These will be our last few days in Colombia. We had one more special place to visit and then a few more family gatherings.
Marcela’s brother has started a new business in a beautiful farm in Sonson, a small town about 4 hrs from Medellin. We went on a trip for a couple of days to “La Perla”, Marcela brother’s farm.
SonsĂłn is a beautiful town with colonial houses and a beautiful central plaza. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains. The place is amazingly green, between milk farms, avocado plantations or pure forest. During our time in the region we had the opportunity to visit a sugar cane processing plant. They specialise in producing panela, basically solidified sugar cane juice, which is used in almost every house in the region. There are several uses for panela, but the main is to dilute it in water and drink it… delicious!
Hotel in SonsĂłn, ColombiaHotel in SonsĂłn, ColombiaSonsĂłn, ColombiaFarm La Perla, SonsĂłn, ColombiaFarm La Perla, SonsĂłn, ColombiaFarm La Perla, SonsĂłn, ColombiaWith AgustĂn, Marcela’s Brother in his Farm La Perla, SonsĂłn, ColombiaSugar Cane Processing Plant – Making Panela, ColombiaSugar Cane Processing Plant – Making Panela, ColombiaSugar Cane Processing Plant – Making Panela, Colombia
April is also the month for both our father’s birthdays and this year is a special one for Carlos’ dad as he is turning 70. We had a celebration for both dads’ birthdays before heading on our next adventure… Morocco here we come!
Celebrating Carlos’ Dad Birthday, Rionegro, Colombia
Thanks to our family and friends for an amazing time! This was a records, this is the first time we spend so long in Colombia since we left in 1999. And also thank you to Colombia for waiting for us to come and see you.. there is a lot more to explore and we will sure come back again to spend time visiting every corner of this beautiful country.
Almost 19 year ago on a Christmas vacation we meet in Coveñas, a small town in the Colombian Caribbean’s coast. Life has taken us to many other beautiful places and we had not returned to visit this beautiful part of the country. This longer visit to Colombia allowed us to do more traveling around, so we headed for a couple of days to the place we met.
On the way from MedellĂn to Coveñas, Colombia
It used to be a small town, and even though it has grown at lot in the last 19 years, all the charm that we remember is still there, and the building where we met is still there too.
The Place where Marcela and I met in Coveñas, Colombia
We spent some relaxing time by the beach and spent some quality time with Carlos’ mom, dad and sister. We also did a tour to the Caimanera Mangove. This is a mangrove area where you can just relax in a canoe and enjoy nature, there are beautiful birds and crabs along the way.
Coveñas, ColombiaIguana, Coveñas, ColombiaCoveñas, ColombiaSunset in Coveñas, ColombiaCaimanera Mangrove, Coveñas, ColombiaCaimanera Mangrove, Coveñas, ColombiaCaimanera Mangrove, Coveñas, ColombiaCaimanera Mangrove, Coveñas, ColombiaCaimanera Mangrove, Coveñas, ColombiaCaimanera Mangrove, Coveñas, ColombiaCaimanera Mangrove, Coveñas, ColombiaCoveñas, ColombiaCoveñas, ColombiaSunset in Coveñas, ColombiaCoveñas, ColombiaIndigenous Reserve Sever, ColombiaIndigenous Reserve Sever, ColombiaIndigenous Reserve Sever, ColombiaOn the way from Coveñas to MedellĂn, ColombiaOn the way from Coveñas to MedellĂn, Colombia
This visit to Colombia is about family and friends, and a bit of traveling in between. So after a few days exploring a bit of Colombia we are back spending time with family and friends.
Hydrangea Plantation, Guarne, ColombiaMarcela’s Family, Rionegro, ColombiaMarinilla, ColombiaDinner with Marcela’s Cousins and Grandmother, MedellĂn, ColombiaDinner with Marcela’s Cousins and Grandmother, MedellĂn, ColombiaSancocho (Traditional Food from our Region) with Friends from Canadá, Guarne, ColombiaSancocho (Traditional Food from our Region) with Friends from Canadá, Guarne, Colombia
We started our drive back to Medellin on March 19, but we did a few more stops along the way. We visited Popayán, the white city, Buga and then a short stop in Manizales.
