Traveling with Faith: Colombia Faith Majors takes us to new heights, hiking Guatape Rock & La PinolGuatape, Colombia.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Colombia?

It’s no longer the war of Pablo Escobar and the drug cartels of decades ago.

Let me tell you about the Colombia that I experienced….

Colombians are happy to have visitors come to their country because many tourists have avoided Colombia due to the stigma and bad reputation the country has received over the years.

My trip started in the capital of Bogotá (elevation over 8000 feet).

I was surprised to be taken to a Michelin starred restaurant my first evening there with a 10 course tasting menu at Elcielo. This was a modern, foodie, hip restaurant and area of Bogotá, not at all what I expected.

My second day in the capital city of Bogotá, I went to visit the adorable little restaurant of Casa Mama Luz, where you can find some of the best traditional Colombian food and famous Anquillo soup by Chef LUZ DARY COGOLLO, an amazing female chef, who has had many struggles in life and is now being featured on a Netflix documentary.

I flew to the charming and colorful town of Salento in the coffee region of Colombia. I hiked up the beautiful rainforest of the Cocora Valley, part of a nature reserve in the Quindio state along the river that has the tallest wax palm trees in the world. It is also home to the Andean condor, which happens to be one of the largest birds in the world. This area is nicknamed “Little Switzerland” for its lush green valleys and mountain peaks, as was reflected in the Disney animated film Encanto.

I was fascinated, learning about the coffee regions of Colombia which consist of three main regions known as the coffee axis. Did you know that 89% of Colombian coffee is exported? It’s cropped, harvested, dried and then sold. Colombia is the third largest producer of coffee in the world. It is also known for harvesting, gorgeous Colombian emeralds, cocoa and roses.

From there, I was off to the second largest city in Colombia, Medellin.

It was the most violent city in the world 20 years ago. It’s the only city in Colombia with a subway / metro bringing the people together, along with opportunities for jobs. Medellin is the capital of Reggaeton music, where musicians come to work and launch their careers, including those of Karol G, J Balvin and Meluma.

Medellin is a modern metropolis with an abundance of nightlife, great restaurants and shopping. The poorest area of Medellin is Comuna 13, which was transformed into a graffiti art gallery in the streets of the city. Graffiti is legal there. Residents who live in the mountain houses of Comuna 13 can escape the violence now by taking cable car 13 into town. This has become a very famous area for tourists to visit, and you can feel life coming back to the town and people.

One of my favorite places was a restaurant owned by Paola, a local woman who started out by feeding orphaned children in the area. Over time, she opened a tiny restaurant, hidden behind the alleyways of Comuna 13, called Berracas, which is Colombian slang for a strong, powerful woman. I was touched to see that she is still helping the local children in her community.

I had the opportunity to also visit La Pinol - Guatape. Guatape is a town of beautiful chaos and colors, with Zocalo art on the exterior walls of homes and businesses. Every Colombian has a story of their history. You can imagine the fun I had climbing the almost 700 steps to the top of Guatape Rock, overlooking the man made lake and dam of La Pinol-Guatape.

I left Colombia with a happy heart, wanting to return and visit the other regions of this surprisingly kind, hospitable and diverse country. That’s what I love about traveling, you never know what you will discover!

Happy Travels and Keep Exploring ~ Faith Majors