What’s Wat, Sweaty Crap, and More In Thailand

Wow, I feel like it has been ages since I have sat down and reflected on what I have been up to. And since I have last posted I’ve been playing absolute tourist, moving fast, in five countries. But I am getting ahead of myself…

After Indonesia, I made my way to Thailand where my first stop was Phuket. I didn’t love it. There were more Russians than Thais, the beaches were meh, you couldn’t get away from touristy restaurants and massage parlors begging you to come in, and the whole thing really had me missing Virginia Beach (and VA Beach is nothing to get excited about). Don’t get me wrong, I did get my fair share of massages and still relaxed on the beach, but where I stayed (Kamala then Kata) lacked charm and any sense of place.

A perfectly adequate beach in Phuket

Have PADI cert, will travel

The first foot massage of many

Sunset in Phuket

One thing that was super fab was, after many years pending on the bucket list, I obtained my PADI Open Water certification for SCUBA diving. That was pretty awesome, and it sounds like I will have to return to Malaysia and Indonesia for some of the world’s best dive spots.

After a week of chilling at the beach, I made my way to Bangkok where I met up with my parents and we began a two-plus-week tour mainly through Thailand. I was super-thrilled to see them and we did get have some wonderful experiences in Thailand, including visiting the modern art spectacle that is the White Temple, getting family Thai massages, and watching lanterns floating into the river and the sky for Loy Kathong.

At the White Temple

At the White Temple

About to release my lantern

Floating lanterns above Chiang Mai

Welcome drink with Mom in Bangkok

I also took a cooking class with mom in Chiang Mai. I have always enjoyed Thai food, and now my appreciation of the food has expanded, and I *may* even have enough confidence to try out a few dishes when we get home. But overall Thailand was… as meh as the beaches in Phuket. There wasn’t a single city or town that I have a need to go back to, not even hipster mecca Chiang Mai. I feel overloaded on temples, or “wat” in Thai. And the pictures of the King everywhere and (legally mandated) positive vibes towards him is downright creepy to me.

Hard at work frying up Thai food

Homemade pad thai and spring rolls

Proud of my finished results

Learning Thai appetizers

The most interesting part of Thailand to me was the language. In addition to all the “fun” jokes about ‘what wat?’ that one can make in Thailand, men also great people by saying sawadee krap. It sounds like “sweaty crap” in English (which, with the heat and humidity, is probably what you are feeling like). But the interesting thing is that men say this. Women would say sawadee ka. This is the first time I have come across a gender distinction in language based on the gender of the speaker rather than the thing/person being spoken about. And it extends to about every utterance. Not just “hello ka,” but “thank you ka,” “how much is it ka,” and so on.

While in Thailand we actually also took a day trip to Myanmar. The difference between Myanmar and Thailand is sharp. In Thailand, roads are perfect and paved, the countryside is litter-free, and everyone looks happy and healthy. In Myanmar tuk tuks rattle over rutted dirt roads, rolling by rivers clogged with trash, and some of the most grim looking street dogs I have ever seen. The temples were beautiful, though, and honestly if I had to live in Myanmar I would become a Buddhist nun and live in one.

River of trash

Burmese temple

Tuk tuk on a good portion of the road

At the end of the day, I can’t say I was unhappy to leave Myanmar and come back to Thailand. “Meh” was looking pretty good. Here are some fave pics from the trip.

In a new country: Thailand

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And Now For Something Completely Different

While looking at a map of Malaysia and Singapore I realized just how narrow the Strait of Malacca looked, and figured that a trip to Sumatra, Indonesia would be easy. Why Sumatra? In addition to that delightful coffee at Starbucks, which is probably where I first encountered the name of this island (and maybe even its neighbor, Java), I know that Sumatra is one of only TWO places in the world where you can still see Orangutans in the wild in their natural habitat. The other being Borneo. (Thanks, Tina!)

The word orangutan come from Indonesian/Malay for “people of the forest,” and thus to the forest (jungle) I was heading! I flew into Medan and headed straight for Bukit Lawang, a delightful tourist village at the gates of the Gunung Leuser National Park. To get to my accommodation, I had to cross a swaying wooden suspension bridge. Other than that, we were on solid ground. It was humid, and the start of rainy season meant I was in for some impressive storms, but I really enjoyed my visit there.

