My favourite experience in South America was Carnaval de Barranquilla. You may not have heard of it, because Rio’s Carnaval overshadows its baby sister in Colombia. This is exactly why Colombia’s Carnaval is so amazing.

Colour abounds! (So do smiles.)

Carnaval de Barranquilla is so special because of its anonymity. This is South America’s second largest Carnaval, and it is virtually unheard of by foreigners. While there, I’d guess that only about 1% of the crowd was composed of foreigners. Where else are you going to enjoy an event so unique, that’s still virtually untouched? This is part of the magic that is Carnaval!

Women in classic Caribbean dresses.

Don’t think for a second, however, that Carnaval de Barranquilla is a second rate Carnaval, hence the lack of tourists. The lack of tourists is most likely attributed to the poor name that Colombia sees in the media (much of it unjustified,) as well as a lack of tourist infrastructure in Barranquilla. When planning your trip to Barranquilla for Carnaval, make sure to plan ahead. The city does not see tourists for the other 361 days of the year, hence there is not an abundance of affordable accomodation.

I was losing this foam battle!

My friends and I found an apartment to rent, which worked out to about $50 per a person a day. The hotels we checked were about four times that price. This shouldn’t dissuade you, however, because the rest of this amazing event is quite inexpensive. The Grand Parade (Gran Parada) can be attended for about $25. I’ve talked to people in Rio de Janeiro who have told me that the Sambodromo will cost you upwards of $200/ticket.

Troy of FOGG Odyssey with a tiger shaman.

The real fun, however, you don’t need to pay for. The entire city is in party mode during Carnaval, and you can’t help but be swept up in the atmosphere. Both Marcello (The Wandering Trader) and I agreed that our favourite parades were the free ones that happened in the different barrios. The smaller free parades were more interactive, had no fencing, and felt like you were truly a part of Carnaval: not just a spectator.

My good friend Marcello enjoying the nightlife. 

The party goes all night and all day for the four days of pre-Lent celebrations. During the evenings Colombia’s vibrant music is on showcase. You can dance away the night to everything from Vallenato to Reggaeton during the nights of revelry.

WARNING: These nights of revelry may challenge your fortitude to wake up for the next day’s festivities.

The Colombian spirit shines during these four days. The Colombian spirit and drive is on full display during Carnaval. To understand why Colombia consistently ranks high as one of the “World’s Happiest Countries” all you’d have to do is come to Barranquilla for Carnaval. The spirit is in the aromas in the air, in the smiles on their faces, and in the beats of their drums.

Pocahontas?

The sum of its parts is what makes Carnaval de Barranquilla a “Can’t Miss” excursion while in South America. Obviously there are other options for your Carnaval shenanigans, but pairing Colombia’s Carnaval with Parque Tayrona, and Colombia’s Caribbean coast will make for an unforgettable experience. To top it off, it’s a less expensive option than it’s Brazilian sisters. Go enjoy Colombia. Carnaval de Barranquilla will show you the time of your life!

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Villa de Leyva is a small town a few hours away from Bogota. Although Villa de Leyva is only a few hours by bus from Bogota, it has a fantasy-like ability to transport you to a different time and place. A time and place where cowboys roamed the open highland valley. Where horsemen rule, and the open night sky amphitheatre of the stars is your ceiling when you rest your weary head. The wind blows dust around your herd, as you wrangle them through the wind blown land.

Of course in the reality that is 21st century Villa de Leyva doesn’t include cattle wrangling, nor sleeping by a campfire under the starry night. This does not stop the mystique, however, from hanging over the cobblestone streets and dry wind-blown surroundings. If you use a little imagination you can picture the horses around town being the only form of transport. The beat up cars and taxis, which are already out of place, disappearing from the town that seems like it would be more comfortable in 1912 than 2012.

The town itself is nestled into the side of the wide valley, as if it were trying to hide from the daily wind that barrages this part of the country. The giant square in the center of town is Colombia’s largest town square, and also home to it’s kite flying festival. Every year the Festival de las Cometas takes over the town square with hundreds of colourful kites combing the clouds. The colours dotting the otherwise chromatic background would be quite the sight.

Colombia’s largest town square.

