Chris and Florence's Travels

Category: Travel

Posts about travel, and travel writing.

  • Cotopaxi, Ecuador

    Cotopaxi, Ecuador

    The Cotopaxi volcano is impressive, one of the few in the world with a near-perfect cone shape. Full of beautiful landscapes, the surrounding national park is somewhere we were super keen to stay, and we’re really glad we did.

    Having stayed at The Secret Garden Quito, we took a free shuttle to their sister hostel in Cotopaxi. We stayed for a few nights and really enjoyed the social atmosphere and simultaneous switching off as there was no wifi – other than for a couple of rationed hours in the evening, in the garage, where people could be spotted huddled over their phones watching TikTok or checking the football score.

    Weather:

    Wet, muddy, and cold – especially at night! This presented logistical challenges in getting clothes dry in time to re-wear or pack them, handily overcome with the bungee cord I packed acting as a clothes line (plus the heater/dehumidifier in the room doing some heavy lifting).

    On our first morning we woke up just before 6am to try and catch the volcano at sunrise, but we were met with a lot of cloud. Fortunately on our last morning we had clear blue skies and a great view.

    Where we stayed:

    The hostel was very remote – no shops or even other buildings nearby. Our room was a little ‘birdhouse’ cabin, with a large window facing directly towards Cotopaxi volcano. It was compact but cozy.

    Best thing we ate:

    The hostel did family style meals, with everyone sitting together at the table for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We’re not sick of each other yet – but it was really nice to chat to others, even when exhausted after a day of hiking. Florence may have found the prospect of this less appealing at times, but she always came round. The food was hearty and filling (big portions). Potato soup, pizzas, tortillas, burgers, minestrone etc.

    We had some very fun dinners – especially the first night chatting to a French couple opposite. Her game of choice was ‘guess everyone else’s age’, and once we’d made our guesses she had no hesitation in reaching over, tapping someone on the shoulder, and asking (in a heavy French accent) “how old are you?”…..

    Coolest thing we did:

    All three hikes we did deserve a mention.

    One the first day we hiked to a waterfall, on what turned out to be a surprisingly technical trail. This involved climbing along some rock walls, clinging on to a rope while doing so. It was also raining, but with ample care and attention it was all okay. The waterfall was pretty.

    The second day saw us hike a section of the 5897m Cotopaxi volcano. We were driven up to around 4600m, and first hiked up to around 4860m. Chris wasn’t feeling 100% so opted to stay at the mountain refuge at that point, while Florence pushed on with a group to reach the glacier at over 5000m. It was a pretty tough climb but well worth it. Florence still isn’t quite sure what a glacier is, but it was pretty impressive to look at. Chris opted to take a mountain bike for part of the descent – this was an exhilarating ride, both on the mountainside descent and thereafter for a few kilometres through the Andean Páramo grasslands. We saw wild llamas, impressive views, and huge lichen-covered boulders.

    Despite waking up with achey legs, we signed up for a third day of hiking, up the Pasochoa mountain. Whilst the summit wasn’t as high at Cotopaxi, at 4200m, there was no vehicular transport to start – just a 700m climb. Wearing the wellies provided, we trudged through thick mud in the visually stunning highland rainforest (every single tree covered in moss, cool fungi, lichen etc). Some flat sections and more Páramo grassland preceded a final push to the top. Once again Chris felt a bit ill and didn’t make it, returning early with one of the guides. Florence carried on to the top and happily though up the rear of the group with another English girl. Leading the charge was an American marine, so Florence didn’t feel too bad about being at the slower end of things. The final stretch involved scrambling over some rocks, which was a little scary, and given there was no view at the top (just cloud), she was left wondering what it was all for. The descent was unrelentingly wet and muddy but at least there was some sense of achievement.

    Bonus:

    Certainly the best view I’ve ever had sitting on the loo…..

    Next stop Cuenca, via a night bus!

    Besos,

    Chris y Florence

  • Quito, Ecuador

    Quito, Ecuador

    To get to Quito, the capital of Ecuador, we cheated and took a nice and easy flight from Santa Marta.

