Fri 12th 0957 Topping up cash in flip after paying bill with some and I've got a horrible suspicion I've lost a 50k note. But maybe I didn't put as much in as I thought and it can't be helped if I have and it's not that much etc etc.
1009 On top of that rush feeling noted before, I am also dithering and flipping between micro-tasks as I try to rearrange my stuff from "flight transit" mode to "secure-ish base" mode - eg stashing flat keys and UK banknotes (which I felt I had to have on me in moderate quantity in case of a sudden public transport disaster requiring a taxi to airport) somewhere safe, shuffling notes around, deciding how much to carry and what pockets to put stuff in. I need to chill, maybe I "want" to get out and have that coffee but there really is no rush.
1525 Back at hostel, probably for the night. Going to write up this afternoon then try to put some quality time in with the guide book. It is so damn hard to browse an electronic one, but not lugging a paper one round. Sitting in communal area, no one else around, Noticias Caracol TV on so I suspect I'm gonna get annoyed with some wanky news but fingers crossed.
So after sorting stuff out I had a shower (which was hot) and had a look at guide book. And all sorts of slightly contradictory and confusing shit about how dangerous La Candelaria is and how muggings are common in some nearby areas and don't wander as it's easy to stray out of the same regions, and talk about hostels being raided by gangs at night.
Cue some frenzied web searching, turning up all sorts of contradictory articles which superficially look recent but which have 8 year old comments on and may or may not have been updated since.
I had been toying with asking to extend for another day tomorrow morning before reading all this but it really put the wind up me. Also lovely mentions of robbers waiting to mug tourists not on the Monserrate hike but on the stretch of street between the bottom end of the hike and accommodationy type area. No idea if this is or was true.
I had some coffee and then asked presumed owner woman (I kind of get feeling it's her and a younger man who might be her son) for some advice. We did at least do this all in (imperfect) Spanish. She said it's fine wrt mugging during day, need to be careful of pickpockets etc, she pointed me at carrera 7 which is pedestrianised and lots of people. I asked and she [pissing it down all of a sudden to judge from noise on roof] said it was OK by Universidades/Las Aguas stations, it maybe seemed a bit quiet to me as I was there early (tho I said it was 9-10, not maybe the 7am she thought if she remembered my initial request email) but it is fine, there are some kind of street/homeless people but they are not (maybe inferring a bit here) dangerous as such, they aren't likely to rob you. After dark yes it might be iffy but not too fussed about that.
So I went out feeling a bit edgy but although I still feel a bit jittery it was OK and I stuck to busyish streets and tried not to walk too fast or look edgy etc. Not taken any photos as everyone seems to warn about phone snatching etc and didn't want to overly advertise my tourist status. No one called or hassled me AFAICR, though once or twice I didn't like the look of a solo guy heading towards me in an emptyish patch of pavement and veered off. [I got lucky coming back now, sounds like hail. Been sunny all afternoon and v comfortable with just RS top on.] I did get one or two beggars ask me for money, but not in a threatening way.
I did a meandering pseudo knotted loop down towards Plaza Bolivar, which looked familiar, but I didn't walk "into" it as it looked slightly deserted. I honestly think my memories of the bus to Zipaquira and taking the TM to an edge of town stop to change *were* right, and they're merely similar-ish to going to Mitad del Mundo from Quito. Walking down calle 7 I suddenly remembered watching those jazz musicians (who I photographed) on some pedestrianised street, maybe c7 (but no musicians today), on my presumably 2010 trip. I was really impressed with that at the time and thought it would be memorable, and it was in the sense the memories came back today and there was a tinge of sadness at the "wow, that was years ago" but I had not thought about that for years as nothing had reminded me.
I can't help thinking I must have been so much more confident back in 2010 but I suspect that's not true. I may have done some things which were possibly foolhardy or which at least felt foolhardy, but I suspect my behaviour and appearance was more furtive and nervy than it is now. Hard to say of course.
I had lunch in (can't remember properly) la tijanal de la abuela in c8 - was looking at menu, a waiter nicely encouraged me in after I'd been looking a while and he told me to go sit wherever, it was rammed (and mostly looked like locals) and if he hadn't told me to do that and there hadn't happen to be one table free (near the balcony - I sneaked out onto it and snapped some street photos from there after eating) I'd probably have left. The waitress was nice but seemed keen to offer me a very simple verbal set menu - though it seems an unpretentious place, there was a short chalk menu outside - perhaps thinking my Spanish wouldn't be up to it. I felt a bit awkward being perhaps the only tourist but got over it more or less. Anyway, despite intending to have pollo a la plancha, I got some sort of chicken soup, arroz con pollo (I asked and she said it came with sauce and I got her to put no sauce), chips and a (slightly) dressed salad (which I left), and a mango juice. This was 12k and when I tried to pay at table she told me to go to cash desk place. I am not at all sure I was supposed to leave a tip given this but I did leave 2k. I may well go back there next two days, we'll see.
After wandering some more (inc going up northern end of c7 where was reminded of those musicians) I popped into a big Claro outlet but wasn't mega keen and then I noticed you had to *scan a QR code* to get a ticket to join the virtual queue - so fuck you if your phone doesn't work because, I dunno, you want to buy a SIM?
I then doubled back round and went to an Oxxo (not realising there was one right next to hostel) and got 2xlitre bottles of still (no cheap sparkling option) water for 5k the two - not brilliant but not too bad. I think water may be potable here but I am disinclined to try it when I won't be here that long. I then came back to hostel, spotted the other Oxxo and also a Movistar and went in and had a brief chat and I can have 30GB data over 30 days for COP30k (free SIM). I said I'd think about it.
