Tuesday, September 29th
We decided to take the route taxis and visit YS falls not far from Black River. We stopped in Negril for ackee and salt fish and caliloo which is a green vegetable that looks like spinach but has almost a sweet taste.
Getting to the falls was half the experience. We were offered a taxi ride for $60 but decided it was time to try coasters and route taxies. Joseph told us how to get around and we set off at about 9:30. First phase was easy- a route taxi to Savannah de Mars which everyone calls just Sav. Then we were handed off to the driver of a coaster, though there they called them buses-16 seat minibuses. Then you wait until there are enough passengers for the trip. Four to six coasters are lined up and the drivers try to entice people to ride in their vehicle. Two hours later, we were on our way at 60mph along winding narrow roads. We finally arrived at the turn off for YS falls where we transferred to a taxi for the drive to the entrance. After buying tickets ($14 each) you load onto a tram and a tractor pulls the tram up the road to the falls.
The falls are spectacular. We would call them cascades though many are fairly tall. These are very wide falls that come down the mountain at different angles. Due to the limestone the water is milky and the visual images are breathtaking. You can swim in several areas of the falls, including a natural swimming pool and there is a boardwalk along the river for access. Near the top is a rope swing that guests are allowed to use. (No we passed that up.) When we got back down the hill a ways, Dick went for a swim and I sat on the edge of the stairs with my feet in the cold water.(I admit to being a wimp when it comes to cold water).
The trip home started with a gratuitous ride to the little town on the A2 highway, then we were able to get a cab ride all the way to Negril. A little way down the road, the passenger in the left front seat asked if we minded if he smoked- we told him to go ahead but imagine our surprise when we realized he and the driver were sharing and it was not tobacco they were smoking. It did slow the driver down a bit which made the trip a bit less hair-raising, though he did have some problems avoiding the huge potholes even with the passenger pointing them out.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday September 28
Another gorgeous morning in paradise. We decided today was a snorkeling day but first went to a restaurant across the street for Ackee and salt fish for breakfast. Ackee is a fruit of one of the native trees and after being boiled is stir-fried with peppers and onions. It looks and tastes like eggs.
The east end of the town of Negril is marked by the South Negril River. To the east of that is the 7 mile beach,half-moon shaped white sand beach I described before. The west end of Negril, on the sea side, is formed by limestone cliffs and caves to which walkways, stairs and ladders down to the ocean have been attached. It has, unfortunately, been fairly heavily developed with world-class resorts.
However, a resort called XTABI allows access to the caves and cliffs for the public. We decided that would be the ideal place to snorkel (okay, we are cheap and did not want to pay $30 each for a snorkel trip to Booby Island). So we taxied over and set up camp on one of their stone ledges. However, after we got in, my mask separated from my snorkel and I tried to get up on one of the rocks to sit down and fix it. Unfortunately, I picked a rock covered in sea urchins. I am still trying to get sea urchin spines out of my butt and hand. Minor annoyances. The cliffs end in reefs which radiate into the ocean and are filled with sea creatures. There are some canyons through the reefs and the water clarity is such that, even in those areas that are 5 to 10 meters deep, it is possible to see the bottom. There is some reef damage, especially near the larger resorts but there are a number of healthier reefs and lots of fish.
There are few areas to rest without climbing up out of the ocean and we decided to walk further down the western road and look for a beach area, but that, if there are any, they are behind the closed gates of the resorts.(Jamaica laws states that beaches are public but getting to them may be difficult.) We walked past Rick’s and decided to explore the lighthouse. Mr. Johnson, the caretaker, guided us up the 103 stairs to the top where we were able to go out on the top deck for a bird’s eye view of the area. The sunset was spectacular from that area and much quieter than Rick’s.
We had dinner that night at the 3 Dives Jerk Center and ordered lobster and jerk chicken. Absolutely wonderful. The lobster needs no explanation; jerk chicken (also available as jerk beef and pork) is a barbecued chicken in a unique smoky and “tongue-searing” sauce that is heavenly.
Another gorgeous morning in paradise. We decided today was a snorkeling day but first went to a restaurant across the street for Ackee and salt fish for breakfast. Ackee is a fruit of one of the native trees and after being boiled is stir-fried with peppers and onions. It looks and tastes like eggs.
The east end of the town of Negril is marked by the South Negril River. To the east of that is the 7 mile beach,half-moon shaped white sand beach I described before. The west end of Negril, on the sea side, is formed by limestone cliffs and caves to which walkways, stairs and ladders down to the ocean have been attached. It has, unfortunately, been fairly heavily developed with world-class resorts.
However, a resort called XTABI allows access to the caves and cliffs for the public. We decided that would be the ideal place to snorkel (okay, we are cheap and did not want to pay $30 each for a snorkel trip to Booby Island). So we taxied over and set up camp on one of their stone ledges. However, after we got in, my mask separated from my snorkel and I tried to get up on one of the rocks to sit down and fix it. Unfortunately, I picked a rock covered in sea urchins. I am still trying to get sea urchin spines out of my butt and hand. Minor annoyances. The cliffs end in reefs which radiate into the ocean and are filled with sea creatures. There are some canyons through the reefs and the water clarity is such that, even in those areas that are 5 to 10 meters deep, it is possible to see the bottom. There is some reef damage, especially near the larger resorts but there are a number of healthier reefs and lots of fish.
There are few areas to rest without climbing up out of the ocean and we decided to walk further down the western road and look for a beach area, but that, if there are any, they are behind the closed gates of the resorts.(Jamaica laws states that beaches are public but getting to them may be difficult.) We walked past Rick’s and decided to explore the lighthouse. Mr. Johnson, the caretaker, guided us up the 103 stairs to the top where we were able to go out on the top deck for a bird’s eye view of the area. The sunset was spectacular from that area and much quieter than Rick’s.
We had dinner that night at the 3 Dives Jerk Center and ordered lobster and jerk chicken. Absolutely wonderful. The lobster needs no explanation; jerk chicken (also available as jerk beef and pork) is a barbecued chicken in a unique smoky and “tongue-searing” sauce that is heavenly.
Sunday, September 27
The power came back on early in the morning so we were able to get some sleep with the fan on. I(Nancy) got up early, walked down to the communal kitchen and made coffee. The sky is cloudless and a wonderful blue.
The other guests at Westport were a gentleman from Toronto,Canada, Daniel, who has been here for a week and three medical students from Germany, whose primary activities appear to be exploring the beach.. It has been fun talking to them.
Joseph, the owner of Westport Cottages, is quite a character and seems to be very knowledgeable of how to do the things we want to do. We told him we wanted to go to the Great Morass (swamp) about fifteen miles from here- he agreed to take us, along with Daniel, and off we went at about 25 miles per hour. We drove down to the Royal Palm Reserve and spent a couple of hours wandering along their wooden boardwalks through the vast swamp. We did not see the crocodile but did see a lot of butterflies and birds.
After we returned, Joseph gave us a ride to Rick’s, the bar that is rumored to be one of the best places to watch the sunset. In addition they have cliffs that one can jump off into the ocean below. It was fun though a little younger crowd, we had dinner there which was quite good but pricey. As sunset approached, unfortunately a thunderstorm followed suit and the actual dipping of the sun into the ocean was lost behind a cloud bank.
The power came back on early in the morning so we were able to get some sleep with the fan on. I(Nancy) got up early, walked down to the communal kitchen and made coffee. The sky is cloudless and a wonderful blue.
The other guests at Westport were a gentleman from Toronto,Canada, Daniel, who has been here for a week and three medical students from Germany, whose primary activities appear to be exploring the beach.. It has been fun talking to them.
Joseph, the owner of Westport Cottages, is quite a character and seems to be very knowledgeable of how to do the things we want to do. We told him we wanted to go to the Great Morass (swamp) about fifteen miles from here- he agreed to take us, along with Daniel, and off we went at about 25 miles per hour. We drove down to the Royal Palm Reserve and spent a couple of hours wandering along their wooden boardwalks through the vast swamp. We did not see the crocodile but did see a lot of butterflies and birds.
After we returned, Joseph gave us a ride to Rick’s, the bar that is rumored to be one of the best places to watch the sunset. In addition they have cliffs that one can jump off into the ocean below. It was fun though a little younger crowd, we had dinner there which was quite good but pricey. As sunset approached, unfortunately a thunderstorm followed suit and the actual dipping of the sun into the ocean was lost behind a cloud bank.
September 26th Saturday
Four am sure feels early- caught the shuttle to the airport and arrived in plenty of time- probably could have arrived a half hour later with no problems but we noted an hour later the lines at security were very long.
Breakfast (brunch) at the airport- there as is a “baked potato deli” where you can get a baked potato with lots of different topping there at terminal 5. I remember these from the early seventies but haven’t seen them around since.
When we got to Montego Bay, since we were arriving in the morning, our plan was to look around and find a place to stay. However Jamaican regulations require you to have a room reservation for your first night before you can enter the country. So we ended up pulling out the book and making a reservation at Westport Cottages in Long Bay. Stopped in Montego Bay at the “Native Restaurant and Bar” for curried goat-very good. Goats appear to run wild on the island.
The transportation is interesting. Our waiter called us a cab which took us to the “bus” depot. It is actually an intersection where all various modes meet. There are municipal buses; taxis( only take you-they don’t stop for others-fairly fast and expensive-door to door service); coasters- (private minibuses-leave when full- more or less set route); and route taxis (which are usually Toyota station wagons- operate much like coasters but run to even more isolated areas). If you tell your first driver where you are going, he will hand you off to the next transport where you are jealously guarded by the driver since there is actual tug of wars going on with passengers in the middle. If you leave your luggage unguarded for a second, it will get loaded into a vehicle and you may have to fight to get it back. Then there is a 60mph journey through twisty winding roads, with many near misses. However, we did not see any actual accidents and most of the cars and minibuses only have slight scrapes. This is a country where they drive on the left which is disconcerting enough for American.
