Catie and I made a plan to get up fairly early and make our way to the Cocora Valley to hike to the wax palms, the national tree of Colombia. I got up a little later than I anticipated, while Catie met a new friend at breakfast. Our duo quickly became a trio. Catie, Heather, … Continue reading Day 10 – Salento
New Friends
Days 9 – Salento’s Coffee
My favorite place in Colombia was definitely Salento. Even though it took an entire day to get there and I wasn't feeling very well, Salento really stole my heart. Nestled between Medellin and Bogota, the coffee district is becoming more and more popular with tourists. The mountain view is simply stunning, and there are plenty … Continue reading Days 9 – Salento’s Coffee
Day 7 – Cartagena and the Rosario Islands
Rosario Islands So remember that 3am stumbling home to bed part? Probably not the best idea. I had a 5:30am wake-up call at the hostel because I had signed up to tour the Rosario Islands. I got my tired and still slightly drunk ass out of bed, put on my swimsuit and grabbed the sack … Continue reading Day 7 – Cartagena and the Rosario Islands
Day 6: Cartagena
I love a good beach town, and Cartagena did not disappoint. Although criticized for being too touristy, Cartagena is worthy of a trip when traveling through Colombia. But fair warning: you will fall in love with the place. Walking Tours: Every major Colombian city has free walking tours. They highlight the main attractions while providing … Continue reading Day 6: Cartagena
Day 5: Medellin to Cartagena
I woke up really excited. Today was the final for the world cup: France vs. Croatia. Although my friend's love of the underdog win ran through my head for a bit, making Croatia appealing, I was going for France. I was going to watch the game with the Swed at some random bar, but I … Continue reading Day 5: Medellin to Cartagena
Day 3: Medellin
Night I arrived in Medellin at around 8:00 at night. The flight from Bogota is super short. In fact, if you have some time in Colombia, I recommend taking a bus to Medellin instead. It is super economical and you can do an overnight easily. I was on Vivia Colombia. It was a super cheap … Continue reading Day 3: Medellin
Day 2: Bogota
Today was one of my favorite “getting-to-know-a-city” days I have had in South America. I packed so much of Bogota into one awesome day and it is all because of Mike and his Bogota Bike Tours. Located roughly four blocks down from my hotel in La Candelaria (The Old City), this tour was perfect for … Continue reading Day 2: Bogota
Burning to Return to Normal
The first week of April, I returned to school. Our students had just come off of a week-long fall break, but I was coming off of my own personal three-week hiatus. I can affirm that I was one of the only people actually excited to be back in school. Back to normal. I was elated … Continue reading Burning to Return to Normal
Paysandú and Semana de la Cervezas
Paysandú is nestled in the middle-western boarder of Uruguay and Argentina. Known as the second largest city in the tiny country, its 80,000 people population is dwarfed by Montevideo's 1.8 million. So when a city-dweller goes to Paysandú, she is really going to a town. I cannot recommend this place enough. Not only is the drive … Continue reading Paysandú and Semana de la Cervezas
Estoy Aprendiendo
Since coming back to Uruguay from my amazing summer vacation, I have put most of my energy into three things: becoming fluent in Spanish, entering the Uruguayan dating scene, and playing pool. I'll talk about the last two later. I wanted to continue lessons after a super successful time at the Academia Language School. I … Continue reading Estoy Aprendiendo
Teach Abroad Coyle-Gamero 