Let's mix it up and fill in some experience gaps: RTW 2015

[juddles]

Don't you talk to your hosts over dinner and wine? Only via AFF?

Actually, over dinner and wine with JohnM my wife said she may start getting online on AFF - so she can talk to me

 

[Major]

Don't you just love the smell of freshly roasted coffee

 

[Bindibuys]

Don't you just love the smell of freshly roasted coffee

Smell? I just wish I could see. Can't step out the door for the sensitivity my eyes have today with this hay fever. All the curtains are closed, and just barely managing to look at this screen.
Though if some one would deliver a nice coffee, I would not say no.

 

[JohnM]

The Valle de Cocora is a major attraction near Salento, famed for its palma de cera (wax palm), the tallest palm in the world at about 60m. It's about 15-20km out of Salento and the little coloured jeeps mentioned previously take people out there. Two pax in the front with the driver, 6 on the bench seats in the back and three standing up on the rear platform and hanging on. Colombia-style OH&S! But every pax is a revenue pax (3400 pesos - barely $2 (aka pesos of the Pacific)), so they have to be packed in, true airline style!

Once in the valley, there is about a 2.5h hike, solid going in parts - and rather Indiana Jones as some of the pics to follow will demonstrate. It leads to a reserve noted for its hummingbirds. After a badly-needed rest and attempts to photograph the rapidly-moving birds, it's about 1km back down the same track to another track that leads up a seriously steep, energy-sapping (to use the LP guide's words - and not wrong:shock incline to Finca La Montana - essentially a ranger house. Altitude is around 2800m, hence the energy-sapping. From there it is downhill, initially above, then through, many of the palms before loading up the Jeeps as people stagger back in, for the ride back to Salento. All up about 8 hours - but seriously well worth it!

I'll post a few sets of pics to follow. Most should be self-explanatory from the above description. I used my camera for the humming bird shots and have transferred a selection to my iPad. Rather than insert them now, I'll upload some phone pics first to try to keep a sense of sequence of the day's activity.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

WiFi's a bit slow here. There was meant to be 5 pics in the last post but the app seems to often get in a loop on the fifth pic.

Struggling to upload files from my iPad using the web version of AFF. I'll try the app.

 

[JohnM]

Nice butterfly and hummingbirds.

 

[JohnM]

A couple more birds and palms with a person. Camera pics are large and slow to load.

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

Load 'em up!

 

[JohnM]

Ate at a hip little restaurant tonight. Real backpacker-type place.

Best burger I've ever had and the casa vino tinto (house red) was extremely good (a Chilean Merlot.)

Followed by a couple of cervezas and joining in with the adjacent table of 20-somethings playing Cards Against Humanity - a Kickstarter 'Party game for horrible people'. Fun in a gross kind of way - but way better than a night at a boring hotel.









Cool night . Salento rocks.

 

[JohnM]

Hey Juddles, my Avianca UPG bid (minimum possible) MDE-CTG came through. Yeh, yeh, I know it's a waste of money but it will give me a sample of their J product.

 

[craven morehead]

Ate at a hip little restaurant tonight. Real backpacker-type place.

Best burger I've ever had and the casa vino tinto (house red) was extremely good (a Chilean Merlot.)

Followed by a couple of cervezas and joining in with the adjacent table of 20-somethings playing Cards Against Humanity - a Kickstarter 'Party game for horrible people'. Fun in a gross kind of way - but way better than a night at a boring hotel.

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Cool night . Salento rocks.

You could actually fit some beers in after that bloody huge burger? :mrgreen:

 

[juddles]

Hey Juddles, my Avianca UPG bid (minimum possible) MDE-CTG came through. Yeh, yeh, I know it's a waste of money but it will give me a sample of their J product.

Well done!! No wine on that flight but a refreshing rum on the rocks would be a nice way to get you ready for CTG The lounge in MDE is nothing special - good coffee, a beer on tap machine that I have never tried, and basic snacks - but it has a great view of the airport - looking straight across to the air force base opposite - usually a mix of Arpia (blackhawk) gunships and some small recon planes. When you go upstairs to the lounge, turn right, not left - to the left is a very basic lounge catering to their lower class FF - a ticket in J gives you access to the better one.

And remember, not 1A - the fuzzy window syndrome!

 

[JohnM]

Scoping the Avianca website, it doesn't appear to provide for advance seat selection - or I've missed something.

I'll see what I get on checkin. If 1A, I'll ask for 1K .

Peeps, the in joke is that the airbridges here seem to often rub against the 1A window, resulting in a cloudy appearance and fuzzy view. Oh, the ignominy for a 1A fan .

 

[juddles]

Yeah, with an upgrade cant do early - forgot that - only at ticket purchase time or checkin - but they take online checkin 24hrs out....... (hint)

 

[JohnM]

Now checked in at MDE. Was allocated 2A. They must have known I'd arc up about a frosted window at 1A .

View from the AV lounge with an AV bird just rotating in front of the helo gunship base.

 

[JohnM]

Climbing out of MDE. Very scenic. The main airport is a long way out as the city lies in a deep valley.



Plastic hothouses dot the landscape.



The city lies in the valley in the distance, beyond the smoke.



Avianca J product is good for a 1h flight.

 

[JohnM]

Descending into CTG. CTG is famous for its old town inside the fort built to keep out pirates like Francis Drake who did the place over big time in 1586.

The string of new tall buildings reminiscent of the Gold Coast is Bocagrande. Guess where I am NOT staying...





Entrance to my hostal is the little door on the left.



The room on the top (3rd) floor. Get the hammock!

 

[JohnM]

View through the bedroom and bathroom windows, respectively.





Views from the terrace directly above my room.