I first visited Cartagena in 2010, when Mike, Greg and I took an Oceania cruise through the Panama Canal. I was immediately charmed by this fascinating city, and became determined to return to Cartagena and to explore more of Colombia.
For most of the ports, we opted to go off on our own, rather than take a cruise sponsored tour. That was the case in Cartagena, where we were able to cover most of the high points in the old city, during our too brief time in port.
Here is what the “new” section of Cartagena looked like in 2010.
Fast forward to 2025. Both photos were taken from the enormous fort the Spaniards built to protect the area from pirates. Can you tell which photo was taken with a camera, and which was taken with my iPhone?
It is possible to travel from the top of the fort to the bottom through narrow, low tunnels. When we visited in 2010, we attempted to do just that, but as we approached the exit, our guide discovered it was flooded, so we had to walk ALL the way back to the top. Poor Mike was unable to stand upright!
I know many people have strong opinions about cruises versus land travel. It was interesting to experience both in the same city. Although vastly different, I discovered I thoroughly enjoyed both, but for very different reasons. As with everything in life, both travel modes have advantages.
When we cruised, we always opted for a smaller ship, chosen for its fabulous itinerary. Cruising allowed us to unpack once, travel while we slept and awaken someplace great every single day. It provided us with a taste of many different areas, so we could determine which country we might want to explore in more depth in the future. And, if you happened to get sick, or have an accident, the ship had a fully equipped medical center on board. But your time in port is limited; you normally have to be back aboard the ship around 5PM, unless you chose a cruise that spent more than one night in a particular port. And there ain’t many of those.
For the OAT land trip, we spent three nights in Cartagena, which allowed us to slow down and savor our time there . We saw SOME of the areas we visited on our whirlwind day in 2010, like the former convent of the Sisters of the Poor Clares, but instead of just driving by it, Leslie ( another new friend) and I went to the bar to watch the sunset.
Those of you who read my pre-trip post may recall the special drinks and the tours of the former convent described on the hotel’s website. Well, although getting lost while searching for the rooftop bar allowed us to see a whole lot of the convent, it certainly didn’t qualify as a tour (they don’t give them any more), and although my pisco sour was delicious, it didn’t have what the website called “magical” properties.
What the rooftop bar DID have was a DJ, and lots of young people, staring at their phones.
So, we took our sunset photos, admired the view, and that pisco sour? It was consumed in a quiet, “historical” bar on the first floor.
The view of the ocean, and the only spot at the bar from which you can see the sunset.
Remember the popular image of Colombia as a dangerous place? Well, Leslie and I were perfectly comfortable walking the streets at night and when he noticed we were hopelessly lost, this sweet young Colombian approached us, offered help and walked us back to our hotel.
This was a very common experience: a waitress chased me down the street because I had left my hat in the restaurant, street vendors accepted your “no, gracias” when they approached you, but then engaged you in conversation so they could practice speaking English. Everyone we encountered was friendly, gracious and oh so welcoming.
As you have seen in my earlier posts, the streets of Colombia are very colorful , and Cartagena is no exception.
The woman in the black leather “bondage” outfit is Shakira, who has an apartment in Cartagena, overlooking the ocean. Our carriage driver pointed it out as we rode along the ocean on our way to our farewell dinner. He also claimed he was Shakira’s novio ( boyfriend— see, those Spanish lessons DID come in handy!)
Did you know that Colombia was the inspiration for Disney’s movie, Encanto? I sure didn’t.
Sorry, the sun was in the wrong spot when I took this photo. Anyone who saw the movie will recognize the cartoon character immortalized on the wall, but did you know her image was based on an actual resident of Colombia?
There was so much to see in the neighborhood of Getsemaní, I had difficulty choosing the most compelling street image, so I decided to include several.
During our trip we experienced MANY different modes of transportation- boats, metro system, cable cars, jeeps, tuk tuks and best of all, the PARTY bus,
which came fully equipped with live music, so we were serenaded all the way to Bocavilla, an African Colombian community located on the beach.
Our musicians played European, African and Caribbean instruments
While in Bocavilla, we had drumming and dance lessons which were SO much fun! The musicians and dancers were students at a school established to preserve their African/Caribbean culture.
Seven of us are at the airport heading off to Quito for a week in Ecuador, so it’s time to press publish and hope for the best.
