“The only risk is wanting to stay,” Colombia’s new slogan says.
David Lee—creator of the blogs Medellin Living and Go Backpacking— tells us why the country’s sights and people make the slogan ring true. (Follow Dave on Twitter at @rtwdave).
THE TRIP: 5 1/2 months living in Medellin, Colombia, plus 2 weeks in Bogota, Cartagena, and Barranquilla for Carnival.
WHO: David Lee
WHY: I’d heard from a few backpackers that Colombia was safe for travel, and was curious to visit a country most people still consider too dangerous for tourism.
WHEN: January 19, 2009 to July 18, 2009
GETTING THERE WAS: Easy. I flew on Iberia from Madrid to Bogota.
I WAS REALLY SURPRISED WHEN: After my first week in Medellin, I knew I wanted to live there.
I REALIZED THAT I WOULD LOVE IT WHEN: I took the shuttle from Medellin’s airport down the mountain roads and into the beautiful valley on a sunny Monday afternoon. As we drove through the center of
the city, there were lots of people going about their daily business, and I was immediately excited by all the activity.
THE BEST PLACE I STAYED WAS: Casa Kiwi Hostel in the Poblado area of Medellin. Paul, the American owner, is super friendly, as was his staff. I stayed there despite the noise from renovations which have
since been completed. It is located a few minutes walk from Parque Lleras, the main nightlife district in the city.
THE COOLEST ATTRACTION WAS: Going out salsa dancing with my Colombian friends. We’d go to various clubs – big and small, and the women were always encouraging of a foreign guy trying to learn how to dance.
During my last weekend in Medellin, I even attended the country’s Salsa Congress.
IF I HAD TO DO IT AGAIN I WOULD HAVE: Moved into an apartment sooner. While I enjoyed Casa Kiwi Hostel, there was a lot of partying, and my quality of living was much better once I started renting a room in a university student’s apartment.
THE ONE PIECE OF ADVICE I HAVE ABOUT VISITING COLOMBIA IS: To take advantage of the strong Couchsurfing community. I spent my first week in the country as the guest of a university student in Bogota, and
later made many Colombian friends in Medellin through the social network. Most Colombians are very proud of their country and what it has to offer, so it can be a lot of fun to spend time with them.
on Dec 28th, 2009 at 10:05 am
Beautiful! This is the kind of information that puts Colombia into a good light.
on Dec 28th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Ah, Medellin. My favorite thing: the Boteros. And paragliding over the city.
I’m in favor of any and all promotions to travel to Colombia. Thanks Dave!
on Dec 29th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
I love Colombia and think the new marketing tagline is brilliant.
on Dec 29th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I met Dave for a beer a couple of weeks ago with some other DC area travel bloggers. It’s worth noting that he visited Colombia on the tail end of a trip around the world. The fact that he enjoyed it so much and felt so welcome there says a lot.
Colombia is quickly moving up on the list of places I must visit.