The Stewarts Come to Colombia!

At the Cali Zoo!  Photo by Dave Stewart

Aaron's mom and Dave came down over our spring break at the end of March.  It was their first time in South America which made it a really special, eye-opening trip!

We spent a few days in Cali touring our favorite parts as well as places we hadn't gone before. For example, we took our first trip to the Cali zoo which, for me, trumped any zoos I've ever been to!  Although some of the animals were pretty lazy, it was a beautiful place to see some of the Colombian wildlife up close and take in the gorgeous flora and fauna. 

 Our next adventure was off to Santa Rosa in the heart of Colombian's coffee country.  However, we weren't there for the coffee.  Oh no.  We had heard that there were some beautiful hot springs, but even more importantly, chorizo.  Santa Rosa is known to have the best chorizo in the world!  We were ready!

After taking a bus from Cali, hopping in another bus to Santa Rosa, and then a jeep, we made it to Matisses Hotel Campestre.  We were early and couldn't check in yet, so without skipping a beat, like a kid in a candy store, Aaron asked, "Where's the best chorizo?!"  Our lovely host recommended a tiny place, walkable distance from our hotel.  We followed the smell of grilled meat all the way to the little Christmas colored restaurant with an unbelievable view of the lush, green mountains!  The chorizo exceeded our expectations.  Whether it was the meat or the micheladas, we were in a food coma the rest of the day!  We woke to chickens the next morning and made our way to the Termales Balneario.  They were stunning.  We soaked in the hot pools and gazed at a giant waterfall with multiple streams of water dancing down from the jungle above.  You could also jump in the cool waterfall and then run to the steaming hot termales.  Sandy and I got massages while Aaron and Dave drank beers and soaked in the natural beauty.  We were there in the morning which was really peaceful as there was not many people (apparently the evening is the most crowded time).  I will definitely come here again.

Matisses Hotel Campestre--a beautiful, peaceful accommodation

 

Waiting for our first taste of Santa Rosa chorizo.  Photo by Dave Stewart

Hiking up to the Santa Rosa Termales Balneario. Photo by Dave Stewart

Bathing beauty in front of the waterfall.

Next up was Salento.  Now, Aaron and I have been to Salento more than anywhere else in Colombia, but we just can't get enough.  We always stay at La Serrana because of it's absolutely perfect rural setting and gorgeous views of the mountains.  But this time we did something we'd never done---horseback riding.  We did a 4 hour ride to a waterfall.  Now, it was the rainy season which definitely made for a slippery ride.  For those of you who don't know, I got bucked off a horse at church camp in middle school and broke my arm. Needless to say, I'm not a very confident horse rider.  But this ride sure got me confident QUICK.  Our horses were slipping and sliding in this narrow tunnel down the mountain...sometimes almost chest deep in mud!  Talk about the best four wheel drive possible.  I was astounded at how well the horses were able to maneuver their way down the steep, slippery passage.  After crossing streams, rivers, and mountain valleys, we made it to the waterfall.  It was certainly a ride to remember.

Sandy and Dave looking like pros in their new sombreros!  

Mom and son in front of the waterfall. Photo by Dave

No visit to Salento is complete without a trip to the Cocora Valley.  Now, keep in mind it was the rainy season.  Although we were hoping for blue sky, it just didn't happen. But, after years of camping and hiking, that didn't stop any of us, especially Sandy and Dave.  We hiked up to the top of the valley only to see fog--Aaron and I kept trying to describe what would be the view using our best poetic devices but nothing could replace it.  However, cold and wet, we drank hot chocolate with cheese as our feeling of accomplishment kept us warm.  As we returned down to the valley, we really started to appreciate the mysteriously magical way the mist made the wax palms creep out at you.  It added a depth to the experience that we had not felt on our previous sunny visit.  It also forced us to look more at the beauty in front of us like hummingbirds, orchids, and insects.