We arrived in Negril, on the western coast of Jamaica and the driver deposited us at the guest house, which proved to be a collection of mahogany and stucco cottages, set in the owner’s back yard across the road from a wonderful bay, with sugary white soft sand. We walked along the beach, and were approached on several occasions by people wanting us to visit their shops, ride in their boats etc. However, they did back off when we told them we were not interested.
We walked to the South Negril River, where you must return back to the road to cross the bridge, and entered the little town of Negril. Since it is off season, there were few tourists-after exploring a little we headed up to the road to “Sweet Spice”, accompanied by a young woman on a bike who wanted to trade us mangoes for dinner. We declined and she left. We had escoveitched fish (pickled in vinegar and fried with onions and peppers). Very different and very good. The power went off while we were eating and although it came back on at the restaurant, it was still off at the guest house which made for a hot and muggy night.
Four am sure feels early- caught the shuttle to the airport and arrived in plenty of time- probably could have arrived a half hour later with no problems but we noted an hour later the lines at security were very long.
Breakfast (brunch) at the airport- there as is a “baked potato deli” where you can get a baked potato with lots of different topping there at terminal 5. I remember these from the early seventies but haven’t seen them around since.
When we got to Montego Bay, since we were arriving in the morning, our plan was to look around and find a place to stay. However Jamaican regulations require you to have a room reservation for your first night before you can enter the country. So we ended up pulling out the book and making a reservation at Westport Cottages in Long Bay. Stopped in Montego Bay at the “Native Restaurant and Bar” for curried goat-very good. Goats appear to run wild on the island.
The transportation is interesting. Our waiter called us a cab which took us to the “bus” depot. It is actually an intersection where all various modes meet. There are municipal buses; taxis( only take you-they don’t stop for others-fairly fast and expensive-door to door service); coasters- (private minibuses-leave when full- more or less set route); and route taxis (which are usually Toyota station wagons- operate much like coasters but run to even more isolated areas). If you tell your first driver where you are going, he will hand you off to the next transport where you are jealously guarded by the driver since there is actual tug of wars going on with passengers in the middle. If you leave your luggage unguarded for a second, it will get loaded into a vehicle and you may have to fight to get it back. Then there is a 60mph journey through twisty winding roads, with many near misses. However, we did not see any actual accidents and most of the cars and minibuses only have slight scrapes. This is a country where they drive on the left which is disconcerting enough for American.
We arrived in Negril, on the western coast of Jamaica and the driver deposited us at the guest house, which proved to be a collection of mahogany and stucco cottages, set in the owner’s back yard across the road from a wonderful bay, with sugary white soft sand. We walked along the beach, and were approached on several occasions by people wanting us to visit their shops, ride in their boats etc. However, they did back off when we told them we were not interested.
We walked to the South Negril River, where you must return back to the road to cross the bridge, and entered the little town of Negril. Since it is off season, there were few tourists-after exploring a little we headed up to the road to “Sweet Spice”, accompanied by a young woman on a bike who wanted to trade us mangoes for dinner. We declined and she left. We had escoveitched fish (pickled in vinegar and fried with onions and peppers). Very different and very good. The power went off while we were eating and although it came back on at the restaurant, it was still off at the guest house which made for a hot and muggy night.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Well, in typical Caribbean fashion, Vernito did not show up to drive us to the airport. Dick was able to contact Judy who, as a good hostess, drove us herself. Our little eight-passenger plane to San Juan was on time and we hung out at the airport until time for our 1155 flight to NY.
Got into JFK just before 4pm and were able to get a shuttle bus for the hostel. The hostel is AAE Hostel on Jamaica Avenue but appears to be run by the Super eight. It was $59 with shuttles for the two of us. Two beds in a four bed mixed dorm-very small but the location and price were right.
The neighborhood is obviously Latin American and we ended up at a Salvadoran restaurant that was pretty good. Early night since we need to catch the 4:30am shuttle to the airport..
Well, in typical Caribbean fashion, Vernito did not show up to drive us to the airport. Dick was able to contact Judy who, as a good hostess, drove us herself. Our little eight-passenger plane to San Juan was on time and we hung out at the airport until time for our 1155 flight to NY.
Got into JFK just before 4pm and were able to get a shuttle bus for the hostel. The hostel is AAE Hostel on Jamaica Avenue but appears to be run by the Super eight. It was $59 with shuttles for the two of us. Two beds in a four bed mixed dorm-very small but the location and price were right.
The neighborhood is obviously Latin American and we ended up at a Salvadoran restaurant that was pretty good. Early night since we need to catch the 4:30am shuttle to the airport..
Thursday, September 24 Vieques Island
The kayak trip to Mosquito Bay was fun and very different, though I don’t know if it was worth $60 for the two of us. There was a long, very rutted road to the bay which would be a very soft mud if wet. I doubt that we could have found our way without a guide. When we got there, Verito unloaded the sit on top kayaks and we set off. He had warned us earlier not to use repellents containing DEET since it would kill the little organisms, so we sprayed down with cactus juice. As we set off across the bay, everywhere the water was disturbed glowed bright and the underneath sides of the kayaks looked like they had running lights. There was no one else there, and we kayaked to the darkest part of the bay where Veriito gave us a little presentation on bio-luminescence. Dick and I then jumped off our kayaks into the water- what a trip- everywhere you looked was this greenish blue glow. When you pulled your arm out of the water, you could see the individual drops of water glowing in the dark. We swam for a little while in the warm water then mastered getting back our kayaks and paddled back across the bay. Neat experience. As Verito reloaded the kayaks(he just picks them up and dumps them on top), we were treated to a different type of light show in the sky but no major rain.
I (Nancy)am back on the deck at “Finca de Caribe” watching the last of the morning showers wash the sky. This could become addictive. A good cup of coffee, a hammock on the deck; I am sure we were going to do something today but I don’t remember what it was….
Vernito gave us a ride into Isbella II to use the ATM and then on to Esperanza for some kayaking and snorkeling. We stopped at “Duffy’s” for a cold drink and left our things there while we went for a swim and snorkeling. The water was great but we did not stay in long since all there was to see was sea grass. We returned to “Duffy’s” and had crab cakes, Caribbean style, very good and fried calamari- also very good and not rubbery. We then went to “Blue Caribe Kayaks” and rented a kayak for a couple of hours at $20. We kayaked out to a small island across the bay where we found some good snorkeling. Although there was some damage to the reefs and reef bleaching, there were some beautiful purple fans, branching coral and organ pipes. There were also lots of small to medium fish: the usual tangs, striped snappers, file fish etc. We snorkeled for about an hour and Dick was looking for sea urchins and star fish. I had not seen any star fish but led him back to some beautiful urchins I had seen earlier. When we began looking more closely, we saw many smaller orange and purple urchins in between the rocks. Somehow, in the process of getting out of the rocks both of us ended up getting sea urchin quills in our hands. Mine bled like crazy until I was finally able to get all of the pieces out of my hand.
We returned to shore and began looking for a publico to take us to the market and back to the finca. There was nothing in sight. We finally ran into Judy, our hostess from Finca Caribe, working at the bar. She tried to call a publico for us, unsuccessfully since they were all on the other side of the island waiting for the ferry (or had decided they really didn’t want to work that day). Transportation is definitely a problem on the island, if we had been staying longer we would probably have rented a car, although the roads are very narrow and winding and the driver’s typical crazy drivers. There have been plans to start regular routes but to date it has not been placed into effect and of course, in low season, it is even worse. We walked to the market, bought supplies for dinner, and returned to the bar. One of the men got on his bike and took off for the area where the publicos congregate and we were able to get a ride back, after a fairly potent rum punch.
Verito had agreed to drive us to the airport in the morning so we packed, had dinner on the deck and enjoyed a last drink of rum (we are convinced that the best way to drink good rum is straight out of the bottle), and retired.
The kayak trip to Mosquito Bay was fun and very different, though I don’t know if it was worth $60 for the two of us. There was a long, very rutted road to the bay which would be a very soft mud if wet. I doubt that we could have found our way without a guide. When we got there, Verito unloaded the sit on top kayaks and we set off. He had warned us earlier not to use repellents containing DEET since it would kill the little organisms, so we sprayed down with cactus juice. As we set off across the bay, everywhere the water was disturbed glowed bright and the underneath sides of the kayaks looked like they had running lights. There was no one else there, and we kayaked to the darkest part of the bay where Veriito gave us a little presentation on bio-luminescence. Dick and I then jumped off our kayaks into the water- what a trip- everywhere you looked was this greenish blue glow. When you pulled your arm out of the water, you could see the individual drops of water glowing in the dark. We swam for a little while in the warm water then mastered getting back our kayaks and paddled back across the bay. Neat experience. As Verito reloaded the kayaks(he just picks them up and dumps them on top), we were treated to a different type of light show in the sky but no major rain.
I (Nancy)am back on the deck at “Finca de Caribe” watching the last of the morning showers wash the sky. This could become addictive. A good cup of coffee, a hammock on the deck; I am sure we were going to do something today but I don’t remember what it was….
Vernito gave us a ride into Isbella II to use the ATM and then on to Esperanza for some kayaking and snorkeling. We stopped at “Duffy’s” for a cold drink and left our things there while we went for a swim and snorkeling. The water was great but we did not stay in long since all there was to see was sea grass. We returned to “Duffy’s” and had crab cakes, Caribbean style, very good and fried calamari- also very good and not rubbery. We then went to “Blue Caribe Kayaks” and rented a kayak for a couple of hours at $20. We kayaked out to a small island across the bay where we found some good snorkeling. Although there was some damage to the reefs and reef bleaching, there were some beautiful purple fans, branching coral and organ pipes. There were also lots of small to medium fish: the usual tangs, striped snappers, file fish etc. We snorkeled for about an hour and Dick was looking for sea urchins and star fish. I had not seen any star fish but led him back to some beautiful urchins I had seen earlier. When we began looking more closely, we saw many smaller orange and purple urchins in between the rocks. Somehow, in the process of getting out of the rocks both of us ended up getting sea urchin quills in our hands. Mine bled like crazy until I was finally able to get all of the pieces out of my hand.
