Living in Medellín, Colombia means that sometimes I ache to escape the city life to spend time in wild, unspoiled nature.
Two friends and I decided to take an extra-long weekend to leave Medellín for one of the most famous natural wonders of Colombia: El Cocuy National Park.
Fog and frailejones — palmlike shrubs related to sunflowers — line the trail leading to the glacier at Ritacuba Blanco.
The park is nestled deep in the countryside of Boyacá north of Bogotá and is known for its high altitude glaciers, alien-like Frailejones plants, and otherworldly mountainscapes. We arrived at the park without plans, reservations — or any idea what to expect.