A special encounter in Cabo de la Vela

Cartagena and Caribbean coast, Travel Stories

During our trip along Colombia’s northern coast, we traveled -through the “desert”- to the village of Cabo de la Vela.

Through the desert to the “middle of nowhere”

As we slowly wake up, a little boy around 8 years old with an intellectual disability approaches us shyly. He sits down a few chairs away from us but slowly seeks contact by occasionally moving up a chair.

That Colombia has much to offer is not unknown to many. However, what we did not expect was that Colombia also has a desert area, namely La Guajira. Before our trip we never thought we would make this trip, but as always everything turns out differently than planned in advance 😉

Bumpy ride
So we left Santa Marta for a few days to the northernmost part of Colombia. From Santa Marta we took a bus to Cuatro Vías (COP25.000) and then changed to a bus to Uribia (COP8.000). The last part of the trip we drove on dirt roads in a jeep (with very hard seats) to our final destination Cabo de la Vela (COP15,000). Cabo de la Vela is a small village located on the coast, with a few huts and restaurants. Many people come to Cabo de la Vela as a stopover to Punta Gallinas in the desert area. However, we didn’t.

Being in Cabo de la Vela feels like going back in time. There is not much to do and experience in this small village with three streets, yet it made a big impression on us.  

Minimalist bars
After the long trek, we decided to treat ourselves to a drink at one of the minimalist bars in the village. Soon we started talking to the owner of the bar. If we wanted to teach him some English, he would brush up on our Spanish this evening. As everywhere in Colombia, everyone is incredibly friendly and helpful, but in a village where there is fairly little to do and you rely more on each other, it creates more of a bond.

Dance?
After the necessary drinks, he asked if we wanted to join him at a pub to do another dance. We, not averse to a dance, were very curious where we would end up, because “where could there be a pub here?” A hundred meters away was then THE pub: a container with some disco lights and a CD player with no one on the dance floor. So, who wants to dance?

Special meeting
That we had a bit much too drink and didn’t drink all the alcohol out of our bodies, became apparent the following day when we woke up with a slight headache. As we slowly woke up, a little boy of around 8 years old with a mental disability approached us carefully. He sits down a few chairs away from us, but slowly seeks contact by occasionally moving up a chair. He starts pointing to my camera that was on the table and i ask him to come closer.

A beautiful smile from ear to ear appears on his face. I took pictures of him which I then showed him, he started blushing and giggling. I give my camera to him and show him how to take pictures of us. He jumped for joy and for an hour we took pictures of each other, showing them to each other, while communicating with gestures and smiles.

These are the encounters that make travel so incredibly special! How a simple village turned into a trip with special memories for us……

Written by Mellijn
Travel date December 2017
Would you like to go on an organized tour to Cabo de la Vela (and Punta Gallinas), check out the options here. Look here if you want to know more about la Guajira.

Bike tour in the coffee triangle

Eje Cafetero, Travel Stories

The story behind the scenes

A bicycle tour in the coffee triangle is the perfect way to get to know the beautiful countryside and friendly people. Read the behind-the-scenes story here, from “bike crazy” entrepreneur Ivan.

We cycled through the village of Bella, drove past haciendas, stopped at a small waterfall, bought delicious Macademia nuts topped with arequipe, and on the way back we enjoyed a malt beer and ice cold Coke on a terrace.

Meeting in Bogotá
When we met Ivan at the Anato in Bogotá, the most important fair for the tourism sector in Colombia. Ivan was there on behalf of RBC bicycle tours, located in Calarcá in the coffee triangle. We were at the tourism fair for inspiration, before we were going to spend a week traveling in the coffee region.

Because of his energetic appearance, Ivan quickly caught our eye and we started chatting. When we mentioned that we were going to visit the coffee triangle after the fair, there was a complete click. We agreed to get in touch as soon as we got to Calarcá and meet up for a bike tour. Ivan’s family’s finca -where the bike tours start- is close to the hotel we had booked, so that worked out perfectly.

Family finca
When it was time for the tour, Ivan came to pick us up at the hotel and took us to his parents’ finca. There he gave us a brief tour. We were introduced to several animals, including the pig George (who, according to Ivan, thinks he is a dog -).

Coffee plantation
On the property there is a small coffee plantation and there are fruit trees. Ivan’s father used to have a large coffee plantation, but due to the coffee crisis and low payments for the beans, the plantation has thinned out considerably. Fruit trees such as oranges and lemon trees have now been planted. The modest harvest of coffee beans is for home consumption and what is left, is sold to local restaurants.

Customized tour
At the plantation we were warmly welcomed with coffee, brewed with Agua Panela (sugar water). Then it was time to choose the bikes and adjust the saddle. The tour could start! For these two island girls who don’t own a bike but do everything by car, it took some time before we were comfortable in the saddle. 


