#51 The Colombian Goodbye Tour

We made it back to civilisation! After 17 days in the wilderness, WhatsApp messages were ringing through, the smooth asphalt beneath our wheels felt like silk and entering Puerto Gaitàn was like stepping into a party that never ends.

Zoe and I triumphantly splashed around in the pool at Hotel Manacacias whilst Richie cleaned the air filters for what felt like the 15th time under the waters of the hotel shower. 1600 km of Orinoco territory under our belt and we were proud!

We now needed to explore the rest of this vast and vibrant country before making our way south to Ecuador. It was time to paddle through some deep canyons, take some swimming lessons, eat some serious cowboy grub, dance some Flamenco, visit the tallest palm trees in the world and say goodbye to strangers that have become friends.

First stop: just outside the city of Villavicencio had to be Cañon Guejar. The crystal clear river reflecting the colour of the emerald forest that surrounds, flows in between mighty canyon walls. A green velvet carpet for the bird’s eye view and a magical fairyland of wonder down below. We got to experience the latter on raft. We took part in Willitours river rafting, paddling our way past cascading waterfalls, through mysterious caves and over some pretty wild rapids. We were there in the height of the Colombian summer, so water levels were low, but there were enough bumps into rocks to provide some thrill for our nearly four-year old adrenaline junkie.

Villavicencio is the gateway to the llanos (the plains). A region in ‘la Meta’, where cowboys herd their cattle rodeo style, stomp and slide their feet in the Joropo dance and devour a platter of  ‘Mamona’ at one of the many Asaderos in the city. Yup, one can definitely call this place the Wild West of Colombia.

We arrived in the city on a sunny Sunday afternoon, selecting ‘El Amarradero del Mico’ restaurant for our choice of eateries. It was heaving! Vendors circled the walls of the restaurant with their inviting shiny helium balloons, and carpark attendants were ready and waiting to lead us to the overflow around the back. The tunes of the harps, maracas and bass floating out of the windows. We did not need to enter the restaurant to get a glimpse of the star attraction though. There to the right, four enormous chunks of meat each placed on a spit, crispy and golden, participated in their own dance over a roaring fire. A busy team of chefs in the neighbouring kitchen chopping away at the accompanying sides of yuka, potatoes, plantain and Sancocho. The vibe was high!

We sat down and ordered all of the above, whilst watching our first Joropo dance. Zoe being in awe of the sky blue flamenco dress and we; the fancy footwork. This Venezuelan Waltz is a genius in the making, there is no wonder the whole town is converted into a competition in the month of June.

And from one flamenco dress to another, it was time to watch the original Spaniard dance, down at ‘Las Tablas’ tapas bar in the Usaquen district of Bogotá. We reunited with Rodney, Heather, their visitors and of course Vanessa (the owner of the restaurant) and saw an intimate Flamenco performance with a guitarist and vocals. What an experience! The exquisite tapas did not disappoint either.

Yes, we were back in Bogotá. This, after all, was the goodbye tour, and we wanted to bid farewell to friends we’d made in the capital, spending more time with Vanessa and her Jeep Wrangler, comparing Orinoco notes with Felipe at his ‘Hopolus’ brewery, and squeezing in a sneaky visit to ‘Andrés Carne de Res’; the famous restaurant with its 70-page steak menu, energetic entertainment and surreal decor.

…And with Silverskin feeling a little delicate after his 1000-mile ride through potholes and washboards, it was definitely high time to get him all fixed up. We dropped by at Lali and Juan’s in Cota and finally bolted down our compressor, installing a new air tank for easier and quicker access when the going gets tough. Silverskin also got a set of new external lights, this time in pink! (Zoe’s choice!) We must admit he was looking rather dapper!

Back on the road, we were heading in the direction of Medellin again. Revisiting a more transparent-looking ‘Rio Claro’. The river was definitely more inviting this time round with Zoe even taking underwater swimming lessons with her daddy for the first time!

