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Magnificent Medellín Memories

Posted on by Schalonda

Hind Sight

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Today is Friday, July 2, 2021 and I am in my sacred space writing my second journal entry for the day. This entry is will not be safely tucked away between the pages of my Dream book and I will not write it by hand with colored ink. This entry will be typed out and shared with anyone who wants to read it. 

I am grateful for the opportunity to amass travel experiences, both good and challenging because there are always moments that stand out, that set themselves apart. The moments I spent in Medellín at the Botanical Garden taking pictures and drawing are gifts that keep on giving. 

 Capturing moments of nature, her creatures and their art are my joy, my happy place. Learning to tell these stories without words is an all new labor of love and I am grateful for this place to post my practice… at a puttering pace.

 

 

The first pic below looks out towards Medellín from Comuna 13, once considered among the most dangerous neighborhoods in the world. In the US, it’s been my experience at least, views this stunning are rarely associated with dangerous neighborhoods.

  Things have changed since the most dangerous days of 80’s & 90’s. Now this neighborhood has escalators that connect the hilltop residents to the metropolis below and allow tourists up to see a graffiti / street art paradise. This place gets packed and it’s a challenge to get pics without people obstructing the view, so I am grateful for all I was able to clearly capture.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

For more magical moments of nature, I recommend this Seattle adventure.

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

 

 

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 

 

Gathering with Glorious Girlfriends

Posted on by Schalonda

Seattle, washington

The Call 

My friends reached out recently. They wanted to come to San Antonio for a visit. Yes please, that would be awesome!!

Of course, things weren’t quite that simple and we had to chose another meet up location. After some consideration, we settled on the city of my birth, Seattle, Washington, aka the Emerald City.

Without realizing it, this visit turned out to be the exact thing I needed, at THE perfect time. I got to spend a weekend laughing, dancing, singing, drinking, and playing tourist with my besties, two women I’ve been adventuring with since forever!

First Ever
Starbucks >>

<<Near the 
Pier

Space
Needle >>

<< Hotel 
Selfie

Gettin’ My
Hair Did >>

<< Airport
Greetings

We did the list of things, like: a stroll through Pike Place Market, coffee & souvenirs at the very first Starbucks, a shopping experience at the Amazon store where you fill up your cart and walk out. I wonder if this is the future of shopping? Of course we had to visit the Seattle Center and the snap a few picts from atop the world famous Space Needle and we wrapped it all up with a ride on the Ferris Wheel at pier 57.

I have a confession to make, I wasn’t scared standing on the observation deck of the Space Needle but I can’t say the same for that Ferris Wheel. I kept anticipating a sudden drop from a great height and that single thought had me anxious enough to shut my eyes. There was a moment though, when I peeked through my lashes long enough to watch as we slowly came down. 

That sudden stomach-in-your-throat free fall I’d been anticipating, never came. Waah-waah. That’s the moment I felt silly for being scared in the first place. I also get that same anxiety whenever I get on a ski lift and once while I was on solid concrete. I caught a case of the nerves while climbing 650 steps to the top of La Piedra del Peñol, a massive rock in Guatapé, Columbia.

I still wouldn’t say that Im scared of heights but they do challenge me to work on my relationship with fear thats for sure.

Adventuring with my forever friends was short but powerful. It helped me replenish my low supply of love, laughter, friendship and connection. Thanks Ladies!! I can’t wait to do it again somewhere else in the world. Maybe by then I won’t be so chicken to get that tattoo….

Lingering Lakeside

Posted on by Schalonda

Lake Atitlán, GuatemalA

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San Pedro La Laguna

One of the things I wanted to do more of during my travels was yoga. I imagined that I’d spend weeks or months immersed in yoga and meditation, like a true tree-hugging, woo woo yogi. While researching Guatemala, I learned that Lake Atitlán might be a place to start if I wanted to make that dream come true. As it turned out, a week at yoga camp was too pricey for my budget and while volunteer opportunities are available at some of the retreats, they’re not something you can find last minute.

Even though I wouldn’t be immersed in hippy training, I couldn’t pass up a lake visit, the pictures were too beautiful. Atitlán is not a singular destination, it’s a magnificent lake surrounded by a dozen different cities, towns and indigenous villages, both large and small.
I stayed in the “party” town of San Pedro for a week, traveling to the hippy village of San Marcos and the more touristy Panajachel by boat.

My first few days were spent roaming the woods of San Marcos with my new friend and fellow Sumpango kite festival attendee. Together we hiked to the Yoga Forest for an ashtanga yoga class and kirtan song ceremony. A spectacular view of the lake, volcanos and jungle with the sun setting behind them made a flawless backdrop for my yogi dream.

When my friend headed back to Philly, I spent the next few days roving the lake towns on my own. Grabbing a lancha to Panajachel for a day trip, investigating the short trails of the San Marcos nature reserve, up at 5am for an Indian Nose hike to watch the sunrise, followed by some worthy wandering of San Pedros streets to discover the charming Parque Puerta Hermosa.

Between Flores, Antigua and Lake Atitlán, I spent over five weeks in Guatemala. I felt especially comfortable in Antigua so thoughts of putting it behind me to get back on the road were joined by anxiety and fear. However, if I was to see to South America anytime soon, I would need move on. I can’t stay in Guatemala forever so I booked a shuttle for my next stop, El Tunco, El Salvador.

