Watching an impressive parade of floats like this was only the beginning… It’s Wednesday night, and from what I can gather from the pagans, we’re supposed to be going to an indigenous house in the morning to take yage, some kind of “spiritual medicine,” which means we shouldn’t eat, drink alcohol, or engage in other […]
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.
Well, I’m still alive. I’ve just spent a fairly insane week in the southern city of Pasto with three crazy Colombian pagans, during the Black and White Festival – its most intense week. I’ve witnessed arcane rituals in front of volcanoes, choked on foam and powder in street battles, and almost lost my mind at […]
Para leerlo en español, haz click aqui –> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– You’ve somehow survived another end of the world, and then eaten and drunk yourself stupid throughout the Christmas period. What remains now but to indulge in even more excess to see off a tumultuous 2012? Strap on your yellow undies, kids: we’re about […]
What do you get when you take a hobo, add some emo, a touch of metro? A hipster. I’m not one, though. –> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– I’m going to come right out and say it. Hipster-bashing can be a fairly enjoyable pastime. Hell, I’ve been known to dabble in the art myself, from time […]
As I’ve hinted at before, there are many reasons why I’m still here in Colombia, instead of where I thought I’d be right now. I feel as though this country has thrown down its challenge to me, and I’ve found that when I accept, I’m richly rewarded. There is such a massive variety of things […]
“”There’s the Hammock Hut. That’s on Third. There’s Hammocks ‘R’ Us. That’s on Third, too. You got Put Your Butt There. That’s on Third. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Matter of fact they’re all in the same complex. It’s the Hammock Complex, down on Third.” “Oh, the Hammock District?”” –> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– I always […]
If you haven’t noticed aready, I’ll come right out and say it: I’m a dope. I’m generally quite comfortable with my dopiness, but sometimes it is cause for concern. Here’s an example, just a little sample: –> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– OK, so if you want to see this: Or this: You need to go […]
I thought I’d leave it to my second post to be controversial, and, possibly, culturally insensitive. It was going to come out eventually; I am Australian after all. And it’s all coming out now, and it’s you, Plantain, that’s to blame. You hear that, huh? –> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– Before coming to Colombia, I […]
Just like that more infamous triangle around Bermuda, it’s easy to get lost in the charms of Colombia’s Coffee Triangle. In particular, the environs around the little town of Salento are so beautiful, one could easily spend weeks there just basking in their glory. This is something Colombians have known for a good while, as […]
We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our newest member of the team, Paul Giles. Here he is to tell you a little bit about himself, and what he’s doing in our beloved Colombia. –> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– Well, I’d like to extend a warm thanks for the welcome – both to the […]