The cheerful town of Guatapé was up next. With every corner you turn, bold, vibrant colours hit you like a paintbrush working on a blank canvas. Terracotta walls, with vivid murals and sunflower-yellow railings take centre stage in the old town, whilst fiesta-looking tuck-tucks, adorned in their kaleidoscope of bright colours zip around the cobbled streets.

But it is the neighbouring attraction of the Piedra del Peñol that brings the tourists in. This giant granite monolith hosts 659 steps, (Zoe and I can confirm it, we took a close note of the numbers displayed on the narrow stairways going up). When you do finally make it to the top, a very splendid view of the Embalse Guatapé and its surrounding green hills greets you with a sweet kiss.

…And dare we mention that one of the islands within this view once belonged to drug lord ‘Pablo Escobar’? This is a name no one, and we literally mean no one, likes to repeat in Colombia. As we learned on our last visit to Medellin, this guy was responsible for way too many deaths during his time as leader of the Medellin Cartel in the 1980s.

Thankfully Colombia’s second-largest city is undergoing a restorative period, and we were only too happy to revisit the city. Four months ago, we had planned to stay at the well-known ‘El Bosque’ campsite up in the Santa Elena area but were caught in our tracks when Germán found us crawling up the deadly hill in Copacabana (read more on this story here). This time round with his space being occupied with tenants, we were able to give the infamous overlanding camp a go. Set in a clearing in a deep forest, this site is spacious and tranquil. With a kitchen, a very fun games room and two washing machines, you can see why ‘El Bosque’ is popular amongst our tribe. Many Overlanders and backpackers flock to this scenic hub high above the city, mostly to escape the heat down below.

Hourlesslife and newbies Sharon & Kevin (also from the USA) made their appearance too. This meant lots more exciting play dates for Zoe and Caspian, and a very well-deserved date night for the ladies. Santa Elena hosts a pocketful of quaint and cute bars, cafés and restaurants.

We did spend a lovely goodbye brunch with Germán, Elena, Jose and Dora, which involved a tower-high stack of grilled meat and an equally tall pile of arepas. This family have extended their branches to us in so many ways during our time in Colombia, making this final gathering bittersweet. Luckily though, we didn’t have to jump off the family tree just yet, Germán’s brother lived in Jardín and that’s where we were headed to next.

Jardín is Antioquia’s most prized possession. Its small charming pueblo, set beneath lush green mountains and steep slopes full of cherry red coffee beans is becoming increasingly popular amongst tourists. In fact on the Sunday morning we arrived, the plaza was already a hive of activity. Two members of an Amazon indigenous tribe, laden with bamboo drums and flutes, gave us a private rendition, whilst fruit sellers were whizzing up exotic blends for their unique cocktails. And we can’t forget the loud kitschy train, plastered with Disney stickers circulating the village. … OK, maybe not the most inviting picture for this supposedly quaint colonial town, but kitschiness aside, the neo-gothic church, cobblestones and cafés lined with their colourful wooden tables and cafe tinto regulars makes it rather appealing.

And once we had made acquaintance with Julian and Alejandra and were escorted to the café Jardín overlooking the area’s lushness down below, we could see why Jardín is high in the ranks. The view at their newly purchased finca wasn’t too shabby either! Enveloping banana leaves, palm trees and rolling hills for your backdrop. What more could you want? And in true Morales hospitality (Morales is the name of Germán and his brother Julian), we were treated to a homemade traditional Colombian Sunday meal.

The following day we left this corner of the world to drive through more of Colombia’s ‘zona cafetéra’. Not only is this region known for its coffee production but its relaxing thermal pools too. We certainly found a good deal at the Termales San Vicente. Arriving in the dark, we were able to sleep soundly in the complex’s carpark, ready to take on the five thermal pools and rushing streams the next morning. We have been fortunate to explore many hot pools across the Americas these last three years, but this one, with its rainforest flora and fauna, tops them all!

