Colombia is our favorite place so far. We`ve been the only backpackers on several buses and feel somewhat more off the tourist track. It`s nice not to have people coming up to you constantly trying to sell trinkets or tours, and we`ve been able to just relax more and check out regular life go by.

For the most part people have been so eager to welcome us and find out what we think of their country. Several times I`ve gotten into a taxi cab exhausted only to get drawn into a lively political discussion about Colombian/US politics. Most people here are very supportive of the current President, Uribe, who has taken a strong military position against the Guerillas and Paramilitaries, cleaning up Colombia a la Giuliani in New York City. A bit of a heavy hand but certainly effective. People can move between and within cities more safely now that army guards are posted along the highway, and the ongoing internal conflict is lessening.

Then again we just met a couple who run a restaurant out of their home to make money since they were put under house arrest for supposedly ¨fomenting revolution.¨ They had been teaching children about Colombian cultural heritage prior to their arrest and told us there is simply no room for open thought or cultural expression under the current regime. For them, peace comes at too high a cost.

The last week has been one of my most favorite of the trip; we`re definitely more mountain than beach people and very content here in the green rolling hills and mild climate of the coffee region. We started in Manizales, a charming college town and the first time in a while we`d seen any restaurants or cafes where ambiance went beyond a few fruits lined up on the bar. We drank lots of coffee, read and relaxed, and visted a beautiful family coffee plantation where we learned everything about harvesting, roasting, and selling coffee. And after a 6 hour tour, I mean we learned everything! We even earned some pretty nifty diplomas.

The last couple days we`ve been in the small town of Salento, population 3,500. It`s a real cowboy kind of town with horses running wild everywhere alongside the requisite stray dogs. We were here during the festival of the Virgen Carmen, the town`s patron saint. We however had no idea the festival was going on, and to the uninitiated, unaware, and maybe slightly paranoid travelers - that would be us - the festivities sounded more violent than religious.

It was around 5:00AM when we heard the first gunshots.We were staying in a small family run hotel a bit off the beaten path and were the only guests in the place. The shots sounded like they were coming from less than a block away. For over 15 minutes what sounded to us like a highly charged gunfight continued just outside our not so well secured door. My heart was pounding as I considered how thick our walls were, whether guerillas were taking over the town, and whether getting under the bed was an appropriate or ridiculous response. A town alarm sounded out, confirming our fears that something bad was happening. We stayed awake until the sun came out and roosters started crowing, and then fell asleep for another couple hours.

That morning, after peering carefully outside our door, we headed to the main house for breakfast where the owner greeted us cheerfully and asked how we`d slept. When I replied that we hadn`t slept so well, and asked what the story was with the gunshots and alarms he burst out laughing. Apparently we had been cowering under our blankets while the rest of the town was up celebrating the Virgen Carmen with fireworks at 5AM. Why 5AM I have no idea, and it certainly didn`t sound like any fireworks we`d ever heard, but after having a good chuckle at our own expense we felt relieved that we didn`t have to pack up and run from guerilla activity in this small, seemingly tranquil town.

So that was adventure number one. Number two was yesterday, when we headed in a jeep to the Valle del Cocora to hike in the wax palm trees. A lot of people hire guides but we were feeling pretty tough after surviving Ciudad Perdida, so we packed a little day pack and headed out. The route was beautiful but super muddy after the night`s rain, and I was glad some other travelers recommended we use rubber boots. They kept me upright most of the way, although we did have to perform several rescue missions since the mud was so sticky and deep that it trapped my boot as my foot stepped straight out. Josh braved the mud with only his tennis shoes and lived to tell the tale, but he`s thinking of picking up some boots anyways since they look so tough and fit in with all the locals...

The hike was beautiful and and we had the trail mostly to ourselves. Incredible views, rickety bridge crossings, a couple wrong turns and off-roading, nice but somewhat overrated wax palm trees, and a well-earned mocha at the top rounded out a great day. And possibly the best part of all was the ride home. 17 people in one jeep with Josh and I hanging off the back bumping along with the other cowboys and girls on the dirt road back to town.

Now that our country adventure is truly complete we`re heading back to the safety and comforts of the big city - back to my old stomping grounds in Bogotà.