Before experiencing Medellin and environs, we first had to get there – and find places to camp! After our little adventure in Florián, we had a long drive, not so much in miles as in time and bad roads.
Medellin in Colombia
Medellin and surroundings
“Isn’t Colombia famous for its toll roads,” you ask. I would think so, based on the number of them – and they’re pricey relative to local standards. Yet, nobody talks about them. The main reason I mention toll roads here, however, is because some most of them suck. At least north and east of Medellin. They contain potholes, speed bumps, shifted tarmac, wide cracks, dips, and gaps – and you have the privilege to pay for hitting the obstacles. Hard. Because, you know, the speed limit is all of a sudden much higher on these “highways.”
That is my long-winded way to say that we hit a pothole really, really badly. Neither of us had seen it – I had my eyes on my tablet writing a message (since we were on a smooth toll road, right?) and Mark was staring at the navigation screen to check a potential turn-off.
This is a toll road
At the time, we only discovered that the backside of our camper (a structural problem we thought we’d fixed in the US) had become separated again, something we had to fix ASAP. Later, we discovered other issues with the truck as a result of this mistake and the massive impact of the camper and truck bed colliding. From then on, it has been ALL eyes on the road ALL the time…
It took us two days and a loud night along the “highway,” before we reached Rio Claro. We hoped to relax here for a few days, visit a national park, and enjoy swimming in the clear river as – at this low elevation – it was quite hot and humid. We’d quickly stopped at Hacienda Napoles as well, known from Pablo Escobar movies and documentaries. It was closed that day – and expensive, so we’d pass anyway.
Rio Claro upon arrival
We arrived at a recommended campsite along the Rio Claro river around 5pm and took a refreshing swim and cold outdoor shower. Then, I had a translation job. But the cell service was very hit or miss and it took me hours to make little progress.
Maya loves meeting cows
Everything was soaking wet after the storm
Rio Claro after the rain storm
That night, a huge thunder and lightning storm arrived (which had Maya hiding behind our pillows again). In the morning, the river had turned brown and the internet remained elusive. We drove a few hours to a mirador (viewpoint) in the mountains, where I had to work against the clock to get the assignment finished. Talk about stress. A loud and sleepless night followed.
Our long-anticipated destination
Mark, Maya, and I were excited to finally meet Susan and John in person. It was a long time coming. Expats in Colombia, their lifestyle and travels (in country and abroad) had always intrigued me and I’d been following their blog Latitude Adjustment for many years. When they moved from Medellin to El Retiro a couple of years ago, it all sounded so nice that I wanted to check out their town as well.
Coralie of the inspiring travel blog Grey Globetrotters interviewed me for her insightful “travel chat” series.
Travel Chat With Liesbet from Roaming About
In today’s travel chat with Liesbet from Roaming About, mature full-time nomad Liesbet Collaert shares how she has been travelling for a lifetime and blogging about her travels for thirteen years.
Her travel stories are rich, detailed and always leave me wanting to read more, so I was excited to interview her and get to know more about the woman behind the blog!
Hi, I’m Liesbet, I’ve been a full-time nomad since 2003!
As a nomad, originally from Belgium, I document our life and travels on the road (currently in a 19ft camper van in the US), my writing journey, and random thoughts and photos to inspire readers.
Q1. When did you start travelling?
As a child and teenager growing up in Belgium, I joined family vacations to France, Spain, Italy, and Norway and a school trip to Morocco.
Q2. Where did you go on your first trip, and why?
My first two trips without adults happened in the same year – the summer of 1993 – at age seventeen. One was by ferry and bus for a weekend in London, UK, with a friend. The other was a multiple-week hitchhiking adventure, with a different friend, to and in Italy.
Why? Adventure, freedom, and independence lured.
Liesbet at The Wave, Vermilion Cliffs, Utah, USA
Q3. How would you describe your travel style?
