Back to Bogotá

February 29, 2024Colombia, Travelarepas, Bogotá, llamas, wall artkarenfranza

Feb 26 – Jim cooked us a last breakfast, then we Ubered to the Cartagena airport. An hour and a half later, we were back in Bogotá. Back to long pants and sweatshirts.

We communicated like crazy with our new host, so we knew the name of the building and what it was near. Cabbie got us right to the door!

There was a Moroccan restaurant right near our high rise, so we stuffed ourselves with lentil soup, couscous, falafel, veggies, and tabule.

Feb 27 – We’re in a different part of the city now, not in the historical center. There are high rises all around.

Our plan was to walk back to the Botero museum and pick up a plate for our wall, but, best laid plans… the museum is closed on Tuesday!

Oh well, we walked around the city, saw some more llamas and lots more wall art.

Happy to report that on our very last day in Colombia, we found the Encanto arepas of my dreams. Like sweet cornbread, grilled, stuffed with cheese and topped with butter. Julietta would be proud. A delicious end to our holiday.

A few souvenirs, and we were done.

A big plate from Bogotá, and a small plate from Cartagena

Feb 28 – Up at 5:30 for an Uber to the airport, a 5 hour flight to Atlanta, a four hour layover, then a 90 minute flight home. Our dog Winston was happy to see us, and we are happy to be home.

A little more from Cartagena

February 25, 2024Colombia, Travelbeach, Cartagena, fruit, full moon, poolkarenfranza

Feb 23 – Even though I have no real news to report, I will now share things to do during the beach part of your vacation.

Go to the beach every morning. We walk along the shore, getting accosted every five feet by touts wanting to rent us a chair or umbrella or sell us sunglasses. Jim is a strong swimmer and wanted to swim in the surf, but before he got past his waist, the lifeguard told him, “No mas!”

Do you think the pelican sees himself as an egret?

Shop at different food markets. Jim loves to compare foods available in different areas and devise recipes that contain local flavors. Did you know that milk comes in a plastic bag here? Not refrigerated, just on the shelf. You buy eggs singly, or by the 15.

Bring home fruits that you can’t identify. Here’s a test:

The one on the left has skin like an orange, but looks very different inside. It is a lulo, or naranjilla, used for juice (with added sugar), but considered too sour for eating out of hand. We juiced it and found it orangey and delightful.

If you thought the center fruit looked sort of like a tomato, you were correct. It is a tamarillo, or tree tomato. Cut it in half, then scoop out the dark center portion with a spoon. Jellylike, sweet and delicious.

The third one had us stumped, and Google was no help based on the outside. Was it a pear? A potato? Nothing to do but cut it open. Aha! Once we saw the inside, we immediately knew by color and aroma that we had a strawberry guava! It had lots of hard little seeds, but that didn’t stop us from gobbling it down.

Go to a different restaurant for lunch every day.

Whole mojarra, coconut rice and plantain

Engage with the street vendors. This is Jim’s favorite. He likes to ask the guy selling flip flops if he has a pair for him (pointing to his size 13 feet). The poor guy never does.

Sit on your balcony and watch the traffic below. This is a pleasure I did not expect. It is cool and breezy, and the motos and cars provide a mesmerizing hum. Watching the progress of the little yellow taxis, the mergings and turnings, is simultaneously relaxing and exciting.

Swim in the pool. No explanation needed.

Go back out onto the balcony after supper and appreciate the full moon.

An excellent way to spend a week.

Back to Cartagena

February 22, 2024Colombia, TravelBocagrande, bus ride, Cartagena, Indígenaskarenfranza

Feb 20 – Today is a travel day. A one hour bus ride will take us from Minca to Santa Marta, then a short cab ride to the next station, where we will get on a different bus for the four hour ride back to Cartagena.

We had one last sunrise, one last breakfast, then moseyed down to the bus stop.

An Indígenia family at the bus stop; parents dressed in white

This time our long ride was in a 15 passenger van, instead of a big bus. That was okay, as we were the first to get on, and got to sit together.

Jim bought an arepa with egg inside, and pronounced it good

When we stayed in Cartagena last time, we were in the historical walled city of Getsemani. This time Jim rented us an apartment in a high rise about two miles further down the beach, in the area called Bocagrande.

At every new place we stay in Colombia, we have only an approximate address. Their street numbering system is a mystery. Google points to a place that is definitely not it, but we are always roughly within a half mile. We have been saved several times by cab drivers who figured out where we wanted to go without a specific address.

We thought we’d figure out the system as we went along, but no such luck. Today’s Uber driver dropped us off in front of a promising looking building, but it was not our building. Several helpful passersby sent us off in all four directions. One even had an app on his phone that purported to figure out Colombian addresses, but he couldn’t give us an answer. We texted our host and asked for a clue. Once she gave us the name of the building, we had no trouble finding it, and had, in fact, been by it several times.

By the time we were done walking back and forth, I felt like this guy!

The winds blew at what felt like gale force along the beach, and there were even waves in our pool!

The wind blew the palm trees, , and pushed the water right out of the pool

When we got to our apartment on the 17th floor, the wind was screaming all around us, but everyone else was taking it in stride, so I guess we were in no danger of blowing away.

