I usually start a new trip blog with a “Why xyz?” post. And that’s definitely been a question from friends about this trip, to Colombia and Panama.

The idea actually started with Panama, where we’re heading next. We wanted a warm weather destination, and I didn’t want to travel halfway around the world like we did last year. Panama has always intrigued me – it has a bustling modern city, but also beaches, rainforests, golf courses and volcanoes. And of course the Panama Canal! I have an odd fascination with container ships, so the Panama Canal is a must-see for me. 

Once Panama was in the conversation we thought about Colombia too, which is only about an hour flight away. (Any history buffs out there know that Panama was originally part of Colombia.) We enjoy the Latin culture, and since the drug cartels have largely been extinguished it’s also generally a safe place to visit, barring the usual pickpockets, grifters and questionable areas common to most major cities. All can generally be avoided by employing some common sense. 

The tour company we used for our previous January trips, Overseas Adventure Travel, was offering a special for Colombia, so that sealed the deal. 

Our trip got off to a good start. Our driver from the hotel was waiting for us after our overnight flight from Newark, which is a bigger deal than it sounds. We’ve had no-show drivers in Spain, Singapore and Oslo, so it was with some trepidation that we exited baggage claim – but there he was! So much for the bad rap Latin countries get about punctuality. Who knows what the rest of the trip will bring, but we were off to a good start.

Bogota sits at 8,661 feet, so at that altitude we thought it best to start slowly. That said, after a short nap, we managed to cover a fair amount of ground in the historic Candelaria area where we’re staying. It’s lively with vendors, shops, museums, churches and historic colonial homes. We mostly just took in the vibes, but we did visit the Colonial Museo and a large library that had a nice view of the city and the hilltop sanctuary, Montserrate, from the terrace. (Photo above.) Montserrate sits at around 11,000 feet and is reachable via cable car or a funicular.

This is our third early January trip, and I’m always a bit sad leaving while the holidays are still top of mind. But it does have its benefits, as the city is still sparkling with holiday joy, as the photos illustrate.

Our tour officially started today with a walking tour of the historic area where we’re staying. In addition to many museums it’s also home to the President of Colombia and various government offices.

Our next stop was the Gold Museum, which holds over 55,000 treasures from the pre-Columbian era, including the largest collection of gold artifacts in the world.  It’s a well-done museum and was packed with tourists on what our guide said was a slow day. 

Our final stop was an art installation called “Fragmentos” which serves as a memorial (or anti-memorial as the artist calls it), of the guerrilla war waged by FARC for 50 years. The conflict was ended with a peace accord in 2016 and all the guerilla guns were melted down and used to create the floor of the building. Victims of sexual violence during the war actually created the floor tiles. It’s a moving and impressive space.

As we made our way through the city I was enthralled with the street art that is everywhere. Tomorrow we’ll be taking a graffiti tour, so more art and history to come!