What can I say about Cartagena except that I loved it. Every Colombian told me I would. “Aah, Cartagena,” they would say softly, eyes glazing over. “You are going to love it.” And I did. (Old buildings.) That being said, I’m always looking for the familiar in the unfamiliar and the vibe reminded me a … More Love in the time of Cartagena
Cartagena* has always been one of those cities that I never knew too much about, but in my mind the name conjured a sort of mysterious, romanatic association. I never thought about it too much until we had booked our trip and my friend Pallavi asked what was the first thing that I thought of … More “Who told you this bus was going to Cartagena?”
Our time in Colombia is, unbelievably, nearing its end. Tomorrow we leave for Cartagena. When we get back, we will have just two more days in Bogota before we go back home. I feel like I am just starting get comfortable here and can finally find my way around the city. Isn’t that how it … More Tick, Tick, Tick…
The Passadhi Guesthouse is the kind of place you don’t want to leave. So we didn’t. (View from the property.) A fellow guest described the atmosphere as “magical” and I have to agree. I’m not sure whether it’s the stunning backdrop, the mountain air, or the warm and peaceful environment created by Edmundo and Gisele … More Relaxation at the Passadhi Guesthouse
When we were booking our trip to Colombia we had no idea that there was a public holiday on Monday, August 15th (Feast of the Assumption of Mary.) To the Hayes Family a long weekend=trip, even when we are in another country. The problem was that this long weekend=trip to everyone else in Colombia too. … More But if you try sometimes, you might just find, you get what you need…
Although it mostly goes against the way I live my life, thanks to two decades of influence from Sean, I have slowly started to discover the joys in taking it easy when traveling. (I really do think I am becoming more relaxed but my family might disagree.) I am the first person (and Sean is … More Ordinary Days in Bogota
Depending on your perspective, Oscar has been very lucky or very unlucky to spend his last two birthdays away from home, on another continent. (Last year Panama, this year Colombia.) Unlike some other members of our family, Oscar is a pretty low key guy who doesn’t need a lot of fanfare or is someone wants … More Happy Birthday Oscar!
The kids and I spent the first part of this week exploring Bogota while trying to learn a bit of Spanish. (I feel like my Spanish is so bad, much worse than when I was in Lima for some reason.) Through Sean’s friend Mario, we found a very smart and sweet Spanish teacher names Luisa. … More Lessons in Language and (Too Much) Togetherness
After our huge lunch on Saturday we decided to dedicate Sunday morning to getting some exercise. Our goal was to hike to the top of the Monserrate Mountain (Cerro de Monserrate.) The peak of the mountain sits on the edge of the city. At over 10,000 feet above sea level it is a popular tourist … More Sunday in Bogota
When you are in Colombia and hear the name “Andrés Carnes de Res” it immediately brings to mind a specific image of a very unique place. Say that name in the U.S. and you will likely get met with a blank stare. That is the look that I gave Sean several months ago when he … More Party time: A visit to Andrés Carnes de Res
What To Do Tomorrow... 