Here She Goes Again

This month I travelled to one of the most amazing countries in South America: Colombia.

When I decided on traveling to Colombia, I was instantly flooded by all the negative impressions of the country. All of the crimes, cartels, drug lords described in devilish details by the movies and media came to fore. Medellin after all is only known outside Colombia as home to the famous Pablo Escobar and cocaine! And I was planning to travel solo 😬. Then my friend Kathy was onboard with the idea and we decided to give Colombia a shot. We were so pleasantly taken over by the beauty of the country and kindness of the people of Colombia!

Bogota

We had planned to arrive a day before the scheduled tour but flights let us down in a big way. After the delay of over 24 hrs we arrived in Bogota almost a day later. Tired and hungry, we headed to the hotel. After checking in, we started to look for food. There we found a tiny restaurant and we discovered no one spoke English. In my broken Spanish somehow I was able to explain that I was a vegetarian and hungry. We were served Arepas (corn cake) with cheese and fries. It was delicious and fresh!

At the dinner we met other members of the our tour and our lovely guide who was extremely passionate about changing our view about Colombia!

We headed to a market place in Bogota for a tour. I thought it would be just a regular market but it turned out to be such a colorful festival of vegetables and fruits! We got to taste some of the most exotic varieties of fruits and even an icecream and cheese dessert.

Salento

Today we loaded up in the bus and we headed towards a hill town called Salento. It was such a sharp contrast to the city. Cool temperatures and vibrant streets were so delightful. We were surrounded by mountains and forests on all our sides. Calle Real is a must visit with Bolivar Town square being so lively any time of the day or night!

We went to play the game of Tejo which is a gun powder ball throwing game. Must be played while drinking beer!

Next day we went hiking to the Cocora valley. Known for tall wax Palm trees and extremely bio diverse flora and fauna.Every spot and stop was breathtaking! No amount of pictures could ever capture the beauty of this place.

Atop the hill we stopped by for lunch where I ate the most delicious mango. If there is a place to eat the freshest fruits and vegetables, it is here in Colombia!

After coming back we went to the Mirador view point that has the view of the entire Salento town, walked some more on the Calle Real. So many people enjoying around the square was quite fascinating to watch!

Coffee Farm

In the afternoon we took a bus to head to our next stop- Coffee farm in Valencia! I have to say I have never see anything like this – so many trees, flowers, fruits and birds. The colors of the birds so beautiful and bright. The food there was cooked in-house and delicious! And coffee – out of the world! We stayed here 2 nights and I could have easily stayed here forever. My favorite snack was the fresh mangoes picked from the trees and served with lemon and salt! Umm!

We even did a tour of the coffee farm which was entertaining but very hot and humid! Some peacocks and a dozen colorful hummingbirds paid us a visit as well.

Medellin

We next took a 5 hour bus ride through the Andes mountains to a most diverse town of Colombia- Medellin! The amount of murals to see here is nothing like anywhere in the world. So vibrant and colorful. This is where you start believing that a place has to be experienced personally and not go by what the media projects it to be! We had a late lunch at an amazing restaurant in a beautiful street called Provenza. We walked around and soaked in the place for next 2 days we were there!

We took a trip to a flower farm in St Helena which was way too short. We could have stayed there much longer and hiked much more!

We did an E-bike tour of Medellin the next day which took us all around Medellin and it was so fun. Late night we even went for some Colombian/Cuban Salsa lessons at a club. The vibes and the teacher were amazing! Must visit!

Cartagena

Our last stop sadly was Cartagena. It is a very old colonial beach town and very vibrant. The place has so many colors – unbelievable! It can be only experienced first hand. I loved the hotel we stayed in – very blue Greek style hotel.

We walked around the town and later went for a dinner at a rooftop restaurant. Very Fancy! Many shows were going on as we enjoyed our breezy dinner and drinks.

Next day, it was my time to head back home. Very sad to leave but happy to have had the chance to experience the beauty of the country called Colombia!

Tips :

1. Pack a set of warm and cool clothing as it is cold is Bogota and Salento but super hot in Medellin and Cartagena
2. To travel from one point to another use Uber. It is safer and cheaper than Taxis because it is tracked (esp for women).
3. Always keep your valuables esp cellphone in purse or in pocket that is not accessible easily. Petty theft is common as in any other country in the world.
4. Eat fruits and vegetables only in restaurants. Outside vendors may not have the freshest fruits and can give you stomach issues.
5. Go with an open mind. This country is very beautiful and an open mind also opens your eyes to the beauty of Colombia!

P.S. All of my portraits are taken by my lovely friends Kathy Flanagan and Sarina Beetz!