Aventuras De Viaje's Blog, page 8

Street Art of Medellin, Colombia

This post is a collection of pictures I took featuring the street art of Medellin.

Medellín is the second biggest city in Colombia and is mostly infamous for its drug cartels and Pablo Escobar which caused many problems in the 70s’, 80’s and early 90’s.

There are also the ongoing problems with para-military and rebel groups within the country as a whole. Although the violence has dropped dramatically (Medellín is now quite safe as opposed to 15 years ago when it was basically a war zone) there are still power struggles in the background which impact the community (such as corruption).

Due to this ongoing history, much of the street art in Medellin has a lot significance to the community in the way of political messages and hopes for the future.

This post doesn’t cover any of the awesome street art found in Comuna 13, which is where a lot of the violence was, and hence has a lot of meaningful street art. Comuna 13 has its own post here.

The Street Art of Medellin

Man with cigarette. Reminds me of a typical Colombian man, or more accurately, a typical paisa (Antioquían).

This is actually a tiled mosaic.

The wealth of Antioquía is largely thanks to coffee. Colombia is the 3rd biggest exporter of coffee in the world.

Depicting the classic chiva bus. These can be seen cruising the streets with people dancing, drinking, and basically just having a good time on them.

Underneath one of the metro stations, though I can’t remember which one.

I fund this near the botanical garden of Medellín. Something to do with women’s rights.

Some classic street art under the bridge near the Museo Casa de la Memoria.

This is outside Colombian Immersion, where I took Spanish lessons. It is actually where Pablo Escobar died.

Outside Parque El Salado, an eco-parque not far from the city. Not surprisingly, it has a nature theme.

A sculpture of superman. Not sure why. It’s found close to metro station Industriales.

Pin This for Later!

Have you explored the street art of Medellin? Let us know your favorite piece (or anything else you want to say) in the comments

Exploring Parque Arví, Medellín, Antioquía, Colombia

Parque Arví is a large eco-park easily accessible from city of Medellín via the metro cable. Exploring Parque Arví was the last thing on my “must do” list before leaving Medellín. I went there solely for the hiking.

I had read on the internet that it was really busy, which I wasn’t looking forward too, but whoever wrote that must have gone on the weekend. I went on a Friday, and although there were more people there than there was at Parque El Salado, I still found myself alone for most of the time. It probably helped that Parque Arví is huge.

Cost(s): Free entry. Cost for the metro cable is 4200 COP, + transport costs to the metro cable. Total cost there and back will be under 15,000cop.

Address: Via a Piedras Blancas, Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia. ParqueArvi.org

Exploring Parque Arví

After the very enjoyable cable car ride to Parque Arví I was a bit confused. I had expected an entry fee, and there wasn’t one.

At the entry there seems to be some kind of tour guide system. I didn’t bother to suss it out since all I wanted to do was hike around.

There is also food and artisan stalls near the entrance, as well as a couple of nice flower beds.

After stumbling around for a few minutes I started walking down the road. At the bottom of the hill was a sign to go left to the ecological park, but when I tried to go up that road I was told that to go hiking I should go right instead, so I did.

There were a couple of stalls and restaurants along the way, and then I finally saw a hiking trail at the bottom of the hill.

There was a few different trails in there but it all seemed pretty random. I walked around for about an hour and then decided to head back. On the way I saw a sign for an actual marked trail (Sendero Flora), so I followed it.

I even spotted some wild-life – I really need a better camera (and some photography skills).

Sendero Flora took me back to where I started hiking, at the bottom of the hill. By this time I was a little disappointed so I started to head back (again). Halfway up the hill I saw another trail entrance that I had missed on the way down, and it had a map showing all the trails in the area. I was happy.

I’m surprised they don’t give people a map at the start. Anyway, I made a rough hiking plan in my head to circle around the a couple of trails and eventually end up back near the entrance. I started with the trail I was on, Circuito Arqueológico.

People must live nearby because there was this cat just chilling in the bushes.

There’s a few nice flowers around. All native I presume.

At one stage while exploring Parque Arví I had to go along the road to get to the next trail (Sendero Vital), and a police car zoomed by me, and then back again a few minutes later. Once I got to the trail I discovered this abandoned motorbike, which I assume is not allowed. I guess the police nabbed them, either that or they were in an accident.

