making it to the runway. Getting off the plane it's warm and sunny and we start exploring the city by walking away from the airport, as we're not going to pay the 20 soles tourist fee that taxis are asking for the ride. Thanks to Chelsey we're getting to see the great neighbourhood of San Sebastian on the other side of town, but after walking around with our baggage for a while we decide to jump in a taxi and get into our amazing hostel uphill in the San Blas neighbourhood for only 7 soles. Cusco is a small town packed with tourists and is the gateway to Machu Picchu, the city that was rediscovered exactly 100 years ago. It's incredible to be so close to the remnants of what once was an impressive Inca city and which I'm about to see now!

Counting down the days

This is my final week of teaching here in Cuenca. It's the terminus of another ten-week cycle after which I'll say good bye to my students. But not only to my students, but also to many friends I made here in Cuenca. It's a weird feeling.

Over the past couple of weeks I used every single time slot to travel to each corner of Ecuador that was on my ever-lasting list of places-to-visit. I was counting the weekends in order to mostly fulfill my travel desires. I enjoyed Ecuador in all of its varieties. I went to Montañita to enjoy the beach and visited the city of Baños, famous for its thermal springs and outdoor extreme sports such as rafting, mountainbiking and canopying. I rode the Nariz de Diablo, the crazy 'Devil's Nose' train, an unforgettable experience. And last weekend I climbed parts of Cotopaxi volcano to the snowy altitude of 4800 m, which is as high as the Mont Blanc, Europe's tallest mountain!

But I wasn't just rushing through. I also took the time to enjoy Cuenca, go out with friends, hang out and relax in the park. I improved my Spanish (references on request) thanks to the time I spent with many local friends I made here. Being in Cuenca I spent my time like being at home. Every time I leave Cuenca I encounter new things and meet interesting new or - which is often the case - the same people I have met before. That's a funny thing, it's a small world. Every time I get back to Cuenca, see the magnificent domes of the cathedral and its pretty colonial streets I feel like being home. Now I'm about to leave that home.

On December 28 of last year I woke up on an early winter morning to leave my home. I grabbed my backpack, made my way through the snow heading the airport, towards Ecuador. Now, almost six months later,l'histoire se répète. I'm touching the snow again. I'm packing my bag. About to leave my second home. Just a few more days.

PS: to everyone wondering: I'm going to Perú next week! From there, I'll continue my itinerary through South America.

A look across the horizon

As far as we can look, the horizon limits our eye sight. It constitutes the distinct boundary between land and air, between the known and the unknown. It's far away and mysterious. No wonder it has fascinated humanity for ages, not just for its beautiness, but even more for the fear of sailing off the map or getting shipwrecked in the middle of the ocean.

The horizon is an off-the-map thing. Once you board a ship or an airplane, you can track the horizon patiently with your eyes and even though it seems to move, it isn't getting any closer or farther away. It stays where it is. You could go up however, and see your horizon increase a little bit, but you'll never see the complete world.

When I live I project. Everybody does it. You project your current life towards the future. And people call the furthest projected event the event horizon.Whether it's in your career, in your family life or in the recent love you encountered. Humans automatically try to foresee their future and fulfill their own expectations. It's difficult to avoid not looking across your own horizon, it's a means of feeling happy and secure.

But when traveling it's different. This tendency comes to an end. I call it the traveler's paradox. Traveling is generally found to be a horizon enlarger, which is obviously true. Fatal to narrow-mindness and generalizations, it kills any life-boredness. Here in South America I meet new, interesting, different people. But at the same time it narrows down my time horizon to the very here and now. People frequently ask me where I'll be next month or what my life will be like after Cuenca. I tend to ignore the question. Not because I don't want to anwer it, but because it's out of my current scope. I can't look across. I am enjoying my life at this location at this very time. It's the experience, the unknown, the adventure, all joint into this occasion. It's the happiness of the here and the joy of the now. Once I look across the horizon, the dream is over. And I don't want it to be over....yet.

