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Finding Colombia’s Lost City

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lost city of colombia

It may not be lost anymore but it certainly felt that way. Like walking through Pandora (you know, the lush habitable moon city in the 2009 movie Avatar); it felt like we were in some forgotten enchanted land.

Surrounded by waterfalls and lush mountains, I stood near the edge of the ruins and watched colourful birds fly to their hanging nests. Bright butterflies glided by me as I was taking pictures and I decided to put away the camera and just be. I wanted my focus to be on the magical jungle surrounding me and to deeply implant that moment into my soul.

Then a helicopter arrived and landed right on the ancient stonewall I was standing on. At first I was annoyed that this loud machine would interrupt nature’s sounds all around us but what are the chances that the Colombians’ president’s son (along with many other rich folk) would be touring the site the same day as we were. Even though helicopter tours were banned many years ago due to the weight of the aircraft causing damage to the city structure, I guess an exception was made for these polo-shirt wearing citizens. It was amusing to see their white clothing, styled hair and overall fresh look clashing with our stinky clothing that we had been wearing for 4 days, our sweaty bodies and overall tired looks.

They certainly missed the highlight though, which is fairly typical for these sorts of people. Sure, the lost city was the final attraction and a beautiful one at that but the trek is what makes it an adventure.

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TIPS FOR HIKING TO THE LOST CITY OF COLOMBIA

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If you haven’t read the story of my incredible trip to the Lost City, please click here and check that out.

Below is some advice for booking and hiking to the Lost City in Northern Colombia.

We booked with Turcol tourism and landed the best guide ever. His name is Omar. Try to get him.

The tours are four, five or six days covering the same route and same distance. They also cost the same so if you want an extra night of accommodation or a couple of days worth of extra food (for no added cost), opt for a longer trip and relax more in this magical jungle.

The four day trip is ample time for the trek. We never felt rushed, though we did sometimes arrive to camp around 5 or 6 PM just before dark. You can often decide how many days you want after you begin the trip but it’s better to decide ahead of time so you can organize shorter hiking days right from the beginning. We had decided on doing five days so we could enjoy the area without being rushed but decided to end after four days because we loved our group so much. Also, because most of our group wanted to do the four day, we arrived at the last camp (or first camp when you begin the trek) around noon on day four. It was only 2-3 hours of hiking to get to the trailhead where the jeep would pick us up. Had we stayed, we would have basically been doing nothing for the whole day, which is another reason we decided to go.

The cost is approximately $300 USD, which includes guide, meals, accommodation and transportation.

The best places to stay before the trek are either Santa Marta or Taganga. Neither is worth writing home about.

The dry season is December to March, which is when we went. They go year round and if you want a much more crazy adventure, try going in the rainy season when you need to cross waist-high rivers with your bag over your head while holding onto a rope so you don’t get washed down the river. Good fun. Maybe?

Packing Tips:

– Pack light and only bring a day bag and NOT your full-size backpack. It is really hot and humid.

– I left my DSLR at the hostel, which I regret. I thought it would be too humid but it wasn’t that bad in March. Bring your camera and as many batteries as you can. The first camp has electricity. The rest do not.

– I didn’t find the bugs that bad but you’ll probably enjoy having bug spray. Waterproof sunscreen is a good idea as well.

– Toilet paper should be on you at all times when travelling South America, whether you go on a trek or not.

– A headlamp is probably the best investment I have ever made for travel gear. Get one and bring one!

– Bring a swim suit and 2 pairs of clothing. One pair for hiking and one pair for sleeping/resting at night. Don’t bother changing for the hike as it will be sweaty/dirty/wet within minutes. Also, nothing dries because of the humidity.

– Bring a towel. There are showers at the camps, though we didn’t bother. However, we did enjoy every swim we could, which was like a shower. Towels came in handy.

– In the dry season, running shoes are probably fine but hiking shoes are better. There are a few times where you need to take them off to cross the river so if you have hybrid sandles/hikers, that would be handy as well. Not a big deal but flip-flops are always a good idea.

– We enjoyed simply chatting in the evenings and sleeping early but many people love a book or cards or something to do when downtime hits.

