From the hustle and bustle of Mexico City, I went on to Puebla, which is about three hours away. I had the chance to meet with some wonderful prospective students, eat delicious traditional food, and wander around the old part of the city. I could imagine living in Puebla. The atmosphere was lovely: sidewalk cafes, families playing together in the town square, worshipers walking to the cathedral, amazing restaurants…
Puebla is known for its beautiful pottery.
At the fair in Puebla with my wonderful translator, Luis.
The next stop after Puebla was Medellin, Colombia. We had a very short and hectic stay there but visited some wonderful schools. It’s a shame we weren’t able to spend more time exploring the region as Medellin is set in a valley surrounded by spectacular mountains. It was absolutely beautiful, but the ride down into the city was harrowing. I’ve never seen such a windy, steep road!
The largest international school in Medellin.
Our last stop on the tour was Bogota. With an elevation of 8,612 feet, it’s no wonder that I suffered bit from altitude sickness. I don’t think I’ve ever been up that high before. Like Medellin, it was far too short a stay with little time to explore the city. My impression, however, was of a beautiful, modern city with some gorgeous older areas. On Sunday, we were able to spend the morning at an outdoor craft market.
At the Usaquen Flea Market in Bogota.
We attended two fairs in Bogota, and I had the opportunity to speak to some wonderful kids. Most of them seemed intrigued by the idea of studying at school near the ocean with the chance to ski and snowboard in the winter.
The people in both Mexico and Colombia were gracious and warm, and I returned home more determined than ever to learn Spanish!
