Excited to be going back to Bogota! Civilization! No rooster wake up calls and restaurants with menus! The departure time wasn’t printed on our airline tickets from La Macarena to Villavicencia, so we made our way to the office of the airline the night before to make sure that we knew what time to arrive for our flight out. When we walked into the lobby the lady behind the counter knew our names without us saying anything! I guess there aren’t that many non-spanish speaking A

The boat ride back from the hike to Macarena was touch and go. We drifted in the fast moving current unable to steer because the engine lost power. We neared the bank covered with vegetation teeming with wildlife, including huge tree climbing iguana with very sharp teeth. Finally, the boat operator got the motor working and we made it safely back to the dock. Carolina was waiting to greet us after the long day. We immediately asked about our itinerary for the next day. To our

No need for an alarm clock when the roosters and construction started around 6:30 am. We awoke to find the city was without power, it happens a few times a day. No problem, we opened our shutters and watched the neighbors chasing a horse out of their yard and a lady wielding a machete cutting the common area. Life starts early in the country. We dressed in our hiking gear, filled our water bottles and headed out to find breakfast and meet our group. After only one afternoon w

After our mountain hiking experience we needed a few days to rest and recuperate in Bogota (okay I actually needed to go eat again at my favorite Colombian chain restaurant, Crepes and Waffles). And, so after my fill of caramel, chocolate and ice cream, we were off to hike the jungles of central Colombia and see the beautiful colors of the river in Cano Cristales. I think we have mastered the Colombia bus system. We had no problems navigating our way out of Bogota to Villavic

Today we are leaving Bogota for a new adventure in Cano Cristales, a river in central Colombia. Also known as “the river of five colors” and “the liquid rainbow, Cano Cristales has been described as the most beautiful river in the world. Until just a few years ago, Cano Cristales was controlled by guerrilla forces and was not safe for tourists. Recently, the area has opened for tourism and we are excited to experience the natural beauty of the river that is like no other in t