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Biking Down “Death Road”

By on 23. June 2015 in Bolivia

“La Carratera De La Muerte” – The World Most Dangerous Road

La Carratera de la Muerte or Death Road, going down from 4.650 meter to 1.250 Meter in only 64 Kilometer, between La Paz & Coroico, Bolivia

La Carratera de la Muerte or Death Road, going down from 4.650 meter to 1.250 Meter in only 64 Kilometer, between La Paz & Coroico, Bolivia

Most people may have heard of this road which starts in La Paz descending 3.450 meters down into the Yungas, within only 64km. Only until you see it for yourself, does the name “Death Road” sound extreme. It is an unpaved gravel road that was wedged out of the mountain in the 1930s by Paraguayan prisoners of war. Continue Reading →

Colombia – A Selection Of 50 Pictures

By on 22. June 2015 in Colombia, Colombia – Photos, Photo Galleries, South America – Photos

 

Camino Real to Guane from Barichara, Santander, Colombia

During our Round The World, we traveled to Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile & Uruguay but bypassed Colombia, since we were not sure about safety traveling overland. We deeply regretted it, when we listened to the first enthusiastic reports from travelers arriving from there. So we used the next possible opportunity to make up for that mistake and traveled Colombia intensively for 45 days in July and August 2009. Our main destinations were: Pereira & Salento – Popayan, Tierradentro & San Agustin – Neiva & the Desierto de Tatacoa – Bogota – Villa de Leyva, San Gil, Barichara & Bucaramanga – Medellin – La Guajira – Santa Marta, Taganga & the Parque Nacional Tayrona – Cartagena. Unfortunately we had no time to go to the Pacific Coast and missed out on scuba diving with baby whales. The Amazon we never intended to go to, since we spent quite some time in Bolivia in the Amazon basin. Continue Reading →

Unexpected Highlight In The Barrio Santo Domingo

By on 16. June 2015 in Colombia

A Photo Essay

A group of twelve young dancers of the Academy of Ballet performed a medley of different dances (Salsa, Merengue, Tango, Vallenato, Brazilian Samba and even an Arabic dance), Medellin, Colombia

A group of twelve young dancers of the Academy of Ballet performed a medley of different dances (Salsa, Merengue, Tango, Vallenato, Brazilian Samba and even an Arabic dance), Medellin, Colombia

The event during the Feria de la Flores we liked best back in 2009, we literally stumbled upon! Not really surprising considering the complete lack of information for tourists, foreigners and Colombians alike. Trying to get a last good view of Medellin at sunset, we took the cable car up to Santo Domingo and bumped into a great party in the middle of this poor barrio. Continue Reading →

Travel Guide To Colombia

By on 22. August 2009 in Colombia
The next morning we set out for Taroa Beach, which even outdid Bahia Hondita. High-towering dunes roll into long stretches of golden sandy beaches. Naturally we tumbled, ran and slid down the dunes. Climbing up was less fun though. It was just us, and nobody anywhere near us

Taroa Beach, near Punta Gallinas, La Guarija Peninsula, Caribbean Coast, Colombia

During our Round The World, we traveled to Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile & Uruguay but bypassed Colombia, since we were not sure about safety traveling overland. We deeply regretted it, when we listened to the first enthusiastic reports from travelers arriving from there. So we used the next possible opportunity to make up for that mistake and traveled Colombia intensively for 45 days in July and August 2009. Continue Reading →

Colombia – Budget Guide

By on 21. August 2009 in Colombia, Country Budget Guide
This is the perfect place to relax and & chill out: quiet, very few travellers, at least during the week when Colombian visitors are not around and no party hostels. The whole purpose of coming here is to stroll through the cobbled streets, marvel at the unique colonial architecture and drop in a few churches

Barichara

Colombia was actually not as cheap as we hoped it would be. Travelling there is more expensive than in many other countries on the continent. We spent on average 37 Euros per person per day, not much less than we had spent in Brazil (41 Euros) & much more than in Peru (33 Euros), Venezuela (30 Euros) and of course Bolivia (29 Euros). Continue Reading →

Drug Bust At Cartagena’s Airport

By on 20. August 2009 in Colombia
Omnipresent military ...

Omnipresent military …

Our farewell to Colombia did not lack a certain dramatic touch, almost a manifestation of what the country so often is associated with – drugs. All 15 passengers booked on our tiny plane from Cartagena to Panama City were searched before check in. We mean SEARCHED, every single item inside the luggage was taken out and checked meticulously, then the luggage itself examined, the toiletry, medication, everything! Continue Reading →

Cartagena’s Many Faces

By on 19. August 2009 in Colombia
The old town of Cartagena is a maze of beautifully restored colonial houses, churches, plazas or convents turned into luxury hotels. A characteristic of these colonial houses is an overhanging wooden balcony covered by a tiled roof and one or more shady patios inside. All houses have underground reservoirs that were used to store rain water before modern piping arrived. Evenings are the best times to explore, when temperatures become pleasant and buildings are illuminated

Women selling fruits, Old Town of Cartagena

Even during peaks of “La Violencia”, Cartagena remained a major tourist destination, domestic tourists as well as international travel groups, especially cruises ship, continued visiting. In the last few years the numbers have risen dramatically. In 2008, one million visitors wandered the historic center making it Colombia’s tourist destination number one, by far. Continue Reading →

Cartagena – The Walled City

By on 18. August 2009 in Colombia
But the historic center is only an itsy bitsy tiny part of this city with one million inhabitants. Convento de la Popa, on top of a 180 meter high hill, provides the best view of the layout of this city, and only then one comprehends. A first taste we got when we approached the center from the bus terminal. The bus ride took an hour in heavy traffic and we passed endless stretches of poor, neglected neighborhoods. This is where 75 % of the locals live, Cartagena?s less fortunate residents

The old town of Cartagena is a maze of beautifully restored colonial houses, churches, plazas or convents turned into luxury hotels

The old town of Cartagena is a maze of beautifully restored colonial houses, churches, plazas or convents turned into luxury hotels. A characteristic of these colonial houses is an overhanging wooden balcony covered by a tiled roof and one or more shady patios inside. All houses have underground reservoirs that were used to store rain water before modern piping arrived. Evenings are the best times to explore, when temperatures become pleasant and buildings are illuminated. Continue Reading →

Tayrona National Park – On A “Puente”!

By on 17. August 2009 in Colombia

 

Scenic white sandy beaches, framed by palm trees leaning into the emerald green water, you could not ask for more. This has made Tayrona to one of Columbia?s top tourist destinations. Unfortunately, there has been such an increase in visitors in the last years that the park sometimes had to be closed down...

Scenic white sandy beaches, framed by palm trees leaning into the emerald green water, you could not ask for more. This has made Tayrona to one of Columbia’s top tourist destinations

Scenic white sandy beaches, framed by palm trees leaning into the emerald green water, you could not ask for more. This all Caribbean image has made Tayrona to one of Columbia’s top tourist destinations. Continue Reading →

Things To Do In Taganga

By on 16. August 2009 in Colombia
Nice swimming pool & great restaurant at the Divanga Hostel ... But disappointing rooms

Nice swimming pool & great restaurant at the Divanga Hostel … But disappointing rooms

Scuba diving and Spanish lessons

Taganga is a good place to get a diving license or do a refresher, since there are some decent dive sites around there and prices are unbeatable. A two tank dive costs 36 Euro and a PADI Open Water Diver license a mere 200 Euro. Unfortunately, those extremely low prices obviously have led to a lack of investment in modern material and several people in the group, including both of us, encountered unpleasant technical problems during the dives. Continue Reading →