Breaking the Rules

Rule one from the Lonely Planet guide to Colombia... do not take a night bus.. I took one from Bucaramanga to Santa Marta but there was no choice

Rule two... don't walk back the long way through Tayrona National Park because robberies have been reported... we did it but under protest, Mark's idea and I only read the guide book after

Rule three.... don't walk up to La Popa in Cartagena, take a taxi, armed robberies have been reported... well, yesterday was the Patron Saint of Cartagena's special day, I wasn't alone and an armed robber would have been hard pressed to have found us in the crowds

Rule four... don't take opened drinks off people you don't know.... ah stuff it!



Yesterday I went to a very strange thing-volcan de totumo.. a mud volcano





It is a few thousand feet deep apparentely but it is also impossible to sink. It is a very strange feeling



And I took photos of donkeys... hey I am a tourist!



The day before I went to El Castillo de San Felipe something



Colombians don't just like to fly flags, they like to fly BIG flags



Having met someone to talk to on the day at the volcano it seemed a shame not to take advantage so we went out. We climbed the hill to La Popa through the festival crowds. There was a real party atmosphere and the sunset was awesome





We came down and decided to join the festival but while Nicola, German girl with great Spanish, was talking to an old couple I made a friend too



he was fascinated with my digital camera and I woke up this morning to find about 17 photos of him... he would pose then run back to see the results



Then I made another friend