Colombia

The city of Colon in Central America and Cartagena in South America are the two main ports connecting the divided continents. The water passage in between the two cities marked a new chapter on our journey.

Here we all were, dumped onto a whole new continent to explore. South America! New scents filled the air. Delicious street food, carts full of exotic fruits, and a still foreign climate with Cartagena’s bone warming heat… The city felt strangely European and safe. Evening strolls through the narrow alleyways eating arepas con queso, mounts of fruits on the side of the road and picturesque plazas were an unfamiliar and joyful change. We can’t quite grasp yet that we are on a huge new continent, but we feel an increasing excitement…

Even the most challenging tasks become a pleasure when you’re in good company. Here we are with our shipping partners Ivan and Fabienne, celebrating the arrival of our trucks with cheap champagne in plastic cups. These are our first steps in this grand continent.

 

Some of those first ‘steps’ were actually taken into a mud hole! Volcan del Totumo, a bit North-east of Cartagena, provides a strangely fun floating experience (only for non-germaphobes)!

 

Those of you planning to do a similar trip should take notice. If the model of the car you’re planning to drive down is not being sold in this market, regardless of the make, you may have to arrange the shipment of your own replacement parts. Check the country specific dealer websites to see which models they offer. In our case, even though Toyota dealers are on every corner, they’ve never seen a Tacoma before. They will happily order parts for you if you’re willing to wait a month in the same town. Very few parts of the Tacoma are used in other Toyota models such as the 4 Runner, the Hilux or the FJ Cruiser. Websites such as ToyoDIY will let you search for the models a specific part number is used in. In the case of Tacoma, wearable parts such as the clutch plates and brake pads are NOT some of those common parts. You’d probably be better off carrying those if you’re on a Tacoma.

We carried on to Minca – a small town in the mountains above Santa Marta and went about exploring the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. This is the highest mountain range in Colombia, marking the beginning of the Andes. Bumpy dirt roads are always fun to explore.

In order to spend Christmas Eve we picked a nice spot in San Lorenzo overlooking Santa Marta, and began to decorate the biggest pine tree we could find. Our flimsy decoration lights were dwarfed by the giant tree in a funny way.

We cooked up a cute, delicious Christmas dinner between the four of us. Our gifts were a funny assortment of things we had extra in our cars, which we wrapped in natural recyclables. We played the ‘white elephant’ game with them. Not sure if Ivan will actually use his new knitting needles, but receiving gifts without spending time and money, made Christmas a less consumerist experience… Several people in Colombia told us they don’t celebrate Christmas at all because they don’t have the money for it.

 

Descending from the mountains we parted ways with our travel buddies. We wanted to head up to the desert of La Guajira at the northern tip of the continent, while the Swiss couple followed their natural call to the mountains in Cocuy.

We first headed on to the Flamingo Sanctuary in Camarones, a small fishing village at the coast north of Santa Marta.

We reached the birds just as the sunset. The way back was a magical, dreamlike boat ride through a starry night over the wide open water. One of the most soul-touching moments of this trip…

At the northern tip of Colombia is an unusual protrusion of land called La Guajira. Covered in sand dunes, salt flats and cactus fields, it’s unlike anywhere else in the country. The Wayu people have been living here independently and autonomous for as long as anyone could remember. They resisted the Spanish invasion and the mess that followed in the aftermath. Wayu speak a language called Wayuunaiki and have a unique relationship with the land. Translations of some of the interesting territory names in Wayuunaiki are as follows: Sour with something, Round object, Where sleepiness is felt, Eyes without head, Frightened, Inside you, When it turns into a boat, The teeth of our eyes, Going there, Coming here, I have more power than you, My eyes are of sticks, Lying eyes… Their diet is mostly based on seafood and goats. The women are very prominent in society. They wear bright red dresses and often cover their faces in dark paint. This, we felt, was a landscape we had to experience.

A dirt road seemed to connect the main road to the shore. We asked the Wayu women if the road was OK to drive on. They approved it with a dubious smile. Nevertheless we decided to take it. It first took us to a beautiful cactus field…

…and then into a salt flat, where it disappeared. We could see the Atlantic ocean ahead, but there were no tracks left to follow. We checked the ground to make sure that the ground was sturdy.

The fishing hut we arrived at on the shore had some turtle shells laying around. Turns out there are people who enjoy turtle meat.

Soon enough, the fishermen arrived with the catch of the day. A net full of fresh lobsters… They sold us four lobsters for two dollars and still seemed to be happy about it. I wonder who got the better end of the deal.