    We thought that the regular tour of 4 hours was a bit much, so Ivan put together a shortened tour especially for us. We cycled through the village of Bella, drove past haciendas, stopped at a small waterfall, bought delicious Macademia nuts topped with arequipe (caramel) and on the way back enjoyed a malt beer and ice cold coke on a terrace.

    Man with a mission
    During the bike tour, we got to know Ivan as a man with a mission. Not only is he the owner and guide of RBC (Ruta Bicicleta Colombia), he is also the manager of the 8 bike routes in the Calarcá area. He is hugely committed to conservation and passionate cyclist; cycling is his lifestyle.

    Award winning entrepreneur
    In 2018, Ivan received an award from Fondo Emprender for best entrepreneur. With this cash prize, he was able to invest in new bikes and setting up a reception, to welcome cyclists. We found this very special, keeping in mind that Ivan studied to be an engineer in Bogotá. Instead of pursuing a career in the big city, he chose to follow his passion. He went to live in the countryside and was able to raise his small children in the middle of nature.

    Cultural trip
    A bicycle tour with Ivan and his team is also a cultural trip, with lots of interesting insider information. There are frequent stops to explain the coffee process, the history of Calarcá, conservation and the many species of birds in this area.

    Passion
    After the bike tour, we had lunch together at our hotel. Here it was good to sweat it out and chat some more. As so often in Colombia, we were impressed by the passion of this entrepreneur!

    Written by Jeanette
    Travel date March 201

    #ColombiaMyWay Tips (updated june 2024)

    If you want to know more about Ivan’s tours, take a look at his facebook page: Bike tour Colombia (Ruta Bicicleta Colombia). Ivan also offers bike tours from Salento, such as this cultural coffee/cycle tour.

    Check out our travel guide Coffee Triangle for more information on this region.

      Street Food Tour Cartagena

      Cartagena and Caribbean coast, Travel Guide Cartagena, Cartagena and Caribbean coast, Travel Stories, Travel Guide Cartagena, Travel Stories

      In search of cartagena’s best snacks

      At one of the busiest stalls, two ladies made arepa con huevo, a specialty in Cartagena. The arepa is filled with meat and an egg is added before frying.

      A tour where you taste Cartagena’s tastiest snacks -with lots of cheese- AND get introduced to the city? That seemed like a perfect idea to these foodies!

      Chocolate Museum
      The tour with Cartagena Connections began at the Chocolate Museum at Plaza Fernandez de Madrid in San Diego. Since we were early, we were able to look around the museum and taste some chocolate. From the Chocolate Museum, the walk headed toward Getsemaní with our German guide Jan. He has lived in Cartagena for years and knew many interesting facts about the city. Along the way we stopped at stalls, where Jan bought us snacks and where we could see people at work.

      Queso, Queso y Queso
      We watched Deditos de queso (cheese fingers) being rolled and tasted Patacones con queso, green banana “cookies” with cheese. One of our favorite snacks was the Bocadillo con queso, Guava with a piece of white cheese.

      Cartagena specialty
      At one of the busiest stalls, two ladies made arepa con huevo, a specialty in Cartagena. The arepa is filled with meat and an egg is added before frying. What makes arepas extra tasty are the sauces, such as the sweet salsa de piña (pineapple sauce) and salsa picante.

      Salted mango
      We tasted Buñuelos, small balls made of corn and cheese, and Mango Biche, green mango with salt. Fruit combined with salt didn’t sound very appealing at first, but it was a fresh change from all the cheese snacks.

      Corozo ice cream
      We ate Arepas de choclo, made with sweet corn and at the end of the tour we had an ice cream made from Corozo. This is a red-purple fruit that grows high on the palm trees on the coast. Never knew this fruit was edible! The fruit resembles a berry and produces a deep purple color.

      Café del Mural
      The tour ended at Café del Mural in Getsemaní, a café that is located among colorful murals. With an old-fashioned jug of brewed coffee, we ended this tasty and interesting tour on our first day in Cartagena.

      Written by Jeanette
      Travel date September 2019

      #ColombiaMyWay tips

      • Take the tour at the beginning of your stay in Cartagena. It’s a fun way to get acquainted with the city, and you’ll get tips for great restaurants along the way.
      • Don’t plan an big dinner on the day of the tour. If you want to sample all the snacks, it’s pretty filling
      • At the chocolate museum, say clearly that you are coming for the street food tour and not for the chocolate workshop. Apparently we were not clear because the chocolatier was already coming to pick us up for the workshop!
      • We saved over 4$ per person by paying with COP instead of US$
      • We did the tour with Cartagena Connections. Check here all street food tours in Cartagena.

      Want to know more about Cartagena? Then check out our Cartagena travel guide.