Swinging bridge to hotel

Riverside in Bukit Lawang

Truly extraordinary

Orangutans up close

Free to swing

In many ways, Indonesia is not entirely different from what I saw in Malaysia. A predominantly Muslim country with similar language, plant life, and food (SO much fried rice). But being able to see the orangutans in this way was something truly unique. It even made sweating and hiking through the jungle all day worth it.

Beautiful jungle views

Hanging with elephants as well

Just lazing

Volcanoes and motorbikes

Not only orangutans but all kind of monkey life

It was also one of the most difficult places for me to travel. I’ve reflected in the past on the comforts of American life I can do without: AC, microwaves, clothes dryers, 24/7 electricity, etc. But I found my limit. I do not enjoy being without regular access to a real, WARM, shower – with running water and everything. Bucket showers are not for me. And access to a western toilet is clutch.  Litter everywhere, crazy traffic, and everyone always smoking were not my favorites either – but that’s par for the course in much of the world.

Main mosque in Medan

Chilling lakeside

Views of Lake Toba from above

Lakeside at Toba

I also went to Lake Toba, a giant crater lake, and stayed a night in Medan. The lake was beautiful, but Medan was nothing to get excited about.  Driving around the countryside, seeing dramatic volcanoes and endless palm oil farms was a combo of amazing yet troubling. After a week there, I was ready to leave. But I am hoping I will be back for another visit. There is, of course, Eat-Pray-Love-famous Bali to see. Java is apparently chock full of fabulous temples. And maybe one day I’ll see the dragons of Komodo. 

A Singapore Sandwich

As you may remember, I was in Malaysia, soaking up all the culture, food, and things that make this part of the world so different from mine. I was also soaking in sweat and getting tired of being gawked at and just a tad uncomfortable all the time. So I decided to sandwich a visit to Singapore in between less-developed Malaysia and Indonesia,

The Merlion

Caught a dance festival

Singapore at night

Buddha Tooth temple

Indian temples

Singapore Sling on the Marina Bay Sands rooftop

I spent three full days walking (and walking, and walking) around the city. It is fantastic. It reminds me of London – very international, excellent public transport, and they drive on the left – mixed with a little bit of Las Vegas. But with SE Asian spice. The majority of residents in Singapore are Chinese Buddhist, but you can find the blend of Malay Muslim and Indian Hindu that seems to be the standard for this peninsula.

But Singapore could not be more different from its peninsular neighbor to the north. Where you cannot go a second without seeing litter in Malaysia, Singapore is impeccably clean. There are plenty of Aussies, Kiwis, Europeans, and Americans roaming about, so I was in no danger of causing pandemonium. Of course everything is more expensive in Singapore too, but I definitely enjoyed all the shiny modern buildings and the fun cultural events and Gardens by the Bay.

I took three walking tours, around the Malay, Chinese, and Indian sectors, learning about the development of this city-state and some of the social support systems they have in place. Most people live in government housing – I forget the exact figure, but it was like 80 percent. However, instead of just living there they buy it from the government (for 99 years) and then can do what they want to it (remodel it, rent it out). The government regulates who can live there, setting income limits and racial quotas for the buildings.

As I learned at the FABULOUS Chinatown Heritage Center, when the Chinese started arriving, apparently it was a small fishing village of a few hundred people. Quite a bit different from the city of 6.5 million it is today. The Chinese, fleeing famine and rough conditions in their own country, set up shophouses and lived in some pretty cramped, unclean “cubicles” (basically 6 feet by 6 feet) in these buildings. Singapore was, of course, part of the British colonies as well until fairly recently.

The tailor shop, shophouse first floor

Cramped living quarters for a few people to share

Chinatown Heritage Center

Hainan chicken rice

Very cool place to explore, and I definitely hope to go back. When you visit, be sure to get to the airport early. Singapore has the best airport in the world, and you can easily amuse yourself for hours with gardens, giant waterfalls, shopping and dining. Me personally, I crushed some Shake Shack. No regrets.