Quick web search on getting home shows WOM have a deal for COP16k for 21GB over 30 days - really, I want about 2-5GB just for basic out-and-about comms and working round broken hostel wifi - but I am not entirely sure what their coverage is like. Their website is super unhelpful wrt coverage, tho I got prices from it. I did walk past a WOM shop this afternoon but some staff were outside touting and I found that slightly irrationally offputting. I just may go back tomorrow.
Plan for tomorrow is still roughly to go over to La Terminal, see how safe it feels (was seriously edgy about any kind of being on street between reading guide book and web until chatting to owner - oh, if forgot to say she said they'd had two people mugged but that was all in a period of two years, and when I asked she said they were at night) and buy a ticket, if I can make a plan tonight.
I also asked owner about that "free" Monserrate tour and while I didn't explain brilliantly and she may think I'm an idiot she seemed to suggest the guides knew "safe" routes, though she may have been thinking about on the trails rather than the street. I said I might be interested on Sunday but didn't make any commitment yet, will bring this up tomorrow if want to do it. If I do do it I may not take my phone, we'll see. Shame to get no photos of course.
Few people sitting around, mostly "old-ish" (my age v v approx) but not talking. Just a note, not a problem.
Having some (espressoish) cups of the free, sugary black coffee. Also have one of those litre bottles of water but not cracked it open yet. Am cleaning my teeth with bottled water BTW.
Some sort of telenovela on TV now.
Saw buñuelos at various shops in street (also empanadas - oh and there is a littleish cat here, it let me stroke it while sitting drinking coffee before my walk, also a small white dog which I haven't stroked yet but which looks nice enough), was vaguely tempted to try some but Bogota-nerves stopped me, plus I wanted to look them up before buying any - I have vague recollections of really liking (at least one type of?) them on 2020 trip when I finally tried them, but wasn't sure.
OK, I think that's most of the day. Let me go try to study the awkward electronic guide book. I will try to avoid temptation to write notes here on the fly and will maybe summarise my thinking later.
1606 Semi OTF but... Toying with Villa de Leyva and/or Tunja. Tunja is 2.5h by bus from Bogota and buses every 10-15 mins according to guide book. VdL is then 45 mins by minibus from Tunja.
Would prob be a dorm for cheapness in VdL and it does sound a bit touristy but guide book makes out during the week it's more tranquil. Some hiking prospects.
Either would be a modest hop up towards the Caribbean coast, and modulo worries about "wasting" time this feels decent and heading in right direction. Maybe a bit more of a run but for example Bucaramanga is IIRC then 7h from Tunja.
Ignoring time considerations, Tunja at least first is less stressful as it's a direct bus (trusting guide book for now) from here. If I wanted to do both, if did Tunja first I'd get to know it a bit before having to find minibus out, and when I got minibus back (if necessary) for onward journey, at least I'd be familiar with bus terminal(s) in Tunja. Whereas if I do VdL first or only, I have a connection in Tunja.
OTOH, if guide book is true about weekends, it would be best to go to VdL on Monday and then spend say 4(+) nights here, which would be druing the week. I suppose if the minibus really is frequent and I could see it goes from same terminal the other bus arrives in, that might not be too much of a strain - and a 2.5h+45m combo in isn't too bad.
Quick look at FCDO map shows there are just a couple of "recommend essential only" regions NE of Bogota up to Car coast - I don't think this specific hop goes that far, but I'd have to hope/assume/check there is a bus route threading through the "safe" area.
Fit for Travel malaria map is fine, all the country between here and Car coast east of Cartagena is low to no risk and no tablets recommended.
Without getting hung up on the details of this leg, let me read a bit more and see if I can sketch out a possible itinerary up towards Car coast.
Maybe Tunja-San Gil (r2r says 4h20m) or Barichara (+45m from San Gil).
r2r (rome2rio - just for first cut) says 2h from San Gil to Bucaramanga. And 9h30m from Bucaramanga to Santa Marta (arbitarily and mildly repetitive choice), one bus a day. Bucaramanga to Barranquilla is 9h50m, every 2h. Bucaramanga to Cartagena is 10h45m, hourly.
Let's just pretend there's somewhere at least OK to break those Bucaramanga journeys en route to Cartagena.
That gives roughly:
- 3 nights Bogota
- 4 nights VdL and/or 4 nights Tunja
- 4 nights San Gil and/or 4 nights Barichara
- 4 nights mystery place
before arriving in Cartagena, where my "4 night min" guideline wouldn't apply as I've been there before and while I'd need a time buffer (and if it isn't needed, could do a day trip to El Totumo), I am only going there to get on the boat.
Adding that up gives 15-23 days, and if I hypothetically booked the boat tomorrow that would be 14-22 days "notice" to the boat (wrt ticket availability). Booking the boat would remove flexibility to say eg "I love VdL, want to stay an extra 4 nights" *but* in a pinch I could do a long bus to Cartagena or (if I went with the high end of that range) sacrifice one of the "doubled up" 4 nights.
In terms of time budget, I have 77 days in total. So 23 days would be 30% of the trip in Colombia (plus whatever is at the end, depending how much there is in Panama or how I feel about it that might be virtually nothing or loads - but the boat trip is an experience in itself, not just a way to get to Panama - even if I only spent two weeks in Panama (unlikely, probably be at least 3-4) it wouldn't exactly be a waste (but slightly unsatisfactory) to have taken the boat trip.
