At my SubStack, reader Tony reports from Colombia on 3/30/23:

 

 

Morning Linh! As I sip my sublime coffee on my balcony in Manizales watching the sun rise over the mountains and the city, I can say that on the lingering scale of 1-10 Colombia rates an honest 12, for me personally edging out Vietnam at an 11. I spent a week in Cartagena 4 years ago and my back got sunburned through my t-shirt so this trip I'm spending my 5 weeks here in the mountains, this being my fifth week. I don't really "travel" per se, I come to a place to evaluate whether I could live there full time once I finally decide to weigh anchor and say ciao to Canada. So my goal is to plunk myself in a potential place for 3 weeks, the minimum I feel needed to absorb all, or at least most. I did this in Phu Nhuan district after leaving Da Nang the day covid arrived there. I enjoyed the last normal Têt week there. I arrived in Bogotá and had 5 days of cool but ok weather, its at 8000ft so 20 was the maximum. Super busy noisy and great food, no safety issues at night. Delicious empanadas cost 60 cents. I then plunked myself in Medellín...the City of Eternal Spring. It does not disappoint, for 3 weeks it was 23-27 daily some days featuring a 2-4 hour blast of rain making the air fresh and environment lush and beautiful. On sunny days I kept thinking I would awake from a dream. My 2 bedroom place with full kitchen and laundry machine in a good neighborhood was 14usd a night, lunch a block away cost 3.89 and was fresh filling amazing. I ate there every day and after 2 weeks the waitress Candy began calling me Don Antonio. A former co-worker grew up near Medellín, listening to his music while we painted apartments was the main factor in me choosing this city. Colombia, in my opinion, is the world capital of music, dance and therefore, life...la vida. In some places people still dance in the street. Local tiendas almost always have a few plastic tables and chairs out front for people to drink and bullshit at, a là Vietnam, and thurs/fri/sat nights they are all full and music resounds in the streets. Soccer match nights feature tense crowds amassed on sidewalks in front of bars with ridiculously large tv sets. The Escobar days are history now, I had zero safety concerns and was only ever proferred narcotics in the tourist haven of Poblado. Of course there are some issues here, a woman explained to me that Colombia is a modern day medieval society, with a class of rich corrupt nobles and an underclass of extreme poor. I would occasionally have to step over ragged men sleeping sprawled on the sidewalk on my way to eat. Despite this poverty very few beg, the people are resilient and determined, many will purchase a large bag of individually wrapped candies to sell at street corners, amongst cars at red lights or leaning over the rail to your table while you are having lunch. At the intersection near my larger grocery a group of Venezuelan boys performed break dancing routines in the street for tips during red lights, one could bound right over a car! In previous times paramilitary groups "cleaned up" the streets, disappearing many of the "ones who got left behind" and a stone quarry at the edge of the city contains the largest mass grave in south america. The government at various times works hand in glove with these groups and existence of this grave is officially denied. Colombia is one of the most biodiverse places there is. I took photos of the scorpion wasp (!) while on a trek through the forest. Our guide led us upstream of a small river, fording it 8 times up to our knees before reaching the waterfall after an hour. After swimming in the crisp mineral rich water I felt reborn. Here in Manizales I will visit the volcanic hot springs. I know you enjoy discovering a place for yourself, so I will end it here and let you do so when you arrive. If that happens to be between January and April, your first lunch and round of Club Colombias will be on me...as I am already plotting my extended return. Anyone else reading this, also note one small detail. Colombia has no size 12 shoes, maximum 10 or 11 depending where you go, so pack wisely! Tony