Already since I’ve been back I’ve seen news about Colombia, negative news regarding conflicts in parts of the country. Unfortunately this is the image Colombia has had for a long time and continues to have. Of course there are problems in the country. But I would like people to know that you can go there and have an amazing trip and meet wonderful people, never knowing or being exposed to any of these things that are reported on by the media.

After travelling from the capital city of Bogotá, to the beautiful islands of San Andrés and Providencia with their unique Caribbean culture, to the fascinating colonial city of Cartagena and to Tayrona National Park, my interests were piqued – and I couldn’t have imagined what more the country had to offer.

Our trade show in Bogotá gave me the chance to meet the many tour operators who have picked the best places in the country to visit. There is the desert of Guajira, the archaological sites of San Augustín, the Amazon region, the Pacific coast where there are ecolodges and whale watching and surfing, the colonial and modern cities, the coffee regions where some of the world’s best coffee comes from, and I could go on. I hope I have the opportunity to go back one day and explore some more.

I wanted to thank Proexport, the Colombian government for inviting us on the trip, the hotels we stayed at, the amazing restaurants we ate at (still can’t get that yummy food out of my head!), and the fun dive instructors we had. And a special thanks to Lorena Zapata for being our group’s leader, making sure we got everywhere we had to get to on time as much as possible and for being flexible with all of us, who each had different interests and independent personalities!  Lorena invited me into her home and became a great friend. She and her family, who moved to Bogota from Ecuador 10 years ago and fell in love with the country, charged me with becoming an Ambassador to Colombia! So I am attempting to fulfill my promise, with pleasure.

Here are a few more random pics of our “Chiva” driver in Bogota, Punta Faro, Cartagena, and sunset at Taganga.

The last couple of days we had the pleasure of seeing another small Caribbean coastal town of Colombia. As you drive from Cartagena, the vegetation gets drier and drier to the point where cactus trees line the streets and it appears desert-like.  The rolling hills while not lush, are interestingly covered in cacti, a mountainous desert in a way.

We drove through the town of Barranquilla where preparations for the annual Carnival parties were going on. Since our trip was focused on diving, we did not stop here for the festivities but the carnival here is apparently one of the biggest in the world, just not as well know yet as those in places like Rio de Janeiro and Trinidad.

This part of the country is surprisingly quite undeveloped, with most houses being small wood-framed huts along the road.  The winding road took us up into the mountains and down over the other side to the small town of Taganga, near the one of the oldest ports, Santa Marta. Taganga is a tiny beach town with lots of dive shops and backpackers.

Diving here was different, it always amazes me each time I go under water and a different world appears. Here the visibility wasn’t as great as San Andrés, but the coral was interesting. Huge rocks covered in different coloured hard corals and lots of different fish. The sea was pretty rough though and even though our instructor Max and his wife of Poseidon Dive Center took us out in a great fully equipped boat, the rocking back and forth on our way to the beach for lunch made me seasick!

We arrived at Tayrona National Park for an afternoon on a secluded beach where the Ecohabs are located. “Eco Habs” stand for Eco – habitaciones (or Eco Rooms in English). They are huts built in the traditional indigenous style of the region, furnished with comfortable beds in white linens, hammocks looking out to the forest or the sea, stone and ceramic bathrooms and even a flatscreen and iPod docking station, all under a thatched roof and 360 degree wood-shuttered windows.

We had a delicious 3-course meal on the beach. At this ecolodge several trails through the rainforest can be explored with a naturalist to see monkeys and various endemic species of birds and other wildlife.  The lodge is run by solar power and has several other initiatives to make it the greenest accommodation in Colombia.

With that our two weeks in the Caribbean drew to a close. We were then off to Bogotá for the real work to begin – the travel trade show – and another chance to explore the capital city at its high and cool altitude of 2640m (7900 feet!).

Technorati Profile
Blog Listings

One of the most famous colonial cities in the world, Cartagena de Indias was named by the Spanish after a city in Spain, and given the name “of the Indies” to distinguish it from that city, marking its location in the West Indies.  Founded in 1533, Cartagena underwent several pirate attacks, forcing residents to build a wall around the city and several fortresses with underground tunnels for making quick escapes. The wall and fortresses still stand strong today and create a unique backdrop to the colonial architecture. Unfortunately I only have night views of the Castillo de San Felipe but it gives you an idea.

 

We spent some time exploring and were treated to a stay in one of the most beautiful boutique hotels, Bovedas de Santa Clara, in the “old city” among cobblestone streets, brightly coloured buildings and flowering balconies.  Just walking through the streets and plazas is an unforgettable experience in a colonial city such as this.

