A beautiful tiny old colonial town up in the mountains. It is a short day trip from backpacker friendly San Gil, the white water rafting capital of Colombia. Ordinary people actually still inhabit Barichara, and though it has been restored it is not tarted up. The colorful wooden doors, the whitewashed walls and the red tiles roofs makes it an easy target for snappy happy visitors, but the risk of getting run over by local school kids rather than tourist is still higher. A couple of churches, a main square, and a maze of stone-paved streets are the top attractions... well, only attractions. The exact reason to come and spend a lazy day.

A big ghastly mismatch. Yes, the first impression of Bogota will probably not be pretty, but it is a city that grows on you. The fairly high altitude at 2640m makes the climate like eternal fall, chilled with warm rays of sun. The old quarter, La Candelaria, has heaps to keep you busy during the day, while the surrounding hill will offer great views over the city at sunset, before the bars have to be visit. So while there are not many reasons to come to Bogota in the first place, there are lots of reasons to stay a little bit longer if you do.

Colombia's Grand Canyon. A gorgeous canyon with a river cutting through at the bottom almost 2000 meters below. The slopes are steep and covered in wonderfully shaped cactuses. It is now possible to take in the beauty by classy cable car, else the winding road that traverses the canyon will give excellent views from both the summit and bottom. The serious hairpin turns seem never-ending and are either to-die-for for motorcyclists or sickening for those stuck in a bus. It is just one of those splendid routes that Colombia has so many of.

First time you see one of these mannequins in a fashion store, you will probably laugh. They are heavenly disproportional with huge tits and round gravity defying apple butts. First thought is that they must have been made by a dirty-minded male sculptor, but then you realise that some Colombian women are created like that. And then you stop looking at the mannequins.

On the evening of the 13th November 1985 volcan Nevado del Ruiz erupted and send an avalanche of ash and mud towards the town of Armero, more than 45 km away. Within short time the town was buried in meter deep mud, which took the people by surprise since they have been reassured by authorities earlier the same day that there was nothing to worry about. 23.000 people were killed, more than two thirds of the town's population. Today the road from Mariquita goes through the ghost town, where the surviving houses still stand half covered in dirt in the shaded of big trees. There are tombstones everywhere and part of the town church is equally half preserved. Beside the handful of DVD vendors along the road (they sell a documentary about the catastrophe), the place is complete deserted and a grim memorial of a recent tragedy.

Every Tuesday the small village of Silvia hold it's weekly market. Buses loaded with Guambiano Indians and sacks of potatoes in every color and shape arrive early for returning equally loaded in the afternoon. The Indians are dressed in their finest, which just happen to be the same for all. Ankle boots deep blue scarf, bowler hat and wraparound skirt, and that includes the men too. It is a great mix of trading and get together at the plaza for catching up on the latest gossip. It is just one of those lovely places that Colombia has so many of, but again not many visitors come here (luckily).

The largest lake in Colombia and located at semi high elevation at 3000m. It is an enchanting place, where clouds come rolling in from the surrounding hills to lie low over the cold water. Any road to here is winding and takes you through tough farmland and rough villagers (like Cuitiva, Iza and Tota). The local farmers all sport ponchos, wide brim hats and sunburned cheeks. There is even a "Playa Blanca" at the shore of the lake with sand and space for camping under the pine and eucalyptus trees.

Build on a bridge over a deep gorge with nearby waterfalls plunging into the river far below, this neo-Gothic church surely is an impressive sight from the distant. A closer look though reveals religious kitsch that pilgrim destinations sometime suffer from, like souvenir stands, wood lookalike cement fence and odd picnic tables. The church itself though is beautiful and the alter inside is formed from the bare rock face, where the image of Virgin Mary apparently have appeared. Despite the junk (well, it is not that bad) it is definitely worth doing the short side trip to here from Ipiales.

The 15 meters high mud cone at El Totumo is not just a pile mud, but a real volcano. Instead of spewing lava, it just bobbles mud up. You can climb to the top by wooden stairs and take a mud bath right in the crater. Well, that is the reason to come here in the first place. Besides the whole wellness feeling it is also a very strange sensation descending into the bottomless pit full of mud (and just for the record you do not sink).

The old part of Popayan is not just another pretty Colombian whitewashed colonial town. It is very much alive, and not turned into a groomed tourist attraction. On special occasions the towns many churches are light up in the night like giant Christmas decorations. The biggest church is San Sebastian, which distinct itself from the other churches by having a morbid hidden attraction. During the big earthquake in 1983 the church building got serious damaged, but out of the cracked walls felt two mummified monks. These are now displayed up under the church roof and can be viewed if you ask. It is very low key affair and can be extended with tour on the church roof (if you ask the guard nicely) with splendid views over the town.