COLOMBIA!!! (Not Columbia)

I was recently invited to tag along with a friend to Colombia for a short getaway. Since moving to Panama, we have met people who love to visit there. Some used to live and work there; others still have family and friends there. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see it for myself.

We booked our trip to Medellin, Colombia. It is in the country’s center in the mountains at an elevation of 4509 feet and is known as the City of Eternal Spring. It is currently dry season, and the temperature is about 85 degrees and sunny. We actually stayed in a hostel/hotel in the town of Rionegro, an hour bus ride up the mountain and at an elevation of 6972 feet. There, we enjoyed highs of 75 degrees during the days and low’s in the high 50’s at night. The perfect sleeping temperature.

The windows were open as we left the airport and taxied to our lodging, and I could smell the fresh mountain air. The roadways and sidewalks were clean and in good condition. The hostel/hotel we stayed at was along the quality of a Motel 6. It was basic, clean, with comfortable beds and no bugs. We were keeping our girls’ trip budget to a minimum; at $7 per night, this fit our budget and checked off the box of “I have stayed in a hostel”. There are 4,000 Colombian pesos for every $1.00 U.S. currently. After we settled in, we were ready to begin exploring. Walking down the hill to the main road, we caught the local bus into town, checked out a local modern mall, had lunch in the food court, and got some snacks for our room at a local grocery store. After such a long day, we caught a taxi back to our lodging for an early night. I fell asleep feeling awe that I was in SOUTH AMERICA.

The next morning, we went downstairs to get coffee and the included breakfast. It was a simple Colombian breakfast of scrambled eggs, a thick corn tortilla heated like toast, a slice of traditional white cheese, and the best cup of coffee I have ever had in my life. I normally drink coffee with sugar and creamer. Cream was not offered. Okay, black coffee with a little sugar it is. WOW! It was not bitter at all. So the thing you hear about Colombia having amazing coffee… Yeah, that’s spot on. 

We decided to explore on foot for our second day after seeing so many interesting places along the bus route on our first day. We were looking for a cool place to eat dinner and walked into Rodizio Carioca. It has painted murals on the walls, indoor/outdoor seating, plants and flowers everywhere, and beautiful Colombian music playing in the background. It turned out this restaurant has a similar theme as the Rodizio Grill, the Brazilian steakhouse chain in the U.S., but locally owned and operated. So much love was put into everything they served. Our meal with all the beautiful sides was finished with coffee and followed with grilled pineapple. The service was excellent, and I will always remember this incredible evening. 

The next day, we took the one-hour bus ride into Medellin. Medellin is a huge city! After getting off the bus, we took a cab into a tourist area and walked into a hip and trendy neighborhood. We were careful to pay attention and had been warned that pickpockets could be a problem; we always felt safe and experienced no issues. We attempted to speak Spanish, and we were well received. Several people took the opportunity to practice their English with us, too. I am told that this is true for most Spanish-speaking countries. I will feel more comfortable when I can speak Spanish fluently. 

Medellin is like most big cities in the world, but this city was filled with street art and beautiful trees down the every side street that provided shade for the local businesses and shoppers. We enjoyed walking through a couple of “parks” that provide places for local artisans to sell their creations or for wanders like us to rest on a bench under a tree. We enjoyed our day while only seeing a very small bit of Medellin. I look forward to coming back and seeing even more of it. 

On our last full day in Rionegro, we walked the local neighborhoods and saw the Catedral de San Nicolas, whose creation dates back to 1669. The park in front of it and the narrow side streets with local shops reminded me of Italy. What a wonderful feeling to walk these streets filled with so much history. 

Is Medellin and Rionegro, Colombia safe? My opinion is yes, they are as safe as any large city. Obviously, I wouldn’t feel comfortable exploring seedy areas of any city alone during the day or night, no matter what country I was in. Using common sense, traveling safe and smart is always important. It has been my experience that most people are good and want the same things. To be safe, loved, connected to their community, and have the opportunity to provide for their families. Tourist dollars help provide that opportunity and are welcomed warmly when you attempt to speak the language and respect the culture you are visiting. 

Vic and I are already researching more areas in Colombia and look forward to revisiting this beautiful country soon.