Cartagena and the Caribbean coast

Making the most of Colombia’s cheap domestic flights, we flew from Bogota to the Caribbean coast. The lush and vibrantly green Colombian countryside did not disappoint. We split our time between Santa Marta, Minca, and Cartagena, spending most of our time hiking. One of our favourite routes was in Minca, up to the peak of Los Pinos (the pines) through a beautiful pine forest to the top of the mountain. After three solid hours of walking uphill in sticky hot weather the view was absolutely worth it, watching the clouds rolling in and around the valley.

Cartagena wasn’t our favourite place, we felt it lacked authenticity and quite frankly was so expensive it meant we could not enjoy it hugely. However, the pretty colonial buildings did somewhat make up for that.

We also ventured further afield and stayed near Tayrona National Park on an old cattle farm. We had a relaxing few days predominately reading and drinking beer in hammocks. We also went tubing down the River Buritaca. It was great fun floating along, beer in hand, enjoying the stunning jungle scenery. However, we all took a bit of a scare when we saw a snake in the water, which the guide laughingly told us was deadly. Sadly I (Rose) got a stomach bug and spent almost 3 days in bed—as even the hammocks made me feel ill! We surprisingly didn’t see much of the coast; we ventured to the beach one day but after Cuba’s incredible beaches a few weeks before it felt a bit of a let down. We also didn’t end up going into the national park after numerous people told us it was overrated and not worth the expensive entrance fee.

The flourishing jungle and stormy skies made the north of Colombia unforgettable for us, but we were looking forward to cooler climes in Medellin, the home of Pablo Escobar.

Bogota

We arrived into Bogota from Cuba, instantly excited to check out the supermarket! It was worrying how much enjoyment we got from seeing aisles upon aisles of fresh food. We spent a few chilled days in a lovely hostel in Chapinero, a nice part of town. Although we didn’t do much, we drank a lot of coffee, visited some brilliant museums and met up with a couple of friends (Julia, a friend of Ali’s from university who works as a journalist; and Nuria, a friend of Rose’s from Francis Holland who now teaches English in Bogota). It was great to have an inside view of what it is like to live and work in Bogota, as well as getting recommendations for what to do and where to go in Colombia. We also took the opportunity to walk up to a viewpoint at the top of one of the hills to the east of the city. Although the altitude is not massively high, this was our first attempt at walking at this height and we definitely found ourselves working harder than usual to get to the top. It was also unfortunately a public holiday, so despite leaving really early in the morning, the route was busy.

A Cuban Christmas

We left Mexico sad to say goodbye but excited at the prospect of seeing Rose’s family in Cuba. We landed in the capital, Havana, as the sun was setting and were immediately taken aback by its contrast to Cancun. Where Cancun airport was host to designer shops and rich American tourists, Havana appeared harsh and outdated, its faded red walls a metaphor for the country’s struggling communism.

Despite 3 months of travelling we would be lying if we said Cuba did not come as a culture shock. The impact of half a century of communism and strict sanctions has made day-to-day life very difficult for those who remain there. Long queues can be seen outside every public building, with locals diligently waiting to enter supermarkets whose shelves are virtually empty. The strict control of internet has meant contact with the outside world is heavily restricted, with locals struggling to contact family members in neighbouring Miami fortunate enough to have left the country. The food leaves a lot to be desired—its incredibly bland nature arising from a scarcity of ingredients—and generally revolved around dishes containing meat, beans and rice. Additionally, the introduction of a dual currency system in 1994 only emphasises the divide between tourists and locals.

The knock-on effect of this is a soured attitude shown by a large number of Cubans towards tourists. It was rare that we felt we were not trying to be cheated out of our money, and when it was clear that we did not agree with proposed exorbitant prices people would very quickly lose interest. Perhaps the bitterness arises out of the assumption that outside of Cuba people are made of money; however, it inevitably left us with a negative view of the people.

That being said, Cuba itself is beautiful—a pastiche of crumbling colonial buildings and 1950’s Chevrolet’s. The photogenic old town of Havana is an assault on the senses, with Afro-Cuban mambo and rhumba blaring from every bar and restaurant. The cigars are cheap and the rum is cheaper, offering endless opportunities for fun. The long stretch of ocean boulevard which frames the city known as the Malecon made for beautiful sunsets, the silhouettes of countless fishing rods providing a memorable sight.