There is SO much more to see, we all would have loved some more time here, knowing it is a special place. But we were whisked off to another island off the coast of Cartagena for more diving and some time on the beach at one of the several islands that can be reached by boat within a couple of hours from the city harbor.  The hotel was fairly simple but nicely designed from the outside with high thatched roofs and an open concept. The beach was small and private, and nice for relaxing. Unfortunately the food did not live up to the amazing restaurants we’ve been to so far, including the simple, typical places. Speaking of food…

I can’t forget our dinners in Cartagena with some of the best dishes I’ve ever had. El Santisimo right near our hotel in Santa Clara where I had mahi-mahi in a delicious sauced served in a banana leaf and candied bananas (pictured above) and Club de Pesca (Fishing Club) which was right on the water at the marina just outside the old wall. I said it before and I’ll say it again, the food is incredible here – the Colombian dishes of fish served in various sauces such as lime with coconut milk and cilantro along with fresh blended fruit juices surely make a stay here that much better.  Then we were off to Santa Marta for some more diving – can’t complain really.

Some more pictures of Cartagena – what an unforgettable place!

 

 

I wanted to share some more underwater images from some of our dives so far. My favorite is the sting ray, such a graceful and gentle creature to watch up close. I love all the fish and corals and sponges. It’s another world. Enjoy the pics!

 

When I was a teenager I used to have a picture of an island in the Bahamas posted up on my wall, the perfect Caribbean island, with palm trees, soft pinkish coral sand, and beautiful turquoise water. This was my dream, I had to see something like this in my lifetime. Finally in my 22nd year I got to Jamaica for the first time, and was lucky enough to see some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The water in Montego Bay, Port Antonio, and Negril left me speechless. My dream had come true.

Since then I’ve been to many tropical beaches in the Caribbean, Central America and South East Asia, and the turquoise water is still one of my favourite things in the world. Here in Providence, I have to say I have been privileged to witness a sea so beautiful I gasped and repeated over an over again, “This is incredible!”

A few pictures, while not quite doing it justice, at least give you an idea. They call it the “Sea of Seven Colours” here because there are so many levels to the blues, aquas and turquoises. At Crab Cay, just a short boat ride from Providence we went up a short path to a lookout point on some rocks and had a 360 degree view of what I think is definitely some of the most beautiful water in the world.  Then we snorkeled around the small island and from the pictures it looks like we were on top of the world.

Back on San Andres we get a lesson in Rastafarian-style living. The word “Ital” pronounced “Eye-tal” while it might remind you of Italian, has nothing to do with it. It means “Vital” and it is what describes the natural way of growing and cooking food in Rastafarianism. It is essentially organic methods of farming and preparing food without chemicals and synthetic fertilizers, the way our ancestors were doing it for centuries.

As I mentioned before there is a strong influence of Jamaican culture like other parts of coastal Latin America (Nicargua, Costa Rica and Panama) and we had the pleasure of visiting Job Saas’ natural farm where he showed us the different fruit trees he grows as well as the endangered species he helps to protect and procreate such as various iguanas, black crabs and turtles.

 
Job Saas made us fresh Tamarind and cane juice and coconut cookies, sweetened from the sugar cane hand-pressed on his farm. Below he is pressing the cane, some of which we chewed on straight from the stalk, it’s sweet and refreshing.

Job Saas really believes in his work and it was nice to be able to visit his place and show him support, as organic farming is not easy, but is so important. He knows nothing he produces pollutes the water or the air, and is naturally healthy for all who consume the fruits of his labors. So kind he is, he even gave me a book that was on display called How to Speak Caribbean English. The Creole they speak here is similar to Jamaican Patois (in fact I can’t really tell the difference). The main difference is that Spanish is mixed in somewhat here, they say especially with the younger generation, as being part of Colombia means their education is in Spanish. Being completely captivated by language, I love to listen and pick out the roots of words and figure out what people are saying. It’s a lot of fun!

This part of our trip is over now, and on we go to one of the most historic and culturally significant cities in the world, Cartagena.

Ultimate relaxation here on Ol’ Providence or La Isla Providencia. It’s super tranquilo, no big hotels, just small cabin-like places built in the style of architecture of island homes. The homes and cabins are wooden two-storey or bungalow structures painted in bright colours, like the one we stayed in called Sol Caribe.  As Jennifer, our host, explains, “the island itself is the 5 star.” They don’t have big resorts or expansive 5 star hotels because they want the island to remain in as much of its natural state and local style as possible.