Cabo de La Vela is almost entirely made up of huts without walls full of hammocks. The constant wind makes mosquito netting an unnecessary novelty. Temperature is mild at night. Nothing is hidden behind walls and privacy is something most people can live without. There were a few hostels and restaurants catering to Colombian tourists. A wonderful place to chill out. We camped next to one of the restaurants right by the slope of the beach. Most people dig through sand to recover stuck vehicles. We sometimes do it to level our truck for a good nights sleep.

 

Some adventure-savvy Colombians come to La Guajira to enjoy their vehicles in this remote land. We met a group of five young ones from Bogota on two dual-sport bikes and one 4×4 SUV and decided to follow them through northern Colombia as they were heading back south. Pilon de Azucar was our last stop in La Guajira peninsula. We said our farewell to the Atlantic Ocean. From now on, our route will mostly follow the Pacific coast.

We zipped through the curvy mountain roads dodging heavy and long trucks left and right for twelve grueling hours. When we arrived at Canyon Chicamocha, Sarah and I were screaming with a joy akin to having landed on the moon while the Colombians were keeping all cool and calm talking about natural beauty and weather. The campground we arrived at was overlooking Canyon de Chicamocha. The owner and his son spoke perfect English and were great to chat with. We conversed about music and politics for a while and then decided to do some target practice with an air gun being careful to not hit the paragliders soaring below us in the canyon. Fun times!

Colombia is a happy-place for fruit lovers! We watched the variety in fruit stands change over time as we drove through different elevations and climates and made sure to taste as many as we could.

We spent the new year’s eve in Barichara watching the ‘old year’ puppets being burned at the town center.

Having spent more than six months on the road, we decided to get a medical check-up. Back in the States, this means making reservations weeks ahead, waiting for test results for another week and paying a chunk of money without even having any professional spending time talking to you. We were reluctant. In the small touristy town of Barichara, we found Dr Elisabeth Crooke, an English expat who has been practicing medicine in Colombia for over 30 years. Oh, by the way, she also happens to be an avid anthropologist and a serious artist. Her clinic was so tastefully decorated and the conversation was so intelligently pleasing that we did not want to leave. Needless to say, the professional care she gave us was excellent. I think this was by far the best doctor visit we ever had in our lives.

 

 

On our way to Villa de Leyva, we picked up a group of hitchhikers and managed to fit them all in the truck. We’re not joking when we say that we can travel and sleep seven people in our truck. That’s without making any promises about comfort though!

Nikki and Jacob are Sprinter Van Diaries! They also happened to be our neighbors for the southern half of Colombia. They travel in a Sprinter van with their dog Leika, one of the most friendly and emotionally intelligent dogs we’ve ever met. We feel so lucky to have shared the road with them. Their presence made everything so much memorable and enjoyable.

Continuing our exploration of unusual architecture in Colombia, we visited the Salt Cathedral of Zipaquirá. This enormous structure is actually an old salt mine composed of three levels dug inside a mountain spanning centuries of mining. The empty corridors left behind after the excavation were converted into a cathedral. Being one of the most visited touristic destinations in Colombia, the place now resembles a shopping mall complete with a 3D movie theatre. The gift shops towards the exit occupy huge alleys reserved for various brands of artisanry and jewelry. Nevertheless, it is one of the most impressive examples of recycled architecture.

Colombia has three mountain ranges dividing the country on the north-south axis. Traveling southbound, you make a choice as to which ‘corridor’ you would be driving through. If you switch corridors like we did, you find yourself descending from 3000 meters to 300 and back up again within a day. On the road to Manizales, the evening caught-up with us and we decided to camp by a river. As the night fell, the grassy field next to us started to illuminate with hundreds of fireflies. Stars above, fireflies below, we sat down, disoriented, watching the magical scene for hours.

Driving in Colombia is somewhat lawless. The signs posted have no connection with reality. Speed limits would only be realistic if they were doubled. No one obeys them. Even the police don’t seem to take them seriously. The arrows painted on the roads signifying direction of traffic were wrong on multiple occasions. The entire road system is double yellow lined with a few exceptions making it virtually impossible to pass heavy slow truck traffic for hours. The signage simply declares everything illegal and asks you to be careful without serving any information. As a result everyone drives as they see fit. Surprisingly, there are less accidents than you would expect. Guards are never let down. Everyone is very attentive and usually helpful. Trucks and cars use their signals to inform other drivers about oncoming traffic. It takes time getting used to, but somehow seems to work. Here are a few traffic signs we had difficulty understanding.

Motorcycle is the dominating choice of transportation in Colombia. It’s the best way to cope with heavy highway and urban traffic on winding narrow mountain roads and old colonial towns.

