LOVING Colombia!

Hello all,



The over 25 hour bus journey to Bogota from Quito was not actually too bad! The border crossings were easy (despite so many people telling me I would be kidnapped by drug lords!) then I sat next to a really nice Colombian boy for 20 hours or so, so got to practice my Spanish!



Bogota is such a great city, I loved it and will definitely be back. The historical centre is so colourful and has so much charm. It is really arty with loads of great museums and things to see. Colombia has such a rich culture which the inhabitants are so proud of and more than happy to share with the travellers. I just wish it had a better reputation globally because the backpackers love it but before I came it was the place people at home were most nervous about me visiting yet I´ve felt safe the whole time. My bus friend showed me around which was great and I stayed in a hostel that a friend I travelled with about 4 months ago is working at which was really good fun. I met loads of great people and had so much fun exploring and salsa dancing (my new favourite thing, will have to bring it to Bristol!).



I then travelled up to Cartagena on the Carribean coast with a girl I met in Bogota called Adaline (from Australia). Another 22 hours on a bus but it was fine, the countryside we drove through is absolutely beautiful and I slept quite a bit recovering from Bogota! Cartagena is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever been to. It is so colourful, clean and has such a relaxed atmosphere. There are constantly people dancing salsa on the streets or relaxing in one of the may stunning plazas. We went on a Chiva last night which is an open sided bus with a band in it filled with people drinking rum and coke! It stops at various places where we all got out and danced (either on the street or in a club!), it was so much fun as you can imagine!



Today we went to a volcano about an hour away from the city which is a natural mud bath. So surreal as the mud is over 2km deep but you can stand up and not sink at all! There are lots of people giving you massages and taking your photo, really strange but good fun. You then walk down the volcano to the lagoon to wash off (assisted by pushy women tipping buckets of water over your head and trying to strip off your bikinis! Of course all wanting tips at the end!). We then went to a beautiful beach for lunch and my first swim in the Carribean sea! So warm - makes a change from St Mawes!



I am absolutely loving Colombia and we are off to Playa Blanca on Tuesday to sleep under the stars in hammocks then further up the coast. I have been here for nearly 6 months now, I can´t believe it but I still have so much to look forward to that home seems a long way away. Hope you´re not all getting bored of reading this now, it´s been going on a while!



Take care everyone and let me know what you´re doing xxxxxx (Oooh and hi to everyone on Mencap, hope its going well, sorry I cant be there)