We returned to shore and began looking for a publico to take us to the market and back to the finca. There was nothing in sight. We finally ran into Judy, our hostess from Finca Caribe, working at the bar. She tried to call a publico for us, unsuccessfully since they were all on the other side of the island waiting for the ferry (or had decided they really didn’t want to work that day). Transportation is definitely a problem on the island, if we had been staying longer we would probably have rented a car, although the roads are very narrow and winding and the driver’s typical crazy drivers. There have been plans to start regular routes but to date it has not been placed into effect and of course, in low season, it is even worse. We walked to the market, bought supplies for dinner, and returned to the bar. One of the men got on his bike and took off for the area where the publicos congregate and we were able to get a ride back, after a fairly potent rum punch.
Verito had agreed to drive us to the airport in the morning so we packed, had dinner on the deck and enjoyed a last drink of rum (we are convinced that the best way to drink good rum is straight out of the bottle), and retired.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 Isle de Vieques
I am sitting in a hammock on the deck of Finca de Caribe, with the sun in my face and a breeze in my hair wondering how the rest of you poor peasants are doing.
This is truly one of the wonderful places set in such a tranquil setting it is hard to worry about anything. It is certainly not a luxury hotel but, in my opinion, much better than that. I look out over the jungle and watch small lizards chasing up and down the wall. There is a coconut tree overhanging the verandah and a bright orange bird watching me from a tree just beside me. If I wanted to use the energy to stretch my neck a bit, I could see the small village of Esperanza and beyond it, the Caribbean Sea. But why would I want to waste that energy, it will still be there later and a nap appears to be in order for now. More later.
The trip from San Juan was very frustrating. We were told that in order to get here we had to take the bus from Isla Verde(where we were staying) to the main San Juan Terminal and then take a bus to Rio Pedras which is actually pretty close to Isla Verde, where we were staying) and catch another bus from Rio Peidras to Fajardo then the ferry to Vieques. Not knowing any difference, we started out at 6am with the bus to San Juan arriving around 6:40- the bus to Rio Piedras did not leave until 7:15 and wandered around the city, picking up fares and arriving in Rio Piedras around 8:15. We caught the Publico to Fajardo ($25 for both of us, contrasted with the $75 or $80 taxi fare) and made it to the ferry just barely in time for the 9:30 departure. We later figured out that if we had taken a $10 taxi from our hotel to Rio Piedras, it would have taken us about 10 minutes!! One bonus: because Dick is over 75 years of age he rode the ferry free (instead of the $6 it cost Nancy).
We arrived in Isabell II at about 10:30 am. First stop was the post office where we mailed our cold weather clothes home. Then we found the restaurant, “El Patio” for a good wrap sandwich. We bought the basics of yogurt and soup, etc, and headed out for Finca de Caribe via Publico.
The finca is set in the hills above Esperanza, a small village on the southern coast. Everything here is surrounded by jungle. The guest house is a huge open structure with multiple rooms, with queen beds, and lofts . There is a salt water swimming pool and outdoor showers with solar heated water. It is a little pricey, $75 a night, but that is cheap for Puerto Rico.
After our experience with the bus/taxi etc, rather than risk problems with getting back in time for our flight on Friday, we booked airline tickets from Vieques to SJ International- little less than $100 each and we both got senior discounts this time.
The evening was filled with a kayak tour of the bioluminescent bay led by Verito (sp?) who works here at the finca. Mosquito Bay is filled with dinoflagellates( one-celled organisms) which light-up when disturbed. Seems like a natural for a kayak trip.
I am sitting in a hammock on the deck of Finca de Caribe, with the sun in my face and a breeze in my hair wondering how the rest of you poor peasants are doing.
This is truly one of the wonderful places set in such a tranquil setting it is hard to worry about anything. It is certainly not a luxury hotel but, in my opinion, much better than that. I look out over the jungle and watch small lizards chasing up and down the wall. There is a coconut tree overhanging the verandah and a bright orange bird watching me from a tree just beside me. If I wanted to use the energy to stretch my neck a bit, I could see the small village of Esperanza and beyond it, the Caribbean Sea. But why would I want to waste that energy, it will still be there later and a nap appears to be in order for now. More later.
The trip from San Juan was very frustrating. We were told that in order to get here we had to take the bus from Isla Verde(where we were staying) to the main San Juan Terminal and then take a bus to Rio Pedras which is actually pretty close to Isla Verde, where we were staying) and catch another bus from Rio Peidras to Fajardo then the ferry to Vieques. Not knowing any difference, we started out at 6am with the bus to San Juan arriving around 6:40- the bus to Rio Piedras did not leave until 7:15 and wandered around the city, picking up fares and arriving in Rio Piedras around 8:15. We caught the Publico to Fajardo ($25 for both of us, contrasted with the $75 or $80 taxi fare) and made it to the ferry just barely in time for the 9:30 departure. We later figured out that if we had taken a $10 taxi from our hotel to Rio Piedras, it would have taken us about 10 minutes!! One bonus: because Dick is over 75 years of age he rode the ferry free (instead of the $6 it cost Nancy).
We arrived in Isabell II at about 10:30 am. First stop was the post office where we mailed our cold weather clothes home. Then we found the restaurant, “El Patio” for a good wrap sandwich. We bought the basics of yogurt and soup, etc, and headed out for Finca de Caribe via Publico.
The finca is set in the hills above Esperanza, a small village on the southern coast. Everything here is surrounded by jungle. The guest house is a huge open structure with multiple rooms, with queen beds, and lofts . There is a salt water swimming pool and outdoor showers with solar heated water. It is a little pricey, $75 a night, but that is cheap for Puerto Rico.
After our experience with the bus/taxi etc, rather than risk problems with getting back in time for our flight on Friday, we booked airline tickets from Vieques to SJ International- little less than $100 each and we both got senior discounts this time.
The evening was filled with a kayak tour of the bioluminescent bay led by Verito (sp?) who works here at the finca. Mosquito Bay is filled with dinoflagellates( one-celled organisms) which light-up when disturbed. Seems like a natural for a kayak trip.
Monday, September 21
Another early morning, coffee at the hostel and the 6:30am taxi to the airport, where we found a long check-in line. It took us almost two hours to get through check-in, immigration, customs and three different security check points. We barely had time two grab a couple of empanadas before the plane boarded. The flight was about three hours but they served drinks and snacks. There were three different movies playing and choices for music. Of course, for us one of the things we really like about Jet Blue is the extra leg room in all seats (and you can buy even more for $10).
Arrived in Orlando and again had to go through immigration and customs. Dick was a little unhappy: during the security check on the Colombia side, they confiscated his scissors and cork screw which he had bought specifically to meet the TSA requirements. However, Colombian security had its own rules.
Another 2 ½ or 3 hour flight to San Juan and we arrived in a rainstorm. The taxi took us right to the Hotel Coqui in Isla Verde, a suburb of San Juan fairly close to the airport. We had dinner at their restaurant - very good – and, after hot showers, retired for the night.
Another early morning, coffee at the hostel and the 6:30am taxi to the airport, where we found a long check-in line. It took us almost two hours to get through check-in, immigration, customs and three different security check points. We barely had time two grab a couple of empanadas before the plane boarded. The flight was about three hours but they served drinks and snacks. There were three different movies playing and choices for music. Of course, for us one of the things we really like about Jet Blue is the extra leg room in all seats (and you can buy even more for $10).
Arrived in Orlando and again had to go through immigration and customs. Dick was a little unhappy: during the security check on the Colombia side, they confiscated his scissors and cork screw which he had bought specifically to meet the TSA requirements. However, Colombian security had its own rules.
Another 2 ½ or 3 hour flight to San Juan and we arrived in a rainstorm. The taxi took us right to the Hotel Coqui in Isla Verde, a suburb of San Juan fairly close to the airport. We had dinner at their restaurant - very good – and, after hot showers, retired for the night.
Wednesday September 22-San Juan, Puerto Rico
Got up this morning planning to bring the blog up to date but found no connectivity with internet. I am beginning to see that this is a pattern. They advertise that they have wireless but the server fails on a regular basis or the router needs to be reset and there is no one there who can do it. (“What happens will happen, when it happens and if it happens”)
We took off on the A5 bus to Old San Juan for a day of exploration. In spite of Puerto Rico being an American Territory, the Puerto Ricans are not quite as easy to communicate with as are other Latinos. Sort of like Vermonters, they tend to answer complicated questions with one word answers or they answer a simple question with a long and very fast answer. I do not feel they are as tolerant of my attempts to use Spanish. We had a hard time trying to understand exactly where to catch the bus and how to get to downtown. In reality, from where we were staying it turned out to be very simple. One warning: the required 75¢fare must be in coins-no dollar bills.
We arrived at the main Old San Juan terminal and discovered, to our delight, that they have a free, hop-on, hop-off trolley that runs by all the major attractions. Old San Juan is another of those old colonial cities with beautiful old buildings set in an idyllic setting along the Caribbean Sea. At least part of it is a walled city and there are two primary and several secondary forts and/or “castles.” There are several Plazas, the main plaza with a beautiful Cathedral, a convent and various museums. We also walked through several smaller but no less beautiful plazas around the city. Most have statues of various heroes of the country and many have fountains. We spent a great deal of time in the two major fortresses, Morrow on the west and San Cristobal on the east. They are fascinating places with tunnels and small rooms and large cavernous rooms, all protected by stone walls 150 feet thick. The view from the top of the walls is breathtaking. On the south side of San Juan is the protected harbor, which is currently used for cruise ships, and a ferry across the bay to the Bacardi Rum factory.
Although we used the trolley to get around the old city, it required a fair amount of walking to see the forts. San Juan is like many of the cities, cool and breezy in the morning and late afternoon but very hot and humid from about noon to 3:30 or 4pm. We tried to schedule our visits to indoor museums as well as lunch during that time. We ate a pork, onion and mashed green plaintain dish, served in a tall, round wooden goblet- shaped bowl with lots of butter that was delicious, at a cute little place where the waitresses were dressed in sparkling white linen dresses and turbans. What ethnicity does that represent? We’ve seen variations of this dish several other times in other places.