Perspective. Photo by Dave

One of the "look out points." Photo by Dave

Don Elias Coffee Tour Photo by Dave

We were SO lucky to have Sandy and Dave visit.  The crazy bus rides, laughs, micheladas, pastries, and chorizos shared will be remembered.  Word on the street is that they hope to make a return trip...we're so happy they fell in love with Colombia.  It's hard not to.

Turning 30 in San Cipriano

I'm convinced that if you live a life of adventure, you will never get old. Adventure makes it impossible for that word to conquer your bones, joints, mind, and heart.  A heap of situations you wouldn't normally be in, oodles of new places and faces, and a dash of time out of your comfort zone is the perfect recipe for eternal youth.  And for my 30th birthday, I managed to cook up that exact recipe.

Two hours from Cali towards the Pacific and through the Andes is a little town named San Cipriano.  I had heard about this place and my good friend Sara suggested we go there for my birthday.  Afterall, May 1 is Labor Day in Colombia, and we had the day off.  So, we hired a driver and 16 of us piled in a van to make the journey.  

We left Cali around 7:30am and enjoyed the gorgeous views of the Andes along the way.  As I gazed down into the depths of the gorge carved out by Rio Calima hugging the snaky road, I thought about how much I love Cali because of how easy it is to get out of the city and into the mountains.   We drank mimosas, snacked on pandebono, and blared 90s music, so we could live vicariously through the words of Radiohead, Eve 6, Alanis Morissette, Matchbox Twenty, and TLC. 

Upon arrival to the bridge on the side of the road that you have to cross on your way to San Cirpriano, we could tell it was going to be a busy day!  There were people lined up to the highway.  Apparently this is pretty rare but because it was a festivo, people were traveling!  We got our tickets for the brujitas (10, 000 pesos/person) and crossed the sketchy, wooden plank bridge.

Brujitas are part of the adventure of San Cipriano. The town has no roads going to it and can only be accessed by the old railroad which only has a very minimal amount of trains pass on it in the evening.  Therefore, in order to get people there, the native people invented their own form of transportation.  Brujitas are essentially a piece of plywood with a dilapidated picnic table attached and a motor bike stuck to one side with the front wheel touching the plywood and the rear wheel touching the track.  Essentially, unlike anything you've ever seen before.  Possibly comparable to the mining carts that you see in movies but much more unsafe. ;)

One of the brujitas that took us to San Cipriano.

We gave a woman our tickets and waited until our number was called.  Then, we were off.  Breathing in the damp freshness of the jungle calmed my nerves as I clenched Aaron with one hand and clamped on to my seat with the other.  Seatbelts? No way.  I'm not sure what our top speed was but Aaron seems to think we hit 40 mph at one point.  It was a real rush for 15 minutes.

Relieved yet invigorated, we arrived to the small town of San Cipriano.  What really brings people here is swimming and tubing down the river.   The clear, cool water tumbling over rocks through the jungle is gorgeous and a needed relief from the ridiculous heat and humidity.  As we walked through the town, we stopped along the way to enjoy shrimp empanadas and coconut-banana muffins baked in coconut shells.  Smells of fresh caught fish cooking over open fires wafted through the air as we made our way to the river.  We rented tubes for 5, 000 pesos each (after walking too far, realizing we had to buy them in town and retracing our steps) and took a 30 minute walk to the end of the trail and beginning of our tubing adventure!

The science teacher had to get a close look at the invasive giant African snail.

Me with my "30" fascinator my friend Imogen made in honor of her Kentucky roots.

The water was the perfect temperature and we had a blast going over the small rapids in our tubes.  We passed many people swinging on Tarzan vines and jumping off tree branches into the water.  And we even saw a keel billed toucan hover above us!  It was the perfect combination of relaxation, fun, and adventure.  But little did we know that the real adventure was just beginning.