Getting back towards the entrance I started seeing signs about the life cycles of different flora and fauna, such as butterfly’s, toads, and mushrooms.

I guess they didn’t have any real mushrooms growing in the area so they made these fake ones.

On the way home from exploring Parque Arví I almost got a whole cable car to myself. That would have been awesome, but at the last second a couple got on.

There are some great views over the park and the city from the cable car. If you don’t like hiking, just taking the cable car is worth it.

Getting to Parque Arví

You can drive or take a bus there, but I highly recommend the cable car. It is easy and has great views.

Catch the metro to Acevedo (along the line towards Niquía). Do not exit the station, otherwise you will need to buy another ticket. Take the metro cable to Santo Domingo, which is the last stop.

From Santo Domingo you will have to buy a new ticket to get onto the metro cable to Parque Arví. I used my civica, but I think if you pay cash it costs 4,200cop.

You have to buy all the same tickets on the way back. Total cost will be under 15,000cop, assuming you are taking the metro from your starting point.

Pin This for Later!

Do you have experience exploring Parque Arví? Share your thoughts in the comments

Hiking in Parque El Salado, Medellín, Antioquía, Colombia

Parque El Salado is an eco-park about a 30 minute bus ride from Envigado in Medellín. Hiking in Parque El Salado was a great way to get into nature without having to go too far. I went on a weekday and I hardly saw anyone else while walking around. It was very peaceful.

Cost(s): 3,200cop.

Address: Envigado, Antioquia, Colombia.

Hiking in Parque El Salado

The first thing I noticed after entering Parque El Salado was the small river running through it. You can walk along the river which is nice, and since there was almost no people there I was able to just sit by it and listen to the sounds of nature – and nothing else.

In the park are a couple of miradors (look-out points). The views are not fantastic but they are still worth the short climb.

There are lots of ornamental flowers around, as well as native species. Some are marked with their scientific names.

Besides some workers and a couple I saw near the entrance, I was the only person in the entire park. It was great to have the whole place to myself.

You can continue walking around through the canopy at “mirador height”.

Eventually you get to the second mirador.

If you climb higher still you can find a non-paved path. I love non-paved paths. I don’t know why, I just do.

I found a little flower nursery. The main part was locked but there where quite a few samples outside the locked area too.

Closer to ground level you cross another bridge to go back over the river to the entrance/exit.

There was quite a few butterfly’s around, more than I have seen in some butterfly farms. It’s so hard to get a good shot of a butterfly with it’s wings open but not moving around. I wish I had a macro setting on my phone. I think I am definitely going to “invest” in a half-decent point and shoot camera. Something water-proof so I can take it snorkeling.

While hiking in Parque El Salado I also saw a rock climbing wall, some places to eat, and what looked to be a zip line through the canopy, although none of these things were open. I imagine it gets busier on the weekends and they open them then.

Getting to Parque El Salado

Catch the metro to Envigado station. Exit the station and take the bridge over the river to the buses on the side of the road. Catch the one that says Salado, Ecoparque. The fare is under 2,000COP (I think), or you can use a civica transport card.

The bus ride takes less than 30 minutes and you can get dropped off right out the front of the park entrance.

Take the same bus back to Envigado when your done.

Pin This for Later!

Have you been hiking in Parque El Salado before? Share your thoughts in the comments

Climbing La Piedra del Peñol, Guatapé, Medellín, Antioquía, Colombia

I had been told by many different people that I simply “had to visit” Guatapé before leaving Medellín. Actually, the colonial town didn’t hold too much interest for me, but climbing La Piedra del Peñol did.

For some reason I thought I would be able to boulder on La Piedra del Peñol. I think you can definitely go rock-climbing on it (with a tour group), and maybe just boulder also. Unfortunately, by the time I had climbed up and down it the conventional way (via approximately 750 stairs) I totally forgot about bouldering so didn’t even check to see if I could.

Cost(s): 18,000COP entry fee to La Peidra del Peñol.

Address: Guatapé, Antioquia.

Climbing La Piedra del Peñol

The bus from Medellin dropped me off at the base of the hill that La Piedre del Peñol is on. From there it was about 15 minute walk to the base of the rock. You could also get a lift up, which costs about 5,000COP (depending on your bargaining skills).

Even just the walk up to the base gives you some pretty good views of the landscape.

This is the best shot I got of the actual rock. You get better views from the bus on the way in.

