Dear blogger,
as technology evolves, and ways of presenting blogs and information as well, I have revamped the whole blog with a new theme, a new organized way of posts as well.
You will find the updated version of this blog plus some upcoming post at this address :
Enjoy!
After a year, and thinking a lot about my next South or Central American destination, I have just made up my mind and will go back to Colombia. But this time to discover other parts of this big country. The purpose is to spend new year in Leticia in the heart of Amazonia and go for a wildlife spotting guided tour in the jungle, hopefully the weather will not be too wet (Violet Trace on map).
Then the major highlights of the trip will be Cali to dance Salsa! (see the blue trace). A cool bus ride taking me slowly from Bogota till Bucaramanga throughout nice trekking places and colonial villages (Yellow trace). And finally hit the Carribean coast for a bit of sun and a pre-carnaval ambiance. (Pink trace)
The adventure will begin on the 30th of December 2011 for 3 weeks.
Après 3 semaines de voyage, le retour en Suisse est difficile, hiver, froid, travail, etc…
Je retiens de mon voyage en Colombie les éléments suivants :
Sécurité (le sujet tant attendu)
Le pays n’est, à mon sens, pas plus dangereux que tout autre pays d’Amerique du Sud. Il est clair qu’à Bogota il s’agit de se veiller un peu plus qu’ailleurs, il s’agit d’appeller le taxi qui vient nous prendre pour des raisons de sécurité. Sinon comme dans chaque ville du monde, il y’a des quartiers qui ne sont pas recommandés, voir dangereux.
Pour les autres lieux visités : Manizales, Salento, Medellin, Cartagena, Baranquilla, Santa Marta. Tout est tranquille, on peut sortir le soir seul, on peut prendre le metro et le bus à Medellin, aucun soucis. On peut randonner seul dans les parcs Tayrona et vers Minca au dessus de Santa Marta. En résumé: oubliez totalement ce que les médias (spécialement les médias français) donnent comme image du pays, et faites vous plaisir en découvrant la Colombie.
En ayant déjà voyagé dans 5 pays d’Amerique du Sud précédemment, je dois dire que je me suis senti plus en sécurité en Colombie qu’au Pérou ou qu’en Bolivie.
Après, il y’a toujours le touriste stupide au possible qui va se promener avec son gros reflex Canon autour du cou, sa casquette “NYC” rouge pétante, et son polo Ralph Lauren, s’il lui arrive un soucis, il l’aura cherché. Les règles de bases du voyageurs en Amérique latine s’appliquent, et avec un minimum de bon sens, tout se passe sans soucis.
Les gens
Les gens sont très accueillants, souriants, ouverts, les filles y sont très belles (c’est vrai). Les gens vous aiderons lorsque vous avez besoin de conseils. Et le mieux qu’il puisse vous arrivez, c’est de découvrir le pays à travers les Colombiens, liez vous d’amitié, et vous découvrirez beaucoup plus que les seuls lieux touristiques. Prenez votre temps, on a tendance à tout vouloir voir dans un temps records, mais finalement il vaut mieux s’allouer un peu de souplesse au voyage pour toute rencontre sympathique innattendue.
Tourisme
Le tourisme en Colombie est à ses débuts, c’est pourquoi même avec le Lonely Planet et le Petit Futé sous le bras, il vaut parfois mieux se renseigner auprès des voyageurs rencontrés pour avoir des nouvelles “à jour” concernant les lieux ou séjourner et leur propres découvertes personnelles. Beaucoup d’informations ont changés, des hostels ont fermés ou changé de noms, idem pour les restaurants, et n’oublions pas que le pays est en plein boom économique, et les choses évoluent très vite. La côté Caraibes est bien touristique, surtout Cartagène. Toutefois on est encore aux prémisces du Tourisme, et vu le bouche à oreille qui bat son plein, petit à petit le pays deviendra une destination de plus en plus courrue. D’ou l’intérêt de le visiter avant tout le monde 
Les petits aléas du voyage
Si vous débarquer de Suisse, que vous êtes toujours ponctuel, et que vous espérez que cela se passera toujours pile à l’heure en Colombie, détrompez vous ! En Colombie les gens sont beaucoup plus relax, plus cool, plus détendu, quand on vous donne un rdv, allez y avec 20 min de retard, sans soucis. Idem pour les bus quand on vous dit qu’il arrivera “ahorita”, et que le trajet était sensé durer 1h30, penser 2h30 – 3h. C’est normal, ca fait partie du paysage, donc il faut compter avec. C’est souvent l’occasion de taper la tchatche avec le voisin ou la voisine et d’en apprendre un peu plus sur le pays.