Since I've been here my horizon has been fixated to South America, far from Europe. While this week is bringing me closer to the end of my time than ever before, the horizon is coming towards me. It's a stunning feeling. Taking a swift look across that horizon. Without projecting, just enjoying it, here and now.

Believing in Colombia

So what happened after I got to Bogotá? What are the differences between Ecuador and Colombia? This blog concludesmy series of travel reports in Colombia. Here you go!

On Sunday I get up early in Bogotá and walk around the Candelaria, the old colonial part of Bogota. It's pretty with small streets and colorful buildings. There's apperently a lot going on in town. Some of the main roads have been closed allowing recreational cyclists to bike around. It's an impressive and wonderful sight.

At 10:30 I go to the office of Bogota Biking Tours. I guy named Mike shows us around Bogota for about 4 hours. It's very interesting to bike through areas, some of which are usually considered as dangerous. Although Colombia has a conservative government, some laws are very progressive and resemble liberal Dutch laws. For example, in Colombia euthanasia is legal, as wel as abortion (in some cases though), prostitution (in assigned areas). Possession of drugs used to be legal but is now considered illegal.

The next day I decide to visit the salt mines in a town names Zipaquirá, which is about an hour away from Bogotá. This salt mine is still operational, but some parts have now been transformed into an underground cathedral. It's very impressive to see this mixture of engineering and religion in such a weird atmosphere. The guide shows us around the impressive underground area.We continue with another guide to do the mining tour. For obvious purposed, we have to wear helmets. Some of the parts we're not allowed to use our lights, and by using our hands we can navigate through the dark mine. We're shown around through the deeper sections. I excavate my own parts of salt and the guide shows us a little explosion. Start feeling like areal rock raider!Though he didn't tell us that the sound of the explosion was amplified by a pair of speakers, so he freaked the hell out of us.

After the beautiful mine we visit the beautiful centre of Zipaquirá and have lunch there. It's time to call it a day and head back to the ever congested city of Bogota. I get onto the metrobus, bus because it's so crowded I kind of get confused and lost.

On my final day in Bogota I visit the Gold Museum, which has a fine collection of traditional gold ornaments. After my brief visit I head the bus terminal to take a bus south to Calí where I spend two days. Calí is a hot city full of partying and salsa. Though there's a lot going on, the atmosphere to me seems a bit rough. The next day I decide to move on to Popayán, further south.Thisis a very pretty colonial town in the southern Cauca district. It directly reminds me of Cuenca: old colonial bulidings, cobblestone streets and tranquil squares. The first foreigner I meet here is an American guy who turns out to be an English teacher here. Any more resemblances needed? I spend two days in Popayán, before I move on. Together with a Spanish guy called Candido I travel to the Colombian - Ecuadorean border through the southern highlands of Colombia. The landscape is very spectacular. This route is highly recommended not to travel at night, because the guerrillas are still active in this region. Nevertheless, the bus driverselects a movie about the American war on drugs: a two-hour movie of clashes between US military, Colombian military and las FARC. Honestly I don't know what the drivers intentions were, but it is quite confronting to watch a war movie about the region you're actually just driving through. But we finally arrive in Ipiales, the border town, where we have to changes buses and take a small bus that drops us off at the border.

The border crossing is very simple. There seems to be quite some traffic, but we don't have to wait very long. The Colombian officer is very friendly, and relaxed. He even seems to make somejokes: 'where are you going sir?' Ihonestly give him my answer:'Por Ecuador, señor', but can't suppress my smile.He quickly gives us our exit stamps. Then we walk across the bridge to the other side, to enter Ecuador. It's directly evident that business is more formal here: migration police is dressed upin military uniforms, not acting funny at all. The man takes a careful look at the pretty collection of Ecuadorean stampsI've collected and he asks me for my censo, which I'm happy to present this time. Shown are huge signs that warn people that commit crimes like sexual abuse of childrencan expect high punishmentsand there is a banner that clearly shows all the documents required to either enter or leave Ecuador. I quickly take a picture of the last, as I might need this information one day again. We get our stamps and enter Ecuador by another small bus to the border town Tulcan. From here we head Otavalo, a very nice town in the northern Ecuadorean Andes.

