Barranquilla's carnival slogan, quien lo viven es quien lo goza, translates to who lives it, is who enjoys it. After missing the past two Carnivals while in Colombia, I was finally able to attend one this year and found out for myself that the slogan holds true.

On the Caribbean coast, near the town of Santa Marta, where the sea meets jungle, is one gorgeous stretch of coastline.  There, in Tayrona National Park, you can find one beautiful beach after another and is a place that anyone traveling to Colombia should make an effort to visit.

La Ciudad Perdida is a five-day hike in the Colombian jungle. A few summers ago, three friends were coming to visit me and I convinced them that this trek was something we needed to do together. They went for it and so, in addition to visiting Cartagena and Taganga, I made arrangements for us to trek to the "The Lost City" in the Sierra Nevadas of Santa Marta.

When I first arrived in Colombia, I heard about a river that was supposed to be breathtakingly beautiful. I also heard that it was incredible hard to get to. So, I forgot about it. But then, last fall, some coworkers and I decided to go.