    We had four nights here to re-acclimatise to the high altitude and have a relaxed time exploring the city. We stayed just outside the old town but also ventured north to the more modern city centre.

    Weather:

    We were so relieved to be out of the heat and into a familiar 20°C with rain.

    Where we stayed:

    We stayed at The Secret Garden Quito, which has variously been named the best hostel in Ecuador and all of South America. It had a roof terrace where all food and drink is 50% off for guests as well as an in-house ‘travel agency’ which organised day tours and trips.

    It had a fun, social vibe and felt like it was half outdoors with the central staircase open-air and filled with plants. All fun and games until you’re brushing your teeth in the rain… Fortunately, they had classic Ecuadorean ponchos (with hoods) hung up around the place that you could put on as soon as you got cold. Overall we can very much see why it has been so highly rated! Our room was comfy and came with plenty of hooks – fast becoming an essential feature of a good room.

    Best thing we ate:

    With the discount on food in the hostel, we did mostly eat there, but the best thing we ate came from a restaurant a couple of doors down called Convergencia alimento de todos los tiempos – not the catchiest! We had a big salad and a pizza each, so not the most Ecuadorean, but brownie points for the good gluten free pizza base made of yuca and corn.

    Coolest thing we did:

    The coolest thing we did actually in Quito was the free walking tour on our first day. It set off from the hostel at 9.30am and went for a good few hours. We got a great sense of the history of the old town, as well as getting to taste Ecuadorean chocolate, eat humitas (yet another form of corn and cheese) and try the local spirit. Chris enjoyed being volunteered as an example of what the indigenous people expected a god to look like (only due to his being a lot taller than the indigenous population, but his ego hasn’t accepted that yet).

    The tour included more dancing than expected, with some classic salsa and, more amusingly, when several tour groups came together in a souvenir shop to put on traditional masks and stomp around a bit. It goes without saying they got us to do this after giving us a shot of alcohol.

    Bonus:

    Quito is a great jumping off point for lots of cool nature and with the hostel offering easy day trips, we decided to make the most of it. We booked onto the Quilotoa Lake tour, which involved going to a local food market, a traditional indigenous home and finally the Quilotoa Lake, a huge crater lake formed by the collapse of a volcano.

    We thought this day trip would be an easier option than the three day trek around the rim of the crater. While it was definitely quicker, it was still pretty difficult due to how steep the walk down and back up was. Still, the views were amazing in both directions, so we could just pretend we were admiring those rather than gasping for breath every 10 steps.

    Once we reached the lake, we kayaked around it and warmed ourselves up with a hot drink after. It obviously started raining as we began our ascent, but we stoically resisted getting a horse ride.

    The real bonus here is that we made it home safe after the bus got a teensy bit stuck in a mudslide on the way home. These are (luckily?) quite common in the highlands so there was a truck thing there ready to give us a tow and get us moving again.

    Our next stop is the sister hostel to The Secret Garden Quito in Cotopaxi, so a nice easy shuttle bus transfer awaits!

    Besos,

    Florence & Chris

  • Santa Marta, Colombia

    Santa Marta, Colombia

    Our final stop in Colombia: Santa Marta! And a super easy journey to get there as we just took a 45min taxi from Minca.

    We only briefly explored the town, but Parque de los Novios was lovely and we saw the oldest cathedral in Colombia, which I could’ve sworn one evening was playing Happy Birthday…

    Weather:

    Unsurprisingly being on the Caribbean Coast, Santa Marta was hot! Felt like being back in Cartagena.

    Where we stayed:

    We stayed at a hostel that felt more like a hotel – with a really nice room and most importantly a beautiful courtyard area with a little pool. There was also a semi-outdoor kitchen that we used each night to cook dinner. The ‘reception desk’ was all remote/virtual and we didn’t see any other guests, so it pretty much felt like we had the place to ourselves! I found this slightly weird at first, but it did feel like we’d paid hostel prices for our own private villa so we can’t complain!

    Best thing we ate:

    As I said, we cooked dinner most nights so didn’t have any especially Colombian meals to rave about, but my tomato aubergine pasta was *very* good. On our final day we went to a cafe around the corner that had delicious GF banana bread and a very tasty tabbouleh salad.