If I can't or don't want to get the boat after all, this itinerary is fine. I haven't visited any of those places before and they all sound worth visiting; I might change direction instead of actually going on to Cartagena, or I might do Tayrona or something like that. It would be nice (fantasy, perhaps) to find a nice quiet beach place to relax for a few days somewhere, so visiting a coast somewhere is desirable and if I don't go to Panama it would make sense to try some part of the Car coast in Colombia - but not necessarily to repeat places went in 2020.
And if I "run out" of interesting or easily accessible via a non-backtracking road tour or whatever places in NE Colombia and I'm not going to Panama, I could always fly down to the south if it's not desirable to go by road.
Nothing to do with this, feeling vaguely on edge but I think it's fine. A vague unsatisfactoriness to today is probably a mixture of tiredness and being a bit hard on myself for trying to take a middle course between recklessness and cowardice with personal safety here. I really haven't done so badly one way or another, and I've exercised my Spanish a bit and if it's not perfect the only way to fix it is to practice.
I don't feel actively tired right now. Gut feeling is unless I am insanely bored or tired later I will try to stay up til at least 8pm.
Modulo this hypothetical place to break the Bucaramanga-Cartagena trip, this actually feels like a half decent plan.
El Banco is 5h by bus from Bucaramanga. Mompos is only accessible via taxi from El Banco. I just picked these as they are on guidebook map, albeit not picked out as having anything special. I suspect the natural route to El Banco would thread through the green "safe" area on FCDO map too, though hard to tell.
[I do wonder if the dramatic tension music on the telenovela is also acting on my nerves...]
Incidentally having two phones for searching on one while looking at map/guide book on another is quite nice.
OK, can't find El Banco in guidebook, but it makes Mompos sound quite nice and says it is 6h from Cartagena or 7h from Bucaramanga. So we might pencil in Mompos as the mystery place.
(The cat just called for attention and came up and had a bit of fuss and has now gone off again. One of the reviews mentioned it biting, but beyond being a bit playful - which I pulled back from jic - when I was here before my walk it seems very nice to me.)
Hmm, could the rain sounds earlier have been pigeons on the roof? I can see some through translucent roofing now and it sounds similar.
Idea just might be growing its own legs, but this does feel like a plan. Except for possibly having to/wanting to book in advance for the boat, which makes things feel a bit regimented, this doesn't seem like something I'd only do because of the boat. If we assume I don't or can't get the boat to Panama, eyeballing the map it looks like I could do some more bus hops to loop round via Sincelejo (assuming that's safe), down to Medellin (hopefully threading through a narrow patch of green on FCDO map) - where I'm not super inclined to do Spanish lessons for n weeks but which a week or maybe two seeing how it has changed since 2020 might well be nice - and then continuing into the south via Manizales. So as I say, except for maybe not having freedom to stay in places longer if I want because I book the boat, this feels like a reasonable itinerary for next 2-3 weeks. And I guess if I *don't* book the boat then I retain flexibility of times. So it sort of comes down to making decision about boat (what type, when, how disappointed I'd be if I couldn't go and thus how far in advance I am willing to commit to it and that ties in with what the availability looks like - for all I know all boats are sold out for next two months, though I doubt it) and taking it from there.
And if I put the boat decision off too long and *can't* get it on any reasonable timescale (without eg hanging around three weeks in Cartagena, or making an uncomfortably deadline-pressured three week excursion to Tayrona for Cartagena to fill the time) I may be disappointed about that *but* I haven't taken a silly or undesirable route in the meantime just because I wanted to get up to Cartagena.
On random note, if I didn't already say lots of reviews of hostel mentioned area being unsafen but the general vibe was that it was safe in the hostel.
The idea of filling the next three hours feels rather intimidating. I probably need to stop drinking coffee, not so much from a getting to sleep perspective as that I suspect I'm feeling a bit wired and jittery as a result.
I'm gonna go get my USB OTG cable and a memory stick and process (copy off both phones onto each other and the memory stick, as multiple backups on my person and so the K1 can upload them to Google Photos) them. It "needs" doing and it will fill time.
1717 OK, bit of a faff but that's done. I don't need to do this every day but the more frequently I do it the better, as it reduces chances of losing the photos I have taken. (While I will probably remain edgy given the above-financial loss of having phone stolen, I hope I'll feel more comfortable taking photos on phone day to day once I'm outside Bogota.)
I really would quite like another coffee but I also think it is a bad idea re jitteriness.
1730 Checking weather forecast it probably is raining. (I haven't been out to check.)
Poking at hostelworld and booking.com for VdL, gut feeling is booking.com has better prices/selection. I could afford a private room in a hostel, but they are not cheap. I half incline to doing a dorm just to re-establish with myself that it's OK - it just might help me get to know people but unless it's just me and one other person my experience is it doesn't make that much obvious difference, though *maybe* it helps in slightly subtle ways. Keeping the cost down is of course also a drawn, and this isn't "suffering" to get the cost down - it's varying the experience etc etc.
I do want to be in a hostel whether I have a private room or not in order to give myself a chance to meet people. Far from guaranteed but at least a chance. Always a good thing but it would be particularly good to meet people now if there's a chance of getting information/experience reports about boat trips out of anyone.
Feeling (generally, not re VdL or whatever) edgy. Repeating myself. Time hanging a bit heavy. I am not exactly tired but doubtless a factor.
I think the plan for tomorrow is to go over to bus terminal and ask about buses to VdL and probably risk buying a ticket if that seems OK, then come back here and book accom then buy a SIM (maybe trogging over to WOM to talk to them, but maybe just going with Movistar next door) and perhaps ask staff here about booking me in for "free" Montserrate hike on Sunday.