Low-budget, impulsive, 100% independent, flexible, adventurous. I’m curious about cultures, languages, and sights – architectural as well as natural. In general, light on luggage, but that doesn’t quite fit the bill when travelling with your own house (campers, sailboats, cars), which I have been doing now for seventeen years.
Q4. What do you love most about travelling? And what drives you crazy?
Being in nature with its peace and beauty, especially interacting with or observing wildlife, and being immersed in different cultures while meeting fascinating people are my favourites.
While I’m generally a flexible person, if nothing works out, consistently, and Murphy’s Law keeps following me, that drives me crazy! Also, not being able to get comfortable (or sleep) for days or feeling disrespected or taken advantage of diminishes my spirits.
Q5. How do you most like to travel? (mode of transport)
This really depends. While I like to say a small RV because that’s our current mode of travel and transportation, there are times I preferred our catamaran, and we both look forward to “no responsibility” travel in the future, as “backpackers” with just carry-on luggage.
Q6. Are you a planner or a last-minute traveller?
Last-minute traveller. We are quite impulsive and flexible and hate for anticipation to turn into disappointment. It’s better to have no or few expectations – pleasant surprises will await!
Liesbet & Maya – Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP, Colorado, USA
Q7. Are you a full-time or part-time traveller?
Full-time since 2003. Before that, two stints of a year at a time, and part-time.
Q8. Do you travel differently today to how you did in your 20s and 30s? What’s changed, and why?
Yes and no.
As a 20-something, I mostly backpacked on an even tighter budget than now and I explored the US and Canada in a small RV.
In my 30s, it was a slightly bigger truck camper and two smallish sailboats.
Now, in my 40s, it’s a 19ft campervan. It’s shorter than our last RV, but, in a way, more liveable and “roomy”.
With age comes the desire for comfort (I won’t call it luxury). The solution for me – and my past and present partner – was to travel with our own home, on the oceans and overland. We always knew we’d have a place to sleep at night (our own bed) and food to cook and eat (in our own kitchen).
And, we figured out a way to always carry enough water for showers and create our own electricity.
Q9. Has Coronavirus made you think differently about your future travels?
That’s a resounding yes, as travel is our life. The biggest impact for me is not being able to see my friends and family in my home country. It had already been two years since my last visit to Belgium and this year, that trip won’t happen either.
Here in the US, it affected us back in March and it will do so in the future. We will still be able to roam about, but facilities might be hard to come by, national parks entries might be restricted, and certain attractions will remain closed.
We usually boondock (camp for free) in nature and away from other people. But we still need access to dump stations to empty our tanks and fill with fresh water. If those facilities close (again), we are in trouble.
Q10. Tell us about the most memorable place you’ve visited so far.
There are many memorable places; their influence depends on personal interests.
In the last decade:
Wildlife – Galapagos Islands and French Polynesia;
Culture – Guatemala, San Blas Islands in Panama and French Polynesia
Happy Hours & Socializing – Eastern Caribbean; Beaches – Barbuda and the Tuamotu Archipelago
Snorkelling – Bonaire, the Gambier Islands, and the Society Archipelago.
Sailing on Irie in the Caribbean
Q11. Is there anywhere you wouldn’t go, or a type of travel/experience you wouldn’t be comfortable with?
I’m open to pretty much any experience as long as it doesn’t affect the environment or local people in a negative way. Hey, I went sailing for eight years while being prone to seasickness.
Q12. If you could live in one other country, where would you choose, and why?
Very difficult question and one my husband and I have been debating for fifteen years. If there was a perfect country, everyone would live there, right?
We contemplated living in Belize, thirteen years ago, but changed our mind. At the moment, while being mobile, we kind of live in the United States, but we are ready to take our travels and lives abroad again. More tropical locales await.
We do think becoming expats in a place like Mexico, Grenada or Bali might be in our (distant) future.
Q13. What’s the worst travel mistake/regret you’ll admit to?
Being too frugal when it comes to splurging on a meal or visiting a site. Yep, I’ve skipped many an attraction, encounter, experience, and activity for this reason.
Q14. What do you do first when you arrive somewhere new?