    Coolest thing we did:

    When reading about Santa Marta, it is mostly pitched as a jumping off point to go to other destinations. One of these is Tayrona National Park, which was the main thing we wanted to do here.

    The national park is home to some beautiful beaches, the only catch is a 2 hour walk to reach them! Once we’d taken a couple of buses, we set off on the wooden walkway and pretty quickly saw some Mico Titi monkeys. The scenery and wildlife was pretty amazing and fortunately we were protected from the sun for most of the trail. For any fans of the leaf cutter ants in the previous post, we saw many, many more here. How many leaf cutter ants does one man need to film? No comment.

    We fiiiinally arrived at the beaches and we decided to stay put at La Piscina rather than continue walking to the popular Cabo San Juan. La Piscina is named as such due to its calm, deep waters that are great for safe swimming. It almost looked like a tidal pool, with rocks in the distance that broke the waves before they came to the shore, making it much nicer to swim.

    However, before any swimming could happen, Chris had to get to work. No beach area is complete without a little engineering work – how else would we demarcate our space? After dragging dead palm leaves and branches over and essentially enclosing me within them, he felt he had achieved his goal. I can’t say I’m 100% sure on what that goal was, but he seemed happy and then we could safely leave our stuff and get into the sea.

    We had a lovely few hours of beach time before we needed to start the 2hr walk to make it back before the park closed. On our return journey we saw more, different monkeys. These were bigger and more orange. Just call me David Attenborough!

    Funny sign, 15 metres after a man selling bananas

    Despite bug spray and 80 SPF, we came home burnt and bitten and feeling decidedly British.

    Bonus:

    Our lovely little friend: the hostel cat. She was a real sweetie and keen for some attention.

    Our last day in Colombia involved a lot of rest, dips in the pool, tending to burnt feet and a big load of laundry. We were relieved to see that the weather in Quito, Ecuador – our next destination – is ~20°C and rainy, a bit of home from home.

    Besos,

    Florence & Chris

  • Minca, Colombia

    Minca, Colombia

    Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range, Minca is a small town popular with travellers and Colombians looking for hiking and relaxation surrounded by nature. We really enjoyed the laid back vibe and the nature. Our time was split between hiking, relaxing at our hostel, and walking through the town. Our cafe stops didn’t include many coffees, as daily power cuts restricted what they were able to offer, and coffee was off the list. Probably good to take a small caffeine break!

    Weather:

    Being in the mountains, it was slightly cooler than Cartagena (thankfully), but still hot. Like most places in Colombia, rain can break suddenly and quite hard, and we did get caught in a downpour one day.

    Sadly the downpour we got caught in was worse than this and with no roof over our heads!

    Where we stayed:

    We stayed in a lovely family-run hostel, with incredibly friendly hosts. The terrace had fantastic views of the mountains, and the pool was refreshing. With some hammocks too, it was a real winner.

    Best thing we ate:

    A cute cafe called Duni gets the top spot for us, where we enjoyed two visits. I liked the arepas I had, and Florence liked the ginger lemonade, but the standout star for both of us was their (gluten-free) almond and banana muffin, served warm.

    Coolest thing we did:

    There are lots of hiking options around Minca, and we decided to go for one of the more laid back ones. After hiking just over an hour, with a gentle uphill climb, and then steeer stretch, we reached the impressive Marinka waterfalls and ponds. The scenery here was amazing, and the water was only a bit too cold for my liking. We swam below the waterfalls for a while, and then enjoyed some maracuya juice on a net overlooking it all.

    The hike home saw us get completely drenched as we hadn’t brought our raincoats. (Our backup ponchos provided some protection)

    Bonus:

    Some fantastic wildlife:

    • Hummingbirds: we thought we saw these a few years ago, but they turned out to be hummingbird moths, so it was great to see the real thing
    • Pretty green lizard (not the scientific name)
    • Leafcutter ants: if you don’t know how cool these are, look them up
    • Giant blue butterfly: at least 15cm across, maybe more!
    Spot the hummingbird!

