June 19 – After a rocky attempt at a night’s sleep, we thought a nice walk in the sunshine would help reset our internal clocks. We ate our breakfast of fruit, yogurt, brown bread and cheese, downed a few cups of strong coffee, and set out toward town.
The first thing we noticed was that the supermarket we visited yesterday was not open – unusual for a Thursday, don’t you think? As we walked along, the streets seemed very quiet. As we approached the center of town, we saw that all the stores were closed. What’s up? Time to consult Google!
It turns out that today is the state holiday of Corpus Christi (body of Christ), a celebration of the Eucharist by the Roman Catholics here since the year 1246; always falling on the tenth day after Pentecost.
We made our way toward the cathedral, figuring that is where the action would be, and we were right.
The entire square was filled with folks participating in an outdoor mass, with dozens of priests handing out communion wafers.Parades of priests, acolytes and musicians worked their way through the crowdsLots of nuns in different colors The shops were closed, but the buskers were out to entertain This guy was whistling behind his happy mask They have wall art here!Happy monksYou may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one… We had enough excitement for one day, so went back to relax at our tropical hotel. More tomorrow!
Feb 23 – So, for our last days in Puerto de la Cruz, we walked along the beach, browsed in the shops, visited churches, ate good food, and acted like the tourists that we are.
More of the lovely carved wooden balconies This statue of a fishmonger at the water’s edge reminded me of my Irish Grandpa singing Sweet Molly Malone…crying, “cockles and mussels alive alive oh!”When we turned the corner, I saw that I wasn’t the only one who was thinking of Molly MaloneThere are armaments to defend the Puerto…and a seaside museum of ship photos and modelsIn the same museum, we came across another image of a seated, tired JesusFaces in the streetIn the Iglesia de San Francisco……another seated, weary JesusA busker playing marimba…and one dressed like Elvis (?) singing Johnny CashAt the supermarket, the lady in charge of slicing the Iberian ham would not let me take a picture of the hams, so I had to sneak around the corner and snap surreptitiously!We watched the paragliders swoop overhead …until one landed right on the sidewalk, to the amazement of everybody A metallic palm treeAnd finally, all the way across town, wall art!And whale art!The little images are Bo Peep and her sheepThe city is setting up for Carneval celebrations – see El Teide in the background?…so it must be time for us to go home.Feb 26 – 90 minutes on the bus got us back to the southern part of the island where the airport is. We had a no-drama flight to Newark and actually caught an early flight home to Virginia. Our dog still loves us. We loved Tenerife!
Feb 13 – today was a hassle-free travel day. We had a lucky breakfast (with two double yoked eggs!), locked up our very nice apartment in Vilaflor and strode confidently to the bus stop.
How often have you cracked three eggs and gotten five yolks? It’s gonna be a lucky day, for sure!
We rode without incident an hour back to Los Christianos, then pushed our way through a crowd onto the next bus (not everybody made it on, but being a New Yorker had advantages here). An hour of traveling north, with the Atlantic in view for the whole trip, brought us to the city of Santa Cruz.
The bus let us off in the heart of the bustling seaside tourist zone. This is the African Market, which sells, food, meat, and all manner of trinkets.Tribute to the Chicharrero, the native fishermen of Santa Cruz, is right outside the African MarketHow the Chicharrero dressed, back in the dayWe strolled down the busy streets toward our new apartment. Lots of restaurants and statues and flowers.These have leaves like geraniums but flowers like tulips? If Eliese was here, she’d tell me what they are!Wall art!An old advert for Cod Liver Oil – a universal remedy!Santa Cruz is a major shipping port, and also hosts German and English cruise shipsThis monument to General Franco is impressive So here we are in our new, very modern apartment, on the sixth floor overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. There is a big supermarket and lots of restaurants nearby. Jim is making us a pot of chicken vegetable soup. Our terrace faces east, so we will wait for the morning for a view of the sunrise. I think we’re going to like it here!
