Alright, I have a backpack. I may have hiked on one or two trails in my time. I may even have stayed in a backpacker’s hostel on one or two occasions. That doesn’t make me part of that excitable, peculiar tribe known as Backpackers, though. No, sir. I’m as much a backpacker as I am […]
Author: Paul Giles
Hi my name is Paul Giles and I'm one of See Colombia's Travel Writers.
I must say that it´s a bit of a happy accident that I’ve found myself here at all. After flitting back and forth between Australia and Asia for a few years, I felt the South American continent calling me. I thought I´d end up in Argentina or somewhere, but ever since I´ve made it to Colombia, good things just seem to manifest themselves before my eyes.
Whether it is the funky, slightly grungy energy of the capital, Bogota; the steamy sass of Cartegena; the Carribean beauty of Tayrona; or the jaw-dropping gorgeousness of the coffee region; I’ve found it difficult not to fall in love with the country and its people.
As for myself, I´m passionate about a number of things; travel (duh), poetry, food, good drinks, and ridiculous clothing. And, from what I´ve seen so far, I´m confident Colombia is a peculiarly amenable environment to sustain and develop such passions.
–> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– Even before the glory days of the 80s, where Tom Cruise, blue drinks, poor taste, and douchebags reigned supreme, cocktails have raised the crude act of downing booze into a delicate, intricate art-form. Or maybe I’m just saying that to justify this post. Well, in the spirit […]
If you’re up for a little adventure at any time, and in most any part of Colombia, the cheapest and most reliable option is what Sarah gloriously calls Chicken buses – the little Collectivos that go anywhere and everywhere. Here are some of their most distinctive features: –> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– * The first […]
–> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– Well, I don’t know if you’re aware or not, but there’s a little thing called the Barranquilla Carnival starting this weekend. If you don’t know, now you know, blogger. So, in celebration of this massive excuse for Barranquilla (and the rest of the country lucky enough to make it) […]
Being a Friday, and if you’re lucky enough to be in Colombia, you’re just about to be immersed in a veritable ocean of music. So here’s a handy guide from our vaults to help you work out exactly what kind of music you’re likely to hear over the weekend. –> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– One […]
I don’t know if it’s because I grew up way out in the Australian sticks, or if it’s just because I’m a little weird; but I often feel uncomfortable when close to other – especially little known – humans’ bodies. It’s not that I don’t like people: I think they’re alright – most of the […]
–> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– I think Gangnam’s hogged enough of the style action for too long, already. So, in the spirit of celebrating the flair and uniqueness of the less glamorous, more work-a-day people and the way they are, here are my 5 top styles I appreciate here in Colombia. 1. Dapper […]
Before I begin, I’d just like to make it clear that cheese is great (get it, haw haw haw?). Not only do I get baffled when I try to work out how somebody in the dim, distant, depressing days before the birth of Baby Cheeses finally worked out the complicated process necessary to produce this […]
Note: This post delves into the world of the ancient indigenous customs surrounding the consumption of the psychedelic drug/medicine known as yage. I don’t want to sound too preachy, but, as you will read, my experience with it made me realise that it’s no game, but actually a pretty serious undertaking. I’d urge anyone considering […]
Even though – for me at least – that would be sufficient in itself, Narino isn’t just about guinea pigs and street battles. The landscape around Pasto is rugged, verdant, and stunning. And although I’m not the world´s most “spiritual” guy, I am definitely a sucker for the sublime; and there´s plenty of such sublimity […]