A trip to a mountainous national park in Colombia.

Smalltown Colombian Life

December 9-10, 2007
Days 802-803

El Cocuy National Park Trip Day 6-7

I started my bus trip back to Bucaramanga, but met a girl named Rosita who invited me to visit her family in a small town called Tipacoque. It sounded like an interesting side trip, so I went along and… Read More »

A Rainy, Snowy Lagoon

December 8, 2007
Day 801

El Cocuy National Park Trip Day 5

I was up at dawn again and started walking as soon as possible to avoid the daily bad afternoon weather. Today, however, was cloudy and rainy from the beginning. At one point, the freezing rain was driving so hard into my face… Read More »

Drunk with Pleasure

December 7, 2007
Day 800

El Cocuy National Park Trip Day 4

I got up at first light today and left the relative comfort of my tent for the freezing cold conditions outside. Last night's rain turned into a sheet of ice that covered the fly of my tent this morning, and I had… Read More »

The Early Milk Truck

December 6, 2007
Day 799

El Cocuy National Park Trip Day 3

Everyone I talked to yesterday, including the park ranger, the refuge owner, and the owner of my hotel told me that the milk truck left at 5:30 in the morning, and could drop me off near the refuge. I began looking for… Read More »

Guican, One Day Late

December 5, 2007
Day 798

El Cocuy National Park Trip Day 2

I took the first bus out of Soata this morning at 7:00 AM. It was another terrific journey as we went higher and higher to the point where I caught my first glimpse of snow in Colombia. But the trip felt a… Read More »

Trouble on the Road

December 4, 2007
Day 797

El Cocuy National Park Trip Day 1

I was up early this morning and got a taxi to the bus station in time to catch the 6:00 AM bus to Malaga. It was a long ride over beautiful terrain where we constantly headed up and down the area's peaks… Read More »