After more than six months of traveling mostly through the rainy season, we’ve learned a few things about water leaks and how to avoid them on the Flippac Camper. We knew we were approaching another rainy territory so decided to fix the waterproofing of both the camper and the tent for good! Chapter one was focusing on the camper leaks:

We purchased high density rubber strips and some Sikaflex from a good auto parts store. With the help of Nikki, Jacob and a few of others, we took the camper shell down and made a really strong well insulated water barrier. We reinforced the lift brackets on the Flippac making sure water does not leak into the metal channels. We also ran a line of Sikaflex on the windows. Tested under heavy vibration and on dirt roads flexing the body of the truck, the rubber hasn’t moved at all. Chapter two was the tent itself. More on that below…

 

You may have heard that Palm Trees are actually not ‘trees’. Lacking barks and branches, they are botanically grouped with ‘grasslike’ plants. With that in mind, a visit to Valle de Cocora becomes even more interesting. This valley is home to a rare species called the Wax Palm which grows in an unusually evenly distributed manner and exceptionally tall. We parked “Her Majesty” and “The Garage” at a restaurant near the valley and hiked the valley.

We’ve tried more than a few products that claim to water-proof tents. Most of them did not work and the ones that did, did not last. It’s very hard to find niche products in third world countries. So we decided to search for other homemade remedies. The solution was simpler than we could wish for. We purchased 1.5 liters of Mineral Spirit (known as Varsol in the Latin American market) and a tube (300 ml.) of 100% Silicon. It’s important that the Silicon is pure and not water based. We mixed them at the ratio of 5 to 1 using a wire attached to a drill until no particles were visible. The mixture has a viscosity slightly thicker than water. Using brushes, we applied it to the exterior of the tent making sure that all surfaces were covered at least one layer. The liquid was absorbed by the fabric. Once the Mineral Spirit evaporated, we were left with a perfectly waterproof, flexible and durable rain cover. We have been using it for a few weeks now under rain. It does not leak at all. The fabric is still as flexible as it used to be and there are no signs of peeling off. In fact we cannot even tell if there’s a film on it. The water just beads off the surface without being absorbed. We are truly relieved to finally have achieved a dry tent. And the best part is that the mixture can be prepared anywhere in the world with the most basic hardware resources.

 

We moved on to Lago Calima where Nikki and Jacob wanted to do some kite-surfing. This little reservoir lake is nestled between two hills that create a wind channel. Every day in the afternoon, we received constant steady wind followed by a decent dose of rain. They were happy with the surf and we were happy with our waterproof tent. Bliss!

 

Since our experience with mud in La Guajira, we started noticing a squeaking sound coming from the driveshaft carrier bearing. Nikki and Jakob also wanted to get some work done on their van which would take several days. On our way to Cali, we decided to pay a visit to a mechanic. We arrived at JJR Automotriz without knowing what we were getting ourselves into. First of all, he may possibly be the best, and kindest mechanic in the world, but secondly the hospitality we received from him and his friends/clients was simply overwhelming. We took the drive shaft apart to service the bearing. The Sprinter had a body and paint job. Everything was fixed to perfection. We couldn’t have enjoyed these days more. We ended up staying for almost a week…

Humberto took us on a fun night-time off-road tour through the mountains around Cali together with about 30 other vehicles. Convoying with other 4×4’s ATV’s and dirt bikes at night was quite an experience!

Humberto was so generous and welcoming to us, we couldn’t believe it. He offered us to stay at his Finca in the hills not too far from the mechanic shop. Under a huge, beautiful roof, he has a 100-year-old antique train vagon with bunk beds. A huge kitchen, a pool table, great music system, tv, hot showers and anything else an overlander could hope for, including fresh farm eggs and a cow.

Papeto took us on a tour through Cali and stuffed us with Cholados – shaved ice, with tons of yummy fruits and condensed milk. The Caleños were incredibly welcoming and fun to be with.

We owe a big ‘Gracias!’ to Jhon Jairo, Humberto and Papeto!

Popayan, also known as ‘the white city’ is the only one in Latin America to earn the designation of UNESCO City of Gastronomy. We combed its streets looking for the famous empanadas to no avail.

Tomorrow, we’ll be moving on to the border town of Ipiales to see the Las Lajas Cathedral followed by the border crossing into Ecuador.

Colombia is about as big as France, Spain and Portugal combined. In a bit more than a month we traveled as much as we did in three months through Central America. Our brains are filled with experiences of a lifetime shared with new friends. So was this long post. See you in Ecuador!