Fiestas & Siestas!

Hola Hola de Medellin, Colombia! There is much to catch up on since I spoke with you all three weeks ago. I left Cusco, Peru the morning of the 29th, and have since spent all of my time relaxing in Medellin. Although I'm sure I will forget some details, I will do my best to update you all on what I've been up to.

My time in Cusco, Peru was an absolute blast. I had the best time with TWC, the memories, moments, and treks I did with them I will remember for the rest of my life. It was also one of the most active trips I've been on since I started traveling. There was not a single day where I wasn't doing some kind of activity, and every weekend in Peru we were doing 2-3 day hikes.

During my first week or so in Medellin I did absolutely nothing. Yup, you read that right. I did not do a single thing outside my hostel. I spent the entire time sleeping, reading, and watching movies. Now I consider myself a fairly active person and someone who has a difficult time not doing anything at all for hours a day. But I knew my body enough that after a month straight of go go go, I needed a break. Even that, I've come to realize while traveling that doing nothing all day but reading and watching movies is not being lazy.

I am currently working and staying in a hostel called The Wandering Paisa. I found them on a website called Workaway, a platform where people can arrange homestays and cultural exchanges. In exchange for a place to stay, you contribute a certain amount of time per day and get lodging and sometimes food. For this exchange, I am the hostel's bartender for 4 hours a day 5 times a week and get a free place to stay as a benefit.

One of the first things I did when I finally left my hostel was go up the Medellin Metrocable, which soars above the city and into the hills. It has incredible views of the city and at the end of one of the lines is Parque Ecologico Piedras Balances. A beautiful forest about an hour north by car but with amazing views. As well as this, I also went to Parque Explora, an interactive science museum.

I also spent this past weekend in Guatape, which is about a three-hour drive north of Medellin. It's what some call a "resort town" and an incredibly colorful place. In the center is the lake which the town essentially surrounds. I arrived on a Saturday afternoon and spent the day out on a boat on the lake learning about the history of the town. Sunday we went biking and hiked up the La Piedra del Penol (the rock) which is a popular attraction.

Other than that, my days are been spent working, hanging out with friends, and getting to know the locals and the town. Medellin is an incredibly beautiful place, and not as unsafe as some might seem.

Although it has gotten a bad reputation from Narco's TV show and the drug cartel, most of that is no longer relevant to this beautiful place. If you're planning to visit Colombia, I would definitely come to Medellin and learn all about the history of this place.

A quick travel update!

I had originally planned to stay in Colombia for a month and then would travel back to Costa Rica for a couple of months until the rainy season had died down a little. But the more time I spend in Colombia the more I realize how much I want to immerse myself more in this place and really learn about the history and culture.

So at the end of July, I will travel two hours south and stay at a school teaching English for 5 weeks. The school is in a town where you will find very few tourists and nobody speaks any English. In August, my plan is to travel to Isla Grande/Cartegena.

My travels are constantly changing but I will always make sure you keep you all updated! And go dubs!