The Earth + Nat

A few hours up the road from Cartagena is the charming little city of Santa Marta. The oldest European settlements in Colombia , it combines Spanish tradition with the laid-back Caribbean atmosphere. Cat and I didn't actually spend much time in the city itself, instead using it as a base for trips to Minca and Tayrona National Park. If we're honest, there isn't a huge amount to do within the city. It's an uncomplicated place next to the sea with the usual small, rigid grid of streets in the old city and the more sprawling and dirty newer city around the outside. We were here in the middle of the low season, so hostels were empty and the locals more friendly than usual. It is also phenomenally hot, even for the coast. Ancient Tayrona ceramics accurately capture my face as I leave the air conditioning All that said, i did like this town. Despite many modernisations, it is impossible to walk some of the streets and not feel like you've somehow stepped back in ti...

While travelling and adventuring is great fun, sometimes you need a few days of relaxation time in between the hiking, exploring and meeting new people. Cat and I found the perfect place to do that on our first stop on the Caribbean coast, the small town of Tolú, west of Cartagena. Unknown to foreign tourists, this was the ideal spot to leave worries behind for a few days and enjoy ourselves stress-free. The first thing we had to do was acclimatise. The humid heat is something else; I think I had a harder time adjusting here than in the mountains! The weather here varies wildly. It was sunny when we arrived, but as we ate lunch a massive storm broke. There was torrential rain and constant lightning but it was still warm enough to walk (swim?) through without getting cold as there was no wind at all. After a couple of hours it was blue sky again, all was forgotten. The next morning, we arranged for a boat trip around the San Bernadino islands. It was supposed to leave at ...

A hat that suits me?? Magical Realism at work again People will tell you Cartagena is a great place. Travel guides will rave about its history and night life. Fellow travellers will describe streets teeming with life and energy day or night, and a city that loves to get down. All this is true...except when the Pope is in town. You see, Cat and I came in from Tolú after a few relaxed days, ready to let loose for a night and sink back into bustling city life. We got a bus in from the terminal (very dodgy place - probably the worst I have seen on my trip!) to the old city, dropped our bags, and immediately went in search of a well-needed beer in the still-sweltering Saturday night. It's a pretty place in the daytime! Immediately something felt strange. As Seuss might say, we looked all around but no beer could be found. Bars were closed. People were hanging out in the streets, but no one looked festive. It was all very quiet, and frankly a bit unnerving. Everyone was so...

Medellín was a place I had been looking forward to for a long time. Throughout my trip I had heard nothing but rave reviews and people saying I needed to go, but this was also crossed with what I had learned about the city's darker past, particularly in the fascinating book Killing Pablo. It was with excitement and trepidation that I arrived to this city after a nail-biting bus ride from Salento. "The Spartan" - Botero, 1989 For Cat and I, our first day sent us wandering around the central city. A short train ride from our accommodation took us to Plaza Botero, a square filled with sculptures made by famous Colombian artist Fernando Botero. His style appears unusual, and it was explained by a visit to the nearby Museo Antioqueno which contains many of his painted and drawn works. The chubbiness makes the characters appear more shapely and sensual in the view of the artist, and this even extends to animals. "Caballero" - Botero, 1982 The next day, aft...

After the coffee culture, Cat and I went to visit the other main draw of Salento, the Cocora Valley. This is a great place to hike for a few hours, or maybe a few more if you take the wrong turn and end up walking over a mountain instead of around it. A lot of fun either way, and challenging without being gritty. The views from all sides are incredible, and they all come with lots of these guys: Yep, that's me down there. This one wasn't even the tallest Wax Palms, the giraffe of the tree world: fairly pointless and stupidly tall but impressive and nice to look at. The tallest palms are over 60m high and are dotted across almost every horizon in Cocora. Sunset among the palms Our trail took us to some great views: Cocora is an Instagrammer's paradise And showed us some amazing wildlife: Everywhere the track was filthy, there were hundreds of butterflies. A reminder that they are at the end of the day, flies. But the best was saved for last. At on...

After the fizzer in Cali, Salento was the perfect retreat. A village up in the hills, away from the bustle of the cities and the heart of one of Colombia's largest coffee regions. Finca Momota, a little slice of caffeinated heaven Our first day involved getting up close and personal with the local industry by taking a coffee tour at Finca Momota just outside town. After stumbling down a very muddy donkey track in the rain, we were greeted very exuberantly by a Catalonian bloke who had bought his farm there a couple of years ago. He took us through the processes of creating truly great coffee - the different species, the importance of the sugars in the bean pod, the impact of the roast, the creation of aromas and subtle flavours, and much more. Basically, we learned how bloody finnicky it can be to make the beans into consumable coffee. Dark Roast vs Medium Roast - it smelled amazing! After that, we got a tour of the farm. I mean, this place was a paradise. The farm sprea...