My favourite part of visiting this cowboyesque town was to pretend being a cowboy myself. One day a group of us from the hostel decided to rent some horses, put on our stirrups, and buy some aguardiente. Since we were missing the stirrups, we decided to go without. I know the picture of a horseman without stirrups is like a fisherman without a vest, but somehow we survived.

The sunset from my hostel in Villa de Leyva.

On said morning off we went to the stables to select our horses and prepare ourselves for the adventure ahead. Of course no day on horseback in Colombia is complete without the national alcohol of choice, aguardiente. Not wanting to seem like complete gringos, we headed to the closest store and purchased two 1L juice boxes of the anice flavoured liquor for our trip.

Colombia being Colombia means that horses were not bred for a man my size. I’m approximately double the standard height and weight of the average Colombian, which makes not only daily life a challenge (and myself an oddity,) but finding a horse that doesn’t break in half when I mount it a challenge as well. Since I couldn’t find a horse that fit me, I went with the next best thing: a horse that didn’t fit me.

My first trip in Colombia by horseback was on a horse called Pan Duro (Hard Bread). The horse for this trip had a much less exciting name: Juan. There’s nothing wrong with the name Juan, but when you’re used to riding Hard Bread, it’s difficult to go back. Needless to say, Juan and I set off into the vast landscape that surrounds Villa de Leyva with my co-cowboys and cowgirls.

Me, Juan, and  the horizon.

With aguardiente and reins in hand we set off for the horizon. And by horizon, I mean a vague place in the distance that our guide would take us to. This general sense of freedom is a grand sensation. It’s truly a freeing experience to have the opportunity to explore from the perch of a saddle (bike saddle included.) To have a day ahead of you, and the ability to roam is truly a sense of freedom. Add on top of this amazing scenery and some compatriots and you are nearly guaranteed a great time.

A Guadiesque house near Villa de Leyva.

The ensuing journey around Villa de Leyva was filled with galloping, swimming, strange architecture, and did I mention the sweeping landscape? Although we couldn’t change the fact that we were in the 21st century I’m sure that the inhabitants of centuries gone by could have just as easily enjoyed such a day. Makes you wonder sometimes if we’ve maybe sped up our lives to a level where we no longer appreciate the simple pleasures. For now, I’m glad that places like Villa de Leyva still exist so we can slow down to this pace, if only for a day or two.

The Bandeja Paisa is quite possibly one of the largest meals you’ve ever had on one plate. Correction: platter. You see the literal translation of “Bandeja Paisa” is: Paisa Platter (Paisa is the nickname for people from Medellin and area.) It makes sense to call this the Paisa Platter, because you need a platter to fit all of the food they serve you. If there was more food, they’d need an entire table.

The Bandeja Paisa is famous Colombia-wide. You’ll be asked more frequently in the Paisa region whether you’ve tried one or not, but the same question will be asked by Caleños, Costeños, and Rolos when you tell them that you’ve lived in or visited The City of Eternal Spring, Medellin.

The Bandeja Paisa came to be out of necessity. It’s a platter of food that can fill up a hungry farmer for a full day of tolling in the fields. Traditionally the farmers would eat this for lunch, and many times that would be their only real meal of the day. Since it’s not common in Bogota they would not have feasted on hot chocolate and cheese for breakfast. Que pena (what a shame.)

“So what does a Bandeja Paisa consist of?” you may be asking. Well I believe that three different animals and their offspring are butchered in the making of this fantastically large dish. There’s a steak, a chorizo (sausage,) chicharon (essentially deep-fried bacon,) a fried egg, beans, rice, an arepa (also traditionally Paisa,) a fried plantain, a slice of avocado, and just so you don’t feel bad usually a handful of salad. Ironically enough, usually the only thing not eaten by a typical Paisa would be the salad.

To be perfectly honest, I’ve never tallied the calorie count of this platter of food. I don’t know if you really want to count that high. Your blood pressure may rise with the ever rising count. Rest assured, however, that you will be able to tackle a complete day in the fields toiling away.

In my case, however, it was a perfect post-cycling meal. After riding up and down the mountains of Medellin you’ll have worked up an appetite. There was a restaurant right near my place that served up a mean version of the classic for only 8,500 pesos ($5.)

