We'd had to postpone our trip to San Gil due to my stupidity in the Galapagos when I damaged my coccyx. Being the centre for extreme sports in Colombia I knew it needed time to heal properly to enjoy our time there to the full, so after a painful five-hour bus ride there I wasn't feeling overly optimistic. We arrived at our hostel called Macondo after a short cab ride to be greeted by Shaun, our New Zealand host. He immediately bombarded us with video after video...

Simon's demons needed exorcising. With his diving confidence still not up to par a destination for intense diving was needed. San Andres is a little known Caribbean island owned by Colombia and nestled next to Nicaragua. It offers a Caribbean vibe at backpacker budgets as well as some of the best diving at the most reasonable rates. It seemed too good and too close to be avoidable. Landing in hectic San Andres town with its identical tax free shops, condo after ...

It always seems to be the rural areas where you understand a countries mentality best. Cities are cities - crime, party, shopping and business unite most cities in the world but get to the wild green yonder and here you start to unravel the true nature of a place and people. Salento attracts Colombian tourists as well as the international contingent but it does so because it has refused to be changed or altered. It is what it is and let's the whirl of tourism ha...

Once Colombia was on the cards the long mission to get into the country began. With long bus journeys, cramp, stiff necks and swollen ankles being part of our routine it was not overly daunting although two stop overs, a border crossing, taxi's bus's and the usual shift of acclimatising to a new culture, all at break neck speed, wasn't filling either of us with joy. Banos to Otovalo, to Tulcan, crossing the border into Colombia and then to Ipiales, to Pasto, to P...