Photos from my trip to Colombia

Have mask, will travel.

Click HERE to see more photos from my trip to Colombia

Traveling in the Time of Covid

Since I was traveling during the pandemic, I was keeping an eye on how Colombia was handling covid. After all, masks and safety and needing covid tests, were one of things that made this trip different from trips in the past.

From what I saw, Colombia was taking covid very seriously. In Medellin everyone even wore masks outside and in most places most people did. It felt safe and like there wasn’t as much conflict. (Somehow they understand that mask go over one’s nose!) Store security greeted customers at shop doors with sanitizing spray bottles in many places and portable hand washing sinks were set out in public places. Signage was abundant. Some places asked for vaccines for entry, but not that many, though I was told it is the law at restaurants. Colombia was hit very hard in the first wave, with 130,000 deaths in their 52 million population, and they clearly are trying to stave off more illness and death. Case numbers were very low when I got there, but when I just checked, it looks like now, a week after I left case numbers are going up again.

Caribbean Warm Breezes and Beats in Cartagena Colombia

This was my second trip to Cartagena. As Colombia develops its tourism infrastructure, it felt different from before, and from the other parts of the country. Tropical temps, a much more Afro-Colombian population and Caribbean Sea breezes reminded me more of Cuba than Medellin. It’s a well preserved colorful city and a UNESCO World Heritage site. I stayed outside the traditional city walls in the Getsamani neighborhood, where narrow roadways turned into night parties with restaurants and bars spilling out into the roadways and music and dancing in the streets. The street art on many of the walls and overhead decorations really made it feel lively. I spent a day at the Cartagena beach front, and on another, took a cigarette boat way into the sea to the Rosario Islands. Then on my last day I chilled by my hotel pool between little walks and stops close to my hotel. This might be my last tropical, warm trip for a while and I wanted to be sure to squeeze out every last chill moment. I’ll also add that I posted my Colombia Christmas decoration pictures already, but if you look back you will see that Cartagena won for most decorated city in my book and I really enjoyed looking close at the displays all over the city.

Cartagena is a Caribbean city ready for the world and a quick direct flight from NYC. Go!!!

Street Art is Everywhere in Colombia!

Anyone who knows me has been waiting for street art photos from my travels. Colombia has LOTS of street art. It’s truly awesome. It was one of the reasons I wanted to go back. Everywhere you look, bam! more art, more color, more creativity. I took a wonderful tour with a street artist and learned more about the scene there.