Bonnie and Dave Travel

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Minca, Colombia

Day trip to Minca from Santa Marta.

Up until relatively recently, despite its natural beauty, Minca was unable to open its doors to tourism - the presence of paramilitary forces in the surrounding areas meant this was a place cut off to all but locals. Now, with the security situation in Colombia improving, there are hostels and restaurants popping up along its streets, but Minca still feels refreshingly like somewhere that is ripe for discovery.

Our guide stopped at a wide spot on the road for lunch. The meat was cooked over an open fire and was delicious!

The climate - 660 metres above sea level - is a few degrees cooler than elsewhere in this part of the country, but still perfect for sitting outside to enjoy your morning coffee and breathe in the view.

Colombia is the #1 country in the world for bird biodiversity, Minca in particular, with 162 of the 300 species found in the Sierra Nevada is a year-round mecca for those brandishing binoculars.

Found at the end of a winding road, across a rickety old bridge are some of the iciest waters we have ever swum in - the waters of Pozo Azul. These swimming holes are a peaceful way to spend an afternoon.

Minca is in the prime coffee-making territory and was, in fact, one of the first regions in Colombia to really make the most of coffee cultivation. La Victoria finca is special as it still uses the same equipment as when it started up in 1892.

Saturday, March 3, 2018

Traveler Interview by kim kim

www.kimkim.com helped us build a customized travel plan for our three weeks in Colombia. We loved the trip!! They interviewed us and I have included a link to that interview below.

Traveler Interview: Three weeks in Colombia

Monday, January 8, 2018

Santa Marta, Colombia

Santa Marta is South America's oldest European-founded town and the second most important colonial city on Colombia's Caribbean coast.

The climate is hot, but the heat here is drier than Cartagena, and the evening sea breeze keeps the city cool after dark.

We stayed at La Casa del Farol. This small, boutique hotel is in a lively and loud area. We stayed in the Simon Bolivar room. They serve a full breakfast and have a very small rooftop pool. There are English speakers on staff, but keep a few Spanish words and phrases handy. We didn’t stay for a drink, but they say they have the best gin and tonics in town.

Simon Bolivar is a very important figure in Colombia. We saw a statue of him in every square and in Bogota we saw the window where he jumped out to escape an assassination attempt Sept 25, 1828.

"Simon Bolivar (1783-1830) was the greatest leader of Latin America's independence movement from Spain. A superb general and a charismatic politician, he not only drove the Spanish from northern South America but also was instrumental in the early formative years of the republics that sprang up once the Spanish had gone. His later years are marked by the collapse of his grand dream of a united South America.

He is remembered as "The Liberator," the man who liberated his home from Spanish rule."

We went out for lunch and this dog took up position beside our table. This was on one of the "walking streets". We were warned not to go a couple of blocks over in the area of abandoned buildings. We were so close to the border with Venezuela that many unemployed Venezuelans flooded the area.

The days were hot and humid but the nights were cooled by the ocean breezes. We stopped at this restaurant and sat outside. Groups of entertainers stopped by the play their music or dance.

Check your bill because chances are there has been a 10% service charge added even though we were told that tipping is not expected in Colombia. We tipped.

Dinner for Dave

Dinner for Bonnie

Cathedral in the square.

For some reason I am always fascinated with images of a black Jesus

We sat at a small cafe just across from the water. Santa Marta is known for it's beaches but we didn't go to any after being told at our hotel not to go to the beach closest to town because of pollution. Figured that if one beach is polluted, chances are that all were.

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Cartagena, Colombia

We used our Aeroplan points to fly business class to Colombia. I booked the land package with kimkim.com and worked with Marine in Colombia.

Be aware of the visa fee for Canadians:
All Canadians are required to pay the new "Reciprocity Fee" of approximately $75. (Pesos 1 600 000. or US$70.) upon entry at either airports or seaports. Colombian officials have been collecting this fee for each entry.

Day 1 Thursday November 23, 2017

We were met at the airport and taken to our hotel, Casa Pizarro.

My first fresh fruit drink was corozo, a fruit that grows on various types of palm trees. It has a strong presence in the culinary traditions of Colombia's coast, dating all the way back to the arrival of African slaves.

Located in the area of Getsemani, which is where people live, drink beer and listen to street musicians. Lots of small restaurants and street murals. Easy walking distance to the touristy walled city. The hotel is small with a rooftop breakfast and lunch area with sun loungers. They serve a full breakfast. The pool is small but large enough to cool off and offers a place to relax surrounded by nice vegetation.

Within the walled city is where we found all the cruise passenger and touristy shops, but history was everywhere.

Day 4 Sunday November 26, 2017

Day on the Pirate Island in the Rosario Island archipelago.

We speak no Spanish, only English and had no trouble navigating the crowds. Window 1 to pay the tax, go through the turnstile, find your tour company, wait and then board. It took 45 min bouncing across the waves. All loungers, tables and chairs appear to be free for all. We didn’t leave the area where we docked, so don’t know about the rest of the island. By the dock is where the generator is, it's very noisy. Our tour included lunch of fried fish, coconut rice, salad, and dessert. We opted to take a snorkeling tour for 40,000 COP each. We took a boat to a bit calmer water. Jumped in off the boat and looked at coral (not very bright) and small fishes.