As we did in San Andres, we took a tour of the island to see some of the cultural and historical sites, like the first church, school, etc. I think sometimes locals must think tourists are crazy for taking pictures of things like an old school made out of wood, but to us these things are just so different it’s really fascinating. Inside the school there were two signs that touched my heart. One said, “We make studying a party” and the other said, “We bring our backpacks filled with love, creativity, discipline, responsibility and respect.”

 

In tropical countries, you never know what you will see on the road. In Cambodia I saw oxcarts, in Indonesia whole families on scooters (this is pretty common in a lot of places, including Colombia, but it was in Indonesia that I saw a little naked maybe 2-year-old boy standing up on the front of the scooter holding the handlebars!). Here we got to see a young boy on his way home from fishing taking his catch on his bike. Nothing like fresh fish! Then we were stopped on the road by a herd of cows and the herder, on motorbike was directing them up the road waving a branch.  There’s something to be said for simplicity in this world…

 
Another thing I love about the tropics is the fresh fruit and natural bounty surrounding you at all times. Have you ever seen almonds in their natural form, growing from trees?  Our lovely Providencian friend, Jennifer, found some for us and broke open the fruit to reveal the nut inside – a fresh raw almond.
 

Our days on Providencia included amazing meals at Miss Mary’s and Caribbean’s Place.  The small restaurants serve up fresh fish, crab and lobster served beautifully presented with fresh blended juices or wine if you prefer. The food has been SOO good the whole time, we’ve all been really satisfied and stuffed full!

Maybe the best part for me, being a huge reggae fan, was going to Richard’s place and watching the sun go down over the sea and grooving to some nice tunes while chatting with Richard himself. Alfonso, the friendly Rasta pictured below made us drinks and we swapped stories about Jamaica, where of course the culture of this island has its roots. An unforgettable place.

 

This morning we took an early flight on a tiny plane over to the small island of Providencia, or
Providence as the local Creole-speaking islanders call it, in English. I was too tired to do the first dive so I took a nap after breakfast and waited till the second dive. We took the boat out into turquoise waters, with the background of the green mountains and palm-lined sands completing the postcard image.

I feel a little nervous at the beginning of each submersion I think just because of the whole breathing under water thing, but I’m getting used to it. I’m also still having difficulties with equalizing, which is what you have to do on the way down. It just means filling the air spaces in your head like the ear drums and sinus cavities (not my brain cavity thank you), by plugging your nose and trying to blow through it at the same time. Your ears squeak letting you know air has gone through. I get pain in my ears so I have to do this quite often, but hopefully that will get better with practice too.

Once down below, after about 5-10 minutes, the adventure really starts. What I thought were corals are sponges, and they are really alive here, some looking like castles with long tubular shapes hosting a number of different colourful species. I have no idea how many different fish I saw but there was definitely a highlight. The other day seeing those large stingrays fly gracefully through the water. Today I saw what divers seem to be most excited about seeing: a shark. Yes a shark! It was just a small nurse shark, but a shark none the less. It was resting under a coral shelter and about four of us hovered around just looking at it sitting there on the bottom, peacefully, with its eyes closed. A little while later a couple of other divers made some noises or enough movement that it decided to change location, so I got to see it emerge and swim away. If you’ve seen Sharkwater, you know how special, important, gentle, and endangered sharks are. Like the lion is to the land animal kingdom, the shark is to the ocean animal kingdom. Without them, the entire ecosystem that is the ocean, our source of oxygen on land, could collapse. Not a bad first “official” dive.

It doesn’t end there, the day gets better. After a short rest and late lunch at about 4:30, all were deciding on whether or not to go on the planned night dive. Some were too tired, or just felt like taking a break. But Gonzalo, Ezequiel, and Willian (the Chilean, Argentinian and Brazilian guys) convinced me to come along, that it would be really awesome and that I didn’t have to worry. Willian is an instructor back in Brazil and Gonzalo is a PADI certified rescue diver, so really, with them and the instructor I didn’t have much to worry about.

Being out in the boat at night is so beautiful, especially in an island way out in the middle of nowhere; there were millions of stars out shining bright. The only difference on a night dive is that you have to use flashlights and so while I was a bit nervous thinking about it being dark all around me, it wasn’t really because we all had lights and while it was different it wasn’t scary.

Probably the coolest part was the phosphorescence. The plankton are out and about in the night and they glow in the dark. They just look like brown particles with the lights on. But towards the end of the dive we all gathered at the bottom on the sand in a tight circle and shut off our flashlights. Then we started waving our arms around like crazy which makes them all light up. Our leader, “Peachy” from Felipe’s Dive Shop (he’s an English, Creole and Spanish speaking local dive instructor) was humming a dance tune to get us into a rhythm as we moved around our arms lighting up the plankton creating a show. It was really cool. So cool it was just making me laugh out of sheer happiness.

