Barichara
Colombia was actually not as cheap as we hoped it would be. Travelling there is more expensive than in many other countries on the continent. We spent on average 37 Euros per person per day, not much less than we had spent in Brazil (41 Euros) & much more than in Peru (33 Euros), Venezuela (30 Euros) and of course Bolivia (29 Euros). Continue Reading →
Omnipresent military …
Our farewell to Colombia did not lack a certain dramatic touch, almost a manifestation of what the country so often is associated with – drugs. All 15 passengers booked on our tiny plane from Cartagena to Panama City were searched before check in. We mean SEARCHED, every single item inside the luggage was taken out and checked meticulously, then the luggage itself examined, the toiletry, medication, everything! Continue Reading →
Women selling fruits, Old Town of Cartagena
Even during peaks of “La Violencia”, Cartagena remained a major tourist destination, domestic tourists as well as international travel groups, especially cruises ship, continued visiting. In the last few years the numbers have risen dramatically. In 2008, one million visitors wandered the historic center making it Colombia’s tourist destination number one, by far. Continue Reading →
The old town of Cartagena is a maze of beautifully restored colonial houses, churches, plazas or convents turned into luxury hotels
The old town of Cartagena is a maze of beautifully restored colonial houses, churches, plazas or convents turned into luxury hotels. A characteristic of these colonial houses is an overhanging wooden balcony covered by a tiled roof and one or more shady patios inside. All houses have underground reservoirs that were used to store rain water before modern piping arrived. Evenings are the best times to explore, when temperatures become pleasant and buildings are illuminated. Continue Reading →
Scenic white sandy beaches, framed by palm trees leaning into the emerald green water, you could not ask for more. This has made Tayrona to one of Columbia’s top tourist destinations
Scenic white sandy beaches, framed by palm trees leaning into the emerald green water, you could not ask for more. This all Caribbean image has made Tayrona to one of Columbia’s top tourist destinations. Continue Reading →
Nice swimming pool & great restaurant at the Divanga Hostel … But disappointing rooms
Taganga is a good place to get a diving license or do a refresher, since there are some decent dive sites around there and prices are unbeatable. A two tank dive costs 36 Euro and a PADI Open Water Diver license a mere 200 Euro. Unfortunately, those extremely low prices obviously have led to a lack of investment in modern material and several people in the group, including both of us, encountered unpleasant technical problems during the dives. Continue Reading →
Who has not been to one of the many “Ends of the world”? Ushuaia claims that title as many other places, but here on the tip of La Guajira, at the northernmost point of South America, it feels absolutely real.
From Punta Gallinas, we headed southwest again. After a four hour rocky ride, we stopped for lunch in Cabo de la Vela, a fishing village that has become a popular destination for travelers to chill out. It is best described as two long parallel rows of wooden huts running along the ocean. Lots of simple cabanas for rent, restaurants, and even Internet has found its way here. Continue Reading →
The next morning we set out for Taroa Beach, which even outdid Bahia Hondita. High-towering dunes roll into long stretches of golden sandy beaches.
Who has not been to one of the many “Ends of the World”? Ushuaia claims that title as many other places, but here on the tip of La Guajira, at the northernmost point of South America, it feels absolutely real. Continue Reading →
Manaure, the biggest “Salinas” (salt fields) on La Guajira Peninsula
Before heading to Punta Gallinas, the very tip of the Guajira Peninsula and the northernmost point of South America, we turned north to the salt fields of Manaure, the biggest “Salinas” on the peninsula. There, the salt is collected in artificially made pans. In the nearby plant it is cleaned from sand and then piled up in a huge pure white mountain, a majestic sight. It is finally scooped into bags of approx. 50 to 60 kilograms and then heaved onto trucks. Continue Reading →
The small town of Uribia, only an hour?s drive from the border town of Maicao, is teeming with smuggled goods. Gasoline is the prime merchandise, easily available at every street corner for 35 cent a liter, cheap, but still ten times the price of what it costs in Venezuela
La Guajira’s reputation as a place beyond civilization is easily understood when looking at its past and modern history. A place where centuries ago pirates attacked Spanish ships loaded with precious cargo and strong-willed Wayuu never surrendered. Modern days see different kind of adventurers: large scale smuggling is so widespread, extensive and above all, so obvious that it is almost beyond belief. Continue Reading →
