On the Road to Santa Fe de Antioquia Many people come to Colombia in search of the Colonial architecture of Spain. Approximately 80 kms. to the north of Medellin, you will find the charming but bustling city of Santa Fe de Antioquia. The city was founded in 1541 by Field Marshall Jorge Robledo with the name – The City of Antioch – La Ciudad de Antioquia. On a later trip he establishe... »
Some of the Sites to See – Colombia Day Trippin’ Here are some suggestions of day or short trips that you can plan from major city centres while visiting Colombia. From Bogota : Bojaca – Chivo Negro – precolombian rock pictograms in ocre Guasca – La Capilla de Siecha – considered a National Monument La Calera – really part of North Bogota Nemocon – a... »
To Bus or not to Bus – That is the Colombia question Not so long ago, a colleague and I needed to travel from Medellin to Manizales. We set out at noon and I assumed it would be an easy trip. After all, it is only 150 kms. from south Medellin. With a North American mindset, I calculated 1 1/2 hours and doubled it, assuming that the traffic in Colombia would not flow as quickly as I would ho... »
Across the river, to the west of the popular sector of El Poblado, lies the neighbourhood of Laureles Medellin. This strata 5 area of Medellin is becoming a popular place for entertainment, dining and living for many expats. Laureles – Estadio is the 11th Comuna in Medellin and actually consists of the barrios of Carlos E. Restrepo, Suramericana, Naranjal, San Joaquín, Los Conquistadore... »
The Medellin Christmas Lights project that began as a modest event in Medellin in 1955 has grown to become an internationally known holiday spectacle. The Alumbrado – The Lighting of Medellin has placed the city in National Geographics’ 2012 top ten cities worldwide to view Christmas lights. Traditionally the event has started on the 7th of December which is the unofficial start of the... »
Taking a taxi in Colombia is as simple as walking out to the curb and hailing a driver. The question is, how safe is it to do this ? Easy Taxi and Tappsi have resolved the issue of Colombian taxi service or at least made it much less worrisome. As in any new location that you might travel, the question always arises as to the safety of the taxis and their drivers. This concern is very prevalent i... »
Preserving history and cultural heritage Hacienda El Batan is a three hundred year old homestead in San Agustin, Colombia. It is a National Historic Landmark of Heritage Architecture located in the Northern Andes of South America. Finca El Batan is one of the oldest coffee farms in southern Colombia although it is better known for its museum and library. The main focus of the Fundacion El Batan ha... »
On the Road to Ginebra ´´Turn right at the guitar´´ is probably one of the strangest directions that I have ever been given. Somehow it made me think of Bugs Bunny and his famous line, ”I knew I should have made a left turn at Albuquerque” . It was however, completely accurate. Road maps don`t seem to be common in Colombia so we set off on our adventure to find Geneva or Ginebra Valle... »
Cartagena Taxi Fares are a mystery for many as the taxis do not have taxi meters. The fares are set every year by the city – ”Alcadia” and are established by zones. For example if you are going from Manga to El Centro the fare is 5.000 COP. If you want to go to El Cabrero, just on the other side of the old city – probably 5.600 COP and to Crespo 6.500 COP. It is worthwhile... »
On the Road to Santiago de Cali ”First Impressions die hard” is combination of two expressions but it would seem there is now some scientific evidence to back that up. I lived in Santiago de Cali – or simply just Cali in late 2004 and early 2005. It was a time when there was at least 2000 murders per year which was somewhat mind boggling considering in a country like Can... »
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