Month: June 2021

The Magic of Her Majesty, Medellín

Posted on by Schalonda

Hind Sight

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I spent just over three weeks in Medellin, Colombia in 2019-2020. I stayed in three different neighborhoods, went on two “touristy” guided tours and took over 450 photos, yet I still find it tough to pin point exactly what it was about her that so enchanted me. Perhaps that’s Her super power, She can leave an everlasting impression without a need for bells and whistles.    

I arrived on Christmas day 2019. From the airport, I hopped on a low cost bus that got me to the city in about an hour for less than 15,000 pesos/$4 USD. From the mall bus stop, I called an Uber and presto, I was at the first of three hostels. I dropped off my bags and was off to find food.

After my Christmas burger and beer, I boarded another bus and headed to the city center where I was greeted with the most rare of big city travel experiences, deserted streets. That’s Christmas for ya. I was not disappointed then, nor am I now as I scroll through pictures from that day.

 

After a few hours of exploring, it was time to head back to my accomodations. This is when I made my introduction to Metro de Medellin, the mode of transportation that made wandering the city so easy and fun. Once you get this key peice, the city seems to open her arms and welcome you to explore. From the Museum of Modern Art to Comuna 13, everyday was normal and yet new.

I would love to write about the loads of lessons I learned, fears I overcame and the wonderful people I met that made Medellin so magical but those were not her gifts to me. 

 

 

It’s true that I bumped into 4 people that I met in previous countries and I did a few things while feeling my fears incessant warnings but, after some serious consideration, my admiration for my time in the city boils down to, the ease of her flow.

 

Medellin is a big city with a lot to experience and it didn’t seem to take long to acclimate or go with the bustling flow. In hindsight, Mexico City comes the closest to sharing some of the ease of getting around but doesn’t quite match the flow comfort levels.

In addition to her ease and flow, I was attracted to the flora, fauna, art and architecture. My most favorite place to hang out was the Botanical Garden, which happened to be free, and Cerro El Volador Natural Park which offered amazing views of the city and my first Vermillion Flycatcher.

Cartagena, Columbia

Posted on by Schalonda

Hind Sight

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An introduction to a city from the deck of a boat, a cruise ship or ferry gives me a different perspective than a plane, train or automobile. After all, boats came first did they not? Most times I take my mode of transportation for granted, except for a few occasions when a city slowly grows larger, right before my eyes. Dubrovnik, Santorini and Capri come to mind, as well as Cartagena, Colombia. I can’t help but wonder how many boats, how many people and for how many years have others watched this city grow as they approached?   

From this point of entry, it was easy to zoom in on two places that looked like interesting opportunities to explore; the colonial walled city and the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas or San Felipe de Barajas Castle.

I arrived in Cartagena just before Christmas and what I remember THE most was the extraordinary heat and humidity. While I did my best to take advantage of cooler morning temperatures, the heat sapped both my energy and my patience. In total, I spent a couple hours exploring the walled city and avoiding street merchants but had no patience for the fortress/castle. 

In addition to strolling the walled city, I managed to execute two more enjoyable touristy pursuits. The first was a “self guided” graffiti walking tour of the hip and beautiful Barrio Getsemani. I put “self guided” in quotes because I used a googled map as my guide.

This vibrant neighborhood, with its narrow streets and charming disposition was everything I expected to see in the Oaxaca, Mexico but didn’t. I wandered the area for hours snapping countless pictures of colorful and compelling murals that caught my eye. 

 

 

 

 

 

The next thing I did was something I suspect many Black / African-Americans do when they visit Cartagena, I went on a guided tour of San Basilio de Palenque, the first free slave town in the Americas.   

In a nutshell, Palenque is a village of people descending from West-African slaves that escaped the major slave port city of Cartagena in the late 16th, early 17th century. 

The village was founded by Benkos Bioho, former royalty from the Guinea-Bissau region of West Africa who was seized by a Portuguese slave trader and transported to South America for sale. Bioho organized an escape into the surrounding  mountains with a small group and established Palenque, which became safety for subsequent escapees. 

 

 

The story and history of this village is captivating. From the Palenquero language to the ancestral traditions passed forward through the centuries, Palenque leaves an unequivocal lasting impression.

Some four centuries after the most lucrative business of the time has ended in this region, I gratefully wandered the streets of this former South American slave-trading mecca, privileged to reach her shores via a safe & secure Caribbean Sea adventure. I imagine being carried on the shoulders of those who fought for their freedom and ensured mine in the process and I give thanks. Thank You!

Panama, Perfection & Paradise

Posted on by Schalonda

Hind Sight

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When I look back on my time in Panama my most favorite things were definitely; 1. the people I met  2. the weaving workshop I attended  3. the lessons I learned and 4. the boat rides – a ferry boat ride to the island of Taboga and a sailboat journey from Panama’s San Blas Islands to Cartagena, Columbia.

The perfection of Panama began at the hostel. I give credit to my travel buddy for this discovery. She found it during the long bus ride from the city of David to Panama City, while I slept soundly. It turned out to be in a chill place in a great location.