CRUSHED this Shake Shack at Singapore airport

The water vortex five story waterfall at Singapore airport

Enjoying a class of white in the cactus garden at Singapore airport

Enjoying some public art at Singapore airport

 

Remembering Why I Travel In Malaysia

I’ve been in Malaysia for over a week, and it is an exciting place full of learning opportunities. It is a majority muslim country that, in addition to the Muslim Malay population, is also home to large populations of Indian Hindus and Chinese Buddhists. There’s a lot of mixing of cultures, religions, races, and food (although, there’s definitely still segregation and racism). The country was also part of the British Empire until 1957 or 1963, depending on how you count it. Either way, when my parents were born, it was a British colony. Whoa.

Hindu temple

From inside a Buddhist cave temple

A big Buddha

Buddhist cave temple

A Koran

Hindu Batu Caves

You can still see some traces of colonialism, in more than just the architecture in the cities. The Malay language (Bahasa Melayu = BM) is the main language spoken here, but its alphabet was changed over to the latin one (i.e. the same alphabet as English). In fact, in addition to BM, Tamil, and Chinese, quite a few people speak English, especially in cities. People drive on the left here, and I have heard their hospitals are quite good.

The British brought the trains

Swinging at a former resort for the Brits to keep cool

The seat of the British colonial government, in KL

Brits running the tea plantations

Despite the presence of the British, I have been in places where I have not seen many (or any) white people around. From the stares, you can tell they don’t get a lot of people who look like me passing through (especially since I am also probably taller than the average man here). In Taiping, my friend who is teaching English here (she’s American but of Chinese descent), asked me to wait in the car while she dropped something off because my whiteness would likely cause pandemonium. Again, whoa.

Malaysia has also presented me with my first visit into a mosque. I have, of course, seen many mosques before, but never covered up my head and went inside the grounds. They tend to be lovely buildings, with domes and minarets, and the National Mosque in KL was no exception. It was a stunning building, and we were warmly welcomed by a volunteer who was very excited to talk to us and teach us a little about his religion.

At the National Mosque

Wandering through the National Mosque

I would probably say Malaysia is the least developed (and least Western-oriented) country I have been to so far – except maybe China. I’m definitely missing some of the comforts of home. Like showers. Showers here are basically a shower head on the wall of the bathrooms. Which is fine, at least there’s running water and a water heater! But there is no way to keep the whole room from getting soaked, which is not as nice when you are sharing a bathroom and constantly have to sit on a wet toilet.

I also miss general cleanliness. The rivers here are at least as disgusting and brown/orange as many of the South American rivers, if not worse. There’s visible litter everywhere. Even up in the Cameron Highlands, where people go to enjoy the fresh air and beautiful nature, plastic bottles and other rubbish litter the sides of the roads. Air pollution is high, air quality is low, and visible haze permeates the air around. It’s also so humid that I just sweat and generally feel gross all the time. Ah, the tropics.

Trash litters the roadsides

Jacked up sidewalks

The usual shower setup – this is a VERY NICE bathroom

That is orange-ish water

But that’s just it. There’s a saying “life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Being uncomfortable forces you to realize that you can deal with it. There’s a lot of “well, that’s not ideal but I can work with that” moments. You learn to plan ahead. You learn to carry your own tp and hand sanitizer. Being uncomfortable also reminds you to appreciate the times when you are comfortable. Learning about new cultures and places, but also learning more about yourself is the very reason I travel. Why do you travel?

Who Should Go To Korea?

I feel like the Republic of Korea (ROK), or South Korea as most of us know it, is not on a lot of folks’ travel lists. It certainly wasn’t on my list of places to go, and I really only went because I ended up having a friend living there during my nomadic years. And now that I’ve been, I feel that I can really assess who should go to ROK. 

