Salt Caves

We spent most of yesterday 200 metres underground in disused Colombian salt mines. Sounds awful but in fact an amazing photographic (and somewhat religious) experience.

When Colombia stopped mining salt 20-30 years ago the government converted the mines to cathedrals, chapels and the Stations of the Cross. That may only mean something to you if you are Catholic (or ex Catholic). Anyway, for the first time in half a century I completed the Stations of the Cross with my camera.



Australia has a strong connection  here. All the internal struts supporting the mine are Australian Eucalypts, chosen because they absorb moisture, harden and set like steel!

Mr Bean visits Hacienda Venecia

My mornings back home always start with coffee. I like the coffee and like the coffee cafe scene. But I never really understood where the coffee comes from, how it is grown and the finesse required to produce the ultimate bean.

Juan Pablo Echeverri is the owner/manager of Venecia. He's a lover of life, Colombia and coffee and a great ambassador for his country and the coffee industry. We saw the baby coffee plants in the nursery, tasted the sweet pulp of the squashed beans and toured the factory and met the staff.

I also got a case of caffeine overdose drinking about eight cupos of the best coffee I've tasted in a while. 

But what was most interesting was how laid back and stress free ALL the staff are compared to Aussies. Colombians love life and take a relaxed attitude to life.

Carnaval de Barranquilla

Two hours drive from Cartagena is the commercial/industrial city of Barranquilla. It looks a lot like a North West mining town in Western Australia with dusty, dirty roads and prison-like buildings.

But for three days every year Barranquilla is transformed into  fantasy wonderland with music, parades and partying. And, oh boy, do Colombians know how to party!

I've been to a few parades and Mardi Gras in my life but nothing even comes close to the Carnaval. Seven kilometres of exotically (and occasionaly erotically) decorated South Americans, floats and musicians danced and pranced their way past our stand. We were lucky enough to have seats in teh police stand.

Colombians proud of their mixed heritage and their Carnaval, which originated when slaves were given a day off. They love life and they love people. We danced together in the stands, we hugged and photographed each other despite language barriers.

A Colombian lady charged up to me mid way through the parade and insisted we be photographed together. We had exchanged glances in ten stands earlier in the day and had photographed each other. Displays of human kindness and affection are everywhere.

One of the most inspirational sights was the large number of older Carnaval participants. Men and women in their 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s who had spent hours on their costumes and make-up to take part in the celebrations. This was not just for the young.

The other heart-warming feature of the Carnaval was the number of volunteers and supporters. The mothers and fathers who were there  with drinks to keep their kids hydrated in the 30+ temperatures. The police, emergency workers and firemen who gave their time for the parade.

When I enlarged many of my images on the screen I noticed a huge number of young people have braces on their teeth. Its a part of Colombia's free medical and dental program. They put a high price on smiling!

My Spanish is restricted to a couple of phrases and a few hello and thank you words. But saying Puedo tomarte una foto really works. Brigadier General Jose Segura, the Barranquilla Chief of Police and his wife arrived and stood behind me and posed for me.

It was a long, exhausting day. People had shutter fatigue; I had blisters on both feet and batteries were flat and memory cards full. It was one of those days on tour I will never forget.

Cartagena

Cartagena  has been described as the most romantic city in South America. I now know why. Its a step back in time to a Spanish mediaeval, walled city. There's a magnificently designed fort designed by a Dutch engineer, a series of interconnected islands boarded by the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans and a wondrous mixture of friendly locals.

Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, Mick Jagger and Mel Gibson own homes in Cartagena. But you don't have to be a multi-millionaire to visit and enjoy this marvellous city. We dined at a popular local Italian styled cfae for lunch yesterday - $4.50 for the best soup I've had in ages, a rich local stew, fruit juice and a banana!

In 1984 Cartagena's colonial walled city and fortress were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was a Godsend. Developers were stopped from knocking down the old buildings. Everywhere there is evidence of restoration in progress. Its expensive because some buildings are in a woeful state. Slowly but surely buildings are being restored to their former glory. We had dinner on the terrace at St Theresa's Convent - now a five star hotel. Our small hotel has photographs in the foyer showing what it was like before restoration. Cartegena is is in a state of rejuvenation and it looks and feels so good.

Getting There

Its a bit of a trek getting from Perth, Australia to Colombia.

First a flight from Perth to Sydney with Qantas, then the long haul from Sydney to Buenos Aires in Argentina with Aerolineas. We had a couple of R & R days in BA (and we needed it!).

Then we boarded Avianca (Colombian) and flew another six hours into the Colombian capital, Bogota.  In Bogota we met up with Peter Lambert and and guide Juilio (pronounced Huilio) boarded another Avianca flight to Cartagena (Pronounced Cartahena).

Colombians follow the same pattern as Germans - they applaud loudly as the plane touches down safely. I'm not sure what they do if its a rough one. There were no in-flight movies on Avianca but there was some in-flight entertainment with a Colombian couple lip-locked for most of the flight.

Its a long haul but as I drove along the Caribbean coast around the walled city of Cartagene I knew instantly that it was worthwhile.