My Colombia Travel Experience

In this equatorial city, the sun rises and sets right around 6:00 each and every day of the year. Columbia is the country of eternal spring. Although the temperature and sunrises do not vary much, the country’s politics have. 

As I sit and sip my cerveza a top a mountain at Villa Amaparo, I can clearly recall a moment 12 years ago when I went first to Costa Rica and then proceeded to hop on a plane straight to Peru rather than take a chance with going through Colombia. Why? Because I was scared. 

These were the things that fueled my fear: 

Colombia had had the longest-running civil war in South America. Narcos. Millions of displaced citizens because of said civil war.  Media and Travel warnings against a country that was deemed a “Dark Hole for Tourism”   My mom didn’t want me to go. Sad by true! 

Much of that is now history; the government proclaims the only risk now is wanting to stay. 

This was the second country we were filming our “Raising Global Citizens” documentary in. Yet, wife and my children did not join our the crew, (Joël Barrow, Connor Moran) and myself.  

Although I wasn’t completely against bringing them—given my past fears surrounding this place and deciding to skip over it — Colombia was a country I felt like I needed to face on my own. 

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You can read more about our trip to Colombia here. This blog post, however, is more of a reflection…a moment I experienced at the end of my journey. 

 It was my last day in Colombia. 

Almost ceremoniously, Mauricio, Mariano, and Ivone, our local guides and hosts from our last stop in Salamina, had driven four hours out of their way to ensure that our filming needs would be properly communicated to Eduardo when we arrived at the Villa Amparo. Our next hosts did not speak English. 

We all shared a lunch, prepared by Eduardo and his wife, atop a hill with a striking view of the valley below. Hospitality is at the core of Colombian culture. 

“Mi casa es su casa,” Eduardo said. “You are now family” 

Trees stood in defiantly atop cone-shaped ridges. Below, neatly harvested crops of coffee beans and plantains carved out the mountain-side like a geometric puzzle.

As if the villa itself existed in the sky, a thousand or more feet below it, the clouds rolled and billowed up through the valley temporarily engulfing us on a skyward journey. At its ultimate depth, the Cauca River snaked along to the valley floor. 

Cows meandered across the hillsides and birds contributed their part to nature's symphony. I couldn’t even bring myself to pick up my phone from the dusty glass table to take a picture. It would never do the idyllic setting justice.

Of course, wifi was spotty at best. But I didn’t need it. A feeling began to sink into my bones, into my blood, quite unlike anything I’d ever experienced. I felt content. Relaxed. At peace. 

Suddenly, a cloud billowed up from the river valley like a possessed demon and engulfed mountains and trees into its vastness in a matter of minutes, only to be usurped by the powerful horizontal rays of the sun setting in the west. 

We were invited to ride Eduardo’s horses. 

My horse, Princess, who did not care for an inexperienced rider’s butt on her back, reluctantly carried me to the top of the mountain—directly above Villa Amparo. 

The sun gave way to stars in an epic display of diminishing light and colour until all that remained was the silhouette of cascading peaks against a soft pink glow—as far as the eye could see.

Our hosts brought out some cold beers. 

As the night sky became pregnant with looming black clouds, our horizon quietly ignited with bolts of violet and white light. No thunder nor rain followed. Despite the darkness, Princess carefully took me home—not one missed step along the precipice. Only scattered lights of small fincas or distant pueblos gave any indication that civilization existed.

We were treated to Amazonian hot chocolate and fresh ginger back at the villa. 

In the cooler night air, I sat with the feeling a being robbed of both times I could have known this incredible country all those years ago; I would have to live with the guilt of allowing my fear to prevent me from bringing my family on this trip. 

I’d travelled hundreds of miles from Bogota into the unknown heart of the country only to feel more comfort, more safety, and more full of love for a place than I’d maybe ever known in all my travels. I vowed I’d be back with my family; I vowed to spread the message of Colombia’s charm and beauty to all who would listen.  

Contacts:

Edocampou@hotmail.com / Facebook Hotel Hacienda Villa Amparo

www.lacasadelolagarcia.com Ivonne