From Cartagena, Medellin was our next port of call in Colombia. As the crow flies, not a great distance at all but not too far north of Medellin we were already climbing hard and entering the northern edge of the Andes mountains. Add to the mix a steady stream of heavy trucks, slow buses, a period of torrential rain and you can see why just 670kms on the map translates to 15 hours of driving !
Our route to Medellin When it rains in Colombia, it rains hard – visibility near zero as we left Taraza en route to Medellin
In the ‘80’s and early ‘90’s the mere mention of the city of Medellin conjured images of drug and gang violence. It was at the time one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Definitely a ‘no go’ area. The death of Pablo Escobar in a shootout with police in 1993 was the beginning of a revival for Medellin. Indeed it is now held up as a model of how to combat gangs and drug violence. The problem, of course, has not completely disappeared but no longer do its citizens live in perpetual fear and it is considered one of the safest cities in Colombia these days. An impressive transformation we thought, and, a city now on every Colombian visitors list.
Once the rain stopped the scenery was wonderful
Our campground, El Bosque, was outside the city in the eastern highlands and one of the nicest places we have stayed on our trip so far. A beautiful setting, on the edge of a national park, with great amenities, nice and cool ( being a full kilometre higher than steamy Medellin ) and with super friendly staff. We were not alone, with a French couple and two Belgian couples also staying there – one of the Belgian couples had been on the road 12 years ! Definitely THE place to stay for Overlanders in Medellin but the drive to get there, through the heart of Medellin’s insane traffic during Friday rush hour was definitely stressful and not for the faint of heart.
Belgian, Canadian, Belgian and French Overlanders at El Bosque campground, outside Medellin
The shortest route to downtown Medellin from our place was by cable car – an excellent way to commute to the downtown since there was no way we were driving back there ! The views over the city were amazing as one drops a full kilometre to the downtown area passing over the very barrios that were once Escobar’s heartland. Medellin offered up a beautiful day and we spent our time exploring the downtown sights and wrapped up our day with a walk through the Botanical Gardens – worth it for the flora and fauna alone but an added benefit was the escape it offered, in the middle of the city, from Medellin’s relentless noise – not a place to go if you crave peace and quiet!
View of Medellin from lower down on the “MetroCable” ( cable car )View upwards over the barrios on the east side of Medellin View of Medellin from near the top of the cable carOne of Medellin’s more eclectic buildings“Adam and Eve” bronze sculptures by Medellin’s very own Botero, downtown MedellinPedestrian area, downtown MedellinThey make fine coffee ( unsurprisingly ) and an excellent hot chocolate !Some flora…….…and some fauna at Medellin’s Jardin Botanico
Just east of Medellin is a locally famous area of lakes and mountains centred on the town of Guatape. Heading east it seemed like a logical place to break our journey. While a little on the touristy side, the town and surroundings are indeed beautiful – not just famous for the lakes but the huge rock bluff ( El Penon ) that protrudes 656 feet straight up and is visible for miles as you approach the town. Colombia is justifiably famous for its colorful towns but Guatape is probably THE most famous of all Colombia’s town in terms of being “colorful”. Seems every house and business is trying to outdo the other and it does give an amazingly vibrant overall feel to the town as evidenced in the pictures below.
El Penon, Guatape Colorful homes, GuatapeFountain, GuatapeCobblestone street, GuatapeGuatapeGuatapeView of lake, Guatape
Leaving Guatape we got yet another lesson in relying on Google Maps – as in you can’t always ! Our route, ostensibly the shortest and quickest ( the latter does not always follow the former in Colombia ), turned out to be anything but and included 3 hours of bone shaking surface – potholed, gravel strewn mud covered and occasionally flooded at times barely wider than the donkey path it likely once was ( and we saw more of those than cars on it ). Given the remoteness and altitude ( at times over 9,000 feet ) we were concerned how we would ever get out if we had any vehicle problems- fortunately the truck handled it all with ease, even if it looked the worse for wear afterwards.
Google Maps indicated route 60 was a highway all the way – not so !“Highway” 60, east of Highway 45Same road, in a bit better conditionSome strange shaped peaks up at 9,000 feetOur altitude app – useful in Colombia !Truck was ready for a wash when we got to Villa de LeyvaFound a great “auto lavado” ( car wash ) run by two young refugees from Venezuela – you see many of them in Colombia. Did a great job cleaning it up.
