Time In Country

6/11 – 7/25 (44 days)

Miles hiked:

114.3 miles hiked. 29,600 feet elevation gain

Places visited:

• Santa Marta (4 nights)
• Minca (2 nights)
• La Ciudad Perdida (3 nights)
• Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona (2 nights)
• Bogota (5 nights)
• San Gil (4 nights)
• Camino Real Trail (2 nights): Cabrera > Barichara > Guane > Villaneuva > Jordan > Los Santos
• Medellin (12 nights)
• Guatape (1 night)
• Jardín (2 nights)
• Salento (3 nights)
• Tatacoa Desert (2 nights)

Best and Worst

Best place – San Gil (and surrounding area)

Worst place – Santa Marta

Best experience – Tie between La Ciudad Perdida Trek and Camino Real Trek

Worst experience – Bus ride from Salento to Tatacoa Desert

Better than expected – Bogota

Worse than expected – Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona

Best meal – Ajiaco at La Puerta Falsa in Bogota 

Worst meal – Meat platter in Villavieja

Best fruit drink – Mango (Maracuya for new fruit)

Worst fruit drink – Tomate de árbol

This next part ended up being more wordy than I originally intended but I guess that’s what happens when I write this during a 21 hour bus ride as I sit here going from Lima to Mancora.

The Culture

I cannot say enough good things about Colombia and the experience I had there. I could not have asked for a better 6 weeks to start my South American adventure. The country has had a brutal history over the past 80 years from La Violencia in the 40s to the drug cartel era of Pablo Escobar in the 80s and 90s to the guerrilla warfare with groups like FARC and ELN. But the past 20 years Colombia has worked really hard to become a safer, more attractive place for tourists and it really shows. Sure I heard a few horror stories of backpackers getting robbed at knife/gun point but that type of thing can happen anywhere. Standard big city rules apply where you just watch your belongings in crowded areas and be extra careful when walking around at night time – just take a taxi or Uber! 

In spite of the country’s difficult history, I found Colombian people to be incredibly happy, friendly, and outgoing. They know how to appreciate what they have and seem to have a positive demeanor filled with joy and hope. People in the streets are very willing to help and will even go out or their way to assist you. They are even more delighted when you try to speak a little Spanish, even if it isn’t good. The person next to you on the bus or plane is quick to strike up a conversation and are excited to talk about anything.

The culture is very festive; people love to dance and celebrate all the holidays (and there are a lot with 18 national holidays in total. At one point when I was there 3 straight Monday’s were a national holiday). I loved looking around the club in big cities like Medellin ad Bogota and seeing all the smiling faces singing every word to Reggaetón music. And people are damn good dances whether it’s traditional music like salsa or cumbia, or more modern music like Reggaetón or House; people are very meticulous with their moves and use their whole body to flow to the music. Shakira was speaking for the whole country when she said “my hips don’t lie.”

The Food

Overall I’d say the food was average. I had some really good meals throughout but overall it’s not the most impressive cuisine – not incredibly well seasoned or spiced. Lots of meat, rice, plátanos, and beans; heavily fried; not many veggies. The portions at restaurants were usually very big (US style) so I typically left with a full belly. For street food, the arepas were cheap and tasty but the empanadas were so-so. The fruit and fruit drinks on the other hand were absolutely incredible. Half the time I didn’t even know what I was ordering or how to eat it properly but it was so damn good. The fruit is as fresh as can be and all the different exotic fruits keeps the flavor profile diverse. And of course I’m always a sucker for fresh agua de coco; you can’t beat drinking it straight from the coconut. The coffee was surprisingly disappointing, but as I mentioned in one of my blog posts, the coffee tour told us that the 80% best beans all get exported and the remaining 20% stay in the country. That being said I still had some amazing coffee, but don’t expect your average cup of tinto (black coffee) to be anything special.

The Cities

Both Medellin and Bogota are nestled in the valley between the mountains so they have beautiful surrounding backdrops. The downtown architecture isn’t overly exciting but the hills are lined with houses as far as the eyes can see. The nightlife was bustling and the party went into the wee small hours of the morning. They both have all the big city amenities one could want: art and cultural museums, restaurants of all varieties, sports, scenic viewpoints, and countless parks. 

