Bogota, Columbia: First Impressions (May 15, 2026)
Bogota, Columbia is (currently) my second to last stop on my World Tour before returning to New York. While I have connected with an incredible guide and have tons of adventures planned in the days ahead, this first day was about first impressions and taking in all that is Bogota. My first impressions where: (1) Wow, look at all the mountains surrounding this city, (2) What incredible street art, (3) And graffiti, (4) And I love how many people here speak fluent English (and also appreciate my feeble attempts at using my remedial Spanish).
These images are everywhere. So detailed. So real. So artistic.
Thanks to the urging of a few friends, including Jen Nash, I also changed my plans from staying in Bogota for 12 days to spending 5 of those days in the town of Medellin, with my guide, Felipe — the town where he grew up and also the home of Pablo Escobar. Yes, that’s the same Pablo Escobar portrayed in the Netflix special, Narcos.
That’s not why I decided to go (just a side benefit). The real reason is that I want to see more of Columbia. It would be like going to New York City and saying “I saw America.” Yes, NYC is a major city in America, but it’s not a full representation of the whole of the country. Getting outside the city life is important for a better understanding of how Columbians live (when they’re not living inside Bogota).
When Will and I were visiting Xplor (see related blog post), I was standing in line behind a couple who were visiting Cancun from Columbia. I shared that this is where I was going next in my travels. When they asked me where I was staying, I said Bogota and considering a side trip to Medellin. To which they responded:
“GO! In fact, spend less time in Bogota and more time in Medellin. It’s beautiful and a totally different vibe than Bogota. You can get the feel for Bogota in a few days, but Medellin has so much to offer. You’ll love it!”
This echoed what Jen Nash told me. Sure, Bogota is worth seeing — especially the Gold Museum. But there are really cool places to visit outside of Bogota. Get out there and really see what Columbia is all about.
Okay. Point taken. This all started with Gina, a close personal friend to Scott Barbey and the cousin of his wife Claudia Barbey — two of my closest friends from New York. Scott and Claudia introduced me to Gina when I told them of my plans to visit Columbia and Bogota in particular. Gina introduced me to Felipe, who is now my guide while I’m here, and urged me to spend less time in Bogota (“a week is more than enough time”) and more time outside Bogota. Felipe agreed.
When multiple people urge me to change my plans, I don’t have to think about it too much. I’m excited to explore more of Bogota and hopefully will see my coach friend Santiago Bravo while I’m here. Then I get to check out Medellin before heading to Peru, my (likely) final destination.
The month of June is still being ironed out, but I’ve come to accept and be at peace with all the unknowns. Staying flexible with my plans has led to some unexpected adventures and side quests. I suspect Peru will be like that for me in my final month of travel.
