Destination: Colombia

Destination: Colombia

March 2016, Colombia

Colombia is experiencing a tourism boom in the last 10 years and there is a strong reason behind it. Mountains, beaches, jungles and paradise islands are just small portion of what Colombia offer. Still wondering whether to visit or having any security issues? If so, you are missing a lot! Here is my quick overview of the places I visited back in 2016.

The Mountains: Medellín and Bogotá

My first stop is Medellín, the second biggest city. It is located in the Northern Andes, at an elevation of 1500 m above sea level in the Aburrá Valley. I am arriving by flight from Panamá, which is only 530 kilometers northwest, but there is no road between. Bogotá, the capital and biggest city of Colombia, is also located in the Andes mountain, approx 400 km southeast to Medellín. I had several layovers at El Dorado Airport, but decided to minimize my stay in Bogotá in order to spend more time in Medellín. I still believe that it was the right choice, given that my schedule was quite tiny. It won’t take a long to notice that Medellín is a city full of life. With more than 13 universities, there are many young people full of energy and creativity. I tried to explore the 3 main areas, which are El Pobaldo, the city center, and the slums on the hills. The most popular place is El Poblado – residential, business and tourist neighborhood with many hotels, restaurants and night clubs. This is where almost every tourist ends up so you can’t skip El Poblado. Despite I didn’t stay here at the night, I came across at night to enjoy the food and of course to have a couple of drinks. There are good rooftop bars at the taller buildings so the party is always guaranteed. El Poblado is also the oldest settlement in the Aburrá Valley, thanks to the Spanish oidor Francisco de Herrera Campuzano. He was appointed as a governor of the then-existing Provincia de Antioquia and founded Poblado de San Lorenzo de Aburrá, or El Poblado in 1616. The central part in El Poblado is among the church Iglesia de San José and the surrounding park. That’s where I came first, before moving around the streets nearby in search for some restaurants and bars. However, I booked a hotel in the center, the iconic Hotel Nutibara, because of its location and is well served by airport buses as well as urban trains. The easiest (and cheapest) way to reach El Poblado from the center is by the metro system, which is consisted by trains, cable cars and trams (known as tranvía). The atmosphere in the center is quite different than El Poblado in the terms of population’s wealth, but escaping the tourist zone will show you the real life of Colombians. Downtown was built shortly after El Poblado, because the colonial law from 1646 did not allow indigenous living together with white, mestizos and mulattos. The area around Parque de Berrío was the first development with construction of the church Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria. Today, the whole area within Berrío Park, Plazuela Nutibara and Botero Plaza represents the most iconic place in the center of Medellín. There are street markets around La Candelaria, where you can find a bargain stuff. You will see also many poor people asking for money around Botero Plaza, so this is like a reminder about where you are. The chaos around leaves some feelings of unsafety, but there are many police officers preventing accidents. I came here even at the night, despite the hotel stuff didn’t recommend me. However, the area is beautiful and you will notice more than 20 bronze sculptures made by Fernando Botero. In front of the park is located Museo de Antioquia, where you can explore more about Colombian culture. Another places to visit in the center area are Spanish colonial-style churches of Iglesia de San Ignacio (completed in 1809) and Iglesia de San José (completed in 1892). The park surrounding San Ignacio church is also a popular spot for buying and selling clothes, souvenirs and other stuff. After exploring El Poblado and the Medellin center, I decided to visit the slums on the hills, known as comunas (the same like Brazilian favelas). It was easy due to the cable cars, running to comuna Santo Domingo, which was once the most dangerous neighborhood in South America during the Pablo Escobar’s rule. I went there by myself, but there are also groups that will bring you on an organized tour. Just take the metro Line K (Línea K) to its last station – Santo Domingo Savio and you will end up in the notorious comuna. Thanks to the cable cars, it is well connected to the downtown so locals could travel easy for work, thus developing the slum and reducing the violent crimes. To be honest, I didn’t walk a lot around Santo Domingo and tried to keep myself around the metro station. Never forget the basic safety tips! On the western side of the surrounding hills is located San Jerónimo and Santa Fe de Antioquia, which are among the oldest settlements here. Santa Fe was the capital of Antioquia until 1820, when Medellín became the most important city in Antioquia. Today, Santa Fe de Antioquia is a rich historical site with its preserved colonial architecture, so if you have more time, could consider a visit. One of the greatest examples of colonial architecture in Santa Fe de Antioquia is the church Iglesia de Santa Bárbara, the oldest in the town. It was built in 1726 in baroque style, and later rebuilt. However, if you want to see the most impressive Catholic church in Colombia, you should go south to Ipiales, where is located Las Lajas Sanctuary. This is a Gothic style church inside the canyon of Guáitara River, close to the border with Ecuador. It is easier to get there by travelling to/from Ecuador, than Medellín, so I had to skip it. Anyway, it is on my list if I visit Ecuador one day.

