Blogs from Antioquia, Colombia, South America - page 5

After breakfast at the cafe down the road from our hostel in Pereira, we prepared for another long day on buses. We took a taxi to the bus terminal, and our taxi driver was a pretty funny guy. He kept razzing other taxi drivers. They didn't find it quite as funny as he (or we) did. We drove past a dog walker with about six dogs, and he shook his head and said, “No no no no no...” Not for any money would he do that job. Well, mayb... no no no no no. Our bus to Medellin was a nice big bus. I slept for about 4.5 out of the 5.5 hours. And there were some windy roads so that was no small feat. I got woken up at rest stop and had to get ... read more

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. The bus ticket from Bucaramanga to Medellin costs 90,000 pesos. Medellin or Medallo, as it is popularly called, is the second ... read more

The Road of the Sun and the Fruit Sticking to my Western travel plan, I arrived in San Jerónimo, a nice agricultural village within the Antioquia´s mountains offering a lovely weather and trying to allow its houses and streets to have architectural significance. The village is part of a tourism plan called the Road of the Sun and the Fruit. The plan includes villages like San Jeronimo, Santafé de Antioquia and Sopetrán and takes tourists to some reknown highlights of these regions such as the Western Bridge, some beautiful churches and places that transport you back to the colonial past. Apparently, there are bililngual guides ready to answer all your questions on the spot. Another Antioquia's paradise With excellent roads, getting to the capital only takes one hour from San Jeronimo. The trip includes crossing the ... 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