    Next stop, Santa Marta and Tayrona National Park.

    Besos,

    Chris and Florence

  • Cartagena, Colombia

    Cartagena, Colombia

    Our journey to Cartagena involved a shorter bus from Guatapé back to Medellín and then a night bus. We knew there was a chance traffic could be bad in the early evening, but our contingency time didn’t account for a road incident which led to us arriving into Medellín minutes after our night bus was due to depart. Fortunately, we vaguely knew the station and Chris broke into a run to take us to the bus bay where they knew exactly who we were. We were the last ones on and so relieved to have made it. We were also very pleasantly surprised by the huge reclining seats and both managed a good 6+ hours of sleep.

    Getting off the bus in Cartagena was like hitting a wall of heat. Given the temperatures, we took our days slowly and with well-timed aircon breaks. We enjoyed seeing the colourful architecture of the old colonial city, walking the walls, Colombian dance performances, and slightly strange but quite nice religious projections on churches in celebration of Santa Semana.

    Weather:

    When we were in Medellín, our tour guide said wow it’s hot it’s like being in Cartagena – he was not wrong. The city is hot hot hot, reaching temps of 37°C in the day and dropping to a not so cool 27°C overnight.

    Where we stayed:

    We stayed in a hostel that was nothing to write home about. It was quite hard to find reasonably priced accommodation here, probably thanks to it being so popular with Americans 😉

    The Getsemaní neighbourhood where we stayed, just outside the city walls, was great though. Full of street art and colourful buildings, it was a lively and fun place to be.

    Best thing we ate:

    Cartagena seems to have lots of tasty restaurants, one being Doña Lola, which was a bit of a treat. It’s a Caribbean restaurant and we both chose to make the most of being by the sea: Florence had the fish of the day (a white fish, we’re not quite sure which) and Chris had the grilled octopus. They also happened to make it pretty fancy cocktails which we enjoyed to start. We topped it off with a tiramisu for Florence (unsurprisingly) and a carajillo for Chris. 10/10 would recommend.

    On the liquid side of things (Chris’s wording), we went to the no.8 bar in the world. Chris had an intriguingly dark goats cheese cocktail, but other than that we were not amazed by the drinks. The atmosphere and vibe was pretty cool though.

    Coolest thing we did:

    Following on from our treat of a dinner, we decided to continue the theme. When in the Caribbean, how could we not go to an island for a beach day? After much research online (thanks to Chris) we landed on Isla del Pirata. Whilst we may have spent as much time getting there and back as we did on the island itself, it was pretty special. We bagged ourselves a beach bed – yes, a four poster – and set about reading, swimming, and drinking Caipirinhas. Do you hate us yet?

    The water was as promised, blue and clear, and somehow we managed not to get too burnt despite the extreme UV. Chris even spotted some cool fish and a colourful crab without paying extra to rent the snorkels.

    The only downside was that we had to be back on the boat to return at 2pm because the Caribbean Sea gets choppy. However, the return journey included a ride along a river lined with reeds, grasses, bright green palm trees, and even an iguana perching on a branch.

    Bonus:

    We had been saying for a while that while in Colombia we should do a dance class. On a whim one evening Chris booked us a salsa class for the next day. After a bit of a false start (being sent to the wrong location an hour early), we learnt the salsa basics: marching on the spot, side to side, forward and back, you get the picture. There was one other couple there and while it wasn’t a competition, Chris was quite pleased with himself and Florence was chosen to be the demo partner to the teacher. We have no video evidence of this so you’ll just have to take our word for it.

    Bonus bonus:

    We saw a sloth in a tree in a park.

    Next up is a trip into the rainforest, hasta luego!

    Besos,

    Florence and Chris

  • Guatapé, Colombia

    Guatapé, Colombia

    From Medellín we took a bus to the lake and town of Guatapé, which was already on our radar and was strongly (and repeatedly) recommended to us in Medellín. The lake was formed when a dam was built in the 70s, and is visually stunning. The small town of Guatapé is quite touristy, with lots of colourful buildings, street art, and cafes – nice to walk around for an afternoon. Getting around the lake is primarily done (for tourists) in colourful tuktuks called motochivas.

