I’m sitting in a small watering hole in Barranquilla, a city of about 1.2 million people on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. I’m sipping the most delicious limonada de coco (coconut lemonade) while the evening breeze sways the palm trees and blows my hair.
Barranquilla is gearing up for its Carnival. Brightly colored decorations of flowers adorn every mall, street corner, restaurant, and home. The weather is warm and tropical (upper 80s F) but the breezes keep it all quite comfortable.
I’ve been wandering around for a couple of days now and the city is easy to navigate. Yellow taxis line up in front of hotels and shopping malls to take you where you want to go. Fares average $4. The northern part of town is full of large shopping malls, convention centers, and high-end neighborhoods. The flat, clean, and pedestrian-friendly streets make walking around quite easy.
The local cuisine is eclectic, with an emphasis on seafood. I’ll do my best to try everything. Good thing I can walk off the calories… Stay tuned for my articles about Barranquilla in upcoming issues.