Honda: 19th - 21st December 2025
19th December – Friday
Wow, that was a journey and a half – 12 hours exactly and I am totally exhausted. I walked the 6 minutes from the hostel in Villa de Layva and got the bus to Tunja without any problems. Although I don’t know where my head was at, the lady said the fair was 13000 COP (in Spanish) so I gave her 7000! My listening skills really need to improve. At Tunja bus terminal I asked around for a bus to Honda but there was no direct ones so I booked myself a bus to Bogota. The lady said it would take two and a half hours, which it did, then it took over an hour to get across Bogota to the bus terminal!
My first impressions of Bogota, which is the capital of Colombia, were not positive. Lots of semi high rises and highly polluted with extremely slow moving traffic and very run down. But then it was only the suburbs that I saw and only the main road that runs through the city. I later researched and it is supposed to have a beautiful colonial old town and some world class museums, so maybe a stay for a couple of days before I fly to Leticia will change my mind about the city. I will need to think about it. Bogoat bus terminal is humongous, we got dropped off in area 5 and I bought one of the large round balls of god knows what that I have been eyeing for the last few days. I asked the lady serving where to go for the Honda bus and she told me area 1 and said it was far. She was not joking, at one point I thought I may as well be at Heathrow airport. The walk took about 10 minutes and the lady at the first counter I tried told me to go to area 2. Uhm, I tried another counter and she sold me a ticket for Honda for the 4 O’clock bus, which was a 30 minute wait, and was leaving from area 2! I must admit I have been really lucky with all my connections so far with this one being the longest wait.
I tried to find somewhere to vape but couldn’t so sat by the exit gate, took one bite of my round ball, which was now cold, when they called us up. It was only quarter to, so I put my stuff on the bus and vaped till it was time to go. The driver informed me the journey is 6 hours – OMG – I phoned my hotel and told them of my ETA, but Carlos, the manager was said it was not a problem.
The journey was bloody cold, in fact Bogota is cold at 2,600 meters above sea level, and even the decent to Honda, which is only 200 meters sea level and tucked in a valley in Colombian Andes was cold. I stupidly left my jumper in my ruck sack which was in the hold and the driver stopped once to pick up passengers and I was asleep when he did so didn’t get the chance to retrieve it. I didn’t sleep much, more dozed, as we were played lift salsa music with maracas for the entire journey – it became horrendous on the ear drums in the end. It was quite a relief to arrive in Honda and the driver was spot on, we left at 4:10 and arrived at 10:05.
I jumped in a taxi and the driver spent 10 minutes getting directs for my hotel from other drivers and even then I had to give him my phone with Google maps directions on it. But he was such a sweetie. He couldn’t locate the hotel from the car so got out and started to walk up and down the road, I was so impressed that I gave him a juicy tip. In the end I phoned Carlos and it turns out that we were right outside of the place – lol – shame it doesn’t have it’s name on board outside of it, or a door number that corresponds with the details on Agoda.
Carlos and the hotel are fabulous. It is a large, but as large as the one Villa de Layva, Colombian
casa converted into a hotel. It has a large courtyard, with a swimming pool and all the rooms are along one side. Carlos showed me around and gave me a map of the area. I had a beer and then went for a walk to by food. I found a pizza place open in the square, which was magical with all it’s Christmas lights, but there were so many people waiting to be served and what with it being so late, I turned around and came back to my room. I really look forward to exploring Honda tomorrow, but for now I need to sleep.
20th December – Saturday
I’m really loving Honda, it’s so colourful and easy to walk, even though there are a couple of steep hills. It is actually known as the city of bridges because it has over 40 bridges crossing the Magdaline, Guali and Guarino rivers. However only 18 of them are in use and today I traversed 4 of them.
I started off by heading to the central square and then blindly took one of the very steep roads off it and eventually found myself in the indoor market, Plaza Municipal de Mercado. There wasn’t really much to it but I had a little stroll around. After I was taking some pictures outside and notice a young girl in the distance wearing a red jumper stop and pose for me, such vanity, it did make me smile. From there I crossed the blue and yellow bridge on Careara 11 and did the first left. This part of town was not so touristy and I found a lovely local restaurant down a little alleyway and had a cup of coffee. I didn’t actually go all the way over the second bridge as it had some seats so I sat and checked out a route on my phone. I decided go head towards the Magdaline River Museum and so double backed on myself and traversed the next bridge along. A big yellow one. I had read someone’s blog recommending that you should stay on the tourist side of this bridge, I really am not sure why they wrote that as there was nothing wrong or sinister with the local side. Anyway I kept going and located a view point. There were a few people sitting next to the rive where there was a sandy area, so I grabbed a beer and sat with them, It wasn’t before long before they all left, do I smell? LoL. They had all been waiting for a boat trip!
