Long time, no see! I had a VERY busy summer with lots of travel (more on that later) and fall is always busy for me. Here’s the last of my trip report during spring break to Easter Island and Columbia. Leaving Easter Island, I used 20,000 United miles to fly to Medellin, which was better than paying almost $1,400! I just want to mention that I never felt afraid or unsafe in Columbia – it’s quickly becoming a tourist destination.
Medellin was rainy and we didn’t have much time, but we did take the metrocable up and also visited Botero Plaza, check out Botero’s artwork in the rain (excuse the quality).
The next day we had arranged a private guide for visiting El Penol and Guatape; El Penol is 650 feet tall, with views all around. The 600+ steps are not really that difficult, especially for views like this!
Guatape, the most colorful town/village in Columbia, exceeded my expectations! Zocalos, colorful representations in bas relief on the lower panels, tell the story of the family or business. This place was my favorite and you can see why in these pictures!
We left Medellin for Pereira and the coffee triangle. We stayed at the Hotel Spa La Colina, a small family-owned hotel with great views!
Our guide worked at the hotel and one day we visited some small towns in the area, stopping for coffee along the way, as we made our way to Cocoro Valley, a magical and mysterious place, especially in the rain and fog. It’s a national park filled with wax palm trees and was simply spectacular! 
We stayed our last night at the Wyndham in Bogota, before flying home via Delta business class. This flight was valued at $2,789, but I booked it using my Amex points.
This trip was a dream come true; I LOVED Easter Island and Columbia was a complete surprise!
Next up, fall in New England, then my summer trip!