OK, been for piss and dropped USB back off in room. Left water on table as v quiet. Not an issue tonight but FTR I am following my plan of not wearing cap while hanging around lest it make me look more furtive, and I also intend to use English as go-to language for making "hi" type remarks to random guests.
And I am aware using airbnb is a worthwhile experiment wrt meeting locals in some sense. But I'd probably rather aim to meet other tourists at this point, and there is a chance I will not have a local SIM working by time I go to VdL or Tunja so definitely not intending to chance it.
I am sort of excited about the plans I've been outlining but also feeling a bit flat. Today has not exactly been super exciting. OTOH I've kinda sorta got done what I wanted to do and I've made various efforts (to eg walk round a bit - maybe did an hour, just possibly two - and face those fears, and to finally read guide book and make some sort of rough plan for the next few weeks) and even if it's silly I do remember the feeling of "wow, in Colombia" during first coffee at airport. And although when I went on my web search re safety after checking in I found constant warnings about pickpocketing on TM, I thought it felt OK when I used it from the airport and I was fairly pleased with myself.
OK, searching old blog entries, I was in Bogota in March 2014. Had I just clean forgotten that or have I merged its memories with 2010 trip? I have a feeling I visited Bogota *only* for about a week on 2010 trip. OK, I checked that too. I didn't come to Bogota or Colombia on 2010 trip - not that I remember what was apparently a cool night out til 3am after unpromising start in Bogota in 2014, though I do remember the unpromising bit vaguely! But my broad memories of the slightly rushed via air visit from Quito to Bogota and then onto Buenos Aires to catch the flight home at the end of the 2014 trip do exist, I had just been thinking these were part of my 2010 trip.
I don't think this proves it's all pointless - it just shows human memory is fallible but the gist lives on. And it shows some value to writing this blog (or an equivalent personal-only journal, though I'd probably have lost the contents of such a personal-only journal by now, or at least might not have a copy with me even if I hadn't).
Lights just turned up, hadn't realised how dingy it was getting.
I doubt I'd want to do it but FTR I happened to stumble on something earlier suggesting if you want to enter Ecuador *by land* from Colombia you need an official certificate showing a clean criminal record for last n years. I obviously did not bring such a thing with me, so if I *did* decide I really wanted to go to Ecuador I would have to enter by air or just possibly by playing games crossing into Peru first.
FWIW written all this tonight sitting at the light-ish wood picnic bench with the blue-green-ish cushions on the benches which you can see in one of my photos of the hostel common area.
Feel vaguely jealous at my old self going out despite being a bit BNM and getting into some chat in the evenings. But it's fine. I am not re-reading old blog now as might make me feel down etc. I am in many ways "better" than I was back then and it's not as if I haven't socialised when travelling in different ways etc etc.
If I remember I will check tomorrow morning for hostels with free cancellation (so I can go to bus terminal after and cancel booking if I can't get a ticket or something), but not super optimistic. One had it tonight but only up to midnight tonight. I need to check hostels before going to terminal anyway to make sure everything isn't already sold out.
I feel a bit stressed (tightness in gut), it's probably mostly tiredness and coffee and being in a new place etc, but maybe "worrying" about sorting out onward travel is part of it. It's fine, just waffling.
I don't actively feel tired but I just "half-voluntarily" yawned. I might compromise with myself and go to bed/my room at 7pm or something.
I honestly don't know how I'm going to fill the time tomorrow but as per that Aldous Huxley quote the boredom shows how much freedom I have. :-) And maybe something will turn up or I'll at least just feel comfortable reading on phone out here or in room with "everything" sorted.
Really tempted to have another coffee (assuming there is any) just to fill the time, even though I'll drink it in 5 mins flat.
Should I just go to bed? Out of boredom as much as tiredness? I'm probably going to sleep at least 8 hours, but if I did sleep 8 I'd be awake at 2am. OTOH chances are I'd probably sleep longer, and it wouldn't be the end of the world to be awake at 2am and not able to get back to sleep. Plus the reality is with one thing and another I'd probably not be in bed much before 1830 even if I went now.
I'm fairly sure if I had some "reason" (eg someone suddenly started an enjoyable conversation with me) I could stay awake longer without issues, but I find myself unimpressed by the idea of sitting here reading. Still, what do I really gain by going to bed? Meh. Not a big deal either way.
In hindsight obviously 2010 trip didn't have that last-ish-minute Bogota flying visit because I was in Mexico and broke my arm, ending 2010 trip early. But I was still getting confused. The memories do feel like they've untangled themselves now I've realised this after finding out from blog it was 2014.
I'm going to my room at 1830. Not hanging on in any expectation of anything happening, nor do I desperately want it to. It's just some weird pseudo-bloody-mindedness given I said 8pm to myself earlier.
And I honestly do think the half-understood (and not consciously paying attention) telenovela (probably a different one by now) with its overblown emotional dialogue and "stirring" music might be grating on me a bit. I never like having TV on in background (unless it's just music TV, but I don't even do that when I'm at home).
I might wish today didn't have this (not entirely gone, and maybe correctly so) fear/sudden discovery of possible riskiness about being in Bogota or in LC. But it's fine. It has been a bit of an up and down emotion kind of day, but on the whole I've made an effort not to just spiral into shittiness.
I am going to set an alarm for 10am tomorrow. I honestly can't see myself wanting to sleep that long, but if I do it will at least make me consciously choose to stay in bed that late.
