Eclectic Trips

Bogota is a beautiful metropolis with great residential architecture, consisting of modern brick buildings each with a totally unique edge. The hilly layout of the city requires for the architecture to be very creative, and it is indeed- no two buildings are the same, though they have some cool common elements- large windows, asymmetrical balconies, and rooftop gardens. Definitely one of the best modern architecture trends I’ve noticed in recent travels. Te city is very green, with lots of parks, and to explore it you have to drive up and down winding roads with large mountains in the background.

Residential architecture

One thing to pay attention to when you go is that high altitude affects mostly everyone on some level. Some people are short of breath, some get headaches. or as was the case with my husband- he COMPLETELY lost his voice and could not speak for 3 days. At first he sounded kinda sexy, but progressively it got worse, and got to the point where it was as painful for him to speak, as it was for others to listen
Make sure you bring plenty of painkillers for potential headaches, and if you are asthmatic, keep your medication close. Most people get over it in a day or 2 max, so it’s not something to be too concerned with- just better to be prepared

Through mutual friends we made some new friends in Bogota – Jesus and Catalina, who took us on a tour around the city. Catalina’s narration was better than any tour guide i’ve ever encountered. We went to the old city, where Jesus showed us his favorite hippie square complete with musicians, storytellers, artisians and odd characters of all sorts. There are several universities located in close proximity to or inside the old city, so there are a lot of students, tourists, locals- the crowd roaming the streets is pretty varied. The old city is busy and fun on Friday and Saturday evenings, other nights of the week it dies down, our friends warned us that it might be less than safe on weekdays, so if you go do try to go on Friday or Saturday. After our great city tour we went for dinner at a wonderfull Italian restaurant in Zona T, and laughed and drank wine and enjoyed a very long dinner and fantastic conversation… The restaurant is called Di Lucca, it is small and cute, delicious, inexpensive, and located on Carrera 13, nº 85-32.

A word about Zona T- It is a nice walking area in Bogota – kind of like a street mall. Fun and lively, you can get a feeling for Bogota’s younger generation here, do some shopping and possibly see a street performance… Some other noteworthy restaurants here are:
Wok- Asian with a giant menu of Thai, Japanese, and Vietnamese specialties, the outdoor patio is a nice people watching spot.
Balsac- upscale traditional French, with impeccable service and good food- loved the onion soup and the oysters

The trip to Usaquen flea market in Usaquen on Sunday was definitely one of the highlits of our trip. Usaquen is a nice bohemian “artsy” area. At the Usaquen market there are all sorts of artisan goodies, tea, candles, clothing, souvenirs, bags and belts- something for everyone. The hand crafted little friendship bracelet I bought here hasn’t left my wrist as of yet. The Usaquen square is pretty and the whole area is very picturesque and perfect for walking around on a nice day, plenty of great restaurants here as well. Colombian staple “Crepes and Waffles” has a fun menu of… (surprise!) – crepes (and waffles They also have good soups and salds- perfect for a light bite.

Street art in Usaquen

Our favorite Bogota restaurant Abasto is also in Usaquen- we had dinner one evening, and came back for brunch the next day. I can’t be too particular in menu recommendations as every single thing we ordered was delicious, and they have tons of daily specials. The atmosphere here is great- relaxed and lively at the same time. Decor is kind of rustic and is a mix of couches and velvet armchairs, with wood dining tables small and large. They have a nice wine list, a great variety of teas, and fantastic coffee. Something to be said about Colombian coffee- it’s considered one of the best, and for a good reason- it truly is excellent. I havent had a less than perfect cup of coffe once in Colombia.

Usaquen market

Get your old fashioned picture taken in Usaquen

Usaquen

A few words of advice- if you are having dinner somewhere, and it’s late, ask the waiter at the restaurant to call a taxi for you, as opposed to finding one on the street. This is generally a safer practice.
I must say we felt completely safe in Bogota, but it is always best to wear more casual clothing, and no loud jewelry/watches etc.

Although a short trip- this one was definitely one to remember.

Cartagena view

When booking your ticket, if you have an opportunity to fly Avianca,  do so. Clean, comfortable seats, the service personnel is friendly and helpful. They serve food and WINE on a very short flight. You get a tv with movies and a nice blanket and pillow. Love Avianca!

