Colombia had been on the list, so for my cousin and I booking this trip was an easy decision. It literally started with a phone call and us both saying, yeah I’d go. On that same call we booked flights and the hotel was confirmed 48 hours later. Our trip was booked for April 2021. As we looked forward to our chance to explore a new country and disconnect, we had no idea how interesting a trip this would be. We each choose our tour for our 6 day trip. We received emails about the tours that were booked advising that the dates would need to be changed prior to us arriving. No big deal as we were pretty flexible. We hop on our flight and head out for our trip on Wednesday. We arrived at the Hyatt, which was in a great location about 20 minutes from the walled city. It was modern and nice. We had a beautiful 2 bedroom/2 bathroom unit booked and looked forward to checking it out. As we were checking in, the front desk clerk advised us of the curfew that was just implemented two day prior to our arrival. We could only be out Mon-Fri from 5am – 8pm and weekends from 5am-12pm. As you can imagine we were shocked and had to make some adjustments. Nonetheless, we can get up to our unit which was spacious and boasted beautiful water and city views. We relaxed for a few hours and headed out for dinner and explored a few hours in the walled city. The vibrant colors and culture were great and I can’t leave out the awesome food as well. We were so busy living our best lives, we lost track of time and noticed it was 7:30pm. We started to see the streets fill with law enforcement ready to enforce curfew. While slightly panicking, we tried to find a taxi back to the hotel and there was no way we’d make the walk in time. Luckily, we found one around 7:45pm and were on our way back to the hotel. It wasn’t the trip we’d planned for but we were determined to make the best of it. 

The second day, we headed out for a day at the Rosario Islands. It was a day of rest and relaxation. We walked about 25 minutes to the meeting point and waited to board the speedboat. The ride was about 25 minutes. Upon arrival, the water was clear and calming. Lunch was included and the drinks were plentiful. Of course, after all of this there was nothing left to do but sleep it off in our king size beach beds. Now the ride back was a different story. The water was so choppy, we thought we’d have to jump ship and swim back. The waves were crashing right into the boat and so many people were nauseous (especially the guy sitting close to us). Luckily, we made it back with no issues. This evening we decided to roam the streets of Getsemani. It had such an eclectic and Bohemian vibe. Every corner seemed to be alive with energy, offering a glimpse into the city’s rich cultural tapestry. It was a place where creativity knew no bounds, and where every street felt like a canvas waiting to be painted with the vibrant hues of Colombian culture.

The last tour included the mud volcano and pink salt of Galerazamba. The mud volcano was remote and a nice walk up, but I enjoyed it. It was pretty much like a mud spa and there were only about 12 of us in at a time which was great. There were guys who offered foot massages, so a totally different experience but one I’d encourage (minus the massage if it’s not your thing) We spent about 45 minutes there. Once we left, there were ladies who walked us to the lake to wash off. It was definitely an invasive cleansing and you two get well acquainted very quickly. That was the most invasive bath I’ve ever had, but with the amount of mud that was still clinging to me was absolutely necessary. Then we walked back to an area with a shower and change area, where we rinsed off again and then headed to our last stop. The drive to Galerazamba was pretty remote. When we arrived, I thought I was in the wastelands of the Outworld scene from Mortal Kombat. All that was missing was the characters themselves. Unfortunately, the salt wasn’t pink that day which isn’t guaranteed so we didn’t spend a ton of time there. This wrapped up the touring portion of the day. We then headed back to the hotel for a few hours to relax, before heading back out for dinner. This evening we ventured back into the walled city for an early evening