Colombia's Best Kept Secrets

Colombia: cocaine, coffee, danger. That's the misinformed impression. But, as millions of other travellers will attest to, there is so much more to this fabulous country. Firstly, despite the presence of all three aforementioned 'qualities', their influence on Colombian society has decreased dramatically in the last few years, as the country becomes a much safer place to live. Secondly, this gateway between Central and South America has a relatively rich history and boasts some ridculously diverse geographical phenomena.

My whsitle-stop tour of Colombia began in Guatapé, a few hours outside of Medellin. Home to hundreds of man-made lakes and one very large rock, Guatapé claims to have the best view in the world, which although not true, is an advertising slogan that brings in the tourists. To be fair, it is rather smashing. On a personal level, I sampled the skills a Colombian barber (who also worked part time as a fireman). My decision to start up an in depth conversation about James Rodriguez proved to be my downfall, as the man simply didn't stop cutting, leaving me with a rather brutal trim.

The view from the rock at Guatapé

Medellin, was the next stop, supposedly the drug capital of the country, as well as having South America's biggest wealth disparity. Indeed, affluent areas full of boutique stores and delightful coffee shops contrasted with the numerous homeless people, forraging and scavenging to make a living. This was the only place I found cocaine in any sort of abundance, with dealers targeting 'gringos', many of whom have specifically journeyed to Colombia to sample its devilishly cheap powder. Another distraction in Medellin was the 'feria de las flores', or flower festival. I didn't see many flowers, but there were several street parties and cracking shirts on offer. Medellin also boasts a rather lovely metro system that cuts through the valley in which the city sits. It has been pencilled in as a potential place to live.

Heading into the jungle

If one heads north, the temperature hits the thirties and just wandering around can be a strain on your endurance. Rather handily, numerous spectacular beaches are on offer to cool you down. In Tayrona National Park, there are several deserted beaches and trails through jungle to explore. It was a toss up between Los Naranjos and the nudist beach. Naranjos was more deserted, but a skinny dip in the Caribbean Sea is always going to be fun. The hostel, complete with straw roof, hammocks, communal meals and no artificial lighting, was a sort of paradise. The park, apparently home to thousands of species of wildlife, is a protected area.

Fred on Los Naranjos

The nudist beach

A few hours West lies the city of Cartagena. It was a crucial port in the fight for independence from Spain, but suffered from the numerous wars, which stopped the flow of fresh water into the cities from rivers. As a result, Cartagena suffered a cholera outbreak and fell into decline. You may be familiar with Gabriel Garcia Marquez's novel, 'Love In The Time Of Cholera', which is based upon this period of Cartagena's history. The city has a beautiful old town, wonderfully preserved and great to amble around. It was also where I discovered some of the delights of Colombian cuisine. Beans and rice are staple foods, not dissimilar to what you find in Brazil or the Dominican Republic. But Colombia makes the most of having a Caribbean and Pacific coast by serving up some smashing seafood dishes. The 'cevicheria' was delicious, an orange and lime-based sauce, with onions and seafood all thrown in. I also tried a sumptuous octopus salad. 

If you're feeling particularly bold, you can visit a volcano that spurts mud. We had high hopes on the hour-long journey from Cartagena, but these were dashed when we arrived at the 'volcano', which had a mere 20 steps leading to the top. That said, it was bigger than any volcano I have seen back home. There was a pool of mud in which one could wallow and frolick, whilst being massaged by Colombian men. It was a bizarre, but satisfying sensation of floating weightlessly in the mud. To get clean, you must pay a visit to the nearby lagoon, where women will get all the mud off you. I was commanded to remove all my clothes with the repetition of one word: 'naked'. I duly obliged and found myself sitting in the lagoon, being scrubbed down by a middle-aged Colombian lady. It all sounds a bit silly really... 

Cartagena- the old town

The country also serves up decent beer (far nicer than in Brazil) and rum is very common. After drinking a few Cuba Libres and attempting to dance salsa in Cartagena's 'Havana Club', I felt myself transforming into a laid-back latino. Bogota also served up some fun nightlife, namely the famous 'Andres Carne de Res'. I had heard a lot about it, but 'indescribable' came up a lot. What I found it to be was two things: a lot of fun and absolutely enormous. The music was latino, dancing was everywhere and you could wander through the mazy passages for hours. Bogota itself is a hotbed of museums, none of which I visited, but gazed at from the outside on my one day visit. 

Of course, Colombia can still be a dangerous place, as can any country. The cocaine trade is still massive, but it's different to how it was a decade ago. The drug lords take in less money to draw less attention to themselves and the risk to innocent civilians has dramatically fallen. Coffee is a large part of daily life of course, but there are misconceptions about this country and ever so much that many people aren't aware of. I'm sure you'll agree that there is far more to it than drugs and coffee. I can't recommend it enough and can't wait to be back.