The Land of Cocoa and Beautiful People: Colombia

Colombia is a land of contradictions. Until recently it has been unsafe to visit most regions of the country and in fact, travel is still not recommended by the government of Canada to all areas of Colombia except the major cities. My experience in Colombia has been truly amazing and I have not felt even slightly threatened or in danger. Though I have not heard of any guerrilla activity, they are definitely active in the remote regions near the Darien Gap and the southern Amazon basin. There are police stop checks all the time and friendly officers often board buses and check ID cards and frequently search peoples’ bags for weapons. Their presence is reassuring because without the constant police presence, travel in Colombia may not be possible. And Colombia and the people who live here are without a doubt, the most gorgeous and hospitable that I have encountered on this journey.
Villa de Leyva is a village about two hours north of Bogota and we stayed in the Hosepdaje de Balconies for three days. Located in the foothills of the Andes mountains, the days are warm here and quickly cool off as the sun disappears behind the mountains as early as 5 pm. Villa de Leyva is home to varying attractions, including the Paleontological Museum where a fossil of a prehistoric marine reptile, the kronosaurus is on exhibition. Nearby is Colombia’s version of Stonehenge, an assortment of cylindrical stone monoliths sunk in the ground, which were used as a solar calendar. The site also contains a ritual area full of large, phallic stone monoliths. And just outside the village are the blue pools, which are on a farmer’s land but open to the public. The turquoise pools are crystal clear and lined by green ferns and red earth. After a few days of easy village life and a horseback ride into the hills surrounding the village, we moved on to the capital city of Colombia: Bogota.
Bogota surprised me in two ways. First, it was colder than I expected and second, the people in the area we stayed, La Candelaria, were a mixture of bohemian artists and punk trendsters. I made the mistake, like so many others, of assuming Colombia is full of coffee farmers and cocaine mobsters. The highlight of Bogota was the National Police Museum, which is basically dedicated to the 499-day hunt and eventual murder of the notorious Pablo Escobar. Pictures of his dead body are on display, along with all his personal weapons, communication devices and clothing. The museum also includes gruesome torture pictures from around the world including a 3-step beheading of a man, complete with blood spray, in Turkey. Outside the parliament buildings in Bogota’s main square a demonstration is taking place. Bricks line a red carpet with the names of people who have disappeared, been murdered or tortured are on display. A young student will not say the government is responsible, but this is obviously the case.
The best thing about Bogota is the street food. Varied and undeniably greasy, empanadas and arepas along with bread balls full of cheese are available on every corner. They love their cheese: even the hot chocolate in Colombia’s oldest chocolate shop, La Puerta Falsa is drunk with a slice of cheese melted in it.
An hour outside of Colombia is a town called Zapaquira and it is home to a fascinating attraction, a beautiful underground salt cathedral. The original cathedral was created in the salt mine for the miners but collapsed because it was too close to the surface. A new one has been built 200m below the surface and opened in 1995 to the public. Pathways lead you down into the depths of the cathedral past carvings of the cross in varied stations and representations. The culmination of the cathedral is a giant cross, carved in the side of a mountain. People get married here and there is a convention center that can be rented out for private parties. The concept of a cathedral made completely out of salt and located far below the surface in a mine is a little strange to me but it is gorgeous and there are services being conducted for devout Catholics at various altars in the cathedral.
Next we moved on to Colombia’s Zona Cafetera, otherwise known as the Coffee Region. We stayed at a small village of about 3000 people called Salento. As well as being the home of the best coffee I have ever tasted, Salento is also near the Valle de Cocora. Stretching east from Salento and deep into the mountains, the valley contains cloud forests common to the mountain region and also impossibly tall and straight palma de cera (wax palm) trees that grow above the forests, a sight not seen anywhere else in the world. The proximity to the equator makes this possible and the scenery is prehistoric and nearly unbelievable. The hamlet of Cocora is also home to a large trout farm and we enjoyed a delicious lunch of fresh trout before heading back to Salento. The village feels as if it has stepped back in time. Horses are common in the square and a cafe proudly displays a functioning 100 year old coffee machine from Italy. The streets are lined with colourful buildings and hanging flowers and friendly townspeople ask us why more tourists do not come to Colombia.
Our last destination in Colombia is the fabled, romantic city of Cartagena, on the Caribbean coast. The historic, walled area of the city lives up to legends of pirates, buccaneers, Spaniards, and tales of conquest and triumph. The architecture and statues are perfect examples of Spanish colonial style, while just outside the wall, the ocean roars and splashes into the stone holding walls. It’s easy to step back in time here, as the original fortresses built to defend the city from fierce sieges still stand strong. The rest of Cartagena is disappointing however, except for the Vulcan de Lodo El Totumo, about 50km northeast of the city. Hearing that all the organized tours arrive in the morning, we caught a bus to a town junction and then a motorcycle taxi to the volcano in the afternoon and pretty much had the place to ourselves. The volcano is a natural wonder and stretches 2000m below ground. Instead of lava and ashes, it spews mud, a wonder created by the pressure of gases emitted by decaying organic matter underground. The mud has the consistency of thick cream and smells slightly foul. It thickly coats my body and the locals say the mud is full of benefits for the skin and sell pop bottles full of it. It’s nearly impossible to move around in the thick mud. David, Tracey, and I try out all sorts of poses in our anti-gravity state. Climbing out of the volcano, a man helps wipe the mud off of us then we climb back down the steps of the volcano and head out to the large lagoon surrounding the area for a refreshing swim.
And today is the last day in Colombia for me. This afternoon the three of us are leaving on a sailboat called The Andiamo bound for Panama. Captained by an American named Tony, and a Colombian named Karen, we will spend approximately 5 days sailing the Caribbean and docking at various islands in the San Blas Archipelago. I’ve never been sailing before and am stocked up with motion sickness pills and extreme excitement. From Panama City, I will be flying home, having decided to cut the South American leg of this journey short. As I knew it would, travel has opened all kinds of windows for me, the most insightful being the window into my own mind and soul. And I’ve realized my heart is not in this trip anymore. I still love the adventure but I do not want to be apart from Eric anymore. We have our whole lives ahead of us to explore the world, together.