A Fabulous Time in Colombia!
I just wanted to thank everyone that left comments on some of my posts earlier when I asked questions regarding my trip to Colombia. I just got back and had a wonderful time!
I stayed with a friend while in Bogota and visited Monserrate, Virgen de Guadalupe (I really liked it since I was the only person there; although you'd probably need a 4 wheel drive and maybe a guide if you don't know where you are going), Plaza de Bolivar, La Candelaria, went emerald shopping, visited a couple of the shopping malls, and the market near Hacienda de Santa Barbara on Sunday.
I also went up to Chia on a Saturday night to Andres Carne de Res. I usually don't go out very much but I was having such a fun time there that I didn't get home until after 4am. :) I believe it was here that I got my first taste of Juanes and the "Esta Vida" song by Jorge Celedon. Another Sunday I went to La Calera and had a nice lunch at El Tambor Parrillada (not sure if that is spelled correctly).
After Bogota I headed up to Boyaca and visited the Salt Cathedral and then Villa de Leyva. While there I went horseback riding... met Alejandro Martinez at one of the lagoons.. but I had no idea who he was at the time. My driver/bodyguard, John, didn't tell me who he was until after we'd left the area. Crap! Our guide, Juan (very nice guy) didn't speak any English so when John translated that we could go see a "big chicken" (we basically spoke Spanglish to each other) I assumed that meant "El Fossil". To the contrary... we went to an ostrich farm. If I knew how to upload pictures I would b/c I was bitten by a jealous ostrich wanting the food I was feeding another one and it was captured on camera. ha! Later I asked to be taken to El Infiernito. While I'm glad I made the trek, I'd never ridden a horse before and was dying just halfway through the journey.
Oh, I stayed at Hotel Mesopotamia and it was just gorgeous! The buildings, flowers, and swimming pool were beautiful. The room was pretty drafty and we had a few bugs in the bathroom, although nothing I couldn't handle. My only problem with it was the beds. They should have been replaced years ago as the two in our room had springs poking up everywhere and sagged down to the wooden slates. Villa de Leyva was still a great experience though!
On the way back I stopped at Raquira for just a bit to browse the local shops. I suggest traditional souveniers be bought here as they were cheaper than Bogota and you could still bargain with the shopkeepers... not to mention the mountains of pottery to pick from!
Finally, I went to Cartagena. Thank you to everyone that suggested I go there! It really is a beautiful city, but so very hot, even at night. I went to Cafe de la Mar one night which I thought was really cool up on the wall near the ocean and stayed at Hotel 3 Banderas a couple of nights. It was a very quaint hotel with character and I was so glad the rooms were airconditioned. :) I walked around the Santa Clara though just to check it out as well as Santa Teresa for a very tasty coconut lime drink (I highly recommend it!) while sitting up at the pool. I also went out to the island that Hotel 3 had a small resort on for a day. Unfortunately the beach wasn't great at all but the staff was super friendly. My friend wasn't able to get there in time to go to one of the Rosario islands so we thought we'd check out this Isla Tierra Bomba. If you are looking for a nice beach with clear water, this isn't the place for you. We actually had black oil all over our skin after getting in the ocean.
I'm not fluent in Spanish but had a few years of it in high school and college so like I said, I was able to chat with my driver in a mix of English and Spanish. But I had several hilarious mishaps over the course of my trip.
First, I mentioned that I was going back to the hotel room to shower and wash my hair (in Spanish) but apparantly the way I said "pelo" wasn't hair, but instead a male body part. Ooops! We had a great laugh over that one. ;)
Another time, I asked him if he was pregnant, instead of embarrassed (those two words are very similar!) and asked him if he liked poop instead of octopus. And for days I was using the verb "pensar" to say that I wanted to think about something (when shopping for emeralds usually) but was finally informed that pensar usually means to relax, have a smoke, etc. Is this true?