      Celebrating Christmas in Cartagena

      Cartagena and Caribbean coast, Travel Stories

      Christmas in Cartagena

      All week we saw Colombians going to the manicure, pedicure and to the hairdresser, or having their eyebrows touched up in a chair on the street. Streets were lit up and everywhere you could hear Christmas songs (translated or not) coming out of the speakers.

      Christmas spirit in the tropics
      If you are normally used to Christmas in Europe or North America, the Christmas feeling in 30 degrees is at far away at first. But, fortunately, Christmas in Colombia is celebrated big, but really big. Families get together, hours are spent in the kitchen and there are many gifts. All week we saw Colombians going to the manicure, pedicure and to the hairdresser, or having their eyebrows touched up in a chair on the street. Streets are lit up and everywhere you can hear Christmas songs (translated or not) coming out of the speakers.

      Christmas church service
      We kicked off Christmas Eve by going to Mass at 5 p.m. at Santo Domingo Church. Although the Spanish was most of the times too fast for us, it was special to experience. Christmas in Colombia kicked off!

      Christmas Eve at hostel
      We were lucky enough to be in the Viajero hostel with many other backpackers and the hostel hosted a dinner on Christmas Eve.       After Mass, we arrived at the festively decorated patio, where there were long tables. (OK with plastic chairs, but ignore that fact for a moment) Candles and a live band completed the atmosphere. Although the food was not extraordinary, it was nice to spend Christmas together. Lots of snacks & drinks, new people and new friends!

       

      Christmas Day at the beach
      For Christmas Day we had arranged to meet up with some British and Australian backpackers we met before in Minca. Christmas on the beach playing lots of games is defenitely different from Christmas in the snow (or rain). For the evening we had a reservation with the group at a chic restaurant, because the British love Christmas even more than we Dutch do and they wanted to celebrate big!

      Mashed potatoes with Colombian sausage
      Boxing Day we were slightly hungover and it was time to facetime with the home front. Then we decided to bring Holland to Colombia: it was time for a typical Dutch stew with Colombian sausage.

      Christmas ended in style with a cocktail during sunset at Café del Mar.

      Feliz Navidad!

      By Mellijn
      Travel date December 2017

      #ColombiaMyWay Tips:

      • Find a hostel where you are among people, which means you don’t have to spend Christmas alone. We stayed at Viajero hostel Cartagena
      • Visit the church service at the Santo Domingo Church. (In the old town, near Plaza Santo Domingo)
      • Book restaurants during Christmas early in advance!
      • Have a cocktail at Café del Mar; one of the most beautiful and popular places to have a drink during sunset
      • Want to know more about Cartagena? Then check out our travel guide Cartagena.

      Updated september 2024

      Saved by an angel in Santa Rosa de Cabal

      Eje Cafetero, Travel Stories

      Medical care in Colombia, our own story

      When we arrived at the hotel, there was an ambulance with flashing lights in front of the gate. These were my angeles! When I asked -quite upset- if the flashing lights could be turned off, that was out of the question for them.

      During my stay in the coffee triangle, I caught a bad cold. Nothing alarming in itself, but with the acute bronchitis from a previous vacation still in the back of my mind, I became a bit nervous. From our hotel hotel in Calarcá we would go to the thermal baths in Santa Rosa de Cabal and then I would travel alone to the hotel Termales del Ruiz, near los Nevados National Park. This park is about 3500 meters above sea level and the hotel I had booked was in the middle of nowhere. Not really a place to get sick!

      Angeles al Llamado
      While I was still thinking what to do, my Colombian travel companion started Googling fanatically. She found on Angeles al Llamado on Facebook, a medical team that does house calls from Pereira. Pereira is not far from Santa Rosa de Cabal, where we would be going that morning. She arranged that the Angeles would go to our hotel in Santa Rosa de Cabal for a consultation.

      After giving us our expected arrival time and address, we were able to have a breakfast, check out of the hotel and travel to Santa Rosa de Cabal. When we arrived at the hotel, there was an ambulance with flashing lights in front of the gate!

      ¿Qué paso?
      The hotel employee had already run outside to see what was going on. These were my angeles! When I asked the ambulance personnel -quite upset- if the flashing lights could be turned off, that was out of the question for them. The flashing lights only went out after they arrived at the reception of the hotel, standard procedure!

      Spanish questionnaire
      After settling in at the hotel reception, the doctor and nurse fired some questions at me. Normally I can get by with Spanish pretty well, but now I was very happy that my Colombian travel companion was able to explain exactly what was wrong with me.

      Check, check, doublecheck
      After getting through the questionnaire, my blood pressure was taken, lungs checked and my throat looked at. The lungs were clean, blood pressure fine and no bronchitis, oef!