How will I fill the hole in my heart from losing Mike and Sandy? It was unwitting, but the healing process has been helped by my book club’s selection of “The Collected Regrets of Clover”. The main character (Clover) is a death doula. Although I didn’t relate to her personality, I definitely DID appreciate her discussion of death and what to do to make that inevitable passage more comfortable for a loved one. How I wish I had read it two years ago!
Here are some lines that really resonated for me: “When someone has always been there for you, it’s easy to assume they always will be. And then, one day, they’re not.” “Some people believe that the spirits of loved ones stay with you even after they die, so you can still chat with them whenever you like.” Whenever I find myself regretting things that I should have done differently during my 47 years with Mike, the following line brings me comfort. “You know, from what you’ve told me about him, it doesn’t sound like there’d be any issue of him forgiving you. Maybe it’s more a question of you forgiving yourself?” Like me, Clover discovers traveling can help her assuage her grief. That’s how I’ll be spending a good part of 2025, as you’ve probably guessed from the title of this post. Some of my travel will be to places I’ve already visited with Mike, as is the case with my first trip in 2025, to Columbia and Ecuador.
Okay, I’ll admit it. I’m very excited about this trip, which is why I’m blogging about it pre-departure. In January of 2010, Mike, Greg and I took an Oceania cruise through the Panama Canal. Our only stop in Columbia was in Cartagena. As is the case with many cruises, we were only in port for less than a day, which was definitely not enough time to savor this lovely city. But one advantage to traveling by ship is the spectacular view of the city as we pulled into and out of the harbor. Here’s a photo from a vantage point that I don’t expect to replicate on my land trip with OAT.
One of the many reasons I continue to choose Overseas Adventure Travel is the ability to customize my tour by adding pre and/or post trips. Initially, I had considered taking the pretrip to Bolivia, but the flights and connections were pretty dreadful, and I learned from the very helpful Facebook page “Friends of Overseas Adventure Travel” that some people struggled with altitude sickness while in Bolivia. Bogota is fairly high up too, but by arriving a day before the tour starts, I figure I can load up on coca tea. Yes, you can make cocaine from those very same leaves, and no, I’m not bringing any home with me. During our trip to Peru in 2009, we discovered the miraculous properties of coca tea, which helped us adjust to the altitude in Machu Picchu and Cusco. Before departure, OAT’s trip leaders always send us an email chock full of helpful information. Alejo also sent a second email to the five of us that are arriving early with suggested activities, restaurant recommendations and he confirmed that coca tea is available at our hotel.
I love OAT’s small group size. Of the 15 of us on the main trip, 5 are men and 10 are women. Three have matching last names, and although the remainder don’t, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are all traveling solo. Sometimes two friends are traveling together, and if it is a relatively new relationship for a man and a woman, they tend want to go off by themselves. Fortunately, at least so far, I’ve encountered a number of interesting, friendly OAT travelers who have been excellent travel buddies, which makes the trip far more fun. Some that I’ve met (both when Mike and I traveled together and since I’ve traveled solo) continue to be friends. In fact, some will be with me on trips planned for 2026. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Back to 2025.
When I learned that Columbia was one of the countries featured on the 2024 Amazing Race, I streamed those two episodes to get a sneak peek at what I might expect. Like the contestants, we will be traveling to Bogota, Medellin, Guatepé and the coffee growing area. I double checked the OAT itinerary, and sure enough, we will also hit many of the same highlights. For the map enthusiasts (and Mike turned me into one…) here’s where we will be, starting in Bogota.
Luckily, we have three nights in Cartagena, so this will be my chance to get that “savoring’ in that I missed during our brief time in port. The photo atop this post I took when we were in Cartagena 15 years ago. Not what you envision when you think of Columbia, is it?
Our hotels are a nice mix of big city locations and smaller boutiques. Because so many people have warned me about the dangers of traveling in Columbia, I thought I’d share photos of where we will be staying. Our hotel in Bogota appears to be centrally located, in a lovely walkable area.
Hotel de la Opera Bogota
All of our hotels have pools; the ones in Medellin and Cartagena are on the rooftop, affording guests a panoramic view of the surrounding area.
Novotel Medellin
Our small boutique hotel in the coffee triangle will be a nice change from the two big cities, as you can see from the photo below. We will spend three nights in Pereira. Bosques, by the way, is the Spanish word for forests. I have no idea what Saman means. Probably just the name of the area.