After my beer I continued to the museum but went straight past it and over my fourth bridge to an area called Arrancaplumas and the Ibanasca Murales Cultura Popular. It was such a colourful beautiful little off shoot to the town. All the house, still colonial, were painted in different vivid colours and most had the most amazing floral front walls and gardens. It was so picturesque. I found the murals and took lots of pictures before heading back and into the museum. It was such a small museum, one corridor and two rooms but it was very informative about the river, which is 1528 km long and has many branches of it, including the river Mompox where I had the pleasure of taking a boat ride with Luz. The river basically runs the whole length of Colombia, starting from the mountains in the south and flowing into the Caribbean sea in the north, so as you can imagine, over the centuries, it has played a vital role in the life and development of Cambodia and it’s people, from fishing to cruises.
After the museum I came back to the hostel and sat by the pool. Carlos is so lovely, not only did he have his breakfast with me, when he saw me sitting by the pool he turned it on and fished out as many of the little insects as he could so I could have as swim. I hadn’t planned to swim but it was actually really lovely and very refreashing after long walk. I even played ball with Paco, Carlos’ dog, not that the dog came in the water. He stood at the side of the pool and I was in it and we bounced the ball between us.
For dinner I went to Magnolias Pizza, which was delicious. I also had a red berry GnT, which was scrumptious, so much so I scooped all the fruit out at the end with my straw and ate it.
It’s been a mad day as I’ve had long conversations with three people from back home. First Danie and Errol – Errol I am praying for you. Then, outside of the museum, Celine (French teacher from FCGS) and I messaged a lot. She is having doubts about moving to Liberia, I suggested just to go for one year and then reassess the situation. No harm in trying it out first. And then during my pizza Justine video called. I had actually just finished shedding a little tear for my dad, not often I do that these days, so I was already feeling quite emotional. She was having a little pre Christmas gathering and so Precious, Claude, SS, Marsha and a few others, including Hadley and Appy were there and I shed another little tear. I really do miss everyone so much and what with the Christmas season upon as I am missing them even more. However, it was fabulous to see a few familiar faces and I look forward to see them all in person in 6 months time.
Right, I must, before I sleep tonight book my accommodation in Medellin, I leave for there the day after tomorrow!
21st December – Sunday
I haven’t done much today. But I did finally book a room in Medellín for tomorrow and I am awaiting confirmation on an apartment in Cali. I am so glad I looked at Cali today as most of the places around where I want to stay that are in my price range are booked – I knew this would happen as there is a 5 day festival starting on the 26th and then it’s the new year. I have almost left it too late to book, but not quite. Fingers crossed for my conformation.
This morning I had a massage, the lady in the room next to me was having one and I felt jealous – lol. I was going to have it my room and Carlos proceeded to move the blanket box and sitting there on the floor was a THC vape, which I quickly claimed – Merry Christmas to me! The massage was very nice, she really worked a couple of knots in back under my shoulder blade, Funny enough the same knots that Manu found when she massaged me many years ago. It must be a permanent fixture.
I was going to go for a walk along the river this afternoon, in the opposite direction to yesterday. But both Carlos and his cleaning lady kept telling me it was a dangerous area. Carlos kept insisting I go to the same places as yesterday, I don’t think he fully understood me when I told him I had already been there. So I just ended up following the same steps across the river, but kept walking up into the ‘locals’ area in the hope of finding some museum that Carlos said was there. I didn’t find it, but did find myself walking down some dodgy derelict road with loads of dubious looking kids hanging about and a very derelict warehouse that stunk of weed plants. I said buenos tardes to the kids and they said it back and then stopped eyeballing me and I returned to safer grounds.
In the hope of finding a ‘safe to use’ ATM I found myself heading out of town, which was cool as I found a cheap rotisserie chicken shop and bought some food to take away. Eventually I returned to the historic centre, found an ATM and sat outside a restaurant and had a rather expensive beer – always check the price first Ruthie!
There is a new guy here at the hostel, from new York. We didn’t exchange names but did have a long conversation. He has been living and teaching on the coast of Colombia for the last 3 years and thinks I would easily get a job here, but said there only about 20 schools across Colombia that employ foreign teachers. He suggested a I join a site called Search Associates and that they have teaching posts across the entire world. Food for thought.
This evening I went for a little walk to the town square and took some pictures of the Christmas lights. There was couple trying to take photos of themselves in the hot air balloon using the camera timer. I ended up doing it for them and then told them to sit in the love heart and I took even more, very romantic, pictures for them. They were well chuffed and I feel very good for helping them out. Small acts of kindness go a long way.