From Colombia (Ipiales) to Ecuador (Otavalo)

After a brief pitstop in Popayan, where a lady thought Kat was going to mug her (all we wanted was directions to the supermarket), we made our way to the border town of Ipiales. Livvy had done her research and told us about a church that spans a gorge, so we decided to spend a night in Ipiales in order to check it out.

Here it is...

Nice church

Spanning the gorge

There it is Liv

We then swiftly left and crossed the border into Ecuador. It was a smooth transition but we were glad that we had made the journey in the day, as there were plenty of shady characters lurking about. Once across, we hopped on a bus and within a couple of hours we were in Otavalo, a town famous for it's huge Saturday market. Unfortunately we arrived on a Monday and there was nothing more than a piddly market in the main square. We stumbled upon a nice old chap that made necklaces out of old coins and couldn't resist a little splurge.

Market town

Happy chappy

The coins he had already done

With little more to explore, we journeyed on to Quito to kickstart our Ecuadorian adventure.

San Agustin

With only a few days left in Colombia, we wanted to make the most of it by heading to San Agustin. Oh, and did we mention that it was nearly Kat's birthday? To celebrate this special occasion in style, we organised a horse tour without really knowing what it entailed due to the language barrier, then off to bed we trotted, eager for our early morning tour.

Kat's Birthday

Up and raring to go we were on those horses faster than the speed of light. With our guide Pablo, we trotted off into the middle of nowhere, with only nature surrounding us. It was picture perfect and we had the weather to match it.

Humberto waving us off

Getting into the swing of it

 After about an hour, we hopped off our horses like seasoned pros and headed up a huge hill to see some of the pre-Colombian statues that contribute to the huge archeological site of San Agustin. However, the language issues prevailed and we still aren't too sure what it was. From what we could gather, and thanks to the sign that accompanied the site, the statues guarded the entrances to the tombs below.

Craazy

3,000 year old statue

 Pablo then hacked at some trees to show us the different colour saps that leaked oozed out of them; yellow, red and black. These are the colours they used to paint the stone staues. Unfortunately, an over-enthusiastic soul decided the statues would look better if the colourings were a bit brighter, so they went over the colours in modern paint, spoiling the original paintwork that had managed to survive for thousands of years. A sign informed us that they had restored the statues back to their original pre-modification glory though.

Pablo hacking away

Sap

Back in the saddle we were off again, this time Pablo stopped to show us all of the coffee fields that we were riding through as well as orange trees, some tasty local fruit and some coca plants. Along the ride, Kat caught a glimpe of what we both believe to be a deadly poisonous snake!

Some fruit..yummy

After a little canter, it was time to clamber back down to check out a massive valley that had some waterfalls spouting out of it. It looked like the mountains were leaking. In addition to the beautiful views there were some more statues. One looked a bit like a monkey and Pablo couldn't help but give it a cuddle and the other was a giant woman.

Monkey lover

Warriors

Valley of green

We made our way back into town like cowboys and due to it being Kat's birthday, Pablo decided a beer was in order so he took us to a local little shack and treated us to a bevvy each.

Canter time

Lone ranger

 We met back up with some Aussie boys, who were staying in our hostel, and with chicharron still on the mind we asked our hostel owner if he knew anywhere good to get some. Big mistake. He took us to a street eatery named "Cholesterol Palace". The name was spot on. Having raved to the boys about the delights of chicharron, we were served up a hefty portion of deep-fat-fried pork fat, rather than the delicious pork surrounded by crackling that we had experienced with Adriana. Safe to say it was disgusting and we were both very disappointed ladies!

Disgusting

 To finish the birthday with a bang, our hostel owner, Humberto, took us to a local cock fight.
 It was certainly a very Colombian and local affair. It was not as bad as we had both imagined, although it was still pretty grizzly at times, but it was great to experience an authentic Saturday in San Augustin. We put a bet on one and we lost, luckily we hadn't put too much money where our mouths were! Humberto put a huge wack on one fight and he chose wisely, with a fair amount of cash in his pocket he treated us all to another birthday beer!

Saturday night cock fight

 It certainly turned out to be a day that neither of us will forget in a hurry and a great way to turn 23 for Kat.  

Medellin

Our journey to Medellin was a rather frosty affair, in more ways than one. Not only was the air con on full blast but the conductor took an immediate dislike to us and started to shout at us for not speaking Spanish in his country. Luckily, Bex can speak Spanish and kindly translated the insults he was hurling at us. Finally we disembarked from the freezer and lovely John, the Turbo hostel owner, made sure we got in a taxi with a nice lady who wouldn’t rip us off.

