Villa de Leyva the Colonial City

Villa de Leyva is three hours away from Bogota. It's a small town with stone roads and colonial style houses. The weather is a little warmer than Bogota but still a bit cold.

There are several hostels that are perfect like "Los Olivos" or you can also camp. There is a fossil dessert, so I recommend going horseback ridding, specially during the night. If you do it during the day, look out for the sea fossils it's really cool. Tell the guides to take you to the blue water reserves, it's a part of the dessert with holes that have bright blue and green water in them.

There is a french guy that arrived in Villa de Leyva 15 years ago and loved it so much he decided to stay. He opened a french bakery in the center of the town and it's delicious. Try the chocolate croissants and the cinnamon bread.

Last time I went, I visited the Ostrich Farm. This is going to sound a bit weird but you should go. They have baby Ostriches and you can also see the older ones. A tour guide will show you the healthy characteristics of this type of red meat, it's the healthiest red meat you can have. You'll see their growing process and if you want, you can take pictures with them but at the end of the tour there's a small restaurant where you'll eat their meat. It sounds worse than it really is and I thought it was actually really fun and the meat is great.



In the center court, beside the main church, there are lots of shops and little restaurants that are worth going to, specially "La Plateria" a silver jewelry store with great designs. Also, during the night, there are several small bars and you should try the "Lider Aguardiente" this is like the colombian "Tequila Shots".



I hope you have enjoyed my posts and if you go to Colombia some day remember my tips. If you ever think about visiting South America have Colombia in your list because it's a country worth going to, you will not regret it.

Roosevelt Avenue. Vs. Colombia

When I got to New York someone told me I could find colombian food and other products in Queens. I decided to go since we had this assignment. I took the F train from Lexington Av 63rd Street to Roosevelt Av. and as soon as I got off it was a complete different experience to Manhattan.



As I went outside I only heard Spanish. Every block had stores from different South American countries. I went through Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela and suddenly I started seeing colombian stores. As I went into "Los Paisanos" the "Reggeton" songs made me feel a little homesick but then it was so funny the way all the products seemed like from the 70's, with really old corporate images. I wonder if the products are old.... or what's going on there.



At the back of the store I found my favorite colombian drink "Pony Malta" and of course I bought it. The man at the cashier spoke to me in Spanish, he was actually from Ecuador. This place is like going to a really small, hot weather town in Colombia. It's sort of like the prototype of a latin small town.



So, I'm happy I went to Roosevelt Avenue because I actually found some products that I want to keep buying like the "Pony Maltas" and "Platanos", which are a type of banana that you fry. Also, everything is so much cheaper than in Manhattan. It was great to hear latin music and feel a tiny bit like at home.

Great experience. It's hard not to love New york, it's so eclectic, you can almost visit the whole world in one city.

If you're into extreme sports and impressive landscapes San Gil is the place to go

San Gil is located in the Department of Santander, which is the north east of Colombia. This town is known for its outdoor activities. If your in Bogota, take a quick plane ride to Bucaramanga and then take a tour to San Gil or take the tour from Bogota and go by bus. It would be a six hour journey but I recommend it.

San Gil is more of a nature and outdoor experience, different to Cartagena or Bogota. On the way you'll see the Chicamocha Canyon Park. The Canyon was nominated las year as one of the new wonders of the world and it's impacting to see. In the park you can also go on several rides. I recommend you wait to San Gill to experience the real outdoor activities.

CHICAMOCHA PARK


So, I admit I'm not the extreme type... but I still wanted to experience going to San Gil, so even though I cried pretty much before every activity it was fun. The first thing we did was paragliding. It was actually not as freaky as I expected and you go with an instructor, so that makes you feel secure. The view is spectacular and it's a great way to start your journey through San Gil.





The scariest but most exiting activity I did was rappel on a waterfall. It's a two hour walk up the mountain and the view when you get to the top is breathtaking. The instructor will put all the security harnesses and then you have to go back 90 degrees to start going down. To me that was the scariest part, I was freaking out. You don't want to look down, just concentrate and go slow. Also, don't look up because the water will go directly to your face.

I couldn't take my camera because of the water but I did when we went to regular rappel.


If you want to go even more extreme, I recommend rafting. Depending on how much adrenaline you want, choose between 5 levels. Also, don't miss the Indian Cave. It is a gigantic bat cave that is connected to the river internally. You will enter into complete darkness, if you turn a lantern on and flash it upwards, you'll see hundreds of bats sleeping, don't turn it on for too long... you don't want to wake them up. You'll have to go through tiny passages, so if your claustrophobic... don't go. The only way to get out of the cave is by jumping a 5 meter wall into the river in complete darkness. It's good to know that in advance because there is no other way out.

After you've done all of these intense activities, go to the park in the middle of San Gil and relax, it has really weird gigantic trees that are thousands years old. Look for a famous tree called "The Marrige" it's two huge trees bonded together as one.

You can't leave San Gil without eating it's famous "Hormigas Culonas", which translates into "Big Ass Ants" They are literally ants that have huge butts, fried and actually taste good.

Muy favorite part of San Gil is its landscapes. You will see waterfalls, canyons, mountains, rivers, exotic animals and plants. Fun is guaranteed.

Bogota 2600 Meters Closer to the Sky

Ok, so there are a million things to do in Bogota.

