9 photos
Valledupar - Travel report
I spent four days in Valledupar just prior to the Festival de Vallenato. I had a real nice time and thoroughly enjoyed seeing another part of the real Colombia. I didn't do any mongering since I was hanging with a group of regular girls and I'm not one to burn the candle at both ends. There are a few strip bar type places and I was even handed a flyer for a new one while on the street but didn't partake. It can be done though.
First, in case you're the adventurous type and want to experience a different part of the real Colombia be forewarned that VUP is even hotter than Barranquilla or Cartagena. It was in the mid 90's rather than the high 80's to low 90's. I was prepared for it, I like hot weather, I had an air conditioned place, and we went to a water park and to the river during the afternoons to pass time and enjoy ourselves. For me it was fine.
The streets of VUP are lined with trees that have very thick canopies. I would try to look up to see the birds that were making such a racket in those trees but I could never find them since the canopies are so thick. The streets are clean and the homes have lawns. Not US style lawns but lawns none the less. I thought it was a very pleasant small city.
If you're on a tight budget don't go during or close to the Festival de Vallenato. VUP is a small city (300, 000 inhabitants) in the middle of nowhere. The FdV is a national event. In other words, there is a limited supply of rooms and demand explodes.
5 weeks before my trip hotel rooms we're non-existent. Out of the question. I paid the most for lodging that I've paid anywhere in LA. One of the hotels referred me to a high end retail type agency for apartments. They were quoting me between 1, 200, 000 to 1, 600, 000 COP/day for nice apartments and 400, 000 COP/day just for a bedroom in an apartment! Totally freekin nuts!
I found a nice apartment with a/c in a great location for 300, 000 COP per day. Thanks to the favorable exchange rate that was about $125/day. They were asking 400, 000/day. Any other time you can get a nice hotel room for 70 to 100, 000 COP per day.
I saw lots a very nice looking girls on the streets of VUP. As many and as nice as anywhere in Colombia. I also enjoyed the whole Vallenato culture and ambiance. The whole place; young, old, kids, married, single, eats, sleeps, and drinks Vallenato. I had heard a fair share of Vallenato previous but now appreciate it even more. Dos observaciones del Vallenato: All music, whether it be classical, rock, pop, salsa, etc etc, and the artist who perform them do so from a core of emotion but Vallenato and their artists perform their art from a whole different level of emotion. Vallenato is pure emotion. The other observation and favorable impression it made on me is that it is very clean. No vulgarities or corruption from the ugly side of pop culture, IMO.
Here are a few pix from the first official day of the Festival. It is of the crowd that lined the streets for the parade: Desfile de los Piloneros. All pix were taken from the balcony of my apartment. Since they are for this forum, I specifically chose pix with girls in them. They are not the best examples of what I saw and was hanging with but are what I found recorded by my camera. Sorry, no pix of my regular girl friends. Too easy to trace found.
All the best, Schwmm
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