Because of the ease with which I could communicate I had no trouble meeting local people and learning as much as I could about the ins and outs of the the country. I learned quickly the severity of the cocaine industry. I saw the people trapped in poverty and the people living in ludicrous abundance; both slaves to the drug industry and the corruption it feeds.
In Bogota I had little children approach me in the streets and in Medellin slick, gold-covered men approach me in the bars; both trying to sell the same thing.
I tried to befriend a girl sitting alone in a bar, naively wanting to make sure she was OK, only to find out she was ‘a lady of the night’ and wanted me to introduce her to the male friends I had arrived there with.
Another time I accidentally ended up in a brothel disguised as a nightclub, after some very friendly young men led my friends and I to what they promised was the most spectacular night club in Colombia.
Things go wrong when you travel, you make mistakes which turn into great stories, there are bad people and bad situations . . . but that is not all that Colombia is and when you get out of the cities and into the more remote, authentic areas you will find pure magic.
Mundo Nuevo — an eco lodge hostel I lived in, near Minca, in the Sierra Nevada mountains (the world’s highest coastal mountain range) — is just one example of the rich beauty and culture to be found in Colombia. This organic farm is dedicated to permaculture, preservation of natural resources, sustainability and education — and the dunny has the most spectacular view of any I have ever encountered.
To get there I had to bus from Santa Marta (one of the armpits of the world) and then jump on the back of a two-wheeler dirt bike (with my backpack), driven by a 14-year-old local boy — without helmets — and ride up a rocky, muddy, STEEP mountain. At times, I had to get off the bike and walk in order to avoid falling off a cliff face.
‘Travel smart, embrace the beauty of diversity’ You can walk the whole way but it would take you a few hours with your backpack— and where’s the adrenaline rush in that? As soon as I have an experience like that though, I know where I am heading is going to be worth it. People who don’t appreciate the wondrous beauty of mother nature don’t go to that much trouble to stay in a hostel with no wifi and where all the food is home-grown, organic and vegetarian.
I knew at the end of that bike ride I would be surrounded with my people, my tribe. Undoubtedly the greatest hostel I have found in all of the six continents I have stepped foot on.
There are also places like Parque Tayrona, a majestic coastal escape between the Caribbean Sea and the Sierra Nevada mountains . . . yes, it has two ecosystems.
Parque Tayrona is home to long stretches of golden sand beaches, vibrant, thick rainforest, indigenous peoples and incredibly diverse wildlife. There you can hike, camp, swim, explore and experience pure life, immersed among over 60 mammal species, 400 species of birds and countless other little creatures.
Then there is the city of Cartagena which, like all big cities, has its own problems with illegal activity and possible danger.
However, to me it felt vibrant, alive, and safe. As I have said before, as long as you use common sense, ie don’t walk around alone at night, don’t get too drunk and don’t carry or wear valuable items, you are going to have an awesome experience. The history, the colour, the beaches and the music . . . the city has a soul and the energy is contagious.
Cartagena is one of very few cities in the world I genuinely loved.
With only three weeks in Colombia, I didn’t get to experience all that it holds, and I will undoubtedly be heading back there one day for more adventures. I can’t recommend it highly enough, to anyone out there wanting to see something amazing.
Just travel smart and embrace the beauty of diversity.
