To start with, the Pacific coast of the Chocó is vast: so vast in fact that to attempt to cover all of it in this one Colombia Travel Blog post would be downright irresponsible of us! Therefore I am simply going to describe the trip I took in September last year to Playa Guachalito near […]
Tag: Colombia Off The Beaten Track
How many people can simply nip to Colombia’s Pacific coast when they have a few days off for Easter? Well, mainly people in Colombia and luckily I am one of them. I’m not gloating (well, maybe a little), but simply highlighting the amazing diversity and opportunity for travel that living in Bogota offers. –> Colombia […]
As someone who despises the idea of camping (this all stems from a slightly traumatic experience I had in Chile once, but which is far too long and emotional to go into right now), I was less than pleased when some of my friends suggested we go to Neusa to camp. By a lake. In […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Back in 1760 a Spanish scientist named José Celestino Mutis came over to travel Colombia to explore and document the native flora and fauna of this mysterious and majestic part of the Americas. In 1763 Mutis asked his motherland to sponsor his expedition and 20 LONG years later, the king gave him the OK. Olé! […]
–> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– La Guajira, Colombia. Just the mention of it evokes thoughts of warm landscapes and deserts, the mysterious legends of the Wayuu and infinite views from the last corner of Colombia. Something like this: However, like always, Colombia surprised us with the diversity of its destinations. A few […]
When we entered the city of Armero, I wasn’t completely sure I knew what was going on. –> Colombia Dolar (TRM) <– The mood in our tour bus grew somber as our guide Nathalia, talked about the history of the area. It was all in Spanish but I caught bits and bobs. I heard the words […]