I'm sitting in a hammock next to a pool, listening to the Beach Boys. Bliss. Having a great time in Santa Marta... I'm in the nicest hostel ever, The Dreamer. The rooms are centred around a courtyard where the pool and bar are, so it's really sociable - a bit like a resort.. there's even an Italian restaurant. After originally thinking I'd stay here for a couple of nights then move to Taganga (the party place right on the beach) I've decided to base myself here...

What a lot has changed in just one day.. woke up today in the pouring rain, in the middle of no-where. I'm now sat next to the pool in the warm evening air - on the Caribbean coast! Hurrah, I've escaped from the cold! It's all been a bit of an adventure. Had a panicked search for flights yesterday, trying to book in Spanish was interesting, and then was worried about getting out of the Town in the Middle of Nowhere and arriving at the airport on time. Got up at...

That escape to the sun hasn't quite worked out as I'd planned... Villa de Leiva is gorgeous, cobbled streets throughout and whitewashed old buildings - there is no modern architecture here at all. Arriving last night I was given the warmest welcome ever by the lovely owner of the hostel, Marta... the hostel was quite full and I'd booked a private room so she gave me her room for the night! Very cosy, tucked away in an old building with the most beautiful gardens...

Ok, so Bogota isn't that bad after all... Braving the rain I headed out for a little tour with a lovely Canadian guy from my hostel who is travelling around Colombia by bicycle! Bogota is 2,500 feet up so that is no mean feat.. We took in the sights of the Plaza Bolivar, a stunning cathedral which looks as though it is made out of candy canes, and the heavily-policed parliamentary buildings. I also had my first traditional Colombian meal! Sopa (soup) is very pop...

I've arrived in Colombia! Land of tropical rainforests, colonial architecture, crumbling lost cities and stunning beaches. Sadly, it's been pouring down since I arrived in Bogota last night and I'm absolutely freezing... Still, I'm going to go exploring today - there's lots of see here, plenty of museums, lots of street art, a flea market (oh, and a pioneering street closure scheme so the whole city can bike their way around safely on Sundays) so will try to squ...