The Caribbean: Barranquilla and Cartagena

My next stop is the Colombia's Caribbean coast, which is a totally different experience compared to the mountain cities. Starting with Barranquilla, which is the biggest coastal city in the country, so it is a mixture between vacation and business destination. The internal flights are quite cheap compared to another South American countries, so do not hesitate to take a flight, instead of a long bus journey. I booked an Airbnb in Santa Mónica neighborhood, located in the Riomar locality. It is a residential area next to Magdalena River and Caribbean Sea, and next to Buenavista Shopping Mall, which is expected to became the biggest in Colombia with completion if its additional wings and business center. Barranquilla is most famous by its Carnival, the biggest in Colombia and one of the largest in the world, surpassed only by the Brazilian carnivals. More than 1.5 million people come here during the carnival, which usually takes place in February. Arriving in the middle of March, it seems that I missed this event, but still the city is full of parties to have fun. Honestly, my whole program in Barranquilla changed in favor to the parties, and I skipped the Shakira monument (she was born here), the church San Nicolas de Tolentino (amazing cathedral from XVII century) and Estacion Montoya (historic train station). I started drinking Aguardiente shots with my German housemate Garett and our host Andreas less than an hour after I landed in Barranquilla. Aguardiente is a strong anise-flavoured liqueur, so you could easy get lost in the number of shots and our unit of measurement became the bottles. The party continued as we match another Europeans and end up in Kapitol Club with lots of beer and rumba. There are several universities in Barranquilla, so many foreign students came here for an exchange or even longer. The expat network is also growing – the city is less than 3 hrs from Miami by air so many Americans also came here to work and live or even for a weekend visit. However, most of the tourists go straight to Cartagena, which is the capital of Colombian tourism. It is just 130 kilometers southwest of Barranquilla so I took the local bus for a scenic journey along the Caribbean coast.
Upon arrival in Cartagena, I took an Uber to the hotel on Calle del Porvenir street in Centro Historico. You will easy notice the entering in historic center – it is surrounded by old walls. Las Murallas de Cartagena was built in XVI century during the Anglo-Spanish War to protect the Spanish. It was one of the most important ports in Americas for The Crown of Spain and main source of wealth. Sir Francis Drake from Royal Navy captured the city in 1586 and left after a huge ransom was paid. That’s why the Spanish built that wall and it protected them not only from the English, but also from the French, the Dutch and pirates as well. The fortresses, together with the port were declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984. Staying in the historic center is really amazing and I felt like I was back in time – there were more horse-drawn carriages than cars. All these colorful colonial buildings around made me feel like I am in walking in La Habana Vieja. Even the people are colorful – there are many Palenquera women dressed in bright costumes, selling various fruits. They came from San Bassilo de Palenque, small village just an hour from Cartagena, which became the first free settlement in America, set up by escaped slaves. Palenque is the Colombian term of Quilombo, which were founded in Brazil during the slavery. The Palenqueras won’t pose for a photo if you don’t buy fruits from her, so don’t try to cheat them. At the end, it’s their way of surviving so keep in mind that and get at least some cheap fruit salad. Speaking about food, go for a dinner at some cozy restaurant on the street with live music - that will make you full of joy. Also have a drink with a sea view for the sunset in the most popular spot for locals and tourists - Café del Mar, located at one of the walls and looking to the sea. I continued to a Cuban-style bar with fine cigar and glass of rum. For those who want to continue the party, the best option is to get on the bus. Yes, there are party buses called Chiva, where you can have a drink and enjoy rumba dance with other travelers. Another popular place is Bolivar Park, where are located also The Palace of Inquisition (currently museum) and the statue of Simon Bolivar, who liberated Colombia in 1810 and Venezuela in 1811 from The Crown of Spain. The whole old city is located on a relatively small area so I left the tourist area and tried to explore the city as the locals do. I took an Uber to Convento de la Popa, the highest hill in Cartagena where is probably the most beautiful view of the city. It’s just 15 minutes from the Old City, but don’t think about walking it, because the coastal part of Cartagena is quite different than the internal one and it is not so safe anymore. On the top of the hill, there is a convent and chapel, dating from the XVI century. You will see the Bocagrande neighborhood, with luxury condominiums and tall skyscrapers. This is the other major point of interest in Cartagena, as many modern hotels offer accommodation and high-end services for tourists and also a residential area for wealthy locals. Ask the driver to wait for you at the convent (you won’t need more than 15 minutes), because sometimes it is overcrowded by tourists and you could not find available car. I continued my trip around Cartagena to Mercado de Bazurto, the fish market. This is completely different side of the social life in this city. I saw many different people, not only buying and selling fish, but also whole families in their everyday life. Probably, locals will tell you it is unsafe, and you will see that it is quite more chaotic than the tourist areas, but it is just the Cartagena for lower class of population. People are kind and will help you, especially if you want to see and even try some interesting fish species. Mercado de Bazurto is one of the most interesting Latin American markets at all!

Tourism growth

The World Bank tourism statistics show that the tourist arrivals tripled over the decade from 2005 to 2015. More than 3 million tourists visited Colombia last year, which is a result of the continuous work in the sector. Half of the tourists were visiting the two biggest cities – Bogota, located in Distrito Capital, and Medellin, the capital of Antioquia department. However, more and more people are going to its Caribbean coast, where the most popular place is Cartagena, the capital of Bolívar Department. All these places have received undeserved bad reputation thanks to the drug movies, but you should keep in mind that the 90s have gone away. Today, the Crime index in Medellin is lower than cities like London, Paris and Rome, so it’s time to leave prejudices behind. I didn’t have any problems during my stay in Bogota, Medellin, Cartagena and Barranquilla, moreover I felt safe in the tourist areas. Of course, there are still huge areas controlled by guerrilla movements like FARC and ELN, but you don’t have any reason to go there. However, if you really want to visit place like Darien Gap, a special permission letter is needed so you can’t find yourself in a dangerous area so easy.

More must-visit places

As said, I didn’t had time to explore a lot must-visit places in Colombia, like Las Lakas Sanctuary near Ipiales. However, it is on my list for the next visit around Colombia and I really hope to be back soon. Another interesting place in this list is San Andrés island, which is closer to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panamá, than to Colombia. It is a real paradise island, with stunning beaches and marine life. The only way to get there is by plane, as there are daily flights to many cities in Colombia and the neighboring countries. The national parks in Northeast Colombia is another must-do visit. Ciudad Perdida in a lost city from the IX century, located in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park. The Caribbean coast is less than 100 kilometers away, where Tayrona National Park offers biodiversity with beautiful beaches. Both parks are easily accessed from Santa Marta Airport (SMR). On the other side, there is the Amacayacu National Park in southernmost Colombia, located between the rivers Putumayo and Amazon. The biggest Colombian city on the Amazon is Leticia, connected by daily flights to Bogotá and bordering Peru and Brazil at the same time. This list is endless, because the fourth biggest country in South America offers huge diversity of nature, culture and unforgettable experience!

This article was originally published in The Economist's magazine Bulgarian issue No. 27 of July 2016.

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Bolívia: Sky is the Limit

Bolívia: Sky is the Limit

March 2016, Bolívia

Visiting Bolivia - one of the most isolated and the same time interesting country in South America. 

The western part of the country is covered by the Andes Mountains, bordering with the wetlands in the Amazon on the east. La Paz, the de facto capital of Bolivia, stands high in the mountains and its metropolitan area with El Alto has an elevation of more than 4000 m above sea level. I was always wondering what does the life looks like there, so finally I got an opportunity to visit Bolivia.