Ambling Around Antigua

Posted on by Schalonda

Antigua, Guatemala

I arrived in Antigua, Guatemala on October 9th with an intention to stay a while but with no real ideas about how long or what I wanted to do or see while there. I just knew that at some point, plans would need to be made for what came after Guatemala.

I spent my first day enjoying the cool temperature and getting some sleep after the long journey from Flores. On day two or three, I can’t remember, I discovered that November
1st was All Saints’ Day & Day of the Dead in Guatemala and I might not want to miss the traditional kite festival, so I decide I would stay and attend. This might also be when I decided that i’d visit Lake Atitlán after the kite festival.

Between my arrival date and November 1st, I spent a lot of time walking the cobble stone streets, taking pictures of church ruins, looking for cheap restaurants, searching for cafe’s with good WiFi, bakeries with chocolate croissants and generally doing a whole lot of nothing. October is rainy season in Antigua so I enjoyed lots of time staying warm and dry in my AirBNB enjoying books, drawing and watching Netflix.

Besides hunting for ruins, WiFi and pastries, there was that time my travel buddy and I hiked a volcano (see Fresh Wounds), another time I satisfied my creative appetite with an outstanding watercolor class and finally, there was the half day I spent at the kite festival in Sumpango, a highlight of my time in Antigua. I enjoyed my first picocita, Guatemala’s version of the michelada, I learned about the pre-columbian tradition of building and flying giant, vibrantly colored kites, I witnessed family members of the departed clean and decorate gravesites, I got a few impressive kite close ups and I got to spend the day with some really nice people, including a Philadelphia native that I would soon hike to a Yoga Forrest with.

Pyramid Pit Stop

Posted on by Schalonda

With Mexico behind me i’d have to figure out how to navigate my way through Central America without the ADO bus. I decided the best place to make my future plans would be Antigua, Guatemala so I headed in that direction.

Approximately one hour and 45 minutes from the Belize/ Guatemala boarder is Tikal, the ruin of an ancient city and famous archaeological site in the Guatemalan rainforest. AKA, the perfect place to stop and visit when traveling the great distance from San Pedro, Belize to Antigua, Guatemala. I thought about spending a few days in San Ignacio, Belize since it’s close to the boarder and offers day trips to Tikal, but decided against it. At the time I felt I had already spent too much money in Belize and Guatemala would be much cheaper. Looking back, I wish I had made a different choice and feel that San Ignacio was a missed opportunity.

 

Flores, Guatemala

Tikal

Flores is a small town on Lake Petén Itzá that’s connected to the mainland suburb of Santa Elena by a short causeway. It’s a convenient spot for tourists wanting to visit Tikal National Park since it’s about an hour shuttle ride away. Revisiting my decision to stay away from hostels, I picked a place with a patio and an awesome view of the lake, perfect for sunset watching.

After visiting Tikal, my list of things to do in Flores was complete. I spent most of my time on the patio with my laptop. I managed to leave my patio perch once or twice to explore a bit. I walked around the island taking pictures, searched for sunglasses at the large market in Santa Elena and went for a boat ride across the lake to explore the town of Tayasal. My visit ended with a motorcycle ride to the bus station (glad my suitcase can convert to a backpack) where I boarded the night bus to Guatemala City, followed by a connecting shuttle to Antigua at 6am the next day.

 

Fun fact: I got ripped off Flores but not as bad as that time I paid a whopping 280 pesos for a 50 peso cab ride in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. I don’t remember what I paid for the bus ticket from Flores to Antigua however, I know the price was supposed to include a shuttle from the ticket office to the Flores bus station, a bus from Flores to Guatemala City and a shuttle from Guatemala City to Antigua. Except, there was no shuttle to the Flores bus station, the guy ended up taking me to the station on his motorcycle, and there was no shuttle to Antigua, I had to buy another ticket for the Antigua shuttle. I actually got lucky here, things could have been much worse if I wasn’t able to board the night bus. 

Moral of the story: sometimes being cheap costs more than you bargained for!

A Little Gem

Posted on by Schalonda

Bacalar

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Since selling my place in Santa Clarita, I’ve essentially become homeless. Sure, I can stay with family or friends, check-in to a hostel, hotel or Airbnb but that’s not the same as having a “home” to call my own. I hear and read stories all the time about people that visit places for short vacations, fall in love and just like that, a short vacation turns into a new home. Im wanting this kind of magic in my life, so I’ve been keeping my heart and imagination open to finding a new “forever” home.

A place that struck me as one with the power to capture hearts is a little gem in Quintana Roo, Mexico called Bacalar. While not a place I personally found irresistible, it’s charm is undeniable and it’s easy to see how one might decide to turn their back on big city life and opt for small-town lagoon living.

From the main road, where the ADO bus dropped me off, I was nervous and wondering if I was in the right place. Before Google maps, I’m sure plenty of people panicked at this point. I HAD a map and still felt that, “Uh Oh” adrenalin shoot through me. Only way to find out if I was in the right place was to follow Google’s directions so I rolled my suitcase 6 blocks as directed and found my Airbnb waiting with open arms, a terrace and a hammock.

Wether it was walking the street that parallels the lake, sitting at a restaurant or park with a lake view, standing on the ramparts of Fort of San Felipe or paddle boarding at sunrise, the lagoon and its 7 different shades of blue relaxed and enchanted me. While I was on the terrace, swinging in that hammock, I could feel how easy it would be to fall in love, pull up stakes and never look back, especially if you had a love for water and/or water sports. I get a bit nauseous after too much time in large bodies water so I was immune to her magical charm but I could still feel it.