i just got back from colombia and had a fantastic time. i have been to 20 countries and colombia is my all time favorite. here are some contacts and info regarding cali, popayan and san augustin.
btw, if you are on this route you will need spanish. unless otherwise noted, all hotel names and restaurants are in the most recent lp colombia. and no, i am not affiliated with any of the individuals i list in this post. during my trip i was always safe, never threatened, never ripped off or overcharged. as a matter of fact, people often went out ot their way to assist me. the colombian people are the most kind, polite and wonderful people i have ever encountered.
cali
in cali i stayed at the hotel pension stein ($54) including breakfast, internet and cable - great service and very safe. i liked cali and found that i could navigate the city easily by
walking along the rio cali. there are some fun markets to walk around just out of el centro and they are worth asking around to find. you can contact larry (larrybueno83@hotmail.com, ph. 311 350 1533) - he speaks english fluently for any of your taxi needs. he will also pick from the airport.
san augustin
the bus trip from popayan takes 6.5 to 8 hours depending on the road and bus you take. the express bus from popayan (on cootranshuila) to san augustin leaves at 11 a.m. and is 28,000 pesos.
the return bus is on coomotor and leaves san augustin at 6 a.m. it is very important that you make sure you are on the direct bus as there are local buses on the route as well.
the locals all told me that the route is very safe and the colombian military is on patrol in the vicinity and on the road as well. the bus stops at roughly half way at a 'restaurant' that serves chicken dishes and chicken soup, which are quite good. the altimeter on my regulated casio read that we maxed out at nearly 10,000 feet on the trip across the mountain passes. you will need a sweater and possibly some ear plugs depending on the weather and blasting music.
on the return trip we had a breakdown and flat tire which took nearly an hour/15 mins. to repair.
in san augustin i stayed at the yalconia ($32) including breakfast and cable. the room had a single and queen and was very clean and convenient as it is near the ruins. another guy i met on the trip stayed just next to yalconia for roughly half the price and it was very well run and clean. i don't know the name but you cannot miss it as it is across the street from the restaurant donde richard (according to the locals the best meals in town).
the only other way out of/into san augustin is thru neiva and then on to ibague.
the town was fun to walk around in and very compact. the ruins are fantastic and plan on 2 hours for the park/museum. there are jeep and horse tours for the surrounding areas. if you do walk the country lanes carry stones to fend off the dogs that the campesinos have. a few dogs are very vicious and one tried to bite me. if no stones are handy raise your hand and fake that you are going to throw a stone at the dogs - this is what the locals do and it works. you can contact julian ph. 314 706 7470 for any tours (spanish only).
cali - popayan
there are no schedules for the transport at the popayan or cali bus stations - just show up and when the bus or taxi fills then it departs. the shared taxi rate is 28,000 pesos, the bus is 11,000 pesos and the mini van is 14,000. i think the
mini van is best. the military has patrols every 25 to 30 miles and the road is very safe. it is a toll road for you do it yourself drivers. the speed limit varies from 60 to 100 kmh and the road is in great shape. plan on 2.5 to 3 hours depending on traffic.
popayan
the more i was in popayan the more i liked it. i think 2 nights is enough. i stayed at both the dann monasterio ($75 with breakfast and cable ) and plazuela hotellaplazuela@emtel.net.co ($54 with breakfast and cable). i pref'd the plazuela as it had a more lively staff and was better located. i ate meals sometimes at 'la vina' - good food and popular with locals. you can walk from the bus station to the city center where the hotels and hostals are located.
i won't monitor this thread but please send me a pm if you have any questions.
ken