Getting here

There are daily flights from Madrid to Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the biggest city in Bolivia. It is the most developed city and the business center of Bolivia. The city is located on the eastern slopes of the Andes, at the Madeira Basin, which is one of the biggest tributaries of the Amazon. However, many tourists enter Bolivia from the neighboring Peru, where more than 1.5 million people per year are visiting Machu Picchu, some 500 km to the border. I entered to Bolivia by bus through Kasani border at Titicaca lake, located between Puno (Peru) and La Paz. This entry point requires to make a stop at Titicaca lake and change the bus, so it is a great option to explore the world’s highest commercially navigable lake. Coming by plane from Peru is easy from Lima or Cusco, arriving at El Alto International Airport, which is, not surprisingly, the highest international airport in the world. The entry process itself could be tricky, especially if you need a visa. Citizens of some four EU countries (Cyprus, Malta, Bulgaria and Romania) still need to obtain visa prior to arrival, so I had to prepare many documents in advance. The most important is International Certificate of Vaccination or Prophylaxis (ICVP) for yellow fever, as other kind of proofs for vaccination are not accepted. The vaccination is valid for 15 years and should be done at least 10 days prior to arrival. The rest of documents include return ticket, proof of funds, hotel reservation and itinerary. All these papers granted me a visa in the Consulate of Bolivia in Cusco.  However, there are still other rules that need to be respected upon entering in Bolivia. One of them is the condition of your US dollars, as if they are somehow crumpled you can’t exchange it to local Peso boliviano. The card payments are not widely available so I had to keep my fingers crossed until got accepted at the ATM withdrawal.

La Paz

After completing the entry and money requirements, I am able to enjoy my Bolivian journey, starting with La Paz. The city is located in the western part of Bolivia, covered by the Andes Mountains. La Paz offers many options for good and pleasant stay, and I rented an Airbnb in Edificio V Centenario, which is in the Downtown area. Its Saturday morning and my program starts with a tour in Mercado Rodriguez – the largest food market in La Paz, looking for fresh local food. The Bolivian cuisine is meat-based in general, so as a pescatarian I wasn’t able to try it. However, I found some fresh fish from Titicaca, like Trucha (Trout), Karachi (Orestias), Pejerrey (Odontesthes) and Mauri (Trichomycterus). Don’t forget to try Trucha frita (fried Trout), well served with rice and salad! Like any Latin American market, there are plenty of fruits and vegetables, some of them I saw for the first time (e.g. the red bananas). Many products are coming from the neighboring region of Beni, located east to La Paz and part of the Amazon basin. Of course, the market offers a lot of spices, fried dough foods and pastries, so just make sure you will arrive early in the morning during the weekend, to find more varieties. Next to Mercado Rodrigues is located another interesting market, which is one of a kind - Mercado de las Brujas, or Witches’ Market. It doesn’t matter if you are looking for spells or not, here you could find potions, medicinal plants and spiritual advice. Located in the tourist area of La Paz, many people stop by here, proving that the indigenous majority keeps the tradition alive, despite the Christianity. Another popular market is Mercado Negro, where you could grab many bargains for any kind of stuff – from clothes to tableware. My journey in La Paz continues to the best viewpoint over La Paz - Mirador Killi Killi, where the altimeter hits 4000 m above sea level. It is located in a neighborhood Villa Pabón, close to the Downtown area. Another interesting spot in La Paz is Calle Jaen – one of the few streets with preserved Spanish colonial houses. Actually, they all are around Downtown, but not renovated like on Calle Jean. There are two main squares in La Paz, called Plaza Mayor and Plaza Murillo, both being a center of social life in the city. Plaza Murillo is around the government buildings while Plaza Mayor offers bigger space and many events are held there, so take a look what’s going on there. At the day of my arrival, there was a football game for Copa Libertadores between local Bolívar and Boca Juniors (1-1 after a late goal for Argentinians), so the square was full of fans watching the game.

Indigenous coca culture

Speaking of markets, there is another one-of-a-kind marketplace, called Mercado de Villa Fatima. It is just outside of the Association of Coca Producers (ADEPCOCA) in La Paz. Here, many farmers from Yungas region sell their fresh-picked coca leaves every morning. It is one of the two major regions of coca plantations, as the other one is called Chapare, near Cochabamba. The coca leaf is legal in Bolivia, unlike the cocaine which is strictly prohibited. Evo Morales, the indigenous president of Bolivia, once was a coca farmer before enter the politics. He is famous for chewing coca leaves during his international appearances to remind for the plant’s origin as a traditional indigenous medicine. Morales has strong support among the population, winning the elections with large margin and his portraits are everywhere. However, last month 51% voted on constitutional referendum against president reelection. Anyway, the coca culture is everywhere, as you can find numerous food and drinks with leaves. Staring with the morning Trimate tea, having a pizza with coca leaves for lunch, drinking a mojito cocktail without mint (guess what is instead) or just take a shot of Agwa liqueur at the night club. Some foreigners, mostly arriving by plane, is highly possible to get an altitude sickness due to the higher elevation in La Paz. Last year, the Pope Francis had to drink tea of coca leaves on the plane to Bolivia upon arrival at El Alto Airport, to ward off altitude sickness. In fact, many people have to do it, otherwise they risk to get an unpleasant sickness with headache, loss of appetite and other symptoms. So do I upon arrival, after understanding the medicinal abilities of coca leaves and its difference to their famous derivative, the cocaine.

