Latin America, Travel

Colombia – Final Thoughts

I feel like I copped out on Colombia, that I didn’t allow it it’s full potential.  All I saw was Cartagena and some outlying islands that were overrun with tourists.  There was no countryside, no village visits, I didn’t even make it to one of the other major cities like Bogota, Cali, or Medellin.  Why?  This is a brutally honest answer here – it was out of fear.  I went with rebellious intention, but only dipped my toe into what Colombia is.  I am ashamed of myself for this.

I don’t want to sell the entire trip short.  We did fully embrace the colonial charm that Cartagena is, and, to a point, became locals for a week – trolling the winding cobblestone streets, sipping coffee at sidewalk cafes, lunching and dining in the squares, playing on the fortified wall that surrounds the city alongside teenagers making out inside lookout nooks, visiting the museums to learn the city and country’s rich history.  (My favorite history fact is that all the histories refer to Sir Francis Drake as Pirate Francis Drake.)  Or are these just typical tourist things?  Is it possible to have a rich cultural experience in only a week’s time?  I don’t know.

I do know that Colombia deserves more credit than I gave it and am remiss that I came away with so many missing experiences and one big next time.  On my list of places to visit in this world, I cannot cross Colombia off quite yet.