We have been here in Medellin for about 5 days now and I have nothing bad to say about it! The 12 hour bus ride to Medellin from Cartagena was a bit long, but time surprisingly went by fast. When we arrived here we all so happy to be out of Cartagena and somewhere new in Colombia! Medellin definitely didnt let us down....its the second largest city in Colombia and is beautifully placed burried within moutnains! This city has so much life and so much to see that it makes me so so greatful that I actually took this opportunity to come to Colombia. Before my travels started I thought the only areas I was going to explore would be in Central America...I never thought I would ever visit Colombia. It has been a great ride and Medellin has been a fun place to stay and experience Colombian culture.

Our third day here the 5 of us took the metro across the city and stopped along the way at cable cars that glided up the mountains of Medellin and overlooked the huge city. The cable cars dropped us off at small villages placed in the upper area of Medellin. We sat at a tiny little cafe, drank some beers, and people watched for hours. We were so entertained by watching the people of this village walk by, being able to witness what they call "just another day". We witnessed little kids helping their parents sell fruit from the back of their cars (while the car was driving around the street these little kids were hanging out the trunk weighing fruit and selling it). I saw a young girl helping her grandmother cross the street, two little boys sharing candy and then walking away with their arms over each others shoulders, a mother and her 5 children all looking out for each other and holding hands while walking through town, an elderly man at the cafe getting his shoes cleaned by another man...both men completely laughing and having a fun conversation with one another. It was by far the best, most productive and rewarding people watching day I have ever had. The 5 of us laughed at witnessing the same things and had a great time just being in each others company in such a happy and lively little village!

Medellin has been a great place to close my Colombia travels. I feel like between Medellin and Cartagena I have seen what I want to see while still being very safe! Wednesday Jamie Carlos and I are all flying back to Costa Rica, where I will end my traveling adventure in my favorite place...Mal Pais!!

Pura Vida!

So we successfully crossed over the Panama Border and made it safely to Bocas del Torro, a popular island on the Carribean side of Panama. It was a long two days of traveling that came with some frustrations, humbling, and funny moments. Our friend Carlos that we met in Mal Pais decided to meet up with us in Dominical and travel for a bit with us. Its awesome to have him by our side, helping us figure out how to make our way around since he has traveled this way before. We left Dominical on Saturday, a bit tired from our last night out in Dominical...dancing until 3 in the morning. We said goodbye to the people we became friends with there and rushed our way to the bus. 6 hours later we were in a small town in Costa Rica, right by the border. Once we arrived at the border we paid a little guy 10 bucks each to help us get our exit stamps and stamps into Panama. The 10 bucks included avoiding the 500 dollars and return ticket into Costa Rica that we had to show the Panama "officials". Ridiculous request, so our 10 bucks was well spent.
We made it to Bocas del Torro yesterday...its a cute town...colorful buildings, fun hostels everywhere...but in order to go to the beaches you have to take little boat rides, which is something we are not used to. Dont know how long we will stay here, just like every other place we go to. We are thinking of making our next stop Columbia. Im sure my mom is having a heart attack after reading that last sentence. BUT we have heard amazing things...5 day boat trip passing by all the islands before landing into Columbia. Could be a major possibility!!!

I will keep you all updated as our adventures continue. More pictures to come soon!

Miss you all! xoxoxox

Lucy