1830 Honour is pseudo-satisfied. FTR no one else is out here except guy on reception. To my room and to bed.
1844 Cleaned teeth, just getting into bed. Will send this now and if I want to write more it can go in next entry.
1009 On top of that rush feeling noted before, I am also dithering and flipping between micro-tasks as I try to rearrange my stuff from "flight transit" mode to "secure-ish base" mode - eg stashing flat keys and UK banknotes (which I felt I had to have on me in moderate quantity in case of a sudden public transport disaster requiring a taxi to airport) somewhere safe, shuffling notes around, deciding how much to carry and what pockets to put stuff in. I need to chill, maybe I "want" to get out and have that coffee but there really is no rush.
1525 Back at hostel, probably for the night. Going to write up this afternoon then try to put some quality time in with the guide book. It is so damn hard to browse an electronic one, but not lugging a paper one round. Sitting in communal area, no one else around, Noticias Caracol TV on so I suspect I'm gonna get annoyed with some wanky news but fingers crossed.
So after sorting stuff out I had a shower (which was hot) and had a look at guide book. And all sorts of slightly contradictory and confusing shit about how dangerous La Candelaria is and how muggings are common in some nearby areas and don't wander as it's easy to stray out of the same regions, and talk about hostels being raided by gangs at night.
Cue some frenzied web searching, turning up all sorts of contradictory articles which superficially look recent but which have 8 year old comments on and may or may not have been updated since.
I had been toying with asking to extend for another day tomorrow morning before reading all this but it really put the wind up me. Also lovely mentions of robbers waiting to mug tourists not on the Monserrate hike but on the stretch of street between the bottom end of the hike and accommodationy type area. No idea if this is or was true.
I had some coffee and then asked presumed owner woman (I kind of get feeling it's her and a younger man who might be her son) for some advice. We did at least do this all in (imperfect) Spanish. She said it's fine wrt mugging during day, need to be careful of pickpockets etc, she pointed me at carrera 7 which is pedestrianised and lots of people. I asked and she [pissing it down all of a sudden to judge from noise on roof] said it was OK by Universidades/Las Aguas stations, it maybe seemed a bit quiet to me as I was there early (tho I said it was 9-10, not maybe the 7am she thought if she remembered my initial request email) but it is fine, there are some kind of street/homeless people but they are not (maybe inferring a bit here) dangerous as such, they aren't likely to rob you. After dark yes it might be iffy but not too fussed about that.
So I went out feeling a bit edgy but although I still feel a bit jittery it was OK and I stuck to busyish streets and tried not to walk too fast or look edgy etc. Not taken any photos as everyone seems to warn about phone snatching etc and didn't want to overly advertise my tourist status. No one called or hassled me AFAICR, though once or twice I didn't like the look of a solo guy heading towards me in an emptyish patch of pavement and veered off. [I got lucky coming back now, sounds like hail. Been sunny all afternoon and v comfortable with just RS top on.] I did get one or two beggars ask me for money, but not in a threatening way.
I did a meandering pseudo knotted loop down towards Plaza Bolivar, which looked familiar, but I didn't walk "into" it as it looked slightly deserted. I honestly think my memories of the bus to Zipaquira and taking the TM to an edge of town stop to change *were* right, and they're merely similar-ish to going to Mitad del Mundo from Quito. Walking down calle 7 I suddenly remembered watching those jazz musicians (who I photographed) on some pedestrianised street, maybe c7 (but no musicians today), on my presumably 2010 trip. I was really impressed with that at the time and thought it would be memorable, and it was in the sense the memories came back today and there was a tinge of sadness at the "wow, that was years ago" but I had not thought about that for years as nothing had reminded me.
I can't help thinking I must have been so much more confident back in 2010 but I suspect that's not true. I may have done some things which were possibly foolhardy or which at least felt foolhardy, but I suspect my behaviour and appearance was more furtive and nervy than it is now. Hard to say of course.
I had lunch in (can't remember properly) la tijanal de la abuela in c8 - was looking at menu, a waiter nicely encouraged me in after I'd been looking a while and he told me to go sit wherever, it was rammed (and mostly looked like locals) and if he hadn't told me to do that and there hadn't happen to be one table free (near the balcony - I sneaked out onto it and snapped some street photos from there after eating) I'd probably have left. The waitress was nice but seemed keen to offer me a very simple verbal set menu - though it seems an unpretentious place, there was a short chalk menu outside - perhaps thinking my Spanish wouldn't be up to it. I felt a bit awkward being perhaps the only tourist but got over it more or less. Anyway, despite intending to have pollo a la plancha, I got some sort of chicken soup, arroz con pollo (I asked and she said it came with sauce and I got her to put no sauce), chips and a (slightly) dressed salad (which I left), and a mango juice. This was 12k and when I tried to pay at table she told me to go to cash desk place. I am not at all sure I was supposed to leave a tip given this but I did leave 2k. I may well go back there next two days, we'll see.
After wandering some more (inc going up northern end of c7 where was reminded of those musicians) I popped into a big Claro outlet but wasn't mega keen and then I noticed you had to *scan a QR code* to get a ticket to join the virtual queue - so fuck you if your phone doesn't work because, I dunno, you want to buy a SIM?
I then doubled back round and went to an Oxxo (not realising there was one right next to hostel) and got 2xlitre bottles of still (no cheap sparkling option) water for 5k the two - not brilliant but not too bad. I think water may be potable here but I am disinclined to try it when I won't be here that long. I then came back to hostel, spotted the other Oxxo and also a Movistar and went in and had a brief chat and I can have 30GB data over 30 days for COP30k (free SIM). I said I'd think about it.
