Colombia Bolivar or Santander

2022, Jul 03    

Colombia | Country 10 | 6 day |

I spent 6 days across Medellín and Bogota.

My friend Luis from college is from Colombia, and I have heard so much about the country over the years. I’d personally explain the two cities as the Los Angeles and New York of America, a different culture for sure.

Medellin

I first visited Medellin and arrived at the hostel. As the borders are slowly opening up, Colombia was a popular destination. There were quite a few slow travelers, including a Canadian expat girl who couldn’t stay in Qingdao, China, anymore because of the COVID situation.

Medellin is known as the city of eternal spring, with paisas, the Colombians, who are famous for their openness and cheerfulness.

I made my way across the city. The cable cars, or telefericos, are a fantastic way to travel across the hills.

I visited the touristy spots like Communa 13, a crowded tourist location known for the vibes and history of a once very dangerous neighborhood, as well as the Pablo Escobar sites that reminded me of the Netflix show Narcos.

The city had many interesting tidbits sprinkled throughout.

Catholicism in a box from a suburb | Mural of Bored Apes from the crypto boom

I absolutely love the Menu del Dia that’s available in many restaurants - a stark contrast to the fast-food culture I am used to.

I said my goodbyes to Medellin.

Bogota

A few fun facts about Bogotá:

• El Dorado, the lost city of gold, is the name of the airport
• Chicha, a corn drink, is a traditional beverage (similar to Cava in Fiji)
• Plaza Bolívar is a beautiful square
• Botero, the sculptor, hails from here, something my former coworker Irfan is quite fond of

Bogota from the Monserrate mountain

Bolivar vs Santander

Simón Bolívar and Francisco Santander are both figures who helped Colombia (or rather Gran Colombia) gain its independence.

The two had differing ideologies, which made an impression on me. Bolivar is the sword that fights for change with passion and zeal, while Santander is the shield that creates the right processes and allows change to happen slowly.

Farc gurrila vs Paramilitary

Both factions are making Colombia dangerous. This is a not a peaceful country, but the people are happy and live everyday lives.

I should also note that there was a protest while I was in town. Apparantly, there was a ban of 2 males riding on the same motorcycle, caused by the prevalence of robberies where one person snatches while the other drives.

As an ending note, I love the food in Colombia - the fritos, the coffee that’s so famous and just the possibilities that exist here.

Goodbye Colombia.