You should go to Korea:

• if you consider yourself a fashionista. I am using the term “fashionista” very loosely. If you are into the k-pop scene and think crazy haircuts and boys wearing lipstick is “de mode,” then you’ll fit right in! If you prefer a more “classic” style involving socks with sandals (or socks with anything, the sock game is strong here), then you’ll be good to go. If beige is your favorite color and wearing outfits totally stripped of the ROYGBIV spectrum, you’ll also find ROK works for you.
• if you like efficiency served with a side of whimsy. Korea has the perfect blending of high-tech and cutesy, like Kakao friends. Take the metro for example. Super efficient. Trains run frequently, and on time. Everything is numbered, from metro stations to exits. This is really handy if you want to know where to go (to get to the museum take exit 8), or how many stops you have left (well we are at 103 and need to go to 112, so…). The train arrives with a jaunty tune and a little animation to accompany it.
• if you don’t want to visit a city that smells like a dumpster. Korean cities are impeccable, spotless. I don’t think I ever saw a piece of litter. I certainly never saw a rat. I couldn’t even find a trash can, that’s how prodigious they are at keeping trash out of site. Don’t believe me? A South Korean mayor had to dump litter on his beach so that volunteers (who were participating in a worldwide beach clean-up day) would have something to clean up!
  

  
• if you love history, whether it be ancient or modern. Korean history is full of exciting sagas of warring empires, peaceful Buddhists, nation building, and perpetual war with Japan. For 600 years Korea was existing peacefully it seems, developing art and their own language, during the Joseon dynasty, until 1910 when things took a turn for the worse. The last hundred years have been rough, as war and domination swept through the peninsula leaving marks that are visible today (I mean literally, just look at a map).
• if you eat food. Korean food is the bomb diggity, and it’s more than bulgogi and kimchi (although, you will be served kimchi with everything). They eat #allthemeat, they could even put Argentina and Chile to shame. Between Korean BBQ and Korean fried chicken, I was eating a lot of meat. Fortunately, they like their meat with a little spice. And garlic goes in everything. Spice and garlic are two of my favorite things in this world…
  

  

  

  
• if you are a living, breathing person. Because really, everyone should go! (Although, real talk, if you don’t breathe you might even do better because pollution in Korea can get wild, which is why people wear masks often. Fortunately for me, air quality was good – I hear it tends to be best in September and October).

And there you have it! Book a flight! Get on it!

On a more serious note, and related to bullet 4 above, something super memorable from my last few days in Korea was going to the War Memorial Museum (for like…5 hours. *cough* nerd *cough*). For me, Korea arrives on the scene in 1950 with the outbreak of the war (unfair, I know) and I have a personal connection to this one. My grandfather served in the U.S. Army in Korea. But I learned more from this museum than I ever did from him.

Why? Because I never asked him. I never asked him where he fought, what operations he was in, or what he did. I never asked him who he met, who he lost, or how he got his purple heart. I never asked him what he saw. I never asked him what it was like to finally come home. And it’s too late now. Going to the memorial was a great history lesson for me, but also a powerful reminder of how history lives on through the people that were there and that we should ask those questions before those stories are gone forever.

Back on the Trail – Korea

To be totally honest, Korea was not high on my list of must see places in Asia, let alone the world. And I don’t think it has been high on the lists of folks I’ve talked to either. But I have a friend who moved here last year (hey Cat!), so I took the opportunity to visit and I am SO GLAD I DID.

Korea is freaking beautiful, y’all. This small peninsula country is blessed with tons of gorgeous coastline, hundreds of islands, rolling green fields, and ragged mountains. It’s quite a stunning landscape. And Seoul is one ballin’ city. Since I’ve been here, I have done so many wonderful things! I:

• played dress-up at a Korean palace,
  

  

  
• crouch-walked through tunnels at the DMZ and peered into North Korea,
  

  

  
• went to two museums that could NOT be about more different topics (toilets and Korean independence)
  

  

  

  
• strolled through perfectly manicured tea fields
  

  

  
• got a taste of K-culture at the Suncheon Film Site
  

  
• ate, and ate….and ate. Korean food is fab. If you like grilled meats, flavorful spice (not just heat), and all.the.garlic, then Korean food is for you
  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  
• spent some quality time with some quality people, learning to never get involved in a land war in Asia.
  