When we finally headed back to the hotel-the trip was fairly simple but with twice as many stops as coming in. Ate supper of lamb shanks with rice/or beans at a surprisingly wonderful deli type of restaurant, ”La Espana.” Very good!
When we got back to the hotel, we found the internet was still down. Since we needed to plan the rest of our Puerto Rico trip, this was a major issue. However, with the assistance of the manager, other guests and our Lonely Planet guide we came up with a plan for a visit to Vieques, an island off the east end of Puerto Rico. You may of heard of it: the Puerto Ricans protested so much that that the US Navy had to stop using it’s eastern end for a gunnery range.
Although there is an active metropolitan bus system for San Juan, there is no countrywide bus system for the rest of the territory. Taxis have taken advantage of this and are very expensive ($80 for two people for a 45 min drive to the Vieques ferry). There are also Publicos, which are 15 person vans operated privately as busses, but it is difficult to get information on how to find them. This makes travel in Puerto Rico, very difficult for tourists. In addition, my opinion is that although Puerto Ricans are not rude or unpleasant to tourists, they are not as welcoming or willing to spend time figuring out what we are trying to ask for.
Got up this morning planning to bring the blog up to date but found no connectivity with internet. I am beginning to see that this is a pattern. They advertise that they have wireless but the server fails on a regular basis or the router needs to be reset and there is no one there who can do it. (“What happens will happen, when it happens and if it happens”)
We took off on the A5 bus to Old San Juan for a day of exploration. In spite of Puerto Rico being an American Territory, the Puerto Ricans are not quite as easy to communicate with as are other Latinos. Sort of like Vermonters, they tend to answer complicated questions with one word answers or they answer a simple question with a long and very fast answer. I do not feel they are as tolerant of my attempts to use Spanish. We had a hard time trying to understand exactly where to catch the bus and how to get to downtown. In reality, from where we were staying it turned out to be very simple. One warning: the required 75¢fare must be in coins-no dollar bills.
We arrived at the main Old San Juan terminal and discovered, to our delight, that they have a free, hop-on, hop-off trolley that runs by all the major attractions. Old San Juan is another of those old colonial cities with beautiful old buildings set in an idyllic setting along the Caribbean Sea. At least part of it is a walled city and there are two primary and several secondary forts and/or “castles.” There are several Plazas, the main plaza with a beautiful Cathedral, a convent and various museums. We also walked through several smaller but no less beautiful plazas around the city. Most have statues of various heroes of the country and many have fountains. We spent a great deal of time in the two major fortresses, Morrow on the west and San Cristobal on the east. They are fascinating places with tunnels and small rooms and large cavernous rooms, all protected by stone walls 150 feet thick. The view from the top of the walls is breathtaking. On the south side of San Juan is the protected harbor, which is currently used for cruise ships, and a ferry across the bay to the Bacardi Rum factory.
Although we used the trolley to get around the old city, it required a fair amount of walking to see the forts. San Juan is like many of the cities, cool and breezy in the morning and late afternoon but very hot and humid from about noon to 3:30 or 4pm. We tried to schedule our visits to indoor museums as well as lunch during that time. We ate a pork, onion and mashed green plaintain dish, served in a tall, round wooden goblet- shaped bowl with lots of butter that was delicious, at a cute little place where the waitresses were dressed in sparkling white linen dresses and turbans. What ethnicity does that represent? We’ve seen variations of this dish several other times in other places.
When we finally headed back to the hotel-the trip was fairly simple but with twice as many stops as coming in. Ate supper of lamb shanks with rice/or beans at a surprisingly wonderful deli type of restaurant, ”La Espana.” Very good!
When we got back to the hotel, we found the internet was still down. Since we needed to plan the rest of our Puerto Rico trip, this was a major issue. However, with the assistance of the manager, other guests and our Lonely Planet guide we came up with a plan for a visit to Vieques, an island off the east end of Puerto Rico. You may of heard of it: the Puerto Ricans protested so much that that the US Navy had to stop using it’s eastern end for a gunnery range.
Although there is an active metropolitan bus system for San Juan, there is no countrywide bus system for the rest of the territory. Taxis have taken advantage of this and are very expensive ($80 for two people for a 45 min drive to the Vieques ferry). There are also Publicos, which are 15 person vans operated privately as busses, but it is difficult to get information on how to find them. This makes travel in Puerto Rico, very difficult for tourists. In addition, my opinion is that although Puerto Ricans are not rude or unpleasant to tourists, they are not as welcoming or willing to spend time figuring out what we are trying to ask for.
Monday, September 21
Another early morning, coffee at the hostel and the 6:30am taxi to the airport, where we found a long check-in line. It took us almost two hours to get through check-in, immigration, customs and three different security check points. We barely had time two grab a couple of empanadas before the plane boarded. The flight was about three hours but they served drinks and snacks. There were three different movies playing and choices for music. Of course, for us one of the things we really like about Jet Blue is the extra leg room in all seats (and you can buy even more for $10).
Arrived in Orlando and again had to go through immigration and customs. Dick was a little unhappy: during the security check on the Colombia side, they confiscated his scissors and cork screw which he had bought specifically to meet the TSA requirements. However, Colombian security had its own rules.
Another 2 ½ or 3 hour flight to San Juan and we arrived in a rainstorm. The taxi took us right to the Hotel Coqui in Isla Verde, a suburb of San Juan fairly close to the airport. We had dinner at their restaurant - very good – and, after hot showers, retired for the night.
Sunday September 20th-Bogota
What a wonderful day. Even though we got in late last night, we woke up early since we had lots planned for the day. But first, the hostel. It is a beautiful place with two courtyards and an enclosed kitchen with a wood stove so it stays warm. The style is Spanish Colonial with stucco walls and exposed log beams. The staff are very friendly and perhaps the best thing-they have hot water!! A treat in South America. The price is a little higher than we like to pay-approx $35 for a double room but it is well worth it.
The first project of the day was riding the “funicular” (cable car built for steep slopes) up Cerro Monserrate. Great experience and the view from the top is incredible.
We then went to BiciCafe to rent bikes for the Ciclovia (COP$15,000 each for four hours). The Ciclovia is an every Sunday event. Some of the major streets in Bogota are closed to vehicular traffic from 7am-2pm and hundreds of people take to the streets on bicycles, in-line skates, skateboards, walking, wheelchairs-you name it. It is quite an experience. Along the streets various performance groups and individuals entertain crowds of various sizes. Today one of the parks featured music and dance presentations by various schools (appeared to be mainly high school age). They included dancers, orchestras and bands, and costumed stilt-walkers. All the usual food booths and street vendors plus restaurants are open along the way. It was great fun!! Unfortunately towards the end of the day at the far south end of the main street, I hit something and my tire went flat, so we got the experience of “hike-a-bike” the 10 or 11 blocks back to the bike shop.
Mike showed us where a neat little ice cream shop was so we indulged in more food (this was on top of a bunch of things from the street vendors which tasted wonderful but I am not sure what they were). It started raining but we decided to walk back to the hostel and found we have gotten used to a lot of walking-much of it uphill!!.
After a nap-we headed out for dinner and discovered that practically nothing is open for dinner on Sunday night. We ended up in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant where the food was actually pretty good. Tomorrow we fly out to Orlando and back to San Juan, Puerto Rico, so more later.
What a wonderful day. Even though we got in late last night, we woke up early since we had lots planned for the day. But first, the hostel. It is a beautiful place with two courtyards and an enclosed kitchen with a wood stove so it stays warm. The style is Spanish Colonial with stucco walls and exposed log beams. The staff are very friendly and perhaps the best thing-they have hot water!! A treat in South America. The price is a little higher than we like to pay-approx $35 for a double room but it is well worth it.
The first project of the day was riding the “funicular” (cable car built for steep slopes) up Cerro Monserrate. Great experience and the view from the top is incredible.
We then went to BiciCafe to rent bikes for the Ciclovia (COP$15,000 each for four hours). The Ciclovia is an every Sunday event. Some of the major streets in Bogota are closed to vehicular traffic from 7am-2pm and hundreds of people take to the streets on bicycles, in-line skates, skateboards, walking, wheelchairs-you name it. It is quite an experience. Along the streets various performance groups and individuals entertain crowds of various sizes. Today one of the parks featured music and dance presentations by various schools (appeared to be mainly high school age). They included dancers, orchestras and bands, and costumed stilt-walkers. All the usual food booths and street vendors plus restaurants are open along the way. It was great fun!! Unfortunately towards the end of the day at the far south end of the main street, I hit something and my tire went flat, so we got the experience of “hike-a-bike” the 10 or 11 blocks back to the bike shop.
Mike showed us where a neat little ice cream shop was so we indulged in more food (this was on top of a bunch of things from the street vendors which tasted wonderful but I am not sure what they were). It started raining but we decided to walk back to the hostel and found we have gotten used to a lot of walking-much of it uphill!!.
After a nap-we headed out for dinner and discovered that practically nothing is open for dinner on Sunday night. We ended up in a hole-in-the-wall restaurant where the food was actually pretty good. Tomorrow we fly out to Orlando and back to San Juan, Puerto Rico, so more later.
Finally- we are in NYC and have wireless network so I will try to bring you up to date:
Saturday September 19, 2009
Since we have internet here we spent some time this morning taking care of business: booking a room in Bogota; paying bills and catching up on the blogs. We set out at about 10am to see the old city in daylight. It is truly awe inspiring. We started by going to “Las Bovedas” or the dungeon. These are set along the outer wall of the city and were originally used for storing supplies and munitions, later were converted into jail cells and are currently used gift shops. We walked up onto a large plaza on the wall. From there you can see the Caribbean sea and get a little oriented towards the city. There was a kite competition going on with close to a hundred kites flying outside the wall.