So what does it taste like? Well as you may gather by now, it’s a feast. The meat in general in Colombia is nothing fancy, but fresh and tasty. The chorizos are hit or miss. Sometimes the chorizos are delicious, but other times they are just a way that butchers get rid of fat and grizzle, which makes them not very desirable. The chicharon is also hit or miss. Chicharon can be the most delicious fried bacon you’ve ever had, or it can taste like the rejected hunk of fat that you throw your dog when he looks up at you while you’re eating. The beans and rice are pretty standard, always fresh and filling. The salad is not usually focused on, because the restaurant assumes you’re not going to eat it anyway. I think it may be law to include salad with every meal in Colombia, but no true Colombian eats it.

So where can you find this feast for the arteries, er soul? Pretty much any traditional restaurant in Medellin or the Zona Cafetera will have it on its menu. Just come prepared. Maybe rent a bike beforehand, or climb Monserrate then ride to Medellin; that may be a sufficient calorie burn. Do enjoy, however, because it is a staple dish, I mean platter, in this part of Colombia.

The Bandeja Paisa in all its calorious glory.

“In the beginning there was nothing but the sea. The sea was the mother. All was dark, no sun, no moon, no people, no plants or animals. The mother was only spirit, thoughts and memories. Then mother sea gave birth to the great mountains of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. From these sacred peaks all things came into being, and the world began.”

A Kogui man, native to the Sierra Nevadas.

The above is an excerpt from an interview with a Kogui Mamo or spiritual chief. The Kogui are one of four tribes that descended from the original Tayrona people and are said to be the closest relatives to the old tribe remaining. The Kogui see themselves as the protective guardians of “el Corazon del Mundo”, the Heart of the World as they refer to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and believe that the well-being of the rest of the world depends on the health of the area. The other three tribes are the enterprising and very successful Arhuaco and the small Wiwi tribe and the rarely heard of Kankuamo.

Yup, not a bad place to take in the view from Oscar’s Place in near Minca Colombia.

The Tayrona were among the most successful native people in Latin America at escaping the Spanish conquistadores, simply by moving higher into the impenetrable, vertiginous jungles of the Sierra. By doing so they sidestepped the first hundred years of bloody slaughter. Their resistance lasted until the end of the 17th century, but inevitably all of their immeasurable treasures had been moved to Spanish chests. Interestingly, the Tayrona region was the first Spanish colonised place in South America, yet the Tayrona people were able to hold out the longest.

Another amazing sunrise in the Sierra Nevadas.

The three tribes to this day still protect the Sierra zealously, many areas are sacred ritual sites and outsiders must gain permission before entry. This, alongside the recent narco-trafficking, rightwing paramilitary and left wing guerrilla history of the area has kept almost the entire mountain range wild and undiscovered. Only now, with the incredible turn around in the security situation can adventurers and thrill seekers once again start exploring this unique place.

The Sierra Nevadas fills the three provinces of Magdalena, Cesar and Guajira comprising one of the most beautiful and definitely the most diverse areas in all of Colombia, perhaps even in the world. It is the highest coastal mountain range on the planet with 5775m snow caps 45km from surf beaten tropical beaches. It actually has more endemic bird species than anywhere else in the world due to the incredible diversity of eco systems from coastal, tropical rain forest, desert, savannah, mountain dry forest, cloud forest to Andean alpine and finally glacial. Ontop of all this, it has a seemingly endless supply of violent and powerful water that cascades down between it’s many ridgelines fuelling hundreds of waterfalls and river systems. Some would say this is the perfect playground for hikers and mountain biker.

For these many reasons Elemento Outdoor Adventure was opened to share this amazing region with adventurous travelers! They have been opening up old Indian & Narco supply route trails, and cutting new ones to reach stunning ridgelines, bird sanctuaries, eco farms, nature reserves, orangeries, chocolate factories and many many coffee farms. Small groups of excited young travellers can now sometimes be observed in the Sierra behind a guide with GPS in one hand, machete in the other as they are often the first outsiders at this embryonic moment in the development of tourism in Colombia to see these amazing newly re-discovered places. The hope is that the sights and sounds of mountain bikers whooping and reeling down these newly discovered trails is to become more and more common.

Me mountain biking Colombia’s Sierra Nevadas. Oh ya, there’s a mule too.

