Travels to Colombia
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| After months and months of debate, my cousin and I decided we needed to visit South America since neither one of us had ever been. We heard from multiple friends and colleagues that Cartagena, Colombia was a must visit destination. So finally, in May, we booked our flights for June to fly into Cartagena. After a five hour flight from New York on Jet Blue, we arrived in this beautiful, charming city. |
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| The town inside the walls of the old city are filled with bright colors and happy people. Cartagena is one of the most vibrant cities I have ever seen.    
The Getsemani district inside the old city walls, is filled with awesome graffiti.
Hotels, restaurants, and bars are blooming in this area, bringing more and more foreign travelers.
"Much of the graffiti pays tribute to Pedro Romero, a cuban artisan who played a key role in Cartagena's struggle for independence from Spain" (nomadbiba.com).
Read why Conde Nast thinks this neighborhood is a must see!
We met this man who was fascinated with our "selfies" and watched us laughing as we photographed all the graffiti and took selfies...yes his shirt is inside out.
               
It has complex tunnels that reverberate any sound making it impossible to sneak through them without being heard.
Castillo served as a defense in multiple battles and is considered the greatest fortress ever built by the
Spaniards and in any of their colonies. Most of the castle is open to walk through, and there are locals stationed
by the entrance selling souvenirs.
           
Frenchies is the number one rated restaurant to visit in Cartagena on Trip Advisor, we happen to be staying next door!
They had amazing ceviche and crepes!
Plaza Santo Domingo is a short walk and we ventured there for some music and nightlife.
Almost everyone has one question, "Did you feel safe?"
The answer is YES, we walked everywhere, people were extremely friendly, and I never felt in danger,
even traveling around with my camera equipment.
   
Our apartment inside the old city walls, across from Frenchies, was incredible.
We used https://www.airbnb.com to book this apartment, and we were more than impressed.
There was a door man 24/7, wifi, a beautiful open air courtyard, and Tempranillo wine upon arrival.
I find staying in apartments adds to the cultural experience of a new place,
you tend to get a better feel for your destination, plus a full kitchen so you can cook.
Off the coast about an hour out from Cartagena is Islas del Rosario.
The photos speak for themselves, but the island was tranquil and picturesque.
We stayed at Hotel San Pedro de Majagua (listed in the 2014 Conde Nast Traveler Top 100 list),
They had beach beds, chairs, hammocks, fabulous coffee (of course) and Bob Marley playing, what else
could you ask for? We explored the whole island by bike and canoe with a private tour guide.
He took us through the village where he lived, when I asked him how he liked living on the island,
his huge grin said it all, who wouldn't love waking up in paradise every day?
   
Here is the natural lagoon where you can swim in plankton lit water,
We stuck to putting our hands in, the full moon made it too bright, so the only area you could
see the plankton light up were on either side of the dock.
                
My travel routine includes getting up at 5 am for sunrise and photographing places without the commotion
of tourists, and of course to capture that golden light!
I journeyed through the jungle to the opposite end of the island and set up my tripod
to capture this awesome dock.
 
We met some fellow American travelers on Rosario Island and the seven of us hired an island guy to bring us snorkeling,
I shot this using a go pro, the images remind me of a Holga camera, vignetting, grainy, and dream-like,
this style works great for underwater shots
Hope you enjoyed our journey as much as we did,
Adios, xo
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