Following a whirlwind, activity-crammed few days in the stunning coffee-region of Salento, we weren’t sure what to expect from our next stop – Colombia’s capital Bogota.
![OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA](https://www.ponderingperthgirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/P6053904-1000x500.jpg)
Following a whirlwind, activity-crammed few days in the stunning coffee-region of Salento, we weren’t sure what to expect from our next stop – Colombia’s capital Bogota.
When it comes to backpacking, or travel in general, I am a firm advocate of splurging on the things that bring you joy and create great memories. For Dave and I, a 12-course degustation dinner at a rising star establishment in a thriving metropolis definitely meets that criteria!
Our original itinerary did not include more than a couple of hours in Panama City, however once we decided to skip Costa Rica in favour of Colombia, it made more sense to fly directly from Managua (Nicaragua) into Panama City as opposed to spending five-plus days making the overland journey.
Granada is a grand old dame of a town – colonial architecture; multitudes of outdoor activities (including ziplining!) to keep any traveller enticed; a thriving dining scene; and a lava filled volcano – what more could we ask for?
We heard about a funky, chilled-out, traditional fishing village with great surf about 30 minutes out of Leon, and decided we could do with some funky, chilled-out time on the beach, plus as a bonus, Dave could finally catch some waves.
Summiting the 3,976 metre Acatenango Volcano is, without a doubt, THE hardest, most physically challenging, and mentally confronting thing I have ever done. This bitch was DIFFICULT. So, was it worth it, and would I do it again?
For once, we did not have an epic journey ahead of us to get from one place to another – Antigua was but a mere couple of hours by shuttle from Lake Atitlan. We almost didn’t know what to do with ourselves with less than a half day’s transit ahead of us!
Our two nights in Flores flew by, and next think we know, we’re on yet another cross-country adventure, this time through the highlands of Guatemala to reach the very remote, teeny tiny village of Lanquin deep in the Guatemalan jungle, on our way to the stunning limestone pools of Semuc Champey.
To cross the border from Belize into Guatemala was an adventure in itself – first a taxi to the border; a 5 minute walk through no-mans land between the two countries thinking we had arrived in Guatemala (we hadn’t!); going through Guatemalan customs and finally entering Guatemala; catching another taxi five minutes into the nearest town; into a collectivo for 2 hours to Flores Town, then finally a quick ride in a tuk-tuk for the last leg to take us onto Flores Island and to our hostel door – PHEW!
When I first read about Raggamuffin’s 2 night/3 day sailing cruise from Caye Caulker to Placencia, I immediately knew it would have to be a non-negotiable part of our trip – the photos of the crystal blue Belizean waters and the tropical islands looked THAT amazing.