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THE WORLD BY THUMB
100% hitchhiking - 100% world tour - Since 2013 - By Florence Renault
COLOMBIA
from August, 2nd to September, 19th 2014
With my friend Loïca, who joins me in Ecuador , I hitchhike across the Colombian border. We visit Las Lajas and San Agustin, hike in Los Nevados National Park and the Tatacoa Desert, then discover the underground Salt Cathedral of Zipaquira. Once in Bagota, we attend a big rock festival and Loïca leaves by plane. I continue my hitchhiking world tour on my own, slowly heading north. After villa of Leyva, San Gil, Bucaramanga, Santa Marta, Taganga, Tayrona Park, I arrive at the colonial port city of Cartagena where I look for a boat to hitchhike to Central America.
Photographies Of Colombia
 Candles in Las Lajas The sanctuary in Las Lajas is a capital of pilgrimage in Columbia, a little like Lourdes in France : many shops filled with souvenirs, miraculous water bottles and « thanks » plates, seven masses celebrated on Sundays. |  Sanctuary in Las Lajas Built during the 20th century, the basilica stands on a bridge and, in the apse, the canyon rock serves as a wall. |  Archaeological site in San Agustin On this enigmatic site, you can find hundreds of sculptures from the 11th century BC or from before the Spanish Conquest. The reason why they were built remains mysterious. |  Archaeological site of San Agustin 2 |  National reserve « Los Nevados » Located in the Andes, this national reserve includes three snow-capped mountains, hence the name « los Nevados ». After a two-day walk in the Cocora valley and then, a hard and muddy ascent, we can finally see the Cerro Santa Isabel. |
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 Los Nevados National Park |  Los Nevados National Park |  Tatacoa Desert, Villavieja To walk around the Tatacoa Desert, you need 12 hours ! Much more time than what we had been told. We even shorten our tour by thumbing lifts and finishing on scooters by night, the two of us plus the driver squeezed on one single seat. We discover the little red canyons, the grey stretches, and, as the night falls, the beautiful starry sky. |  Tatacoa Desert, Villavieja |  Tatacoa Desert, Villavieja |
 Tatacoa Desert, Villavieja |  Tatacoa Desert, Villavieja |  Loïca, a childhood friend, is travelling with me for a month, from Quito (Ecuador) to Bogota (Columbia). When the picture is taken, she doesn’t know yet that we are going to walk for 12 hours in the burning heat (and neither do I, by the way !) |  Tatacoa Desert, Villavieja |  The salt Cathedral, Zipaquira Built in 1950 and rebuilt in 1991, this underground cathedral was sculpted out of salt and coal. |
 The Salt Cathedral, Zipaquira |  Street Seller, Zipaquira |  Candelaria District, Bogota Bogota is a heart-stopper. This underground city is decorated with Street Art here and there, the climate is cool because of its height. It’s far away from the « dangerous ghetto » preconceived idea I used to have. |  The Fernando Botero Gioconda, Bogota The famous Fernando Botero paints and sculpts chubby characters. |  Street art, Bogota |
 Nico Loïca and I have met Nico at the Music festival « Rock al Parque ». This French man, whose country of origin is Columbia, shows us the graffitis in Bogota. The coincidence is : he has booked the same flight as Loïca’s for his way back to France. They will leave together. |  Plaza de Bolivar, Bogota The Law Courts modern style contrasts with the cathedral neoclassic style. The latter is situated on the other side of the main square. |  Palacio de Narino A soldier guards the entrance of the presidential house. |  San Gil Situated 300 kilometers north from Bogota, San Gil is a small city which is known for its important role during the independance war. Today, it is a place where a lot of tourists come for kayaking, rafting and rock-climbing. |  The grandmother, Villa de Leyva In Villa de Leyva, I am hosted by couchsurfer Heimy. She lives with her boyfriend, her baby, her mother and her grandmother. |
 Funny house, Villa de Leyva |  Main square, Villa de Leyva The small city, with its colonial architecture, is classified as a National Heritage site of Columbia. |  Villa de Leyva |  Rotonda Beach, Santa Marta |  Juice maker, Santa Marta |
 Rotonda Beach, Santa Marta |  Fishermen, Taganga |  Gym, Taganga |  Arrecifes, Tayrona Park After few hours hiking in the jungle of Tayrona Park, I arrived at this paradise beach. There is no road, no houses, only a camping for tourists |  Sunrise, Tayrona Park I wa splanning to stay only one day in Tayrona Park and did not bring much money. The park was so beautiful that I decided to sat for the sunset and the sunrise, so I slept on a bench near the beach. When I woke up, I saw the sign "Be aware of crocodiles in the area"! |
 Cape San Juan, Tayrona Park |  Store, Taganga |  Sunset, Taganga |  Fishermen coming back, Taganga |  Taganga |
 Colonial port city of the 16th century, Cartagena was a strategic city of the Kingdom of Spain for its expansion in South America and its trade, but also for the slave trade and the transit of gold. Military fortifications still surround the "old town" today. |  Jérôme and Emma are French hitchhikers and travellers. We met several times in the last six months. After a two years trip, they are planning to go back to France soon. |  Plaza del reloj, Cartagena |  Shoemaker, Cartagena |  Flowershop, Cartagena |
 Public writer, Cartagena |  Sunset, Cartagena |
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