Sky Ride to El Alto

High is a state of mind. The metro in La Paz is not underground like we are all used to. Metro Teleférico connects La Paz and El Alto by gondola lifts, covering the elevation of more than 400 m between two cities. I took the yellow line (Linha Amarilla) from Sopocachi in La Paz downtown to Mirador and a ride back from 16 de Julio station in El Alto to Central station in La Paz by the red line (Linha Roja). This scenic ride is the only transportation for more than 100 000 people daily in the metropolitan area and is rapidly expanding by construction of new lines. At the time of my visit, there was only 3 lines in operation with 8 more coming, so in the near future these gondolas will be the major form of transportation, reaching hardly accessible areas all around La Paz. This is also the longest aerial cable car system in the world. However, it comes with a price – more than US $700 million, which is quite a lot for one of the poorest South American country. The ride costs less than 20 cents, which makes its social impact stronger, as many poor people live in poverty on the hills around La Paz and the cable cars is their opportunity to reach the downtown. The social inequality is very obvious - you will see it immediately the gap between rich and poor upon entering El Alto. More than 70% of people here live in poverty, so be prepared if you want to have a walk. It is not only the poverty, that makes the difference as people from El Alto, called alteños, are mostly indigenous. They speak Aymara language and their culture requires to sit on the floor, to be in contact with Pachamama (Mother Land). It is generally safe in El Alto, but still very chaotic and definitely not among most interesting things to see. I went there only to visit the statue of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, who was captured by Felix Rodriguez in La Higuera, Central Bolivia and killed. However, next to the statue there is one more interesting thing here – the colorful bávaro-boliviano churches designed by the German priest Sebastian Obermaier, like Iglesia Amor de Dios. It is one of the latest-works, built in 2001 and together with more than 30 schools, 70 churches and 6 kindergartens, he is memorized as the “architect of El Alto”. Iglesia Amor de Dios is located just next to the 16 de Julio station of the red line so it’s easy to reach by cable car.

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Valle de la Luna

Just 10 km south of La Paz is located a canyon with surreal sights, called Valle de la Luna or Moon Valley. Its landscape is composed by eroded limestone rock formations, creating a stalagmites carpet in the desert-like area. There are even blooming cactus flowers from the native San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi), known for its hallucinogenic effects. It contains more mescaline than the famous Peyote cactus, so if you want to intoxicate yourself for a psychedelic experience – be careful! The easiest way to come here is by taxi – its cheap and you can negotiate with the driver to wait for you outside the valley. He/she would not be allowed to enter with you, as the valley is open only to foreigners. I was asked to show a non-Bolivian ID (as my broken Spanish wasn’t enough proof of that), in order to visit the site. I didn’t understand why the entry for locals are not welcome at that beautiful place. The entrance is quite cheap (less than US $2). Once there, you will see two main tracks – a long one which takes around 45 mins and a short one, which is just 15 mins. The tracks are marked and secured, but you will need comfortable shoes and of course good weather - It won’t be the best place to walk when raining.

Camino de la muerte: Yungas Road

Another famous spot nearby La Paz is the Yungas Road, known as the Death Road. It is the most dangerous road in the world, connecting La Paz with the city of Coroico. The road starts at elevation of 4650 meters above sea level in La Paz and ends at 1200 meters Coroico for a distance of 60 km. Hundreds of people travelling between two cities dies yearly, on northern part of the road. Many buses and trucks were swallowed in the years, especially during the rainfall season. In 2007 the government closed the road for buses and built a new section to bypass the most dangerous part of the road, thus reducing the fatal accidents. Today, this section of North Yungas Road is a bike route for extreme travelers and many tour agencies in La Paz will provide you a bike with an equipment and guide to the most dangerous road in the world.  However, the fatal accidents remain, as tens of tourists died in the last couple of year, some of them while making selfies. Professional and amateur mountain bikers from all over the world are coming here. If you plan to visit the road, just stick to the group and avoid the edge of the road track. The day trip from La Paz costs up to US $90 and don’t even think about to save money on renting cheaper bikes!

This article was originally published in The Economist's magazine Bulgarian issue No. 25 of June 2016.

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Costa Rica: Pura Vida

Costa Rica: Pura Vida

March 2016, Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a nature-rich country with amazing wildlife and beautiful beaches as a background.

Despite its small area of 51 100 sq. m, Costa Rica has one of the largest ranges of climates and climate zones in the entire world. The most popular resorts are located on the Pacific coast in Guanacaste and Puntarenas provinces, where the climate is tropical savanna, hot and try. This is where the tourist go when it comes to a beach vacation in Costa Rica. On the other side, the climate at the Caribbean coast is equatorial, without dry seasons and raining all year round. Inside the country, there are several mountains with peaks above 3000 m., in a strong subtropical highland climate. On the top of the mountains are located more than 200 volcanoes, half of them active. Tropical monsoon winds blow just around the mountains and form one of the tens of different microclimates in Costa Rica. In other words, there are so many different places you could see in this small country (e.g. It’s smaller than a half of Iceland). Unless you have unlimited time and cash, visiting all these places is impossible at once. It is better to find out which part of Costa Rica would like to go and how to get there.

Puerto Viejo
So here am I in Bocas del Toro province in Panama, next to Costa Rican border. There are transfer options to various destinations in Costa Rica, leaving from Sixaloa/Guabito border. Considering the ongoing peak season in beginning of March, I decided to ignore the crowded luxury resorts in Guanacaste and Puntarenas, and visit the laid-back Caribbean coast, a forgotten part of Costa Rica. I came there on my own changing 3 separate buses (Panama City – Changuinola, Changuinola – Guabito and Sixaloa – Puerto Viejo). On my way back I found a shuttle minibus called Caribe Shuttle that bring me back to Bocas del Toro with organized border transfers. However, the border is only for pedestrians, so you need to cross an old railway bridge, which probably was never in service as there are no railways around. Another transportation option could be flying to Limón and then take a bus / car to Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, a major tourist destination at the Caribbean coast in Costa Rica. Due to its proximity, the town is more open to Panamá, than to San Juan, the capital of Costa Rica and most of the tourists here are visiting Puerto Viejo en route to / from Panamá. Even the locals go shopping in Panamá, where is cheaper due to the higher taxes in Costa Rica.

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At night, Puerto Viejo becomes a party center, as many party hostels are welcoming American and European backpackers, but not only. I met also South American tourists that were discovering this hidden paradise. There also a lot of bars and restaurants near the beautiful black sand beach Playa Negra. It is located at the entrance to Puerto Viejo and could not be mistaken by its unique volcanic sands and an old rusted barge, once carrying out cacao and bananas, standing today as a lone reminder to the past.