Instead of returning right away for dinner, Peachy took us to Roland’s Bar, a nice outdoor beach bar with thatched roof tables and benches and we had a little fire where we stood around in our wet suits and he bought us all a beer. Now that’s a full dive service!

Sitting here now I feel a little bit of motion. I think being submerged twice in one day, for the first time in my life is having a strange effect on my body. Not in a bad way, just a sort of swaying, like the water molecules in my flesh and bones haven’t quite stopped moving around.

Another day of diving and exploring Providence, where there are only 4500 inhabitants and 13000 annual visitors. Jennifer, one of our local hostesses, says they like it this way. They could use a little more tourism to boost their businesses, but they don’t plan to overrun it, because they know it is a special place, with limited resources so sustainability is top of mind. With a seven-month dry season they really have to watch water-consumption and could not support large hotels. Most of the island is protected and undeveloped, with mangroves, forests and healthy reefs. It is calm, ‘tranquilo’ and super safe. A hidden gem of the Caribbean and pride of Colombia.

I’ve always been pretty adventurous. I tried skydiving when I was 19, I’ve been snowboarding for about 10 years, done lots of hiking, and I’ve tried my hand at surfing in Costa Rica and Bali. For some reason diving always interested me but never registered as something I could do, maybe because I’ve never lived near an ocean.

Well my friends, a new chapter of my life has begun. The world of diving offers so much. It’s a special experience for humans, out of their natural environment, floating weightlessly among the fish and seeing the vast coral ecosystems that are hidden from the surface.

Those are my legs!

Tuesday was a full day of lessons and tests for me. I watched three videos in total, read three chapters of the PADI Open Water Diver Manual, and took three short tests. That was the “in-class” part. The “practical” part included two pool submersions where I had to learn all sorts of skills, practice hand signals, simulate running out of air and sharing your “buddy’s” secondary air source, practice buoyancy control, among others. This includes learning about the equipment, how to put the tank and regulator and buoyancy control device (BCD – that’s the vest) together and turn on the air, check the pressure, etc.

After I passed all the tests and practiced the necessary skills, Fabian, my instructor, took me out to the ocean for the real deal, practicing skills at the bottom of the ocean. I had already been out once the day before after my first pool submersion and had been doing fine so this was just a progression.

Then I went back for the final test and I now have the PADI Scuba Diver certification. The full Open Water Diver certification takes a little while longer, but this one allows me to dive anywhere in the world, to a depth of 40ft as long as an instructor dives with me.

I have to say I am really impressed by the attention and service I got from Blue Life Dive Center because knowing my time was limited, Fabian and his father, Educardo, the owners of the shop, made sure I was able to complete all the requirements.

That’s me in relaxed diving form

All the other divers on the trip were really happy for me, congratulating me on “joining their club” and toasting to me at dinner which was really nice.

For our last night on San Andres before heading to Providencia we went to an excellent restaurant that served fondues and imported cheese and wine, a nice end to a great first day in the world of diving. Thanks to Fabian for the pics!

Being part of GreenSpot.travel means not only am I trying to find out which are the best hotels that we could potentially send our clients to, but also which ones (if any) have sustainability initiatives, are contributing somehow to the preservation of the island’s natural heritage and are benefiting the local people. I have to say that there are a few hotels right on the beach, and literally only several feet back, that are not integrated into the natural landscape at all. There are however some charming smaller guesthouses and posadas which are part of a program which helps Colombian natives rent out rooms in their homes, offering a private space but a warm and welcoming family atmosphere. There are of course a handful of all-inclusive hotels owned by mainly one chain.  So the main thing is to find lodging that would accommodate our clients in a unique and green way.

Speaking of green initiatives, our restaurant last night, La Regatta, was out on a pier and while they served the best fish I’ve had maybe ever, what struck me on the way in was the way they reused their bottles on the grounds to create gardens and decorations, some seriously creative recycling!

Onto the subject of diving, I have to say the undersea world is something all humans should be able to experience!  If the opportunity comes up, take it, because it is unreal. At times I felt I was watching what was in front of me on TV because it was so incredible to see so many fish swimming about right before my eyes.  The coral here is known to be quite healthy in comparison to other parts of the world. I did not see any brightly coloured coral yet, but the fish were amazing. And sting-rays! They are so beautiful. Several times we watched a large sting-ray, even an elusive Eagle ray, which had been resting on the soft sand floor, rise up and float away looking like it was flapping its wings. Such a breathtaking sight, we got to our knees in the sand and just watched. One of our group members, Willian Bueno from Brazil took a video that I will have to post.