Quick web search on getting home shows WOM have a deal for COP16k for 21GB over 30 days - really, I want about 2-5GB just for basic out-and-about comms and working round broken hostel wifi - but I am not entirely sure what their coverage is like. Their website is super unhelpful wrt coverage, tho I got prices from it. I did walk past a WOM shop this afternoon but some staff were outside touting and I found that slightly irrationally offputting. I just may go back tomorrow.
Plan for tomorrow is still roughly to go over to La Terminal, see how safe it feels (was seriously edgy about any kind of being on street between reading guide book and web until chatting to owner - oh, if forgot to say she said they'd had two people mugged but that was all in a period of two years, and when I asked she said they were at night) and buy a ticket, if I can make a plan tonight.
I also asked owner about that "free" Monserrate tour and while I didn't explain brilliantly and she may think I'm an idiot she seemed to suggest the guides knew "safe" routes, though she may have been thinking about on the trails rather than the street. I said I might be interested on Sunday but didn't make any commitment yet, will bring this up tomorrow if want to do it. If I do do it I may not take my phone, we'll see. Shame to get no photos of course.
Few people sitting around, mostly "old-ish" (my age v v approx) but not talking. Just a note, not a problem.
Having some (espressoish) cups of the free, sugary black coffee. Also have one of those litre bottles of water but not cracked it open yet. Am cleaning my teeth with bottled water BTW.
Some sort of telenovela on TV now.
Saw buñuelos at various shops in street (also empanadas - oh and there is a littleish cat here, it let me stroke it while sitting drinking coffee before my walk, also a small white dog which I haven't stroked yet but which looks nice enough), was vaguely tempted to try some but Bogota-nerves stopped me, plus I wanted to look them up before buying any - I have vague recollections of really liking (at least one type of?) them on 2020 trip when I finally tried them, but wasn't sure.
OK, I think that's most of the day. Let me go try to study the awkward electronic guide book. I will try to avoid temptation to write notes here on the fly and will maybe summarise my thinking later.
1606 Semi OTF but... Toying with Villa de Leyva and/or Tunja. Tunja is 2.5h by bus from Bogota and buses every 10-15 mins according to guide book. VdL is then 45 mins by minibus from Tunja.
Would prob be a dorm for cheapness in VdL and it does sound a bit touristy but guide book makes out during the week it's more tranquil. Some hiking prospects.
Either would be a modest hop up towards the Caribbean coast, and modulo worries about "wasting" time this feels decent and heading in right direction. Maybe a bit more of a run but for example Bucaramanga is IIRC then 7h from Tunja.
Ignoring time considerations, Tunja at least first is less stressful as it's a direct bus (trusting guide book for now) from here. If I wanted to do both, if did Tunja first I'd get to know it a bit before having to find minibus out, and when I got minibus back (if necessary) for onward journey, at least I'd be familiar with bus terminal(s) in Tunja. Whereas if I do VdL first or only, I have a connection in Tunja.
OTOH, if guide book is true about weekends, it would be best to go to VdL on Monday and then spend say 4(+) nights here, which would be druing the week. I suppose if the minibus really is frequent and I could see it goes from same terminal the other bus arrives in, that might not be too much of a strain - and a 2.5h+45m combo in isn't too bad.
Quick look at FCDO map shows there are just a couple of "recommend essential only" regions NE of Bogota up to Car coast - I don't think this specific hop goes that far, but I'd have to hope/assume/check there is a bus route threading through the "safe" area.
Fit for Travel malaria map is fine, all the country between here and Car coast east of Cartagena is low to no risk and no tablets recommended.
Without getting hung up on the details of this leg, let me read a bit more and see if I can sketch out a possible itinerary up towards Car coast.
Maybe Tunja-San Gil (r2r says 4h20m) or Barichara (+45m from San Gil).
r2r (rome2rio - just for first cut) says 2h from San Gil to Bucaramanga. And 9h30m from Bucaramanga to Santa Marta (arbitarily and mildly repetitive choice), one bus a day. Bucaramanga to Barranquilla is 9h50m, every 2h. Bucaramanga to Cartagena is 10h45m, hourly.
Let's just pretend there's somewhere at least OK to break those Bucaramanga journeys en route to Cartagena.
That gives roughly:
- 3 nights Bogota
- 4 nights VdL and/or 4 nights Tunja
- 4 nights San Gil and/or 4 nights Barichara
- 4 nights mystery place
before arriving in Cartagena, where my "4 night min" guideline wouldn't apply as I've been there before and while I'd need a time buffer (and if it isn't needed, could do a day trip to El Totumo), I am only going there to get on the boat.
Adding that up gives 15-23 days, and if I hypothetically booked the boat tomorrow that would be 14-22 days "notice" to the boat (wrt ticket availability). Booking the boat would remove flexibility to say eg "I love VdL, want to stay an extra 4 nights" *but* in a pinch I could do a long bus to Cartagena or (if I went with the high end of that range) sacrifice one of the "doubled up" 4 nights.
In terms of time budget, I have 77 days in total. So 23 days would be 30% of the trip in Colombia (plus whatever is at the end, depending how much there is in Panama or how I feel about it that might be virtually nothing or loads - but the boat trip is an experience in itself, not just a way to get to Panama - even if I only spent two weeks in Panama (unlikely, probably be at least 3-4) it wouldn't exactly be a waste (but slightly unsatisfactory) to have taken the boat trip.