– Bring a water bottle. Even if it’s just a bottle of spring water that you can refill along the way. Purified water is provided but the bottles are not. Also, some people prefer to extra-purify their water. Some had their own tablets and some had UV light machines. I just drank the water provided and was fine but if you want to go the extra mile, please do.

– We didn’t bring snacks, which was good because there are shops along the way and our guide was always giving us small chocolate bars and fruit. But, feel free to bring some snacks if it makes you jump for joy.

– That’s about it. The rest is common sense. Prescription drugs, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.

ANY QUESTIONS? PLEASE ASK IN THE COMMENTS!

 

 

 

 

How I Booked a Flight from Canada to Mexico, Colombia and back from Bolivia for $27

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One of the major powers of travel hacking comes from high-value redemptions and I decided to get really creative with our (my wife and I) points for our upcoming five-month trip to Mexico and South America.

After racking up a little more than 500,000 frequent flyer miles in 2013, I had to start putting them to good use. Since we were already planning to go to Mexico for our wedding, we decided to continue south and backpack through a good part of South America.

Using Aeroplan, the cost for a return-trip to Mexico City in economy class is 40,000 points. However, it’s only 50,000 points to go to Colombia, Ecuador or Bolivia. Peru is 60,000. Because the flight is international, Aeroplan allows one free stopover and one free open-jaw. Another bonus, though they won’t tell you this, is that you can have a couple of layovers in cities on route as well.

Let the travel hacking begin.

I did all the research I could do online via Aeroplan.com but because the trip involves an open-jaw, I had to call in and book through an agent, which costs $30 per person. No biggie.

I told the agent where we wanted to go and had them research the same itinerary that I had already researched online. We wanted to fly to Cartagena, Colombia with a six week stopover in Mexico City. From Cartagena, we wanted to do an open-jaw and fly back to Canada from Bolivia rather than Colombia. This would give us almost four months to backpack down through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia without the need to come all the way back to Colombia.

As I had already researched this part, I knew it was viable. We didn’t have many options for the return date from La Paz, Bolivia but we made it work. I’m not sure why Bolivia is less points than Peru but I’ll take it!

After getting the itinerary sorted out, I noticed that the return flight from Bolivia had a connection in Mexico City. Thinking it would be nice to see my family-in-law one more time before heading back to Canada, I asked for a 21-hour layover in Mexico City on the way home. When I made the request, the agent told me I would lose my stopover. Luckily I knew this wasn’t true and I was able to tell her that this wasn’t the case.

I explained that a layover is less than 24 hours and thus, not considered a stopover. I also told her that I did this before with a 23-hour 57-minute layover in Chicago on a previous trip.

Suddenly, it became possible and we had our 21-hour layover in Mexico City on the way back.

It was settled.

zihuatanejo
Looking down over Zihuatanejo, Mexico from an infinity pool

We booked the flight departing from Calgary, Alberta to Mexico City where we would stay for six weeks. During this time, we will visit family and drive to the coast to get married on the beach. We will then leave Mexico City and fly to Cartagena, Colombia where we will then spend almost four months backpacking through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia before flying back to Calgary from La Paz, Bolivia in late June. To sweeten the deal, we were also going to be taking a 21-hour layover in Mexico City on the way home, which was enough time to say hi and bye again to my family-in-law and pick up anything we left behind. We’re pretty excited about this trip. We’ll be hiking to Macchu Picchu and eating delicious Peruvian food, hiking to the lost city of Colombia, scuba diving in the Galapagos, and volunteering at an animal refuge in Bolivia. This is going to be a trip of epic properotions.

The total cost for myself was 50,000 points + $327 in taxes and fees. I used 50,000 points from my Aeroplan account and then paid the $327 with a Scotiabank American Express I received a few weeks before. What was cool about this particular American Express is that it came with a $300 statement credit after spending just $100 on a travel-related expense. It also included 15,000 “Scotia” points, which were worth another $150 in travel credit.

Since taxes and fees from a flight is travel-related, I passed the $100 threshold and then called to have the $300 statement credit used towards the bill.

$327 – $300 statement credit = $27 out of my pocket.

That same card also came with 15,000 points, which in this particular case were worth $150 in statement credit. I used this credit to help pay for my $27 and the rest towards Karla’s ticket.

All in all, I used an array of credit card bonuses and travel hacking to get this incredible trip for just $27. Actually, with the bonus points, my flight was not only 100% free but I had $123 leftover for my wife’s taxes.