We are here for a week of swimming and relaxing. If I have any news to report, I’ll let you know!

Minca: El Refugio and the Waterfall

February 20, 2024Colombia, TravelEl Refugio, Minca, Pozo Azul, wall artkarenfranza

Feb 19 – Today’s plan is to hike a mile up the mountain to see the local waterfall, Pozo Azul (blue pool). After a fine coffee, scrambled egg, fruit, and pancake breakfast provided by our hostess Aura, we set out early in an attempt to beat the heat.

Hummingbirds entertained us as we ate breakfast

No such luck. Have I mentioned that it is HOT? Even in the morning when the thermometer reads 75, the real feel is already 90.

While a mile of walking is nothing for us, a mile uphill in the heat was enough for me to acquiesce to the two moto drivers who offered to take us to the top. The drivers were very solicitous, taking the corners slowly and not trying to scare the bejeezus out of me. Helmets? Who needs helmets?

They dropped us off where we paid the entrance fee for Pozo Azul. From there, it was another mile walk down to the waterfall, jostling and bumping with the tide of humanity all headed for a dip in the water.

There was a tent where you could buy insurance before going down to the water – do people die doing this?

After admiring the view (I never got close enough to the water to stick a toe in), we started back across the rocks. I was startled to see a man carrying an old woman on his back, her legs dangling limply in the air. Behind him were two family members carrying Granny’s wheelchair! I wondered where they would find space to set her down, and I guess we’ll never know.

The walk back was pretty solitary – I guess folks go for the whole day – and before too long we were back in Minca.

An artist painting angel wings on a wall

We had another lunch that couldn’t be beat, in a riverside restaurant that featured a large parrot.

A dip in the pool completed our afternoon.

And another lovely sunset completed our day.

So long, Minca – it’s been grand!

Minca: Chunu’u

February 19, 2024Colombia, TravelChunuu, El Refugio, Minca, mountains, tropical flora, Turkish foodkarenfranza

Feb 17 – This is the laid back part of our vacation, where we eat and swim and lie around. Lots of tropical bird calls. Big decisions like what to order for supper. If anything exciting happens, I’ll let you know.

In the meantime, here are some pretty tropical flowers:

Feb 18 – Today is Sunday, and we awoke to hear many children. What? It seems that on Sundays, families come from Santa Marta or other nearby towns to use the pool and resort facilities just for the day. We sauntered down to breakfast to find a long line of hungry customers waiting to be fed. Our isolated jungle respite is over. Just as well, we are moving on today.

We walked back up the dusty road into town, where the sound of bird call was replaced by the honks of taxis and the growls of motos (motorcycles) looking to give tourists a ride to the local attractions.

We are looking for El Refugio, a place that actually comes up on our Google Maps, but we can’t seem to find it.

Look up, Karen – the little sign is right overhead!

El Refugio is a very small hostal with everything we need: air con, a pool and strong wifi. We dropped off our packs and ventured back out to find some lunch.

This little town has something for every backpacker: German bratwurst, Japanese sushi, Italian pasta and pizza, Mexican tacos and…

…Turkish schwarma! I love me some doner kebab on a hot Colombian day!

As we are now on top of a mountain, we had lovely views of the sunset and the evening lights.

Another long, hot day!

Minca

February 16, 2024Colombia, TravelMinca, mountainskarenfranza

Feb 14 – This morning we packed our gear and took a taxi into the heart of the city to hop on a van headed north. The 15 passenger van was full of young backpackers looking forward to ecotours and other mountain grooviness. Our destination was the mountain town of Minca.

As we got out of the van, the kids got onto waiting motorbikes or piled into other vans heading for waterfalls. We got out our phones and started trudging up the dirt road to find our next accommodation.

Our hostess Margarita was waiting for us, and showed us the path to our new home. The Booking.com description was correct that it was a private house with a kitchen and bathroom. What it failed to mention was that it was a corrugated metal shack in full sun, with an internal temperature over 100 degrees. No air con. Uh oh…

We were booked here for four nights, and figured we’d be roasted to a crisp long before then. We decided to walk to the little town and get some provisions.

The only super mercado had mostly beer, chips and candy bars. What to do? We found some ramen noodles for supper and some eggs for breakfast.

We walked back home and started looking online for another accommodation. We had surprisingly good wifi! Jim found a place just five minutes down the road.

The sun was going down and it was starting to cool down a little, so we decided to stay the night and move in the morning. Jim texted our hostess, who apologized for the heat and gave us our money back.

Feb 15 – So this morning we packed up again and walked further down the road to the Chunuu resort.

Here we have a pool, a Jacuzzi, a lovely restaurant, a huge suite with air con and a shower with warm water! Of course we are the only people over 30, and we hear German, French, and Cockney as well as Español. What a difference a day makes…

Santa Marta

February 14, 2024Colombia, Travelbeach, Iglesia de San Francisco de Assisi, Santa Marta, wall artkarenfranza

Feb 12 – This morning we called an Uber to take us to the bus station, where we had tickets for the 10:00 van to Santa Marta. The van was semi air conditioned and played the Spanish version of the newer Avatar movie. Four hours later, we arrived in the beach town of Santa Marta.