    Weather:

    Bright blue and sunny skies with just a few clouds. Super hot, which is a taste of the next week and a half on the Carribbean coast. Amazing thunderstorms at night.

    Where we stayed:

    We found a great little hotel in the countryside, set in a peaceful valley on an offshoot of the lake. The idyllic location was a key factor in choosing it, and the bargain discount we secured sealed the deal.

    Best thing we ate:

    No standout meals here, just standard Colombian fare. With just one vegetarian option on the menu at the hotel, Florence enjoyed a margarita pizza two nights in a row.

    Coolest thing we did:

    We climbed the impressive Peñón de Guatapé, a large isolated rock hill which rises 200m above its surroundings. A 708-step staircase built into the side takes you right to the top, and whilst we were certainly sweating by the end, it wasn’t as hard as we had feared.

    The views over the lake were beautiful, both from the top and from the stairs.

    Bonus:

    The hotel had kayaks available for hire, which we took advantage of for a little excursion on the lake. After some initial debates about stroke timing and technique, and of course Chris’ thorough safety briefing, we got underway quite successfully and paddled happily around.

    Bonus bonus:

    Chris was unreasonably happy at saving just a few pounds by making us take local buses twice, rather than the tourist tuktuks, even if that involved giving drivers complicated descriptions of which layby to stop in near our hotel, and in the other direction, waiting on the side of the road and watching intently for the bus because there was no obvious bus stop.

    Next stop, the Carribbean coast!

    Besos,

    Chris and Florence

  • Medellín, Colombia

    Medellín, Colombia

    We arrived on a 8 hour day bus from Salento, and settled in for a five night stay. Compared to previous destinations, what we saw of Medellín felt like more of the real city (even if we did mainly do touristy things). This meant seeing more plainly the substantial inequality present in Colombia, seeing both rich areas and real poverty. In our stay we got to learn some of the history of the city and the transformation it’s had in recent years.

    We enjoyed visiting the botanic gardens, the Museum of Antioquia (more Botero) and playing cards in cafes around El Poblado, the neighbourhood where we stayed.

    Weather:

    It was hot and sunny, but it still rained most days given April makes the start of the wet season in Colombia.

    Where we stayed:

    We opted for a hostel that promised to be ‘quieter’ and more chill than some of the party hostels nearby, what we didn’t know was it would mean our room was tucked behind the cleaning cupboard. Whilst not as quiet as we’d hoped, we had a great time exploring the Manila neighbourhood and El Poblado, and came to love our basic room.

    Best thing we ate:

    Mexican food seems to be popular at least in El Poblado and some tacos and quesadillas from the Criminal Taquería near our hostel were probably our best meal there after a long tour in the sun. However, the only photos of food we have are from our meal at the vegetarian restaurant Guvindas in the centre which was good humble menu del día.

    Coolest thing we did:

    One of the main tourist activities I knew about before coming to Medellín was visiting Comuna 13. Medellín is a city that’s had a pretty big turnaround, from being Pablo Escobar’s stomping group to becoming a popular backpacker destination. Comuna 13 is one of the neighbourhoods that epitomises this transformation, having once been the centre of violence between guerrillas, paramilitary and the military to now welcoming thousands of tourists every day.

    We booked a tour that happened to be with Sergio, a man who grew up in Comuna 13 in the nineties and now runs the Insider Foundation to support local kids to develop their hobbies and be occupied rather than in gangs. He gave a brilliant tour, explaining to us the context and history, as well as his personal story, before we walked around the community. The area of Comuna 13 that tourists now visit feels like it is all put on especially for us with street art, street performance and street food all in abundance. Sergio was keen to balance this by showing us the ‘normal’ parts of Comuna 13, including where he grew up and where his dad still lives.

    The tour gave such important context to the place that we’d have entirely missed if we’d visited on our own, and it made me enjoy visiting much more because I can understand why it is the way it is. It’s easy to think that tourism can ruin a place, and gentrification as a result of tourism is and will be a real problem in Comuna 13, but it’s equally undeniable the benefits it brings, with Sergio suggesting that if tourism went away, then the violence would likely return.