Arriving in Villa de Leyva quite late as darkness fell ( something we never do as a rule ) it was no problem to find the Renacer campground and first impressions were definitely in line with the high expectations set based on others who referred us there. A classic Colombian villa set on the edge of a mountain with great views and a relaxed vibe- we quickly elevated it to the top of our best in Colombia, edging out El Bosque in Medellin. Villa de Leyva, considered Colombia’s most picturesque and original colonial town did not disappoint either. While it was sheer hell getting here ( at least via the route we took ) we’re glad we made the detour to do it. A great place to spend a few days unwinding after a rigorous journey to get there – our stay further enhanced by the opportunity we had to spend some quality time with Peter and Heike, a German couple who were doing the same Pan American route as us ( also in a truck camper ) but doing it south to north ( as many Europeans do ). They picked our brains on Central America and Mexico and we theirs on countries that lay ahead for us in South America.
Plaza Mayor, Villa de LeyvaSame plaza, looking the other wayAnd one more viewParked in the main square, Villa de LeyvaSide street, Villa de LeyvaEven new construction fits the “colonial” themeThe flowers here were extremely colorfulLois at Renacer campground, Villa de Leyva
“Villa” is one of those places that’s tough to drag yourself away from but after 3 days there we left for Bogotá, excited to be heading home in just a few days. Bogota had seen a national strike the day before so all the traffic that was not on the road on Wednesday caused volumes to double on Thursday – getting into the city was brutal. With really only a full day at our disposal we limited our sightseeing to the world – renowned Gold Museum (one of the best museums we have ever been to and deserved of its exceptional reputation), some downtown wandering and an excursion on the city’s impressive funicular train up to nearby Monserrate ( treated ourself to a great lunch at the restaurant up top on our last day in Colombia and took in the spectacular views over Bogotá ). We would of course be returning to Bogotá in January – plenty of time for the other sights then.
Heading in to Bogota’s downtown for some sightseeingJust one of the many ornamental gold articles in the Bogotá Gold MuseumAnother, a miniature raft, incredibly intricateMore from the Gold MuseumPanama was not the only city in Latin America with fancy high rise buildings !Funicular rail up to Monserrate View of Bogotá from the topUs…..enjoying a final Colombian morning ‘fix’ and beautiful sunshine in Bogotá before flying to the freezing north !
To all our faithful readers we sincerely hope you have been enjoying travelling along with us – we love hearing from you so keep the comments coming ( we always reply ! ). Enjoy the Christmas and New Year season with all your loved ones and we will be back at it in January ?. Feliz Navidad !!
Quite simply, this was done the only way it could be. One cannot drive this impassable 70 or so miles of the PanAmerican Highway – the part between Panama and Colombia. Vehicles must be put on a container ship or “RoRo” carrier, and drivers and passengers must fly or sail between Panama and Colombia. It’s not cheap, it is stressful, and most Overlanders will admit that getting through the process is one of the biggest headaches on the 30,000km journey from Alaska to Argentina. We are now half-way through and hope to have a full ( and hopefully successful ) report to share by our next blog.
While other capital cities in Central America ( aside from San Jose ) were passed by, time spent in Panama’s capital city absorbed almost half our stay in the country – partly by design and partly by necessity. As noted last week most of a full day was spent doing a required vehicle export inspection. Following vehicle inspections, the next step in getting our vehicles around the Darien Gap was driving them to Colon ( on the Atlantic / Caribbean side of Panama ) for loading on to the container. Once it was confirmed that Cassey’s VW Westfalia and our truck/camper could both “technically” fit in a 40ft high cube ( a container that is a foot higher than normal ) deposits were paid and we committed to shipping that way – no turning back now !
The Maersk ship “Stella Walvis Bay” would take our vehicles to Colombia
Driving to Colon was easy, the road more or less paralleling the Panama Canal and rail line all the way- odd to look out and see the occasional ship passing through what from the road looks to be continuous jungle ! Early Monday morning we met Boris, our agent, and were taken to the loading area. We’d seen the seedy side of Panama City while doing the vehicle inspection – now we saw the sketchy part of Colon. It’s not a terribly safe city at the best of times and let’s just say we were happy to be escorted around the port area for the loading process. As run down and decrepit a city as we had seen anywhere on our travels to date.