Playa Chiquita
Puerto Viejo is under protection of Costa Rican Maritime Zoning Laws, so there are no any tall buildings, neither international chains (hotel or restaurant). Moreover, it is a gateway to Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, a home to some of the most beautiful scenery in all of Costa Rica. Everything here is very nature-friendly so coming to the Caribbean coast means to forget the amenities in five star beach resorts. I stayed in Playa Chiquita, nearby Puerto Viejo, in the cozy Jungle Green House, surrounded by rainforest and just a short walk to the beach. It rains every night (luckily not in the day), so the mornings are fresh and the best part was to woke up by the sounds of the jungle – in my case, it was by a toucan, hidden in surrounding trees. I learned to left a slightly open window, otherwise I could miss the alarm. Once in Playa Chiquita, it was easy to reach Punta Uva and Manzanillo by rental bike.


Punta Uva
Punta Uva is one of the best beaches in Costa Rica, without doubt. Its coral reefs and beautiful sands stands next to the surrounding rainforest from Gandoca just next to the beach. Palm trees from the coastal rainforest have fallen on the beach and so create stunning sights. However, it is not crowded and the place is calm. There is a river coming from the rainforest and flowing into the Caribbean, so taking a kayak is the best way to explore the nature. For its short distance, they kayak journey pass through coast full of cliffs, caves, lagoon and finally the amazing rainforest. The wildlife there includes monkeys, sloth, river turtles, iguanas, toucans and other colorful birds. My host warned me to look on my feet as poisonous snakes also could appear.

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Manzanillo
The coastal road ends in Manzanillo, a small village known for its great surf spot. The beaches here offer waves for all levels, so it is a great place for everyday practicing, even for beginners. In fact, most of the locals do surf in their free time. Not only surfers come here, as more and more divers are visiting Manzanillo, as one of the best diving reefs in Costa Rica. Its proximity with the rainforest boosts also the marine life, so snorkel divers could spot here blue parrot fish, angel fish, sea anemones, urchins, Venus sea fans, shrimps, oysters, sea cucumbers, lobsters and sponges. The whole area is protected under Gandoca Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, including the land area and the reefs in front of the beaches. It includes nearly 25,000 acres of jungle, marshland, lagoons, reefs, coves and coastline. The refuge is not easy accessible and the best way to explore is getting a guided jungle hike.

Pura Vida
Costa Rica is probably the most stunning country in Central America. Everyone who visited this country would like to return, while many foreigners are living here, either expats or retirees. Sometimes, Costa Rica is called the Switzerland of Central America and there is a strong reason behind it. Tens of thousands Europeans and Americans have chosen Costa Rica for their current home. Many others are coming, as they already bought a property here and only waiting for the retirement day.
All of these people are living the way of life, known as “Pura Vida” or pure life, literally. This phrase is Costa Rica’s unofficial moto which symbolizes the idea of be happy and enjoy the life. It is one of the happies countries in the world by both Gallup and the Happy Planet Index. It is the most common used word here, meaning also hello or goodbye.
Vanesa and Ronald, a couple living here for many years, were my hosts so they helped me to understand the meaning of “Pura Vida”. Ronald explained me why the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica is not as developed as the Pacific coast. It is divided by huge mountains to country’s capital San Jose and historically it took centuries to establish any links. In 19th century, the famous Costa Rican coffee from Central Valley was export to Europe by the Pacific ports, instead from Caribbean coast to the Atlantic. It means tens of thousands kilometers more for the ships, so the government decided to build an ambitious railroad. Mostly Jamaican laborers worked on the project, starting from 1867 until the 1890s, when the construction of the railroad to the Atlantic was finished. Today, their descendants live all around the Caribbean coast, so do Ronald. Beside the railway, nothing has changed so much. Natural economy is still alive here, as it is not a rare someone to exchange bananas for cocoa, so Ronald is growing them. This is how they understand the meaning of “Pura Vida”! Hasta luego, Costa Rica!

This article was originally published in The Economist's magazine Bulgarian issue No. 17 of April 2016.

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Titicaca: Ocean in the Mountain

Titicaca: An ocean in the mountain

March 2016, Peru/Bolivia

At an altitude of 3812 meters above sea level, Titicaca is the highest commercially navigable lake in the world and the largest lake in South America.

Titicaca is a must see destination, if you pass by Peru or Bolivia. So do I and went to the both sides of the lake, but what impressed me most was located a few kilometers off the lake shores.

Peruvian side

Most of the people reach Titicaca lake from the Peruvian side. The biggest cities here are Puno and Juliaca, linked to Cusco by daily buses and Lima by air. I took a bus ride from Cusco to Puno, as the distance is less than 400 km. However, the overnight trip is long due to the mountain roads passing through. I took the bus from Cusco to Puno, which is the biggest city on the shores of Titicaca. It was not hard to notice the big change upon arrival. The city is located at more than 3800 meters above sea level thus reducing the oxygen in the air and lowering the pressure. And the second change was the inhabitants, as I saw many Aymara people and signs in Aymara language, which is official here. In fact, Aymaras first established themselves around Titicaca lake, both in Peruvian and Bolivian sides. That’s why today they are the only locals, that enjoy visa-free travel between Peru and Bolivia. For all these indigenous groups living in the mountains, a hundred-thousand-city like Puno is their entry point to the modern world. The city is growing rapidly but there is just a short flat area between the lake and the mountains, so people are building houses on the hills. Puno is welcoming a lot of tourists due to its proximity to Machu Picchu and you can enjoy many different tours around. Puno is also a good option to get your Bolivian visa in advance, if you are planning to continue your trip to the other side of the lake. The reason is that visa on arrival would cost more than US $50 while visa in the Bolivian consulate in Puno would be free. However, before continuing to Bolivia, it is worth to stop at the port in Puno. It is available for small and medium crafts so it is a great option to make a boat trip to the islands of Taquile, Amantani and Uros, or Titicaca National Reserve.

