Cartagena, Medellin, Santa Marta and Bogotà - Zigzagging through Colombia

Still at Lunas Castle Hostel in Panama City, a fellow traveler tells us that she never had any problems with entering Colombia. However, since we read online multiple times that an onward/return ticket must be presented upon entry, we decide to arrive at the airport early. We plan to leave Colombia for Ecuador by bus and therefore do not have a corresponding flight ticket. After a short conversation at the check-in counter, it is clear that we cannot proceed without a flight ticket. Of course, we have an ace up our sleeve and borrow a ticket from Flyonward.com for 24 hours. After half an hour, we are back at the counter showing our tickets to Atlanta. Take that!

After the stress at the airport in Panama, we begin the search for a hostel in Cartagena. After two failed attempts (too expensive & too dirty), we end up at Be Lounge Hostel in the middle of the Walled City (Old Town of Cartagena). After a quick freshening up, we wander aimlessly through the narrow streets. The old colonial buildings of the Walled City are simply stunning. However, the heat and high humidity are taking a toll on us, so we take a break at Plaza Bolivar, dedicated to the freedom fighter. Dancers entertain tourists with dance and music around Bolivar's statue. Due to the extreme heat, we buy tickets for the Hop-on Hop-Off bus of the same line as in New York for the next two days (small price comparison: New York $115, Cartagena $30). We also take a walking tour through the Walled City, which we don't want to miss. Apart from the old town, we venture into the newer district of Bocagrande, where we do some shopping and have lunch before dipping our feet into the Caribbean Atlantic.

We continue to Medellin on the first night bus of our journey. The trip takes 14 hours and is a torture. The bus wobbles through the darkness and sleeping is out of the question. Our dark circles and tired faces prompt the friendly person at the reception of Selina Hostel in Medellin to arrange a free early check-in for us. Nevertheless, we decide against sleep and opt for the free city tour organized by the hostel. In the classic Chiva bus, we listen to loud music while the two tour girls provide entertainment as we go from one spot to another. It's not particularly informative, but we get to see some of the city and meet new people. We have a few beers with the group in the evening until we retreat to our room around 9 pm, completely exhausted. Originally, we planned to take a Pablo Escobar tour the next day, where we would also meet his brother Roberto, but the tour ends too late for us. Instead, we take the metro to Santo Domingo, where the drug lord had his hood. In the meantime, a cable car has been built there, which takes us to the neighborhood located on the hillside. Breathtaking view! From Santo Domingo, another cable car takes us further up. Mistakenly, we think that this one will take us to the top of the mountain. The ride ends kilometers later, without a stop, in a national park where a few stalls are set up. Since our flight is waiting for us, we immediately get back into the next gondola and return. That was disappointing! Slightly delayed, we reach our hostel, grab our backpacks, and book an Uber. At the airport, we have enough time and treat ourselves to a snack at 'Beer'.

A budget airline takes us back to the coast to Santa Marta. The runway is so short that Stephan prepares for a water landing during the approach. We share a taxi to the city center with another couple. Our hostel is quickly found. It is located in the entertainment district of Santa Marta. Thanks to the thin walls of the hostel, we do not even have to pay the entrance fee for the surrounding rooftop bars, but can just join in. Slightly sleepy, we start the next day with the Ciudad Perdida Trek (separate blog post).

For our return after the trek, we decide to stay in a nicer apartment in the city (AirBnB). Since Google doesn't handle addresses in South America very well, we end up in the slums while looking for the apartment, where the huts have no windows or roofs. Especially in the dark and heavily loaded, not the best idea. A taxi finally brings us back to the city center. The apartment is about 100 meters from the office (Ciudad Perdida provider). A doorman welcomes us and our landlord shows us the pools (yes, plural!) on the rooftop first and then the beautiful apartment. After a relieving warm shower (we didn't have hot water for four days), we follow the landlord's restaurant recommendation and have dinner at 'The Kitchen' in a small courtyard. Absolute recommendation! The next morning, we visit a massage salon and make extensive use of the rooftop terrace of our apartment. Ultimate relaxation! After three restful days, we take the morning flight to the capital.

To cut to the chase, we are not particularly thrilled with Bogota. We spend a morning at the Gold Museum before walking to the cable car in pouring rain, which takes us to Montserrat. Fortunately, it stops raining completely on the way up, and the sky clears up a bit. The view of the city is not bad at all. Surrounded by mountains, the houses snake down into the valley. On the mountain, once again, we accidentally end up in a nicer restaurant. A pianist plays classics on the piano while the waiters walk around somewhat stiffly in their uniforms. Oops, but delicious! Afterwards, we visit the trendy neighborhood of the city, La Candelaria. A pickpocket tries to steal Stephan's phone/wallet, but the attack is thwarted at the last moment. The next day, we take public buses to Zipaquira in the north of Bogota. There we visit the 'Catedral del Sal', a cathedral installed in the salt mine. Getting married here costs around $250,000. After a short consideration, we decide against it; not enough sunshine!