Here is the thing about planning a holiday when your body has just been through something significant. You stop asking what you want to do and start asking what you actually can.
A couple of months before this trip, less than three months, I had an open myomectomy. Major surgery to remove fibroids, the largest of which was 16 centimetres. As big as a six-month fetus, sitting inside me. The procedure was essentially a c-section, and the recovery was slow, deliberately so. My doctors made clear that I had rushed previous recoveries with intense workouts, and that from this point on I was to stick to yoga and walking. For someone whose outlets are the gym, running, boxing, weight lifting, and hiking, that felt like a sentence. But I started walking. And I never really stopped.
So this became my first non-hiking holiday in almost ten years. No trails. No elevation profiles. No gear lists. Just walking, which it turns out is more than enough when you do it somewhere extraordinary.
I walked an average of 6 to 7 kilometres a day. And I loved every single step.
Santiago, Chile Let's not talk about how I planned the flights.
It was based entirely on price rather than practicality, booked in the middle of the night on my phone, fuelled by the adrenaline of finally committing to a dream destination. Do not do this. Buy your flights during the day, after checking alternatives, with a clear head. I flew four times just to arrive, plus domestic flights, plus several boat rides. A girl travelled.
Santiago was part of the flight plan by necessity. My layover was long enough to get proper sleep, a shower, and a few hours in the city. And I am so glad it was.
It was a quiet city. Not much happens there in the way you might expect from a capital. But what it had, it had beautifully. I had the best cup of coffee of my life at a small cafe, and had an entire conversation with the owner using nothing but Google Translate and hand gestures. He made me feel genuinely welcome. When I left he gave me the warmest handshake, the kind that stays with you.
I walked to Santa Lucia Hill, through the park, and up to the top. The views were really worth it. Wear comfortable shoes and take your time with it.
Colombia
TIP: Always take a jacket to Bogota. The altitude is high and it is always cold, no matter the time of year.
Then Medellin. Oh, Medellin.
It felt like my home away from home from the moment I arrived. Medellin has grit and attitude like Joburg. It does not pretend to be something it is not. The people love that city, genuinely and fiercely. Most people go there for economic opportunities; it is the business capital. But what you notice as a visitor is the food, the vibe, the music, the dancing, and the deep and unapologetic influence of the African diaspora woven into everything.
Must Do in Colombia
Nine things that made this trip what it was.
- 01 -
Street Food Tour
Nothing teaches you about a city like its street food, where it comes from, how it is made, what it means. Colombian food is extraordinary. Lots of lime, and it works every single time. Start here. It sets the tone for everything else.
- 02 -
Comuna 13
What began as a way to show how people live in the comunas has evolved into something much bigger and more complicated. It is touristy now, yes. But the history is real and worth understanding. What happened to the people of this neighbourhood during the years of Pablo Escobar, and the military operations that followed, and how those events ripple through families still today. Go with that in mind and it will give you a great deal.
- 03 -
Bike Ride Around the City
A brilliant way to see Medellin as a local. We stopped for a beer somewhere along the way, and also stopped to see the Christmas lights, which were spectacular. The kind of thing you would not find on your own without someone who knows where to look.
- 04 -
Tour of Guatape
An absolute must-do. I had the best time exploring the town, the boat ride across the dam was phenomenal, and the stairs up El Penol were challenging and so much fun. The views at the top are completely worth the climb. Pay extra for the photographs just after you come down the stairs. Soak it in. Have a beer.
It also happened to be my birthday. I made a couple of friends. Flirted a little. Had so much.
- 05 -
Coffee Farm Tour
Essential, especially if coffee matters to you. We went with a small group, which made all the difference. A family farm. We learned the full process from planting through harvesting, what to pick and what to leave, washing, cleaning, roasting, grinding, and finally tasting. The key lesson: always choose country origin and medium roast. Colombian coffee is unmatched. The tour ended with a traditional family lunch and felt nothing like a tour at all. It felt like spending an afternoon with people who were glad you came.
- 06 -
Salsa and Bachata Classes
You cannot come to the mecca of salsa dancing and not participate. I had so much fun. Met another solo traveller who I immediately recognised as my mirror: same interests, same experiences, same nail colour. A real friend made in a dance class. It was her birthday too. We celebrated properly.
- 07 -
VIP Boat Ride
Complementary drinks. Incredible views. Great music. Be social. Dance. Make friends. That is the entire instruction.
- 08 -
Palenque
The first free Black town in the Americas. It feels like an African town, which makes complete sense given what it is: African diaspora kept alive and intact. This is where the ladies in the colourful dresses come from. The food and the art were extraordinary. But there was a sadness too. When the people settled here, it feels as though the world moved on and forgot about them. There is something that needs to be reckoned with in that.
- 09 -
Get Your Pictures Taken
This one sounds simple. It is not, until it is. The easiest thing you can do is ask the kind people around you. Most really do not mind, and more often than not they are happy to help. But if you want more than a quick snap, there are a few ways to approach it.
What I do sometimes is pay someone for the day to follow me around and take pictures. It is brilliant for a day or two, and the results are usually worth every cent, though it is obviously limited in how long you can sustain it. If you can afford a tripod, get one. It will feel odd at first. You will feel self-conscious setting it up, adjusting the angle, walking back and forth to check the frame. And then one day it will just feel normal, and you will have exactly the shots you wanted.
The one I would always recommend, wherever you are: book at least one professional shoot. You will not regret it. But do your homework first. Look at their portfolio properly. Discuss the outcome you want, the feel you are going for, especially if something specific has inspired you. A good photographer needs to understand your vision before they can deliver it.
Cartagena de Indias
Last and absolutely not least.
Cartagena de Indias. The walled city. Once a refuge from the Spanish coloniser. Inside the walls it feels entirely European, all colour and cobblestone and grandeur, but no less beautiful for it. I went out early every morning before anyone else was awake, and that is when the city gave me everything I needed. Beautiful spaces. Peaceful streets. No crowds. If you are going in December, go early. The foot traffic builds quickly.
Outside the walls is a different story and I mean that as a compliment. That is where the locals live. Artsy, real, magnificent people, and the food is better and cheaper. Spend time on both sides.
This was not the trip I would have planned a year earlier. No mountains. No trails. No summit moments. But it turned out to be exactly the trip I needed, which is something I did not know I could say about a holiday without a hiking boot in sight.
Walking 6 kilometres through Cartagena at sunrise. A birthday at Guatape. Coffee that changes your understanding of what coffee can be. A dance class friendship. A cafe owner in Santiago who shook my hand like he meant it.
That is more than enough.