Aaron and I walked ahead of the group as we were told the last brujita left at 5:00pm because trains started coming after 5:00pm and we wanted to get our number in as soon as possible.   We knew that it was going to be more waiting to take a brujita home, but we didn't know how long.  As we approached the "line" (Okay, Colombia doesn't have lines---it's almost always more of a free for all) we were given the number 57.  They were currently loading number 22 and the brujitas were coming very 30 minutes or so.  With number in hand, Aaron and I waited 15 minutes for the rest of our group, but no one came!  Aaron ran back to find them and about 10 minutes later came back with our friends following.  Apprently they had gone to the wrong brujita station and were literally on a brujita going towards Buenaventura instead of towards the highway where our bus was waiting.  Thank goodness he saved them!

After an hour of waiting, the sky looked ominous and thunder rumbled in the distance.  But soon we realized it wasn't only thunder rumbling in the distance---it was a train!!!  And the group of brujitas should be on their way back to us heading straight for the train.  As the train honked, a man on a smaller brujita frantically took off as fast as he could into the darkness to warn the other brujitas to get the hell off the track!  Clearly this is why they usually cut off the brujitas at 5:00pm.

About 15 minutes later, it started to downpour.  Lightning danced in the night sky and the thunder echoed through the jungle.  We made shelter under a tin roof as we waited for the next brujita...sure we would be on it as long as they hadn't gotten smashed by the train.  When the group of 8 or so brujitas arrived, instead of people waiting their turn, they just jumped on as the pouring rain seemed to wash away all structure and organization of the process of getting on.  It was the group of 16 gringos and a few Colombian families that waited in line, waving our tickets in the air and shouting our number!  At this point, the storm was getting worse, and we had already waited 3 hours to get on a brujita.  Needless to say, we were not happy.  However, we battled our frustration with trying to sing every single song we've ever heard that has the word "rain" in it.  It definitely lifted our spirits for a while as we went into our own renditions of "It's raining men!" and "In the early morning rain..."

Finally, at 7:30pm, in the pelting rain and electrifying lightning, all 16 of us got on 3 brujitas to make our journey back to our van.  Now, Aaron and I have had points when we've seen our lives flash before our eyes (like riding on top of a bus in Nepal and watching people jump off because they think it's going over the edge of a mountain), and this was definitely another one of these moments.  Stripped down to our swim suits and shivering from cold, we flew threw the pitch black jungle being pelted by rain and capturing our surroundings every 20 seconds or so when the lightning lit up the sky.  Twice we ran into other brujitas coming straight at us and had to wait as they lifted their plywood platforms off the track so we could get by.  Three times our motorbike wheel lost traction and we had to stop, at one point forcing our friend Brian who was riding in the front of the one behind us, to put his feet out and push us as the other motorbike must have had MUCH better tires with actual traction.  I left nail marks in Molly and Aaron's skin as I rode in the very front with nothing to hold on to and only the darkness to gaze into.  Soaking wet, shivering, and scared for our lives, we finally made it to the highway.

It's in these kinds of moments---when things don't go your way, when your capacity to withstand fear is tested, and when your expectations are thrown out the window---that life happens. 

I can't wait to have another 30 years of this life.

Winter Break Adventures: Part 2 -- Juanchaco, Colombia

Colombia in the raw---this might be the best way to describe the Pacific coast.  Unlike the Caribbean, the Pacific coast is underdeveloped and strewn with rocky cliffs, sea caves, and expansive dark sand beaches.

We began our journey by taking a 2.5 hour bus ride from Cali to Buenaventura.  It's a gorgeous road that meanders through the lush, green mountains that disappear into the Pacific.  We took a short taxi ride from the bus station to the docks and grabbed a boat for our 45 minute ride to Juanchacho.