So, even though I got sunburned, had bruises, blisters and mosquito bites (mainly from my travels in Boyaca) as well as an ostrich bite, I had a grand time in Colombia and highly recommend it! There is so much to see and do there and the people were very friendly. :) I already miss it and can't get "Me Enamora" out of my head...
By travelingirl on Nov 27, 2007, 20:53 in Travel tips.
|
bartolo_colon says on Nov 27, 2007, 22:10: "preciosa" beautiful, cute, precious. Good post, sounds like you had a good time, and rolled with the punches, hillarious mishaps, thats what travel is all about! Hey, careful, man, there's a beverage here! 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
alezzz says on Nov 27, 2007, 23:35: Hola preciosa! ---Music is the strongest form of magic.--- 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
goin_south says on Nov 27, 2007, 23:43: yeah, thanks for sharing your travels.....surprised those colombianos didn't kidnap ya and keep ya there.... Where do we go from here? 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
christobeldawg says on Nov 27, 2007, 23:49: we're goin to lose our reputation, lettin a girl like that come down here without kidnappin her. who, for god's sake, was asleep at the wheel this time? admittedly, arriving can feel great too 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
webmanco says on Nov 28, 2007, 02:46: Traveling girl, you certainly visited most places most tourisms and Colombians should visit while on vactions in Colombia. regardles lots of negativism put in this site, interesting to know you went to Guadalupe. ...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ... 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
ixent says on Nov 28, 2007, 03:14: Just remember, there's actually lots more to see here. It's a country the size of Spain,Portugal and France combined, and you basically went to a number of the most popular destinations. It's worth coming back for more!
0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
john_stark says on Nov 28, 2007, 05:52: "Another time, I asked him if he was pregnant, instead of embarrassed (those two words are very similar!)"
0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
msaucey says on Nov 28, 2007, 09:41: AWESOME!!! Sounds like you had a great time!... And I'm glad that you did take some of the advice posted on PBH... We don't just rant and rave, all the time... There's a 50/50 chance you can get valueable information.... :-) The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed. - CS Lewis 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
travelingirl says on Nov 28, 2007, 10:37: Webmanco, I stopped by the place in your default pictures on the way... Puente de Boyaca (?) before turning off the road for a "shortcut" to my destination. Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon... 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
webmanco says on Nov 28, 2007, 10:48: I went once on a Mortorcicle, saw the kids playing around and ask them for a picture. ...A yo, déjenme queto y no me jodan má! ... 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
travelingirl says on Nov 28, 2007, 11:15: That's one thing I noticed while in Colombia... lots of kids! I took many pictures of adorable kids playing around. I don't think it is b/c there are more kids in Colombia, but just the fact that they are outside playing around and not cooped up in front of the tv or playing video games all the time. ;-) Plus, in the villages, they could just walk to school instead of riding the bus. Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon... 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
Medellin Traveler says on Nov 28, 2007, 14:00: It sounds like you had a GREAT time!! Good for you!! Thanks for sharing. "Huevos Rancheros en Medellin, No Quiero Taco Bell." - www.medellintraveler.com 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
john_stark says on Nov 28, 2007, 22:10: "That's one thing I noticed while in Colombia... lots of kids!"
0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
Robert Jorge says on Nov 28, 2007, 22:31: That's also one of the things that struck me when I lived in Colombia. Kids out playing, having a good time like I did when I grew up. You don't see that too much in the States anymore ... at least where I have been in the past 25 years. This year I had 2 trick-or-treaters for Halloween come to the door. My inlaws in Villavo said the streets had thousands of kids all dressed up, out trick-or-treating with their families in tow. BEWARE of gold diggers. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
christobeldawg says on Nov 28, 2007, 22:39: I remember being in Dublin, Ireland, years ago, in the suburbs, and I have never seen so many baby strolling women in my life. admittedly, arriving can feel great too 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
john_stark says on Nov 28, 2007, 22:40: Two trick or treaters? Try 418, that's how many I had here in our little town in the US.
