Of chivas and tuk-tuks - On the road with photo enthusiasts - Colombia 2025 - 9
2025-02-20 - Of chivas and tuk-tuks
It rained heavily tonight. As the hotel doesn't offer breakfast, we only meet shortly before 8am to have breakfast in town. So, I could actually sleep long, but I am awake shortly before 6am and get up at some point.
I take a somewhat half-hearted stroll through the village. The children are already on their way to school, the first stores are opening and in general a lot is already going on. But everything is still gray in gray. The beautiful, colorful houses don't look like anything.
After a good breakfast in a local café, we are ready to start. We have the same chiva as last night. Against all expectations, the suitcases are not stowed on top, but partly on a flap behind the vehicle and mostly inside. This makes the already limited space even tighter.
During the journey, the driver then realizes that he is overloaded. Something is already starting to drag on the tires. But if only that were the only issue. Intact wheel bearings, non-squealing brakes and inner tires with tread are certainly overrated. When we arrive in Jardín de Antioquia [↗] after a good 3 hours’ drive, we are all glad that nothing has happened.
The landscape here is beautiful. We often drive through cloud forest. It is accordingly green, and the mist is floating through the valleys. But at 27°C it is also pretty humid.
We meet at 3pm to drive or walk to a café with a view. The café at the local statue of Christ is closed today, so we go to Café Jardin. We have the choice of walking up to an hour or taking tuk-tuks. After last night, however, only two want to walk. Since Thomas is the only one who knows the way, he naturally joins them. The tuk-tuks here in Colombia are adapted to the bumpy roads often found in the Andes. Two of us share one and as we have caught an “Ayrton Senna wannabe”, we reach our destination in just 10 minutes or so.
The view is good, but the food they have is on the poor side. The Natchos are original from the bag, and they are served with processed cheese, which probably only passes for cheese in the US.
The closer we get to sunset, the closer the scenery resembles that of yesterday. The sunset is quite nice, but nothing special. For this type of photography, you also need some luck.
We wait a little longer after the sun has disappeared behind the horizon and then head back to the village in hailed tuk-tuks.
