Friday 15th December - the last full day.

 Our last day in Colombia was a free day. We spent the morning exploring the bull ring mall where we stopped for coffee (of course) and window-shopped. The rest of the day was spent by the pool where we enjoyed a lovely mezze lunch for two. 

In the evening we joined Ingrid again for our farewell dinner at another restaurant in Candelaria. This was a very pleasant affair, and we were so glad that Mike and Krista had been our traveling companions. They were lots of fun and great sports which made their company a real delight.

After the meal we returned to the hotel. Mike and Krista had a very early start for their return to Florida but our flight was later so we could take our time.

The verdict was that this had been a good trip, well-named as 'Colorful Colombia' which it certainly was. It was an eye-opener, to some extent as Colombia has had such a bad reputation during its 'drug days', Cali and Medellin being the very definition of 'danger'. It is remarkable how this country has changed in what is, a relatively short period of time. It does have much to offer with a coastline, the west, mid and eastern Andes mountains, much wildlife, many interesting buildings and monuments as well as enormous natural resources. Of course, there are the usual issues of petty theft and pickpockets in the city centers but these are common to most cities in the world.

The food was good but surprisingly bland as we had anticipated it being spicy and hot. The fish and ceviche were good as was the pork and beef. There was, of course plenty of fruit and vegetables as the country is one huge garden!! The roads and transport are quite modern and well-maintained. The whole country has an air of the 'up and up'.

Our guides and all we met were anxious that we would spread the news that Colombia was a place to visit and not a place to be scared of. The number of cruise ships visiting Cartagena was testament to that city's popularity but, of course, those passengers did not get to see the rest of the country, just a brief glimpse of the city. the rest of the country is well worth exploring. there is much of interest in the indigenous population where there are many tribes and languages which still exist and which are supported by central government. Hotels, restaurants and other facilities are good and well maintained and staffed.

Friendly Planet our tour operator did a very good job in transporting us around and in the high-quality guides and drivers which they supplied. the fact that there were only four of us cannot have made the tour a money spinner for them, but it was very enjoyable for us.

I found later this interesting item on the demographics of the population of Colombia which is very diverse and also quite location specific.

Colombia Population