0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
christobeldawg says on Nov 28, 2007, 22:42: seriously? 418? admittedly, arriving can feel great too 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
john_stark says on Nov 28, 2007, 22:43: I counted them because I was worried I didn't have enough candy. Luckily I bought enough for 420. Hell at times I had 30 of them lined up on the walk and I was just frantically giving them candy so they'd move on to the next one. Usually I like to flirt with the MILFs and the teenagers dressed as French Maids but it was too hectic. Candy for you! Next!
0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
john_stark says on Nov 28, 2007, 22:47: I wasn't sure but I had about 350 or so last year. This year was worse. I'll probably have 500 next year.
0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
christobeldawg says on Nov 28, 2007, 22:49: Usually I like to flirt with the MILFs and the teenagers dressed as French Maids. admittedly, arriving can feel great too 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
travelingirl says on Nov 28, 2007, 22:59: Wow, over 400 trick or treaters!? That's crazy! A lot of kids go to the mall or church functions on Halloween around here... which doesn't seem as fun to me as the door-to-door stuff. Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon... 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
christobeldawg says on Nov 28, 2007, 23:05: I noticed the mall and church functions started soon after 9-11. loss of innocence. admittedly, arriving can feel great too 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
Robert Jorge says on Nov 28, 2007, 23:17: Yep, I had only two. And they were brother and sister, DRIVEN to the house by mommy. And they live virtually across the street. I don't know what the hell is wrong with things here. BEWARE of gold diggers. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
christobeldawg says on Nov 28, 2007, 23:23: RJ, good time to insist to him that he is ok because those type accidents can be traumatizing, and kids don't know how to express feelings about how bad they might feel. seriously. admittedly, arriving can feel great too 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
Robert Jorge says on Nov 28, 2007, 23:49: I will never mention it to him ... he would be crushed to know that we were told. His mother, Mrs. RJ's sister, and grandma, (Mom to us), both took care of him. He was taken discreetly to a bathroom and washed up. They made sure it was no big deal and after washing up, it wasn't brought up again with him. Just one of those things that happen. BEWARE of gold diggers. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
christobeldawg says on Nov 28, 2007, 23:55: I'm not going to sit on the Psych. couch on PBH, but I am just saying, from personal experience, ok?, that childrens' feelings, over perceived trivial events, to adults, can often be overlooked, and the child can then be adversely affected, maybe. I think we need to be especially sensitive to young children. admittedly, arriving can feel great too 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
Robert Jorge says on Nov 28, 2007, 23:57: Here's Juan David. He is about as cool a little guy as you can find. BEWARE of gold diggers. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
goin_south says on Nov 28, 2007, 23:58: I think that's what happened to La_Campiña' we were too jarsh with 'm, and he didn't know how to express the pain..... Where do we go from here? 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
christobeldawg says on Nov 29, 2007, 00:00: most adults are still essentially young children admittedly, arriving can feel great too 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
|
|
goin_south says on Nov 29, 2007, 00:08: dad, are we in Colombia yet? Where do we go from here? 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
christobeldawg says on Nov 29, 2007, 00:19: I know I yam. Please treat the little ones, and the big ones, with love and respect. We are all one, whether Colombian or north American. admittedly, arriving can feel great too 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
goin_south says on Nov 29, 2007, 21:08: Dawg, I think you were trying hard to revive the discussion about that North America or the USA once considered namin the area Columbia Where do we go from here? 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
travelingirl says on Dec 4, 2007, 18:09: . Around her hair she wore a yellow ribbon... 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
|
|
christobeldawg says on Dec 4, 2007, 18:36: that's funny travelingirl admittedly, arriving can feel great too 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
More posts by the same author:
Tiny Gun 14
Fidel 14
Mail 15
ID'ing Military Uniforms & Guns 149
Americas: |
Africa: |
Asia:
|
Travel: Also: |
If you're not a part of this travelicious experiment just yet, just sign up here. It's free & easy.
About poorbuthappy | About the travel guides | Travel guide editing | Community rules | RSS feeds
© 1998 - 2008 Peter Van Dijck, all rights reserved.