      I did have a beginning throat infection and was given an injection for this. (In my buttock, which is quite normal in Colombia -:)). Furthermore, a prescription was prescribed for a course of antibiotics, cough syrup and extra vitamins.

      To Los Nevados or not?
      At first, the medical team was not happy about my planned trip to Los Nevados National Park. After I promised not to do any long hikes, they agreed to the trip on one condition: I had to rest well in Santa Rosa de Cabal for the next few days and dress well for the cold. After a warm goodbye, my angeles got back into the ambulance (without flashing lights…).

      Medicine delivery service
      The employee of the hotel was kind enough to order the medicines by phone from the drugstore and they came to deliver them(domicilio). What a perfect service!

      Price tag
      What did this service cost?
      -Consult including injection: COP295,000/$75
      -Medicines including delivery service: COP85,500/$23
      Angeles al Llamado even mailed me an invoice, which I could use to file a claim with my insurance company.

      Los Nevados, here I come!
      All in all, this consultation was not cheap, but for me it was priceless. Because I recovered quickly, I was able to continue traveling in the coffee triangle without any problems. I had been looking forward to it for so long and it turned out to be a great trip.

      And all of that thanks to the lovely people of Angeles al llamado!

      Written by Jeanette
      Travel date: March 2019

      For more information, visit:
      Angeles al Llamado on Facebook

      Check out our travel guide Coffee Triangle for more info on this region and this article on the medical care in Colombia.

       

      My trip to the Llanos

      Los Llanos Orientales, Travel Stories

      My trip to the Llanos Orientales, began with a car ride from Yopal to Hato la Aurora Nature Reserve, a drive of about 5 hours through vast plains, to “the middle of nowhere.”

      We got closer to the nature reserve and saw beautiful birds, a caiman and capybaras. According to Nelson, Reserva la Aurora has the largest number of wildlife after the nature reserves in South Africa.

      Upon arrival at the airport in Yopal, driver Alex, Nelson and Jennifer from Juan Solito Ecolodge were already waiting for me. Nelson, owner of the lodge, had been shopping in Yopal and together with him I would drive to the lodge.

      Colombian cowboy hat
      Before the drive of about 5 hours began, I bought some snacks at the airport. I also went with Jennifer to a  store, where I bought an original Llanero Sombrero. While trying on the different hats, I was immediately given a “mini course” on hat use and maintenance. What a fun first experience in the Llanos, the land of the Llaneros and Llaneras!

      Indian cows
      For the first few hours, the ride was on an asphalt road. When we arrived at a bridge outside the city, there was a traffic jam. It turned out that only 1 car was allowed to cross the bridge at a time.

      The landscape was hilly and we saw many grazing “Indian cows,” recognisable by a hump on their backs. After this, the vast -desert-like- plains began. There were also barren stretches of land that had been cut down to -illegally- grow rice, Nelson told us.

      Paz de Ariporo
      On the way, we stopped at a little restaurant in the village of Paz de Ariporo, for a lunch of grilled chicken. The heat in the village was exhausting and it was a relief to get back into the air-conditioned Toyota Hilux.

      Montañas del Totumo
      After an endless dirt road, we approached the village of Montañas      as del Totumo. To my surprise, there was suddenly a stretch of asphalt road, which stopped again as we drove out of the village. Nelson explained that the petroleum company had donated the paved road to the residents of the village.

      After the smooth asphalt, the road turned back into a dirt road with big rocks. After this, the road only got worse and I was shaken up considerably.

      Reserva la Aurora
      Closer to Reserva la Aurora we saw beautiful birds, a caiman and capybaras. According to Nelson, Reserva la Aurora has the largest number of wildlife in the world after the nature reserves in South Africa. This, of course, made my curiosity even bigger!

      Juan Solito ecolodge
      By now the sun was beginning to set and this was a beautiful sight on the endless plain. In the dark we arrived at Juan Solito ecolodge, where hostess Marysol was waiting for me with a lemonade. Jeremiah showed me my room and in the bathroom I got my first “surprise”: A giant frog was staring at me with his big eyes!

      “You’re in Los Llanos,” I told myself, you’ll see more than a frog in the room!” Still, I sweetly asked Jeremiah to catch the frog and bring it outside, and he did so with a smile from ear to ear.

      House deer Pippa
      After the long trip, I enjoyed an ice-cold Poker beer in the restaurant and got my second surprise: “house deer” Pippa looked curiously into the kitchen with her big eyes -:)

      After dinner, Jeremiah came to discuss with me what the rest of the week would look like. We decided that my first activity would be a morning walk with himself.

      Back in my room, the frog was back in “its” spot on the sink. Aaaah!!!

       

      Written by Jeanette
      Travel date: February 2020.

      Check our travel guide Casanare -the Colombian safari- for more info on the Llanos Orientales. Need a hotel in Yopal prior to your trip, check here the options.