  

That’s a lot in a week! But of course, the best part of traveling is learning about the history and the culture while on the ground. My knowledge of Korea pre-1950 was pretty much zero before this. But now I have learned a lot about the seemingly forever enduring Joseon dynasty (ruling some 600 years, from 1392-1897) and the years of domination by the Japanese empire that has left a really bitter taste in the collective mouth of Korea.

 

I have also got to experience the highs and lows of Hangul, aka the Korean alphabet. The lows are very personal. I, of course, have no idea how to read Korean. This leaves me feeling lost and confused much of the time… a strange feeling since it has been awhile since I have been out on the road, alone, in a place where I have absolutely NO IDEA what is going on, and unable to speak to anybody. But that is part of the adventure of travel: finding out that you can get by AND share sweet moments with people as you go.

The history of Hangul is the history of Korea in many ways. It was invented by King Sejong the Great in the 1400s as a way for the lower classes to learn to read and write (the royalty used Chinese script during this time). It was both embraced and opposed off and on until downright banned during the Japanese occupation years only to resurge after WWII as the official script of Korean. It struck me, as we wandered around the Korean Independence Hall, that their Constitution had to be transcribed into Hangul suggesting that most Koreans nowadays might not be able to read the original version.

As always, it is the history that really speaks to me. I don’t consider myself much of an outdoorsy girl, but the roaming around the Korean countryside has been wonderful as well. For now, I’m sticking around here to continue enjoying the fabulous scenery, cities, and wonderful surprises Korea throws my way.

 

It’s Good to Be Back

I was so excited to finally come home, and on July 5 I made it. My buddy Christina came to pick me up at the airport, we IMMEDIATELY made a Chipotle run, and then we headed towards Lake of the Woods where my parents have a lake house. I’ve been spending the intervening weeks enjoying boating, sitting dockside, and even hosting some visitors down by the lake! Given how atrociously hot and humid the summer has been, it has been really lovely to cool off with a dip in the water… or a wine slushy at our nearby winery.

Lakehouse dock

Our duck friends

Sunsets at the lake

Wine slushy!

Wine slushy galore

The lake on a sunny day

Boating with everyone

I’ve also been making some runs up to DC to visit my city-folk friends. It has been so wonderful to see all the people I love of course, but also to see the places I love. I am usually overcome with a wave of bittersweet nostalgia when I stroll the streets, particularly in Alexandria. It’s such a strange sensation, like… putting on an old pair of pants after you lost weight – they used to be perfectly comfortable but now they no longer fit just right. It weird to stroll down King Street, past my favorite stores, restaurants, and coffee shops, and think “I don’t live here anymore.”

Well, at least not for now. I have every intention of coming back. Someday.

Hanging with friends at VA beach

Cooking class with mom

Hanging with the ‘rents at a winery

Georgetown Waterfront with Emily

Fancy dining with Lauren

Downtown with Steven

Because one thing that being away from home so long has given me is the gift of realizing how much I love home. I know theres DC-haters a’plenty out there, but DC is really a great city offering world class restaurants, theater, museums, parks, and more. It’s clean, has enough activities to fill a lifetime, and has everything you could possibly need.  

Except great weather. I think we can all agree DC weather generally straight up sucks.

Even better for me, Alexandria has access to everything DC has to offer, but is separate. It’s a cute, charming city with its own vibe, history, and identity.  I miss it all terribly, and I am looking forward to coming back and building my life here again. But not yet. I’ve still got a lot of leavin’ left to do.

Drinking Port City in the Port City

Alexandria City Hall

Street performers break out

Sunflowers on King St

Spite house

In North America

September will see me heading off on the next leg of my journey. I’ll be stopping in LA for a few days to visit a friend before heading to South Korea (to visit a friend) then Malaysia (to visit a friend). The five-ish month trip will also take me to Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand. Hopefully I’ll be visiting and making many friends along the way – it’s yet another gift that travel gives. (It’s also given me world-class mooching skills).

I am looking forward to setting off again!

