It's time for me to recommend a valuable resource to my solo travellers and wannabe solo travellers.
My fellow travel explorers welcome to the City of Eternal Spring in South America:
-Drum roll please-
Medellín, Colombia.
And please do not pronounce the ‘ll’ as lin. It's more like a yin with a ‘g’.
Colombians were quick to correct me when I butchered their beloved city's name.
I hate fluff so let's get right to it.
Here is why I recommend this city as a must-visit for your first or even second solo dolo travel adventure:
Luxury for less - the Colombian Pesos (COP) next to the USD and also my home country, JMD, gives you the advantage of basking in rooftop pools, sipping margaritas overlooking the Andes Mountains and enjoying cuisines made for kings or queens without breaking the bank.
Rich culture - there is music, dancing, museums, artistry, food, libraries, coffee, graffiti, and historical monuments that require planting your eyes, hands, feet, tongue and body directly in and on them to truly appreciate the beauty of everything Colombian. Every other day is a festival, holiday and some form of celebration. Boredom is impossible.
Inflated economy - tell me where in the USA can $25US get you a fully stocked fridge and cupboard of groceries to last for 10 days, including alcohol. I'll wait…
Love is their first language - I'm clearly using my poetic expression here since we know Spanish is the spoken tongue. But Colombians are extremely affectionate (Granted sometimes I found it a bit much). Nonetheless, simple greetings of saying good morning or looking directly into your eyes while speaking or ignoring personal space was the highlight of my days. And no, it was not because I was a tourist. See, Colombians are light and dark skinned, and apparently, until I open my mouth to speak Spanglish, they thought I was one of their native sistren. They are friendly, jovial and kind naturally. I saw this especially with families and family friends. They welcome you into their homes, express affection openly, and would gladly give you the shirt off their back if you needed it more than they did. No, really, one rainy day, I left my umbrella, and one of the staff members of the co-working space gave me her sweater to cover my head in the rain.
Nature is a priority - if a tree is in the space where they want to construct a building. They would rather build around the tree than uproot it. Everywhere you turn is like a Disney fairytale with chirping birds talking to you. It's the epitome of a peaceful day.
These are just some of the reasons I recommend this iconic country.
Despite the negative parts such as sex trafficking, the white dust and crime, the country continues to welcome a myriad of expats from all over the world because the good outweighs the bad.
And I can't wait to go back.
If you need more details about why you should consider Medellín, Colombia. During my 1-month trip turned 5-month living experience. I took the time to create a 3-part e-brochure of all the excursions, safety tips, visa requirements and know-how-to hacks for my kindred travel spirits. You can learn more here.
And if you want to cross another city or country off your bucket list but need a bit more Solo Travel Mojo to click that book button.
You can have a one-on-one problem-solving conversation with me.
Ask me every and anything about the loneliness fears, packing and planning, keeping safe and how to book your first solo travel trip here. You'll have access to my over 15 years of travel and tourism industry knowledge, plus my personal Colombian experiences.
Before I go, I want to thank my repeat listeners for tuning into Madam Poetry Podcast twice a week.
There are days I don't feel motivated to keep going and looking at the stats really helps. Thank you!
I'd also like to welcome my newbie listeners and invite you to check out the previous poetry reading episodes with actual poems being read.
If anything I have said or have ever said resonated with you, don't be shy, upgrade to a paid subscription and let's get closer.
When you upgrade, that love and support benefits your personal fulfilment journey, plus it helps another human to do the same, me.
Until next time. Make sure you are living the dreams you have in real time.
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