Wow, it’s kind of hard to believe, but it’s already 30 days since we left home for this amazing trip. We’ve done, seen and experienced a lot during this 4 weeks.
First of all we realised how fast one can learn a new language whilst attending classes in the respective country instead of doing the very same thing at home.
What we miss most? Funny enough it’s not friends and family as we’ve expected in advance. With some we even have more contact than we usually have at home! For us it’s hot showers, the last has been 27 days ago (and Markus is already wondering, if a 5 star hotel provides hot showers, I guess we won’t find out) and salad, i mean just plain salad…
What values most? Just having time and not the flight back home in the back of our minds, it’s really relaxing!!!
What we learnt? Travelling without mobile phone is almost impossible nowadays in Columbia. There are hardly any travel agencies around, therefore all bookings have to be done via mobile. Same for information, Lonely Planet helps a lot for accomodation and bus information but does hardly give any information about places, history, culture, landscapes and so on. Ah yes, never ever try to travel Columbia without speaking at least basic Spanish, you’ll be lost and don’t get any interactions with the locals! Furthermore, travelling is not the same as vacation, not at all. We usually get up between 6 and 7 a.m. for any activities, therefore now and then one or two days at a nice beach really feels like vacation 😀.
Important information for women: never ever leave the house without any backup toilet paper in your pocket 😉 and – in Columbia any women of any size is proud to show her curves wearing hot pants, mini skirts, crop tops, body enhancing dresses or low cut tops. I’d say, hola chicas, go for it!
Music, noise and fans. No, nothing literally nothing can be done without music in Columbia. It plays everywhere in hostels, restaurants, taxis, buses, parks and everywhere in the streets, and even the school bell here is replaced by playing and stopping music. Without exceptions it’s lationo sound and even in stores one can often watch the staff just start to move and dance if the currently playing song animates to do so. My current fav is „vivir mi vida“ from Marc Anthony twice listend and once understood the lyrics it’s an awful „Ohrwurm“ directly followed by „bailando“ which I equally have no chance to get rid of… As for fans, they are almost as important as music, it can easely happend that you’re almost blown away from a dinner table by four or five fans sourrounding the table, the neverending „rssrsssrsss“ can drive one nuts…
Is Columbia worth to travel to? Oh yes, and now might be exactely THE right time to do so. Security seems to have improved significantly, so far we’ve never felt unsecure or treatend. The Colunbians are very friendly and helpful and not yet spoilt from tourism. The landscape is beautiful and has a lot to offer from nice beaches via rain forests to deserts and pretty colonial cities. It’s not expensive although also not as cheep as we’ve expected and surprisingly clean.
Current mood? Smily, cheerish and wind blown.
Most important man? The driver of the beer truck of course!
Well, we’re now leaving Palomino, where we’ve relaxed for two lazy days at the beach and heading north where we won’t see the ocean for at least three weeks. Palomino has according to Lonely Planet one of the perfectest beaches in Columbia. Well, it’s a 5k long strech of fine dark sand, nice and not crowded at all, but perfect? We don’t agree. Especially since due to strong currents and high waves swimming isn’t recommended at all and there are to many mosquitos for my liking. Palomino seems to develop a taste for tourism just now, so far there are only a couple of hostels, restaurants and bars at the beach and along the way from the beach to the main road. But there is a lot of construction work around and I can imagine, that the picture of this small town will soon have changed.
