When we finished with our business in Bogota we had new friends, new experiences and a desire to go exploring again. Being parked in the city is hard on these old nomads. So we were ready to find some cool stuff to see. We were headed in the direction of the antique family home of … More Colombia- We explore some holes in the ground!
Bogota is a traffic nightmare. The roads are clogged with cars, buses, and delivery trucks and taxis all day, every day. Even though the city instituted “no-drive” days, the roadways are nearly a standstill at peak hours. The program (called Pico y Placa) states that license plates ending in odd numbers can drive on odd-numbered … More Colombia- Bogota, twice!
The area around Salento is known for the wax palm forest. We went there initially to assist a fellow traveler that was experiencing some electrical issues. Here are Mike and Nica working on another camper. Then we roamed around a bit and took a time-out at a lovely camping area. Here Mike took a day … More Colombia- bad roads and mechanical fun!
The coffee region of Colombia is a gorgeous area to spend time in. Perfect weather, beautiful mountains in every direction and friendly people. But we were ready to explore some new places. So we left seeking water! Our first stop was at Rio Claro. Here we found a riverside campsite with some other travelers parked … More Hot Springs Region of Colombia
We had the excellent opportunity to join our overlanding friends Kid and Gypsy as they visited this traditional and historical family farm in the coffee region of Colombia. They met the owner while having mechanical work done in Bogota. He invited them to park at the beautiful hacienda that has been in his family … More Life at the hacienda- A working coffee farm in Colombia
As we wrapped up our visit to Medellin, we began chatting with overlanding friends who were house-sitting at Lake Guatepe. We were excited to see Michelle and David of La Tortuga Overlanders again, and spend some time relaxing at the Lake Hotel they are managing. This turned out to be a beautiful location and the … More Colombia- A lake, a huge rock and the home of a narco! (Guatepe and Peñol area)
We were driving fast to get to Medellin by a deadline. The past few blog posts have shared information with you about the villages, cities and sights we explored on our way here. But we were in a hurry to get to the biggest Medellin event of the year, the annual Flower Festival! Although we … More Colombia- Medellin, a very walkable city in recovery!
The Rio Magdalena is the longest river in Colombia. This river supports thousands of villages through fishing and agriculture. It produces hydroelectric power for many Colombians. It is navigable in many places. And we needed to use this river to access the destination of Mompox. We waited on the side of a dusty road with … More Colombia- Mompox and vicinity.
I seldom dedicate an entire post to just one topic or place. But Gramalote is an unsual exception, as it demonstrated the amazing destructive power of Mother Nature. (Caution: Spoiler alert……there are graphic photos of human bones in this post. Proceed at your own risk.) We arrived here at sunset after a very long day … More Colombia- Gramalote ruins; the bones of natural disaster!
After the fun of the Central American Games in Barranquilla we took some time to explore the area known as Norte Santander. This region is a blend of high deserts and mountains filled with many small villages. The region extends all the way to the Venezuelan border and we explored to within three miles of … More Colombia- The estoraques (hoodoos) and Norte Santander.