Category: Colombia

I have been a vegetarian for about 25 years. Because lately I have been very hungry and having trouble with my sugar numbers, I decided to increase meat in my diet (beans have a lot of carbs in them). Well Colombia is a place to try meat. Their beef is amazing, lean, and very flavorful. Their chicharrón is also pretty amazing. This is a typical dish here with a cocktail made of aguardiente which is a licorice flavor alcohol.

I also took a tour of Común 13. It is a vibrant neighborhood known for its dramatic transformation from one of the most dangerous areas in the city to one of cultural revival. There would be different gang sections here that would be at war with each other with mass killings for years. I loved the colorful murals, the different levels of buildings that can be accessed by stairs and escalators, and the street performances. Now it is a safe place to live and for people to visit.

After the swim a few of us from the tour went to a local hawker area that was recommended by the guide. I had madongo. It is a soup made of tripe. It was absolutely delicious

After a swim to cool down I took a walk to parque Botero. There are bronze statues created by the artist Botero. It is interesting to see how the streets on opposite sides of the park are different. One side is a literal red light district and the other side is not quite so seedy.

Guatapé is a small town outside of Medellin that is known for its charming atmosphere, great way to spend a day away, and plenty of things to do. I joined a totally Spanish tour bus which gave me a lot of practice.

From the water you can see the house of Pablo Escobar, notorious drug lord. He was one of the most powerful and feared criminals in history. He founded the Medellín Cartel, which dominated the global cocaine trade in the 1980s and early 1990s. His wealth and influence allowed him to bribe officials and fund social programs. On one hand,  he was feared and at the same time admired depending what part of society you are from. However, thousands of deaths were caused by him. He was killed by police in Medellín in 1993.

We also stopped at a little farm (Republica Alto De Ho Ho)

From there we went back to Medellin. A pretty long day.

I was honored to be invited to my dear friends’ wedding in Cali. We stayed at an Airbnb mansion and I was so blessed to be welcomed so graciously by her family. We had such a great time. Everyone’s family and the place was amazing.

After the wedding was a very fun reception. It went pretty late (sorry I had to nap on a couch at times…). The next day we went to the Cali zoo. It is a magnificent zoo and I had such a great time with her family.

As luck would have it, my knee swelled up training for the Camino de Santiago for September. Now I need to have a right knee replacement which has limited a lot of what I wanted to do (used a cane and also wheelchairs in airports…). From here I go to Medellin but will cut the rest of my trip short.