Before you do anything, you must go to Andres Carne de Res. I promise you that you will never experience something like that place in your whole entire life: crazy decoration, shows and the best food. It's a restaurant/party place, you can go Thursday, Friday or Saturday but the best day is Saturday. Make a reservation because it's always full. Their speciality is all types of meat but order the "Lomo al Trapo", a meat sealed with a piece of cloth and cooked in a wood oven. For side dishes have the Criolla Potatoes and you must have "chicharrones" made from pork and there's no way I can explain it, just try it. To drink have a "Mandarino", Mandarin Natural Juice with Vodka.

Mandarinos


During dinner you will be visited by rare theater-like shows, fortune tellers and characters from Colombian Literature. It's also a real colombian party scene. If you had some drinks and have a rented car, ask for an "Angel" at the entrance. They will assign a driver that will take you home safely. Also, if one of your companions had too many drinks you can "check them in" at the Hammock Center, you will be given a number and you can pick them up when you leave, that way you will be able to continue the party.



The best areas to visit are the G Zone, T Zone and Uzaquen, there you will find the good restaurants and bars. In the G Zone go to "Criterion" for brunch. Also, Harry's Bar is an interesting place to order Spanish Tapas. In the T Zone go to Luna, Di Lucca, Balzac, Pravda and El techo. Uzaquen is also a good area because it used to be a small town near Bogota hundreds of years ago and now it's part of the city but its colonial architecture was preserved. In Uzaquen, I recommend going to Amarti and 80 Sillas.

Visit the Salt Cathedral in Zipaquira. This is a Catholic Church built underground within the tunnels of a salt mine. It's pretty cool. When I went there I actually made a wish and it came true, so wish away!



The old part of bogota is called "El Centro", a colonial area with important locations like the Narino Palace, which is were the President and his family live and also good restaurants. There's one in particular called Leo, Cocina y Caba, ask for the Tuna and tell them to only seal it.



If you want to take it easy, we usually go on the weekends to a nearby town called Anapoima. Bogota is cold and Anapoima is only two hours away and has warm weather. You can rent houses there at a place called Mesa de Yeguas, a golf club with more that 100 surrounding houses. I love going there because it's a good way to get away from the city without traveling for too long.





For shopping I like to go to the T Zone, you can walk around but there's also three malls in the area: Centro Andino, Atlantis and El Retiro. When you go to El Retiro visit the Mercedes Salazar jewelry store, it's my favorite.

In Bogota, I don't recommend renting a car because the traffic is crazy. Move by taxi but always make sure you order one, don't take them on the street.

Bogota is 2600 meters high and is filled with fun and interesting activities, so apart from all the touristic things to do, I hope my personal suggestions help.

Cartagena the Colonial City

I will start with my favorite city: Cartagena. It's located in the northern coast of Colombia and has the best food in the country. Cartagena is most fun during the last week of december but it will be worth going all year round. When I go, I like to stay in the colonial area. If you like big luxury resort-type hotels I recommend Hotel Santa Clara and Hotel Santa Teresa . I've stayed at "Hotel Santa Clara" many times, the best part is having a "Mojito" by the pool and then going across the street to "La Cevicheria" a tiny restaurant with the best Ceviches. Have the Caribbean Ceviche, it has shrimp and "platanos" (type of banana).

Hotel Santa Clara


Hotel Santa Teresa


If you are more into small boutique hotels I highly recommend the Hotel LM and the Silvia Tcherassi Hotel. The experience is completely different, they each have a maximum of ten rooms and the interior design is modern and fashion orientated. In Hotel LM you can ask the chef to make you a private menu with the type of food you like. This is very useful if you are a vegetarian or if you are kosher.

Silvia Tcherassi Boutique Hotel


LM Hotel


Even if the hotel restaurants are amazing, go out for dinner in the colonial area and in El Arsenal, a famouse street in the city. My top 3 recommendations are: 3. Cafe del Santisimo ask for the King Prawns with Tamarind Sauce. This dish is presented wrapped in a big leaf that captures all its scents. 2. El Club de Pesca, its part of a marina in a beutiful remaining piece of the old fortress wall in Manga, a traditional neighborhood away from the crowds. Every fish is good there but my personal favorite the Shrimp Black Ravioli. 1. White Sea Bass Ceviche, Crab and Red Snapper in the islands. You can take off to the nearby islands and native people will offer this dishes made fresh from the ocean. It beats all restaurants I've been to in my life. If you want just a good fast food restaurant go to Creps and Waffles it's the most popular place in colombia, and has a cheaper price range.




Night time is also incredibly fun in Cartagena. After you have tanned all day by the pool or at the islands with a good Cuba Libre Drink of Mojito, I recommend going to Cafe del Mar. This is an outdoor bar/lounge, located on one of the walls of the colonial part of Cartagena, with a view of the beach. There are always good Djs and drinks. If you want to experience true colombian night life go to La Carbonara.

This are just some of the options you have when you visit Cartagena but there is something for every type of person. Enjoy!

Colombian Misperception

Do you live in trees? Is it scary to live in such a dangerous country? Oh yeah, drugs, violence and coffee? These are some of the frequent questions I get after I say "I'm from Colombia". So yes, my country has a complicated social reality and my objective is not to hide that. However, Colombia is a country full of amazing characteristics that I wish more people knew about. For this reason, as I though about a blog subject that would reflect who I am and what makes me unique, it was impossible not to go back to my roots. After living and traveling in several parts of the world, the perception people have of my country makes me feel disappointed but mostly concerned. I want everyone to see what Colombia really has to offer.

This blog is dedicated to show my country as I know it, from a very personal perspective. Places, recommendations and details that only a local can show. Get ready to be inspired because Colombia's only risk is wanting to stay.