Hostal Alto de los Andaquies San Agustin

... eyes while Renee answers. To be honest, we`re guilty of asking these questions too - it`s the easiest way to end awkward silences and you learn many an interesting tidbit along the way. And so it transcended that Colombia entered our list of places to visit. Originally we were going to end the "Northern Exploration" (just to make us sound like 17th century British explorers) in Quito with a flight out to Santiago, Chile. It had not even occurred to us when we were planning the trip to ...

... Seriously at least three or four shoe shops per street - madness. They have a lovely central plaza place with lots of benches and trees, flowerbeds and the usual mix of shoe shiners, sweet sellers and indigenous women selling rugs, mats, table cloths etc. The weather was warm but the pollution in the city from the diesel around the streets made it hard to enjoy. Streaming eyes, sore throats and a general ´ugh´kind of feeling.

In the ...

... rivers, valleys and farms all along the way.
We arrived in San Agustin and found the hostel Kerry the yankee girl had recommended to us. The owner Mario is the friendliest guy Ive ever meet. He walked us to a restaurant where we got meal of the day. Interesting little fact, maybe ask what is in your food before eating sometimes. Halfway through my soup I got a chunk of meat that looked like an octopus tenticle. Turns out it was cows stomach soup. Anyway, tasted ...

... with some interesting statues but today i am really not caring that much so i´ll let becca add more to the description of a park with statues in it.

Poor Paul, not a happy bunny. He pretty much just fell asleep everywhere while I took pics. Very interesting giant sculptures with the usual ´we don´t know why they are here or what they are for´ museum. If anything it ...

... today. we offered a direct bus to pitalito for 18000 but the french couple we are with today are way tighter than me (yes it is and was possible) so take the 8000 option to garzon (1.5hours) with our luggage falling off the roof 3 time. Changing there turns into a bit of an artform with the bus to pitalito starting a 10000 (which the french don´t ...

... sitting at the back feeling my spine compress with every jolt. Still, the scenery was spectacular: steeep, narrow canyons and rolling mountainside after mountainside covered in forests with the occasional farm.

We arrived sometime in the afternoon, battered and bruised from the journey, and checked into one of the best places I have stayed in on my trip so far: La Casa de Francois. The hostel is set on the hillside above San Agustin with fantastic views of the ...

... very back as far from the bus' fulcrum as possible probably wasn't the smartest idea, and there were a couple of bumps where I literally came within millimeters of walloping my head of the ceiling! Attempting that trip having already been on a bus for half a day would have been too much, only having to grin and bear it for 6 hours was just about manageable! Still, better than being at work, eh?

On arrival the local tourist board (or possibly some guy masquerading as ...

... guerrillas and the FARC movement, well documented connections to the cocaine trade and the worrying statistic that Bogota was once the kidnap capital of the world. However in recent years Colombia has become a much safer place and is now firmly on the tourist map. Its reputation means many backpackers don't venture this far north in South America however there is a wealth of places to see and things to do.

We decided to ...

... for 30k. However, within a few minutes we´d been approached by some lovely local operation that gave us both for 20k on the condition we didn´t tell our fellow (ripped-off) passengers. And that was just fine by me.... :-)

Waterfalls and old statues filled our days, but to be honest, they all looked the same after a few hours. The horse tour was best (even if mine couldn´t gallop - it just trotted quickly ...

... a job. The manager cleans his stash on the counter, as troops walk by on the street.

"Es esto inteligente?" the ex-pat asks the smoothie bartender.

The Colombian shrugs. “No problema.” He rolls one and lights it, passing it around. Colombia has heretofore always seemed pretty loose, but this takes the cake, the banana pancake. Life could be worse. After my recent ...