Before or After the Magdelana

The Abrupt Lunch

As I enjoyed lunch, a cascading water wall flowed effortlessly down a nearby glass façade. Its gentle movement created a serene, Zen-like sound.

This was at the Four Seasons Bogota, and the year was 2016. We were having lunch with the ministers of sustainability, discussing the amazing initiatives the administration was undertaking. Chief among the projects, was the buy-in from indigenous communities in the further reaches of the country, areas, that to this point, were off limits. Then it happened. The ministers looked at their phone and abruptly stood up. “We have to go,” one said.

Before I could ask, the other volunteered that they are making their final offer for the now famous FARC peace treaty, later that afternoon. I knew this was in the works for some time, however there was low hope of this to succeed, and it was their last offer. After I had lunch, joined by some amazing advisor partners, we headed back to our rooms, taking the afternoon to acclimate to Bogota’s altitude.

I flipped through the channels that evening, wondering what mind-numbing program I was going to watch. My inability to sit still was at an all-time high, I couldn’t just stop on one channel. I had to go through all of them, multiple times, stopping on each just long enough to find it boring before moving on. I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking for. It’s a habit that drives my family crazy. Then it happened. BBC Breaking News, along with their theme music, which I find very cool by the way. The peace treaty was signed!

There were the two ministers I had just had lunch with a few hours earlier, announcing the news. The next morning, we cancelled all the planned tours and walked through the streets of La Candelaria, asking all the street vendors and graffiti artist their thoughts, knowing the topic would be very polarizing. It was a stop, backwards for some, forward for some, but it was a step, in a moment where doing nothing wasn’t an option. I knew at that point, that Colombia, my second home, would never be the same. New areas were going to open up, areas that were inaccessible before. I knew the 2017 educational was going to be one of the most emotional, because we were going to head to the other side of the Magdalena River. And boy was it, more so I think for the Colombians with us, proud that their nation was finally on the progress path.

Fast forward, to today, I beam with pride again as the AmaWaterways’ vessels finally are sailing on the Magdelena, showcasing the river and coastal areas we passed through nearly 10 years before. We knew we had to find ways to support them. Beyond our ground team offering advice to theirs on logistics around the river, we knew we wanted to help AMA be successful, because they were not going to alone. They were going to be the first, just like we were when we opened in Colombia in 2006.

Our team put together this amazing program that fits in perfectly before or after a cruise on the Magdalena, no matter whether you start or end in Cartagena or Barranquilla.

Big Five Tours – Colombia Through Local Eyes

So once that cruise is confirmed, take a look at this program and as they say… plug and play .