Though many similarities do exist between Ecuador in Colombia, the evident difference between the population directly becomes clear at my arrival in Ecuador. Whereas most people in Colombia are from European descendance, in Ecuador the vast majoritiy consists of indigenous. Especially in Otavalo, where at least 90% of the peopleconsists ofdark-colored indigenous. In Otavalo, I visit the traditional Saturday cloth, artisan and food market which spreads out over the whole town. It´s worth another visit, for sure!

Now the ultimate question everybody keeps asking: is Colombia safe to travel? The answer isn't that simple though. In general, I'd say yes. The big cities and main routes, especially at day, are fairly safe to travel. However, it is essential -like in any south American country- to be conscious and aware and to inquire frequentlywith locals as the situation in Colombia may vary daily. While walking the streets of Bogotá the drugs war has clearly left its traces and the tension in the southern cities can still be felt very clearly today, where paramilitaries and guerrillas are stillclashing.All the children-much more than in Ecuador- that clamped me in Medellín are an evident proof of the poverty that is still being suffered from in this beautiful country. About one third of the people today is still affected by the consequences of the armed conflict that is going on. On the other hand, the government and omnipresent military have mostlypushed back the guerrillas away from the big cities, so that these can now be considered relatively safe to travel. This has paved the way for tourists to enjoy Colombia and to see what itproudlyhas to offer: salsa, beautiful landscapes, delicious coffee and very friendly people. The gratitude of the Colombians proves an abundant reward for visiting their country.The drug wars and guerrilla violence have scarred and devastated the country, buthaven't deprived the citizens' faith and hope. If you ever get the chance to visit this amazing country: do it!You'll be highly amazed and rewarded. Each foreigner that takes the leap to visit Colombiawill have the privilege to enjoy its beauty, and each tourist to go will pave the way for two others to come. In the end, it willstrengthenthe hope and belief of Colombians in a better future.

My multiple lives

I'm back in Cuenca! After two weeks of backpacking through Colombia I almost forgot how pretty Cuenca is. Its cobblestone streets, the rivers, the markets, the colonial houses, the view on the new cathedral from my street, calle Benigno Malo and my dear friends and colleagues. It unites everything I've done and seen here so far. Me encanta Cuenca!

The city of Cuenca is formally known as Santa Ana de los Cuatro Ríos de Cuenca, referring to the four rivers running through the city. Each of them adds a unique, sparkling aspect to this mountainous city. They flow from west to east. The rivers are some of Cuenca's most distinctive beauty aspects. And as much as I love water, I love the rivers. I cross the Rio Tomebamba every day on my way to school and every time I imagine myself crossing the river. Not taking the bridge, but just like a like a little child, jumping the rocks, all the way through the wild water to the other side, cheerfully getting across, yelling at my mates on the other side. Proudly looking back on what I've accomplished. It's awesome just to imagine. But there's something that prevents me from doing it.

Today at school a new cycle started, which means I've got a new schedule, new students, new classrooms and some new colleagues. To me it means the restart of a new life. It brings me halfway my period here in Cuenca. It makes me feel excited thinking of all the things I've already done and seen here, friends I made, laughter we shared, the culture shocks we experienced and the stomach problems we suffered. But on the other hand it just saddens me that my life here will be over in couple of months and I'll return to Europe. Not just because I would mind going back (no offense made here), but because I feel like I'm about to lose everything here, all in favor of getting back all my friends and loved ones back home. It's like an inevitable swap of bests. A luxury problem. But it's evident and has struck me now for a while.

During my trip to Colombia I realized what I've done and achieved here. I've thought of what I'm going to bring home and what I'll leave here, whether I like it or not. In an ideal world, I'd pack Cuenca and bring it home, with all the joy and happiness I found here. Or I'd ship my life in the Netherlands to Ecuador. But I have to be realistic. Just like I'm tempted to cross the river jumping rocks, it frustrates me that I cannot live both lives at the same time and that I have to stay on either side. Sitting here I could imagine that I could just merge them. What would that be like? Wouldn't that be great? Just imagine.