The Landscape

So much diversity of landscape in a single country: coastlines, jungles, mountains, canyon, valleys rivers, deserts, etc. You go just a few hours and it’s a totally different look and feel. The north has beautiful Caribbean coastline and sandy beaches surrounded by mountainous jungles; while the center and south has an incredibly green countryside filled with rolling hills and booming farmlands. This Belgian girl I met put it best, traveling around a country in South America is like visiting 20 countries in one because of all the diversity. Colombia also has an incredibly wide variety of plant life, bird species, and marine biology; none of which I can speak intelligently about.

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The Weather

The north was warm, tropical weather and incredibly rainy with guaranteed showers every afternoon (and usually heavy ones); but the sun was strong when out. Bogota was chilly and gray; San Gil and Medellin was perfect mid 70s and sunny (Medellin living up to its nickname of eternal spring), and the south was moderate during the day and cool at nighttime. 

Transportation

Getting around Colombia can be a bit tough. It’s a big country that is very spread out and the roads are not exactly in great shape, especially as you start getting into more mountainous and/or rural areas. I was a bit jaded from air travel after my first domestic flight was delayed causing me to miss my connection in Bogota and spend the night there (which ultimately turned out to be a blessing in disguise if you read my Bogota blog). So the rest of the time I stuck to bus travel which was cheaper but more time consuming and created its own crazy experiences. My first few bus rides were great but then reality kicked in: late departures, traffic delays, and land slides. One of the biggest challenge with bus travel is that there are so many different companies so each time you travel you have to figure out which one is the correct one for your particular route. Then when you show up at the bus station it’s an absolute cluster fuck and it always feels like you might have missed your bus because there’s no obvious indication as to which bus is departing from where. And when you ask for help people give mixed responses about what is going on; which is increasingly difficult when your Spanish is limited. All that being said I never had any major transportation issues and it just always kept me on my toes when traveling between cities. It was also a good reminder to remain tranquilo as things move slow on Colombia time. You can’t be in a hurry for anything here.

Lodging

I came into this experience thinking okay I’m 30 now I will mostly stay in hotels and hostel private rooms with the occasional hostel dorm but it’s been quite the opposite. I’ve pretty much only stayed in hostel dorms with the occasional solo lodging. It’s really not been that bad to stay in dorms and it’s a great way to meet people and save money. The average age of backpackers in South America is higher than when I did SE Asia. Most people are 25-35 with the occasional 20-25 year olds who are seemingly more mature. Some hostels are more of a party than others, but most people are here to take advantage of the culture and outdoors lifestyle so I’ve had no issues being in rooms with others. Plus hostels are an easy way to book excursions and some host group events like Tejo.

Some Other Random Observations

People have a different sense of etiquete on public transportation. They will watch Tik Tok videos or play songs on their phone without headphones and just not give a fuck that everyone else can hear; even on night buses. 

People rep America sports teams everywhere and it’s actually quite popular to wear hats, jerseys, and shirts. There are stands in the streets devoted to this type of merch. Some super popular teams like the Yankees or Cowboys I get, but when I see a guy repping a Reggie Miller jersey or a Minnesota Timberwolves it makes me chuckle. Sometimes I’m always so tempted to go up and chat with them about whatever team they are seemingly supporting. It’s not just sports team, there’s other apparel that makes its way down here where people don’t fully understand what they’re wearing. Some good ones I saw were “blow job queen” and “happy ending specialist”. I saw a guy wearing a Buc-ee’s shirt so I decided to ask him about it and he just smiled…I don’t think he’s been to Texas before. 

My Spanish

My Spanish is still very basic but I’ve come a long way from when I arrived in the country. I showed up in Colombia having used the Babel app a few weeks and no other Spanish education. My first couple weeks I was very timid when trying to speak Spanish and realized just how much I don’t know. By the end of Colombia I was happy with my progress so far thanks to: spending some time with Moni in Bogota, having super basic conversations in the streets and on buses, doing some side practice focusing on learning things that would help me in real life conversation, and going to 2 weeks of Spanish school in Medellin. But at the end of the day I still talk so much English with other backpackers, and I have so far to go before even considering myself average at Spanish. It’s a balance between enjoying my travels and learning Spanish. Every day I do get better…just some more than others; at least I’m trying.

