After a much more pleasant boat ride, I arrived in Leticia, Colombia. I chose the faster, eight hour route for the trip to Leticia. This city was once a very transitory place that revolved around a fervent drug trade. But, it is now a thriving little city with a LIBRARY! Leticia shares a broder with Peru and Brasil. The borders are relatively "free" there, and people can come and go to all three countries at their own leisure. I was not able to visit
Brazil like I had hoped, but I did see some Brazilian influence throughout the Colombian city.I was immediately taken back and relieved to be in Colombia. The people, as I had heard, are incredibly friendly. And, the culture is slightly more cosmopolitan than Peru or Ecuador. This may be because of Western influence, but nonetheless, I was happy to be greeted by this energy.
I stayed in a hostel in Leticia that was about a ten minute walk to the river. It was called Hostel Mahatu. The owner is an eccentric philosopher from the inner part of Colombia. The road to the hostel was lined with orchids, and there was a lake with a canoe for visitors.
Like practically all the hostels I have stayed in, I shared a room with anywhere from 1 (sometimes I'm lucky to have my own room) to 10 other folks - without air conditioning - fan only.. These rooms sometimes have a bathroom, but it is usually cheaper if the bathroom is located outside of the room. I try to stay, when possible on the bottom bunk, but sometimes have to settle for the top. These hostels cost on average about 7 dollars a night. I am on a budget!! But, it is a great way to meet folks. The social atmosphere is great when you are traveling alone.
The day after arriving in Leticia, I went straight to Puerto Narinyo, a small river village located two hours down the river from Leticia. See the following blog post for the story of this peculiar place!
When I came back to Leticia, I took a day off to WASH MY CLOTHES! This has not been done for a long time. So, I handwashed all my clothes and hung them out to dry at the hostel. It was slightly therapuetic, I must admit.
The next day, I took a trip with a guy that I met in Leticia from Sweden, named Claus. He was a nice, interesting friend. We went a serpentarium. I am not a huge fan of snakes, but my fears are slightly subsiding after spending so much time in South America. At the serpentarium there were- snakes and a giant crocodile. This place was located on the outskirts of town in an area called "the kilometers". It is a road to nowhere that ends abruptly 11 kilometers out of town. We only made it to kilometer 10.
We walked from km 10 to a local restaurant that was serving - fish (from the river) for 16 million pesos, chicken for 10 million pesos, and wild goat or sheep - I'm not sure - for 6 million pesos. So, we opted for the goat. It was amazing, whatever it was!
After returning from the kilometers, I toyed with the idea of taking a jungle trip. I even met a nice girl from Colorado who wanted to take the trip with me, but I decided against the trip. It got kinda sketchy, and I didn't feel comfortable with the situation. Sometimes, I feel it is a waste not to take a trip deep into the jungle, but it did not work out this trip. I also got sick the day we wanted to go, so it wouldn't have worked out anyway!
I was able, however, to complete the "Lost City Trek" on the coast of Colombia, which was worth the wait!
One thing I have enjoyed IMMENSELY is the fruit of the jungle. Everyday, I eat bananas - sweetest in the world, strange fruits that I don't know the name of, avocados, coconuts, mangos, and many more healthy treats. The fruit on the left is wonderful - I had it in Peru, as well. I even ate Brazil nuts, and did you know that they actually come from Brazil and not Earth Fare?? I was shocked!
Overall, I enjoyed my "jungle experience". It could have been enhanced by a trip through the Amazon, but it just didn't feel right this trip. It is just hard to believe tour guides... I didn't know who to trust, and I didn't have a large group to travel with. Well, NEXT TIME! I did, however enjoy the experience I had in Puerto Narinyo - but that info is in the next blog post!
I have noticed, in my travels, how flexible I have become. It is a great way to travel. I can do WHATEVER! and eat WHATEVER! I wonder, though, how this will transfer when I return to the US. I think overall being more flexible is never a bad thing, but I might take to some adjustin' when I return. Until next time - Namaste :)
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