But wait. Walking along the river, I find out something. The rivers of Cuenca meet each other near Parque de El Paraíso on the east side of town. They apparently aren't four seperate rivers, but they're one. Collectively they run all the way into the Amazonas ending up in the ocean. Even though they seem to be separate in Cuenca, in the end they're all united.

I just realize that I don't have multiple lives. I only have one life. It consists of multiple branches, but they all flow into the same direction. At one point, wherever that may be, they'll meet. I'm on that river, in the flow, steering through the rocks on my branch to my destination. Heading the meeting point. Me and my multiplelives united....just imagine. Wouldn't that be great?

Coffee & paradise

On Wednesday I left Medellín heading south towards the Zona Cafetera. This is the region in Colombia where most of the coffee is grown, because conditions are very favorable. It´s a very pretty region, but recently heavy rainfalls have caused tremendous amounts of mudslides. As a consequence many roads have been destroyed and closed. This makes the bus ride quite adventurous. The bus ride is supposed to take 4 hours. Even though we leave half an hour late and spend half an hour replacing one of the tires, we still arrive in Manizales on time, thanks to the crazy but capable driver. I usually don´t get sick in a car, but this ride definitely pushed me to the edge.

I arrive in Manizales, the largest city in this region, where Taeke currently lives and he offers me a place to stay for three days. On the first day he shows me around in Manizales and we go to a piano concert at the university. A lot of things are going on in Manizales, but it doesn´t look very pretty. Parts of the city were destroyed in earthquakes and there are a lot of ugly concrete buildings. Nevertheless, we spend a nice evening in an Irish pub. Here we meet some of Valentina´s friends. These girls are happy to tell us how cheap liposuction is in Colombia and don´t hesitate to proudly show us the results of theirs. Medical care in Colombia is relatively cheap and for example many Ecuadoreans go to Colombia for this region. The next day is going to be a long one, so we don´t head back home very late.

A jeep picks us up in the morning to go to a finca (coffee farm). Most of the fincas in the region offer guided tours and sleeping facilities. On the jeep is a lady from Spain with her just adopted very cute Colombian girl. The region is pretty and we´re given a warm welcome on the farm, where they give us an extensive introduction to the smells and tastes of the coffee production process. We wander around the farm to a hacienda and are given the chance to taste some of the local fruits and vegetation.

The next day I leave Manizales and go to Salento. This is a cute little sleeping town near the Valle Cocora. In Salento I get off the bus and the first person I meet there is my Slovakian friend again, coincidentally. That was very funny and we have dinner together. I walk around a bit and explore the viewpoint where I meet a guy from Bogotá who offers me some tinto, a local hot tea-like drink that tastes sweet. That night we hang out in a bar with a mixture of nationalities and play Tejo: a traditional Colombian throwing game which proves pretty hard. It´s like jeu de boules, but with a heavy metal disc and you´re supposed to hit some explosives. The next day I get up at 6:30 am, to go the Valle Cocora. This valley is famous for its huge wax palms. Once I get off the jeep I´m offered several times a horseback ride, but I decide to hike the trail through the valley, where I meet two British girls. The trail seems tougher than expected: it´s full of rocks, mud and horses. But the view is amazingly pretty: wax palms, green hills and cows everywhere! After about 1.5 hours we arrive in a national park, which looks like a jungle. The trail goes through this forest and sometimes requires a challingeing crossing over a wild river on an improvised bridge. When I say bridge I mean two or three wooden bars, no more. So some acrobatics are essential. Sometimes I feel like I could use some Tarzan skills here. This part of the hike is really exhaustive, but it´s very exciting and pretty and we make it all the way to the end where we can rest a bit and enjoy some local food, before we hike all the way back.

I leave Salento on Saturday afternoon and arrive in the capital, Bogotá, the same nigh, where I´ll stay for about three days.