We started down one of the streets and soon found ourselves totally lost. We stopped at the “Juan Valdez” coffee shop to check our maps and Dick was soon able to figure it out. We walked to the Bolivar Plaza which is cool and green. We did check out some emeralds at one of the shops (they told us it was an emerald museum) and although undoubtedly, if you are buying emeralds, Colombia is one of the best places to buy, that was not on our agenda. We went to the “Palacio de la Inquisicion” where they displayed various implement of torture which were used to unearth witches and heretics. We then traveled upstairs to the historical museum which has some history and artifacts from early Cartagenia. We spent much of morning and early afternoon wandering through the city before heading back to the hotel to check out, stopping for lunch at a neat little café on 10th street for their comida corriente (set lunch)of soup and Cuban pork, rice and salad.
We went back to the hotel room to check out and used their wireless for a couple of hours til it cooled off for a bit. It does get quite hot and muggy in Cartagena but not nearly as bad as we had expected and it does cool off in the late afternoon and evenings, especially if there is a breeze from the ocean. We stored our bags at the hotel and walked back up to the old city looking for an ice cream place for dinner. We really enjoyed sitting and watching people for an hour or two.
We finally made our way to the airport and were checked in, through security and ready to leave about an hour and a half before our plane was due to depart. No restaurant after security at the airport(at least at the domestic terminal). The plane was on time and we had an uneventful hour + flight to Bogota. When weighing the $100 flight against the $60 – 23 hour bus trip it was a no brainer choice.
We checked into the Anandamayi Hostel just a block up Calle 9 from the Posada del Sol. This is an absolutely beautiful hostel, set in an old home that has been tastefully remodeled, more about the hostel tomorrow. She did give us hot water bottles to sleep with since it was so cold.
Saturday September 19, 2009
Since we have internet here we spent some time this morning taking care of business: booking a room in Bogota; paying bills and catching up on the blogs. We set out at about 10am to see the old city in daylight. It is truly awe inspiring. We started by going to “Las Bovedas” or the dungeon. These are set along the outer wall of the city and were originally used for storing supplies and munitions, later were converted into jail cells and are currently used gift shops. We walked up onto a large plaza on the wall. From there you can see the Caribbean sea and get a little oriented towards the city. There was a kite competition going on with close to a hundred kites flying outside the wall.
We started down one of the streets and soon found ourselves totally lost. We stopped at the “Juan Valdez” coffee shop to check our maps and Dick was soon able to figure it out. We walked to the Bolivar Plaza which is cool and green. We did check out some emeralds at one of the shops (they told us it was an emerald museum) and although undoubtedly, if you are buying emeralds, Colombia is one of the best places to buy, that was not on our agenda. We went to the “Palacio de la Inquisicion” where they displayed various implement of torture which were used to unearth witches and heretics. We then traveled upstairs to the historical museum which has some history and artifacts from early Cartagenia. We spent much of morning and early afternoon wandering through the city before heading back to the hotel to check out, stopping for lunch at a neat little café on 10th street for their comida corriente (set lunch)of soup and Cuban pork, rice and salad.
We went back to the hotel room to check out and used their wireless for a couple of hours til it cooled off for a bit. It does get quite hot and muggy in Cartagena but not nearly as bad as we had expected and it does cool off in the late afternoon and evenings, especially if there is a breeze from the ocean. We stored our bags at the hotel and walked back up to the old city looking for an ice cream place for dinner. We really enjoyed sitting and watching people for an hour or two.
We finally made our way to the airport and were checked in, through security and ready to leave about an hour and a half before our plane was due to depart. No restaurant after security at the airport(at least at the domestic terminal). The plane was on time and we had an uneventful hour + flight to Bogota. When weighing the $100 flight against the $60 – 23 hour bus trip it was a no brainer choice.
We checked into the Anandamayi Hostel just a block up Calle 9 from the Posada del Sol. This is an absolutely beautiful hostel, set in an old home that has been tastefully remodeled, more about the hostel tomorrow. She did give us hot water bottles to sleep with since it was so cold.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Friday, September 18
We woke late and had a wonderful breakfast at the hostel. Food seems to be the one thing that we have usually gotten right. The owner of Divanga makes good coffee, which is not the norm in Colombia. Apparently, most the high quality beans go to the US , much as we found in Honduras where the prime fruits are packaged and sent to US and UK. I don’t think I could develop a taste for tinto, the black coffee, heavily sugared, served in small plastic cups.
We poked around town for a while and ended up at the bus stop with just enough time to get some empanadas to go before our bus left. Our bus was a fifteen seat van and we left Taganga at close to 11:45, however, when we got to Santa Marta, the driver had to run all over town picking up other passengers and it was close to 1pm before we got on the road. Traffic was heavy and there was a lot of construction which put us at the drop of point for the Volcan at almost 3:30pm. We figured there was no way we get up there (1km walk) take a mud bath, rinse off and get back to the bus stop to be sure of catching the 5pm bus. Also, our driver was very rude and was unwilling to give us any information about when the last bus would be through. So another one of those plans not to be.
We arrived in Cartagena at 6:15pm and were glad that we had not stayed later to do the Volcan since most of the hostels were full and we had to search for lodging. We ended up at a wonderful small hotel, “Casa Villa Colonial” in Getsemani within the walled city but outside the old town (three blocks away). We settled in and decided to go for a walk through the old town and find dinner.
Cartagena is not a city that is easy to describe, it is incredibly beautiful and has a mix of the beautiful old colonial buildings and houses and a sprinkling of the Cariibe culture with outdoor booths selling handicrafts, clothing , food etc. Almost all of the houses have balconies which hold cascading bougainvillea plants. It is grand, majestic and romantic and once you are away from the street performances of salsa dancing and the many booths lining some of the plazas, it is a very tranquil place. There are 2000 policia de turista patrolling the streets so there is a great sense of security.
We ended up at El Bistro for dinner. We3 had a seafood soup in coconut milk with a hint of curry and Mediterranean rice with seafood. It was wonderful. We finally made it back to the hotel around 10pm.
We woke late and had a wonderful breakfast at the hostel. Food seems to be the one thing that we have usually gotten right. The owner of Divanga makes good coffee, which is not the norm in Colombia. Apparently, most the high quality beans go to the US , much as we found in Honduras where the prime fruits are packaged and sent to US and UK. I don’t think I could develop a taste for tinto, the black coffee, heavily sugared, served in small plastic cups.
We poked around town for a while and ended up at the bus stop with just enough time to get some empanadas to go before our bus left. Our bus was a fifteen seat van and we left Taganga at close to 11:45, however, when we got to Santa Marta, the driver had to run all over town picking up other passengers and it was close to 1pm before we got on the road. Traffic was heavy and there was a lot of construction which put us at the drop of point for the Volcan at almost 3:30pm. We figured there was no way we get up there (1km walk) take a mud bath, rinse off and get back to the bus stop to be sure of catching the 5pm bus. Also, our driver was very rude and was unwilling to give us any information about when the last bus would be through. So another one of those plans not to be.
We arrived in Cartagena at 6:15pm and were glad that we had not stayed later to do the Volcan since most of the hostels were full and we had to search for lodging. We ended up at a wonderful small hotel, “Casa Villa Colonial” in Getsemani within the walled city but outside the old town (three blocks away). We settled in and decided to go for a walk through the old town and find dinner.
Cartagena is not a city that is easy to describe, it is incredibly beautiful and has a mix of the beautiful old colonial buildings and houses and a sprinkling of the Cariibe culture with outdoor booths selling handicrafts, clothing , food etc. Almost all of the houses have balconies which hold cascading bougainvillea plants. It is grand, majestic and romantic and once you are away from the street performances of salsa dancing and the many booths lining some of the plazas, it is a very tranquil place. There are 2000 policia de turista patrolling the streets so there is a great sense of security.
We ended up at El Bistro for dinner. We3 had a seafood soup in coconut milk with a hint of curry and Mediterranean rice with seafood. It was wonderful. We finally made it back to the hotel around 10pm.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Wednesday, September 16
Today was a travel day though we spent a little more time exploring San Gil and the plaza before we left. We had hoped to go up to the waterfall before we left but either the man at the bus station gave us inaccurate info or we misunderstood him but we though we needed to leave by 10am or so if we were to make the connections we wanted. We caught the bus to Parque Nacional Chicamocha and arrived about an hour and a half later. The road into the park is breathtaking: narrow, winding and following the edge of one of the most spectacular canyons I have ever seen.
The entrance to the park is a little Disneyland-like but the end result is worth it. We had all our luggage with us and were very grateful for the Colombian effort to provide ramps for the handicapped. There is a spectacular monument dedicated to the Santanders, Columbian revolutionaries and the Guane Indians, who sparked the grass roots movement which ultimately resulted in the defeat of the Spanish Conquistadors. We will include some pictures in the blog.
We had lunch and wandered around the complex and heard an excellent speech on the Santanders and their role in the fighting the Spanish Conquistadors, in English. We then took the tram down the mountain, across the canyon floor and up the even steeper mountains on the other side. We continued our bus rides, arriving in Bucaramunga early enough to have dinner before our 8:30pm bus ride to Santa Marta. We decided to eat there at the terminal and were amazed by a very good dinner of chicken with mushrooms and cheese.
Te bus left pretty much right on time and we snuggled in for our 9 hour ride to Santa Marta on the Caribbean Coast. The drivers keep the bus so cold that heavy jackets and blankets are required.
Te bus left pretty much right on time and we snuggled in for our 9 hour ride to Santa Marta on the Caribbean Coast. The drivers keep the bus so cold that heavy jackets and blankets are required.
Thursday September 17
A very cold overnight ride put us in Santa Marta at 5am. We had originally planned to take a later bus at 10:30pm which would have arrived in Santa Marta at 8:30 but it was apparently cancelled. Santa Marta is a huge city and not very attractive and we wanted to leave as soon as possible. We got a taxi to take us over the hill to Taganga, a beautiful little seaside village set in the next bay. However, when we arrived at 6am, absolutely nothing was open so we went back to Santa Marta for breakfast at a restaurant known by the driver (and probably run by his cousin).
