![screenshot_01](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/screenshot_01.png)

**Note: This is a condensed version of the pictures I took with some added narrative. The rest of the pics can be viewed in the album [The Trip 2013 - Bogota to Medellin.](https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=1&l=a4cfae066c) Each picture can be clicked to see a larger version and comment / like.**



Well finally I arrived on the South American continent in early August. I flew in from Panama City to Bogota, the capital of Colombia.

[![photo-58](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-58.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848384141031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

I stayed at the excellent Masaya hostel in the Candelaria district of the city. Definitely one of the best kept hostels I had stayed at so far.

[![photo](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848323706031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

I spent the first couple of days simply wandering around the city trying to get a feel for the place and what to expect from Colombia over the next couple of months.

[![photo-6](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-6.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848329676031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![photo-7](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-7.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848330381031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

To me the city seemed to be a rather dirty and dusty concrete jungle lacking much in the way of any greenery. On thing they did have however is the Bogota Beer Company (BBC) which sold some of the best beer I had had in a while.

[![photo-12](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-12.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848342421031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

The following day I took a trip to Zipiquiera, a small town about an hour outside of Bogota.

[![photo-18](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-18.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848344486031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

The main reason for going to Zipiquira is to visit the cathedral which is buried deep in an old salt mine.

[![photo-21](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-21.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848348161031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![photo-27](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-27.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848353396031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![photo-32](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-32.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848358846031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

I went there with with a new friend, Kaylee, I had made in the hostel.

[![photo-26](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-26.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848352556031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

It was a pretty impressive place.

[![photo-35](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-35.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848360591031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![photo-24](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-24.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848350186031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![photo-37](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-37.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848361061031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

Outside of the mine was a large climbing wall that I simply had to have a go on.

[![photo-19](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-19.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848346956031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![photo-42](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-42.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848365476031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

My final day in Bogota was spent exploring the Fernando Botero museum. He is a rather distinctive artist who depicts people and things really fat

[![photo-48](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-48.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848373936031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![photo-49](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-49.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848374246031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

The museum wasnt just purely Botero however and hosted a number of other works of art

[![photo-52](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-52.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848376331031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

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I enjoyed my time in Bogota but after a few days there I was looking forward to moving on.

[![photo-59](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-59.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848389861031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

Next up was Medellin, the second largest city in Colombia. To get there I took what was supposed to be a 9 hour bus journey. It turned out to be more like 12 thanks to a large landslide that blocked the road for several hours.

On the bus I managed to steal some of the driver's interesting fruit. They were sweet but slimy in texture.

[![photo-60](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-60.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848391891031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

It was the festival of flowers all week in Medellin which meant flowers, parties and parades such as the car parade I stood on the side of the road and watched go by.

[![photo-64](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-64.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848409546031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

<iframe width="640" height="480" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/H9UbJuxI6NU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I saw yet another person who must have trouble seeing the screen on their tablet.

[![photo-69](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-69.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848412291031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

Because of the festival we had to visit the botanical gardens.

[![photo-72](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-72.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848779471031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

There was go much to take pictures of there.

[![photo-76](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-76.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848424721031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![photo-78](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-78.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848424666031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

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But the real attraction was the special flower exhibit.

[![photo-86](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-86.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848451016031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![photo-89](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-89.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848457501031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

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The following day I decided to take the cable car up to Santa Domingo.

[![photo-105](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-105.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848475741031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

For most of my time in Medellin I was with my french friend Claire whom I had met on the bus from Bogota, a nicer person you could not meet!

[![photo-113](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-113.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848482806031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

I decided to try one of the strange cake / biscuit things I had seen some people eating.

[![photo-112](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-112.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848481446031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

It was a strange combination of cracker, coconut, white chocolate, cheese.

The final day was spent at the museum in the middle of Medellin.

[![photo-117](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-117.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848484471031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

[![photo-120](/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/photo-120.jpg)](https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151848488361031&set=a.10151848321426031.1073741845.593661030&type=3&theater)

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Bogota and Medellin but I was looking forward to getting back to the coast and enjoying the sun again :)

medellin

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