After the insanity of the flower festival in August, I took a much needed vacation to the small lake town of Guatape. The town is located next to a large reservoir that was built in the late 60’s for a…

For two weeks from the end of July to the beginning of August, Medellin has its biggest festival, La Feria De Las Flores (The Flower Festival). During the time, the city is filled with people from all over the world,…

Hair culture in Colombia is something men take very seriously. While the euro mullet has made its impact on Medellín, it isn’t the end-all of haircuts. Men here keep it short and trimmed, with barbers often spending more time on…

I’m a big cycling enthusiast, so every Sunday, when the Medellín Ciclovia closes the main highway in addition to several important thoroughfares downtown, I’m on my bike. Riding with the general public is fun enough, but the real challenges begin…

Those of you who know me well know that I am quite the fan of microbrews, of which there are very few in Latin America. The best beer scene I’ve experienced was at the Largest Oktoberfest outside of Germany in…

After two weeks experiencing the general sheistiness that characterizes much of Ecuador, while listening to travelers’ ill-informed and negative views of Colombia, Miles and I have come to the conclusion that the reputations of the two countries are completely reversed.…

Over the past 3 weeks, I have met over 50 different travelers from at least 20 different countries. The majority of the guests have been extremely open, friendly and respectful of others. It makes me realize that traveling really is…

• Photo courtesy of the author.• Owning a hostel can be overwhelming. One moment, you are dying of boredom and watching the door for new arrivals, while the next, you are struggling to quickly process the passport information for 10…

My first excursion in Medellin was to take the gondola up one of the hillsides. The gondola is an extension of the metro and is boarded using the same ticket. Its purpose is to transport locals up the incredibly steep…

Since February, Brent and I have been focusing our efforts towards establishing a backpacker’s hostel here in Medellín. It’s not that Medellín is lacking in hostels, it’s that all of them are concentrated in one area. From my previous posts,…