Entrance to Yubarta's Hospedaje

One of our friends suggested to stay at Yubarta's Hospedaje Rural.  It's in Juanchaco and run by Cesar, an enthusiastic and gracious guide.  With a beaming smile, he greeted us at the boat in Juanchaco and led us to his place, about a 15 minute walk from the dock.  We stayed in quaint cabins with a nice bed, fans, full bathroom, and even screens on the windows (something you never see in Colombia!).  The place has a nice common area with hammocks and places to sit and enjoy the breeze.  It's also very close to a beautiful view of the Pacific.  After a fantastic lunch of fresh fish, veggies, and juice, we were off on our first adventure.

Cesar speaks very little English and we speak some Spanish so communication wasn't perfect, but enough to get to know how much he loves this place.  He led us about an hour down the coast, through residential areas and down through the jungle, to La Barra.  This was one of the largest beaches I've ever seen!  We spent quite some time swimming, exploring the cliff's rock layers, and watching the tiny camouflaged crabs scurry around.  It was unlike any beach I had ever been to.  Eventually we came across a little indigenous fishing village on the beach.  Here, Cesar surprised us with beers and we sat back and enjoyed the view.

La Barra Beach

Can you spot the crab?

Kids will be kids.

The local fishing village on La Barra.

Beers with a view.

Local kids playing "captain of the boat" in the village.

Amable, our guide, paddling away.

Soon, as the tide began rising, Cesar hurried us along to our next activity.  A local fisherman took us in his canoe for a ride through the mangroves.  Now, as you know, Aaron, Kaylyn, and I have done quite a bit of canoeing in our lives and have never really been scared of being in a canoe.  This trip changed that---very quickly.  We all piled into the canoe and as we pushed off Amable, our local guide, continued to stand in the back while Cesar awkwardly stood in the front to paddle.  STOOD!  Yes, the first rule of being in a canoe is to NEVER STAND!  Our boat was rocking more than a salsa dancer's hips!  Thankfully, as we got going, all of us figured out how to balance a bit more and deal with the sudden jerks (and the possibility that we very well might go in the water).  I was channeling my inner zen and trying to meditate on the sounds of the parrots and toucans.  After a rocky start (literally), it turned out to be a pretty neat experience. We stopped at a freshwater pool in the middle of the jungle which had a natural water slide feeding into it.  Our trip didn't end until dark, so we got to see the forest come alive at dusk! A true cacophony of sound!

Little did I know...

Aaron had to get a picture of the paddle shape--it will be his next paddle project.

Refreshing freshwater pool and water slide.

This area of Colombia is considered one of the rainiest places in the world.  Thankfully, we had perfect weather on our first day.  But, when we were supposed to get up at 5:00am to go sea kayaking on day 2, the rain and wind screamed "buenas dias".  Cesar wasn't worried and encouraged us to keep our plans.  Hesitantly, we walked in our drenched raincoats to the beach.  Along the way, Cesar disappeared a few times and it wasn't until later that we discovered he was waking up our guides.  :/  Long story short, it didn't stop raining and we were kayaking in some crazy waves, but the water was warm and Cesar's optimism was contagious.

To kayak or not to kayak...

We spent the rest of the day napping and checking out Ladrilleros beach.  Surrounded by cliffs and a sea cave, it's a clean, beautiful beach that was perfect for swimming.  We ended the day with a Afro-Colombian music (my favorite!), a fantastic fresh seafood meal (Maria is a fantastic cook!), and cards. 

Aaron's favorite place during our time in Juanchaco.

Typcial house in Juanchaco.

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the trip was experiencing first hand what I had just taught my students weeks before.  We talked about plastic in the ocean and how our oceans are just becoming a cesspool with 46, 000 pieces of plastic per square mile of ocean.  Juanchaco's beach was littered with plastic bottles and garbage that washed ashore.  La Barra and Ladrilleros were cleaner, but there was still some evidence of this harsh reality.  Our plastic addiction is disgusting and this realization has really motivated Aaron and I to be more conscious of our plastic consumption.

Just a small glimpse of our plastic addiction.

Sea cave yoga on Juanchaco beach.

As we were leaving, locals were playing soccer at low tide on Juanchaco beach.

