In this episode of Recipe to the Road podcast, we'll be exploring the beautiful country of Ecuador, the bustling city of Cali in Colombia, and the San Blas Islands, where the Guna Yala people have lived for generations with my guest Stephen. This is part two of Stephen’s interview so if you haven’t listened to part one yet you can catch it here.
Stephen’s next stop was Ecuador, where he and his partner Siobhán encountered some more political unrest, but fortunately, it wasn't too serious. There were no lockdowns this time. One of the highlights of their time in Ecuador was visiting Baños, where they “swung off the edge of the world”.
They also ventured into the Amazon rainforest, travelling for over nine hours into the jungle but still really only being in the outskirts. They stayed in a hostel there. While the experience was amazing they felt it was the tourist-friendly version of the Amazon. However, they also learned about the tribes that live deep in the jungle, some of whom have never met people from the outside world before.
Their travels took them to Cali, Colombia, where they felt a bit unsafe after accidentally wandering into a bad part of the city. Fortunately, a few locals walked beside them, trying to help them, until the police arrived and put them in a taxi. This experience taught them to be more cautious when wandering around cities in the future.
As they were running out of money, they flew to Medellin and visited Pablo Escobar's prison. They also travelled along the north coast of Colombia. However, their original plan to travel all the way from South America to Vancouver became too expensive.
To travel from Colombia to Panama, they took a San Blas islands tour, as they couldn't go by land due to the impassable Darrian Gap. This jungle between Panama and Colombia is a valuable drug trafficking channel, and it's full of wild animals and diseases. It's far too dangerous for people to travel through, and there are no roads. While the Darrian Gap is fascinating, Stephen said they didn't ask too many questions about what was going on there, as they felt it might not be the best idea.
The San Blas islands tour was the highlight of their trip, as they spent four nights going between islands, meeting people, and experiencing their way of life. The Guna Yala people taught them about their customs and traditions, and they did the tour with a company called the San Blas Islands tour.
Being on the San Blas islands showed Stephen a different way of life. While people there are educated and potentially have the opportunity to leave, they decide to stay because they prefer their way of life. Stephen said it was a transformative experience that will stay with him forever.
Santiago, Chile→ Mendosa, Argentina → back to Santiago, Chile → San Pedro de Atacama, Chile → Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia → La Paz, Bolivia → Copacabana, Bolivia → Cusco, Peru → Huacachina, Peru → Nazca Lines, Peru → Paracas, Peru → Mancora, Peru → Guayaquil, Ecuador → Baños, Ecuador → Amazon, Ecuador → Cali, Colombia → Medellin, Colombia → Cartagena, Colombia → Santa Martha, Colombia → Palomino, Colombia→ Guna Yala Islands→ Panama
Contact the show: recipetotheroad@gmail.com or @recipetotheroad
Apply to be a guest: https://forms.gle/MbPYGzHxKQvCUfdt8
Podcast production: www.creativelycontenting.com
--- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recipetotheroad/message