South America

I watched Anthony Bourdain’s Colombian episode of No Reservations on YouTube from the hostel, and inspired to track down at least one place where he ate in Medellin, I confirmed …

Couchsurfing in Medellin often means meeting people socially, versus staying with them as most Colombians live with their families until marriage. I arranged to meet Jesusa from Couchsurfing downtown one …

Medellin is very proud of its metro system, and unlike any other I´ve used, it features cable cars which extend off the train lines to reach up mountains to the …

On a beautiful Monday, I took the metro to Parque Berrio in the city´s center. My first sight was the whitewashed Ermita de la Veracruz, considered to be the city´s …

Andres, the Argentinian, and I continued to walk around the Universidad metro after visiting the aquarium. We spent a little time in the wide open, concrete Park of Wishes, which …

The next morning, I had coffee and a cheese pastry at one of the cafes just below the hostel. I bought a map and was asking reception about sightseeing suggestions …

I managed one and a half hours of quality sleep after my night out in the Zona Rosa, leaving me incredibly hungover for the flight to Medellin. While the air …

Juliana’s parents were coming for a visit, so Laura and Herman dropped me off at Hostel Fatima in the central La Candeleria district of the city I visited the first …

On my last day with Laura, we took a cab to the more upscale, commercial district of northern Bogotá which included the Zona Rosa (red district). The term is used …

Laura and Herman took me out to breakfast early at a small, unassuming restaurant in central Bogota. I had a large, delicious chicken tamale while they ordered a hardcore soup …

I spent the morning watching CNN’s coverage of Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration. Laura had to pick up a kitten in the afternoon, a late birthday gift from her friend, so …

Laura greeted me at the door, welcomed me into her spacious apartment, and introduced me to Juliana, her roommate. They had known each other from childhood, having both grown up …

Concerns on my mind during the Madrid metro ride to the airport: my abdominal cramps, am I in for a repeat of the unpleasant Geneva to Bordeaux travel day? my …