After breakfast, we returned to Taganga and, after checking out several places, found the Hostel Divanga which was very nice but a ways up the hill from the rest of town and the beach (translate into involuntary exercise). We had a very nice room with a private bath for COP$80 breakfast included. Just outside our room was a swimming pool which we initially questioned but found it was a good way of rinsing off the salt water at the end of the day.
First order of business, after a good cup of coffee and a chance to catch up on lost sleep, was to walk down to the travel agency to book our flight from Cartagena to Bogota on Sunday. We got a good rate, only $100USD each but the flights on Sunday were all booked and we had to book for Saturday, late night. Unfortunately that cut down our stay on the coast so we booked at 12:30pm bus out for the next day which we thought would allow us to stop a couple of hours at Volcan De Lodo which has warm mud you can relax in.
We hiked across the hill to the next beach and snorkeled that afternoon. There were no reefs but lots of fish hiding in and among the rocks by the shore. We hiked back as evening fell and walked up the hill to our hostel where we had a wonderful dinner.
Tuesday, September 15
I (Nancy) set out at 6am in search of coffee. None of the restaurants were open yet but in the park a man was selling “tinto”, a very strong black coffee served in a small plastic cup. The park was already alive, teaming with school kids, old men sharing stories and a few young lovers holding hands.
There had been a large thunderstorm the night before which knocked out the internet server, not an uncommon experience. We finally gave up and wandered up to the local hostal to find out what tours were planned but the ones we were interested in had already left and we decided we were not ready to try paragliding. We located the Parque El Gallneral which is located on an island between the Quebrada Curiti and Rio Fonce. The large trees are covered in moss that is 6-8 feet long and it does remind one of walking though the forest of middle earth in The Hobbit. Both rivers are very large and contain a lot of silt so they are churning and gray, almost sinister. The park is very beautiful with winding paths and lots of flowers as well as some tame Amazons and Macaws. A thunderstorm came up while we were in the park and we spent some pleasant time sitting under a tree limb, drinking Chicha( a strong fermented maize and corn syrup drink native to Colombia) and watching a couple of Macaws and their antics.
I (Nancy) set out at 6am in search of coffee. None of the restaurants were open yet but in the park a man was selling “tinto”, a very strong black coffee served in a small plastic cup. The park was already alive, teaming with school kids, old men sharing stories and a few young lovers holding hands.
There had been a large thunderstorm the night before which knocked out the internet server, not an uncommon experience. We finally gave up and wandered up to the local hostal to find out what tours were planned but the ones we were interested in had already left and we decided we were not ready to try paragliding. We located the Parque El Gallneral which is located on an island between the Quebrada Curiti and Rio Fonce. The large trees are covered in moss that is 6-8 feet long and it does remind one of walking though the forest of middle earth in The Hobbit. Both rivers are very large and contain a lot of silt so they are churning and gray, almost sinister. The park is very beautiful with winding paths and lots of flowers as well as some tame Amazons and Macaws. A thunderstorm came up while we were in the park and we spent some pleasant time sitting under a tree limb, drinking Chicha( a strong fermented maize and corn syrup drink native to Colombia) and watching a couple of Macaws and their antics.
Monday, September 14th
We regretfully left Villa Leyva on the bus to Tunja, another scary experience. I think it is probably better not to look. Along the way, we noted that where, in the US, we would have small crosses marking the spot where people were killed in accidents, in Colombia they build small (2’x3’) mausoleums and sometimes they are quite elaborate with statues and intricate carvings.
The bus trip from Tunja to San Gil was long, hot and crowded. We passed few a few pretty little villages and arrived in San Gil at about 3. We checked into the Pasado de Conde hotel which occupies a huge old colonial home, with beautiful wood work but cold showers. We went out to explore the Plaza which has several large Ceiba trees and a very pretty fountain.
The plaza was filled with people and with children playing. There is a neat stone church on one corner. There are places where the streets are very steep and a couple that use switchbacks to allow people to get up them.
We decided to find a place that served Aguardiente, an anise flavored sweet white liquor highly favored in Colombia. We could not find a bar open that early (apparently bars are more like nightclubs with dancing). We did find a little bar on the corner which advertised Aguardiente. They brought us a bottle of the liquor and shot glass-sized platic cups with a water chaser. It was good but too sweet for my taste. We had dinner at El Mana, which serves a set menu for COP$8000, a little less than $5.We ordered pork in plum sauce and chicken in pineapple. Our meal began with a large bowl of soup; the entrée came with rice, potatoes and a salad. For a drink we had lulo juice. Lulos grow only in Colombia and the borders of Ecuador and Brazil. For dessert was a lemon flan.
BUS RIDING
TRAVEL NOTE: Re: bus travel in the mountains: First of all, you must realize that the mountains here are very steep and rise high above the valleys. Therefore, the roads are a constant series of switchbacks and acute turns which make the Buckhorn look like an interstate. Also, the rules here are slightly different. Busses are permitted to travel at less than 80 kph (50 mph) only when coming to a complete stop at a bus station. This means that they hurle themselves into the blind, sharp turns as though they were dive bombing them. They have a digital speedometer mounted in the passenger compartment but, mercifully, they don’t work. Also, apparently vehicles are permitted to pass other vehicles only on the tightest and blindest of turns and hills and when there is a double yellow line on the road. Double yellow lines mean the same here as in the US: Do not cross! Here, however, they mean: Do not cross back into the right-hand lane until you see the massive truck coming at you, also traveling at more then 80 kph. The driver is a virtual artist at following these rules and will inspire your confidence by crossing himself when approaching sharp, blind corners with precarious dropoffs on the side. We were a little disturbed on the road from Villa de Leyva to San Gil because the driver failed to do this but were greatly relieved when we discovered it was because he was using his cell phone most of the time. DY
TRAVEL NOTE: Re: bus travel in the mountains: First of all, you must realize that the mountains here are very steep and rise high above the valleys. Therefore, the roads are a constant series of switchbacks and acute turns which make the Buckhorn look like an interstate. Also, the rules here are slightly different. Busses are permitted to travel at less than 80 kph (50 mph) only when coming to a complete stop at a bus station. This means that they hurle themselves into the blind, sharp turns as though they were dive bombing them. They have a digital speedometer mounted in the passenger compartment but, mercifully, they don’t work. Also, apparently vehicles are permitted to pass other vehicles only on the tightest and blindest of turns and hills and when there is a double yellow line on the road. Double yellow lines mean the same here as in the US: Do not cross! Here, however, they mean: Do not cross back into the right-hand lane until you see the massive truck coming at you, also traveling at more then 80 kph. The driver is a virtual artist at following these rules and will inspire your confidence by crossing himself when approaching sharp, blind corners with precarious dropoffs on the side. We were a little disturbed on the road from Villa de Leyva to San Gil because the driver failed to do this but were greatly relieved when we discovered it was because he was using his cell phone most of the time. DY
Mr. Coqui's Blue Cow
Finally, I have some access to the internet- I will try to catch up. We are currently in Taganga, on the Caribbean Coast. We are heading for the mud baths and Cartagena this afternoon and for Bogota on Saturday night. (We were unable to book a flight out on Sunday so had to cut the Coastal part short.
Sunday, September 13 Villa de Leyva
After a large breakfast at the Hospederia we decided that this would be a day to relax after our somewhat strenuous schedule since arriving in Colombia. So we mainly ate and wandered, which all agree is the best way to experience the town. The village was declared a national monument in 1954 and has been preserved as it was in the 16th century.
Since it was Sunday morning the bells at the Iglesia Parroquial on the Plaza began ringing around 7am and continued throughout the morning as various masses were called. Many of the museums were closed because it was Sunday and since it is off-season, the town is not the bustling tourist attraction of spring and summer-a good thing.Being unwilling to stick to the normal byways, we found a little path that took us down and over a stream and uproad behind the Plaza. We found another Plaza dedicated to Antonio Recaurte who blew himself and a large Spanish battalion up in a local fort, leading the the defeat of the Spanish Army’s takeover of that area. (one of the first suicide bombers?) Another plazoletto adjacent to the larger plaza is beautiful garden with several different types of flowers and shrubs.We stopped for a mid morning café and chocolate and a bit later for lunch. We continued winding through the streets and poking into little shops along the way. Finally we ended up back at the Hospederia for some rest and relaxation. That night we found a little restaurant one of the side streets and had a tasty repast of whole fried fish and beef brisket with potatoes and tomato and avocado salad. We noted that in the states that salad is mostly tomato while in Columbia where tomatoes are scarce, it is mainly avocado.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
It has been difficult to get this posted and get the pictures in. I can't seem to edit the previous posts at this time so I will try to just bring everything up to date with a few pictures.
At the next station, a group of people boarded the train and we were sitting in their seats, so we needed to move into the car ahead. When we got there two elderly senoras were sitting in our seats and we did not see any other available seats. Dick tried to put my backpack into the rack overhead but it rolled out and right onto the elder of the two ladies. We apologized profusely and the train police seated us in the front of the car. Dick cut his finger on my bag which bled all over everything including, we found out at the Zipaquira station, the elderly lady he had bonked with the case.
Zipaquira is a pretty little town with the requisite cathedral. We boarded the tour bus to the Salt Cathedral, up the hill from the town. The cathedral was built in the old salt mine, primarily to give the miners, who spent days underground in a deadly occupation, a cathedral . It was open to the public in 1995 and is a powerful sight. In the side-passages which lead off of the main line, 190m below ground, , they have built thirteen stations of the cross and three naves which are huge domed structures with pews, altars and crosses. They are proud to claim the second-largest cross in the world. Then they quietly insert, “Under ground.” Salt mining continues and it is estimated that the reserves will last another 500 years.
When we finished the tour, we found that there is no bus from Zipaquira to Tunja, our next bus exchange to go to Villa Leyva. The tour bus driver detoured off his route in Cajica to take us to the station from which our bus departed and we were on our way, arriving in Villa Leyva at around 3pm. The Colombian bus drivers are no different than those we have seen in Central America, in a word “crazy”. It is a bit unnerving to see them cross themselves as they pass a slow- (or worse, fast)-moving truck on a blind curve. However, a difference between Colombia and other countries is the relatively cleanliness of the roads and cities. Gone are the miles and miles of plastic bags and bottles.
