Short Story 3
Colombia, Portugal, Spain, Italy, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Ecuador, Turkey, Bolivia
[PART 3] 32 Memorable Countries for Solo Traveling Adventures
January 2026
Contents
Introduction
Other Countries
Introduction
Welcome to PART 3 of 32 Memorable Countries for Solo Traveling Adventures! If this is your first time in the three-part series, in PART 1 (Short Story 1) and PART 2 (Short Story 2), there are 22 countries (11 in PART 1 and 11 in PART 2) to visit.
In PART 3, we'll explore countries 23 through 32, uncovering 1 must-see city or town in each country through my solo traveler’s lens.
With that said, you know what to do from here!
23. Colombia
The atmosphere is vibrant in Medellin’s Comuna 13. It’s a dense community on a hill covered with square brick houses, closely stacked together, going uphill and downhill, and has been around since the 1940s. The colorful murals scattered among the walls, community locals selling bright souvenirs and tasty street food, along with the rhythmic Latin/Colombian music, have me eager to explore the zone more.
Another compact area has three young Venezuelan guys from Comuna 13 rapping in Spanish. There are roughly 12 foreign spectators, sitting tightly together. The males freestyle rap without explicit lyrics in this lively, kid-friendly environment. Now there’s Latin dance music. The three men randomly pick one audience member to dance with them in the center spot. Everyone, including myself, is smiling and giggling or laughing.
I’m brought to the stage area, and without thinking, I put my hands behind my head and do a standing hip-thrust dance, moving my hips in a circular motion, while the crowd makes some noise. As I walk back to my seat, one of the guy rappers taps me on the shoulder and takes me back to the center to dance. A retired Caucasian lady and I closely grind in front of each other. I turn my back to the woman, twerking my butt against hers, as the small crowd cheers to our freak dancing. I feel energized and light-footed at Comuna 13 in Medellin, Colombia.
24. Portugal
Sintra’s mountain region of green hills is popping out at me, regardless of the heavy overcast and misty sky. The scenery in Sintra, Portugal is intriguing, as to what lies ahead. It feels somewhat off-the-grid, but with tranquility and mystery. Buddhist monks, spiritualists, and meditation enthusiasts who need lots of quiet meditation time will appreciate the Sintra Mountains.
After a 30-minute drive from Lisbon, Portugal’s capital city, along with a five-minute bus ride on a cobblestone road in the middle of nowhere, I arrive at one of the county’s national monuments: Pena Palace. It’s a bulky castle, constructed and completed during the 1800s, and where the former king and royal family used to live. The yellow, dark red, and gray exterior colors of the castle are noticeable despite the thick foggy sky. Different animal heads are sculpted on stones and strategically placed throughout Pena Palace.
The most provocative sculpture is above me, underneath one of the castle’s large arches. It’s a half-man, half-fish with a long octopus-type beard, holding the tree of life over his head. The ferocious look on his face is telling anyone who crosses this arch that “you ain’t going to see anything like this!” This vivid sculpture, plus the well-kept interior and exterior castle are impressive at Pena Palace in Portugal.
25. Spain
“Wow,” is my first reaction to the astonishing Sagrada Familia basilica. It’s a massively tall church that people from all over the world flock to when traveling in Barcelona, Spain. In fact, the Sagrada Familia plans to be the tallest religious monument in the world at 566 feet high, and with 18 towers by 2026. The tour guide is right, people can spend a few hours just observing the 12 high towers and exterior elements of this Roman Catholic basilica. This includes the nativity façade, sculptures, and other fine details around the temple. My eyes feel somewhat overwhelmed because there’s so much to see.
The inside of Sagrada Familia is structured like a colorful forest that will take me to another dimension, or up to the divine spirit. It’s like a church jungle with hardly any statues. Tall stone columns are designed as forest trees holding branches up to the ceiling. The east part’s walls have stained-glass windows containing different shades of blue, which represent daylight. The west zone’s walls carry orange stained-glass windows to symbolize the sunset. I can see why the inside of the temple is called the “Temple of Light.”
This is the most creatively built church I’ve ever witnessed! Whether someone is religious, non-religious, or atheist, the beauty and creativity of this basilica will grab anyone’s attention. Traveling to Spain and not visiting the Sagrada Familia temple in Barcelona is a no-no.
