Bogota to Taganga

One of the main attractors to Bogota, and one of my reasons for coming to a big smelly city, was the famous Gold museum, only to find that they have closed it for 2 months...

However, the Salt Cathedral, a carved out underground Cathedral, was entertaining enough.

As was the excellent Botero museum.

On our last evening we were mugged by street urchin...we lost my muggers wallet which held an expired credit card and $15...I still wish I´d given him a kick in the face as he bent down to pick it up, but we´d probably ended up in a bum war as there were a few undesirables about.

So from one big city to another, Cartagena, and after one evening in the old town, and discovering that their Gold museum was closed for the day, and decided to head up the Caribbean coast to Taganga (where we bumped into Jodie Rowles, an old friend from school).

Although we had initially planned a bit of relaxation we found out that a group was leaving for the Lost City the following day, and decided after discovering that the Foreign Office recommends that you don't go, due to guerrilla activities, essentially invalidating our insurance that we were definitely up for a sweaty, mosquito hell zone 6 day jungle trek.

And, loved it, top company, ace guides 19 & 21 year old brothers Miguel and Diego (and at times Dad, Luis), friendly group, amazing surrounding. The sweaty walking was rewarded by loads of natural swimming pools, and the mosquitoes were kept at bay by long trousers, sleeves and a bar of repellent soap.

Most of the group, myself and Hannah being some of the few exclucions, went on a tour of a cocaine factory...which was essentially a tent museum displaying the myriad of offencive chemical processes involved in its production, and the therefore offencive working conditions the manufacturers have to endure.

We later found out that the region is in fact much safer than its ever been, with the military being in control for the last few years and soldiers being permanently posted at the Lost City. This has led to the destruction of coca farming and has in turn led local farmers, like our guides, to move into tourism.

The soldiers at the lost city seemed to be bored out of their minds (6 months in the middle of nowhere), when we arrived they were doing push ups in the rain, obviously for the sole purpose of impressing the girls, and they joking invited me to join them (worryingly I was wearing only boxer shorts, due to the torrential rain and having accidentally left my swimming shorts in the Amazon at Ecuador). Some of the girls decided to be friendly with them which led to this hilarious photo...

The Lost City was good but it was definitely the whole experience that made the trip so enjoyable, and passing the Aussies on day 5 that we{d been on the Amazon tour with (and with whom we later met up with at the National Park).

The following week was spent on the stunning coast of the Tayrona national park, relaxing on secluded beaches and sleeping in overpriced tent accommodation.

Now back in Taganga, finalising our arrangements for a week in Antigua attending Hannah's Brother's wedding which will be preceded by 5 days in Miami...life's a bitch, and a beach since thats where we´ll be spending the next 6 months.

Tx!