When I first saw all the stairs I actually had second thoughts about whether I wanted to climb it, but it turned out to be much easier than I anticipated. The average person should be able to get up it within 30 minutes.

Up the top there are a few shops for food and souvenirs. You can climb some more to the mirador which gives you a spectacular 360 degree view.

A ridiculously good view with a pretty nice day. I wish I had an actual camera as opposed to just my 8mp phone.

After climbing La Piedra del Peñol I caught the bus to Guatapé for lunch and a walk around. It is a very pretty little town.

Along the waterfront you can take a boat tour. Apparently you see about 8 things, including one of Pablo Escobar’s old mansions. I overheard some tourists talking about it and they seemed pretty disappointed as it only went for 1 hour and cost about 10usd per person (pretty expensive for Colombia). I wouldn’t have done it anyway since I dislike boat rides.

A couple of streets away from the town center and the waterfront you can see the “non-tourist” part of Guatapé, which is actually still pretty nice. I even managed to find another lake.

Getting to La Piedra del Peñol and Guatapé

Medellín is the closest big city and is where most people leave from when visiting Guatapé, although there are buses to/from Bogota and other places also.

From Medellín, catch the metro to Caribe station and then walk over the pedestrian bridge/walkway to the Northern Bus Terminal. There are a couple of ticket booths selling tickets to Guatapé. They are well signed.

My ticket cost 13,500cop (and it was the same on the way back).

The bus ride took about 2 hours to La Piedra del Peñol. You can go all the way to Guatapé but if you want to climb the rock then you may as well do it first on the way.

From La Piedra del Peñol to Guatapé you can take a little jeep (I was offered 8,000cop) or just take the local bus (2,000cop).

To get back to Medellín just go to the same place the bus drops you off (which is across the road from the water front) and buy a ticket. The buses fill up so if you think you are going to stay until the last bus, buy your ticket in advance.

Have you ever been climbing La Piedra del Peñol in Guatapé before? Share your thoughts in the comments

Hiking in Parque Cerro El Volador, Medellin, Colombia

I decided to check out the university museum, but it was a Sunday so it was closed, so I went hiking in parque Cerro El Volador instead.

Hiking in Parque Cerro El Volador

I didn’t really know what to expect when I went hiking in Parque Cerro El Volador. I didn’t even know it existed until I spotted it on my map when searching for a close-by alternative to the university museum.

On the map it was at least 4 times larger than the botanical garden, so I was prepared for spending most of the day there and was hoping for some nice hiking and an awesome view from the top. None of this happened, but I still had a good time.

Even the walk to Parque Cerro El Volador from the university was quite enjoyable. I came across this cool little “tropical garden” out the back of some high rise buildings.

And also got a pretty good view of the Medellin river from the bridge.

After about a 30 minute walk I reached the entry to Parque Cerro El Volador. There were a fair few families, people walking their dogs, and others jogging. It was a Sunday after all.

Unfortunately for me, there wasn’t any nice hiking trails. It was pretty much just walking up the road.

I did manage to find a small dirt trail straight up the side of the top of the hill. It was fairly overgrown and only lasted a couple of minutes, but I was happy with it.

Just as I got to the top it started to rain, hard. Luckily I had my emergency poncho, and from now on I will always carry my waterproof socks as well.

A few family picnics on top of the hill got rained out. I took shelter squatting under a tree in my poncho, but after 20 minutes of the rain not letting up I decided to just bite the bullet and head home in the wet.

All the paths had turned to mud.

I decided to take one of the side paths to the bottom of the hill. I counted two different ones in total on the way up, and I think they actually join together via a small bridge near the bottom.

It rained on me all the way to the station, but by the time I got to Buenos Aires (the closest tram stop to where I live) it had stopped.

Getting to Parque Cerro El Volador

I walked there from the metro station Universidad, but on the way back I walked to the metro station Estudio, which was closer and easier since I didn’t have to cross any major roads. It took about 15 minutes to get to Estudio from the bottom of Cerro El Volador.

Have you been hiking in Parque Cerro El Volador before? Share your thoughts in the comments

Learning Spanish with Colombia Immersion, Medellin, Colombia

I decided to spend 6 weeks in Medellin before heading to the coast. Four weeks learning Spanish with Colombia Immersion and the rest of the time just chilling / sightseeing.

