Friendly Faces in Colombia

 

MedellinMy time in Colombia was brief but certainly very sweet. From admiring street art on the buildings in Bogota, to embracing the peace and beauty in the colonial town of Villa de Leyva, to endless partying in Medellin, every minute of my time there was well spent. Although the country has many positive qualities, and I could provide endless reasons to go, the thing that impressed me most about Colombia was how friendly and open the people are there. Having woken up unusually early one morning, I decided to visit a café just around the corner from my hostel in Medellin, where I sat writing in my journal whilst eating breakfast. After a few minutes, the guy on the table next to me asked what I was doing and we began chatting. His name was Jerry, he owned a diamond company and what sounded like a pretty plush apartment overlooking the city. I was eager to accept when he asked if I’d like to see this apartment, but felt nervous at the prospect of going to a stranger’s house alone, so I returned to the hostel, dragged my friend Will out of bed and took him along with me.

Jerry’s house was indeed impressive; modern, stylish, spacious and so high up that looking down at the jungle beneath us from his balcony gave me vertigo. We spent the entire morning there, chatting, listening to music, eating freshly picked fruit and basking in the glorious rays of sunshine. I was hesitant to leave, but at the same time didn’t want to outstay my welcome, so we decided to make our way back before lunchtime. Not only did Jerry give us both warm hugs as we left, he also gave us t-shirts, hats and key rings with his company logo on as souvenirs of our special morning.

Amazingly enough, that wasn’t the only time we were welcomed in to another person’s home; that very same day, a woman overheard us asking a waitress if she could recommend a good spot to watch the sunset from, and she instantly chipped in and told us we could watch if from her balcony should we like. Having had such a positive experience with Jerry, we didn’t hesitate in saying yes and, before we knew it, we were sitting in this woman’s car with her husband and three gorgeous children driving up the windy mountain roads to their house. The view from their balcony could not have been any more spectacular, leading me to believe that we had genuinely found the most perfect place. Carla, the mother, brought us cups of rich, delicious Colombian coffee and the seven of us sat together admiring the city from above as it glistened in the warm, soft glow of the evening sun. Once it grew dark, we returned inside, where the children excitedly took us from room to room so that they could show us their toys and play with us. The whole family could not have been kinder and more generous towards us, they even drove us to a nearby restaurant for dinner and gave us their contact details, urging us to get in touch if ever we needed anything.

After two such amazing experiences in just one day, I was convinced that the people in Colombia had to be the friendliest in all Latin America. I only wish I could have spent more time there, but I know that one day I’ll be back for sure, and will no doubt pop in to visit Gerry and Carla’s family once again.

About the Author: Camilla (Milly) Day is a lively, energetic person who tries to make the most of every day. My favourite things include travelling, writing, food & wine, music, dancing and nature. I am currently working as English Content Manager for a tourism agency based in Argentina, writing articles about travel (and loving every minute of it).

Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter our next Travel Writing competition and tell your story.

From Inspiration Travel Writing Contest

We hope you enjoyed this entry in the We Said Go Travel Inspiration Travel Writing Contest. Please visit our Travel Writing Contest page: Click hereto learn more and share your story. Thank you for reading the article and please participate by leaving a comment below.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

We Said Go Travel