Backpacker Life

My spirit has been freed. Greatest decision I’ve ever made. I had high expectations for this trip and they were shattered in the first few weeks. Of course I was a bit nervous beforehand but all that fear and anxiety is long gone. I’ve learned so much about myself and the things that are important to me. It’s the mental reset I was looking for and will set the course for how I want to live my 30s with a more nomadic lifestyle focusing on travel and hiking adventures. But it’s beyond that, it’s opened my eyes in so many ways about interacting with people of different cultures and backgrounds. 

The backpacker life is absolutely incredible; full of  meeting like minded people from all over the world, new adventures, exploring different cultures, pushing yourself to new limits, and so much more. There is rarely a dull moment and it’s been crucial to find my balance of being social at hostels (it’s incredibly easy to meet people and make friends) but also taking time for myself and focusing on my adventure. 

This lifestyle certainly is not for the faint of heart. I may not be working but life isn’t a cakewalk. I’m constantly on the go packing my bag, exploring new cities, hiking mountains, meeting people, speaking Spanish, trying different foods, finding myself in new scenarios, etc. It’s a different kind of lifestyle and mental stimulation.

Reflection on How Things Don’t Go As Planned

Traveling is funny because things don’t always go as expected, both plans and experiences, so you have to just go with the flow and be flexible. That’s been one of the greatest parts about traveling solo, it’s all on me to decide where my life is headed; and sometimes life itself decides. In the north I was really looking forward to Tayrona and it was just okay; but I much preferred the jungle vibes of Minca. Then I didn’t even plan to go to Bogota, and I ended up having an incredible 5 nights there thanks to making friends with some locals during La Ciudad Perdida trek and a missed flight connection. In San Gil, I was only going to do the day hike along the Camino Real but when Kirsten was down to do the 3 day trek I figured why not and that turned out to be one of my favorite things I did in Colombia. I was only planning on doing a week of Spanish school in Medellin but I really clicked with both my teacher and a lot of the backpackers in the school so it made sense to stay a second week. In the south I was planning to travel solo after school but ended up latching on with a group of friends from Spanish school for over a week. We even ended up going to the Tatacoa desert which was never on my radar. Also I was more excited for Salento and had never even heard of Jardín until other backpackers talked about it; and I preferred the latter because it was more authentic and less touristy while being equally as beautiful. I came into this experience with the mentality of letting whatever feels right at the moment dictate what happens next and these 6 weeks in Colombia proved to me that this is the best way to live as a solo backpacker.

Representing America

A majority of places I go I’m the only American. Which can be funny when American music starts playing and everyone knows all the words. Our culture doesn’t promote the backpacker lifestyle and mentality like a lot of European countries do. I’d say the most heavily represented countries of backpackers I met were Netherlands, France, England, Germany, and Israel. A lot of people don’t have the highest opinion of America, especially in recent years with the Trump era and increasing gun violence. And while I agree with them on certain (if not many) points, I also think they have their own biases and uninformed opinions. Sometimes I like to retort by asking how politics are in their country to which they usually respond: terrible. The whole world is full of problems, America is just always in the spotlight. And let’s be real we don’t exactly do the best job leading by example. These days I like to say I’m not necessarily proud of America, but I’m proud to be an American. Not that politics is a hot topic amongst backpackers but it always does make for an interesting conversation when discussing with people from all over the world. And in the end, I think I do a good job representing our country in a positive way. My goofy, fun loving energy and well traveled lifestyle helps me blend in and relate to everyone I meet.

One Regret

One thing I really fucked up on was not getting a SIM card. I thought whatever I’ll just use Wi-Fi when I have it and otherwise will be off the grid. Big mistake. I was useless when on the buses especially traveling with a group. And there was plenty of other times that my life would have been easier with a SIM card. It’s great for doing research and booking things while on long bus rides. Or even just keeping yourself entertained. I made it work but won’t do that again. The first day I was in Lima I bought a SIM card. It was so cheap and so worth it.