February 2017

I was simply stunned when i first arrived in Medellin. Everywhere I looked were massive amounts of cartoonish level greenery that seemed to go on and on and on. There's no wonder that the official nickname for the city is "City of Eternal Spring". I even heard that a study was conducted where they asked people to describe various cities by using just one color to encapsulate the overall visual scheme of a city and people always easily chose "green" for Medellin. Now, I don't know the details of this study but Medellin is so majestically lush that green is the only way to describe the overwhelming beauty that you you feel blessed to witness. And luckily, locals realize how beautiful their city is so every bar, restaurant and even the malls, go out of their way, to incorporate an open aire design to their structures to allow for the plant life to seep into every nook and cranny as though you were in the forest itself. The beautiful cannot be understated.

Now, I know that Medellín is infamous for nefarious reasons but those days are burned deep in history and what has risen from though ashes is a country that has learned from it's past mistakes and managed to create a utopian like bohemian micro-society that craves innovation, compassion and new beginnings. During my stay, I met so many young entrepreneurs who were not blind to their countries dark history but decided to use the strength that allowed them to survive those dark days and funnel that energy towards new businesses and community renewal. Medellín feels much like a society that is quickly going through a renaissance and that energy is infectious, even to travelers.

One if my most memorable moments was when I took a "side trip" to the small aquatic town called Guatapé. The quaint town is just as green as Medellín but also has what seems like hundreds of mini interconnected waterways scattered all across the landscape. This was a relaxing weekend spent with friends where we got a chance to experience a slower pace of life that outskirts of Medellín had to offer.

Overall, Medellín quickly became and remains one my favorite cities and I could easily see making a possible future home there. I will return.

Highlights:

Playing paintball at one Pablo Escobar's old estates (i'm in no way condoning or celebrating the actions of this lunatic but he remains an interesting character nonetheless)
Checking out the Parque Llares area
Visiting the beautiful town of Guatapé
Having a relaxing weekend on a resort in Guatapé with friends
Partying in a finca on the outskirts of town
Climbing to the top the El Peñón rock in Guatapé
Relaxing & drinking with an amazing local in Parque del Periodista (Park of Journalists)
Watching every amazing sunset from my balcony
Meeting Eve

January 2017

We started Bogota with a huge bang as we arrived on December 31st to celebrate the new year. Upon arrival, we were immediately whisked away to the outskirts of the city to a fantasy wonderland known as Andres Carne de Res in Chía. What seemed like it was going to be a simple restaurant quickly revealed itself to be labyrinth of interconnected rooms full of elaborate decorations, lighting and party like ambiance. There was a primary dance floor where local performers showcased their traditional footwork with a modern twist for all of our delight.

Bogota wasn't a crazy bustling city like some of the previous cities we had visited so I took this month to relax, live and catch up on all the work I had been slacking on. It's not to say Bogota didn't offer many thrills but it definitely is more of a "livable" city than some others. And, the "livability" is what I appreciated most about the city. Sometimes, while traveling the way that i have; you get caught up in trying to "do too much" so this month was a good opportunity to try to settle in some type of groove and to get my barrings back. Also, this is the month that we received a small fright when we were notified that there was a small explosion in a residential area not too far from the city center. The explosion was reported to had been perpetrated by a group known as People's Revolutionary Movement (MRP) and we were advised to stay clear of the area for a short while. And, an event, like this might make would be travelers weary of trekking to future cities, but in all honesty, terrible things are always happening and they could happen anywhere so this event did not deter me in any way. Wherever you are, you should always be on alert while still living life and not letting things, outside of your control, deter you from life experiences.

With all that being said, I had a great time in Bogota and I made sure to make every effort to see as much as possible without letting travel stress get the best of me. Because traveling isn't easy and Bogota offered the breathing room I needed to evaluate my priorities and live in the moment.

P.S.

I have to really give a shout out to the app Swarm. I highly suggest to anyone planning on doing tons of traveling soon, to use some type of Check-In app because without it, you will forget many of the places you have visited. I wouldn't have been able to recollect all the various things I had done without it.

Highlights:

Celebrating New Years at Andres Carne de Res and eating the manditory 12 grapes (my first New Year celebration outside of the states)
Eating delicious Colombian BBQ at El Tambor
Eating at the music themed restaurant Gaira owned and operated by the legendary Colombian musician Carlos Vives
Taking a cable car up the Monserrate mountain and witnessing the breathtaking views of Bogota
Seeing Nicolas Jaar perform at Royal Center
Taking the train to visit the Nemocon Salt Mines in the Bogota Savanna
Listening to traditional "Papayera" and "Vallenato" bands perform on the train
Visiting the historic town of Zipaquira
Eating Bandeja Paisa (mixed plate) & Ajiaco (soup) for the first time
Using UberEATS on lazy days