Check whether there is WiFi. I sure hope this will change in the near future. Maybe whenever we retire… In our camper, we actually check if we are level first (or make that happen as best as possible) and on the boat, it was making sure the anchor was set. Safety and comfort are still more important than internet availability.
Q15. How do you stay healthy when travelling?
We walk most anywhere, go on hikes in nature, and eat a plant-based diet. Most importantly, we now have a dog that needs exercise, so taking her for a few walks a day is part of our daily routine.
Q16. What wouldn’t you leave home without in your cabin bag?
My diary (now on my tablet), my camera, my laptop.
Q17. Which movie(s) or book(s) have inspired your travels?
None. As a (young) adult, I travelled before I read books or watched movies. If I have to answer something, I guess it would be guidebooks and documentaries.
Q18. What are the best and the worst things you’ve eaten on your travels?
Eating fish tacos in Mexico
I like to try new foods and love rice and noodle dishes with loads of vegetables and non-bony seafood. I’ve also come to like spicy food as I started traveling. Mexican fish tacos along the street are cheap and to die for and you can order me anything in a restaurant in Thailand…
The worst? Probably Chinese street food (very different than what you eat in Westernized Chinese restaurants, as I’ve never seen fish eyes and chicken feet on the menu there) and fried insects.
Q19. When choosing somewhere to visit, what’s most important to you?
That it’s affordable, attractive, and a new experience, and that I can stay a while.
Q20. Tell us about three midlife bloggers you follow, and why their blogs inspire you
While I read (too) many, I’ll stick to three travel bloggers I follow for different reasons:
Lisa Dorenfest from One Ocean at a Time – not only is she a positive, supportive, inspiring, kind, and strong real-life friend, adventurer, and sailor, she is also an amazing storyteller and photographer.
Laura and Kevin of Chapter 3 Travels – I only recently discovered this blog through a mutual nomadic blogging friend, Peta from Green Global Trek, and like following along because they also travel full-time in a camper, love dogs and have one aboard, take amazing photos, and produce engaging (sarcastic and truthful) travel accounts.
Duwan and Greg of Make Like An Ape Man – This adventurous nomadic couple has a lot in common with us. They owned a sailboat, did house and petting gigs, live frugally, and they currently travel in a camper van. We hung out with them in person a couple of times and hope to meet up again soon. I enjoy following their blog as it contains great shots and practical information that might come in handy.
Q21. What’s #1 on your travel bucket list and why?
I don’t believe in bucket lists. I think it’s an over-used word that has lost its original purpose and meaning. That being said, I want to travel to so many places still, with South Africa, Patagonia, and Antarctica high on “the list”.
Q22. Where are you planning to visit next?
We are driving back to the visually stunning American Southwest and hopefully hop over the border into Mexico again this fall and winter. Our short-term goal is to find a way (meaning a suitable camper) to explore the South American continent.
A Little More Travel Chat with Liesbet from Roaming About
Liesbet, Mark, Kali, and Darwin – Samara, Costa Rica
Liesbet’s Top 3 Travel Tips:
Top Packing Tip
Only pack what you need on a daily basis, nothing you rarely use. Comfortable clothes and shoes. Anything to collect memories and retain them.
How to Survive Long-haul Flying
With plenty of water and a book or tablet.
How to Stay Safe When Travelling
Be aware.
Remain vigilant, kind, and open-minded.
Learn a few words in the local language.
Trust your gut.
Liesbet & Mark, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Final Quick Words for this Travel Chat with Liesbet from Roaming About
Self-guided travel or join a tour? Self-guided travel
Window seat or aisle? Window seat
Favourite thing to wear for travelling? Comfortable shoes. Shorts with deep pockets
Favourite Country? Australia
Checked bags or carry on only? Carry-on only
Book or Kindle? Tablet which has Kindle
Best travel resource? Other travellers
I hope you’ve enjoyed this travel chat with Liesbet from Roaming About! Don’t forget to check out her travel stories on Roaming About and do follow her on social media Facebook and Twitter.
