End of the World – The Last Foreign Vagabond

I had made it all the way from Medellín to Mocoa, which led me to the Fin-del-Mundo (End-of-the-World) waterfall in the Colombian Amazon.  Near there, smack, dab in the jungle, I stayed at the Posada Fin del Mundo, where I felt like the last foreign vagabond.

The Wi-Fi was good. The room cost 35 COP ($8.15) per night, plus all meals; pay at the end. Two days, all-inclusive, came to $55. This included seven bottles of water, a load of laundry, mandatory guide to the waterfall, plus voluntary 20 COP tip to the guide, and five meals, including the freshest, juiciest papaya of my life.

One of the meals was fresh fish, from the vibrant Mocoa river, which provides a constant, white-noise and is just a two-minute walk below.

The food was whole and fresh from the the tropical jungle where the Andes meet the Amazon. The eggs were from 100% free-range, on-site chickens.

It was easy to spot chickens and hens running around, up and down inclines and in trees. This rugged, non-flat topography made it possible to see how naturally astute these domesticated, egg-creating creatures are.

Cute little monkeys come for feeding every afternoon. Guests are called and given the opportunity to take part in the process of giving them fresh bananas. Fat jungle rabbits pop into the property to hang out and forage. Like most hostel owners in Colombia, they have cats and dogs on the premises.

I was constantly learning things from different members of the extended family. Everyone had their duties around the finca, maintaining and improving, mostly eco-sustainable endeavors. Their collective work included taking care of the tourists, which was only me for those two late September days in 2021; when I couldn’t help but ask myself:  Was I the last foreign vagabond?

Thankfully, world tourism has opened up considerably since September of 2021.

Have you been to the city of Mocoa or elsewhere in the departmento of Putumayo? Fell free to leave a comment below.

Here is the whole set of photos from in and around Mocoa, Colombia.