Blogs from Antioquia, Colombia, South America

The Paisa City Now, the chance to visit the Paisa city of Medellin, but why Paisa? the word comes from the Spanish word paisano which means fellow countryman; and that's how they will make you feel there, as if you were one of them, something that you couldn't find in Bucaramanga, for example. As you will notice if you keep reading, Medellin is not only paisa but a worldwide city, in fact, my best friend told me that some French guys state that going to Medellin is like going to Europe as it embraces many cultures and soon, you will realize that the city is quite developed as the inhabitants have a very futurist vision. Medellin or Medallo, as it is popularly called, is the second largest city in my country and some people might say, ... read more

Hey Friends, Now it is the time to show you one of the most beautiful counties in Colombia, that is Antioquia. The capital, wow, but people do not actually know all the amazing villages around Medellin, that might leave you flabbergasted. Here I start with some of the rural villages of this lovely department. Puerto Berrío makes me think of the big bridge. at only 4 hours from Bucaramanga, it was the right place to start the visits to Antioquia Why Puerto Berrío? Reading on the net, I found that the name belongs to Pedro Justo Berrío, a former governor of Antioquia (1864-1875) who actually led a rebellion against the opposing party and kept Antioquia within the Colombian Union. As it is located near the Magdalena River, the village played an important role as a port ... read more

A Romantic Town After taking the longest South American tunnel whose crossing cost us 12,400 pesos, we were ready to enjoy the beauty of such a famous destination. For me, the quaint colonial Santa Fe is synonymous with spas and swimming pool areas; I don't know whether it was the tropical climate, the nice breeze or the lush green vegetation of the surrounding mountains, but as soon as I got there I longed for swimming and a suntan. That's right, sometimes, I wonder whether I got the Michael Jackson's change of skin color as I am far from the ''negro" they used to call me... anyways, the sun in Santafe is quite killing and to know that the city offers a large array of spas and big hotels with swimming pools to freshen up is like ... read more

Marinilla, Antioquia As I told you in a past entry, Marinilla was not a first choice from the very beginning but I am glad I finally came as I liked walking and admiring some of the houses that are very colourful. I liked eating breakfast at a nice bakery where I had the chance to sit and relax. I also liked the cold beer in the evening that we drank while we listened to some of the Paisa trovas. Some facts about the village According to what I read in Wikipedia, Marinilla played an important role in the Independence from the Spanish rule as it allowed our country to have lots of its sons to fight against the Spanish, and in this, the village set an example for other nearby villages. But apparently, they were not ... read more

Guatapé According to Wikipedia, the name Guatapé is a Quechua word referring to stones and water. Stones are there, a gigantic boulder in the countryside and as for water, you´ll be surrounded by one of the largest lakes in Colombia. And that´s what I have here now, a description of a place where you can kick back while exploring this enchanting destination. What a facade! Getting to Guatapé was a pleasant surprise for me as I didn't know that such a colourful lakeside town existed; si señor, imagine an amazing destination with beautiful zocalos painted, that´s right, dimensioned images of pastel-colored paintings on the lower wall tiles of people´s houses. Brilliant idea!!! Lucky us the inhabitants sculpted and painted their most common everyday activities, products sold, geographical and cultural beliefs on the lower part ... read more