Medellin is considered one of the best places to learn Spanish in Colombia. The weather is good (most of the time), there’s lots to do, it’s the most modern city in Colombia, the accent is (relatively) easy to understand, and there are lots of different companies to choose from.

During my stay in Medellin I chose to learn Spanish with a company called Colombia Immersion.

Cost(s): Varies depending on how long you stay for, if you want accommodation, and how much you want to do per day. Check their website for details – ColombiaImmersion.com/classes-pricing

Address: Colombia Immersion has two locations in Medellin:

Envigado: Cra 40 # 40D Sur – 49 El Dorado, Envigado.

Laureles: Cra 79B # 45D – 94 Los Olivos, Laureles.

Learning Spanish with Colombia Immersion

The main reason I chose Colombia Immersion was because they offered afternoon classes, but also because they had a location that I thought I was going to live close to, as well as hosting other after class activities (none of which I participated in). There are cheaper schools around, but the difference is not that much.

Most people that learn Spanish with Colombia Immersion go for the 20hrs/week group classes, but they started at 9am. A tad early for me, and also 4 hours a day is a bit much, so I opted for the 2 hours a day afternoon group classes. Actually, they were from 11am – 1pm for the first 3 weeks and then 2pm – 4pm for my last week there. Also, afternoon group classes are not always available. If there is no group class available for your level they just give you one hour of private instruction instead for the same cost (or a little bit cheaper I think).

First Impressions

I registered only two days before I wanted to start learning Spanish with Colombia Immersion, and it was over the weekend so they didn’t see it until Monday, which was the day I wanted to start. I was contacted Monday morning and I managed to get there for my first class that same day.

I was placed with a three other students. I think my Spanish was at a bit higher level than theirs, but I still learned a lot.

After the first class you decide whether you want to continue or not. If not, the class is free. Obviously, I decided to continue.

On my second day learning Spanish with Colombia Immersion there was confusion about who I was (apparently I looked extremely similar to another student), but once it was all sorted out they “made it up to me” with a 2 hour private class, which was really good.

Staff / Teachers

I got to experience 4 different teachers. They all had a slightly different teaching style but I think they were all very good. Actually, all the staff in general were awesome. Super friendly and helpful. If you’re interested to do so, I’m sure you can make some great friends there.

Structure

In theory the Colombia Immersion class structure is very good. They give you a placement test before your first class and there is a set curriculum, however, I think the implementation could be improved.

One thing I disliked while learning Spanish with Colombia Immersion is that they changed my teacher every week. This would be fine (and probably beneficial) IF they either followed the teaching curriculum strictly or the handover between teachers was better. Instead, there seemed to be some unnecessary repetition. I realize repetition is good for learning, but I feel like some of it was directly because one teacher didn’t know what the previous had taught me/us. By the start of my fourth week I had been given 4 separate (but the same) lessons on imperfect tense, in comparison to only one in perfect tense. I’m also fairly sure that I missed some of the curriculum during the teacher changes.

I have a feeling that in the 4hr/day course the curriculum is followed more strictly, and the changing of teachers may not be an issue, although I did speak to some other students (that had done the standard course) and they had similar feelings about the teacher changes as me.

Another problem for me was that every time a new student came, or someone missed a day, they would have to (quickly) repeat what the student missed. On average I reckon this ate up about 30 minutes a day, and when you think about it, you can learn a whole new concept of grammar (or whatever) in 30 minutes. Though I feel that this type of think is unavoidable in a group learning situation, so not really the schools fault.

Location

Colombia Immersion has two locations. Both of them are in what are considered to be nice areas of Medellin. I went to the one closer to town (about 5 metro stops from the center). Many of the students lived within walking distance.

The building of the location I attended is actually the house of where the infamous Pablo Escober died! Every day there were tourists out the front taking pictures.

The house itself has converted nicely into a small school. It has a nice “homely” feel with free coffee all day and also bunuellos in the morning and fruit in the afternoon.

I never saw the second location, but it is south of the city.

The school can help you find accommodation if you need it, but I didn’t meet any students that actually went through the school for accommodation – mind you, I didn’t speak to any other students apart from the ones in my actual class.

After School Activities

Every day there are after-class activities/tours, and the activites change from week to week. There where also some things over the weekend. I didn’t go to anything, partly because I lived so far away, but mostly because I’m pretty anti-social.

I did speak to some students who had attended some of the activities. A couple of them were very disappointed (with the same activity), but most were content. There were no “awesome” reviews though.