We landed in Panama December 2019 and days after arriving, I said good-bye to the woman I’d been traveling with since Nicaragua as she headed back to the UK for Christmas.

The value of staying at a friendly hostel? It tends to increase the likely hood of meeting someone new who’s also looking to explore.

As I’ve mentioned more than a few times, the people I’ve met on my travels have made a pretty big impact on my experience. Most notably by offering suggestions and companionship for excursions I may not have considered as a solo artist. 

My hostel mate, now international friend from Holland, asked if I’d be interested in going to the beach and “voilà,” this is how I came to enjoy a delightful ferry boat ride and all around ideal day wandering a charming colorful town, snapping pictures of flowers, and lounging on the sandy beaches of nearby Taboga island, aka the “Island of Flowers.” 

 

On another adventure with my hostel mate, I discovered a female artist collective in Panama City’s old town, Ninguna Musa, was hosting a workshop on ancestral weaving that seemed perfectly timed for my attendance. 

The bracelet I made and have warn ever since is a lasting reminder of the traditional practice & craft. Because all the materials were included, I’ve even been able to start work on a new piece. A big deal I think, if you consider how precious the real estate in my suitcase and how long I carried the gear around. 

 A special thank you to my fellow attendees who kindly translated for me, I am incredibly grateful!

 

 

There have also been people I’ve met on my journey I’m convinced were placed in my path to teach me lessons for the benefit of future me. One such lesson that dawned while in Panama was the need to more carefully monitor and challenge my self talk. If another person spoke to me using my inner dialogue, would I count them as friend or foe? 

I observed with clarity, not all my inner language was “negative” but there was solid evidence of my tendency to engage in habits that produce undesirable results. I promised myself I’d be less critical in South America.

As luck would have it, I got an early start on challenging my inner critic. The moment I stepped aboard my transportation to Columbia, all my doubts and financial insecurities about the value of sailing The San Blas Islands of Panama vs flying were firmly rejected. My delicate relationship with the open sea & dramamine wouldn’t be enough to make me think twice about catching another sailboat in a heartbeat. So yea, I’m still patting myself on the back for this experience. Good job Me!

 

 

 

 

More Magical Moments in Seattle

Posted on by Schalonda

Fairy Dusted

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One of many fantastic things about visiting my childhood hometown is family. Both my brothers still call the Emerald City home, which gave me an opportunity to extend my stay for an additional 8 days after my friends left town.

During this part of my trip I began to make connections between many magical moments.

First: My forever friends sprinkled some fairy dust on me when they got me out of the house, up to Seattle and into a receptive state of gratitude and joy.

Second: Trader Joe’s banana chocolate chip muffins! My brother lives mere steps from the best muffins on the planet and it was my eagerness to grab a batch that fired up the fairy dust and lit the spark of inspiration that would fuel the rest of my stay.

Spring in Seattle is an experience I’ve not been “present” for during previous visits but this time I couldn’t help but be enchanted. The flowers, the lush landscapes, the drizzling rain, the smells of damp earth, fresh cut grass, cherry laurel and pine trees forced me to pull out my camera and do my best to capture whatever I could.

This brings me to a Third magical moment, Transportation. 

Not long after my banana muffin mission, my dear brother granted me access to the “clunker” he uses for work. Ordinarily this would be quite a score but I was feeling ambivalent because the car had a manual transmission, which I hadn’t driven since the 90’s and what if it’s not “just like riding a bike?”

 

However, once an offer had been made I was unable to stop the fairy dust. I could feel my plans taking form and I knew they would require that I climb behind the wheel with all my fears in tow and remember what to do.

I’m not ashamed to admit pulling over after the first 3 minutes and going for a walk to seriously consider giving up. “The hills are so steep!” and “What if I get in an accident?” echoing loudly. Suddenly, I found myself in front of a stunning view of the Downtown Seattle skyline and I knew I had to get back in that unfamiliar car and navigate those unfamiliar streets because there were many more magical moments to capture.

 

In truth, I wanted to spend my day outdoors exploring the South Seattle College Arboretum  and if I gave up I’d have to either change my plans or pay for the bus/Uber. If I persisted, I could visit other parks and viewpoints, snapping pictures at my leisure for the next few days. It felt like THE perfect plan, so I got back in the car. I pulled over a few more times but I eventually made it to the SSC Arboretum and the adjacent Seattle Chinese Garden  where I enjoyed capturing hundreds more magical moments on my memory card.

I’ve spent a lot of time playing around with presets and sliders in Adobe Lightroom in a an attempt to transform my mediocre and often blurry photos into a mashup of realistic and mythical, since that’s the best way to describe my Seattle adventure.

 

I may have overdone it, I do that sometimes. I snapped and sifted through approximately 1500 images to accompany two travel stories about Seattle. But what you may not know is the blog is a first stop for some of these images.

To glimpse how I transform my mediocre photos into mythical landscapes, check out my gallery and blog at SchooneyGraphics.com