Ah Santa Marta, the oldest city in Colombia and resting place of Simon Bolivar, the liberator of the majority of South America, it could be so much more than it is. Sadly, most of the colonial charm has been demolished, with its beach full of container ships. Luckily though it's not about Santa Marta, but the surrounding areas, with Tyrona national park (it's on the cover of the lonely planet Colombia) just one example.

This could have been a blog about how much we enjoyed one of the most picturesque destinations for beaches and jungles. However, I was ill for two days which I spent taking in the sights of our room at dreamer hostel. Which illness aside, is a must to stay at, with a pool, great staff and vibe.

After two days of feeling sorry for myself and meeting Randal and Craig for a departing meal we headed to Minca. Known as the oldest coffee producing area in Colombia, we were less interested in the coffee and more interested in the supposed worlds largest hammock. The location of which was casa elemento hostel. Jumping out of our collectivo jeep we were greated by a group of moto taxis, the only way to get to the hostel. Neither myself or Alice had been on the back of a motorbike before and the rain did little to ease our anxiety.

Setting off up the muddy mountain I was on the back of a more rounder gentlemans bike and we would get a lot closer on the next corner. Hitting a bumpy part of the road, he revved the bike with me shooting backwards. With the threat of falling off the back of the bike he suggested I hold his shoulders. It made for a bit more of a shall we say intimate journey to the hostel. Meanwhile Alice told her driver to go slow, which he did stopping a few times, only to catch up and overtake us all.

Safely at the hostel we were greeted by beautiful views over the valley and of course, the hammock. Which as the name suggests was pretty big. With the sun setting and drink in hand I cannot think of many better places to be.

With our coffee fix already satisfied in Salento, we headed off to explore the surrounding jungle and waterfalls. Hiking through the dense forest perhaps wasn't the best idea after a few days of being ill but the views more than made up for it. Arriving at the waterfall was the perfect remedy to the two hour sweaty hike, with the return no less humid and hot.

We returned to Santa Marta, with the moto taxi journey and collectivo a lot less exciting than before. After a relaxing day by the pool our time in Santa Marta was up. With so many places missed, like the lost city, Tyrona and Palomina it is just an excuse to come back. Now onto Cartagena to start our journey through the San Blas islands of Panama.

With our time in Colombia at an end here are the things we learnt about this beautiful country:

The people are really friendly. Colombian people are ranked the 3rd happiest people in the world in 2012 (behind Costa Rica and Vietnam), which is amazing considering the turmoil and strife the country has been through in the past 30 years. We've found them to be the most approachable, chatty and friendliest people in South America.

James Rodriguez is everywhere. From adverts for mobile phones to bimbo bread (not a name that would take off in the UK). You simply cannot escape the poster boy of Colombian football.

It's Colombia not Columbia a mistake I made quite a lot at the beginning. In Bogota airport they even sell bags with this printed on it.

The police are everywhere and with guns. Although now a relatively safe country, it's hard to miss the armed presence on the streets. Security we're also often accompanied by a muzzled Rottweiler ... always reassuring.

They love a good party and they love to dance. From the salsa clubs of Cali to the reggaeton reverberating from the bars of Medellin and Bogota, give the Colombians music and they'll show you how to party.

While on that theme they love a good singalong on the bus. Each bus we took played music throughout the whole journey, with no lack of willing participants to sing along. Not to mention the Chiva bus, a truly unforgettable experience.

The national drink of Colombia Aguardiente translates to fiery water and tastes like watered down sambucca. The locals however cannot get enough, drinking it in small shot glasses and buying it by the bottle for every occasion, from dinner with friends to drinks in a club.

We've travelled all of South America and even Alice is in agreement the women are the most beautiful there, if not in the world. Sadly for female tourists, the same can't be said for the men.