Panama Canal Railway
I was quite nervous about loading – while Cassey had a VW Westfalia ( a considerably narrower vehicle than our own ) our truck only had 3” clearance on each side. Complicating matters, it had to be reversed into the container ( so I could climb out the passenger window once loaded) – and do most of that without the aid of side mirrors which, of course, had to be folded in so the vehicle would fit. As it turned out, it all went well due largely to the skills of the loaders who positioned the flatbed truck ( on very rough ground ) so that it was perfectly aligned for the reverse manouvre into the container. A huge sigh of relief when it was all done ! Following the signing of a raft of customs and shipping documents, final payment was made at which point we suddenly found ourselves without our vehicle – our home – for the first time since we began the trip over 6 months and 24,000 km’s ago. On Thursday, November 21, our vehicles would sail for Cartagena on the “Stella Walvis Bay”. We would be on our own for at least a week while it was loaded, shipped, unloaded and cleared through the respective Panamanian and Colombian processes ( only two days of that would be actually at sea as the two ports are quite close ).
Cassey’s VW went in first, followed by oursStep 1 – drive on to a flatbed truckStep 2- get backed up to the edge of the container – driver has to keep it perfectly alignedStep 3 – use side mirrors and the helpers signals to back in straight, about half wayStep 4 – as you get further in, the mirrors need to be retracted – just watching hand signals at that point !I wedged a couple of “noodles” in between the camper and container to protect against rocking damageOn both sides – but it’s doubtful they will remain in placeStep 5 – once the truck is all the way in, driver climbs out the window, and then…….Step 6…the helper, who guided me from behind, slides out UNDER the truck !Step 7 – all done, time to celebrate with Boris !Step 8 – final step, seal the container !
Cassey, our container buddy, left us at this point – for the next 5 days she would sail on a yacht through the San Blas islands and connect with us on Monday morning ( all going well ) so that we could begin the vehicle retrieval process together in Cartagena. Lois and I travelled back to Panama City to spend a few relaxing days exploring ( it was a city that, despite heavy rain for parts of most days we were there, we really enjoyed ). A luxurious hotel room, pool, great restaurants in abundance and central location all helped. It has to be the most modern city in Central America, with a slick subway, famous “old town” and one of the most stunning skylines anywhere. All this on the doorstep of the Panama Canal.
“The Screw”, one of Panama’s more famous buildingsOthers nearbyStreet scene near our hotelWalking old town, Casco Viejo, skyline in the backgroundClassy home, Casco ViejoColorful houses and remnants of the old walls, Panama City Ruins in the old town, Panama Lots of bright color, Casco Viejo, PanamaStreet scene, Casco Viejo, PanamaPanamanian guy trying to hustle the ladies for a walking tour of Casco ViejoInside Panama Canal Museum
By midweek our time in Panama was over and we made the short 1 hour flight to Cartagena. Could not have been a smoother flight and immigration process, and by early afternoon we were sitting in Cartagena’s old town enjoying lunch. One of the most popular Colombian cities to visit and it’s easy to see why; a Miami-like skyline on the shores of the Caribbean, fascinating walled old-town dating to the Spanish era and a very lively entertainment and cultural scene. We will need at least 5 days here waiting for our vehicle and I don’t think it will be a problem to pass the time – so much to explore !
Leaving Panama, Copa Air to Cartagena, ColombiaCartagena from the airHopefully next week we will be able to find our container….down there…..somewhere !Cartagena, old townRenovated buildings, Cartagena old townTypical street, Cartagena old townColorful umbrellas, Cartagena old town
Thursday was spent exploring the old town, savouring the awesome coffee shops and sourcing some good restaurants ( can’t beat Tripadvisor ! ). It’s a city where there is always something going on – we managed to catch a Michael Jackson impersonator doing a ( very good ) rendition of “Thriller” in Plaza la Trinidad right in the heart of the old town. Our week closed out enjoying Colombian craft beer at a popular little bar at the aforementioned Plaza. Cartagena is definitely an easy place to like!
Lots of mural art in Cartagena – some with special effects at nightMJ – ThrillerBack street, old town One of the many historic doors, old townCartagena, old town looking to cityCartagena, walled old town, looking to Carribean sea
Jeff + Lois
We are Lois and Jeff, of Kelowna, BC, Canada. Recently retired with a serious overlanding travel bug, we hit the road in our truck camper in May 2019, initially tackling the Pan American highway. The PanAm completed in April 2022, and truck camper sold, we plan to continue exploring again later in 2022 in our Sprinter 4×4!