On the taxi ride from the airport the “downtown” area looks much like any town in central America, mom and pop shops, a bit rundown, crowded and simple. We stayed in Boca Grande- the beach area. Not much to say about the beaches in Cartagena. No white sand or turquoise water here, and no chic beach clubs complete with white umbrellas. The beaches are simple, the chairs are old, you have to bring your own towels, and you will be hassled pretty relentlessly by guys selling cigarettes and gum, beer, jewelry, and  sombreros;  ladies of all ages and sizes trying to give you a massage using a very odd looking Neon colored oil of some sort. What you will get and actually enjoy on the beach in Cartagena is the freshest just caught white fish brought right to your chair on the beach and fried in a shack a few meters away. It’s deep fried fish, always served with sweet coconut rice, and fried plantains. If you are weary of eating fish directly on the beach, there is a place at the end of Hollywood beach called ElPony, that serves simple beach fair in a small, open hut. It is more of the same here- several types of the deep fired fish, some ceviche, cerveza and a light breeze.

Boca Grande beach

The old city or the Walled City of Cartagena is quite beautiful, and the houses here are pretty well kept and some pretty posh. The hotels and guesthouses are gated, so it is pretty much impossible to see what goes on inside, and some of them are well worth a visit. The new and chic hotel Sylvia Tcherassi   is one of those. Located way out of the way on a completely non touristy street it has a good upscale Italian restaurant, a nice bar and a lovely pool with waterfalls inside. great for picture taking.

The thing to do in the evening in Cartagena is roam the cobblestone streets of the walled city, go through it’s many labyrinths and inevitably end up where you started. The horse and buggies will pass you by, the street lights will cast some lovely ambiant light… Some streets are rowdy and touristy and some are quaint and quiet, they intersect and interchange, and it’s best to let the flow just take you, and roam aimlessly-you will definitely stumble upon some beautiful sight.

Our favorite places to eat: 
Juan del mar next to the Santa Clara Hotel was the best.  It’s  located in a lovely square called de San Diego, near hotel Santa CLara. The restaurant is on the right side of the square if you are facing the hotel.  They serve Peruvian food, and it so well executed, with a nice presentation, it is fresh and delicious. We sat outside, and it’s pretty nice for people watching, but inside is very nice as well. The wine list is pretty good too, which is a rarity for Cartagena.  

Cevicheria is vety quaint and has a lot of local charm, in other words it is a hole in the wall, but in the best possible way . Everything we had was just delicious, the ceviche is out of this world.  it is located on a side street adjacent to the hotel Santa Clara.  The street runs on the left if you are facing the hotel.

La Vitrola is the most famous restaurant in Cartagena, and you will need to make a reservation to dine here. It is definitely an upscale place, and pricey, but well worth it for the food as well as the atmosphere.  It has a Cuban vibe with live music.

Some others that are noteworthy are Oooh La La- a French place with a Colombian influence, and Mar Del Juan, which is located directly across from Juan Del Mar  

 Taxis are very reasonably priced, but they don’t have meters.  So it helps to ask how much before getting in the cab-although they quote you pretty much the same amount usually, with a difference of  about fifty cents to a dollar. From Boca Grande, where we lived to anywhere in the old city was  $3- $4 dollars.  To the airport it less than $10

When you are on the beach, some “agents” will approach you to go to Rosario Islands. It’s a day trip, and if you do decide to go, be prepared for a pretty raw experience. You will see some poverty and very run down areas on the way to the islands. The the boat gets dirty, wet and is a far departure from comfortable. It’s a speed boat and you must remember this- DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT seat in front of the boat. If you do you will be in pain for days as the boat is jumpy, and it goes fast. The middle is fine, but the back is best. The trip includes lunch which is-surprise!!! Fried white fish with coconut rice and plantains. And though this fare is not particularly imaginative, it is fresh and yummy.

Ceviche on the way to Play Blanca

You will need to speak some basic Spanish- only a few people speak English, so if you don’t know the basics,  try to learn a few sentences, or bring a dictionary. I would say that a 3-5 day stay in Cartagena is ideal, it gets a bit repetitive after that. Or at least it did for us. The four days that we were there we did enjoy thoroughly.

Enjoy