    Bonus:

    Medellín’s wonderful public transport. The metro was lovely and wide and clean and occasionally had enough air con it felt cool. Even better, cable cars form part of the same system so you can hop on and get a great view of the city on the same ticket.

    Our next stop is a quick hop over to Guatapé for a couple of nights lakeside 😎

    Besos,

    Florence & Chris

  • Salento, Colombia

    Salento, Colombia

    We arrived in Salento exhausted after an unexpectedly short night bus to Armenia dropping us off at 4am. Chris didn’t believe me when I said we’d arrived. We then had to wait in the bus station for our connection to Salento.

    Weather:

    Warmer than Bogotá but still very mixed – sun early in the day but the clouds roll in around the mountains and break into storms. We heard the loudest lightning ever which struck really close by. We spent a couple of evenings watching water rush down the streets while we ate dinner.

    Where we stayed:

    A cute hostel with a traditional paisa style courtyard, just off the main square (once again Plaza Bolívar). Mattress was amazingly hard but surprisingly comfy.

    Best thing we ate:

    Probably Chris’s arepa con queso, which was freshly made and covered in butter, much better than the dry pastry Florence chose.

    Dinner overlooking the square

    Coolest thing we did:

    The main reason for going to Salento was to hike the stunning Valle de Cócora, home to the otherworldly forest of wax palms. We caught a Willy (ex-US Army jeeps) from the main square where we were sandwiched between frenchies, apparently the number one nation visiting Colombia.

    We set off on the hike from Cócora, it took us about 6 hours (with lots of stopping) and it was 750m of elevation gain. We went anti-clockwise to save the viewpoints to the end, to feel like we really earned it, and on balance we’d say they were definitely worth it!

    Bonus:

    While we mainly came for the Valle de Cócora, we found that Salento town was a charming place. It felt really safe and pleasant to walk around and was clearly popular with local tourists as well as backpackers.

    Bonus bonus:

    Cool fungus.

    Our next stop is Medellín – hasta luego!

    Besos,

    Chris and Florence

  • Bogotá, Colombia

    Bogotá, Colombia

    Our first stop in South America was Bogotá where we arrived after a delayed flight and long immigration queues. Once we’d caught up on sleep we set about exploring the behemoth of a city over the next three days. Tasty food, impressive landscapes surrounding the city, and good museums – we loved the Botero.

    Weather:

    Low 20s, lots of clouds, occasional showers, sun (and UV) strong enough to burn

    Where we stayed:

    We stayed in the historic centre, La Candelaria, in a backpacker hostel. Delicious breakfasts and really cool decor. Exceptionally thin walls. Friendly barman.

    Best thing we ate:

    Lots of good food, with two highlights:

    1. Quinua and Amaranta – a homely lunch place serving an exceptionally healthy vegetarian daily set menu
    2. Testigo – a modern Colombian restaurant recommended by a friend, impressive grilled meats, fish and copious amounts of cheese.

    Coolest thing we did:

    We summited Monserrate, the dominating hill overlooking the city with a sanctuary perched on top. You can climb the 1500 step trail, take the cable car, or the funicular. We opted for the trail – views 10/10, difficulty also 10/10, steps completed: 500/1500. Then we returned and took the cable car. I think we’re still adjusting to the altitude….

    Bonus:

    South America is a brand new continent to us, where we know just one person (before the trip!). One of Florence’s ex-colleagues, Mariale, lives in Bogotá and luckily we were able to meet up with her for coffee and almojábanas, a traditional Colombian cake. It was great to see a friendly face and to get some local recommendations (Testigo, mercado de perseverancia).

    Next stop, Salento, in la zona cafetera. ¡Hasta luego!

    Chris and Florence 😎

  • Birthday in Bogotá

    Birthday in Bogotá

    I got to enjoy my 26th birthday in Bogotá, Colombia, the first destination on our adventure. With the time difference to home, I woke up to lots of birthday messages, thank you to all! The rest of the day was spent exploring, getting sunburned (oops), and mostly eating…