On another planet

One of my absolute highlights so far was our trip from Salento to Murillo. Murillo itself is a tiny place with limited attractions, but lots of authentic cowboys. However, the highlight is the surroundings, which were truly breathtaking. We were at an altitude of over 4000 meters and the air is thinner. Neither of us had been this high before and we got headaches, thankfully there was plenty of coca leaf tea, which helps a lot.

From Murillo, we visited the 'Termales de Cabaña', a protected area on a farm, with a very strange and cool landscape, or as Pipi said 'it feels like we're on another planet' - it's cool that you can just take the bus here! Throughout the property, there are Frailejones, fluffy and spiky plants that store more water than most hydrants and are therefore of great importance to all creatures in the area. They only grow about 1 cm per year and are often several hundred years old, so they are under strict protection. In addition to the Frailejones, there was also a black lagoon and the river of 7 colors. Pretty cool, right? The Volcano del Ruiz, the second highest peak in Colombia, right next door, ensures that there are many thermal springs in the area. The river of 7 colors is formed by the high sulfur content and the special composition of bacteria in the water, which causes colorful mosses to grow around the river. Although the smell took some getting used to, the landscape was even more beautiful.

The next day, we didn't feel like taking the bus at 6 in the morning, but we still wanted to get to our second destination; the 'Termales el Sifón'. So we decided to hitchhike. After waiting for about an hour on a very deserted road, where many horses and motorcycles passed by, but practically no cars, we were finally picked up by a warm family who clearly enjoyed having two gringos in the car. They found our way of traveling inspiring and asked us many questions. The highlight was that they stopped at every viewpoint to take pictures, which you can't do on a bus. So our ride turned into a joyful photo shoot with lots of laughter. By the way, Pipi said that this road trip was the most beautiful of his life!!!

The Termales el Sifón, to which the family took us, were really hot thermal springs, the most beautiful and natural ones I have ever seen. A hot river in the middle of nature, nothing more. Originally, we planned to only stay there for 1-2 hours, but we ended up spending the whole afternoon there, we couldn't tear ourselves away. The place was so special, the water so pleasant, and we were surprised that most of the time we were alone there. The park guard kindly took us to the next big city, Manizales, since we (once again) missed the bus.

In Manizales, we didn't have high expectations, but we were pleasantly surprised! The city is so hilly that you can't see the beginning or the end. Within the city, there are parks that are so wild that you feel like you're in the jungle. And the people are incredibly friendly! Manizales is also called the city of open doors, because hospitality is highly valued here.

In Manizales, we tried Couchsurfing for the first time on this trip. The experience was... exciting. It included 4 dogs, 3 cats, and a newborn. Our host Andres, an interesting guy, had quit his classic 9-5 job and now gave workshops on yoga, self-discovery, and vegan cuisine in his house. His son runs a vegan restaurant called 'Riskantes Schaf'. Although he was nice, he tended to talk in monologues and compulsively conveyed his anti-capitalist message to us. (Thanks, I know that material things are not the most important - I'm currently living out of a backpack) He didn't seem very interested in us or our stories. Nevertheless, it was a fascinating experience.

Bussi Baba

In another planet

One of my absolute highlights so far was our trip from Salento to Murillo. Murillo itself is a tiny village with limited attractions, but with many authentic cowboys. However, the most remarkable thing is the environment, which was truly IMPRESSIVE. We were at an altitude of over 4000 meters and the air is thinner. Neither of us had been this high before and we got headaches, thankfully there was plenty of coca leaf tea, which helps a lot.

From Murillo, we visited the 'Termales de Cabaña', a protected area on a farm, with a very strange and cool landscape, or as Pipi said 'it feels like we're on another planet' - it's cool that you can just take the bus here! Throughout the property, there are Frailejones, fluffy and spiky plants that store more water than most hydrants and are therefore of great importance to all creatures in the area. They only grow about 1 cm per year and are often several hundred years old, so they are strictly protected. In addition to the Frailejones, there was also a black lagoon and the river of 7 colors. Pretty cool, right? The Volcano del Ruiz, the second highest peak in Colombia, right next door, ensures that there are many thermal springs in the area. The river of 7 colors is formed by the high sulfur content and the special composition of bacteria in the water, which causes colorful mosses to grow around the river. Although the smell took some getting used to, the landscape was even more beautiful.

The next day, we didn't feel like taking the bus at 6 in the morning, but we still wanted to get to our second destination; the 'Termales el Sifón'. So we decided to hitchhike. After waiting for about an hour on a very deserted road, where many horses and motorcycles passed by, but practically no cars, we were finally picked up by a warm family who clearly enjoyed having two gringos in the car. They found our way of traveling inspiring and asked us many questions. The highlight was that they stopped at every viewpoint to take pictures, which you can't do on a bus. So our ride turned into a joyful photo shoot with lots of laughter. By the way, Pipi said that this road trip was the most beautiful of his life!!!

The Termales el Sifón, to which the family took us, were really hot thermal springs, the most beautiful and natural ones I have ever seen. A hot river in the middle of nature, nothing more. Originally, we planned to only stay there for 1-2 hours, but we ended up spending the whole afternoon there, we couldn't tear ourselves away. The place was so special, the water so pleasant, and we were surprised that most of the time we were alone there. The park guard kindly took us to the next big city, Manizales, since we (once again) missed the bus.

In Manizales, we didn't have high expectations, but we were pleasantly surprised! The city is so hilly that you can't see the beginning or the end. Within the city, there are parks that are so wild that you feel like you're in the jungle. And the people are incredibly friendly! Manizales is also called the city of open doors, because hospitality is highly valued here.

In Manizales, we tried Couchsurfing for the first time on this trip. The experience was... exciting. It included 4 dogs, 3 cats, and a newborn. Our host Andrés, an interesting guy, had quit his classic 9-5 job and now gave workshops on yoga, self-discovery, and vegan cuisine in his house. His son runs a vegan restaurant called 'Riskantes Schaf'. Although he was nice, he tended to talk in monologues and compulsively conveyed his anti-capitalist message to us. (Thanks, I know that material things are not the most important - I'm currently living out of a backpack) He didn't seem very interested in us or our stories. Nevertheless, it was a fascinating experience.

Bussi Baba