I decided while I’m here to do my beginners certification because the more I learn about the sea, the more I want to see.  Today I began by watching a video at Blue Life Dive Center, and then my instructor, Fabian, and I went to the pool to practice and get used to the equipment. Now I have a text book that I have to study to take some tests tomorrow before I do a second open water dive like I did today, as well as another pool session to practice more technical skills.

In the afternoon we took a tour of the island to see some sights, including Henry Morgan’s cave where the infamous pirate hid treasure centuries ago. It is now a tourist attraction with some good points and some bad. It has a pirate museum which is interesting because of the artifacts such as old kitchenware and utensils, 400 years old, that have been discovered around the islands.  It also has locals dressed in pirate attire, giving spiels about the history and a replica of Morgan’s ship with dance of the pirate times. These aspects are not very authentic experiences, but the cave in addition to the small museum is interesting because it is made completely of coral, showing that the entire island was once under water.

 

Touring local areas on islands is always the most fascinating part for me, seeing where the people live, often times how poor a place really is especially in comparison to sprawling resorts. I’d much rather spend some time with some natives of a place in their homes or their hangouts but it’s something that’s not always possible. That’s why I love the posadas concept, because while it is a regulated system to ensure standards, it gives the local people the opportunity to really benefit from tourism, and provides a really enriching and authentic experience for the visitors. I only wish I get to stay in one but as we are a group it was not arranged for us.

I hear that Providencia, where we are heading to next, is spectacular compared to San Andres so maybe the excitement is just beginning!

In the morning after writing my post about the crazy cultural interaction going on the night before, we headed off for a short tour of the capital of Colombia. We went to the older historic areas and to where the government buildings, national cathedral, and president’s home are, Plaza de Bolivar, built in the 16th century.  
I love colonial architecture, even though it reminds us of colonialism. A topic too heavy to get into here. But it definitely is enchanting, especially with hills and narrow streets and small balconies on colourful buildings. Expansive stone structures with pillars and just the oldness of it all, coming from such a young country, always fascinates me. I also haven’t been to Europe, and the first colonial buildings I saw were in the Dominican Republic.

What made our visit interesting was that since it was on a Sunday, the area had many streets closed off for pedestrians. There were people scattered throughout the Bolivar Plaza, among hundreds and hundreds of pigeons, and vendors of ice cream and corn kernels to feed the pigeons.
I’ve never seen so many people on bicycles – the streets were filled with people out to exercise as the pedestrian Sundays were created for people to get out and do sports on their day off. Even the major highway we drove on to the airport had two centre lanes closed off. It looked like a bicycle race of some sort but I’m told it is just a regular Sunday pastime here in Bogota.

Another great thing about Bogota is the surroundings of the city. While it is a bustling city of concrete and apartments like most cities, it is surrounded in green. Lush mountains act as the lungs of the city and nothing can be built above 1500 feet. So where many cities’ mountains are completely built up with homes, here the trees create a serene, natural environment that contrasts with the busy built environment below.

I have to admit there is quite a military presence in Bogota, soldiers in camouflage with big guns, here and there in the streets. I am told it is to prevent crime, and to make people feel safe, not to make people fearful that something is going on (the effect which of course it actually does have). So you begin to ignore it and realize that nothing is going on, it’s just the way things are here. We felt really comfortable walking around taking pictures, especially on the streets closed for pedestrians to have the right of way! (For those of you who know Latin America well you can attest to the fact that this is not very common!)

For lunch we went to a beautiful restaurant called “Club Colombia,” which was just that, a club.  It was furnished with plush leather couches and two terraces and a huge buffet serving all kinds of traditional Colombian food. There were envueltos which are made from corn finely mashed with spices such as raisins and nutmeg wrapped and cooked in corn husks. There were arepas which look like tortillas but are thicker, also made with corn and which could be garnished with fresh salsas and other vegetables. There were fresh blended juices, rice dishes and empanadas and I could go on. Everything was delicious and the coffee absolutely amazing. I’ve only been drinking coffee for a few years so have never considered myself a connoisseur but I have to admit it’s the best I’ve tried. Strong and flavorful at the same time as soft and sweet, yum!

In the afternoon we took a short flight, about 2 hours (actually longer than I thought it would be) to the island of San Andres in the Caribbean. We are now actually closer to Nicaragua and Costa Rica than to Colombia by over 2 hundred miles!