When you go on a trip, you take advantage of every hour, every minute and, therefore, you explore and live time to the fullest. When you are traveling your mind discovers new horizons, and your whole being changes. Physically you must face new activities, a new climate or a new diet. It is impossible to stop taking pictures, take notes in your notebook, or learn words in a new language. And, of course, your soul is enriched by every region, culture, or person around you. So, it can be said that "to travel is to live"It is very tempting, don't you think?

In this opportunity I am going to review the experiences of the trip to Colombia that began Patrice Worner a student from Germany, who dared to come to South America for the first time. He is a backpacking traveler who has learned to live on the go and make daily decisions while enjoying the country his way, at his pace and on his budget for this itinerary. Be a backpacker it is a style of travel that allows you to savor the most absolute freedom, create wonderful memories and appreciate everything from the last detail.

Patrice studied Spanish for two weeks at our school at the headquarters of Cartagena. He was very happy with the classes given, with the kindness of the teachers and was surprised by how well he learned, since he quickly assimilated the topics and practiced them with his classmates. In addition, he commented that walking the streets of Cartagena and interacting with local people, he learned some phrases of the coastal which is the jargon of all of us who live on the Colombian Caribbean coast. His favorite word is "AHA!". This is an expression that implies "realizing" something; also, it means a short salute, to show approval, an exclamation of astonishment or surprise. The truth is that it must be said with flavor. His favorite phrase is What a cool! It is a widely used expression that means good, pleasant or excellent. This phrase is how this student describes his trip to Colombia. His favorite verb is "Rumbear" which means partying all night. Like all young people, Patrice has had a lot of fun in this vibrant city.

In your opinion, Cartagena It has a good nightlife, international festivals, beautiful beaches, excellent gastronomy, a lot of history and a colonial architecture that combines very well with the modern restaurants, parks and squares of the city. Learning Spanish in this city was his best experience, since he was able to mix his learning with cultural activities typical of the city, such as Latin music and dances. One of his favorite places is the Getsemaní neighborhood where is located the Nueva Lengua School. This Cartagena neighborhood offers its visitors an authentic look at what life in the city is really like for the locals. It revolves around Plaza de la Trinidad, a lively public square, where people gather to have a drink, enjoy street performances, and eat grilled arepas from nearby stalls. For him, it is a charming corner, very colorful and full of immense human warmth where everyone feels welcome.

Patrice is a vegetarian and here he has found a variety of tropical greens, vegetables and fruits that captivate his palate. His favorite dish is  rice with coconut y patacones with hogao. This dish is typical of the Cartagena region, it is famous for its color and sweet touch. The patacones They are prepared with very green plantains, they are flattened and fried so that they are very crunchy, and they are accompanied with a red sauce or guacamole. As for fruits, he loved the lulo juice characterized by being a very effective citrus drink to quench thirst. And the soursop smoothie With milk, this fruit is sweet and sour taste of about 2,9 kg on average, which is grown in many tropical countries.

Another of the Colombian cities that Patrice has known is Leticia the capital of the department of Amazona. It is a town in southern Colombia located on the banks of the Amazon River and bordering Brazil and Peru; and at the same time it is the most exotic place within the country's tourist destinations. It is a region with abundant water, covered with jungle crossed by long rivers. It also has numerous lagoons and swampy areas. In this area, Practice went hiking and saw many animals on the way: snakes, monkeys, pink dolphins, tarantulas, alligators, frogs and different types of birds. It was very exciting for him.

Also, he visited nuqui on the Pacific coast of Colombia. It is a wild paradise that is located between the jungle and the sea, with volcanic sand beaches. Patrice, as a nature lover, carried out ecotourism activities and enjoyed a few very quiet days in this beautiful place.

On his journey through this wonderful country, he spent a few weeks at school Nueva Lengua en Medellin, where he had a super cool time with the school staff. This is the second most important city in Colombia, and the capital of the Department of Antioquia; Its average temperature is 24º and it is located 1.475 meters above sea level; The city is located in the center of the Aburrá Valley, in the Central Mountain Range. There, Patrice visited the flower fair and went to Guatapé, which is a tourist municipality in the Andes and is famous for its houses decorated with colored bas-reliefs. He loved the climate of that city. In general, Patrice feels very happy with the magnificent experiences obtained in this country.

Colombia, thanks to its privileged geographical location, shows the world its diversity of landscapes and cultural richness so full of shapes, colors and flavors. You have to live it! If you are thinking of traveling through Latin America and you still don't know Spanish, do like many backpackers who start their trip with a Spanish class en Nueva Lengua.