On our last day in the rough port city of Buenaventura we decided to venture out of the small tourist center for a meal in the one restaurant that was recommended to us. We carefully made our way a few blocks from our hotel for some local seafood. The meal did not disappoint. As we navigated back to the hotel down the gritty streets we heard someone call our names. “Oliver, Jennifer!” We didn’t know anyone in this town and no one even knew we were here. Then, we noticed a you

We said our goodbyes to Alberto and his family in Coffee Country and headed off to the Pacific coast. The whales were still off the coast but would be migrating south in another week. If we wanted to see them we had to go now. We were just four hours away. We decided to become reacquainted with the Colombia bus system as flights to the area took twice as long. It would be difficult as we had gotten used to Alberto’s wonderful hospitality in chauffeuring us half way across the

Our trip to coffee country with Alberto and his family was off to a great start, despite the fifteen hour drive the previous day. The coffee plantation was beautiful. Our hacienda was a large suite of four rooms and a covered porch. There were two well appointed bedrooms, a spacious bathroom, and a room with large glass windows, rocking chairs, and a hammock. It was lovely. We were too tired to do anything but clean up and get in bed. But, just as we turned out the lights we

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

None of us would get out of bed if we didn’t think that the day had the possibility of being better than the day before. It was with that thought that I crawled out of my warm sleeping bag and started packing our wet clothes. The roosters crowing, the dogs barking, and the sun light beaming into our room also helped. Even though it was 6:30 am, the children I had seen the night before were no longer in the house. I don’t know if they were out doing chores around the farm, or

We were in Colombian Andes and life was good. I was eager to hit the trail, so after adjusting hiking poles and packs we set off. I saw a sign with a trail map, but didn’t really see much of a trail. For the first 30 minutes we jumped from rock to rock, to avoid sinking into the rich deep mud. The trail was more of a creek bed or bog. I think the sheep and cows were as surprised as I was, when several times I came nose to nose with them as they blended into the shrubbery. As