On first impression...
Busy commuter town surrounded by huge trees covered in mammoth strands of 'grandfathers whiskers'. The only saviour for the hostel we had chosen to stay at was the lovely staff. Otherwise the place was grotty and my ‘post night bus’ mood was low (Adam might have another word for it!).

On further examination…
San Gil is traditionally an adventure destination however given Adams shoulder and new knee injury we were slightly limited in how adventurous we could be!

We decided paragliding was the answer. Going in we both had little to no expectations, so they were well exceeded. We were driven out to the launching pad where, whilst being video recorded (a safety precaution like this in Columbia was quite astounding!) our instructor briefed us on all the safety precautions and other potential landing destinations should the wind decide to take us elsewhere! We were told we would follow our ‘friends in the sky’ (birds!) to identify the thermals and fly high above the clouds.... and that’s exactly what we did! It was like nothing else, no adrenaline, just sitting back in a comfy chair, gliding amongst clouds, watching the spectacular landscape below. It was quiet, smooth, and peaceful. We really did understand what it felt like to fly like a bird, and it was spectacular.

The next day…
A day trip out of the bustling city to Barichara was a welcome change. The weather was perfect and we found a little market in the central plaza. A short climb up the cobble stone streets lead us to a sculpture garden which had magnificent views over the surrounding mountain range. We found great coffee and a little café to perch and ‘people watched’ the afternoon away. A delightful little town we wish we found earlier.

In the end…
Sorry mum but I feel paragliding may have to be repeated!