Colombia begins

After leaving the Monkey Rescue Centre and spending a couple of days in Quito i was aware of a need to move on lest i get ´stuck´ in Quito. Energy levels were low and i could feel myself start to sink into the ground. I was in an easy, comfortable place. Also pretty expensive. If i didnt move now, i might take a long time to do so and spend much money in the process! So I motivated myself to compile my bags again and head on an unknown journey to Colombia...

It has been an incredibly long journey. 5 hour bus ride from Quito, then hanging around and sorting out border formalities at Tulcan. No English speakers or tourists always makes things interesting!But it was fairy straight forward at the border. Just had to photo copy some passport details and that was it, stamped and approved. However, i wasnt too impressed when they asked for finger prints. I got a taxi ride from here to a local Colombian bus station (which i shared with a couple from Cali). It was dark by this point, around 9ish. There I got on a bus to Popayan which ended up taking 10 plus hours (a good thing becasue it meant I didnt arrive in Popayan at night time, so much safer :) I found a cheap-ish Hotel and am sharing a dorm with a Canadian guy who is on a solo motor bike tour from Mexico to Argentina. wow!

I slept for 4 hours in the dorm, much more comfortable than the bus seats i tried to procariosly balance on all night, then I peeled my way from bed, entertained yoga and explored Popayan. It´s a delightful city; a hot city. Not in your face, not super crowded. It has a chilled, clean, peaceful, classy vibe. Loads of natural health stores and nice places to eat, smooth music everywhere, fruit stalls and bags full of mango sticks... I just had a three course vegetarian meal for under 4 pounds. I also got a camera to replace my broken one. Im excited to use it; its rather proffesional and thankfully has instructions in English. It will be greatly appreciated when i get to the jungle, as i can then visually document some of the weird and wonderful plants i come across.

I was heading to San Agustin but am now thinking of going to Salento (meant to be incredibly beautiful, with a small town atmosphere and surrounded in forest and gentle rolling hills) and to the nearby Valle de Cocora (to walk in more yet beauty. Apparently it´s like a lush version of Switzerland. There i will also visit a hummingbird farm, sample the cheese and chocolate and take in crystal fresh air). Im heading up to the Carribean coast, but what adventures await me along the way I know not.

I keep loosing or having things stolen. But rather than being pissed of, im happy in the quote: "He who would travel happily must travel light".
(Antoine de Saint-Exupery.) Its kind of nice to have my bag get increasingly lighter! I feel a lot less attached to things over here. I am not free from discomfort, but i seem to more quickly accept it.

Im so blessed to have this experience, opportunity. Travel is so much more than the seeing of sights. It seems to involve many shifts and changes within. Something deep and permanent, transforming and broadening as new ideas of living and being are exposed and experienced. There is a certain open minded attitude that comes with it, especially given how many different people im meeting and how i learn about different ways of living by hearing and seeing others stories. So many corners of this Self to discover.