26. Italy
Exploring some of Italy’s major highlights has been a cool experience, but Florence resonates with me the most. Other than the interesting homes and buildings demonstrating Renaissance heritage, the narrow and curvy cobblestone roads, and the exquisite sights inside various churches, one place stops me in my tracks. It’s not on my agenda to check out Museo Galileo. Even though the outside of the brick-and-mortar building of this two-story museum isn’t eye-catching, my intuition says to give it a try, despite being tired from walking and sightseeing.
To my surprise, Museo Galileo is about astronomy, with about 1,000 items inside this museum. Galileo and a few former top-notch Italian astronomers utilized different astronomical tangibles during the 16th through 19th centuries in Italy. The telescopes, astrolabes, navigation tools, and other artifacts are hitting my psyche hard.
What’s compelling is Galileo and other scientists during his period knew that higher planes of existence and metaphysical dimensions existed, containing at least seven realms outside of the world. I first discovered some cosmic levels beyond the sky during my psychedelic therapy sessions and ceremonies with a few mind-altering medicines. Museo Galileo confirms that other dimensions have existed for a long time and that I’m not crazy. I never thought that out of all the places I visited in Italy, Museo Galileo in Florence would be my favorite encounter.
27. United Kingdom
I’m blown away by London as I ride on the Hop-On, Hop-Off city bus. This includes glimpses of Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, and the London Bridge, to name a few. Anyone using the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus gets the most bang for their buck because they see all of London’s major landmarks in three to four hours without getting off. At the same time, being able to get off at any checkpoint throughout the city, whenever, is convenient.
Even though the winding and narrow streets in central London look like a pain in the ass to drive, there’s something unique about the chaotic roadways. Kudos to the local drivers who can get around these complicated routes cool, calm, and collected. Still, I like this fast-paced United Kingdom vibe in London.
My intuition prompts me to get off at the London Bridge stop. While I walk along the riverside, I come across the Borough Market, a bustling place with plenty of local street food and some vendors hollering, offering free samples. This thick, 12-inch-long sausage hot dog I’m devouring is the biggest and best hot dog I've ever had! Other yummy street food in my stomach from Borough Market includes mushroom risotto, lamb croissant, oysters, and some cheese samples with names I’ve never heard of. If it weren’t for the easy access of the Hop-On, Hop-Off city bus stops, I might have missed this great place to chow down on local London food.
28. France
The Eiffel Tower in Paris is massive, and I haven’t even been to the top floor. It would be foolish of me not to visit this famous landmark constructed in the late 1800s while staying in Paris. I look forward to reaching the top floor/summit, which is 906 feet high, since I didn’t know the general public could take an elevator to the top until I booked the ticket. I assumed people typically observed the Eiffel Tower at a lower level or outside the entrance.
The elevator reaches the summit of the Eiffel Tower. This circular aerial view is better than I thought! There’s a lot more to Paris than this landmark. The lower/second floor has its perks, but paying a few more dollars to be at the top/summit is worthwhile. There’s also a daily Eiffel Tower light show at night, starting at 8:00 p.m. It begins at the top of the hour for the first five minutes, until 11:00 p.m. The free nighttime event is viewable outside the entrance of the Eiffel Tower, wherever it's noticeable throughout Paris.
A few hours have passed since my daytime visit to the Eiffel Tower. It’s 8:00 p.m. and the show has started. The golden-yellow sparkling lights covering the 1,083-foot-tall landmark are a beauty. Visiting the Eiffel Tower is a double whammy: a daytime visit inside the summit, plus the nighttime light show, equals a pleasant and useful day in Paris, France.
29. Netherlands
The Amsterdam-Centrum city center is moving and grooving this afternoon in Amsterdam. Many Dutch locals ride their bicycles as if they are tailgating each other on the streets. Buses drive by while numerous pedestrians walk through the area. The canals are active with boats cruising and houseboats floating. Meanwhile, the Amsterdam train station has a constant flow of crowds exiting the compound.
As I go deeper inside Amsterdam-Centrum, there are different marijuana coffee shops, restaurants, cool gift stores, places to shop, and even psilocybin dispensaries where people can buy magic mushrooms legally. Folks can purchase peyote cactus plants too. One thing that’s both kid- and adult-friendly is Amsterdam’s popular local fries. They are thick like potato wedges, but shaped as French fries. It’s my first time eating Amsterdam-style fries drenched in mayonnaise, and they taste good.