Sept 6 – What do you do when you just can’t swim and sleep anymore? Walk into town, of course, where you can:
…find flamingo wall art…and pirates…and Frida Kahlo…hummingbirds and jaguars…and everything Yucatán …a statue of Pancho Villa…admire the lighthouse, which is not on the shore, but blocks back into the town…and a tribute to kids and their cellphones with the long pier in the background Walk all the way to the end of the malecón to admire the world’s longest pier – 4 miles long, as the water is too shallow to allow large container or cruise ships to dock any nearerWalk under the pier to the old wooden boardwalk Sassy gulls and pelicans hereThis end of town looks more like an old fishing village Pelicans looking for dinnerBack on the malecón to look for beach souvenirs……and find a place for a seafood lunch – we eat seafood every day when we’re at the beach Interesting appetizers – papaya with hot sauce, hot dogs in French dressing When you order coconut shrimp here, you get the coconut!Would you like one more sunset? Here you go! Thanks for the R & R Progreso, best beach ever!
Aug 26 – So here we are in Celestún. The conference folks got back on their big bus and returned to Mérida last night, to catch flights home or travel onward. We had our packs on the bus with us, and checked into a very modest small hotel a block from the Gulf of Mexico. This is where our beach vacation begins.
This little town is about as different from Mérida as can be. If tourists come here, they only stay for a day.It rained yesterday, and the streets are quite flooded this morning. We got our feet wet before we got to the beachA calm, sandy beach with body-temperature waterLots of interesting birds Celestún’s claim to fame is its proximity to the Ria Celestún Biosphere Reserve, accessible only by boat. This is a place where flocks of pink American flamingos can be seen during mating season, but we are not here at the right time of year. Here is some flamingo wall art insteadSo what is there to do in Celestún?Eat chiliquiles for breakfast and fresh fish for lunchAdmire the jungle that separates our hotel from the beachCollect shells and swim every day – watching the pelicans dive for fish and then rest close to us on the water was a special treatSwim in the hotel pool every afternoonAdmire the wall artLook at the different ways to get around – the multi person moto…The three wheeled cart… taxi anyone?The bicycle…Or go on foot – just bring your own shade!Appreciate the goats next door Check out the churchStroll through the marketplace Visit our favorite bakery…and our favorite baker, Flor. She gave us a sample coconut macaroon, warm from the oven on our first day, and we went back every day thereafter.Watch another fine sunset – thanks for the leisurely days, Celestún. A very relaxing week!
Aug 22 – Today we got back on the big bus to return to Mérida. This time we are going to the northern, more modern side of the city so that Jim can give a presentation at the Parapsychological Association Conference. This is the reason we are here.
We checked out the Monumento a la Patria, carved 1945 – 1956, showing over 300 important Mexican figuresMayan warriors An eagle, devouring a snake, perched on a cactus – this is the center image on the Mexican flag Mexican historical timelineWide shaded sidewalks Fancy housesAnd who did we meet on the shady sidewalk? A lovely couple from Dallas Tx, passing out tracts for the Jehovah’s Witnesses. They relocated here several years ago to join the expat community, and couldn’t be happier. Such nice people!There is wall art…and ceiling artDelicious foodLomitos Valladolid was my favorite – tender pork in a tomato sauce on a bed of creamy frijolesA mural in our restaurant – do you see Salvador Dali, Jackie Kennedy, Princess Di, Frida Kahlo, Gandhi and Gorbachev? How about Fidel Castro and Albert Einstein?Our hotel has a beautiful shady garden…with a resident peacock…and peahen A perfect shady deep water pool with hummingbirds sipping at the flowersAnd while I was lounging around with the peacocks, Jim caught up with his colleagues and gave an excellent presentation that was very well received. Good work, Jim!The conference ended with a bus ride to the beach at Celestún for a sunset swim and a feast of Yucatán foods. A gorgeous sunset!Good food with good friends A wonderful ending to our conference!
