all of our hotels were good, except the Hacienda Combia.  it was lovely, charming, had a nice staff and good food, but the walls were paper thin.  we seriously felt like we caught a cold from the girl coughing next door, and were kept up one night from a conversation in the other room.  in Russian.  for hours.  and the night before there was a party down the hill with music, all night (and morning) long.  and fireworks, how could i forget the 1 AM fireworks??

the transfer from Cartagena to Santa Marta – again, we felt like a bit of an after thought, with the package pick-up and changing of cars etc.  in the end we got there safely, and all was good.

hot & humid –  i knew it was going to be hot and humid, but especially being from the west coast, it was debilitating.  i think we would have gotten through the Lost City hike, but it would have been really hard.  someone from the east coast or south would have been more used to that type of weather, but just regular walking around in the city and through Tayrona Park was challenging at times.  if you decide to go on that hike, i suggest getting into the region (or a similar climate) a week before the hike for acclimation purposes.  also, about my heat rash….my dermatologist (who i saw today) didn’t bat an eye when i told her about the horrible, awful, red, sausage leg heat rash….she said, “oh it was really humid wasn’t it?”  i guess going from no humidity to a lot of humidity quickly can cause a more significant rash.  you learn something new everyday.

Medellin to Armenia –  don’t go via car or bus, it’s just too long and painful.  It’s 6-10 hours and the road is crap.  one lane each direction, winding and full of big trucks. we had multiple stopping points due to road work (from mudslides over the winter).  the scenery, although lovely, isn’t worth it.  there isn’t a direct flight, but a one and a half hour layover in Bogota wouldn’t be so terrible.  i suppose it’s just a matter of cost vs. time.

Cartagena to Bogota or the reverse?  if we had done the hike, the itinerary would have been fine, as starting with hot and humid and ending in cool would be the way to go.  if not doing the hike, starting in Bogota might be better because that way you end with hot, tropical and the beach.  just a thought.

Tayrona Park was beautiful.  you can spend the night there in a hammock, tent or eco-lodging of some-kind which would have been nice. we would have rented a hammock had we known.  that being said, i don’t think you can rent a hammock in advance, so you might end up in a tent, and that might not be as much fun.

some restaurant recommendations:  Crepes & Waffles (Cartegena, Medllin), Ouzo, Lulo and La Canoa (Santa Marta), Carmen and Verdeo (Medellin), Don de Sam/Kushbu (Guatape) and Andres Carne de Res aka Andres DC on Calle 82 (Bogota) – this place was crazy fun!

again, the trip was great and we had a terrific time.  both tour coordinators South American Travel (Martin) and Neptuno (Natalia) did a good job of coordinating, managing the changes along the way, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend either company.

Bolivia and Venezuela are the South American areas i haven’t been to yet, but i don’t think i’ll be able to visit anytime soon.  there is just too much unrest, and although i do like an adventure, i’m not risking my life.  so, i guess i’m done with South American travel for the time being.  unless of course i have the opportunity to visit Peru again, and of course fingers crossed, Guatape in January.

until the next trip………