I’m writing this post from Mexico City at the moment. Next weekend, we’ll take a road trip to the beautiful beach area of Ixtapa, which is where we are getting married. After that, we’ll come back to Mexico City and probably drive down to Oaxaca to see another amazing city in Mexico before heading to Colombia and continuing on our South American journey.

That’s it!

Have you ever travel hacked your way to a cool destination? Let me know about it in the comments below.

If you’re from Canada, I’ve created a membership site just for you that not only teaches you everything there is to know about travel hacking but also sends you all the deals for earning points so you don’t have to do any research whatsoever. It’s been featured in the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail. Check out Canadian Free Flyers by clicking here.

If you’re from the U.S.A, I’m currently working on a guide that will teach you everything there is to know about travel hacking from America. Click here to sign up so you can be notified when it’s ready and get an exclusive discount for being first in line.

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The Beer that Changed my Life | An Incredible Experience in Myanmar

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It was pitch black outside as my fiancé Karla and I peddled our way back to the guesthouse from the restaurant we had dinner at. There were no street lights as we raced through the little town of Bagan, which proved a little scary but also enjoyable as it was one of the rare times to experience no traffic. It was much more serene.

As we got closer to the guesthouse, we passed by a small stream that made it’s way into the Irrawaddy river. Under one of the few streetlights in the area, a couple of guys were singing while another played the guitar. We were certainly tired and ready for bed but I couldn’t help but think how cool it would be to mingle with them. These are the kind of opportunities I long for when I travel. Karla decided to go back to the room and I decided to park the bike and sit down with them. They welcomed me to join them but not much was said. I didn’t speak Burmese and they had little english so I just listened and enjoyed the moment. Eventually, one of them sat down beside me and tried his best to learn about me. He told me his name and asked what brought me to Bagan. He mentioned how surprised he was that I would come sit with them.

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10 Tips for Traveling the World with No Money

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Okay okay, I know what you’re thinking. Bullshit.

To some degree, you might be right. You do need some money to travel. But not much. In fact, most of the people I have met seem rather broke. However, they are living an incredible life. Some are living that life for just a moment while others are doing it long-term, including families with children.

One of the most important things to remember is that you don’t need to be rich to travel. In some ways, being rich might even hinder the experience, since you’ll likely be coming at it from an angle of luxury and status. If you think travel is only about beach resorts and 3-star restaurants, this is likely NOT for you, unless you’re trying to open your mind to new possibilities.

I’ve stayed in gorgeous 4-star hotels and I’ve done the all-inclusive thing. If all you’re seeking is a one-week escape from life, then this probably does fit the bill. You’ll get to relax with ocean waves in the background and you won’t need to worry about anything except the timing of the next buffet meal. It won’t be all that different from home because you’ll still be mingling with other people just like you who may even be from the same city or the same country. It won’t be an adventure. It will simply be relaxation time, which is fine.

However, if you’re looking to experience travel from a life-changing point of view, then you’ll need to ditch the resorts and high-end hotels and opt for the more independent and adventurous route. You’ll want to meet locals and dive into the culture, not-to-mention the ocean for an up-close and personal look at life under the sea. You might be wanting to zip-line across jungles or look for wild elephants along the river bank. You might just be looking to meet very interesting people, hike to minority villages and simply expand your mind in a way that only independent travel can provide. [Read more…] about 10 Tips for Traveling the World with No Money

How to Have 1 Full Year of World Travel and Adventure For Less than $1500 Per Month

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Last year, my soon-to-be-wife Karla and I spent 10 months in SE Asia and 2 months in Mexico. We travelled from Canada to Mexico and back to Canada for our big departure overseas. We had about $30,000 for the both of us and came back with basically nothing.

We spent less than $1500 per month each (including all our flights) but had the time of our lives. We spent thousands on world-class scuba diving and didn’t hesitate to spend money on any experience we felt was special.

The most amazing and life-changing travel is cheaper than living an auto-pilot life in a developed country.

The cost of a car can send you on a thrilling adventure all over the world for three years. The cost of a house can send you all over the world for the rest of your life. Crazy right? [Read more…] about How to Have 1 Full Year of World Travel and Adventure For Less than $1500 Per Month