Date of Entry:  January 3rd 2017

Date of Writing:  June 16th 2017

A new year,another trip.  After an amazing new years spent in a rented apartment in the heart of Sao Paulo with Renata and her family, teaching the boys to swim and snorkel in the pool, partying at the Paulista avenue concert with thousands of Brazilians and recovering the next morning Renata and I are ready for another trip together.  This time well be going to Colombia and Panama, with me continuing further north.  It’s going to be amazing.  We’re on separate flights to Colombia as prices shifted drastically between booking times but it doesn’t take long for us to meet up at the Medellin airport and head to the new and wonderful Sugar Cane Hostel.  A great option for anyone looking for a more chilled less party hostel in the El Poblada area of Medellin.   The next day we head to one of my favourite places in Colombia:  the tiny charming town of Guatape.

It’s a slightly over two hour bus ride from the north bus station in Medellin, to get there from Poblado we grab the metro to el caribe and use the connecting bridges going to buy our ticket quickly.  Buses leave more than once an hour and so you can just show up head down to the ticket offices bear left and look for signs saying Guatape.  We were leaving the bus station on a bus just 10 minutes after arriving.

Before arriving in town we get off at the stop at Guatape’s biggest attraction: El Penon de Guatape, a huge monolithic rock looking over the rolling hills and flooded labyrinth of lakes of this region, with stairs built into the side of it where we can climb for what a sign proclaims is “The greatest view in the world.”  I’m not sure I’d go that far, but it’s certainly very impressive, even the second time around.

Climbing off the bus we pay a tuk tuk to take us up to the start of the steps.  It’s already warm and we’re both out of shape so the 3 CAD ride is well worth it knowing we’ll walk back down.  The tuk tuk stops most of the way up the hill leading to the rock and then we start our climb, a short section of hill and then around 650 concrete steps up the top of El Penol.

It’s a hard climb no doubt, though I’m pleased to find it a bit less of a struggle than the last time I came here, it’s a good test of fitness though and it always hurts to see little 5 year olds sprinting by you, laughing and chatting as they go.  We take a few short breaks.  The photos don’t show the struggle, instead they show us smiling and the ever improving back drop of our climb up.  I’m proud to say I think Renata had a harder time than me, though her lovely smile never shows it.

When we finally reach those final few steps at the 650 marker a sense of relief floods us as we step onto the crowded but amazing platform atop the rock, restaurants sell lots of ice cream and we are eventually tempted by the homemade creations made in a plastic cup with a popsicle stick inserted in.  All the flavours are beyond delicious and worth the price even if it is higher than it should be.

Up at the top it’s more crowded than it was before but we manage to find pockets of space to take lots of incredible photos.  It’s a beautiful blue sky day making the incredible landscapes sprawling out below us  even more impressive.  I even manage to spot the amazing hostel I stayed in last time around, though now it’s closed.  I’ve missed these views and it’s such a pleasure to share them with the woman I love.

We wander around the entire platform and even get a friendly Italian family to snap a few photos of us in exchange for a few of them.  We also eat more ice cream before I decide to head up through the crowded gift shops and spiral staircases to the very top, Renata not liking enclosed spaces making her stay on the platform below.

Up at the very summit of the man made tower on top of the earth made tower the view’s even a little bit better, though it’s also extra crowded as the space is much smaller.  Missing Renata I don’t spend too much time up there just snap a few photos and head back down for more delicious ice cream with Renata.

Knowing that unlike my last time here when I spent about 2 weeks in the area we have only today, so we don’t dawdle and start heading down, walking all the way back to the main road and then hopping on a very crowded but conveniently waiting bus into town.  We’re hot and sweaty and the 40 minute walk alongside the road doesn’t appeal to us at all.

The town of Guatape is less is less spectacular than it’s massive rock, but no less charming. A tourist getaway for the rich of Medellin and for the burgeoning tourism explosion in Colombia, it is hardly undiscovered territory, but between the endless lakes and crazy colourful buildings, and plazas and promenades full of small local vendors of everything you could imagine, this place could make anyone feel at home in a matter of minutes.

We head down to an old haunt of mine, Donde Sam, the local indian restaurant where Renata and I enjoy a tasty if expensive lunch and I get to chat with Sam the owner who does seem to vaguely remember me.  Then we’re off for a walk to explore the charming colourful streets of Guatape.

We make a loop through the town me showing Renata all my favourite places and wishing I was hungry enough to eat everything I miss from this place.  As we get back down towards the waterfront we discover a few things, first some delicious coconut lemonade and then a stunning outdoor art installation with countless colourful umbrellas suspended above us. It’s so lovely it doesn’t even seem out of place despite the blue skies.  Last time I was here this was set up as a strange german film festival, now with the umbrellas I have a feeling I could come back 100 different times and it would be 100 different things.  Guatape is full of surprises.

From here we head up to the main plaza of the city together to have a look at the church and all the local people spending time outside together.  It’s one of my favourite parts  of south america,people tend to spend so much more time hanging out in parks and plazas together, though I suppose Canada has the whole winter excuse.

We eventually leave the plaza and head back to the waterfront as the sun sinks low in the sky and adventurous day trippers try the zip line across the water that we opt to skip.  We thought about a boat trip to an island with one of Pablo Escobar’s old houses but decided to save the money, especially since well be spending a whole day tomorrow devoted to one of the world’s most famous warlords who Renata happens to be in love with thanks to Netflix and Narcos.

We book our bus ticket back to Medellin at the local bus stop then head back up to the Plaza quickly and boy am I glad we did, all the christmas lights are still up and under the darkened sky this glowing playground full of Colombians is beyond beautiful.  On our way back to the bus we grab an amazingly delicious arepa from a street stall and spend the whole 3 hour (bad traffic) bus ride back to Medellin wishing we;d gotten more than one.  We’re back at the hostel around 10 pm after a full but amazing first whole day in Colombia, but we’ve still got so much more to look forward too.