Clients of Elemento can expect to hike 900m up through vertical jungle and precipitous coffee farms; in the avocado season on trails made of guacamole, at any other time on just the usual squashed mango to ridgelines such as Los Pinos where they will find an old paramilitary base. You can see why the bandits of lore chose such a spot as you would be able to see everything coming at you from a great height on all sides. Here they will stay for the night gathered round a bonfire watching the glittering lights of the cities of Santa Marta and Rodadero far below come alive as the rays of the sun slip into the ocean. The next morning from the same place you can see the sun rising over the pink snowpeaks of the Sierra Nevadas. After a hearty breakfast choose your mountain bike descent down jungle clad canyon-sides, splashing through rivers, visiting Victorian coffee fincas, jumping off serene waterfalls and enjoying the changing climate, jungle smells and surroundings before you finally reach the sweltering heat of sea level at the end of the day.

 Palm trees and snow-capped mountains, it’s all within the boundaries of the Sierra Nevadas region.

Continual development of excellent relations with landowners and communities on the mountain means that Elemento now also runs multi-day expeditions going much deeper and higher into the Sierra. El Dorado is a globally important bird reserve, with more endemics here than any other, it is world famous in bird watching circles. What they have created here buzzing to the sound of dozens of humming birds, is a series of elegant wooden cabins clinging to the mountain side at 2000m above the coast with floor to ceiling windows looking to the far edge of the Cienaga swamp 120km away. Many moons ago, the Tayrona crafted beautiful trails through the thick verdant cloud forest which the reserve has cleared and now lead to an observation platform looking deep into the multiple layers of ridgelines and impenetrable jungle to the snow peaks – el Corazon del Mundo – sweeping round to the entire panorama of the Caribbean far below. The forest is alive with howler monkeys, quetzals, toucans, and numerous rare species of colourful birds. They have recently discovered new species of owl, monkey and most interestingly a red maned tree rat this August 2012 on the patio which has not been seen in 100 years and was thought to be extinct!

The fleet of great new bikes at Elemento!

From this height there are a multitude of options to consider including pre-dawn hikes higher and further to see sunrises from 2800m, visiting Swiss style cheese farms for breakfast, Tayrona lakes & platforms can be found beyond here, chocolate farms and nature reserves in the next valley and anything else we have discovered by the time you get here. It should be mentioned that the main passion of the owners is mountain biking and for that reason most adventures can be done at high velocity on high end Commencal mountain bikes from Andorra. Similarly we have near future plans to develop trails with berms and northshore boardwalks so much of our route finding is done with mountain biking in mind. For this reason our ultimate aim is to carefully develop the Sierra Nevadas as a unique mountain biking mecca. But not everyone likes cycling, and many areas are just too steep for bikes so we have just as many adventures on foot, supported by mule or 4×4.

An indigenous hut deep in the Sierra Nevadas.

One of Elemento’s favourite places on the mountain happens to be one of the lowest at only 600m: Oscar’s Place, is really something to behold. The feeling as you walk onto his flower and fruit tree enshrouded ridgeline after the steep scramble through the jungle can only be described as heart stirring. The “swimming pool” was initially installed as a water supply, but now serves decoratively to reflect the sinking sun, and practically as a hydroelectric power battery. Each night at 6:30pm just after dusk, the plug is pulled and so begins 5 hours of free electricity all the while re-filling his pool with fresh water for people to jump into the next morning before breakfast!

The view from the shower at Oscar’s Place in Minca Colombia.

The house has been designed with air-flow, space and spectacular vistas in mind, therefore expect to find open air sunshine heated showers with views to jungle and ocean, likewise the accommodation is palm roofed, with no walls and as you open your eyes in the morning you look across the valley to sunbeams bouncing off the green mountain beyond. You will not find a fridge, a fan, aircon or television in sight. Just fresh air, fresh food and incredibly good vibes! The most amazing thing about all this is that Oscar and his mules transported everything required to construct this magical place down a very steep winding jungle path 3km from Minca. Only someone as clever and energetic as the man Oscar himself could ever have the patience or will to create such a place.

