Visited: May 2019
After Colombia, we went back to the U.S. for almost two weeks. While we were visiting friends and family, many people asked where our favorite place had been, followed by a quick, “Well, I guess you can’t pick just one.” But actually, I could! I didn’t dislike any place we visited in Latin America, but Colombia was hands-down my favorite. Here a few highlights from our two weeks in Colombia, including Medellin, Salento and Cartagena.
Learning about (and sampling!) exotic fruits in Medellin
Megan: I knew I wanted to visit Colombia on this trip, but I was having trouble narrowing down which places to visit, as we had such a short time to explore the country. Honestly, reading about this exotic fruits tour on Adventurous Kate cemented Medellin’s place on our itinerary, and it was SO. WORTH. IT. One of my favorite tours from this entire trip so far.
All lulo everything
Megan: After taking the exotic fruits tour, I searched for lulo (“little orange”) drinks on every menu, and they did not disappoint! Natural lulo juice with water? Delicious. Caipiroska de lulo? Glorious. Lulo juice with vodka and sugar? Okay! Give it to me.
Eating an avocado the size of our head
Jonathan: While on said exotic fruits tour, we spotted an avocado stand with avocados nearly the size of our head. Of course, we had to buy one. And eat it for dinner.
Making four-legged friends in Salento
Jonathan: After the pleasant surprise of seeing dogs everywhere in Mexico and Costa Rica, I was somewhat disappointed with the lack of furry pals in Medellin. Enter Salento. There were dozens of dogs around town who were community pets, cared for and fed by the townspeople and eager to earn a pet [above left] or supervise you on a hike [above right].
Hiking to the wax palms in the Valle de Cocora
Both: This hike in the Cocora Valley was one of the main reasons we included Salento on our itinerary. We opted to do the long version of this hike, which took us through some beautiful fields and up along a creek (and across it on rickety wood bridges at several points) to a large hill overlooking the valley before descending down into the tallest palm trees in the world: wax palms [pictured above]. If you aren’t into hiking, you can still take the quick Jeep ride from Salento and opt to walk straight to the wax palm grove.
Riding on the back of a Willys Jeep
Jonathan: The town of Salento utilizes a fleet of old-school Jeeps as a taxi service to nearby points of interest. We took one out to the Valle de Cocora hike and, on the way back, got to ride on the rear bumper. It was a blast!
The genuine warmth of Colombians
Megan: Before visiting Colombia, I never understood what people meant when they said, “Oh, people from x place are so nice!” Um, why wouldn’t they be nice? Also, most people you meet when traveling are in the service industry, so I would expect most people you meet when traveling are nice. But then I visited Medellin. And I get it. Paisas (people from Medellin and the surrounding area) are some of the warmest, friendliest, most welcoming people I have met in my life. One small example: I was enjoying a buñuelo (like a donuthole, but better) in an indoor market, and a man walking by dragging a cart of fruit paused to ask me, “¿Es bueno?” When I affirmed it was delicious, he got the biggest smile on his face. “¡Sí, es bueno!” he announced happily while dance-walking away. And it was a completely normal interaction!
Admiring the charming colors of Salento
Megan: I just loved the colors of Salento’s architecture. Couldn’t you tell?
Jonathan: I also enjoyed the colors of Salento … just at a quicker pace than Megan. 😉
Spending quality time with family
Megan: My mom was the first person to join us for a segment of our trip (we hope she won’t be the last!), and it was really fun to turn part of our journey into a pseudo-family-vacation. Plus, she introduced me to caipiroskas (like a caipirinha, but with vodka, hence the Russian-fied name), which I’m still drinking more than a month later. So thanks!
Door-peeping in Cartagena
Megan: If you’ve been following our adventures on my Instagram, you know I’m a sucker for a pretty door. Adjacent foliage is a plus. And boy, did Cartagena deliver! I sense another photo gallery post in my future….
