Manizales is a nice calm city around the zona cafetera, the coffee region of Colombia. Lucky as I am I could celebrate christmas there with some amazing people. Thanks Arthuro for having me! Christmas around here is celebrated with – as anything – lots of dancing and partying. Which is quite the contrast from the Dutch being silent celebrations. The city is lovely as well, I think the best I’ve seen so far around Colombia. It’s a bit less chaotic and the hills are very beautiful.

Lees de rest van bericht ‘Manizales!’

So, The Republic got the complaint that there is not enough basszje on the last series of pictures. While the official guideline is that not a lot basszje is enough basszje, on special request here goes:

Lees de rest van bericht ‘A whole lot of basszje (and others)’

What kind of music do they eat around here? Usually it’s salsa and/or reggaeton, but this is also possibel:

Pictures of the famous city of Medellin. Love it or hate it, personally I’m not sure yet.

Lees de rest van bericht ‘Medellin’

- After saying goodbye to Couchsurfers in Medellin I met up with couchsurfers to spend the night and after that I ran into another bunch of couchsurfers I met before – what does that say?

- The local bus here in Zona Cafeteria is called Espresso Cafeteria

- In Monteria sitting at a local tienda one guy could dance to Michael Jackson, probably also the only English music they had there

- Children in Monteria said to us in Spanish that they couldn’t speak ‘gringo’

- Prices here are strange. Bag of chips is 5000 pesos while a pack of cigarettes is about 2000 ( 2500 p = 1 euro ).

- A bottle of local wine is 12000 pesos while this is three times cheaper in NL, regardless of all the importing.

- Electronics are the same or more expensive than Europe, except for hifi speakers I guess

- For 12,50 euro’s you get 30 grams of grade-a natural weed

- A few grams of coke is 10.000 pesos ( no, I’m not about to try, but unfortunately a lot of people on the streets are and I’m getting offered all the time – just a service so you know )

- I still spoke more German in Colombia than Spanish since we keep running into Swiss people ( really they are all here! )

- About half the population can list all big Dutch football clubs.

- In Cartagena the sound production at all times was around or above 100 dB’s on the streets

- I bought a new original (grin) Omega(tm) watch for 5000 pesos

- Epica is very popular amongst the alternatives here

- Christmas is on the 24th at 0:00 when the party starts. On 25th everybody sleeps

Or: the story so far. We left Santa Marta and Taganga to head for Cartagena again which is on the way to Tolu y Covenas. Due to the unpredictability of the bus system, the floodings and the general habit of people sending you in de wrong way we figured it’s best to stay the night in Cartagena instead of trying to push directly through to Tolu.

Lees de rest van bericht ‘Carribean to Medellin’

Lees de rest van bericht ‘Tayrona national park’

Some shitty photos from bonita Colombia

Lees de rest van bericht ‘Colombia’

Quicky, some pictures of last week, sailing from Curacao to Cartagena.