Elemento is working with several charity organisations and can link expeditions along with volunteer work teaching, medicine or in conservation. They are directly financially supporting the Mision Gaia Foundation and are currently running a competition with their help in the local schools to find, employ and train two new mountain guides. Elemento, therefore have a very positive connection with local communities employing young local guides, mechanics, drivers, sourcing local food and accommodation, not to mention bringing much needed business into the mountains. Furthermore they are in early design stages and are currently fund raising in the wider community to build a skate/BMX park in Minca for the local kids, again hoping to inspire the youth into a life of sport and adventure.

If you are interested in coming on an Elemento Outdoor Adventure please visit their website, or ‘Like’ them on Faceboook . Likewise if you have experience and passion for mountain biking, adventure and sustainable tourism, please get in touch as they are always looking for new guides and partners.

This article was written by Tom Wilkinson, a good friend of mine, who is running an amazing travel company out of Taganga, Minca, and the Sierra Nevadas on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. If you’re on the coast and want to have an amazing experience, check out Elemento Outdoor.

I have a confession: I love street food. I know it’s wrong. I know the vendors aren’t stalwarts of sanitation. And I know the majority of it is not the world’s shining beacon to healthy eating. All of this knowledge, however, has not stopped me from indulging in the culinary treats that the street offers.

In Canada (my home country,) street food is rather easy to avoid. Canadians enjoy the most square kilometers of land per a person in the world, as well as the coldest average temperature in the world. These two unique conditions have turned many Canadians into suburbanite road warriors, with no desire to walk the streets, and therefore little market for street food vendors. In Colombia, however, street food is everywhere. The bustling calles full of hungry Colombianos create the perfect marketplace for a motivated vendor to entice the masses.

Plate of delicious street ribs.

I’ve been told many times that I shouldn’t eat street food. I realize this is sound advice. Logically I agree with my well-meaning friend whenever they dish out this tidbit of wisdom. However, my curious nature finds it hard to pass up a cart of delicious grub. How can I not try the cheese stuffed, deep-fried, artery-clogging, insert-name-of-food-here thing that is offered? Passing up said food would be a crime against my curious (and hungry) nature.

A vendor preparing my scrumptious dinner.

The street food of Colombia encompasses a broad range of the culinary treats that Colombia has to offer. You can find everything from the ubiquitous empanada, to the freshly wrung juices of a guanabana (delicious.) If these examples sound foreign to you, then you are beginning to understand why my curiosity gets the best of me when traveling and I succumb to the calls, smells, and delicacies of street food.

The main concern that many have for passing on the treats of the streets is of a sanitary nature. Travelers fear getting sick, and the food and beverages that we consume while traveling are a major cause of internal problems. I’ve been lucky in these regards. I’ve indulged in the wares of vendors from Beijing to Bogota and only once ever had a problem, and it was minor in nature.

Does this lulo look so dangerous?

This isn’t to say that street food is healthy. Even without the viable sanitation concerns, there are valid reasons for bypassing the call of the vendor; mainly the stoppage of one’s heart from an overdose of saturated fats doused in salt. Valid point indeed, but since said heart attack isn’t instant, I somehow seem to ignore this health warning.

You may be asking “why the hell is he so into his street food?” Valid question. Why risk the health concerns that are involved in order to get fed? Well, it’s not just the fact that I’m a hungry, curious person, although this is a contributing factor. I feel like to truly understand a place, you need to eat like a local. You will never truly understand Bangkok without a Pad Thai, and you’ll never truly understand Bogota without a hot chocolate and cheese.

Food is part of the cultural fabric.

To eat street food you are indulging in what the locals eat. By avoiding the activities of the locals, you are observing the culture, instead of digesting the culture. I say dig in. Live life on the edge. Order that empanada, and wash it down with jugo de maracuya. What’s the worst that could happen? A hospital visit . . .

My day trading has graciously funded my travels. It gives me an amazing amount of freedom, and can pay well (or not at all.) Day trading has given me the freedom to follow a life that many only dream of. I’m lucky to have this skill, and to have bright people around me to learn from (after all, no man is an island.)

My day trading journey started at age 12. I remember quite clearly when a friend’s dad described to me how people make a living buying and selling stocks on the stock market. They quickly make trades for profits over super computers connected to the internet. All of this sounded magical to my 12 year old ears (remember, even the internet was magical back in 1993.)

Me (in the blue) before my day trading dream.