Hotel Bosques del Saman
I don’t know if you can tell from the photo below, but the ocean is visible from Cartagena’s rooftop pool. An additional claim to fame for the Bantu Hotel is that it is just 300 meters from the Hotel Santa Clara. (For those who don’t relate well to the metric system, Ms Google tells us that 300 meters equates to a 4 minute walk ) . Why is that important? Well, in 1621 The Hotel Santa Clara was a convent for the nuns known as the Poor Clares. When Sofitel transformed it into an upscale hotel in the 1990’s, they wisely kept the crypts, wells, confessionals and gardens which should make their “30 minute free legendary tour with the hotel Butlers” really interesting. Is the tour only available to hotel guests? I don’t know, but I can assure you that I WILL find out, and I’ll certainly report back.
Bantu Hotel
As one would expect, the Santa Clara Hotel has world renown restaurants. The 1621 is reputed to have a “creative” tasting menu –(is that a synonym for really, really expensive? )– but I expect I will only be able to afford a drink at the hotel bar. Check out the hotel’s on-line description of this “magical” bar: The atmosphere becomes more magical when the sun begins coming down and the golden and orange sunlight offers an unrepeatable spectacle for your senses. This place, surrounded by an enchanting aura, welcomes its visitors with shelves full of old jars. Upon arrival, the outpours of exotic herbs and spices mix in the air, taking you to a time of ancient secrets and forgotten magic. The menu is truly a masterpiece, offering a selection of potions and concoctions carefully prepared. You can find a wide variety of “Elixir” –a mix of ginseng and lavender– as well as the “potion of remedies for the soul”. Each drink is a unique sensorial experience with dazzling presentations and seducing flavors. The bar is located outdoors on the terrace of the hotel’s third floor, offering the best view of the Caribbean Sea. Botika Bar recreates the concept of the old pharmacies, where artisans would experiment and prepare medicines by combining plants and minerals to discover masterful formulas with healing properties.
How could I pass up such a spiritual experience? I sure hope I’ll be able to entice at least ONE of the “friends I haven’t met yet” to join me for a “unique sensorial experience with dazzling presentations”.
After imbibing potions that will heal the soul, I and 6 fellow travelers will be flying to Quito for the 7 day post trip. Although Mike and I had been to Ecuador in January of 2012, we stayed at an ecolodge in the Amazon jungle and then were on a boat traveling from island to island in the Galapagos. The only overlap between the two trips will be our time Quito.
While in Columbia, I will be spending 13 nights in 4 hotels; In Ecuador, it will be 7 nights in 3 hotels, but our time in Quito will be split into a 1 night stay, upon arrival, and a 2 night stay upon departure. Let’s see how THAT shakes out. It will definitely be a test of my packing skills!
QuitoHacienda AbraspungoCuenca
To prepare for my visit, I have been taking language lessons through two on line apps. Although Duolingo’s app is helpful, I found that Busuu (recommended by my multi-lingual friend Chris) teaches me words and phrases that I am more apt to use. Here are some examples of actual lessons: “Dar la vuelta al mundo” means to travel around the world, but a literal translation is something like “to give the return to the world”, which would have completely befuddled me. Duolingo tends to introduce phrases that can easily translate into English like “mi tio estudia la actividad del cerebro de los gatos”, which means “My uncle studies the activity of the brains of the cats”. I’m just guessing that the idioms from Busuu will be used more frequently. But we shall see. One can never predict how many cat brain enthusiasts one might meet!
Busuu has me engaging with native speakers in Spain who are learning English. I correct their work and they correct mine. Of course, some of my teachers are young kids, but hey, that way I’ll learn all the cool words! Should I teach them “yo mama”? Both apps have free and paid versions. Busuu wears you down with lots of advertising on their “free app”, but I kept ignoring the invitations to buy until the price reduced to about $60 for the year.
Time to get back to trip details. The participants on the OAT Facebook page frequently ask questions about whether it is better to purchase air through OAT or to book your own flight. I’ve done both, but this time, I discovered that if I booked directly with Avianca, for a mere $427 more, round trip, I could upgrade to business class AND choose my seat AND get direct flights from and to JFK! I’ll be flying for the first time with Avianca, so I have no idea what business class is like, but I certainly will let you know.
Destination NOW 