Colombia- By Leane

I think Steve (on Instagram @puddy_steve) and Anna managed to capture our experience in Panama. It was an unexpected stop, but certainly worthwhile.

I was nervous about Colombia. Growing up, I knew it to be a country of war and violence. I never imagined that in the process of healing and rebuilding over the past 23 years, it would become one of the most beautiful and friendly places I have ever visited.

Our first stop was Medellin (as captured by Amelie), the second densest city in the world. Medellin is situated in a valley, surrounded by mountains and greenery, and the drive into the city from the airport provided most magnificent views into the city. We stayed in Poblado, the city’s safest neighbourhood, and Metro systems throughout the city are second to none, including an aerial tram up to some of Medellin’s mountainside neighbourhoods and national parks.

Our commitment to learning enough spanish to feel safe traveling through the continent with three young girls has been worthwhile already. Through the school experience, we met so many wonderful Costa Ricans and Colombians. Our first week of Blink Spanish school in Medellin turned to two when all three Mathias girls voted to continue on. The backbacker crowd at Blink was happy to have a family of five tag along on their excursions, including a night of Tejo (Colombian national game involving throwing a rock at gun powder filled papers, creating explosions to gain points) and an exciting soccer match between Medellin’s two rival teams.

Four weeks of spanish school has given us enough skill to navigate conversations with so many Colombians. They are some of the most helpful, friendly people- we have yet to meet an unfriendly Colombian, or anyone without the patience to tolerate our poor verb tenses. People stop us on the street to offer direction and suggestions, others offer their phone number on the metro in case we have any troubles.

To break up our two weeks of school in the city, we hopped on a bus and headed off on the 2 hour, windy bus ride to Guatapé. Guatapé is a resort town for Medellin locals, A small town situated on a series of many small lakes. On the outskirts of town lies the “piedra”, a huge rock with stairs up one side. Views from the top are spectacular (see Amelie’s Medellin post).

Unfortunately, Guatapé provided us with a hard lesson about drinking tap water outside the major Colombian cities. It was a rough go for all 3 girls and I, but we are back up and at it again, making up for lost calories with more deep fried cheese bread and empanadas. Vegetables seem to be a thing of the past for the moment.

We made our way into the Andes. Travel days can be intense. The roads are incredibly narrow, windy, and often washed out in places. The buses hug the mountainside with steep drops on one side. The views make up for all of this. Rolling hillsides, vast mountains, lakes, waterfalls, and villages along the way.

Our stop in Jardin at a coffee farm was a special one. The farm has been in Javier’s family for over 100 years, a spectacular property with a 360 degree views of the Andes terrain at 2200 ft elevation. He and his family were incredible hosts and the girls loved learning about the coffee making process. We learned first hand that picking coffee beans from trees at elevation on a steep mountain is no easy feat! We were treated to farm to table meals and exploration of the property and farm on horseback. While most of our time was spent in the mountains 20 minutes out of town, we did enjoy a walk through the town on Sunday afternoon, giving us the impression that Jardin is a true Colombian gem, off the tourist track. With a very Western feel to it, locals spend Sunday afternoons in one of many small bars dressed in cowboy attire drinking, dancing, singing and socializing.

Another (scary!) travel day via Jeep and bus to Salento made us realize just how far off the beaten track we had been. Salento definitely had a more touristy feel, though the landscapes were equally vast and beautiful. Here, we stayed on the property of a Canadian expat and his beautiful Colombian family. Salento will always be remembered for its long, beautiful hikes (including the Corcora Valley, captured by Anna on her post) and for the Tarantula in our bedroom. OMG.

Continuing south towards the Ecuador border, we spent a couple of days in Popayan, a beautiful colonial town and UNESCO site for gastronomy. We walked and ate our way through town, enjoying the streets lined with white buildings and many churches before continuing our journey south. The trek from Popayan to Ipiales was our longest day yet. Eleven hours, many spent gripping the edges of our seats, to arrive in the somewhat seedy border town. Arriving at our hotel at 10pm, we were greeted with lion printed bed covers and grimy bathrooms (note- the beds did NOT vibrate). I am still recovering from that night. Ew. However, the gem in Ipiales is La Sanctuario de las Lajas, a most beautiful church situated in a deep valley, surrounded by waterfalls and green cliffs, where we stopped on our way to the border. It was nothing short of spectacular. The walkways are lined with plaques from thousands of individuals, families, and groups who have contributed to the building and maintainence of the church over the past 60+ years. Pilgrims parade to this site during Holy Week every year and celebrations are plentiful.

Colombia far exceeded our expectations. Our time here was unbelievably special. The girls have gained confidence in meeting new people, exploring new environments, trying new foods, using new language skills, and embracing new experiences. As a family, we have settled into our new lifestyle. We look forward to venturing further south over the next two months in South America.