Instagramming Colombia

Bogota Doorway - Colombia

The doorways are back. Favorite doorway candidate #37, in the outer neighborhoods of Bogota. We're back in Latin America, the land of colorful doors and stoops. On our first day in country, we enjoyed staying in one of the areas outside of the center -- to catch life, as sleepy as it is on a Sunday morning. Church bells and dog walkers. We had coffee and banana-leaf wrapped tamales. This is Colombia. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1POAKE0

Spending time with a friend at his finca (farm) in the hills outside of Bogota. Hiking, poking around virtually gringo-free mountain villages, birdspotting. This is lush country -- mountain, jungle and local farmlands all rolled into one. This is Rio Blanco. #Colombia via Instagram http://ift.tt/1AhEEU6

Today's #nofilter special comes from Barichara, Colombia. Apparently, the peaceful, chill vibe is in the history of this place. The original name Barachalá comes from the native Guane for "place of relaxation". To the point or as an aside (not sure which), one of the cute little old sisters running our guest house assured Audrey, "It's very safe here. Don't worry. No one will offer you marijuana or other drugs." via Instagram http://ift.tt/1LjDfxt

Hiking the ancient El Camino Real from Barichara leads us to Guane, a small colonial village in the hills of the eastern range of the Colombian Andes. Although the weather app on our phone showed lightning bolts, the locals knew better and told us we'd be fine on our hike. We had blazing sunshine all day. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1Fy4HXw

Still life with tuk-tuk. Yes, Colombia has tuk-tuks (I'm sure there's a local word, but haven't asked yet). Colombia also has plenty of churches, too. This one (Catedral de la Inmaculada Concepción) seemed to hold service every night. One of the few events you could depend on in the sleepy, yet oh-so-photogenic town of Barichara. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1HwWULY

Saturday Market in Villa de Leyva - Colombia

Everyone comes out for the Saturday market in Villa de Leyva, Colombia.

Beauty needs #nofilter. Chicamocha National Park, Colombia. We convinced a skeptical park ranger to show us the "back route" into the canyon. We took the path not taken, got a little lost, but found this. Misfortune could be worse. This is the Andes Mountains, Eastern spine. #packprAna via Instagram http://ift.tt/1ejTXBP

Chicamocha Canyon, Colombia

Colombia has its own Lord of the Rings style landscapes. Who knew? Chicamocha Canyon and National Park. This shot taken from above, via a gondola that runs from an elevation of 1400 meters, down to 500, then back up to 1600 meters -- across a distance of 6.3km. Impressive, but a wee frightening when those canyon winds pick up. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1PBIJcB

50 Shades of Green. From brush to beans, Recuca coffee plantation has a lot of green going on, especially this time of year. Remarkable coffee factoid to note: coffee pickers are paid $0.20 per kilo of raw berries/beans they pick. 100 kilos of those berries become 13 kilos of toasted beans. #Colombia via Instagram http://ift.tt/1Et75JQ

Cocora Valley, Colombia

Acaime Peak, Cocora Valley. Dotted with towering palma de cera (wax palms), some of which grow to over 200 feet high. When we set off on our morning hike (up to 2700 meters) rain looked like it might ruin the day, but it was just the touch of atmosphere the cloud forest needed. This is #Colombia. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1LzbOz1

Taking Cable Cars into Hills of Medellin

Up in the air, #Medellin. Cable cars (upper left) are part of the city’s public transport system (cost = less than $1) and take us into Santo Domingo barrio, a place 10 years ago one of the most violent and dangerous areas in the city due to gangs and the drug trade. Thanks to urban planning, public transport projects that connect the neighborhood with the rest of the city, libraries, a community center and other public spaces for people to enjoy in a safe setting, the neighborhood has undergone a transformation. As one of the young boys we met there told us, “We used to be at war with the barrio down the hill. Now we have built a bridge that connects us.” #Colombia @gadventures via Instagram http://ift.tt/1d1RoU0

Cabo San Juan beach. The reward for a couple hour hike through Tayrona National Park along the Colombian Caribbean. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1HT2yYX

If I had a boat, I would...? The second of the reef-protected swimming coves at Cabo San Juan. Other beaches in the area are dotted with signs, "No swimming...over 200 people have died." Although tempting, these areas are known for riptides and dangerous undertow. Tayrona National Park - Caribbean coast, Colombia. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1SIvGVU

A first look down the lane, Cartagena old town. Steamy, colorful, Caribbean. Founded in 1533 by the Spanish, the town first served as a store for gold, silver and other riches taken from its Latin American colonies before it was all loaded on pirate-dodging ships for home. Cartagena retains much of its colonial look and feel. Unsurprisingly, it's a popular UNESCO site and flush with salsa bars, horse-drawn carriages, colorful balconies, and fruit carts. There's even a creepy mime who follows everyone around under the old town clock tower. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1LUoKjp

