Medellin had two primary locations for lights this year – Parque Norte and Parque del Rio. The latter turned out to be a bit of a disappointment, covering a smaller area and mostly feeling like last year’s displays reused, so we returned to Parque Norte. The theme was ‘Family Values’, which was generally interpreted as a farming lifestyle.

We loved the animals and the wood chopping, but I wondered how the ‘Chiva’ party bus fit the theme. Sandra explained that these buses were originally designed as transports for people to and from market, with access on both sides for every row of seating. They were only recently turned into party buses for the tourist industry.

Last year, the lake was full of lilies, which were beautiful, the greater diversity this year, which included fishing boats and ducks, was more interesting. Unfortunately, the higher contrast of the water made for more difficult photography.

We still plan to visit the growing displays in Envigado and Sabaneta, but we’re running out of time.