We walked the few blocks to our apartment, but were faced with a locked lobby door. Unlike previous hosts, we realized that no one had reached out to us to tell us how to get into the building or who would have our key. We tried calling the number on our reservation and emailing Booking.com, but no bananas.

A man who lived in the building let us in, and walked with us to Apt. 302. One look in the window told us the sad truth – it was an empty apartment. Uh oh!

Others have shared their bad experiences with Booking.com, but out of hundreds of rentals over the years, this was the first time we were left high and dry. We got out our phones and sat down on the steps, and before too long, Jim had found us a nice hotel with air con and wifi, a block from the beach. Day saved!

A view from our hotel – can you see the water?

Santa Marta is a tourist town, with lots of trinkets, eateries and music playing in the streets. We found a seafood restaurant right on the beach, and watched the sunset over the water.

Not the day we planned, but still a good day!

Feb 13 – When you stay in a hotel, someone else makes your breakfast and washes the dishes! On a breezy terrace, we enjoyed our eggs, fruit and strong Colombian coffee. Birds stood on the ledge nearby to see if we would drop any crumbs.

This is the beginning of the relaxing part of our vacation. We walked around the small town. There is a church here:

There is a museum:

The way it was… note the servant fanning the flies off the food

There is wall art here:

A trolley rumbling down the beach street

And the beach:

A relaxing day.

More from Cartagena

February 12, 2024Colombia, TravelBotero Gertrudis, Cartagena, Catedral de Santa Catalina, Cervantes, iron statueskarenfranza

Feb 11 – This morning we walked down to the Catedral de Santa Catalina, which is open and airy.

In the square, we found a bronze Botero. Note the discoloration of the boobs and butt due to repeated handling!

There are lots of amusing little iron statues here:

There is a small park, with lots of people looking up. Turns out there is a resident sloth named Juan, and a few little monkeys.

As a bonus, we spied a friendly iguana who didn’t mind being photographed:

It is Super Bowl Sunday, and Jim scoped out several restaurants with big screen TVs for our dinner. We thought lots of tourists would be interested in watching the game, but we seemed to be the only ones. Congratulations to Team Taylor!

Cartagena

February 12, 2024Colombia, Travelarepas, Cartagena, door knockers, el Alcatraz, Getsemani, India Catalina, wall art, Walled citykarenfranza

Feb 10 – Our plane landed around 9pm, and a twenty minute taxi ride got us to the walled city of Cartagena (Car ta HAY na). A last minute text informed us that the apartment we rented had plumbing issues, and offered us an alternate address on a different street. Our taxi driver got us pretty close, and we walked the rest of the way down the jam-packed narrow street, bustling with tourists and music. Once at the door, Jim negotiated the coded lock, then another lock inside the lobby and a third lock at our door. This place is secure! We dropped into bed, exhausted.

Blue skies and palm trees in the morning

Statue of La India Catalina, a chief’s daughter kidnapped and enslaved by the Spaniards in the early 1500s

Cartagena is the port that the Spaniards originally used to ship their gold back to Europe. They built a fortified wall around the city to protect it from pirates (most notably Sir Francis Drake).

An excursion to the wall was our goal for the morning. While the weather in Bogotá was temperate, here it is HOT. At 9am it was 91 degrees with a real-feel of 103. Off we go!

We strolled along the wide top of the wall

A bull ring! We were told bullfighting is no longer practiced here

We are right on the Caribbean Sea, but this is not an area known for its beaches

Statue El Alcatraz (the Gannet), the local bird

After an arroz con pollo lunch (every area has their own version of chicken and rice), we retreated back to our air conditioned room to wait for the cooler temperatures of evening.

The name of our neighborhood is Getsemani, the area where the backpackers and groovy people hang out. It’s a tourist scene with lots of locals touting trinkets and offering tours.

Colorfully clad women are happy to pose with tourists…

…as long as they are adequately compensated. Their smiles are ONLY for the camera

At one point, a trio of young men with a boom box and a microphone followed gringos down the street while making up rap songs about them. Similar to mariachi bands in Mexican restaurants, they count on you to eventually pay them to leave you alone!

Since arriving in Colombia, I have been on a quest to taste an arepa – a delicious native cornflour griddle cake featured in Encanto (where Julietta’s arepas had healing powers). Every place we tried, even when the name of the restaurant had arepas in the title, we struck out. No arepas.

Today Jim spied a street vendor selling warm arepas filled with egg from a cart. We bought one, and pronounced it just okay. The search continues!

We were told to look at the door knockers in the old town, as the creatures depicted provided a clue as to who once lived inside.

Sea creatures adorned the doors of merchants who made their living from the sea…

Lizards depicted descendants of royalty…

Lions adorned the abodes of clergy or professors

An interesting day!

Bogotá: Street Art

February 11, 2024Colombia, TravelBogotá, street artkarenfranza

Feb 9 – This is our last day in Bogotá, and we wanted to see some of the famous street art. There was graffiti everywhere, but some that was art worthy of a museum.