This day trading journey, however, seemed like a bit of a dream. From what I had been told, day traders were very rich people who traded their own money to make more money: essentially as a high stakes hobby. Since I’m not independently wealthy, my 12 year old dream of being a day trader faded into the cold Canadian night.

I didn’t stop following the stock market, however. I just turned my focus onto a “more reasonable” profession: stock brokering. It didn’t sound as exciting as day trading, but it was still being a player in the stock market, which I found so intriguing.

Fast forward a few years to my university days, where I decided to enter a Finance degree at the University of Lethbridge. By then I realized that I had a knack for numbers, and still truly enjoyed the financial system, and how the world’s money is put to work. I had lost the vision of being a stock broker (it’s a dying occupation with online brokerage firms,) but loved what I was studying.

After university I had to do what any university graduate eventually has to undertake: the “real world”. I took a pretty standard approach to searching for my big post-university job, which included internet job database searches. This is not an approach that is successful for most, but it led me to an ad that changed my life. The ad’s title was something like this:

RISK TAKERS WANTED: STRONG VIDEO GAME SKILLS ARE AN ASSET

Intriguing. This obviously caught my eye, so I read on. I then realized that the dream I had dreamt as a 12 year old, could become a reality! Someone would give me their money to trade stocks! The dream I had given up on so many years before, was once again reborn.

The dream, however, wasn’t without a reality. I had just finished my university degree, and was near flat broke. I needed to make money. The interviewer informed me, however, that the failure rate of trainees was about 80% (I’d say it’s closer to 95%,) and that the 20% of people who make it usually go without a pay cheque for the first six months.

Gulp.

The prospect of going six months without earning a penny was not a pretty one. This prospect was especially daunting considering I was offered a well paying job at a boring 9-5 job. So what did I do? I took a look in the mirror and asked myself “what excites you?”

Probably more money than I had to my name when I started day trading.

Of course you know the decision I made, and it wasn’t the boring 9-5. I started with Swift Trade as a trainee, and against the odds was making money in my third month. I had beaten the odds. This didn’t mean, however, that the rest was easy sailing. In the following 3 years I had many successes, but trading is a profession where every day you have the opportunity to make large sums, but the counterbalance is that you could also lose everything with one bad trade.

I worked in that office for approximately five years. I made great friends, and decent money. Swift Trade, however, would not allow its traders to trade from home, or off of their own computer. They required their  traders to come into the office every day and trade from there. I enjoyed the office environment, and learned a lot from my fellow traders, but needed to look for something else.

My setup in Rio, while day trading Brazil style. (Thong not included.)

Last year, however, I wanted to take advantage of one of the biggest advantages that day trading offers: the freedom to roam. I quit Swift Trade, and signed on with a new firm, Title Trade. I had to learn new software, and accustomize myself to trading at home without the constant buzz of the office environment (I still miss that buzz.)

My first month in Medellin I was following my dream of being a traveling day trader. I had my laptop and my trading skills, and this was all I needed to make a living while learning amazing new life skills. The first month, however, was a disaster. I lost the deposit I had put up, had to put up another deposit, and was questioning the viability of my new life path.

My Colombian office in Medellin (also my bedroom.)

Thankfully, just as I know that the great times in day trading don’t last forever, neither do the bad times. I bounced back from my bad month, and continued making a living from my new outpost in Medellin. Life was exciting, and was exactly what I had dreamt of when I left Canada.

I’ve now traded from five different countries, in a few different time zones. I’ve logged on to trade everywhere from a Caribbean beach, to hostel dorm rooms, to a Rio de Janeiro penthouse. It’s an exciting life.

Along the way I’ve met a fellow traveling trader, who goes by the moniker of the Wandering Trader, Marcello Arrambide. I had searched for “traveling trader” before leaving Canada and found his site. He was in Medellin, and so we met up. We’re now working together on our trading (among other projects.) He’s an extremely gifted trader, who also has a knack for teaching people how to day trade. If you’re interested in this lifestyle, and are willing to put in the dedication, I’d highly recommend going for it. Marcello offers extremely high quality classes at The Day Trading Academy. Check him out, and maybe I’ll have the chance to meet up with you in some far off place.

Abrazos.

I was really excited to visit the Museo de Botero in Bogota. The maestro, Fernando Botero, is one of my favourite living artists. Botero is one of Colombia’s proudest citizens, and a living legend in Colombia.