I guess if you are the type of person who likes group activities and/or just wants things to do and ways to meet people then have a go at one or two of them. Some are free and the others seemed reasonably priced.

What I Discovered about Myself

Learning Spanish with Colombia Immersion was my first time taking formal language lessons as an adult, and I learned a lot about my own learning style that I hadn’t expected. My Spanish definitely improved during my time with Colombia Immersion, but many of the grammar concepts I had previously self-learned from a book that my mum gave me. I think the main things I got out of live classes was “forced practice” and being able to ask technical questions to a professional teacher – which is a massive benefit.

There were definitely concepts that I knew previously but were explained better by the teachers, and I had a lot of “ah ha” moments, but I do feel like I would have learned more in a one hour private class only 2 or 3 times a week as opposed to the 2hours a day/ 5 days a week group classes that I took. I guess I’ll test out that theory next time.

The other thing is the interaction with other students. Even though I attended none of the after-class activities, I found the interection with other students during class kind of nice. I even spent time with a couple of them outside of class. The benefits where definitely more social for me though. I don’t think I benefited in the way of learning by having the other students in the class. Sure, there were a couple of things that other students asked that I benefited from, but generally it just meant more time taken from my personal learning.

Do I Recommend Colombia Immersion?

Short answer: Yes.

Colombia Immersion was not a “perfect” school, but no school is. Most of the things I found negative about Colombia Immersion were either unavoidable or due to my own learning style/personality.

There is definitely room for improvement, but to their credit, they give all the students a survey at the end of each week so you can voice your opinions and suggestions. Whether the suggestions are implemented or not I will probably never know, but I assume if something keeps popping up it will be acted upon.

Overall, I enjoyed my time learning Spanish with Colombia Immersion, and if you are the type of person that learns best in a classroom environment then I say give Colombia Immersion a go. They are a relatively young school (I think less that 2 years old) and they are already doing a pretty good job. If I come back to Medellin I will probably take some more classes with them.

What’s Next?

I still have a long way to go with my Spanish. I don’t really mind if I’m not fluent, but being able to converse naturally before attempting another language would be nice.

I’m still tossing up whether I will take a few more classes in Santa Marta. If I do they will most likely be private classes, but for now I will take a break and do some sightseeing around Medellin.

Maybe in a few weeks I will write some posts on learning Spanish. Writing about stuff always cements it in my mind so it will be a good revision exercise for me.

Have you spent time learning Spanish with Colombia Immersion or another school in Medellin? Share your thoughts in the comments

Free Walking Tour in Medellin, Colombia

I usually don’t go for city tours but everyone I spoke to about the free walking tour in Medellin had recommended it, so I thought I’d better give it a go.

The free walking tour in Medellin is run by Real City Tours (RealCityTours.com) and it is very popular. I think they run the tour twice a day, and with 3 or 4 separate groups, each of about 15 people. You have to book your spot on their website 24 to 48 hours ahead of time.

Cost(s): Tip based.

Free Walking Tour in Medellin

Most of the places we went on the tour I had already seen, but the stories we were told about the history of the city where great.

Our guide also explained to us why paisas (people from Antioquia) consider themselves better than the rest of Colombians.

This sculpture pretty much sums up the proud history of Antioquia and how they got their wealth including gold, corn, coffee, and the railroad.

In the past 10 years Medellin has turned some of their worst spots into pilars of hope for the community. This “forest of lights” is an excellent example as this area used to be “crime central” of Medellin. At night these light up.

This building used to be the justice house (or something like that). They changed the location of the justice house so some Arabs bought this one and turned it into a mall.

I think this is Junin Pedestrian Street. It runs next to a church and you can buy lots of knock-offs such as books, movies (especially blue movies), perfumes, etc.

Every city in Colombia has a Bolivar Park, and like most of the others, this one is great for people watching. Many parks/plazas in Medellin get a bit sketchy after dark, but they are fine during the day.

The tour finished at San Antonio Park where you can see a bombed Botero sculpture. The bombing happened during a concert. Quite a few people were killed and many more injured, including children. The mayor was going to remove it but Botero called him up saying to leave it as a remembrance of the incident. They put a plaque with the victims names and also a new sculpture (exactly the same as the original) as a symbol of hope/peace.

There were other stops and stories on the walking tour, but I guess you’ll just have to go and do it to discover them all.