If I can't or don't want to get the boat after all, this itinerary is fine. I haven't visited any of those places before and they all sound worth visiting; I might change direction instead of actually going on to Cartagena, or I might do Tayrona or something like that. It would be nice (fantasy, perhaps) to find a nice quiet beach place to relax for a few days somewhere, so visiting a coast somewhere is desirable and if I don't go to Panama it would make sense to try some part of the Car coast in Colombia - but not necessarily to repeat places went in 2020.
And if I "run out" of interesting or easily accessible via a non-backtracking road tour or whatever places in NE Colombia and I'm not going to Panama, I could always fly down to the south if it's not desirable to go by road.
Nothing to do with this, feeling vaguely on edge but I think it's fine. A vague unsatisfactoriness to today is probably a mixture of tiredness and being a bit hard on myself for trying to take a middle course between recklessness and cowardice with personal safety here. I really haven't done so badly one way or another, and I've exercised my Spanish a bit and if it's not perfect the only way to fix it is to practice.
I don't feel actively tired right now. Gut feeling is unless I am insanely bored or tired later I will try to stay up til at least 8pm.
Modulo this hypothetical place to break the Bucaramanga-Cartagena trip, this actually feels like a half decent plan.
El Banco is 5h by bus from Bucaramanga. Mompos is only accessible via taxi from El Banco. I just picked these as they are on guidebook map, albeit not picked out as having anything special. I suspect the natural route to El Banco would thread through the green "safe" area on FCDO map too, though hard to tell.
[I do wonder if the dramatic tension music on the telenovela is also acting on my nerves...]
Incidentally having two phones for searching on one while looking at map/guide book on another is quite nice.
OK, can't find El Banco in guidebook, but it makes Mompos sound quite nice and says it is 6h from Cartagena or 7h from Bucaramanga. So we might pencil in Mompos as the mystery place.
(The cat just called for attention and came up and had a bit of fuss and has now gone off again. One of the reviews mentioned it biting, but beyond being a bit playful - which I pulled back from jic - when I was here before my walk it seems very nice to me.)
Hmm, could the rain sounds earlier have been pigeons on the roof? I can see some through translucent roofing now and it sounds similar.
Idea just might be growing its own legs, but this does feel like a plan. Except for possibly having to/wanting to book in advance for the boat, which makes things feel a bit regimented, this doesn't seem like something I'd only do because of the boat. If we assume I don't or can't get the boat to Panama, eyeballing the map it looks like I could do some more bus hops to loop round via Sincelejo (assuming that's safe), down to Medellin (hopefully threading through a narrow patch of green on FCDO map) - where I'm not super inclined to do Spanish lessons for n weeks but which a week or maybe two seeing how it has changed since 2020 might well be nice - and then continuing into the south via Manizales. So as I say, except for maybe not having freedom to stay in places longer if I want because I book the boat, this feels like a reasonable itinerary for next 2-3 weeks. And I guess if I *don't* book the boat then I retain flexibility of times. So it sort of comes down to making decision about boat (what type, when, how disappointed I'd be if I couldn't go and thus how far in advance I am willing to commit to it and that ties in with what the availability looks like - for all I know all boats are sold out for next two months, though I doubt it) and taking it from there.
And if I put the boat decision off too long and *can't* get it on any reasonable timescale (without eg hanging around three weeks in Cartagena, or making an uncomfortably deadline-pressured three week excursion to Tayrona for Cartagena to fill the time) I may be disappointed about that *but* I haven't taken a silly or undesirable route in the meantime just because I wanted to get up to Cartagena.
On random note, if I didn't already say lots of reviews of hostel mentioned area being unsafen but the general vibe was that it was safe in the hostel.
The idea of filling the next three hours feels rather intimidating. I probably need to stop drinking coffee, not so much from a getting to sleep perspective as that I suspect I'm feeling a bit wired and jittery as a result.
I'm gonna go get my USB OTG cable and a memory stick and process (copy off both phones onto each other and the memory stick, as multiple backups on my person and so the K1 can upload them to Google Photos) them. It "needs" doing and it will fill time.
1717 OK, bit of a faff but that's done. I don't need to do this every day but the more frequently I do it the better, as it reduces chances of losing the photos I have taken. (While I will probably remain edgy given the above-financial loss of having phone stolen, I hope I'll feel more comfortable taking photos on phone day to day once I'm outside Bogota.)
I really would quite like another coffee but I also think it is a bad idea re jitteriness.
1730 Checking weather forecast it probably is raining. (I haven't been out to check.)
Poking at hostelworld and booking.com for VdL, gut feeling is booking.com has better prices/selection. I could afford a private room in a hostel, but they are not cheap. I half incline to doing a dorm just to re-establish with myself that it's OK - it just might help me get to know people but unless it's just me and one other person my experience is it doesn't make that much obvious difference, though *maybe* it helps in slightly subtle ways. Keeping the cost down is of course also a drawn, and this isn't "suffering" to get the cost down - it's varying the experience etc etc.
I do want to be in a hostel whether I have a private room or not in order to give myself a chance to meet people. Far from guaranteed but at least a chance. Always a good thing but it would be particularly good to meet people now if there's a chance of getting information/experience reports about boat trips out of anyone.
Feeling (generally, not re VdL or whatever) edgy. Repeating myself. Time hanging a bit heavy. I am not exactly tired but doubtless a factor.
I think the plan for tomorrow is to go over to bus terminal and ask about buses to VdL and probably risk buying a ticket if that seems OK, then come back here and book accom then buy a SIM (maybe trogging over to WOM to talk to them, but maybe just going with Movistar next door) and perhaps ask staff here about booking me in for "free" Montserrate hike on Sunday.