Huila, ColombiaHuila, ColombiaHuila, Colombia
On our drive to Popayan we passed the Purace alpine tundra, a very important ecosystem due to its natural water sources. On this drive we were looking for the Purace Volcano, unfortunately it was very cloudy and we could not see it.
We spent the night in Popayan where we walk around town. The town is getting a fresh coat of paint, this is a very important place for Easter, as hundreds of Colombian come to Popayan during these Catholic holidays.
Popayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaPopayán, ColombiaHarvesting Sugar Cane, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
On our way to Manizales we stopped in Buga, this place is another important pilgrimage site in the country. People make it to “El Señor de los Milagros” to pray for their personal or family needs.
Buga, Valle del Cauca, ColombiaEl Señor de los Milagros in Buga, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
In Manizales we visited the cathedral and had a very interesting tour that took us to the roof top. The church really know how to exploit tourism and after many people illegally climbed to the roof top they decided to build a proper staircase to take people on a unique tour. The latest addition to such experience is the glass floor that was installed just a month ago where we stood just on top of the altar. The cathedral is a unique worship place in the country, and it has some very unique features:
It has a coffee shop inside the church on one of the terraces
It has a rooftop staircase
It is the highest cathedral in Colombia with 106 meters high
It has a satellite dish
It has a glass floor where people can see the service from above
Cathedral Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Manizales, ColombiaCathedral Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Manizales, ColombiaCathedral Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Manizales, ColombiaView of Manizales from the Cathedral Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Manizales, ColombiaCathedral Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Manizales, ColombiaGlass Floor – Cathedral Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Manizales, ColombiaCathedral Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Manizales, ColombiaCathedral Nuestra Señora del Rosario, Manizales, ColombiaOn the way from Manizales to MedellĂn, Colombia
Heading south, our first stop was the Tatacoa Desert . This place is vaguely called “desert”, but in reality it is a dry tropical forest. During our visit to the Tatacoa Desert we went for a hike with a local guide that showed us some of the hidden gems of this place. It is beautiful place and we really recommend it. If you go, you must try “cabrito con pipitoria”, a traditional dish of goat and rice with blood and offal.
One of the nights we went to an open air observatory. The guy running the place gave us an interesting talk about the stars and we enjoyed a couple of hours of star gazing through the telescopes, unfortunately there were a bit of clouds, so we could not take nice photos.
After a couple of nights at the desert we drove to San Agustin, a small town in Huila, it is close to San Agustin Archeological Park which is recognized by the UNESCO as World Heritage site. This park is composed of many sited with pre-Colombian ruins.
On the way to San Agustin – Horseshoe Viewpoint, Betania Reservoir, Huila, ColombiaOn the way to San Agustin – Gigante, Huila, Colombia
The first morning we did a guided tour through the main site of the park and visited the museum. In the afternoon we did a horse riding tour that took us to some of the the other archeological sites. This was an amazing experience, we had not been on a horse since we were young and had not good memories of the experience, so we were a bit scare to do it at first; however after a few minutes in the horse, we relax and really enjoyed the afternoon. Woke up a bit sore next morning but it was all worth it.
