Hasta luego Colombia

Sadly our five weeks in Colombia are almost at an end so it's time to look back and reflect on our time here. In a nutshell, it's been fantastic. Recent history hasn't been kind to this proud nation but from the moment we landed in Bogota we felt a real connection with the country.

It helps of course that the people are so pleasant and amenable. We've covered a lot of ground and stayed in all sorts of places; small villages, burgeoning towns and huge manic cities and we've been welcomed with open arms in all of them.

Folk are always genuinely pleased to strike up a conversation albeit in broken English and on the odd occasion when we've hit a hitch (missed ferries, cock ups with accommodation, crazy traffic jams etc)  a smiling face has never been far away to help us out.

It's fitting that our last days here are spent in historic Cartagena because in many ways the town is a distillation of the whole country - lots of colour, noise, culture and beautiful colonial architecture.

We stay in this lovely bolthole in the old town. Proof that orange, purple and green don't really work as a combination.

The neighbourhood is surrounded on all sides by a 250 year old, 6 metre high wall complete with ramparts, parapets and those little slots archers use to pick off unsuspecting oiks below. 

This is very reassuring. We sleep soundly, safe in the knowledge that we won't be bothered by marauding baddies (the wall was actually built to keep the Brits out, so don't tell anyone we're here).

There's also a dirty great fort overlooking the town, the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, which is the biggest in all the Americas - they really really don't want us here do they? 

Apart from the size of the thing it's an unremarkable structure but we do like the catacombs which give us some respite from the searing mid-day sun.

Cartagena is is also the jumping off point for our good friends Phil and Fran who have to return to the UK. The original plan was just to spend a few days together but we had such a laugh when we met up in Salento that we quickly decided to merge itineraries and keep each other company for the full 3 weeks of their holiday.

We're very sorry to see them go and will miss them as much as we'll miss this incredible country.

Las Vegas up next ...talk about the sublime to the ridiculous.