I HEART COLOMBIA: PART 2

I left Cali on the all night bus to Bogota with my friend Fabricio. We arrived early in the morning and parted ways. As Fabricio went off to his flat on one side of town, I made my way to the other side of the city to a neighborhood called Candelaria where my hostel was located. I had been there only a few hours when I decided early the next morning I would take a bike tour around the city. I figured since I would only be in Bogota for 2 1/2 days, it was the best way to see what I would want to see in a short period of time.

I was fortunate to meet up with Natalie, one of Darius's friend who accompanied me on the bike tour. She is in the picture below in the brown sweater. I think after about halfway through the tour we had had enough, but were forced to finish as we had no idea how to get back.
One of the highlights in the city is the Bullfighting Stadium. The season had just ended when I visited, so there was no chance of catching a match.

This is Parque Central.
Bogota city streets.
This is HILARIOUS!! A Taita celling cellular minutes...graffiti on the walls of the university.
Look closely....yes, this is really painted on the overpass.
After our bike tour Natalie and I met up with Darius and Taita Floro for a showing of Avatar in 3D...in Spanish (no English subtitles). They were both in town for another small ceremony in the city. I felt as though it was too soon for me to rush and partake in another ceremony, so I decided to decline the invitation. However, the movie was fun and interesting and sadly the last time I saw either Darius or Taita again.

I flew from Bogota to Santa Marta in search of my next destination, Parque Tyrona...or heaven as I like to call it. I had heard from many other travelers along the way that when I got up to the north of Colombia, I had to go there...I had no intension of missing it. I met Sian (an Aussie) at my hostel in Santa Marta the night before I headed out and we decided to take the journey to Parque Tyrona together. It was a nice surprise given that it was a process to get there and once at the entrance of the parque, a 2 hour hike to our final destination. Sian and I ended up spending the rest of my time in Colombia together. I feel so lucky to have met her and hope to keep in touch well after both of our trips have ended.

Here we are about halfway through with our hike stopping for a yummy snack: pan de chocolat.
After nearly 2 hours in the hot humid jungle, we finally made it to Cabo San Juan.
A little piece of heaven....

Yes, that little hut on the top of the rocks is where we slept in hammocks for 2 nights.

The view from my hammock.
The arriba crew: Ross, me, Sian & Andreas. Self timer anyone....
Sian & I goofing off on the beach.

The night before we left it rained really hard all night long. We woke up to the river flooding into the ocean right where we were staying. Therefore, you can imagine the mud we walked barefoot back out in.

On our way out, we saw this red car attempt to drive threw the still water even though the police truck had already been stuck for hours. Everyone, including the police just stood there in utter disbelief.
A quick shot of Santa Marta central market.
After Parque Tyrona, we left Santa Marta for a night in Tugunga and stayed at La Casa de Felipe. The BEST hostel restaurant in the world. The only place that you can get a better steak than in NY or LA and pay less than $10. I highly recommend staying here for the food if you are ever in Tugunga.
The local store in Tugunga.
Last stop, Cartagena. The streets are alive here filled with colorful buildings and people. I was lucky to have traveled here with several of the people I had met in Parque Tyrona, which made my stay there much more memorable. We arrived in the early afternoon and decided to walk the streets and get a feel for The Old City.

Here are a couple of dancers performing on the street.
This is beautiful Cartagena.



What a beautiful women!
One of the local bars just outside of The Old City walls.
Sian standing in the arc leaving the Old City.

This volcano looks small, but is over 2300 meters deep. We climbed to the top and were able to get inside. The mud was so thick, you could hardly move around. There was no sinking to the bottom in here, impossible.

Mud bath anyone?
I look like one of those swamp creatures from that old show, The Land of the Lost.
After our mud baths we were able to swim in the lake to clean off. Trust me when I tell you, mud is not that easy to remove....from anything.

I HEART COLOMBIA: PART 1

Here I am on the plane with my friend Darius on our way to Cali, Colombia.

Change is essential but scary...change is inevitable. You cannot avoid it. The best thing to do is accept change, learn from it, and use it to your BEST advantage! This trip has been just that, the ability for me to accept change and embrace what has come from it.

The thought of traveling to Colombia came after a long conversation with a very wise man and my dear friend, Darius. He explained to me the magic of the country and that if my goal was to learn about culture and to learn the Spanish language, the best place for me to be is in Colombia. I believed him and soon enough, I found myself accepting the idea and following my heart all the way to Cali. Darius had a friend he had met threw his Colombian travels who he contacted and set up my stay. Her name is Zarahy, a wonderful Colombian women born and raised right there in Cali. She was the perfect person for me to stay with while learning both the language and culture. I am so thankful for both Darius and Zarahy for the changes made in my life during those 3 weeks in Cali. It was the first time in my life where I actually lived a different life, a life of a new and different culture than what I am accustomed to back at home.

There is something very special in Colombia...words cannot describe the feeling I get in my heart when I think about my time there. The people are so warm and loving, they greet you with eye contact and they touch you with love. I felt right at home instantly.

This is a picture of my new friend and mentor, Zarahy Roman. She is one of the most amazing individuals I have ever met. She not only taught me Spanish, we practiced yoga together, I learned how to salsa dance, we ate typical Colombian foods, I learned all about the fabulous native fruits, spirituality, what the true meaning of family is, and so on. Zarahy opened her heart and home to me, and I will be eternally grateful to her!

Zarahy & I climbing tres cruces.
Zarahy's apartment and yoga studio where I lived for 3 weeks.

This is Cali...

The famous El Gato del Rio.

Cali is filled with all sorts of fantastic, colorful murals.
I had a few salsa lessons in this bar, a local favorite.



You can pretty much buy anything on the streets here, including phone calls from people standing with cell phones with minutes for sale.




Aaah, my favorite typical Cali drink: Salpicon. It is made from all sorts of tiny pieces of banana, pineapple, papaya, mango, apple & watermelon sitting in the natural juices of the fruit. It is quite similar to fruit cocktail we have at home, however much more tasty.
Yummy...my daily dose of Salpicon.
This is a special little family run hotel Claudia took us to for lunch on our way to her finca in the hills nearby.
My new friends: Zarahy, Fabricio & Claudia. This was my last day in Cali and the four of us spent the afternoon in the mountains above Cali at Claudia's finca after our delicious lunch. What a beautiful day!!
Awesome yoga shot of Zarahy at Claudia's finca.

Claudia and her many dogs.
What a beautiful view....


Here is where I had one of the most amazing and spiritual experiences of my life. I was fortunate enough to be invited to partake in an ayahuasca ceremony with Taita Florentino Agreda. It was unreal to say the least. If you do not know what ayahuasca is, look it up. This was the real deal, a real ceremony filled with intense energy and love. I will never be the same after this experience. The words escape me on how I could possibly describe it to someone who has never experienced this. Trust me when I tell you, it was an experience of a lifetime.

Here I am with Taita Floro the morning after the ceremony.
Self portrait after ayahuasca. I felt so pretty, free, a little scared of what I had actually experienced and curious as to when I would have the opportunity to experience this again.