Welcome to Curious Perro. This Gringo was planning to travel to Colombia at the end of this month – May 2021, but sadly the trip to Colombia is delayed. Possibly until September.
You might ask – Am I worried about the Corona Virus and the high incident rate occurring in Colombia?
The answer is no, I have been fully vaccinated. The Covid PCR tests are readily available and the efficiency and diligence of the protocols in Colombia are truly amazing.
You might ask – Am I worried about my personal safety with all the protests and marches taking place throughout Colombia?
The answer is no, not really. I have been assured by most Colombians that I come in contact with that the protests are contained in only certain neighborhoods and community areas. As long as I don’t attempt to participate or observe the protesting up close, I should be safe.
The reason I am postponing my trip is because the destinations that I intend to visit are outlying areas that require a tour guide, ground transportation and possibly camping. The tour guides have asked me to wait until the chaos subsides. The guides have warned me about potential guerillas or other unsavory people who may try to take advantage of us while traveling in the back country.
Since this Gringo’s Trip to Colombia is delayed, I will give you a brief glimpse into the places I am considering for my next adventure to Colombia.
Before traveling to Colombia, it is very important to plan ahead. If you are not a Spanish speaker like me, it becomes doubly important. I recently created an itinerary for a three week trip that included San Andrés, Wayira Beach Hotel in Guajira and Decameron PANACA in the Eje Cafetoria Region of Colombia.
Caño Cristales has been referred as the “river of five colors,” “the river from the garden of Eden” and “the most beautiful river in the world” because of the striking colors during certain times of the year. The riverbed turns predominately red with yellow, green, blue and black caused by Macarenia clavigera plants.
Salt Cathedral is an underground Roman Catholic church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 660 ft under a mountain near the city of Zipaquirá not too far from Bogota. It is an active church and a tourist destination.
San Agustin Archaeological Park is the center of some of the most important archaeological sites in South America. Though little is known about this ancient culture that flourished between the 1st and the 8th century BC, ancient burial and ceremonial sites including statues are scattered over this region of Colombia. There are 200 statues and 20 burial mounds located in this park.
Basilica of Our Lady of Las Lajas is a Roman Catholic church located in the town of Ipiales of the southern Colombian Department of Nariño. It is built across the expanse of a canyon. The church was founded to commemorate the occurrence of a miracle that happen in 1754.
The Lost City aka Ciudad Perdida is the archaeological site of an ancient city in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. It is believed to have been founded about 800 AD, some 650 years earlier than Machu Picchu. It was only discovered in the 1970s and only accessible via a multi-day hike.
Quebrada Las Gachas of Guadalupe is a natural hot spring river with spectacular craters also called Las Gachas. I talk about this location in a previous article. It is a place you can slide, play and immerse yourself in over a hundred craters. Some of the las gachas can hold up to 5 people.
The final destination on this list is the only location among this group that I could travel without a tour guide.
El Peñón de Guatapé aka The Rock of Guatape is an enormous granite rock that stands about 656 feet above its base. Visitors can scale the rock via a staircase built into one side, a path that includes more than 649 steps to the top. It is close to Medellin and has become quite touristy. Near the base of the Rock, there are food and shopping spots. At the top there is a three-story tower for viewing, a quick pick store and a seating area.
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