Bypassing the better known beach resort of Varadero, we spent our second week in Cuba in Guanabo. Situated only a short drive away from Havana, the neighbouring town is a favourite holiday destination for Cubanos and a much more low-key spot to enjoy the country’s stunning beaches. Grateful to escape the overwhelming buzz of Havana, our second week allowed us to enjoy the beach and make the most of our time with Rose’s family.

Being able to enjoy Cuba with Rose’s family was very special and made Christmas a much more enjoyable affair. We were incredibly lucky they agreed to come out and meet us and I hope they had as much fun as we did. Sadly though this meant it was that much harder to say goodbye. After two great weeks, we put on a brave face, said our farewells and looked forward to Colombia.

Tulum

Our last real stop in Mexico we were initially taken aback by how touristy Tulum was. Holiday goers out numbered Mexicans and we saw numerous people paying in US dollars. Despite this and a considerable spike in costs of things we adjusted quite quickly. We split our days by sightseeing in the morning and going to be beach in the afternoon. The first day we went to the Tulum ruins. Tulum was one of the last cities inhabited by the Mayas surviving for around 70 years after the spanish started to occupy Mexico.

It was really nice seeing the temple right next to the sea and the ideas behind the sunrise and moon felt very akin to somewhere like Stonehenge. We arrived first thing in the morning and the light was incredible with no one else there- by the time we were leaving the droves of tourists arrived.

We went to Akumal which is known for turtles grazing on sea grass. We were excited to snorkel in the hope of seeing them- which we did. It was amazing, they are only about 1.5 meters down feeding on the grass below and coming up for air every few minutes, which was our favourite thing to see- it was quite funny! These turtles were the same species that we released in Bacocho a couple of weeks before. We also saw sting rays- Rose wasn’t as keen.

Before flying to Cuba for Christmas to meet Roses family we spent a night in Cancun with Rose’s work friend Jo with her husband Joe, who are also on their ‘honeymoon’. We drank lots of a delicious cocktail made by Joe with Mezcal, Mint, Agave syrup, and water. It was so nice catching up- revelling at the idea that it was just a few days before Christmas and it couldn’t feel less christmassy.

Bacalar

After yet another night bus- we arrived in the early hours of the morning in bacalar, the lake of seven colours. Arriving at our hostel knackered- our hearts dropped as the hostel was dirty, staff unfriendly and everyone seemed to be ill. We swiftly went to look for other options and luckily found a lovely hostel down the road with an available room. Sadly the weather wasn’t great initially but the lake was still stunning. We went for a little explore on the lake with a pedalo- but returned when it started to rain. Hopeful that the rain would stop we booked a stand up paddle board tour for sunrise the next day. Paddle boarding was so much fun and calming way to start the day. The water looked like a mirror as the sun rose, we made our way to bird island where the birds sounded like pigs. Before heading to the black cenote, a sink hole that is so deep all you can see is black. The difference in depth throughout the whole lake creates so many different colours, varying from crystal clear turquoise, deeper greens, electric blues and completely black.
We also visited cenote azul, which is connected to the main lake by underground waterways. It was so beautiful- almost perfectly round and about 100m in diameter. The water is so fresh and was so nice to swim in. In typical fashion the sun only shone on the day we were leaving but the lake was still beautiful, and somehow unbelievable that it even exists.

Iguazu falls

The Iguazu falls are the largest system of waterfalls in the world. Situated on the Iguazu River on the border of the Argentine province of Misiones and the Brazilian state of Paraná, they separate the river into the upper and lower Iguazu.

We were staying in the city of Foz do Iguaçu in Brasil, having crossed the border from Paraguay in the morning. Foz do Iguaçu is the Brasilian gateway to the falls and so easily accessible by public transport. Stepping off the bus we were blown away at the vista in front of us, a panoramic view of waterfalls spanning from left to right as far as the eye could see. It’s not surprising that it was recently voted one of the new seven wonders of nature.