For the last five weeks, Sue and Dave of the popular travel website and blog Travel Tales of Life invited worldwide travelers and citizens to contribute their views and experiences in regards to the Coronavirus. Their fascinating series provides insights into life during this pandemic, all across the globe.
This week, we are featured in their “Life as a Nomad” chapter, together with two other wanderers you might know: my real-life friends and long-term bloggers Lisa from One Ocean At A Time and Ingrid from Live, Laugh, RV. Check out our and other people’s contributions here.
Views of COVID-19 – Life As A Nomad
The COVID-19 Effect on Two Nomads in a Camper Van
Every country, every Canadian province, and every US state had somewhat of a different approach when the Coronavirus spread within its borders. Having friends and family all over the world and reading the latest testaments of global citizens and travelers on Sue and Dave’s blog, we realize how measures and rules vary from social distancing to self-isolation to total lockdown. I feel for my friends in Puerto Rico, Grenada, and South Africa, for example, who can’t even walk outside of their (rented) accommodation. Internationally stranded nomads (people without a home of their own) take the grunt of the current travel restrictions. Not only have their plans and lifestyle changed, but they are digging deep into their pockets to either fly, sail, or drive back to their home country or book a hotel room or Airbnb abroad.
Our own situation is tricky as well, despite our familiarity with uncertainty and challenges. My husband, Mark, our 60-pound rescue dog, Maya, and myself have been living, working, and traveling in our 19ft camper van Zesty for roughly three years.
It was an honor to be featured on my blogging friend Donna’s website “Retirement Reflections” this weekend, as a guest in her Sunday Guest Post Series. She is an amazing woman, who just walked a big chunk of the Camino Trail in Spain with her husband and has many interesting, insightful and inspirational ideas incorporated in her blog posts. I love her adventurous, positive and caring personality and I encourage you to browse her website, if you haven’t already. Here is the beginning of the post about Mark and my past and present – how we got to our current lifestyle of house and pet sitting…
Thank you, Donna, for inviting me over to participate in your Sunday Series. It is a pleasure, and an honor, to be called one of your favorites. My ego is bursting!
A retirement lifestyle?
At 42-years-old, I am not retired, although many people might think differently based on the lifestyle I have been living since 2003. It’s either that, or they think I am on a perpetual vacation, or that I am rich, or all of the above! Living an alternative lifestyle throughout adulthood causes these assumptions. Unfortunately, the reality is “none of the above.” Although I have the flexibility to sleep in and form my own schedule, that’s where the comparisons stop. I still need to make money and sacrifices to survive, and I own nothing, not even a retirement account. My husband, Mark, and I like the minimalistic approach and don’t require much to be happy and free. All our belongings fit in our red Toyota Prius and, other than our business, The Wirie, we have no burdens or responsibilities. We don’t have a home, children or pets (yet) and go wherever we find an attractive long-term house and pet sit. To us, creating memories and going on adventures is more important than collecting material goods or financial wealth.
Blogs to inspire and share?
In 2007, Mark and I embarked on an impromptu cruising adventure with our two big rescue dogs, Kali and Darwin. After a failed attempt two years prior in Northern California, because the dogs hated sailing on a monohull (which lays on its side when moving in certain directions), we searched and found a 35-foot catamaran (more stability and less seasickness for me) in Annapolis, Maryland, and named her Irie, which is a reggae term meaning “It’s all good!” I started my first blog, It’s Irie, to document all our adventures and share tips while cruising the Caribbean and the South Pacific. We ran a business from the middle of nowhere (tricky!)… Continue reading here.
(If you’d like to leave a reaction, please do so on Donna’s site.)
We have been perpetual nomads since 2003 – sailing, camping, RVing, house and pet sitting – and are currently roaming about South America in a truck camper with our rescue dog, Maya. As lifetime adventurers, we are self-employed and maintain a tight budget. This blog is about all that – and more – to inspire a life less ordinary. Don’t dream but do! 🙂