The Uros (Uru) people live on these artificial floating islands at Peruvian side of Titicaca lake #lago #Uru #Titicaca #perutravel #peru #puno #worlderlust #travelstoke #travelingram #travelgram #instatravel #instatraveling #instapassport #igtravel #traveltheworld #travelbug #travel #travels #mytripmyadventure #mytinyatlas #lonelyplanet #travelblog #travelblogger #travelawesome #iggers

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Uros: The Floating islands

I didn’t had time to explore Taquile and Amantani islands, but I went to Uros (it is almost impossible to skip them while in Puno). It is easy to reach them once the port in Puno or just ask some tour agency to do it for you. The islands are just 5 km east from Puno port so the journey is short. I joined a tour group with English-speaking guide. As we were approaching the islands, we saw the totora plant growing in the lake. The totora reeds are the most important element in the Uros people life, it is their food, medicine, tea as well as a construction material for reed boats and island ground. More than 70 artificial islands were built on bundles of dried totora reeds, where around 2 000 Uros people still live here. Upon arrival in Isla Santa María (the biggest island), the guide showed us a mini structure of the island model and explained about their story. The secret of the living on a floating island is to add more and more totora reeds on the top of the island periodically, as the ones on the bottom are sinking. However, this is not the only fear locals should survive, as the they need to protect themselves from freezing and of course to get a food. Thanks to their trade relations with the indigenous people from the coast, they are surviving. Today, the tourist business is the main income here, so you will be offered to buy souvenirs, place a passport stamp and get a tour on the so called ‘Mercedes Benz’ boat, which is their ‘luxury’ version of reed boat. You will able to visit a local family house and discover the conditions these people live in the 21st century.

Under the water: Atlantis

The depths of the lake have been explored by archaeologists who found remains of mystical metropolis. The underwater ruins lead to many speculations and hypothesis, including the lost city of Atlantis. Divers had discovered U-shaped walls, paved roads and sacred labyrinths in the depths of the lake. Many ocean fossils were also found around the lake and some of the fish species here are saltwater ones. The most mystery evidence found under the water is the ruins of an ancient temple, built of stone blocks. The remains of the city of Tiahuanaco in Bolivia, nearby Titicaca and Nazca lines in Peru, are somehow related to the whole hypothesis of Atlantis in Titicaca lake, but since there are no any evidences, it is just another part of the mysterious puzzle from the Pre-Colombian era in South America.

Bolivian side

My journey around Titicaca continues on the other side of the lake, which makes part of Bolivia. The lake is pretty much the same, however the feeling is different as Bolivia is quite isolated country. It is one of the two landlocked countries in South America, other being Paraguay, but Bolivia has stricter border control. Located between the Andes mountains and Amazon basin, Titicaca lake is of great importance to Bolivia and you will quickly notice this. I am entering the border town Copacabana, which doesn’t have anything in common with the famous beach in Rio except the name. It is home to some 6000 people, working in the tourism, agriculture and fisheries. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed with fried trout fish from the lake and tea from coca leaves. The trout fish here is always fresh and is a popular dish for locals and tourists, while the coca tea is something you can’t skip. While climbing Cerro Calvario, the highest hill of the city, my altimeter hits 4023 meters above sea level. However, I didn’t feel any altitude problems, probably because of the tea – the locals are drinking it every day as a medicine for altitude sickness. After spending more than an hour at Cerro Calvario enjoying the stunning view above the city and the lake, I witnessed a religious ritual on the top of the hill, which is popular site for pilgrims with its 14 Stations of the Cross. Copacabana is a sacred place for Incas and Catholics as well – on the Island of the Sun (Isla del Sol) nearby the city is located Inca’s Temple of the Sun (Tiwanaku), while at the city center you will notice the great 16th century Spanish colonial church Basílica de Nuestra Señora de Copacabana. It is really amazing how such a big church was build so high in the mountains five centuries ago. The tourist area is mainly around Avenida 6 de Agosto reaching the shores of Titicaca, so here you will find everything you need. Copacabana is not linked to the other part of Bolivia, so reaching the rest of the country involves taking a ferry through Tiquina strait. In order to see more from Titicaca lake, I took a hop-on-hop-off bus that made several stops at both sides, but unexpectedly it got broken shortly after leaving Copacabana and it caused a long delay of my journey. The bus lights went off shortly after the sunset, so the driver drop us to the closest city, without using any lights along such a tiny mountain road. It was a reason to get an extra time in San Pablo de Tiquina, a small city on the Tiquina strait, until the next bus arrives from La Paz. The city is really small and has nothing interesting to offer, but its ferry service through Titicaca lake. However, crossing the lake at midnight was a ferry to remember, as the temperature here often falls around and sometimes under zero. It pointed out the conditions, in which people from Titicaca lake are surviving everyday. Living so high and far in the Andes mountains is definitely not for everyone, and despite the recent tourism development, Titicaca reminds all of us to respect the power of the lake.

This article was originally published in The Economist's magazine Bulgarian issue No. 23 of June 2016.

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República de Panamá

A thousand reasons to visit Panamá

March 2016, Panamá

Tourist numbers are increasing even at the Darien Gap between Panama with Colombia, one of the most dangerous borders in the world.

There are at least one thousand reasons to visit Panamá. I am visiting the country in March 2016 and the scandal with leaked documents just erupted, so the focus of international attention was on the reason for tax evasion. However, there are many other reasons to visit the country. The good business environment attracts foreign visitors, from investors to economic migrants. Housing markets remain stable with growing number of European and American buyers. Panama is doing its best to prevent any negative effect to the growing tourism industry, which became a national priority for this small nation with population of 4 million inhabitants. Every year, Panamá welcomes more than 2 million tourists (2.11 M international tourist arrivals in 2015 and 2.01 M in 2016). There are significantly lower crime and poverty rates in Panama, compared to the average for Central American countries. Meanwhile, its Caribbean and Pacific resorts can even challenge the ones in neighboring Costa Rica, considered as the best in Central America. So yes, the reasons to visit are really quite a lot.

Mine reason for visiting Panama is due to the opportunity it gives for a greater Central and South American experience. In Panama City, country’s capital, there are 3 international airports and plenty of options to visit neighboring Costa Rica or Colombia. So even the travelers could benefit from Panama’s strategic location. The country itself offers very beautiful beaches in the archipelagos of Bocas del Toro and San Blas. There are also many hidden mountain gems like Boquete, located nearby an active volcano.

