Medellin is called "La ciudad de la eterna primavera" (City of eternal spring), this is because it has mild weather all year around and for the variety of its vegetation. We love to visit places that offer the amenities of a cosmopolitan city but, we also enjoy exploring the outdoors; We are amazed with all the parks that you can find around this green city.
There is a park right in El Poblado neighborhood called "La Presidenta," it is right next to the main boulevard and in the middle of the hectic city but, as you enter into the park you start listening to the water that runs on the creek, the singing of the birds and the sound of the trees as they dance with the wind; this is a perfect spot to escape, take a breath and recharge our bodies with new energies. There is a cafe by the park where we actually enjoyed a good meal and some local artisan beer... what a better way to end our exploring day!
To be Continue... Safe travels!
The first thing I noticed as arriving in Medellin were all the green areas that it's surrounded by; it's like the city is in the middle of a huge park! The mountains are like a wall that circles and protects it like a strong warrior.
We are renting an apartment in El Poblado, this neighborhood is the "Beverly Hills" of Medellin; Walking around, we started discovering a very modern city with lots of parks, outdoor cafes, restaurants, fancy malls, big apartment buildings and all the amenities of a cosmopolitan city.
There is an area called Paque LLeras (LLeras Park) in El Poblado; this is the place of reunion for locals and visitors to meet up and have fun. It's a beautiful neighborhood, full of small boutique hotels, cafes, bars, international restaurants and all kind of entertainment. I found this place to be very pleasant with a very hip and eclectic feel, you can find some artist and artisans selling their art and crafts on the main square; You can walk around and stop at the small shops or you can simply appreciate the beautiful big trees that are aligned on the small streets. The best way for us to finish our day is by stopping at one of the many cute restaurants to get refresh with a cold drink, like a delicious pink fruity sangria or an artisan beer; and since we love food, we always end up having a great meal as well :O)
We are having a great experience! People in Medellin are very friendly, the city has nice weather and there's lots of outdoor activities to do and places to visit... I will be writing about them in the next chapters.
To be continue... Safe travels!
Our time house sitting in Santa Marta was over, and we were ready for our next adventure. After three weeks of being in a small beach town, we felt like we were missing the amenities of a cosmopolitan city.
We debated between flying or taking a bus to Medellin, we heard so many things about the roads not being safe and the long 16 hrs drive in an uncomfortable bus; even one of my friends, who is from Colombia and lives in Las Vegas, told me that it was better and safer to fly. I did my searching online and asked locals about it, and I found out that things have changed and traveling by bus is safe and comfortable now in days.
JJ and I spoke about it and decided to go for the adventure of taking the bus ride. We weren't in a hurry and we wanted to have the experience of going through the country side of Colombia.
We booked our tickets ($63 dollars each) with BRASILIA, this is the bus company that has a more luxury bus for long distance travels; the bus offers Wifi, each seat has its own TV where you can watch movies, play games, listen to music, it has a bathroom and they give you a little snack as well; ... so we were all set to go!
Our departure was at 5:30 in the afternoon, it was the only time they had the luxury bus going to Medellin. It worked out for us because we had to check in the following morning in the apartment we had rented in the city.
The bus ride was pretty good, people were quite and most of them slept all night long; few of us where either watching movies or listening to music. I have to say that the bus temperature gets very cold, so bringing a jacket or even a blanket is necessary... Luckily, I read about this and brought a feather comforter with us hahaha! The bus only makes two stops for about 10 min so you can stretch a little; bringing some food and drinks is the smarter thing to do because you don´t really find much to eat on the way... I made peanut butter sandwiches to bring with us but, I forgot them in the refrigerator :O( so we had to survive with granola bars that we always carry in our backpacks.
After riding for a while, we were able to fall asleep and woke up with the sunrise; we were in the country and up in the mountains. The views we had were just amazing!
We arrived in Medellin around ten in the morning, after having a safe and fun bus ride!
The adventure to be continue...
Safe travels!
After spending a few amazing days in Cartagena, it was time for us to go to Santa Marta; where we were going to be house and pet sitting for three weeks.
We took the door to door transportation service one more time; the van was full of international tourists going to the same destination. It took about four hours to get there, but the ride was very pleasant; specially because I was talking to the driver and he gave me some helpful information.
Santa Marta is Colombian´s second most popular Caribbean destination. Most of its visitor are from Medellin, Bogota and major cities around the country. The international tourism is mostly European, backpackers who like to explore the beautiful beaches and take advantage of the low cost of living around this area.
Santa Marta has a port, making it a cruise ship destination. The city itself is not as charming as Cartagena but it has some nice spots where people can relax, have a drink and a good meal; the wow factor here is the ocean.
I will say that Santa Marta is in a remodeling process right now, with lots of potential to become a more desirable international tourist destination.
A good time to spend in Santa Marta is by taking a walk along the boardwalk, appreciate the ocean views and then go to "Parque de los novios" (The boyfriends park) to get refreshed with a cool drink and have a delicious Colombian meal.
Our house sitting was in a small beach town called El Rodadero, it´s only about 10 min drive from Santa Marta and it´s considered part of the city.
Rodadero is the most popular place in this area, here´s where most of the tourist from all over Colombia concentrate. The town is full of small restaurants, seafood being one of the main dishes; it has plenty of hotels and rental apartment buildings.
We were here during Christmas and New Year´s holidays so this little town was packed with people and finding a spot on the beach was almost impossible.
Life in Rodadero is about relaxing, relaxing and relaxing... there´s not much to do around town so if you like to be on the beach all the time without having the fancy amenities of a beach resort, this is the place to be.
We were fortunate to house sit an apartment that had a balcony overlooking the ocean, the views were amazing so we spent most of our time watching the world pass by with the company of two loving doggies.
Along the coast and close to Rodadero, there is another beach called "Bello Horizonte" (Beautiful Horizon); we discovered this place trying to find a restaurant that served American breakfast, JJ was craving some eggs and waffles.
Jana, the cleaning lady, told us about it and explained how to ride the local bus; so we didn't have to pay for a taxi all the time. Riding these buses was very convenient, inexpensive and very adventurous too... Some of these drivers can be wild but we survived the ride! The truth is that taking a taxi all the time can get a little pricey; as a foreigner, you would always end up paying more... so we try to do what locals do and have more fun along the way.
We found Bello Horizonte to be a very nice area with a feel of a more upscale life style. There is an outdoor shopping center with plenty of cute restaurants, cafes and some other amenities that we didn't find in Rodadero. We actually had a traditional Colombian dish called "Bandeja Paisa" which we accompanied with a refreshing coconut lemonade at one of the restaurants; we enjoyed a sunny day and the sound of the water fountains while having a delicious meal.
The beach right here was even more beautiful, clean, open and long enough to enjoy a good walk; we also found nicer resorts in a more quite atmosphere.
I will say that Rodadero is the perfect place for the younger crowd, who want to be in the middle of the action; in the other hand, Bello Horizonte is the perfect place for those who are looking for a more tranquil environment.
Santa Marta has many different beaches to visit, there are plenty of tour companies in town that offer these services. One of the main attractions of this area is Tayrona park, which is a natural national park protected by the Colombian government.
We booked a tour to explore this area the day before we were leaving to Medellin but, the alarm didn't go off and by the time the tour company was picking us up, we were still sleeping... so we missed it!
Our experience in Santa Marta was good, we felt safe and had plenty time to relax but by the third week we felt like we have had enough. Something to consider next time we apply for a house sit in a small town that doesn't offer many amenities; but life is a learning experience and overall we had a great time.
We have been in Medellin for three days, and we are loving it!
Medellin travel adventure to be continue...