Villa Leyva is a strikingly beautiful town built around a huge central plaza. For an area of about three blocks around the plaza all roads are cobblestones including the plaza itself. We had a double room, which included a full breakfast, at a charming little hotel, Hospederia La Roca, for COP$80 (about $40 USD). We walked around the plaza and found various street performances occurring by the cathedral. For dinner, at Mr. Coqui’s, we had a traditional Colombian stew, Ajiaca, made with a variety of veggies and chicken. It was outstanding.
Saturday, September 12
After sleeping through our alarm and not getting our pre-arranged wake-up call, we woke at 7:11 and needed to be at the train station at 8am. We managed to make it (and even had a cab driver who knew how to find it, picked up a morning snack and coffee and, at 8:30 boarded the train for Zipaquira. Finding a coach which was almost empty, we claimed seats on either side for good photo opportunities, not realizing that we were supposed to be in assigned seats in another car.
After sleeping through our alarm and not getting our pre-arranged wake-up call, we woke at 7:11 and needed to be at the train station at 8am. We managed to make it (and even had a cab driver who knew how to find it, picked up a morning snack and coffee and, at 8:30 boarded the train for Zipaquira. Finding a coach which was almost empty, we claimed seats on either side for good photo opportunities, not realizing that we were supposed to be in assigned seats in another car.
We set off from Bogota through one of the more depressed areas- large crammed-in apartment complexes and houses little more than shacks. Sadly, in the grass alongside the tracks were a series of homeless structures (most look like cardboard or tires covered with tarps) and a step down people wrapped in blankets lying out in the open. This, in an area that regularly gets down into the low 40s at night during the summer.
At the next station, a group of people boarded the train and we were sitting in their seats, so we needed to move into the car ahead. When we got there two elderly senoras were sitting in our seats and we did not see any other available seats. Dick tried to put my backpack into the rack overhead but it rolled out and right onto the elder of the two ladies. We apologized profusely and the train police seated us in the front of the car. Dick cut his finger on my bag which bled all over everything including, we found out at the Zipaquira station, the elderly lady he had bonked with the case.
Zipaquira is a pretty little town with the requisite cathedral. We boarded the tour bus to the Salt Cathedral, up the hill from the town. The cathedral was built in the old salt mine, primarily to give the miners, who spent days underground in a deadly occupation, a cathedral . It was open to the public in 1995 and is a powerful sight. In the side-passages which lead off of the main line, 190m below ground, , they have built thirteen stations of the cross and three naves which are huge domed structures with pews, altars and crosses. They are proud to claim the second-largest cross in the world. Then they quietly insert, “Under ground.” Salt mining continues and it is estimated that the reserves will last another 500 years.
When we finished the tour, we found that there is no bus from Zipaquira to Tunja, our next bus exchange to go to Villa Leyva. The tour bus driver detoured off his route in Cajica to take us to the station from which our bus departed and we were on our way, arriving in Villa Leyva at around 3pm. The Colombian bus drivers are no different than those we have seen in Central America, in a word “crazy”. It is a bit unnerving to see them cross themselves as they pass a slow- (or worse, fast)-moving truck on a blind curve. However, a difference between Colombia and other countries is the relatively cleanliness of the roads and cities. Gone are the miles and miles of plastic bags and bottles.
Villa Leyva is a strikingly beautiful town built around a huge central plaza. For an area of about three blocks around the plaza all roads are cobblestones including the plaza itself. We had a double room, which included a full breakfast, at a charming little hotel, Hospederia La Roca, for COP$80 (about $40 USD). We walked around the plaza and found various street performances occurring by the cathedral. For dinner, at Mr. Coqui’s, we had a traditional Colombian stew, Ajiaca, made with a variety of veggies and chicken. It was outstanding.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Thursday, September 11, 2009
I can’t write that date without reflecting back on the deadly date. I think all Americans at least think about it on 9-11 of each year.
Today was a day of independent exploration. Unfortunately, we started late and, after a breakfast of some of the fruits we purchased at the market, we found that the Posada del Sol was not going to be able to accommodate us for that night. ( I had reserved for two nights and when we got here decided to stay an extra night). So, we headed out to look for a new hostel/hotel. We found the Hotel Aragon on 3rd Carrera and 16th Calle , a fairly basic hotel for 38,000 COP per night. From there we decided to do some sightseeing and run some errands on our way back to the hostel.
Right around the corner from the hotel we found Los Dos restaurant and had crepes, one chicken and one beef, with bubbling cheese. Absolutely delicious! We waddled out of there and down the hill for our train tickets for the next morning tourist train to Zipaquira. When we got to the area where we needed to walk through to the station, the police told us it was not safe to walk through there and to take a taxi, which we did. We bought our tickets and walked a very short way to Sabana station where we boarded the TransMileno bus through the dangerous area. The TransMileno is Bogota’s answer to rapid transit. The large articulated buses have their own divided lane and are able to move fairly fast through the town. From the next station we walked to and across Bolivar Plaza to the Presidential Palace where an outdoor security checkpoint stops some walkers (e.g. Nancy) to check their backpacks. It is a very imposing building but I thought the Observatory next to it was more beautiful. We then walked up the hill to the Iglesia Museo Santa Clara which is a very ornate church attached to a large building and now run by the government as a museum.
By this time, we were ready to eat again and decided we needed to try chocolate santofereno, which is chocolate which is served with a white cheese and bread. You dip the cheese into the chocolate and eat it with the bread. We decided it was an acquired taste.
From there we took a taxi back to the hotel, exhausted again, having essentially walked all over the Candelaria area again. Bogota is laid out as a grid with Calles going one way and Carreteras going the other. The address gives you the street or avenue and number address which intersection it is near. For instance Calle 3 12-47 would be on Calle 3 between Carretera 12th and 13th. Easy, right?? Apparently not for taxi drivers, however. They not only can’t find desired destinations, but they also are unwilling to believe that a passenger could possibly know where he/she is going. To compensate, they have developed the ability to back up or down steep hills on narrow, one way streets at great speeds.
I can’t write that date without reflecting back on the deadly date. I think all Americans at least think about it on 9-11 of each year.
Today was a day of independent exploration. Unfortunately, we started late and, after a breakfast of some of the fruits we purchased at the market, we found that the Posada del Sol was not going to be able to accommodate us for that night. ( I had reserved for two nights and when we got here decided to stay an extra night). So, we headed out to look for a new hostel/hotel. We found the Hotel Aragon on 3rd Carrera and 16th Calle , a fairly basic hotel for 38,000 COP per night. From there we decided to do some sightseeing and run some errands on our way back to the hostel.
Right around the corner from the hotel we found Los Dos restaurant and had crepes, one chicken and one beef, with bubbling cheese. Absolutely delicious! We waddled out of there and down the hill for our train tickets for the next morning tourist train to Zipaquira. When we got to the area where we needed to walk through to the station, the police told us it was not safe to walk through there and to take a taxi, which we did. We bought our tickets and walked a very short way to Sabana station where we boarded the TransMileno bus through the dangerous area. The TransMileno is Bogota’s answer to rapid transit. The large articulated buses have their own divided lane and are able to move fairly fast through the town. From the next station we walked to and across Bolivar Plaza to the Presidential Palace where an outdoor security checkpoint stops some walkers (e.g. Nancy) to check their backpacks. It is a very imposing building but I thought the Observatory next to it was more beautiful. We then walked up the hill to the Iglesia Museo Santa Clara which is a very ornate church attached to a large building and now run by the government as a museum.
By this time, we were ready to eat again and decided we needed to try chocolate santofereno, which is chocolate which is served with a white cheese and bread. You dip the cheese into the chocolate and eat it with the bread. We decided it was an acquired taste.
From there we took a taxi back to the hotel, exhausted again, having essentially walked all over the Candelaria area again. Bogota is laid out as a grid with Calles going one way and Carreteras going the other. The address gives you the street or avenue and number address which intersection it is near. For instance Calle 3 12-47 would be on Calle 3 between Carretera 12th and 13th. Easy, right?? Apparently not for taxi drivers, however. They not only can’t find desired destinations, but they also are unwilling to believe that a passenger could possibly know where he/she is going. To compensate, they have developed the ability to back up or down steep hills on narrow, one way streets at great speeds.
Sorry guys, I have not had internet access for a whiile but tomorrow should be able to use my computer so no pictures with the blogs today. check back tomorrow!!
Thursday, September 10, 2009 continued
What a wonderful way of seeing the city. The owner, Mike, met us at our hostel at 10am and walked with us down to their shop at BiciCycle on 3rd Cerrera. We met Tatania, our guide. We had explained that we normally ride at 600 ft and had only been in Bogota, at 8600 ft since the night before. Tati, assured us that would not be a problem. After some problems fitting bikes to riders, we were on our way, primarily in an area of Bogotá called La Candelaria , which includes much of the historic part of town. We rode from about 10:30 am until 5pm. What an amazing city! We have included a few pictures here but since we don’t want to spend all of our time at a computer while here, we will post more later.
Tati was a great guide, very knowledgeable and took us through some back roads to avoid the heavy traffic. We stopped at Casa la Cicuta, which is a beautiful garden setting restaurant owned by an artist as evidenced by a gallery of paintings and other art work. We had what would be the Columbian equivalent of a smoothie with a variety of fruits and mint. It was tempting to stay in the garden, so tranquil, but no, off to battle the traffic of Bogota and discover her sights. We rode to the Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo, which is credited as the birthplace of Bogota. It is a very small Plaza ringed by a church (of course) and several small shops. Then up to a wonderful little farmers market where we sampled several fruits strange to us. The bananas and the hand grenade were yumm. The large green blob not.
We rode down to the huge Plaza de Bolivar and marveled at all the government buildings as well as the Catedral Primada which line the Plaza. The Plaza is filled with people walking, photographing, selling various items and feeding the thousands of pigeons who take advantage of their largesse. Several of the highland people had brought their alpacas to the plaza, I was unclear as to whether they were selling rides or pictures of children on an alpaca. There were lots of school children including some brightly dressed preschoolers being brought to the plaza by their teachers.