San AgustĂn Archeological Park, Huila, ColombiaSan AgustĂn Archeological Park, Huila, ColombiaSan AgustĂn Archeological Park, Huila, ColombiaSan AgustĂn Archeological Park, Huila, ColombiaSan AgustĂn Archeological Park, Huila, ColombiaSan AgustĂn Archeological Park, Huila, ColombiaSan AgustĂn Archeological Park, Huila, ColombiaSan AgustĂn Archeological Park, Huila, ColombiaSan AgustĂn Archeological Park, Huila, ColombiaArcheological Site El Purutal, Huila, ColombiaRiding Pinina – La Chaquira, Huila, ColombiaRiding Estrella – La Chaquira, Huila, ColombiaLa Chaquira, Huila, ColombiaLa Chaquira, Huila, ColombiaEl TablĂłn, Huila, ColombiaEl TablĂłn, Huila, ColombiaSan AgustĂn, Huila, ColombiaHostal Alto de los AndaquĂes, San AgustĂn, Huila, Colombia
On march 18 we did a day tour that took us to the narrowest part of the Magdalena river. The Magdalena river is the most important river in Colombia and in the northern part of the country, after covering around 1528km, the Magdalena River becomes quite wide… so it was impressive to see how little it is at the start.
We then went to Obando, a small town with a small museum and more ruins from the pre-Colombian era. We also went to the Alto de los Ădolos another archeological site and the Bordones Falls, these beautiful falls are 400 meters high and believe to be the highest in the country.
Narrowest Point of the Magdalena River, Huila, ColombiaNarrowest Point of the Magdalena River, Huila, ColombiaNarrowest Point of the Magdalena River, Huila, ColombiaArepas with Hot Chocolate, Huila, ColombiaArcheological Site Alto de los Idolos, Huila, ColombiaArcheological Site Alto de los Idolos, Huila, ColombiaArcheological Site Alto de los Idolos, Huila, ColombiaArcheological Site Alto de los Idolos, Huila, ColombiaArcheological Site Alto de los Idolos, Huila, ColombiaArcheological Site Alto de los Idolos, Huila, ColombiaBordones Falls, Huila, Colombia
Then, we visited the last of the archeological sites, Alto de las Piedras. Our final stop for the day was the Mortiños Falls, another amazing natural beauty.
Archeological Site Alto de las Piedras, Huila, ColombiaArcheological Site Alto de las Piedras, Huila, ColombiaArcheological Site Alto de las Piedras, Huila, ColombiaArcheological Site Alto de las Piedras, Huila, ColombiaMortiño Falls, Huila, Colombia
We have travel to many countries and have spent a lot of time discovering every corner of those countries that we visited, but we have seen very little on the country were we grew up. So this time we decided to start exploring a bit more of our own country. We borrowed Marcela’s dad car and we headed east and south of Medellin.
On the way to Bogotá, ColombiaOn the way to Bogotá, ColombiaPotato Harvest on the way to Bogotá, Colombia
Our first stop was Colombia’s capital Bogotá, we had not been here in years. It was a great opportunity to catch up with Carlos aunt and to visit some of the touristy places in the capital and some of the towns around the area.
Tabio Church, Colombia
We went to visit some towns in Cundinamarca and Boyaca. We stopped at Chiquinquira and Raquira on the way to Villa de Leyva were we spent most of the afternoon, walking around town and visiting the Santo Ecce-Homo monastery.
Chiquinquirá, ColombiaChiquinquirá Cathedral, ColombiaRáquira, ColombiaRáquira, ColombiaRáquira, ColombiaRáquira Church, ColombiaMonastery of Saint Ecce-Homo, Villa de Leyva, ColombiaMonastery of Saint Ecce-Homo, Villa de Leyva, ColombiaMonastery of Saint Ecce-Homo, Villa de Leyva, ColombiaMonastery of Saint Ecce-Homo, Villa de Leyva, ColombiaMonastery of Saint Ecce-Homo, Villa de Leyva, ColombiaVilla de Leyva, ColombiaVilla de Leyva, ColombiaVilla de Leyva, ColombiaVilla de Leyva, ColombiaVilla de Leyva Main Square, Colombia
In Bogotá we went to the Gold Museum, the Bolivar square, and the presidential residence. We also visited the famous salt cathedral in Zipaquira. And we could not leave the capital without a visit to Monserrate, one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Colombia.