All in all, I would definitely recommend going to Juanchaco if you want to see a different side of Colombia.  The people were beautiful---incredibly kind, friendly, and ecstatic to share their piece of the world with us.  We definitely want to go back when the whales come in August. 

Winter Break Adventures: Part 1 -- Hiking Up Pico Pance

The end of the school year was full of grading, grading and more grading, planning trips with friends and family, and celebrating the holidays---hence the lack of updating this thing!  Here's part 1 of our winter break filled with so much joy I don't think I ever stopped smiling.

End of Semester 1!
The end of first semester was full of celebrations.  Colombians LOVE Christmas and it was evident from the strobe light like lights blinking from balconies all around the city, the never-ending salsa music outside our windows until the wee hours of the morning, and the generosity of everyone.  Aaron and I were given gifts from students and the school held a Christmas party with over 200 staff members which ended in salsa dancing and a mariachi band!

Pico Pance
After finals were over, Aaron and I were ecstatic to have our dearest friend Kaylyn come and visit. We had big plans to explore all parts of Colombia and began with a hike up to the highest peak you can see from Cali--Pico Pance.  The hike should be done in at least 2 days, but our crew wanted to try to make it in one day from a base camp about 1.5 hour hike from Pueblo Pance (a small town 30 minutes outside of Cali).  Cali is at about 1,000 meters (3, 340 feet) and Pico Pance, the peak, is 4,105 meters (13, 468 feet).  The first day, we took a bus up to Pueblo Pance and hiked 1.5 hours up to Amor y Paz (Love and Peace), a little camping spot up in Farrallones National Park.

Our way up to Amor y Paz included a fun river crossing!

Our base camp for the hike.

Looking towards Pueblo Pance from Amor y Paz.

The plan was to head to bed early, wake up at 4:00am and start the 6-8 hour hike to the top.  Sasha, an American woman who lives in Pance and does guiding, coordinated the trip for us and her friends, Alejandro and Douglas, were our guides up the mountain.  In Sasha's words, "I've done the hike once but won't be doing it again ANY time soon."  It was going to be difficult, I knew that, but I don't think I knew exactly what to expect. 

We woke up at 3:30am and scarfed down a breakfast of coffee, eggs, arepa and cheese.  At 4:00am, with only our headlamps to guide us, we started up hill only to stop 5 minutes later to circle up and stretch. Our guide, Alejandro, explained how important it was to warm-up. :) 

Our sunrise view of the summit.

Dan, Aaron, Juan David, Juan Pablo, Kaylyn and I began the hike.  It seemed the darkness was to our advantage because although the trail was straight up hill, I couldn't see beyond my light beam, so I lived in the dream that it would soon level out.  The hum of the insects was fantastically meditative while the parrots' shrieks seemed to bring me back to my screaming hamstrings.  This false optimism kept me going pretty well for the first 2 hours.  Then, once daylight crept through the canopy making me turn off my headlamp, it seemed everything changed.  Actually, I'm not sure if it was the daylight or the fact that we were climbing vertically up roots and rocks with no breaks in sight.  At this point, we had to make a decision.  Dan, Aaron and Juan David were moving fast while Kaylyn, JP and I were sticking together.  Therefore, we split into 2 groups.  The first would make a strong push for the summit where they had to get before 1p.m. while the rest of us would keep pushing at a more moderate pace.

The trail was developed, but there were many points where we wished we had a machete to cut down the overgrowth.  After a fairly suave (soft) first hour, it was basically straight up for most of the way.  Trekking poles were not too helpful as we were literally climbing up roots and rocks.  Honestly, this made the hike really fun and interesting!  It wasn't just a switchback trail.  However, it also made it incredibly exhausting and coming down wasn't as speedy as it can be on other trails.  In fact, it seemed like we went slower going down at times to make sure our footing was secure. 

