RVentures with Doug and Chris

Clinging tightly to the metal supports, I marvelled at the vastness of Medellín sprawled out before us. ¡Que hermoso! was all that I could think. Turning to my friend Somni, I let her know (in my slowly improving Spanish) how wonderful it was to discover another beautiful Colombian destination. During our three months in Medellín, we were grateful to find the right balance of fun and friendship with our Paisa amigos.

These dear amigos introduced us to ...

wet and wild water parks,

picturesque pueblos,

festive fiestas,

... and Colombian cuisine conversations!

What a joy to be able to improve our Spanish listening and speaking skills while meeting new friends and discovering new places in and around Medellín! One Saturday excursion that stands out in my memory as ''increíble'' was organized by my dear friend, Somni. Come along as we find the right balance of art, music, language, culture, and friendship at ...

Monte Sinaí Casa de Arte

Monte Sinaí Casa de Arte lies on the mountainside in San Cristóbal, a small rural town on the outskirts of Medellín. Somni had sent me a news clip about this small museum and art studio and invited us to check it out with her one Saturday afternoon. As with most adventures in Medellin, the journey was as interesting as the destination. We took the Metro train to the northern part of the city and hopped on the Metro-cable cars that whisked us up the mountainside. There we hailed a taxi driver who drove us the rest of the way up the mountain. It was just a little mind-blowing to think about how skillful (and fearless) these drivers have to be to drive up these narrow, steep inclines! When we arrived at our destination, it looked like it could be a private home, except for a giant iron structure in the shape of a balance that rested on its front lawn.

The video had stated that the Casa de Arte was open to the public, but we soon realized that we were fortunate that our friend had made the arrangements ahead of time as we were the only ones there. We were greeted by Brayan, the 21-year-old son of the owners who gave us a three hour personal tour of their art studio, museum, and event center.

Everything that lay before us was made possible by this family of talented artists. For the past twenty years, brothers Ramiro and Germán Arias have been pursuing their dream of developing this space into a magical place for the arts. They have created an art studio where local children and young adults are introduced to various modalities of art. Painting, ceramics, and music classes allow local youth to interact with professional artists. This encouragement inspires the youth to become the best version of themselves. Building up youth in turn helps build up local communities.

Creative artistic thought went into the design of the brick house with its many art studios, galleries, and community meeting rooms,

as well as in the design of the iron spiral staircase and decorative window grills.

The unique furnishings were all handmade, often from repurposed items.

But it was the trademark balance, La Espada de la Justicia (The Sword of Justice), that brought out the child in all of us. This twelve meter (40 feet) tall steel, iron, and concrete structure was the labor of love for Brayan's father, sculptor Ramiro Arias. His sculptures have received national acclaim for the creative artistry as well as for the strong visuals reflecting social issues and human rights.

This one, entitled ''No Más Minas Antipersonas'' (No More Mines Against Humans) visualizes the great human cost of war.

''Encuentro Con La Liberdad'' (Encounter with Freedom) spoke to me about how our chains are broken by the great sacrifice on the Cross.

Our tour guide and new friend, Brayan, is a talented musician and song writer who shared some of his original music with us. His music video, ''Caminando en Medellín'' (Walking in Medellín), captured in music the beautiful city that we have grown to love.

Brayan's fiance, Alejandra, is a talented artist as well. I loved her use of color and prospective,

but I was really drawn in by how her paintings reflect the love that this delightful young couple shares.

After our three hour tour of this magical place, we enjoyed a late lunch in their restaurant area that overlooks the Aburrá Valley and the city of Medellín.

Brayan and Alexandra serenaded us with a number of his original songs including one of his first songs with English lyrics.

With the sun setting over the mountains, his parents joined us on the patio. Ramiro Arias shared the philosophy behind his sculptures and expressed his hopes that Monte Sinaí Casa de Arte can continue to be a beautiful place where art and culture come together. I sat there mesmerized by the words and songs of our new friends. I thought about all the amazing people that we have come to know during our time in Colombia. Yes, we may speak different languages, but we share the same hopes and dreams for a better world.

As current world events threaten to tip the scales of peace, we need to find the right balance by embracing the qualities that bring us together in friendship.

''Does this red outfit make my head look big??''

Coffee farms, hot springs, sandy beaches, and now, colorful and funny-looking birds ... there is an amazing variety of beauty to discover in Colombia. And once again, we were enthralled with the beauty when we stepped off the bus in the small pueblo of Jardín. Whitewashed buildings with brightly colored windows, doors, and balconies lined the streets. Flowers cascaded from balcony containers. In the distance, lush green mountains rose up and cradled the town. The calls of birds filled the air.

I could not have thought of a more appropriate name for this small colonial village located about four hours south of Medellin. Jardín is the Spanish word for garden, and we were about to discover a magical garden that is bursting with beauty, wonder, and life.

Bienvenidos al Jardín ... Welcome to the Garden

Oh, and by the way, we are still in the coffee country,

so pull up a chair and enjoy un rico café with me.

A visit to Jardín was another experience that came highly recommended by our Colombian friends. Designated a Pueblo Patrimonia (heritage town), Jardín has retained its colonial architecture, rural cultural heritage, and pristine natural environment. Peaceful walks along the cobblestone streets take visitors back into the 19th century when this was still an isolated farming community nestled in the Andes mountainside.