Aug 17 – One more good breakfast in our little kitchenette, and we are off to find the ADO bus terminal to purchase tickets to Valladolid, about 2 1/2 hours to the east. We allowed plenty of time to get some lunch, but the line for tickets was so long we ended up buying a Subway sandwich and eating it on board. The bus was big and air conditioned, and we got to see a movie about a soccer team!
A long line at the bus station – lots of people on the move
We are going to Valladolid (Buy a doe LEED) because it is the nearest town to the pyramids of Chichen Itza. Most touristas breeze through here on a bus from a Cancun resort or a Cozumel cruise ship, but we’re here to see what there is to see!
We are staying at a little hotel called Kinich Ahau, named for the Mayan sun god, and run by Anna. Our room faces the pool, and Anna will cook our breakfasts.
Google Maps showed a plethora of restaurant options within minutes of our place, so we took our hungry selves out in search of dinner. Where were the restaurants? Although Google showed menus and photos and reviews, no restaurants could we see. A mystery.
We eventually found a fast food place called Mr. Taco that filled our bellies with pork and gobs of cheese, but this was definitely not health food. Jim asked Anna if he could use her kitchen to cook up some chicken vegetable soup, so we stocked up at the grocery. Problem solved. Tomorrow we explore.
Aug 18 – We got up early to beat the heat, and decided to use our sunbrellas for the walk to the city center. We headed to Convento de San Bernadino de Siena, built in the 1500s.
The Convento A retablo over the altarA Jesus in the retablo has movable arms and kneesThe Convento courtyard This Mary reminded me of my Patty Playpal doll from the 60’sSome old frescoes have recently been uncoveredThere is a cenote behind the Convento, covered by a grillA pretty placeWe walked down a main street and were surprised to see shops open on Sunday. A purveyor of local honey stopped us and we sampled her wares – some spicy!Lots of motos Street art! The first we’ve seen on this trip Our next stop was the Templo de San Servasio.Parishioners are gathering for mass with many babies and toddlers dressed in white for baptismAt the side of the church, who should we spy but our old friend St. James! Surprisingly, the signage didn’t mention Santiago, but told a story of the Christ child secretly feeding prisoners who had no family to bring them food.And we found the answer to the restaurant mystery – walking home in the middle of the day, we saw the names of the restaurants we were looking for last night on…food carts! They are open for business, then around 4 or 5pm they pack up and go home.There are lots of kissing benches around town. This one is just outside our roomWhat better way to end the day than a leisurely swim in a shady pool? A fine day. Ahhhhh!
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 walked out to our Wingo plane
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.
A Moroccan feast. Yum!
Feb 27 – We’re in a different part of the city now, not in the historical center. There are high rises all around.
A more modern part of the city
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!
A Botero sculpture seen from the taxi
Oh well, we walked around the city, saw some more llamas and lots more wall art.
Can’t have too many llamas!A busker waiting for a customer Is that Salvador Dali?Here’s a strange one
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.
Arepas to die for!
A few souvenirs, and we were done.
Wooden saintsMasks for Jim’s collection A big plate from Bogotá, and a small plate from Cartagena And a set of Botero coasters
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.
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.
Jim loves walking uphill
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.
So many people!
There was a tent where you could buy insurance before going down to the water – do people die doing this?
The falls are small and pretty The rocks are wet and slippery
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 interesting chimney Back in MincaLots of trinkets for saleWe passed a little church …with a groovy Jesus inside 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.
Our riverside viewSeñor LoroJim opted for the local fish
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.
Fish, shrimp and plantain for dinner A beautiful sunset
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.
Our breakfast nookA patient bird
This is the beginning of the relaxing part of our vacation. We walked around the small town. There is a church here:
Iglesia de San Francisco de AssisiAn open-air confessional He’s got the whole world in His hands
There is a museum:
A battleThe way it was… note the servant fanning the flies off the foodFunerary urn with a faceLittle figures watching a bullfight Caimans are important here A caiman costume
There is wall art here:
A trolley rumbling down the beach street
And the beach:
A little island in the water Commerce nearbyThe marina where the big boats hang out Another fine sunset
Taking Our Time 