After 8 hours of straight hiking, Kaylyn, J.P. and I were still 2 hours from the summit, so we had reached our own summit for the day.  The views certainly made the pain worth it.  We were above the clouds and could even see Nevada del Huila, a snow-capped volcano, on the other side of the valley.  The other group ended up making it, and we all reunited around 6:30pm at Amor y Paz for a MUCH needed dinner!

One of those beautiful pain numbing views on our way to the top. 

Perhaps the best part of the hike was our K-9 companions!

Sasha is a fantastic host and had a feast waiting for us: quinoa soup, chicken, rice, salad, and plantains.  We swapped stories over fresh lemonade (with a little rum for our aching bones) and slept like the many gigantic logs we had aggravatingly climbed over hours before. 

In the words of Aaron, "That was the most difficult single day hike I've ever done in my life." Despite the incredible elevation gain, and the steep/ruggedness of the trail, we both would like to do it again but camp half way up.  We didn't see one other person or group while hiking which makes this hike that much more enticing.   Oh, and seeing the sunrise from the summit would be unbelievable.

Summit Teams: USA and Colombia!

Thanksgiving on the Caribbean

Jungle, mountains, and beaches...OH MY!!!

Tayrona National Park in Northern Colombia is what dreams are made of.

We were lucky enough to spend our Thanksgiving break at the Caribbean.  First, in Santa Marta to celebrate Thanksgiving with good friends.  We cooked, swam, relaxed in the sunshine, and took turns huddled up next to the internet router in order to Skype our families!  It was a relaxing start to our vacation.  

We rented an apartment in Rodadero from Airbnb and enjoyed this sunset.

Then, we spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Tayrona National Park. It was easy to find transportation there because if you are a gringo (foreigner), every Colombian assumes you'll be heading to Tayrona and offers you bus rides there every 5 seconds!  The hour bus ride is beautiful and highlights the diversity of Colombia: beach, countryside, mountains, and jungle.   We arrived at the park entrance and watched an informational video about the park and how to keep it pristine (Tayrona's version of the video you watch before entering the Boundary Waters).  The park fee is $35,000 COP for foreigners and $13,000 COP for Colombian residents (which we are! :)  Then, it was another short bus ride to the beginning of the trail.  By this time, we were feeling the humidity.  It wasn't even that hot, but the humidity blanketed you in sweat.  We began our hour hike to Arrecifes beach where we were to stay.  You could get a horse to carry your gear, but we decided to carry our backpacks as the hike was not too bad.

Some of the trail is boardwalk through the jungle.

So many rocks to climb!  

Our first peek at the ocean!

Finally on the beach!

We all were staying at Yuluka (Aviatur) on Arrecifes. When we arrived, our friends were staying in a cabana while Aaron and I were camping.  Our friends were greeted with a fresh fruit drink after our sweaty hike while Aaron and I were greeted with the task of setting up our tent. :)  But it was worth it!!  We were both excited to be in a tent again.  After setting up camp, we headed to El Cabo which is the most popular beach.  It's about a 40 minute hike from Arrecifes along the coast and into the jungle.  That's the best part of Tayrona--in order to get to the next slice of Caribbean heaven, you hike through beautiful jungle!

The group on El Cabo!

Aaron with his ladies.

The next 2 days involved hiking, laying on the beach, dodging falling coconuts, swimming and climbing rocks.  Arrecifes is non-swimmable due to crazy currents and riptides, so we spent most of our time exploring the beaches along the way to El Cabo.  Oh, and we also spent time eating as much ceviche and fresh fruit juice as possible.  Food is a bit pricey in the park.  We brought snacks which was smart, but the restaurant where we stayed was definitely the nicest around, and we found it was worth paying the little extra for really good food.

This rock at La Piscina beach was just begging to be climbed and jumped off of!

One of the beaches along the way from Arrecifes to El Cabo.

Ultimately, it was the most beautiful beach destination we've been (well, aside from the beaches of Thailand...).  Although it's a plane ride away from Cali, I know we will be coming back soon!