The majestic Catholic church is one of the cornerstones in Colombian village squares. It is easy to spot the grand steeple rising above other city structures as you approach the village. But as we came into Jardín, it was two huge aluminum bell towers that greeted us. While the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception seemed disproportionately huge in comparison to the tiny pueblo that surrounded it, its Neo-Gothic design blended in well with the surrounding colorful colonial structures.

Parque Principal, the town square, serves as the community social center in Jardín. The brightly painted outdoor tables and chairs of the restaurants and coffee houses warmly invites visitors to sit down and relax under the shade of the flowering trees.

Blooming roses of all colors add to the tranquil beauty in the park,

... and the central fountain dances with delight as friends gather to enjoy a cup of coffee or a beer at the end of another beautiful day.

Don't mind if I do!

Our Airbnb apartment, located about three blocks from the city park, was in sync with the ''Bienvenidos al Jardín'' theme. When we stepped in, it was like we entered an indoor garden. Massive amounts of sunlight flowed through the patio doors inviting us to enjoy its warm radiance.

Everywhere I turned there were exotic-looking potted plants. In a way, I was glad that this was only a three night stay, as I would not have wanted to be responsible for watering them all. Fortunately, the Colombian rains that fall like clockwork in the late afternoon took care of the multitude of plants that adorned our two balconies.

And what balconies they were! The view from our bedroom revealed where the edge of the city met the mountains. The front balcony gave us a beautiful view of the magestic twin towers of the church rising above the town square. Like we have come to be accustomed to, this two bedroom apartment was a very good value ... about $45 a night after all the fees. All of its special touches made us feel right at home.

That night we went up on the rooftop patio which gave Doug a place to practice his star-gazing talents. The dark skies brought out a cascading bouquet of stars. He marveled as he viewed constellations in positions quite different from the skies of North America. But try as he might, the Southern Cross evaded his gaze.

I could't convince him that

this was a double Southern Cross!

A Colorful Welcome

After we got settled into our home for the next few days, we set out on a search for the Gallitos de Rocas ... an unusually shaped, bright red bird that calls Jardín his home. I had read that the best chance to see these flamboyant birds was in the late afternoon at a reserve on the western edge of town. The Reserva Natural Jardín de Rocas sounds like it should be a public park, but I got the impression that it was really someone's private house.

After ringing the bell on their gate and paying our 10,000 peso ($2.50) each entrance fee, the owner lead us through her lush garden to a viewing platform. To be honest, I was thinking that I just paid someone to have a look at their garden ... why would such exotic looking birds be hanging out here? But we quickly realized that we would not be disappointed. Loud harsh calls filled the air as we saw dozens of the unusually bright red birds fluttering in the trees.

What a vibrant welcome to Jardín!

We were excited to see what other treasures awaited us to discover.

Cueva Del Esplendor

The mountainous areas around Jardín are overflowing with unique waterfalls of all kinds. But one, Cueva del Esplendor, seemed to get rave reviews from past visitors, so Doug booked a tour with a local agency for the next morning. For $15 each we got a ''tipico'' arepa breakfast, beverages, snacks, guided tour, Spanish listening practice, and ... the wild Willy ride of a lifetime up the steep and narrow mountain roads. No more need to wonder why ''trip insurance'' was also included in the cost of the tour!

Once at the top, well as the saying goes ... the views were ''priceless''.

Even though it was tucked away high in the mountains, this small family-run restaurant was still in keeping with Jardín's colorful garden theme. The family was fortunate enough to own a portion of land that promised to be ''splendorous''.

After the tour company paid for the group's entry fee, we started our 1.5 kilometer walk over their farmland and started our decent into the jungle. I was happy that there were ropes to hang onto during some of the more technical parts of the trail.

After crossing a few streams, we reached a huge cave ... with a waterfall spilling down through an opening in its top.

As promised, Cueva del Esplendor was another one of Colombia's hidden treasures that we were glad that we took the time (and a wild Willy ride) to discover. It lived up to its name ... it truly is a Cave of Splendor.

Hike to Cristo Rey and Cascada La Escalera

In Jardín, there were plenty of hiking opportunities, because where the streets end, the mountains begin. During our second full day, we walked to the town's edge, crossed a river, and started a steep accent on the Cristo Ray trail. Named for the statue of the Christ which stands high on the mountainside, the summit of this trail promised to give us a panoramic view of the pueblo below.

Banana trees and coffee plants dotted the hillside as a farmer more agile than us carried a huge bundles of bananas (or are they plantains?) up the hillside to his house. It is no wonder that bananas and plantains make up an important part of the Colombian diet as they seemed to be happily reproducing wherever we looked.

At the top, Cristo Rey welcomed us to His garden,

... and once again the owners of the surrounding farmland served up a delicious

mango juice as well as a spectacular view.

Refreshed, we continued our walk along the mountain roads that would gently bring us back down to the town below, but not before stopping at

... another hidden waterfall, Cascada La Escalara!

While walking up to the waterfall, we struck up a conversation with another couple who had also just arrived. In another ''it's a small world'' moment, we realized that our new friends, originally from Colombia, live close to our family in our former home state of Minnesota. While enjoying a beer at yet another roadside tienda, we were joined by two young Colombians who happened to speak some English and were excited to practice their skills. Sharing stories in both Spanish and English, the six of us realized how much joy there can be when we embrace the similarities that we share in this big beautiful world.