CIELOS ABIERTOS. Hoy la aerolínea @Lufthansa inauguró el vuelo entre la ciudad de Frankfurt y Panamá. La travesía duró 12 horas y 25 minutos, y llegó directo de Alemania. Con este, ya suman 88 destinos que vuelan al Aeropuerto Internacional de Tocumen en 35 países. #Lufthansa #Alemania #Frankfurt #Panamá

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Getting there
The first step is to deal with the flight tickets. As a regional hub, there are several options to get there from Europe – flying from Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, Istanbul or Amsterdam. I flew from Frankfurt and by accident got on their inaugural flight to Panamá. The long 12 and a half hours flight ended in quite exciting atmosphere for the passengers, as we was welcomed with water salute upon landing. We saw traditional dancers at the airport and received gifts from Lufthansa and Panamanian Government, represented there by their CEO and Minister of Tourism. Then comes the passport control and here we are in Panamá, officially. Keep in mind the entry requirements in Panamá – you could need to present yellow fever certificate or demonstrate prove of at least $500, either in the bank or cash. In most of the cases, they ask Europeans only for return flight and hotel reservation, but anyway you need to carry everything, in case of request from the immigration officials.

Panama City
Arriving at Tocumen International Airport, you can take the Metrobus via “Corredor Sur” or get a private transfer. There was no metro to the airport at the time of my visit, but in 2019 it should be connected to Line 2 of the urban rail. The first thing you will notice when entering Panama City is the impressive skyline on its Pacific coast, built in the past 15 years. The tallest building – Trump Ocean Club, is a copy of Dubai’s Burj Al Arab, which correspond to the ambitious plans of local architects to build giant skyscrapers. I stayed in San Francisco, a popular residential area with modern architecture and plenty of food & drink options. It is in a high contrast with the colorful colonial buildings in the Old City, known as Casco Viejo.

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Casco Viejo is among the most popular tourist places in Panama City. It is the famous Old City, where Spanish built their homes during the colonial period between 16th and 19th centuries. This kind of architecture is popular all over Latin America, but in Casco Viejo it is mixed with French balconies and French architecture. Between 1880 and 1889, a French company made attempt to build the Panama Canal, but they only completed about two-fifths of the canal, before the US took control over the zone. More than 22,000 people died and hundreds of millions USD have been lost during the French failed attempt to build the canal. However, this influence continued even after the French stopped the construction. Today, many buildings in Casco Viejo like Museum of the Canal at Cathedral Plaza remind us for the French presence here. This influence is even stronger in the city of Colón, located at the Atlantic’s side of the canal.
The Panamanian cuisine is also mixed and you will hardly find restaurants with traditional dishes in Panama City. However, if you want to taste the local food, it is a great option to visit the fish and seafood market, or Mercado de Mariscos. There are a restaurants here offering dishes like ‘Corvina’ fish – a local sea bass, with plantain (a cooking banana), which is probably the most traditional food. There are also local producers of chocolate and coffee, so Panamanian cakes and coffees could be find in places like Super Gourmet, a small and cozy restaurant in Casco Viejo.
Outside the city are located 3 of the fifths Panama Canal locks – Pedro Miguel, Miraflores and Cocoli (the new one). Only Miraflores locks are open for tourist visits – there are a museum and even 3D cinema inside to help understand more about one of the greatest construction projects in twentieth century. You could reach Miraflores easy by public bus from Albrook Bus Terminal or by many tourist agencies, which offer also an additional visit to the nearby Gatun lake, located between Atlantic and Pacific locks of the canal.

Panama is cheaper than US or Europe, but more expensive than other Latin American countries. The public transportation is very cheap (35 cents for the metro) and Uber is also an preferred option to travel around. The official currency is Panamanian Balboa (PAB), but it is only available in coins up to 1 PAB. In fact, the US dollar is a preferred option for payments, as the exchange rate is fixed 1:1 to the Balboa.

Around the country
It is mandatory to leave the capital as soon as possible, and spend couple of days around the country. You can chose between paradise islands, extinct volcanoes (, nearby Boquete) or inaccessible jungles (Darien Gap).
The best beaches are in Bocas del Toro and San Blas archipelagos. I spent my time in Bocas, which includes around 10 beautiful islands. There are plenty of bars here and many backpackers are stopping by, while the San Blas archipelago is more honeymoon oriented. To Isla Colon, the main island, there are daily flights from Panama City, or ferry service from Almirante on the mainland. Once there, its easy to explore the beauty around. The best experience is to make a day trip to Cayo Zapatilla and dive into the crystal turquoise waters of an uninhabited island. Another paradise island is Isla Bastimentos where you can even spend the night as there is a village on the coast. However, these small islands has a long history. The archipelago was discovered first by Christopher Columbus who arrived in Almirante Bay on 16th of October 1502 during his fourth and last New World voyage. Isla Colon, named on Columbus, soon became a pirate heaven, before the following Spanish colonization.

Unfortunately I didn’t had time to visit another places in Panana. However, if you want to enjoy the extinct volcanoes, the most popular one is Barú. This volcano is located close to the town of Boquete, where is situated the largest expat community in Panama. There is no direct flight or bus route to here, so you need to reach first David and proceed with a bus or taxi. In the last years, more and more people are heading to Darien Gap, an inaccessible jungle area on the Colombia border. In fact, this is one of the most dangerous borders in the world, controlled by drug traffickers and guerrillas. Darien Gap is the sole exception of Pan-American highway from Alaska to Chile, where a total distance of 90 km is dividing the longest American highway on two parts. It is strange how Panama could link two oceans and not two highways, but beside the difficult trace, it could also harm the environment so literally South America is divided to the North by Darien Gap. However, many tourists are wishing to cross one of the most density rainforests so there are agencies organizing special expeditions. Of course they need to notify the local authorities on their route and receive an official permission.

This article was originally published in The Economist's magazine Bulgarian issue No. 15 of April 2016 .

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Iquitos, Peru 2: Meeting with a Shaman

Meeting with a Shaman

March 2016, Iquitos (Peru)

There are many shamans hidden deep in the Amazon rainforest and many foreigners and local people are visiting them

Northern Peru has a rich history in the traditional medicine and the area is known as the ‘health axis’ of South America. Many indigenous tribes like Cocama, Urarina, Yagua and Bora still live in the rainforests around the upper stream of Amazon river. So here I am, in the remote city of Iquitos, on my way to meet the famous shamans and to learn more about their culture.

