Our program here is about Spanish Language and Culture and our program is based out of Barranquilla, Colombia but we are spending two of our weekends in other cities on the northern coast of Colombia. This weekend we went to the city of Santa Marta.
Santa Marta is a very beautiful city with a lot of history, culture, and beautiful mountains and beaches (photos are attached of course!!!). On our first day there, we went to Quinta San Pedro Alejandrino, the death place of Simón Bolivár, the liberator. Bolivár was originally born in Caracas, Venezuela but after leading revolutionary movements across northern South America (Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, and Bolivia), died of tuberculosis at the age of 47. The Quinta has very beautiful vegetation and the house itself is also incredibly beautiful. Along with the original house, there was an absolutely stunning stone carving of Bolivár and various symbolizations of his life and accomplishments.
On the second day, we loaded up on a bus and went on a two-hour drive to the town of Aracataca, the birthplace of Gabriel García Márquez, Colombia’s most well-known author. While we were there we were able to tour his grandparents’ house, a location where he spent a lot of his time and mentions a lot in his writings. I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures of the house itself but I did take some pictures of some really cool trees.
Later that day, we went to Parque de los Novios which is very similar to Bourbon Street in New Orleans. During the day it is a very beautiful part of town with a lot of really good restaurants. But at night, the street turns into a vibrant location with many bars and nightlife activities.
On our last day in Santa Marta, before we had to leave and return to Barranquilla, we were able to find some time to go to the beach. This beach was incredible. In Alabama, where I am from, the beaches are flat. If you were to stand on the shore and look inwards, it would be flat. Not in Santa Marta. To get to the particular beach that we wanted to go to we had to take a short hike over a mountain. The views were like no other and the water was crystal clear. A little after lunchtime we had to leave to get back here to Barranquilla so that we had some time to rest up before our classes the following day.