OK, been for piss and dropped USB back off in room. Left water on table as v quiet. Not an issue tonight but FTR I am following my plan of not wearing cap while hanging around lest it make me look more furtive, and I also intend to use English as go-to language for making "hi" type remarks to random guests.
And I am aware using airbnb is a worthwhile experiment wrt meeting locals in some sense. But I'd probably rather aim to meet other tourists at this point, and there is a chance I will not have a local SIM working by time I go to VdL or Tunja so definitely not intending to chance it.
I am sort of excited about the plans I've been outlining but also feeling a bit flat. Today has not exactly been super exciting. OTOH I've kinda sorta got done what I wanted to do and I've made various efforts (to eg walk round a bit - maybe did an hour, just possibly two - and face those fears, and to finally read guide book and make some sort of rough plan for the next few weeks) and even if it's silly I do remember the feeling of "wow, in Colombia" during first coffee at airport. And although when I went on my web search re safety after checking in I found constant warnings about pickpocketing on TM, I thought it felt OK when I used it from the airport and I was fairly pleased with myself.
OK, searching old blog entries, I was in Bogota in March 2014. Had I just clean forgotten that or have I merged its memories with 2010 trip? I have a feeling I visited Bogota *only* for about a week on 2010 trip. OK, I checked that too. I didn't come to Bogota or Colombia on 2010 trip - not that I remember what was apparently a cool night out til 3am after unpromising start in Bogota in 2014, though I do remember the unpromising bit vaguely! But my broad memories of the slightly rushed via air visit from Quito to Bogota and then onto Buenos Aires to catch the flight home at the end of the 2014 trip do exist, I had just been thinking these were part of my 2010 trip.
I don't think this proves it's all pointless - it just shows human memory is fallible but the gist lives on. And it shows some value to writing this blog (or an equivalent personal-only journal, though I'd probably have lost the contents of such a personal-only journal by now, or at least might not have a copy with me even if I hadn't).
Lights just turned up, hadn't realised how dingy it was getting.
I doubt I'd want to do it but FTR I happened to stumble on something earlier suggesting if you want to enter Ecuador *by land* from Colombia you need an official certificate showing a clean criminal record for last n years. I obviously did not bring such a thing with me, so if I *did* decide I really wanted to go to Ecuador I would have to enter by air or just possibly by playing games crossing into Peru first.
FWIW written all this tonight sitting at the light-ish wood picnic bench with the blue-green-ish cushions on the benches which you can see in one of my photos of the hostel common area.
Feel vaguely jealous at my old self going out despite being a bit BNM and getting into some chat in the evenings. But it's fine. I am not re-reading old blog now as might make me feel down etc. I am in many ways "better" than I was back then and it's not as if I haven't socialised when travelling in different ways etc etc.
If I remember I will check tomorrow morning for hostels with free cancellation (so I can go to bus terminal after and cancel booking if I can't get a ticket or something), but not super optimistic. One had it tonight but only up to midnight tonight. I need to check hostels before going to terminal anyway to make sure everything isn't already sold out.
I feel a bit stressed (tightness in gut), it's probably mostly tiredness and coffee and being in a new place etc, but maybe "worrying" about sorting out onward travel is part of it. It's fine, just waffling.
I don't actively feel tired but I just "half-voluntarily" yawned. I might compromise with myself and go to bed/my room at 7pm or something.
I honestly don't know how I'm going to fill the time tomorrow but as per that Aldous Huxley quote the boredom shows how much freedom I have. :-) And maybe something will turn up or I'll at least just feel comfortable reading on phone out here or in room with "everything" sorted.
Really tempted to have another coffee (assuming there is any) just to fill the time, even though I'll drink it in 5 mins flat.
Should I just go to bed? Out of boredom as much as tiredness? I'm probably going to sleep at least 8 hours, but if I did sleep 8 I'd be awake at 2am. OTOH chances are I'd probably sleep longer, and it wouldn't be the end of the world to be awake at 2am and not able to get back to sleep. Plus the reality is with one thing and another I'd probably not be in bed much before 1830 even if I went now.
I'm fairly sure if I had some "reason" (eg someone suddenly started an enjoyable conversation with me) I could stay awake longer without issues, but I find myself unimpressed by the idea of sitting here reading. Still, what do I really gain by going to bed? Meh. Not a big deal either way.
In hindsight obviously 2010 trip didn't have that last-ish-minute Bogota flying visit because I was in Mexico and broke my arm, ending 2010 trip early. But I was still getting confused. The memories do feel like they've untangled themselves now I've realised this after finding out from blog it was 2014.
I'm going to my room at 1830. Not hanging on in any expectation of anything happening, nor do I desperately want it to. It's just some weird pseudo-bloody-mindedness given I said 8pm to myself earlier.
And I honestly do think the half-understood (and not consciously paying attention) telenovela (probably a different one by now) with its overblown emotional dialogue and "stirring" music might be grating on me a bit. I never like having TV on in background (unless it's just music TV, but I don't even do that when I'm at home).
I might wish today didn't have this (not entirely gone, and maybe correctly so) fear/sudden discovery of possible riskiness about being in Bogota or in LC. But it's fine. It has been a bit of an up and down emotion kind of day, but on the whole I've made an effort not to just spiral into shittiness.
I am going to set an alarm for 10am tomorrow. I honestly can't see myself wanting to sleep that long, but if I do it will at least make me consciously choose to stay in bed that late.
1830 Honour is pseudo-satisfied. FTR no one else is out here except guy on reception. To my room and to bed.
1844 Cleaned teeth, just getting into bed. Will send this now and if I want to write more it can go in next entry.
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