BONUS: Adiós Colombia!

This post breaks with the pattern whereby each entry thus far has been about a place where we have overnighted. But since we are amidst a long day of travel from Salento to Bogotá to Lima to Iquitos, it is a great opportunity to reflect on the awesome time we have had in Colombia.

Truly a surprise packet, it is going to be hard to beat this place when it comes to the sheer thrill of travelling to a new country. So different in so many ways from both my expectations and from anywhere else I've been. I had only added Colombia to the itinerary when we worked out that we had an extra few weeks at the beginning of the trip and thought, why not?! Definitely no regrets with that decision. It's a place that seems refreshingly off the beaten track, at least for non-Latino tourists. While we did encounter a few Kiwis and one American and heard the odd French, Dutch or German accent, we didn't meet one other Australian! If that's not a sign that Colombia is, as yet, undiscovered on the tourist trail, I don't know what is. Though, I do wonder if that will change. Already, the spectre of "insta-travel" is clearly descending, with the natural beauty of places like the Cocora Valley being "pimped up" with gaudy attractions for people to pose next to in order to make their posts and feed their followers. (Note that I judiciously avoided framing any of these in my photos!). It's sad that that is what they think travellers want. Although, perhaps it is now?

Still, it seemed to me to be a very authentic place. I found the people to be friendly and curious and welcoming and not at all out to get you. You don't hear much English, and more often than not, we had to work out what was going on for ourselves as there was not much signage or information to be had. But it didn't take much to find help when we needed it. All we had to do was ask! It's a country with a fascinating history that seems mostly interested in living in the present. We were told that the Colombian motto is "...for now", as in, that's the situation at the moment but things might change, so let's make the most of it. It's hard not to have a great deal of respect for this way of thinking.

Its past is evident in the traditions and cultural artefacts celebrated by its diverse population, very much in a "lived" way. The Spanish, African and indigenous traditions at times fuse together into a distinct Colombian identity, and elsewhere they take turns to shine through individually. You feel this in the streets - be they adorned in ornate colonial terraces offering a cacophony of bachacha or vallenato music to entice you to a seat and a drink, or a ramshackle jumble of red brick apartments piled on top of one another blaring reggaeton and demanding you get up to dance. It depends on where you go. The highlights for me were places like Cartagena and the district of Comuna 13 in Medellin where Colombians seem to have come together to stamp their collective foot down and say, as much to themselves as to the rest of the world, "we're here!". The lowlights were definitely the noseeums (chiggers) - a type of arachnid (mite, not spider) that you don't detect, but which have no trouble finding you. My legs are still covered in hundreds of bites from the jungles of the Lost City almost three weeks ago!

Overall, I loved my time in Colombia and would relish the chance to return. I do suspect there will be more stunningly scenic places along the way south from here. There may also be better food. Certainly there will be better wine. But I will be surprised if there is anywhere as willing to wear its heart on its sleeve. Anywhere as welcoming. Or, frankly, anywhere as fun.