The journey from Peru to Colombia was a highly eventful affair.

Our first flight (from Cusco to Lima) was delayed by an hour and a half. This was rather concerning as there was originally a 1 hour and 40 minute wait in Lima.

The cabin crew on or first flight assured us that (as both flights were latam) it should be fine!

We were a little bit slow off the mark when the plane came to a halt and we found ourselves agonisingly waiting for the passengers in front of us to disembark.

It actually didn’t matter as we had to take a bus to the terminal and, when we arrived a few minutes later, the watch was showing 13.30…5 minutes before our next flight was due to take off.

We sprinted off the bus and flew through the luggage belts in desperate search of an international connections sign. No such luck.

Instead, Abi found a security guard who informed her that we would have to exit through arrivals and then go back upstairs to departures.

The next 5 minutes were a blur as we raced through the airport. Security was mercilessly devoid of people and, after jettisoning my water bottle, we made our way to passport control.

Abi was through quickly but my woman took an age and it took every ounce of restraint to avoid encouraging her to hurry up.

Naturally our gate was the furthest away. I took the lead and ran as fast as I could towards gate 26. Now if I had been thinking straight the ‘boarding’ as opposed to ‘last call’ may have grabbed my attention but I wasn’t so it didn’t.

As the gate came into view a huge crowd of people stopped me in my tracks and greatly lowered my heart rate. I turned around to see a red faced Abi some meters behind and informed her that it was all fine and that people were still boarding. This news went down like a fat kid on a see saw.

We even had time to purchase some refreshments and I gleefully spotted that the water and coke were 3 soles each…bargain. Another amateur mistake as there is no such thing as an airport bargain and the price was actually in dollars. I reluctantly handed over some dollars and the rest of my soles and we made our way to the queue. Panting and sweating we may have been…but we had made the flight!

Guatapé

After the trauma of Lima came the calm of Guatapé. Following a few unsuccessful airport pick ups in Brazil, luck was on our side and we were eternally grateful for a sign that read “Michael Qeates” to greet us at the airport.

The drive was a bit of a hairy one (not literally) as it involved some rather windy roads and a driver that was keen not to miss dinner. We spent about 20 minutes driving in the gearbox of a lorry and also witnessed a groundbreaking new mode of transport…

Our accommodation for the next two nights was Lake View Hostel:

Abi’s Rating: 6.5/10 – “Didn’t have a very nice atmosphere and a bit loud. Bed was comfy though”.

Mike’s Rating: 6/10 – Bit disappointing to have a ground floor room and therefore no lake view. Breakfast not included and shower a bit temperamental.

We were a bit hangry when we arrived and our first choice pizza restaurant only accepted cash and we could not be bothered to locate an atm. We settled for the thai restaurant on the roof of our hostel.

The service was slow but the food was excellent and just what the Doctor ordered!

The following morning we set off to explore one of Colombia’s biggest tourist attractions ‘La Piedra del Peñol’.

It is a large rock that towers over the nearby lake systems and boasts incredible views of the surrounding area. We caught a tuk tuk from outside our hostel and had reached the base of the rock within 15 minutes.

There were 660 steps up to the top but it actually felt like more and was a pretty steep climb! Well worth it for the magnificent views from the top though.

We sat for a good hour or so and soaked in the panoramic vista that (although perhaps not “the best in the world” as they had advertised at the bottom) was pretty spectacular.

The descent was much easier although a little bit stressful on the knees. We returned to the town of Guatapé and spent the afternoon wandering the streets and marvelling at the creative designs that covered the outside of the houses.

We also went back to the pizza restaurant and it was lovely. Really enjoyable to watch it being prepared too!

Medellin

Our shot stop in Guatapé was over and it was time to head to Colombia’s second largest city, Medellin.

Twenty years ago this was one of the most dangerous cities in the world but its transformation has been remarkable and its pacification has been a shining light for Colombia – a country that now attracts millions of tourists each year.

Abi and I were stunned by its size. It is a sprawling metropolis that snakes its way high up the surrounding mountains. With the centre of the city in a valley, the best analogy that I can give is that of a pan boiling over…the growth is astronomical.

We actually got a bit of a culture shock as we had not really been in a big city since we were in Buenos Aires at the start of October (we weren’t in La Paz long enough).