Throughout the trip we have heard differing views on whether it is better to visit the falls from the Brasilian or Argentinian side. Having enjoyed visiting them in Brasil so much we decided to see them from Argentina the following day. While Argentina lacked the panoramic view of the Brasilian side, it allowed you to get much closer to the action, with walkways of different heights right up to, and in some cases on top of, the falls. A particular highlight was being perched above the Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s throat), the largest of the falls at 82 x 150 x 700 metres, which funnels around half of the river’s flow. With around 1,500 cubic metres of water flowing over the falls every second, the seemingly endless stream of water creates a momentous roaring and permanent mist that looms over the abyss, broken only by the occasional darting of some rather daring swallows.

From Foz do Iguaçu we also visited Parque das Aves, the largest bird park in Latin America, with more than 1,320 birds from about 143 different species. Housed in 16.5 hectares of rainforest next to the falls, the birds are predominantly rescued and rehabilitated before being released back into the wild. One of our favourite things about the park was the number of walk-in cages, where you could see many of the birds up close, including a huge cage housing around 30 varieties of parrot and parquet . The sea of colour flying over your head was incredible.

Ciudad del Este

Ciudad del Este—literally translating as the city of the east—sits on the triple border with Brasil and Argentina. It is a peculiar place, with a strange border that you can cross without having to go through immigration. As a result, it is well known as a gateway for all sorts of contraband. We had heard that it was a hectic, dirty and altogether horrid place to be. Never-the-less, we had to go there in order to cross into Brasil and so tried to make the most of it. As we had time to spare, we visited the biggest tourist attraction possibly in Paraguay: the Itaipu hydroelectric dam, situated on the river that divides Brasil and Paraguay. The second largest dam in the world—having been overtaken by the Three Gorges dam in China in 2012—it generates enough power for 75% of Paraguay and 15% of Brasil. It is over 7 km wide and almost 200 m tall. A remarkable feat of human engineering, it offered an interesting contrast to our next stop—Iguazu falls.

Asunción

Asunción was our first stop in Paraguay; we crossed the border on a bus. We were slightly nervous in doing so as we were the only tourists on the bus and had to go through immigration unlike everyone else. We crossed the border in the evening, which normally would have been fine but there was a power cut which meant we were shuffled along and got our passports stamped in the almost pitch black.

Arriving at a lovely hostel in the evening we instantly felt relaxed in Paraguay’s capital city. The people were very friendly and chatty, the city was energetic but not overwhelming. We went to a restaurant for food—we were both thrilled as they had IPA on tap and hefeweizen beer. While at the hostel we were able to get our clothes properly washed at a launderette—the first time in a while.

The next day we ventured out and soon realised that the weather was not ideal. Close to 40 degrees with high humidity, we had to return to the hostel a couple of times for cold showers! Although there is little in the way of sights in Asunción besides the Government palace and a few museums, the city has a much more laid back atmosphere than Buenos Aires.

Taking it easy any enjoying the relaxed way of life in Paraguay, we decided to go out to a bar that evening which felt more like Berlin than a city in South America. Already we had a really good feeling about Paraguay and were excited to move on to our next destination, Concepción!

Colonia del Sacramento and the surrounding countryside

Picturesque Colonia del Sacramento is one of the main gateways into Uruguay from Argentina. Only 1 hour away from Buenos Aires by boat, its tranquil old town has been awarded UNESCO world heritage status. Founded by the Portugese in 1680, it was of strategic importance due it being placed on the tip of the north peninsula of the Río de la Plata. Its most famous street, Calle de los Suspiros (Street of Sighs), has two equally interesting theories on how it got its name. One story states that prisoners who were convicted to death were led up the street to be tied up and drowned when the tide came in. Another claims that the sighs refer to the sounds of the many brothels that were allegedly located on the street.

Montevideo

More relaxed than nearby Buenos Aires, Uruguay’s capital Montevideo has a population of less than  1.5 million. That being said, the country’s entire population is only around 3.5 million. The city’s old town, where we were staying, is largely pedestrianised, with outdoor markets situated in front of old colonial buildings on cobbled streets. Interestingly, most of the old films set in Cuba were actually filmed in Montevideo’s old town, as they share a striking similarity, and Hollywood directors were unable to gain access due to US/Cuba relations.