It’s nighttime, and the vibe has completely changed. De Wallen, Amsterdam’s gritty red-light district, is where prostitution is legal and readily available until 6:00 a.m., seven days per week, 365 days per year. The tall and narrow homes, built in the 17th century beside the middle canal, have a bunch of window brothels, in each window has a bright red light. About 200 windows operate throughout the De Wallen red-light district. Inside every window is a woman dolled up and standing, dressed in exotic and revealing lingerie, watching men like a hawk. What’s left to say about spending the day and night in the Amsterdam-Centrum is that Amsterdam has it all!
30. Ecuador
I arrive at the Amazonian Kichwa community in the Napo province of Ecuador. It was a five-hour drive without traffic from Quito to this remote region in the Amazon rainforest. The last 60-minute route is a bumpy truck drive through a gravel and stony road with lots of potholes. Landing by plane in the Napo Amazon isn't an option.
Drawn by the sound of drum beats from a nearby hut inside the Kichwa community, eight females dance freely and barefoot in the center of the sandy ground. Two adult women play instruments, one hitting a shamanic drum as the other scrapes a stick across a round guiro instrument. My guide, Carlos, who also lives in the Amazon, brings me to the central dance area. He puts a handmade Kichwa straw band over my head, gives me a wooden spear, and tells me to dance in front of a Kichwa girl, moving forward and backward while striking the weapon downward.
The sacred indigenous Kichwa dancing comes to a stop. A young woman from the tribe gives me a small bowl of yucca juice, their main energy drink, which her community produces and consumes by grinding the plant in a pot. The watery milk-like liquid tastes smooth, organic, but slightly bitter. Carlos paints some goldish tribal lines on my face using a reddish plant. "Shaman," says Carlos as he finishes drawing. This visit to the Kichwa community in the Napo province in the Amazon rainforest is my highlight of Ecuador.
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31. Turkey
As I stand inside the basket of this jumbo hot air balloon, eagerly waiting for the tour to kick off, I don’t feel nervous or scared. Rather than thinking about what could go wrong during this hour-long tour in the sky, my mind is clear. The 45- to 60-minute flight from Istanbul, Turkey’s major tourist hub, to Cappadocia, where the tour begins, is what I signed up for.
The giant hot air balloon attached to the large casket, with roughly 20 standing tourists, is released from the ground. About 30 other colorful balloons are scattered in the sky, surrounding the one I’m inside. All of them fly slowly in different directions, gliding peacefully throughout the atmosphere. The incredible aerial view overlooks Cappadocia, an area covered with a good chunk of cave-like buildings and cave hotels carved from the region's volcanic rock. I feel like a kid, pure, weightless, and hopeful for the future.
The tour reaches a peak altitude; time feels nonexistent. Most of the other hot air balloons are below me, far away. I zone in on the mountains straight ahead as the sun slowly rises above the peaks. The sun beams on my face, causing my eyes to squint because I'm not wearing sunglasses. I smirk, feeling connected to the universe and my spiritual essence from this magical experience, as I gaze at the sun above the mountains.
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32. Bolivia
This altitude in Bolivia is kicking my butt today. La Paz is at an altitude of approximately 12,000 feet above sea level, making it the highest capital city in the world. The neighboring city, El Alto, is another 1,500 feet higher. I huff and puff as I walk up a few stairs, ready to hop onto Mi Teleferico, also known as the cable cars in La Paz. It’s a taxi service with 10 cable car lines and a reliable form of public transportation for the locals.
As the cable car ascends at an incline, the aerial view of the hillside city of La Paz, set inside a mountain valley, is incredible. There are a bunch of square-shaped, one- to four-story brick-and-mortar houses on steep hills in the Andes Mountains. The red brick houses are stacked like Legos next to each other within a wide and densely populated region. Some houses have bright-colored paint on the flat concrete roofs. The infrastructure reminds me of orderly chaos, with neighborhoods rising and falling closely together along the steep slopes at high altitudes. This is so cool!
A wise shaman and local resident told me that “Bolivia is the hidden treasure of South America.” It doesn’t sound sugar-coated either, not after this epic cable car tour, exploring the charming city of La Paz from a bird's-eye view.
Other Countries
High five for making it through the end! As a reminder, 32 Memorable Countries for Solo Traveling Adventures is a three-part series, featuring 11 countries for each part.
If you're ready for other countries in PART 2 (Short Story 2) and PART 1 (Short Story 1), click the button(s) below!