Our home in Medellin was the Backpackers Inn:

Abi’s Rating: 6/10 – “See through blind, wifi did not work in the room. Our En suite toilet had a shared ceiling with another toilet and the staff were annoying (hostely and lingering) Bed was comfy.

Mike’s Rating: 7/10 – Area was tranquil although top restaurants were some way away. Lack of wifi in room was annoying.

Naturally the rain had come out to play again so we spent our first afternoon at the memory museum. It gave us an in depth look at the suffering that the Colombian people have endured. Many of the events had taken place during our lifetime which gives a real sense of how raw it all still is for the citizens of Medellin.

In the evening we got a taxi across the city and it was a nightmare as the driver didn’t have a clue. This was our third taxi of the day and the second one that did not know his way around! The one that did know the way got stuck in traffic so it took almost an hour to go a few miles! The traffic in Medellin is unbelievable and an American guy staying at our hostel missed his flight because of it!

Thanks to me (an English bloke who had arrived in the city a few hours before directing a citizen of Medellin) we eventually arrived at Argentine steakhouse Malevo and it was a real treat. The steak was sublime and we tucked in!

This was followed by a couple of hours in a Dance club. The level of dancing was unreal and I was extending reluctant to join in! Abi really enjoyed herself (although she complained about one of her partners being substandard…he looked pro to me!).

I finally plucked up the courage to dance with Abi towards the end and I didn’t disgrace myself!

We were very lucky to avoid the rain on Saturday and it was one of our best days of the trip so far!

We had a wonderful brunch at a nearby cafe before setting off in search of Janette, our tour guide for the afternoon.

We met her at a metro station and joined a spanish chap, his colombian wife and a colombian family for a tour of Comuna 13.

Comuna 13 is a poor neighbourhood that stretches up the valley on the North side of the city. This is a community that has been ravaged by violence and still sees its fair share of murders.

In spite of this some of the residents are coming up with new ways to make ends meet.

Having said this it has been transformed into a popular tourist destination because of its incredible graffiti and groundbreaking elevators that have helped the community to leave behind some of its ugly past.

Janette was an excellent guide who lives in Comuna 13 and bas done so her whole life. She took us to her parents house for a salty cocktail (michelada) and showed us some pictures of the strife that the neighbourhoods inhabitants had endured. Tragically, her brother and uncle had both been killed by the Colombian military who had suspected them of being guerrillas or narcos. She told us that almost every single family had a similar story to tell.

As previously mentioned the graffiti was very cool and the views from the top were mightily impressive too!

With the clouds closing in, we were not too sure if we should go ahead with the planned evening activity…a football match involving local team (and Colombia’s most successful) Atletico Nacional.

In the end we decided to brave it and secured tickets in the club shop. This was actually more difficult than you would think as we had to circumnavigate tens of ticket touts to get there.

In fact one was still trying to sell us tickets while we were in the club shop queue…the security guard did not even bat an eyelid but I believe this was because he was being supplied with sweets by the aforementioned tout.

Tickets secured and, most importantly, we had got seats under the tiny roof that only covered the top part of one side.

The tout had been asking us if we wanted to be where the party was or somewhere a bit quieter. We had naturally opted for quieter and did not regret that decision as we walked passed the entrance to the party stand…

Having said that we were still close enough to the noise and the atmosphere was ridiculous. The ultras chanted non stop for 90 minutes…i’m pretty sure they didn’t watch much of the game!

The gas cylinders were also a highlight, the men holding them were shaking them for a good half an hour before kick off!

The standard of football wasn’t terrible and the home side ran out 3-1 winners. Abi and I both thoroughly enjoyed and we wore our new £5 shirts with pride!

Sunday was very much a rest day although Liverpool’s huge 3-1 victory over Man City certainly got the pulse racing!

I also went to get my haircut (by a professional) and I was very pleased…especially as it cost £4!

It rained most of the day so we only ventured out to go to the supermarket to get some pasta in before settling down to some Apprentice.

Next Stop: Manizales

#WhatOddsPaddy

We have only been in Colombia for a few days but we already love it. The good is good and the people are friendly. Despite the useless taxi drivers we have had a smooth start to life here. The only bump in the road was the mad dash through the airport but that wasn’t really my fault so it was pretty much fine!