Getting to Playa Blanca from Cartagena is easy. All trips can be organized by your hotel or directly from the boat companies outside the docks.
Outside of Colombia, Barranquilla is perhaps best known as the hometown of superstars Shakira and Sofía Vergara. With names like that coming from what is Colombia’s 4th largest city, one would expect there to be some sort of draw for tourists.
One of the oldest towns in Colombia, Anserma doesn’t offer much for tourists, but it’s an authentic coffee town. It’s part of the UNESCO World Heritage listed Coffee Cultural Landscape of Colombia.
I hated Lima when I first visited in 2009. I gave it a second chance in 2014 and I’m happy I did. It has improved dramatically since my first visit. It’s easier to get around, there are better restaurant choices, and it was much safer the second time around. What a difference a few years makes!
Nuestra Señora de La Paz, or simply La Paz, is an eccentric place. As soon as I arrived in the city, I was ready to leave, but I felt I had an obligation to see it. I’m glad I did. The city is unique if not only for its altitude, which ranges between 3200-4000m. That means different zones of the city have entirely different climates!
Bolivia is one of the most colorful and diverse countries in the world. It maintains local traditions and cultures more than any other country I have ever visited. It has some of the most dramatic landscapes I have ever seen. Also, Bolivian people happen to be some of the friendliest and genuine people I have encountered on my travels. Many will go out of their way to make you feel welcome and safe in their country.
However, Bolivia is not Disneyland.
Cusco is one of my favorite cities in the world. I visited for a short time in 2009 and decided to go back for an extended stay in 2014. There’s so much to explore in the city and in the surrounding area that even a week might not be enough.
There really isn’t too much to see in Belo Horizonte, but I was pleasantly surprised by this city. It was clean, friendly, organized, and in a beautiful setting surrounded by mountains. This capital city of Minas Gerais is usually a stopover point for visitors to nearby Ouro Preto, Mariana, or Congonhas, but it deserves a day of exploration. After being in São Paulo for a few days, Belo Horizonte seemed like paradise.