We went by the Emerald Traders market (Colombia is one of the principal miners of emeralds), saw the Juan Valdez coffee shop. We rode down Carrera 7, the center of Candelaria past shops, churches and craft markets. We passed what Tati calls the museum square-a several block area with museums including Museo Botero(a famous artist of the area) a museum of coins, a military museum etc. We had lunch at a charming place on Cerera 7, sitting upstairs. We chose their cerviche and epanadas. We have had wonderful food in Bogota, both in the restaurants and from the street vendors.
We then visited the bullfighters’s arena where a class of toreadors was in training with their capes. Interestingly enough, the best of the bunch was a female. Although I have no desire to see a bullfight, I was impressed by the architecture of the building and the grace of the bullfighters.
We visited the Quinta de Bolivar, a beautiful residence surrounded by a gorgeous garden with walking paths that wander through various waterways and plantings.. This appears to be where Bolivar when with his mistress and where he died. It is truly a wonderful setting. Last, we visited the Park Independencia, a large welcome area of nature in the middle of this large teeming city.
We finally returned to the bike shop and were treated to a cup of tea. In addition to seeing many of the important sites of the city, this tour gave us an orientation to Bogota, which we will use the next day on our independent excursion.
We decided since we were on that side of town to go up to the aerial tramway to Monserrate and see the lights at night. There is a beautiful church at the top and though quite chilly, we wandered around, took photographs and finally made our way back down. We took a taxi to Casa Viejo for dinner where we split one dish of beef brisket and chicken and another of Colombian variety foods, both fantastically delicious but expensive and served with uncharacteristic snobbishness, arrogance and intolerance of language communications problems (i.e. don’t put this guy on your itinerary).
Thursday, September 10, 2009 continued
What a wonderful way of seeing the city. The owner, Mike, met us at our hostel at 10am and walked with us down to their shop at BiciCycle on 3rd Cerrera. We met Tatania, our guide. We had explained that we normally ride at 600 ft and had only been in Bogota, at 8600 ft since the night before. Tati, assured us that would not be a problem. After some problems fitting bikes to riders, we were on our way, primarily in an area of Bogotá called La Candelaria , which includes much of the historic part of town. We rode from about 10:30 am until 5pm. What an amazing city! We have included a few pictures here but since we don’t want to spend all of our time at a computer while here, we will post more later.
Tati was a great guide, very knowledgeable and took us through some back roads to avoid the heavy traffic. We stopped at Casa la Cicuta, which is a beautiful garden setting restaurant owned by an artist as evidenced by a gallery of paintings and other art work. We had what would be the Columbian equivalent of a smoothie with a variety of fruits and mint. It was tempting to stay in the garden, so tranquil, but no, off to battle the traffic of Bogota and discover her sights. We rode to the Plazoleta del Chorro de Quevedo, which is credited as the birthplace of Bogota. It is a very small Plaza ringed by a church (of course) and several small shops. Then up to a wonderful little farmers market where we sampled several fruits strange to us. The bananas and the hand grenade were yumm. The large green blob not.
We rode down to the huge Plaza de Bolivar and marveled at all the government buildings as well as the Catedral Primada which line the Plaza. The Plaza is filled with people walking, photographing, selling various items and feeding the thousands of pigeons who take advantage of their largesse. Several of the highland people had brought their alpacas to the plaza, I was unclear as to whether they were selling rides or pictures of children on an alpaca. There were lots of school children including some brightly dressed preschoolers being brought to the plaza by their teachers.
We went by the Emerald Traders market (Colombia is one of the principal miners of emeralds), saw the Juan Valdez coffee shop. We rode down Carrera 7, the center of Candelaria past shops, churches and craft markets. We passed what Tati calls the museum square-a several block area with museums including Museo Botero(a famous artist of the area) a museum of coins, a military museum etc. We had lunch at a charming place on Cerera 7, sitting upstairs. We chose their cerviche and epanadas. We have had wonderful food in Bogota, both in the restaurants and from the street vendors.
We then visited the bullfighters’s arena where a class of toreadors was in training with their capes. Interestingly enough, the best of the bunch was a female. Although I have no desire to see a bullfight, I was impressed by the architecture of the building and the grace of the bullfighters.
We visited the Quinta de Bolivar, a beautiful residence surrounded by a gorgeous garden with walking paths that wander through various waterways and plantings.. This appears to be where Bolivar when with his mistress and where he died. It is truly a wonderful setting. Last, we visited the Park Independencia, a large welcome area of nature in the middle of this large teeming city.
We finally returned to the bike shop and were treated to a cup of tea. In addition to seeing many of the important sites of the city, this tour gave us an orientation to Bogota, which we will use the next day on our independent excursion.
We decided since we were on that side of town to go up to the aerial tramway to Monserrate and see the lights at night. There is a beautiful church at the top and though quite chilly, we wandered around, took photographs and finally made our way back down. We took a taxi to Casa Viejo for dinner where we split one dish of beef brisket and chicken and another of Colombian variety foods, both fantastically delicious but expensive and served with uncharacteristic snobbishness, arrogance and intolerance of language communications problems (i.e. don’t put this guy on your itinerary).
Friday, September 11, 2009
September 10, 2009Hola from Bogota Colombia!!
We woke up early and weather to be beautiful though a little colder than what we were used to. First order of business is find breakfast then we have a bike tour of Bogota!
This is our hostel- double room/private bath for two nights for $45. It is situated on the southern edge of La Candaleria about three blocks from the presiential palace.
Looking up the street we see the eastern edge of the mountains that surround Bogota and down the street the Plaza. Many streets are cobblestone and the houses in various states of repair.
Report of our bike ride later.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Good Morning from an overcast NYC. We arrived at JFK a little early and are waiting for our 11:40 flight to Orlando. Both the Sacramento and JFK have free wireless so it really makes it easy to stay in touch.
I slept well from SMF to JFK but since it was only a 5 hours flight, I feel a little brain dead. Dick was listening to his Spanish language tapes and I think he got less sleep. The regular seating on the Jet Blue planes do have substantially more leg room which made it more comfortable for both of us. Each seat has its' own tv screen and you can watch TV, rent movies or listen to music.
Found a shop that sells yogurt with granola, so I am happy!! We get into Bogota at about 8:30pm tonight so long day. Nancy
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
After repacking once or twice more (and giving up the concept of packing everything in carry-on) our great adventure begins!! We met the First Class Shuttle ($70 each roundtrip with 2 going) at Oxford Suites (Picture to be posted tomorrow) and were whisked off to Sacramento. It's a world better than flying into San Francisco and often running into a long delay (or even missing your flight, as has happened to Dick). And it beats driving to SMF and paying $9 /day parking.
We left Redding at 7:38pm and arrived at the airport a little over two hours later. When we got to the counter the great service we have seen with JetBlue continued. Even though we ended up with three separate reservations each, she was able to combine them and check our bags all the way through to Bogota (we hope). Our plane leaves at 11:59pm and arrives in NYC at 8:15am. Hopefully we will get some sleep on the plane.
Nancy
We left Redding at 7:38pm and arrived at the airport a little over two hours later. When we got to the counter the great service we have seen with JetBlue continued. Even though we ended up with three separate reservations each, she was able to combine them and check our bags all the way through to Bogota (we hope). Our plane leaves at 11:59pm and arrives in NYC at 8:15am. Hopefully we will get some sleep on the plane.
Nancy
Friday, September 4, 2009
Fishin'
As I mentioned, my Odyssey preparations were interrupted by a fishing trip to Trinidad on Wednesday. I'm happy to report that it was a beautiful clear day, the sea was almost flat, and there wasn't a salmon within 30 leagues or however salmon measure their expeditions. We spent a couple of hours kidding ourselves then raced off to Reading Rock (about 20 miles north of Trinidad) where we limited (two per person) in ling cod in another two hours. About a half hour of that was spent haggling with Fish and Game over trivia regarding the boat registration. I'm happy to say that nothing came of it. We finished the day with a couple of drifts over bottom fishing country and picked up some black rockfish to fill out the fish locker. Now, back to packing and scheming for the great Odyssey.
Dick
Dick
OK! I give up- I cannot pack for a 30 day trip with carry-on only. After 13-14 packs and un-packs and discarding most of my clothes, reading materials ertc, I put the backpack on and made it halfway across the room before deciding I was not dragging all that weight around the airports. I added a small bag to my collection which helped distribute the weight and means that I can actually find something in my pack without having to pull everything out. If I need to I can still carry the larger pack(which does have rolllers) on my back, the small pack on my front and the small bag around my waist.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Trying to fit everything I want for 30 days in a 20.5" backpack is the pits!! By the time I get there, I will have nothing but my net book, one change of clothes and various sunblocks and mosquito repellent as well as anti-malarials, altitude sickness etc. I swear I have packed and unpacked 10 times and it seems like everytime I do that, yes the pack gets smaller, but then I remember something I forgot. We are trying to not have to check bags if we have close connections but I am not sure that is going to work. Maybe I will just take my toothbrush and to heck with everything else!!
Well here goes #11.
Nancy
Well here goes #11.
Nancy
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
September 1, 2009
Well, we have spent the last week pouring through tour books trying to decide where we want to go and looking at alternatives in case a hurricane threatens our Caribbean plans. Dick mentioned the international fees- they are high-$141 for Colombia and $133 for DR, not sure if we will do the DR part. We have booked Jamaica which is an additional $79. So these fees could add up.
I booked a hostel in Bogota for the 9th and 10th-Posada del Sol. We want to do the bicycle tour of the city and go to the top of Cerro Monserrate. Not sure from there. We will try to post reviews as we travel. Any suggestions are welcome.
I booked a hostel in Bogota for the 9th and 10th-Posada del Sol. We want to do the bicycle tour of the city and go to the top of Cerro Monserrate. Not sure from there. We will try to post reviews as we travel. Any suggestions are welcome.
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