Expedition Live Life : Colombia: Soaking It All In

"Nobody can discover the world for somebody else. Only when we discover it for ourselves does it become common ground and a common bond and we cease to be alone.” – Wendell Berry

Well, it's now that time; time I head back to my reality with so much learned from my summer travels. My trip validated something I've always felt deep in my heart. I love the Latin culture; warm people, passionate music and dance, plentiful food (I'd add a few more greens), and lush landscapes. I'm going to miss it until next summer...

I spent today soaking my whole experience in and making the most of the day. We spent the better part of the day at the antique car parade, which is part of the festival of flowers. We got there a little early to try and scope out some shade since the sun was blazing. As all parades seem to do, it started with police and fire trucks and loud music. The antique cars showed up late because the first car broke down at the start and had to be repaired. I was amazed at how fast the vehicles were moving in the parade, especially considering how fond the locals were of darting in front of them to take a selfie.

Later in the day, we wandered around a festival venue that was full of live music, art markets and food. The vibe was lively but chill at the same time. Everyone was having a great time. At one point, I stopped to take a picture in front of the flowers. A few locals nearby started chanting, "Photo, photo, photo," until I took a picture with them, so that was fun.

To end an already terrific day, we went to a tango restaurant to hear Luis Correa perform. In between the tango song performances, a dancing duet performed a few tango selections. It was all so unlike any musical experience I've had before. It helped me appreciate their culture even more.

Feria de las Flores is the most important festival in Medellín and was a big reason I chose to visit Medellín. Historically, slaves carried sick people sitting in chairs, on their back, up and down the hills to seek medical attention. In more recent times, this event has turned into Silleteros carrying flowers and flower arrangements on their back since Colombia is the 2nd largest exporter of flowers. What started as just a few people parading through town, there are now more than 500 Silleteros from Santa Elena showing off their homegrown flowers. Sadly, I won't be able to view the parade this year due to my flight time, so I'm glad I was able to experience the making of the silleta in Santa Elena earlier this week.

Yesterday, I had a low key day of walking around central Medellín with a few local friends. While I had visited a few of the areas before, visiting them again during the festival was a much more exciting experience. Food, handicrafts and music were everywhere and those that know me, know that I love that kind of thing.

The song 'Despacito' came on. It's a hit {becoming overplayed} here in South America and apparently just became the most watched video on YouTube. It's also the first Spanish language song to reach the top of the Billboard 100 since 'Macarena.' Check it out, but I'm warning you, it's catchy.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/music/2017/aug/04/despacito-becomes-most-viewed-video-in-youtube-history