Meet Monica Parra!
She’s a 001 Country Per Year challenge taker, but lately she averages 6 PER YEAR. Today she’s posting her favorite photos from traveling to 45 different countries!
2011 DESTINATION: Colombia
TRAVEL TIPS: Colombia is one beautiful country, do not be afraid to try it for yourself, but maybe watch out for all the starchy goodness it has to offer! The food is amazing: arepas, empanadas, almojabanas, breads, cakes and sweets of all kinds, definitely try its very famous potato based Ajiaco soup. Also, Colombia has a multitude of fruits that would be labeled as “exotic” in North America and Europe, so they’re must eats as well! And a favorite drink is Sabajon, made out of Aguardiente.
It is a very mountainous country so be ready for the altitudes, and inclines. Getting around Bogotá, its capital, is quite cheap, taxis abound and the Transmilenio is a public bus that has its own lanes but traffic can be quite frustrating at rush hour. While in Bogotá the must sees are definitely Monserrate and the Gold Museum. Must buys in Colombia are: jewelry, gold and emeralds; wool, leather and of course its typically cute balcony and chiva souveniers. Colombia is budget friendly for the traveler and you will meet some of the nicest and most beautiful people while you’re there. It’s enchanting, you will definitely want to go back for seconds!
TRAVEL GOALS: I wanted to visit all 6 inhabitable continents by the age of 25 and I did it! Now, I want to make it to Antarctica within the next few years. I also am an avid passport stamp collector, so I visit as many countries as I can while I am on Earth to grow my collection!
COUNTRIES VISITED: The United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Monaco, Italy, Vatican City, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Greece, Sweden, Norway, Morocco, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, China, Japan, Australia