Overall I thought the tour was good. Perhaps a little long (4 hours) but the actual walking distance wasn’t very far. A lot of the time was taken up by the stories, and there was a couple of break/snack stops on the way.

Of course the tour isn’t really free. I guess you don’t have to tip your guide, but 20,000 – 30,000 COP is suggested.

Have you done the free walking tour in Medellin by Real City Tours before? Share your thoughts in the comments

Jardin Botanico de Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia

I went to Jardin Botanico de Medellin on a public holiday Monday, which was also the last day of one of the biggest annual festivals in Medellin, La Feria de Flores.

I’m not sure if this means my timing was good or bad. There were definitely more people in the garden than there would have been the following day, but it also meant there were lots of displays, food, and other activities going on.

Cost(s): 18,000 per adult. I think normally it might be cheaper.

Jardin Botanico de Medellin

Not surprisingly, the first thing I saw when I entered was a flower display.

The Jardin Botinical de Medellin is pretty big. I pretty much headed straight to the boardwalk, which I think was labelled the tropical jungle.

I was lucky enough to be there at the time of the yearly orchid displays.

There were lots of them (orchids) as well as other plants which I think were part of a competition or something.

It was during the festival of flowers (Feria de Flores) so I wasn’t surprised with all the displays, but I guess it is possible they are there all time.

There is a pretty nice lake you can chill by too.

I saw a few tortoises around the place.

Can you spot the tortoise?

And a couple of ducks also.

There was a small garden dedicated to desert plants.

And a small butterfly garden, but it was pretty disappointing. I think I saw a total of 3 real butterfly’s.

All over the park are large areas for people to just chill.

There was a palm tree garden with a few species of palms I’ve never come across before.

And this bamboo garden which you couldn’t actually enter. I think it was under maintenance, which is a shame because I love walking through giant bamboo gardens.

There were lots of artisan and food stalls, as well as a small amusement park for the kids.

I think this was called the vertical garden, although I am not sure why – it looked pretty horizontal to me. In any case, it was a nice quiet place to eat my overpriced coconut ice-cream.

Getting to Jardin Botanico de Medellin

Catch the metro towards Ninquia (from town center) to the University stop and take the 3 minute walk. It’s pretty hard to miss it.

Have you been to Jardin Botanico de Medellin before? Share your thoughts in the comments

Pueblito Paisa and Cerro Nutibara, Medellin Colombia

Pueblito Paisa and Cerro Nutibara are actually one place, i.e., Pueblito Paisa (Little Town) is a replica of an old school Antioquia town which is located on top of Cero Nutibara (Nutibarra Hill).

Most people go to Pueblito Paisa to look around the small town and check out the awesome view of Medellin, but it is also nice to walk around Cero Nutibara.

Pueblito Paisa and Cerro Nutibara

I decided to go to Pueblito Paisa on a Sunday, which also happened to be the same day as the car parade for the Feria de los Flores, and it shared the same metro stop. The train was PACKED!

Coming out of the metro station at Industriales you get a good view of Río Medellín.

I caught the start of the parade on the way but didn’t bother hanging around for the whole thing.

It only took about 10 minutes to walk to the bottom of Cerro Nutibara, then you can take the fairly short but steep climb to Pueblito Paisa.

Pueblito Paisa literally translates to “small town”, but it was still smaller than I expected.

Inside Pueblito Paisa is a small church (white building) which I think even has daily mass.

There’s a couple of small buildings you can go through with different exhibitions.

And in the town center are souvenir shops and some snack foods.

Around the corner are some food stalls selling traditional dishes. A good place for lunch. Prices are a bit pricier than in the city but still pretty cheap.

Here’s a good view of the town square from above.

One of the highlights of Cerro Nutibara is this awesome view of Medellin.

Here’s another angle.

There’s also a small museum which only costs 1,000COP to enter. It is mostly filled with “street art” but also has a full model of Medellin.

On my way back down the hill I walked along the sculpture trail.

There were a number of sculptures, maybe 10.

When I got back to the bottom the parade was in full swing with the classic cars coming through and lots and lots of people.

I didn’t stay long. Partly because I couldn’t see much but mostly because I didn’t want to have to fight the crowd on the train after the parade.

Getting to Pueblito Paisa

Catch the metro to station Industrials (along the line towards Envigado). From there you can walk to Pueblito Paisa in about 20 to 30 minutes. This includes climbing the hill.