Walk right in. We’ve been waiting for you.

Botero’s recent 80th birthday celebration in Medellin included the unveiling of his newest exhibition: Via Crusis La Pasion de Cristo. It was a grand celebration over the Easter week holiday his hometown of Medellin. All of this was hosted at the Museo de Antioquia where he has donated some of his finest works.

Botero’s version of the famous Mona Lisa.

Botero’s works are truly global. The Via Crusis exhibition was first shown in New York before being brought to Colombia. While in Buenos Aires I was treated to a surprise: a statue sculpted by the maestro’s hands and donated to Buenos Aires.

Botero’s famous for his fat figurines.

Buenos Aires isn’t the only international city to be graced by his works. He has pieces from New York to Jerusalem, Germany to Serbia. His work has truly seen international success with people paying millions for some pieces of his work.

Another one of my fav’s: Salvador Dali in the Museo de Botero.

All this leads me to the point that going to the Museo de Botero is a big deal! He’s one of the world’s greatest artists. On top of this, the museum is free to enter. You truly have nothing to lose by checking out a museum dedicated to one of Colombia’s most famous son’s.

 An example of the fantastic architecture that houses the museum.

How to Get to the Museo de Botero

The museum is in the La Candelaria neighbourhood in central Bogota. It’s only a couple of blocks from the Plaza Bolivar. Quite honestly, La Candelaria has very narrow streets, and is hard to navigate by cab. A cab driver can probably take you there, but it may just be easier to walk there from a major street in Central Bogota like Carrera 7. Any bus that takes you to central will get you in the right direction.

Here’s the address to the Museo de Botero: Calle 11 #4-41.

Abrazos.

What other national museum do you know of is housed in a former jail? I guess fittingly, considering Colombia’s violent history, the Museo Nacional Colombia (National Museum) is beautifully showcased within the confines of a former jail. Are you thinking it’s as drab and boring as a jail? You’d be wrong; now follow along.

The entrance to Museo Nacional Colombia, and you don’t even need to commit a crime to be admitted!

When I entered the Museo Nacional Colombia I was warmly welcomed with a sign that told me that the museum was free until the end of the year. Unfortunately (fortunately?) rations were not included with entrance to the museum.

Yes, this was built as a jail, not a church. Not much of a difference. . . in architecture. 

The architecture of the Museo Nacional was as much of an attraction as the museum itself. The transformation of this building from a dark, uninviting jail, to a bright spectacular national museum is spectacular. It’s worth a visit solely to admire the grand difference which can be made under the guidance of a skilled artisan. Of course there’s much more to explore here than the building itself.

The courtyard. For some reason I don’t think it was this pretty when it was a jail.

Since you read every post that I have ever written thoroughly, it’ll come as no surprise to you that I’m a fan of Fernando Botero. Well what would the Museo Nacional Colombia be without a Botero exhibition? A jail. That’s what. Good thing that the wise men and women in charge of Museo Nacional have included a Botero exhibition. Close call.

Botero’s works from behind the bars. I doubt the prisoners were this lucky.

The Botero exhibition was spectacular. In fact it was good enough that there will be an entire post covering it. I’m sure that you are on pins and needles in anticipation. Stay tuned!

Sweet table. It’d make a nice addition to my place.

Of course the prisoners would need some entertainment and respite from their life behind bars. What better way than a game of billiards? Something tells me that this fantastic table was not part of the original layout of the place. But you never know in Colombia, I mean Pablo Escobar did build his own jail in which he lived in luxury for about a year. I wonder if he used the same architect as the Museo Nacional?

So I’ve enticed you enough with my whimsical prose to visit a jail. Wow, I should join a debate team, or become a politician. (Damn I’m good.) Now all that’s left is how to get to the place. That’s easy. . .

How to Get to Museo Nacional Colombia

By Transmilenio

You can grab the Transmilenio bus from anywhere in the city and take it to station Calle 26. Walk up the hill (towards the mountains) until you see the giant jail looking building with “Museo Nacional” in big letters on the front of it.

By Cab

Tell the taxi driver “Museo Nacional por favour”. And don’t slam the car door. They hate that.

Here’s the Museo Nacional de Colombia website.

Abrazos.