We decided to explore the Old Town of Medellin. It was a rather odd day; one minute we were surrounded by nuns and the next prozzies. There was a square filled with statues by the famous artist, Fernando Botero, which gave us quite a chuckle.

Fat ladies..

In search of something other than fried chicken, rice and plantain, we opted for a highly recommended Thai restaurant. We had been told to get there early as it gets busy quickly, so Imy only had time to wax the one leg (4 weeks later and the other one is yet to be done). We all ordered pretty well, with the exception of Bex, who for some reason ordered chicken fried rice. Her food envy was too much to handle and she ended up ordering a whole other meal, much to the confusion of our poor waitress. After dinner, Bex and Kat accompanied some of the other hostel-stayers on a night out, only to find that Medellin on a Tuesday is a rather quiet affair. We managed to find a salsa bar open and some locals showed us how it was done. All too soon though, it was closing time and we headed back.

Good choice Bex

The new day brought with it a delivery of biffs! Chloe, Anne-Marie, Becca and Anna had arrived in Medellin! Unfortunately, we hadn’t been expecting them quite so soon and had organized a day of sightseeing with some mates from the hostel. We made our way to a massive cable car that goes up and over part of Medellin, finishing in a National Park. It gave us a brilliant view over Medellin and some treetops.

Medellin

Sunny delight

We were in a bit of a hurry to come back down, as we had also arranged to meet up with Bex VB’s sister’s boyfriend’s aunty, Adriana. We made our way to the meeting place, worried we would be late. It turns out that we didn’t have anything to worry about as Adriana told us she was running twenty minutes late. Four hours later, the incredibly glamorous Adriana rocked up. She was an absolute legend and introduced us to some of the most amazing food we have ever eaten (chicharron). Five courses later, and unable to ingest any more food, we found ourselves at her ex’s apartment, looking over Medellin by night, nibbling on nuts. After a few beers we went to meet the rest of the family at her Grandma’s casa. They were all just as lovely as Adriana and showed us a completely different side to Medellin that we otherwise would have missed.

Stop one: Juice and snacks

Stop two: Chicharron

Auntie Adriana

Stop three: Bandeja Paisa

Stop four: Dessert

Stop five: Sweet pad

When we got back to the hostel Chloe, Anne, Becca and Anna had set up a wee party for the soon to be birthday girl, Kat, and had really splashed out on a fancy bottle of bubbly. We went to some small bar in what felt like a deserted park and enjoyed what was Bex and Livvy’s last night in Colombia.

Soon enough it was time to say our goodbyes yet again, as we sent Bex and Livvy on their way to the airport. As per usual, a few tears were shed before we manned up and got on with moving hostel. No more room at the inn as they say.

Party time

Biffs

Group shot - bye Bex and Liv (Thanks for the photo Becca Howard!)

We checked into a prison with a swimming pool, where we chilled out and caught some rays (the girls were in desperate need of some sun... they were so white that they were practically see through). The evening brought with it a football final and everyone in Medellin seemed to be out in the streets supporting their side. We sat in a park with a couple of cans, a big screen and fireworks exploding around our heads. Unfortunately the night before had taken its toll on us though, and we called it a night pretty early, leaving Medellin to party till the early hours. 

Three ghosts

Tinnies in the park

Big night Medellin

The next day it was time for Imy, Anne, Becca and Kat to get a glimpse of the life of Colombia's most notorious drug lord, Pablo Escobar, while Chloe and Anna went on the cable car. The Pablo tour started with a trip to see one of his old offices/garages, which had been bombed and left in disrepair. This was followed by a trip to his rather modest grave, where he is surrounded by family members, many of whom were killed due to their connection to the Medellin Cartel. Finally it was time for the highlight of the day: meeting Pablo's brother, Roberto. We went to his house, which is actually more of a Pablo Escobar museum, and were introduced to his big bro. It was very weird being in the presence of someone so closely connected to the cartel and we learnt a lot about how they hid their money and their crimes.

Pablo's grave

Pablo through the ages

Biffs and Roberto Escobar

After the tour we met back up with Chloe and Anna, ate lots of pizza and played some cards. Then yet again Imy and Kat had a problem with their bus. One trip to the bus station, a confused call to the hostel owner and two hours later, everything was sorted and we were officially having to say yet more goodbyes. The girls had time for one last birthday treat for Kat though - a birthday cake complete with candles! Then we were on our way, with no more guests of honour to meet up with... Oh well, San Agustin here we come!