You can also catch a bus up (I think), although I have no information on that. It’s easy to walk if you are able-bodied.

Have you visited Pueblito Paisa and Cerro Nutibara before? Share your thoughts in the comments

Tips on How to Travel With Your Bike

Exploring new destinations on your bike is one of the dreams of many cyclists. This post gives tips on how to travel with your bike.

Traveling with your bike can be challenging. It can be costly, inconvenient and time consuming. This article provides you with tips on packing, saving costs, means of transporting and dissembling to minimize the hassle of traveling with your bike.

Best Mountain Bike Under 1000.

This post was contributed by Paul from Bestmtbgear.com.

Image Credit: ZPhotoo via Pixabay.

Tips on How to Travel With Your Bike
Guide to Packing Your Bike for Travel

Appropriately packing your bike will ensure that it arrives intact at your destination. There are three main methods of packing. Below is a description of each and its pros and cons.

Cardboard box. You could pack the bike in a cardboard box. It is the cheapest packaging option.  Cardboard boxes are light and offer ample space. Also, the box can be recycled. However, it offers minimum protection to the bike on its own. To reinforce protection, you may need invest in bubble wrap, pipe insulation and cable ties. It is prone to mishandling at the airport which could lead to damage on the bike and the box too.

Bike case. Bike cases are expensive but one of the safest options for transporting your bike.  The bike case is designed with specific areas designated for the different bike parts and accessories. The dedicated spaces enable for easy inspections at the custom offices. However, bike cases are quite heavy and this will greatly impact the cost of transport.
Bike bag. Bike bags are lighter than bike cases and are quite affordable. Most have designated storage places and offer optimal protection to the bike. They are one of the best travel options for transporting bikes as they offer a good balance of functionality, protection and price.

To reinforce protection, consider wrapping the bike parts with bubble wrap or foam. Label the bike package with your name and that it is a bike. Bike bags will offer you a blend of functionality, weight efficiency and protection for your bike.

Best Mountain Bike under 500 .

Guide on Dissembling Your Bike

All the above packaging mechanisms require you to dismantle the bike. Dismantling bikes can be a bit technical especially for people without prior experience. Consider seeking help at your local bike shop. It will come at an extra cost but will ensure your bike is safe.

Dissembling enables you to easily pack your bike and also prevents damage. Generally, it is easier to transport the bike when it is dissembled and packed as compared to when it is whole. Below is a step by step guide to dissemble your bike.

Remove the front tire
Remove the pedals
Remove the rear derailleur
Remove the rear wheel
Deflate both wheels
Remove the stem then dismount the handle bars
If you bike has hydraulic breaks, place a non metallic material such as a cardboard between them to prevent any damage.

Money Saving Tips for When you Travel With Your Bike

It is generally cheaper to transport your bike using cargo services than by air for local travel.
Choose bike shipping companies over regular shipping services because they are cheaper.
Use the lightest packaging material possible that offers optimal protection to minimize on baggage fees for air travel.
Do market research of airlines and bike shipping companies to get the lowest fees.
Build your reputation with one airline. Some airline companies offer discounts and perks for frequent flyers. Besides, it will help you build rapport with the attendants which makes it much easier for you to get help if needed.
Plan ahead for your travels. It helps you to leverage on early bird discounts and gives you more time to consider your options.

Choosing the Means of Transport

There are various means you can use to travel with your bike. These include by bus, by train, on a plane, driving your car or having a shipping company transport your bike. Each method presents its pros and cons.  Bike on car and bike on bus or train is ideal for travels across the country while travel by plane is ideal for international and across state travel.  You can ship the bike for cross state travels and long distance travels across the country.

For international travels, your bike bag or case will have to pass through customs. Packing the bike in bike bags and bike cases will make it easy for custom officials to inspect it without rearranging the packaging. When travelling by car, you will need to mount the on bike carrier systems. For bus, trains and shipping companies you may or may not have to dissemble and park the bike.

To ensure you enjoy your travel with your bike just like you have planned, choose a packaging material that offers you functionality, protection and that is relatively light. Consider whether you are travelling locally or across border and decide on the most ideal mode of transport. Plan for your travel ahead of time and maximize any opportunity to save on costs.

Got any other tips on how to travel with your bike? Let us know them in the comments