Along the ‘Gringo trail’ lies Salento and the incredible wax palms of ‘Valle de Cocora’. Here it rains so much, that it is a wonder the 60m tall giants thrive at all. The ‘Palmas de Cera’ are the largest palms of the world (and actually Colombia’s national tree), and there are hundreds to behold in this rich, verdant valley.

Many tourists brace themselves for either a soaking wet horse ride or a damp and soggy hike from the village of Cocora to the Reserva Natural Acaime. We did neither, but rather just cozily camped in the public carpark waiting for the fog to clear and give us a glimpse. We were successful and even managed to take some sunny pictures at the village’s little ‘theme park’. Yes, like most tourist attractions in Colombia, there are usually a handful of vintage cars, swings and sculptures to go take photos at.

Salento is the main hub for the tourists that visit the palms. It is full of hostels and barristers making pretty coffees using the region’s beans. With many rivers in the area too, trout is the biggest thing on the menus, and we didn’t miss the opportunity of sampling the catch of the day either.

Cali is a large city in the southwestern region of Colombia. Other than its vibrant Salsa dancing, it is not known for much more. It is, however, a city worth stopping for, and one we chose to celebrate Zoe’s 4th birthday in. Felipe, one of its inhabitants, a motorcyclist we had met at the Orinoco, showed us around with his wife Sandra.

‘Parque de los Gatos’ is a park exhibiting local artists’ cat sculptures and has become one of Cali’s top landmarks. After a delicious ice cream across the road, we enjoyed a meander around this very cool riverside’s outdoor gallery.

As well as the chic mall in town, Felipe and Sandra also took us high above the city to ‘Iglesia San Antonio’. The church, as well as the view, are definitely worth a visit, but what really made this evening was the Canesta rides down the hill. You can’t get much simpler than sitting in a plastic crate, but it was definitely the highlight for our crazy Zoe.

…And of course, two days later she turned four. Rodney and Dixie joined us for the occasion and Sandra and Felipe popped over for a birthday breakfast. Inspired by the children’s story ‘Maisie Middleton’ by Nita Sowter, Zoe wanted cake, jelly and ice cream to start her day. Richie cooked up some French omelettes for the salty addition and the daughter of the hotel chef stopped by to whack the unicorn piñata.

Cali was the perfect place to give Silverskin a huge service too. Felipe had found us an excellent mechanic who changed our weary tires. And Richie was able to change the oil in the parking lot of the hotel. Now, we were definitely Ecuador-ready!

With @White_Troopy once again in tow, we headed south. There were two possible exits to the country; driving Colombia’s Death Road and ending up at the very impressive ‘Sanctuary of Las Lajas’ (a Roman Catholic Church built in a canyon) or taking the Ruta 45 through San Augustin, and entering Ecuador at the Amazon jungle.

With two iconic sites to choose from, it was up to nature’s law to decide for us. It so happened that during our visit, there was a major landslide obstructing the Pan-American highway so San Augustin it was.

Before reaching the big archeological attraction, we made a break at Camping La Bonanza. Moroccan couple Kiki and Anouar run this Overlanding gem. Such places are far and few between in the Americas and you’re sure you’ll not be alone there either. This campsite was full of rigs from France, Spain, Canada and the USA. As predicted, impeccable amenities were provided including the rare dump station, and visitors were treated like family. We definitely made sure we didn’t miss out on some homemade Moroccan delights like lamb tagine, couscous and Zaalouk. What a treat!

So, back to San Augustin. This 78-hectare archeological park hosts 130 statues, resembling sacred animals, masked monsters and other anthropomorphic figures all carved out 5000 years ago. The statues are scattered around immaculate grounds and some are located in leafy green forests, making a visit to this mysterious sacred attraction very pleasant and worthwhile on such a hot day.

…and talking of heat! We were getting closer to the equator. It was time to say goodbye to a country that had been home to us for five fun and thrilling months and time to say hello to Ecuador!

Thanks for reading, and we’ll ‘meat’ you guys around the world!