Last part of my travel was in Baranquilla, famous city for it’s singer Shakira. The city itself is not a tourist attraction and it will be difficult to find a good hostel, so go to Howard Johnson hotel, it’s more expensive but for a couple of days it’s a great value. And avoid the Barahona 72, it’s really bad, noisy and not worth the prize of it.
Baranquilla doesn’t really have a one street to go out and party, and the information you will find either in Lonely Planet or Petit Fute, are not up to date anymore at all. So your best move would be to get to know someone there to show you and guide you to different places. I spent a couple of nights there and I have to say you may end up in surprisingly great ambiance such as Coco beach, on a rooftop. Nice Coktail, nice set, great music, what else would you dream of ?
Without music Colombia wouldn’t be the same, famous music artists are Colombian natives. Shakira, Juanes, Carlos Vives, Fonseca…. and the list goes on.
To give you a sense of what music ambiance you will meet in Colombia here are a few video clips of what you can hear right now in most of the clubs in Colombia. Please do not forget that most of latin music are to be danced with a girl (not stupidly alone on some techno beat ),
Reggaeton :
Merengue :
Salsa :
Bachata :
Carlos Vives
And something which is a bit special : Vallenato Traditional
Monday and Tuesday were about nature and hiking in the area of Santa Marta.
Monday I decided to go to Minca, a little village up in the rainforest of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. I took a collectivo (understand here a taxi, inside which you fit 6 people), so I was between two fat people, so let’s say that the trip was squeezy for me but still good. The village is not that far, but you have to go through the dense traffic and then a little road with a lot of holes on it, so it’s a little bit “adventurous”, especially taking into consideration the car we had, when you look at it you wonder how the engine started .
But anyway, I arrived in Minca, this little village, and after digging some touristic information I had a nice walk for 2 – 3 hours on a very muddy walking path. A lot of birds can be seen in the area, it’s a rainforest environment. The rain usually happens in the afternoon, and it didn’t miss me. So aim of the walk was to see some nice rainforest landscapes and reach a cascade, you go through a lot of coffee and banana cultures.
Tuesday was about Tayrona National Park. To avoid the touristy usual way, I took the “out of the beaten track” option (as usual if I can). So I took the usual bus to Parque Tayrona Entrance, but I stopped at “Cabalazo”, and started a 3 hours hike to reach “El Pueblito”. It was 9 am when I started the hike, and let’s say it go very fast very very warm and humid, I wondered why I was wearing a T-shirt. Water in the backpack was more than necessary. This rainforest – banana culture area is definitely beautiful, reaching “El Pueblito” which is basicelly a little indigenous village, you pass a couple of huge stones, wondering how they got here as we are on the top of a mount.
My overall hiking planning was of 5-6 hours, so I didn’t waist too much time up there in el Pueblito and went back down the other side, to reach the sea coast. I almost lost myself on the last part of the downhill walk, and as it got very muddy and you couldn’t see anything as soon as you are out of the beach (the rainforest meets the beach), but in the end I reached Cabo de San Juan, surely the most touristic part of the Parc Tayrona. You can camp here, or sleep under a roof with you hammock, or you can play the expensive stuff and get a nice romantic room seaside. The place is really stunning, huge rocks are part of the side of the beach, coconuts are everywhere (be careful while choosing your tent place, a coconut might kill you )
The weather got a bit cloudy so the colours were not the most beautiful, but it wasn’t bad either.
The walk back along the beach to the main entrance took me another 2 hours, it was also very muddy. And it begun raining during the last 30 min. But, arriving at the exit I have met a big group of people from los Llanos, and we had a good time just waiting for the bus to get out of the Parc. Very friendly people, I just regret that our path didn’t match to meet later on.
If you look close at my poor t-shirt, that tells you how sweaty you get while walking in the rainforest
Whole album to be found here :
Santa Marta is a four hour bus drive from Cartagena direction north – east.
I arrived there last Saturday end of day, and it was more a “couple weekend”. My friend from Baranquilla joined me to spend the week end in Santa Marta.
So we tried a couple of nice restaurant, sea food is amazing here I have to say. Highly recommend “Donde Chucho” restaurant.
Then, we headed out the club named “Burukuka”, it’s right over “El Rodadero”, the touristy set of Santa Marta. So from the disco’s terrace you have an amazing view on the beach and it’s coconut trees. The place is amazing, the music is great, only the coktails seemed to have a lack of alcool.
