My Amazing Journey to Colombia - 2013

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• published: 30 Nov 2013
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"This trip was a journey back to the homeland where my parents grew up. The last time I was here, I was three years old. Even though I was born in the States, I wanted my children to see where their grandparents were raised, to embrace their Colombian heritage, and appreciate the music, culture, history and food. And, well, they loved it! Mission accomplished! "We visited Bogotá, Cartagena, and Medellín, each of which was unique and special in its own way. We also visited the town of "La Calera", where my grandparents were born. Before my trip, everyone warned me how dangerous this country was but according to my cousins in Colombia, that was pure propaganda. They were right! I felt very safe throughout my entire trip. Regardless of the fact that we definitely looked like foreigners, everyone was very sweet and kind to us. We saw a beautiful country and wonderful people who are so proud to call Colombia their home. •Medellín was my favorite city of all three. In many ways it's similar to Southern California and is super clean. And, as the locals will be all too happy to point out, it has the perfect climate! Another thing that I was pleasantly surprised by was the Sunday 'ciclovia' in Bogotá and Medellín, where many of the main roads are cut off to traffic, allowing people to skate, cycle, jog, take the dog for a walk or simply have a relaxed stroll. Bring your work out clothes so you can join in the fun. Here's a look at Bogota's Ciclovia: http://vimeo.com/12564994 Tips: Exchange your money before you leave the US. It will be much easier to have it on hand instead of looking for an ATM to take money out. The airport will exchange the money for you but in large denominations only. Bring lots of singles to pay for the taxi's as they will claim they will not have change to give back. You end up paying more than the actual cost. Accommodations: • In Bogota, we rented a very clean and sleek 3 bedroom apartment in Chico Navarra which is a beautiful city and walking distance to local restaurants. Sergio Borrero is the owner and we did everything via email and Paypal. I never spoke to him but everything was perfect when we arrived. He has a very quick response time and writes in English as well as Spanish. http://www.chico100.com - Chico Navarra Apartment • Cartagena & Medellin we rented a condo from owner Ignacio Licht. We also did everything via email. I never spoke to him either but everything was just as stated on his website. His apartments are unique and beautiful. Very well taken care of. I found him on VBRO http://www.01rent.com/ - Cartagena http://www.vrbo.com/344938 - Medellin • Taxi cabs are all over the cities but they will only have room for 4 passengers. We had to take 2 taxi's every time we ventured out. • Juan Manuel Uribe was our tour guide in Medellín: I found him on Youtube. http://youtu.be/0CZGPOgSM0U He was wonderful. Spoke English and Spanish perfectly as he used to live in the States. He is from Medellín and gives tours daily. He even picked us up from the airport on a tour van. He gave us a tour to a Finca Cafetera where they grow and make coffee, and tour of Medellín and the Tour of Pablo Escobar. Don't tell your Colombia relatives you plan on doing this trip as they will frown upon that. • Juan Uribe's Contact info: fao491@hotmail.com