Birthday girl

Horrible Turbo and amazing Capurgana

Getting to Turbo certainly was a mission but after a very bumpy and beautiful ride, we made it to Turbo...the arsehole of Colombia. We're just glad that we only found out exactly how dangerous it is after we left. Some silly sallies hadn't got money out in Cartagena, so we ventured out of the hostel to find some cash. Police ended up escorting us to the cash machine. On high alert, we didn't know whether this was in our favour or not. So with cash in hand we ran away from the police and back to the safety of John's hostel, where the toilet was actually a feature of the bedroom. One bright side of Turbo was meeting Jorge and his mute friend, who were also making their way to Capurgana the next morning.

The morning couldn't come soon enough, and at 5:45 we made our way to the "port" to buy our tickets. We then waited around until 9:30, when the boat eventually left. It was another bumpy ride to say the least and Kat was quaking in her boots as to whether Capurgana would be worth the torment she had put her pals through.

Sleeping on a boat

Finally we pulled up to paradise, where the coconuts are fresh and the taxis are a horsedrawn cart. We walked through the tiny town to our hostel and couldn't stop marveling at the beautiful carribean town that we had ended up in. It was a contrast with Turbo to say the least. Red Snapper was the order of the day and it was insaaaane. The beach was calling and there were kids willing to play with us! Always a winner. We whiled away the day on the white sand and dipping in the turquoise sea, amazed at how lucky we were to be there.

Fresh Red Snapper

Sea Whales

Kiddy action

Thumbs up for Capurgana

Taxi anyone?

Wanting to explore all that the area had to offer, we set off on a hike for Panama. We started trekking through thick jungle and slipping all over the shop. Along the way we met a man selling some form of juice that apparently cures cancer. It tasted like bile. After a good two hour trek, we arrived at Sapzurro; a beach town to rival Capurgana. We filled our bellies with a variety of fried produce (none of which were particularly pleasant), then continued our journey to Panama. We literally climbed up one side of the mountain, showed our passports to a man, climbed down the otherside and BOOM we were in Panama!

Bile drink - to clarify it was rank.

Jungle Janes

Sapzurro

Crossing the border to Panama

La Miel

It was worth the two hour trek for sure. Its beaches had even whiter sand and the beach was practically deserted. It also had the added bonus of a pier, which Kat, Bex and Imy all made full use of throwing our selves of it plenty of times. Before we knew it time was running short we climbed back into Colombia before hiring a boat (we were tired) back to Capurgana.

Good one

Not so good one..

Super shit

The evening was filled with card games and apple wine that was two years out of date.

Thanks to Bex speaking to a little girl, we heard about a natural swimming pool called Coquerita. To get there we walked along a coastal path, which was, yet again, stunning. After about an hour we arrived to find that a wicked hippy had built his house right next to the pool and spent his days carving stuff out of wood. The pool filled up by the waves splashing in over the rocks. We spent the whole day at Coquerita and the hippy served up some amazing patacon for lunch.

Walk to natural pool

Livvy got lazy

Spidey

Froggy

Mermaids..

Risking the bigguns

Hold on gals

As the sun started to set, we headed back to Capurgana, to find Jorge and his new little pals fishing off the pier. We went to join in and Imy "stole" a fish by catching it through it's belly.

Stolen fish

Imy eating a whole fish

After a breakfast of patacon, cheese, pastries and coffee, courtesy of Big Mama, we made our way down to the beach for our final day in paradise. Filipe (Usher) hooked us up with some snorkels and we also went fishing on the beach. Kat turned out to be a bit of a pro, catching two within about 10 minutes. One of them turned out to be a deadly tropical fish! Thank God we didn't eat it. After the beach, we managed to catch a bit of the local football tournament, which the whole town had turned out to watch.

Big Mama's

Fishin ell'

She got a live one

Footie match

To mark the end of our stay in Capurgana, Filipe and his pals had organised a bonfire on the beach. Unfortunately some druggies mascquerading as hippies decided to join us and they kind of put a dampener on the whole thing with their crazy ranting and general lunacy.

Bonfire madness

Having had the most amazing time imaginable, we were absoluted gutted to have to leave. Everyone we met was so kind and smiley that we wanted to stay in our little carribean treasure forever.

Worst trip back..feeling good, feeling great, how are you?