Cartegena clock tower, one of the main entrances to the old town where sailors would drop in on the local salsa club, Don de Fidel between bits of nefarious activity. The city walls date back to the 1650s and used to run 11km. 8km remain today for people to walk, grab a cerveza and catch a Caribbean breeze. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1SP9edS

Street art and local scene in Getsemani, Cartagena

Street art, Cartagena. Cross from the spiffy, polished old town into Getsemani, the hip-but-doesn't-quite-know-it-yet working class neighborhood. Loads of old, unfinished stone, bits of beautiful decrepitude and locals reading newspapers in the shade. Very much living -- and lived-in -- history. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1cu9TzY

Old Town Cartagena - Colombia

Today, we learned a little more about Cartagena past and present by following the path of some characters from Gabriel Garcia Marquez novels, and the life of Marquez himself, in a @contexttravel walking tour. Amusing and fascinating way to add some texture, color and reality to the polish of the city's old town. Apparently when Marquez worked as a journalist in Cartagena he would spend time around the warehouses and docks after hours and talk with guards, workers, prostitutes, and drunks to get the "real" news. Along the way, he collected bizarre stories and characters that he later used in his novels. This is how a Nobel prize winning writer worked. Now, off to read One Hundred Years of Solitude and Of Love and Other Demons. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1JnrKpg

We are going offline for the next four days, as we head toward The Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) with @gadventures and a local indigenous guide from the Wiwa community. Looking forward to going back into nature and the Sierra Nevada mountains, including those thoughtful moments between countless footsteps. Photo was taken in Cocora Valley, #Colombia. This weekend, look for our work on @lonelyplanet as we'll be taking over their Instagram account. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1IcUrUt

We’re back! Next up, we take you on a virtual tour of our @gadventures trek to the Lost City in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, northern Colombia. Although much of the trail is thick in the rainforest, the views and landscape are remarkably diverse. The current trekking route is challenging and steep, winding slowly uphill 23 kilometers (14 miles, roundtrip 29 miles) and down through river valleys until you reach the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) itself, known also as Teyuna. Archaeologists estimate that the site was built around A.D. 800 by the Tayrona civilization, though there are limited clues due to the lack of written evidence and site looting that occurred during its public "discovery" in the early 1970s.  Today, the area is home to the local indigenous groups — Wiwa, Kogi, Arhuaco, and Kankuamo — who are believed to be the descendants of the Tayrona people who inhabited the area since approximately A.D. 200. Pictured: Audrey with her trail backpack and rain cover just after the daily downpour. Note the mist rising from the mountains in the background. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1QoJdU5

Lost City Trek, Swimming Hole - Sierra Nevada, Colombia

Misty and kind of magical, the rainforest watering hole. The trek to the Lost City is nothing if it isn’t hot and humid. You sweat until you imagine you’ve none left to expel. Respite comes a couple times of day, as you meet the Rio Buritaca and various creeks that splinter off. Calm, protected pockets serve as natural swimming pools (or "piscinas"). The water — fresh from the mountaintops as the local indigenous will tell you, startles then refreshes. This is #relief. This is Colombia. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1HvDvtG

In the hills of the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) Trek

Day's end, before the first rain. At the lower end of the Lost City trail, locals run working farms, including ones with fairy tale views like this. All supplies along the trail come on the backs of mules. This one seems to be catching a breath. #Colombia via Instagram http://ift.tt/1f5NevC

Kogi Tribesmen on the Steps of the Lost City (Teyuna) - Colombia

Kogi tribespeople return from the upper chambers of the Lost City. The atmosphere of the site in early morning, especially when all is quiet under the canopy, is something truly exceptional. For brief inexplicable moments, you connect with why this place has held special meaning for the Tayrona people and their descendants for over 1200 years. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1BaImzn

After a demanding 14 miles up, the last hurdle you must clear on the way to the Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) comes in the form of 1200 stone steps leading to the site itself. The site yielded only gold coins and limited tools upon excavation. Our Wiwa guide told us legend has it that the stairs were formed by a series of lightning strikes. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1Sb1Bx9

Lost City (Ciudad Perdida) - Colombia

Our Wiwa guide's name was Celso, meaning "to bring order from disorder." Under his watch, we made our way to the Lost City. When we arrived at the site, he gathered us around to tell the story. He let his hair down, uncut hair that represents the wisdom that flows from the sacred snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains through rivers to the coast. Before a moment of silence, he offered this as the place to let go of our impurities, our negative thoughts and emotions. May we all find that place from time to time.

Lost City Trek, Colombia

Overlooking the upper chambers of Teyuna (The Lost City), Colombia -- at 1300m (4265 ft) on a mountain ridge in the Sierra Nevada range. It's believed that this capital of the Tayrona civilization was built in 800A.D., pre-dating Machu Picchu by 600 years. It's estimated that the visible excavated portions of the site, including 169 stone terraces, might only account for 10% of what's actually underneath. Buried history. via Instagram http://ift.tt/1KNvh10