 

What a Way to End

Now that I am back from my South American adventure I have been reflecting on the amazing 12 months of travel chock-full of highs (and a few lows). I’ve had the good fortune of seeing plenty of stunning landscapes, meeting amazing people, and visiting dozens of South American cities but I feel incredibly lucky to have ended this part of the trip in Medellin.

Medellin is hands-down, without a doubt my favorite city in South America.

Always marvellous views

Colorful street art all over

Art and views for days

Multimillion dollar art and sunny days

It has people that are as warm as the Chileans, food as good as Lima, a vibrant cultural scene to rival Buenos Aires, and plenty of sunny days, green spaces, and beautiful mountains all around. What more could you want? Before I arrived I wasn’t necessarily planning to stay so long. I was going to travel around some more, explore the mountains, the desert, and the coast, and then fly home from Cartagena.

But for the first time in my life, I cancelled a flight and booked an AirBnb for the month in Medellin. Mom stuck around too, changing her flight itinerary so she could hang out with me here a few more weeks. We did some exploring, took city tours and visited museums, and did the whole touristy thing.

Colombian fam

Part with the Colombian fam

Yummy food!

Beer and Copa America

Our typical cafe and chocolate and banana cake

Our fab AirBnb hosts

Then we got into a rhythm of going to Spanish classes for a couple of weeks after hitting up one of our favorite cafes for breakfast in the morning. We even got pretty much adopted by our AirBnb hosts and their friends, who have invited us to take part in everything from watching Copa America games to road trips with them. The paisas are an incredibly warm and welcoming proud group of people.

And they have much to be proud of. It is hard to go a day without some reminder of the terror of the past, much of it still very fresh. I met so many people my age who had very different childhoods than I did. I’ve met people who casually recall the shootouts they witnessed, bodies blown to pieces from bombs in their neighborhoods, or the murders of their friends and family members.

Colorful pueblos around Medellin

Spectacular countryside

Normal life playing out in one of the barrios

Wonderful museums of art and history

Art that speaks to the movement and displacement during hte 80s

Metro cable coming down the mountain into the city center

Now, instead of invisible borders they have vibrant neighborhoods; a world-class public transport system rather than the world’s highest murder rate. And although it still has its problems, like any place, it is inspiring to see how much positivity can grow out of such dark spaces. It was a truly beautiful experience to see this city and feel this culture, and it is the cherry on top of what has been one hell of an amazing trip.

Right now, I am home for a few months, visiting family and friends and enjoying the summer. (Although, can the heat and humidity of a Virginia summer ever  truly be“enjoyed?”) But I can’t wait to come back. 

Let’s Try That Again…

Ok, I’ll admit that last blog title might have been a little dramatic (but my feelings towards Cartegena were extreme). Week 1 in Colombia was not great, but with two more weeks left on the tour with the parental units there was nothing to do but brush it off and get back on track/on the horse/on the bike/choose your own cliche. So we packed it up and set off to the next destination.

We were scheduled to spend 3 nights in Salento, but we ended up liking it so much that we cancelled the next leg of our grand tour (sorry, Cali) and ended up staying a week. The main draw of Salento is the Valle de Cocora, which is a freaking marvel. But the town is super cute and colorful, and after the hellfires of the coast the cloudy-with-a-chance-of-drizzle weather that’s the norm there was an extremely welcome change.

Wax palms in Cocora Valley

In South America

Colorful Salento

Salento

In addition to traipsing through the wax palms (Colombia’s national tree, which can grow 150 feet or higher), we visited a thermal hot springs, strolled around charming Filandia, went to an orchid farm, and toured an amazing botanical garden. At one of the many coffee farms in the Quindio region of Colombia, we learned just how much work goes into (and how little margins come out of) producing your morning joe.

A coffee in coffee country

Dad strolling in Filandia

Waterfall hot springs

COFFEE!!!

Picking that good stuff

Hummingbirds at the botanical gardens

Butterfly garden fun

Mostly we ate wonderful food at the restaurants in town, tried out tejo (which is a beer-and-gunpowder-fueled game akin to horseshoes or cornhole), and just enjoyed spending time together in such a beautiful location. The owners of Betatown, the hotel where we stayed, were such a warm and welcoming family that we felt completely at home there and were bummed to leave.