The Offering Raft, Gold Museum, Bogotá, ColombiaGold Museum, Bogotá, ColombiaGold Museum, Bogotá, ColombiaBolĂvar Square, Bogotá, ColombiaBolĂvar Square, Bogotá, ColombiaBogotá, ColombiaSalt Cathedral, Zipaquirá, ColombiaSalt Cathedral, Zipaquirá, ColombiaChandelier in the Salt Cathedral, Zipaquirá, ColombiaMiners Route, Salt Cathedral, Zipaquirá, ColombiaSalt Cathedral, Zipaquirá, ColombiaSalt Cathedral, Zipaquirá, ColombiaZipaquirá Church, ColombiaChurch of Saint Barbara, ColombiaView of Bogotá from Monserrate, ColombiaView of Bogotá from Monserrate, ColombiaEl Señor CaĂdo of Monserrate, Colombia
On our way south we stopped at Tequendama Falls. This place has an amazing water fall and a hunted hotel. According to many TV shows it is one of the most hunted places in the world, as all the spirts of those that have committed suicide in the falls are lingering around.
Tequendama Falls, ColombiaTequendama Falls, Colombia
There are so many things to do around MedellĂn and with such a big family there is always a farm, cottage or place to go. We visited La Siria, a beautiful country side residential area, where we spent the weekend. We enjoyed a bit of sunshine and a refreshing pool.
Mountain Tusa, La Siria, ColombiaLa Siria, ColombiaLa Siria, ColombiaWith our Family in La Siria, ColombiaOld Train Tracks, La Siria, ColombiaLa Siria, ColombiaFalcon Bat, La Siria, ColombiaLa Siria, ColombiaLa Siria, ColombiaMountain Tusa, La Siria, Colombia
We also visited Guatape for a weekend. We spent time wake boarding and going around the reservoir on the boat. Wake boarding is challenging, Carlos manage to get out of the water a couple of times, but he could hardly move the day after, every muscle was sore.
Barranquilla’s Carnaval is the second largest in the world after Rio de Janeiro. Since it was happening while we were in Colombia we could not afford not to go. We packed our bags, my in-laws and off we went.
We drove from MedellĂn to MonterĂa and spent the night there with some relatives. The next day we arrived in Barranquilla, we are staying at Marcela cousin’s house.  We spent the next three days enjoying Barranquilla’s Carnaval, it was great to be part of it; although the heat was hitting us hard!
We attended all the parades and have to admit that most of the participants are very well prepared and the show is impressive! However if you ever get a chance to go to the carnaval, we will recommend you only go to the parade on day one and then try to get tickets for the big concert that is organized every year.
We then drove to Mompox, a town recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage. We stayed at a small hotel where we were accepted almost as family.
On the way from Barranquilla to Mompox, ColombiaMagdalena River, Mompox, ColombiaMompox, Colombia
We spent the next couple of days walking around the town, going to see the sunset on the river and visiting the local cheese factory.
Magdalena River, Mompox, ColombiaSunset in the Magdalena River, Mompox, ColombiaMompox, ColombiaMompox, ColombiaMompox, ColombiaSilver Jewellery, Mompox, ColombiaMompox, ColombiaMompox, ColombiaMompox, ColombiaSunset in the Magdalena River, Mompox, ColombiaSunset in the Magdalena River, Mompox, ColombiaMompox, Colombia
On our way to Cartagena we decided to take the old access way to Mompox… via ferry. Up until a few months ago Mompox did not have road access, one had to take a ferry to cross the Magdalena River in order to get to Mompox. Currently there is one bridge in operation and the second one under construction and it is expected to open in just over a year.
We drove the car on the ferry together with more than 20 other vehicles including transport trucks and off we went cruising along the river. It took just over an hour to reach Magangue; from there it took us a few hours to reach Cartagena.
