Bogotá - Colombia is one of the most beautiful countries in South America and is still unspoilt by mass tourism. You can blame this on Colombia’s turbulent past histories of kidnappings and drug cartel wars which have combined to deter all but the most intrepid traveller from visiting.
But with the recent stabilisation of the country; more travel companies are selling it as an exciting, safe destination.
This December I went on a 15-day tour of Colombia offered by Intrepid. This budget tour started and ended in the capital, Bogata. The itinerary was both interesting and diverse.
The journey to Colombia from South Africa is an expensive one involving two long haul international flights. You can fly there either via Europe or Brazil, which is what I did.
Shortly after my arrival I headed to the Gold Museum which was first on my list of have-to-see places. This world class museum houses over 55 000 pieces of gold and other material from all the major pre-Hispanic cultures in Colombia. The pieces are all laid out in logical thematic rooms over three floors with descriptions in both Spanish and English.
Early next morning I joined two fellow travellers on a trip up to Cerro De Monserrate to view the city from 3 152m. You can walk up the 1 500 steps if fit or take either the cable car or funicular to the top. We joined a Sunday crowd en route to the church which has been a pilgrim site for miracles since the 1650s.
From Cerro De Monserrate, it is a short walk to the old part of the city La Candelaria. This area is a potpourri of colonial houses, churches, convents and has many quaint cafes and bars. We stopped for lunch at Cervato, a traditional restaurant. Our friendly host Elsa gave us lots of food and travel advice - all in Spanish.
The next day we hopped on a short flight to Salento which is set amid green mountains. The town is renowned for its coffee and trout farming. The pre-Christmas atmosphere in town was festive with music and dancing in the square.
East of Salento lies the beautiful green Valle de Cocora, home to the Colombia’s national tree, the wax palm. These palms can reach 60m. We enjoyed a short hike to the waterfall; bird life is prolific here; some 70 percent of the Colombian birds live in the Andean cloud forest, which is one of the worlds’ most endangered ecosystems.
After leaving Salento we travelled by bus to the Zona Cafetera, a coffee growing region where many of the best farms have opened themselves to tourism. We spent two interesting days on Hacienda Venecia learning first hand from the experts the secrets to brewing a great coffee. The farm has scooped many awards for its quality beans. Colombia is the third largest producer of coffee globally. Unfortunately the best is exported which means that local coffee drinking can be unpleasant.
Fuelled on caffeine, we left the hacienda and caught a local bus for a torturous 6-hour journey on hairpin bends to Medellin. As we descended from the high altitude of the coffee slopes we passed through some of the most beautiful green countryside.
We arrived in Medellin at midday but unfortunately the city’s attractions and shops closed over Christmas so visiting its famous Museum of Modern Art was not an option. After lunch some of us explored a small area of the city on foot. This modern city with its towering buildings is the second largest in Colombia.
Under the violent leadership of Pablo Escobar, Medellin became the cocaine capital of the world. Gun battles and bombing became common place and city homicide rates soared. The beginning of the end of violence came with Escobar’s death in 1993 and today Medellin is a secure and accessible destination.
My first world travel companions were curious about the living conditions in the barrios (slums) outside of the city. So Sunday morning saw us en mass taking the train and cable car up to the barrios and the local craft market at the end of the cable station. Most of the inhabitants were courteous and somewhat taken aback by a troupe of camera toting tourists wandering through their turf.
We left a cool Medellin, flew to Bogata and then on to Cartagena. (The direct flight was overbooked). Having read Garcia Marquez’s book Love in the Time of Cholera, a novel possibly set in Cartagena, I was keen to explore the old town.
Cartagena’s old town is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It was established in 1533 and within a few decades, Cartagena grew quickly into the main Spanish port on the Caribbean and a major northern gateway to South America. The city lies behind a stone wall of 13km, originally built to keep out pirates. There are cobbled streets, well preserved churches, monasteries, plazas, palaces and pastel-toned mansions with balconies and flowering pots of bougainvillea. The old town is also filled with high-end luxury shops and restaurants which cater to the cruise ship clientele.
The best way to experience the town is by walking it, preferably in the early morning or late afternoon when the heat and humidity is not so oppressive. To escape the afternoon heat, I spent a few hours in the Place of the Inquisition (1610 to 1776), now a museum where ghoulish instruments of torture were displayed. The principal crimes tried here were magic, witchcraft and blasphemy. When found guilty culprits were sentenced to death in the public square.
We left Cartegena for a short stay at a retreat near Santa Martha. This was going to be our jump off point for our brief stay at the Tayrona National Park. After being dropped by a taxi at the entrance, we hiked into the park and spent the day on the palm-fringed beaches. The scenery is magnificent since the high cliffs and virgin rainforests drop dramatically down to the seashore. Large granite boulders are scattered along shoreline.
The evening was spent in a hammock that mercifully had a mosquito net.
From Sante Martha we flew to Bogata and then took a taxi to Villa de Leyva to spend New Year. This beautifully preserved colonial town was filled with local visitors.
The town is famous for its abundance of fossils from the Cretaceous and Mesozic periods when it was underwater. For those not wanting to wander around the town, there are a variety of outdoor activities and trails.
On our return to Bogata, we stopped at the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira, which is one of three unique structures in the world. Around 250 000 tons of salt was cleared away to carve out the moody, ethereal underground sanctuary.
My last morning in Bogata was spent at the Botero Museum which houses the artist’s personal collection as well as works by artists Chagall, Renoir, Monet, Dali and Miro.
The 15 days passed all too quickly. I loved Colombia and the people. I feel fortunate that I have experienced Colombia before it becomes the next best destination for travellers to South America.
Sunday Tribune