I sailed from Iquitos with Eduardo Cuellar, local photo journalist, and Joel Huaymana Sangama, a small boat owner from indigenous origin. Shortly after our departure, we turn to one of tributaries of Amazon river – Rio Nanay. Due to the differences in temperature, speed and water density of Amazon and Nanay, the meeting point of two rivers is really impressive. Amazon river water appears in light brown, while Nanay is a blackwater river. This phenomenon can be seen again in downstream of Amazon river where Rio Negro joins.

Shaman

Short while later we moored at Padre Cocha – it’s the first village on our way located at the river bank of Nanay. Then we have to take a mototaxi in order to reach Don Luis Rimachi’s healing center. Despite having made arrangement in advance for a meeting, Don Luis has not been informed about it so he went to Iquitos to buy herbs for tonight’s ayahuasca ceremony. So we were left without a choice and prepare ourselves to spend the day waiting for Rimachi. Fortunately, Joel had no such intention so he offered us to visit another shaman. They are quite a lot and every healing center has a shaman. Although many of them were created due to increase of foreign visitors, indigenous tribes used such centers for past centuries as their single access to medicine.
The global roots of traditional medicine leads to Cupisnique culture in 1000 B.C. It was a Pre-Colombian culture which flourished in Northern Peru and parts of Ecuador Pacific Coast. During all these years, the traditional medicine was kept alive here due to many circumstances like availability of natural resources and culture of indigenous tribes. And despite the conventional medicine development, today many locals and foreigners as well still prefer to entrust their health to shamans, instead of hospitals.

Don Lucho

We are now going to Luis Culquitón famous as ‘Don Lucho’. He is from Manacamiri – a small farming community on the river bank of Nanay. The roots of inhabitants here are related to an indigenous tribe called Cocama. I haven’t make any appointment so that could be a problem. So we left our boat in Manacamiri and headed to Kapitari Healing Center where Don Lucho is located. The distance from the Nanay river bank to Kapitari is approximately 4 km and we need to walk them since there are no longer mototaxis available. After walking through muddy jungle path we finally reach the healing center. We were welcomed at the entrance by locals involved in banana picking at the surrounding plantation. The whole center is quite big and includes vast area of rainforest, plantations of cacao, bananas and any other fruits, vegetables and herbs. Wooden lodges are seen among them, as well as small lake and special place for ceremonies. Fortunately, at the time of our arrival a kind of ritual takes place so we were able to observe how small group of indigenous people walk around in a circle while singing in unrecognizable language.

Don Lucho is nearby and while waiting for him, I had a short conversation with some visitors coming mainly from Europe and North America. Here comes the shaman. Despite his almost 70 years, Don Lucho looks quite younger. He is one of the most famous shamans in Peruvian Amazon because of his skills in the field of traditional medicine. Recently he visited Italy to treat patients so he is already known in Europe.

It was 4 PM and I still hadn’t had breakfast so gladly took a meal. The food was vegetarian and all visitors eat it during their treatment – it’s really important to purify themselves. But the most important part of treatment process are Ayahuasca ceremonies. It’s a magical brew made from plants that grow in Amazon jungle, containing DMT (Dimethyltryptamine). Due to it’s powerful psychedelic effects, DMT has been classified as a Schedule I drug by DEA. However locals do not accept this drug classification, because ayahuasca doesn’t lead to addiction and is usually taken once. Moreover it has been proven that Ayahuasca treats drug addictions.

I can’t try ayahuasca now, because it means one more week in the jungle. But after being under pressure all day long, Don Lucho gave me an extract of cocona leaves. It has an instant effect so I am finally ready to proceed with the interview…

- Don Lucho, how one can become a shaman?

- It’s a bit like studying medicine to be a doctor. You need to study at least 10 years. In the beginning I had some receipts from my grandfathers, from my family, of course. But the rest is a gift from my connection to the nature. I had some visions that showed me how to do. I studied a bit of technical medicine because you have to know a lot of plants and their effects. You have to stay humble, to manage the dose of plants. And the biggest secret is to make strict diet. That’s how I found a way to treat the people.

- Is traditional medicine a substitute of conventional one?

- No. We have to use both traditional and conventional medicine. They work in different way for the people and they work together. The advantage of traditional medicine is that you can get the same effect easier and cheaper. In the hospital, you can get a diagnostics and analysis for a lot of money. The same you can get just in one ceremony with ayahuesca. Last but not least, natural treatments don’t have side effects and you can see the result immediately, unlike the medicines. That’s why people come here.

- What kind of treatments they look for?

- They treat mainly drug addictions, stress, psychological problems and physical problems related to stomach and hearth, skin problems and all other kind of sickness.

- Is there a competition between all the shamans in the region?

Indeed they are quite a lot, not only here, but also in Brazil and Ecuador. This is good because more diversity we have means more solutions to people. It’s not about money. There is no competition, but there’s a lot of jealously.

- Can you export traditional medicine outside Amazon?

- The traditional medicine is related to the plants we use and it’s not so simple to export them. For example, when I went to Italy I brought a Cocona plant. It helps for the blood pressure, cholesterol and the heart in general by very simple way. People liked it because the effect Is immediate. But to produce and export more first I have to get a laboratory, then I will be able make these treatments around the world. That costs a lot and for that moment, I don’t have these money. Also in the ceremonies we do it’s important participants to have a connection with the nature, that’s why we involve the local indigenous tribes in the process. We should not forget the need to legislative changes. Then we will be able to export effectively our medicine abroad.

- What advice could you give to people who practice traditional medicine over the world?

- In every country, there is much of knowledge about traditional medicine. We are all equal. The thing is to start cooperation around all the world. Then we would be stronger and we could work together with conventional medicine to achieve much more. It’s a need for the all. Because if we coordinate ourselves we could make something more sustainable.

This article was originally published in The Economist's magazine Bulgarian issue No. 21, May 2016 in the series called 'Cultiral Travel Guide'.

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Credits: Luis Culquiton – Don Lucho (Shaman, Kapitari Center), Renaud Leglise (Contributor, Kapitari Center), Eduardo Cuellar (Photo Journalist, Iquitos), Joel Huaymana Sangama (Boat Owner, Bellavista–Nanay Port)