Dad throwing the tejo

Mom was a tejo ringer

At the orchid farm with the master himself

Chowing down on yummy food

But on we went. Our next stop was Popayan, which meant a bus out of Cali. We were told the trip would be 3.5 hours but it took five, mostly because the bus made stops. A lot of stops. Like in the middle of the highway or anywhere at all to pick up anyone who felt like going that direction. The bus included a shotgun rider who played the invaluable role of “hype man” trying to drum up business from those waiting along the road by shouting out our destination. I was surprised at his efficacy because, tbh, the number of times I’ve been standing roadside trying to figure out where I want to go only to have my mind made up by a guy yelling out a bus window is precisely zero.

Popayan is another colonial city, famous for being “the white city,” with UNESCO recognitions both for its gastronomy and its Easter celebrations. The city was beautiful and it has a university, which brought some cultural programming to town. And we did eat some awesome food (the little empanadas with the spicy peanut sauce: delish!) But to be honest it didn’t feel real and it didn’t seem like a whole lot was going on there.

Fam hanging in the main square

The empanaditas!

Churches everywhere

Courtyards and cloisters

The view from our balcony

The white city

Unless you like to play the lottery or stand in line at the bank, that is. Seriously, on the main square was a cathedral, a Juan Valdez (the Starbucks of Colombia), a tourism office, and at least ten banks. Every day every bank had a line out the door (and sometimes around the block). After you get your money out of the bank, you can take it to SuperGiros (every other shop was a SuperGiros) and send it somewhere else or lose it on the lottery…. strange place.

We rolled out of Popayan heading for our final destination: Medellin. To be continued…

Welcome to Hell… I Mean Cartagena

One year ago, I made my first trip to South America. My parents and I went on a tour around Ecuador and stopped for a few days in Bogota on the way home. I loved it all so much I decided to do it full-time! Since then I have been dying to come back to Colombia and see more of this great country. My parents decided they would meet me here and we would tour around together for awhile. Yay!

Mom and Dad hit Colombia

The colonial city of Cartagena was at the top of our must-see list, and I was so excited to finally get there. It has a surprisingly small airport for being a city of over 1 million people and a/the major tourist hub of the country. With just seven gates, you deplane right on the tarmac and are through immigration in minutes.

The walled city was absolutely stunning. I felt as if I could meander through the narrow streets that wind through colorful houses and lively small squares forever. I was in love with the architecture, the walls, the history, the sea views, and happy to be back in a place where I really love the local flavors (plantains)! And there are beaches nearby – what more could you want? It felt euphoric… for about five minutes.

A plaza in the colonial town

Strolling down a picturesque street

Mom in the old town

Fabulous food

Historic and modern

Then it felt sweaty. It was hotter than hell and the humidity is super serious. It hits you like a Mack truck, like a ton of bricks, and all those other clichés. If you want to cool off, well the beaches are nothing to get excited about. The town is dirty and noisy, the sidewalks are an actual joke, and boy was I missing Chileans by the end of day one. Here everyone wants to make a buck off you and is constantly hassling you.

I could barely appreciate the beautiful scenery for all the street vendors and hustlers. Some guy had the nerve to follow and harass me FOR BLOCKS, and then tried to charge me for a tour! Granted, he did talk about the history of the city and what I was seeing but I was basically like I didn’t ask/want you to follow me around for an hour so I’m definitely not paying you. It was all just so… exhausting.

After four days of this nonsense, we took a boat out to the Rosario Islands to stay at the Cocoliso resort. Despite them being recommended to me specifically for their beaches, the beaches we saw were nothing special. However, the islands were interesting and we spent a few days snorkeling, canoeing through mangroves, boating, and mostly lounging around in the hammocks. It was a decent way for mom and I to celebrate another trip around the sun for each of us.

Hammock time

The resort peacock strutting his stuff

Canoeing in the mangroves

A little beachside sitting

Boating past Pablo’s old place

To sum it up: I know some people LOVE it, but Cartagena gets my vote for least favorite city in South America. I am glad I went… but even gladder that I left.