Funny thing to mention, is that although it’s 30 degrees everyday and very humid, it’s still almost Christmas, and the decorations are everywhere, and most of all at the beach side. Quite surprising to see this from a European point of view when Christmas, is more about snow and cold weather.
The second evening was about trying to get a sense of the crazy ambiance which was going on at “El Rodadero”, this is THE Colombian touristy destination on the Carribean coast. At the beach a lot of different group of people where drinking Aguardiente and dancing as some live bands were playing next to them. Cool, relaxing festive ambiance.
After leaving a little while the blog, I am trying my best to get it updated
So last Friday was about trying out the last night in Cartagena So I had a last nice lunch at “El Bistrot” highly recomended place in the historical center of Cartagena, you won’t get typical local food but you will get outstanding quality fine food for a very reasonable prize. The place is owned by two germans.
Then a couple of beers on the nice outside terrace of “Donde Fidel” a Salsa bar where people dance a bit everywhere, might it be in the bar, on the walking path, or even directly on the terrace… who cares ? it’s fun!
So tonight was a lot more “local style”, it almost appeared that most of the “working girls” disappeared.
A live band was playing local typical music such as Cumbia, Vallenato and Salsa. Great ambiance on the main place of Cartagena historical center.
So midnight happened when I decided to give a second try to “Mister Babilla” a famous disco in the Zona Rosa, it’s in the Getsemani Barrio, the road is pretty dirty and not very welcoming…but…as soon as you enter this place, it gets really fun. You will be invited easily to dance Vallenato, Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia, Bachata, Reggaeton. Good fun!
Experience done, weekly time in Cartagena is “ok” for a couple of drinks but don’t expect more. And week end gets really crowded with local people, and it’s awesome!
All album of Cartagena could be see here :
This last Tuesday I took a flight from Medellin to discover the Caribbean coast, the last big part of my Colombian trip.
Stepping out of the plane was a great feeling, you feel the nice warm climate, and the tropical humidity (this might be my addiction i believe).
Discovering the old town of Cartagena is magical, every street you look at makes you say “WOW”, the colonial architecture has been preserved, their colours are stunning, the cathedral is reveals it’s true colors by the end of the day and by night the lights makes it even nicer.
It’s a very romantical city, you can have a round of the old town in a Caleche, and then sip a nice coktail at the seaside on the walls of the old town at Cafe del Mar in a trendy chill out ambiance.
Cartagena de Indias is the new Coastal destination for tourism in Colombia, as any other city here in Colombia you will find 3 different worlds, the historical center classed on Unesco list, the touristic heart of the city with nice charming hotels, the Bocagrande beach area, where you see ugly big new hotels. And finally the back of the city, the place you don’t really see as a tourist, but which still does exist, which is where the main local neighbourhoods are, from middle range till very poor ones.
The attractions of the area is first on the list, the historical center, with it’s pirates war background, it’s beautiful streets with balconies and jalousies and colourful walls. This is also a gastronomical destination where you can enjoy rice with coco, kind of addicted actually. Other Ceviches, and product from the sea.
The only con side of the area at the moment, is that, when it rains, it really rains heavily sometimes for a couple of hours. If you are outside at this very moment, you can try to protect yourself under a balcony for a few minutes, but you will surely end up by jumping in a taxi to go back to a covered place.
The other attractions of the place are the beautiful beaches of Isla de Baru and Isla de Rosario, but so far the weather wasn´t really nice. I may have more chance with the beaches up north.
Regarding nightlife, tonight will be friday so I look forward to experience it with some local people. But so far I have to say that there is a great salsa ambiance, but there is also a lot of prostitution around which ruins a bit the image of the city.
In Medellin I stayed at the Buddha Hostel. A calm hostel, very friendly and peaceful out of the noisy center, which allows you to rest in peace after partying like an animal all night, avoiding the “party hostel” kind. Thank you to Martin the owner and his great living spirit.
The area is surrounded by nature, you almost feel like being in a little tropical forest, there is a terrace, two nice dogs and two cats are also part of the place.
During this stay we met a cook chief who is revolutioning the backpackers habits, by preparing gourmet food for the travellers. Here is what it looks like before:
See the menu here : menu
It was a gourmet dinner of 10 different plates for an affordable backpacker’s prize. A big Thank you to Jose and his son who made us experience their fine cooking talent.
Here below two links for two recommendations :