On the Ferry from Mompox to Magangue, Colombia
From Cartagena we visited BarĂş, an island nearby. Â The beach is beautiful, comparable to the beaches in Maldives or Bora Bora. Â We have never been here but were impressed with how touristic this place is and the amount of ilegal hostels they have built on the beach and the amount of restaurants. Â We also witnessed how pushy locals can be with the tourists, it was not nice!
BarĂş Island, ColombiaBarĂş Island, Colombia
In Cartagena we are staying at Marcela aunt’s house.  We spent time visiting the Old City and the San Felipe Castle. We had not been to Cartagena in years and we loved it. The old city is very organized and the architecture of the city is just magnificent. While there we also attended the baptism of Marcela cousin’s son.
Cartagena’s Old City, ColombiaCartagena’s Old City, ColombiaCartagena’s Old City, ColombiaCartagena’s Old City, ColombiaCartagena’s Old City, ColombiaCartagena’s Old City, ColombiaSan Felipe Castle, Cartagena, ColombiaMarcela and her Father, San Felipe Castle, Cartagena, ColombiaSan Felipe Castle, Cartagena, ColombiaSan Felipe Castle, Cartagena, ColombiaCartagena’s Old City, ColombiaCartagena, ColombiaCartagena, ColombiaCartagena, ColombiaBanana Plantation, Urabá, ColombiaMountains in Colombia
It was an excellent trip to the north of Colombia, where we knew some places but had not been there for many years.
We arrived in Medellin, our home city, on January 21th. We had only decided to come home a couple of days ago so our families had only known for about 48hrs that we were coming, Carlos family was not even in Medellin, they were on the Colombian coast for holidays. But we wanted some family time, some warm weather and a bit of a break, so what better place to do it than Colombia!
We arrived in Colombia just in time for Carlos grandfather’s 103 birthday… as you can imagine it was a big celebration with many family members.
While in MedellĂn we found a graffiti tour which runs on Comuna 13, once upon a time one of the most dangerous neighbourhood in the country. Nowadays the culture has changed and they found out that bringing tourists to the neighbourhood brings income for many families. We spent around 2 hours walking around Comuna 13 with a local graffiti artist who explained about the dark past of the neighbourhood and showed most of the graffiti in the area. It was nice to see the recovery of this area of the city, if you are in MedellĂn we highly recommend you sign up for the tour.
Comuna 13, MedellĂn, ColombiaComuna 13, MedellĂn, ColombiaComuna 13, MedellĂn, ColombiaGrafitti Tour in Comuna 13, MedellĂn, ColombiaGrafitti Tour in Comuna 13, MedellĂn, ColombiaGrafitti Tour in Comuna 13, MedellĂn, ColombiaGrafitti Tour in Comuna 13, MedellĂn, ColombiaGrafitti Tour in Comuna 13, MedellĂn, ColombiaGrafitti Tour in Comuna 13, MedellĂn, ColombiaGrafitti Tour in Comuna 13, MedellĂn, ColombiaGrafitti Tour in Comuna 13 – Even the Cemetery has Grafitti all over, MedellĂn, ColombiaGrafitti Tour in Comuna 13 – Even the Cemetery has Grafitti all over, MedellĂn, ColombiaComuna 13 from the Cable Car – Metrocable, MedellĂn, ColombiaComuna 13 from the Cable Car – Metrocable, MedellĂn, Colombia
We were also invited to Carlos’ cousin wedding, again another opportunity to catch up with aunts, uncles and cousins.
Who would have thought we could dress up and clean up so well after many months of backpacking, MedellĂn, Colombia
We also got an invitation to go to an orchids competition… as weird as that sound Marcela’s aunt belongs to an orchids association and every few months they run competitions, where orchids growers bring their best plant to be judge.
Time flies by when we are in Colombia, every day we have invitations for lunch, dinner and snacks… we had eaten a lot in Japan and now in Colombia we will be gaining a few pounds for sure.
