Lucky kids

The last post may only be a few days ago, but I would like to say a few final words about Colombia before we go to Ecuador.

After Nadine and I spent a few nice days in Salento and the capital Bogotá, we are now sitting at the airport waiting for our flight. Where did the time go?

In Salento, we accidentally discovered a beautiful hiking route through the jungle, over suspension bridges, past waterfalls, and to the tallest palm trees in the world. The unexpected uphill climbs were not fun and led to some angry words, but the view made up for it. And to top it all off, we were given an exclusive tour of a coffee farm by a small family business in the afternoon. Now that I know how much work goes into getting the final product to us in Germany, I will definitely appreciate my coffee more in the future - even the terrible coffee at the office will probably taste better now. :D

The bus ride to Bogotá was - as usual - long, curvy, and chaotic, but this time we arrived at our destination without any major complications. It's really crazy that we don't even research any timetables or departure times anymore, but just set off with our bags and rely on a bus coming at some point to take us. Our experience shows that we are lucky kids and always make it to our destination (relatively) problem-free and with more funny memories. Especially since schedules and departure times here only serve as rough guidance, nothing more. :D The poor control freak and perfectionist in me are probably sitting together in a dark corner crying or maybe laughing again. I don't know. :D

In Bogotá, we treated ourselves to a bit of culture and big city feeling and are now ready to close the chapter 'Colombia' and exchange it for the chapter 'Ecuador'.

My conclusion about Colombia: impressive! I can't even say exactly why my time in Colombia has had such an impact on me, but it's definitely one of my highlights. Maybe it's because of the relatively long period of time I spent there volunteering. Maybe it's because the forced break in Chile caused chaos in my head. Maybe it's the sister time with Lüdden (sorry Nadine, I will always call you that :D). But it's definitely the people there, the way of life, the nature, and the climate that made my time unforgettable. I take so many beautiful memories with me.

To all the skeptics who consider a trip to Colombia too dangerous: This country has so much more to offer than just the dark side of crime. Of course, there are areas in Colombia that should be avoided and I had to be more vigilant at times. Of course, as a white face in Colombia, you stand out, you get approached, honked at, asked to dance, or drugs are offered to you like sunglasses. Of course, you occasionally see the police or the military strolling around with long rifles as if it were completely normal. Of course, you also hear the not-so-nice experiences from other backpackers. But Colombia is not Germany. It is precisely because of these experiences that I chose Colombia and can only recommend a trip to this beautiful country. It's worth it!

So, now I'm curious to see what Ecuador has to offer.

In this sense: Bye bye Bogotá, hello Quito. I can't wait!