Colombia - Cartagena & Bogota July 13-19, 2022
The Skinny
Thursday, July 14
Cartagena - Sofitel Santa Clara
Sunset Cruise - the Bona Vida
Friday, July 15
Boat charter to Rosario Islands
Lesemann cocktails
Dinner @ Juan del Mar
Saturday, July 16
City tour
Lesemann wedding - Guayabera style
All night celebration - Club Naval
Sunday, July 17
Depart for Bogota
Four Seasons Bogota
Monday, July 18
Bogota city tour
Tuesday, July 19
Depart Bogota for USA
The Meat on the Bones
Wednesday, July 13
Only thing you need to know: if you are overnighting in Miami, DO NOT stay at the what seems so convenient Miami International Hotel. Been used hard and everything in it circa 1973. Bathrooms have been lipsticked on a pig with excellent water pressure, but that’s the only silver lining.
Thursday, July 14 - Cartagena
Miami to Cartagena 2 hours, 15 minute flight. Wedding all taking place in the Old Town in the walled city, so we stayed there, which is super charming and lots of walkable action. Cannot recommend enough the Sofitel Santa Clara hotel which is an old monastery from the 1600’s and really beautiful. Large pool area and lovely open air courtyard dining area. Fitness room and spa as well and well located with ocean views from the bar and many rooms. However, there are loads of really nice hotel options in the historic center including the Casa San Augustine, Bastion and the Nacar which was Lesemann HQ.
Had a delicious lunch in the jardin area of ceviche (one of many to come), chickpea dip, guacamole and pizza. Excellent. Complete with margaritas (one of many to come) and house specialty drinks (think Piscoe Sour from Chile.)
We got situated the rest of the afternoon, unpacked, pool dip, cruised around a bit before heading to the first event of a cocktail party cruise on the Bona Vida catamaran complete with DJ. Fun night cruising the bay around the city. Tip: if walk there rather than taxi….walking can go as the bird flies and taxi has to go around the marinas in chaotic traffic. Got sidetracked walking home when gazing upon the Mirador Gastro rooftop bar and decided to have (several) nightcaps. Great views, fantastic drinks - Tequila and soda came with single tall ice spear, personal soda and personal shot glass of fresh squeezed lime juice.
Friday, July 15 - Boat charter in Rosario Islands
Up and ready at 8:30am to go for for our day boat trip to the Rosario Islands.Ten wedding goers met our English speaking host from Cartagena Boat Tours at the hotel and stopped at a grocery store for some provisions before getting on our 42’ center console for the tour around the islands. WE looked into doing this online, throughout travel agents and the hotel concierge with the concierge being the most effective. The entire cost of the boat for the day, 3 crew, and water bottles, was $700. Incredible. And we are off on a pretty day, smooth waters, delightful warm water temp and plenty of room on the boat for an hour ride to our first stop at a coral reef with good sea life for snorkeling.
We cruised to a cove where Pablo Escobar’s abandoned and dilapidated mansion was, but the best view was the boat next door of thong clad Columbia babes wearing out their phones with selfies. On to lunch passing by the Bora Bora Beach Club, which is supposed to be quite nice, though not necessarily exclusive as anyone can make a reservation and go. En route to lunch at the Aura Hotel for lunch, which seems to have some sort of Santa Clara connection. An oasis esp after passing by the Ft Lauderdale-ish packed Pao Pao Beach Club with Tiki Tables in the water and thumping tunes. Delish lunch of avocado stuffed with ceviche, grilled veggies and beverages. One last stop at a cove on Baru with the new Baru resort. The water was more like a lake - can be missed unless you want to see the area and where a recent Paraguay official was assassinated recently since he was prosecuting drug traffickers.
Wedding cocktail rooftop at the Bastion hotel which was lovely followed by dinner at Juan Del Mar which was bustling and quite lively with a Colombian band and people up dancing between the tables. The Colombian version of Paella, Arroz Caldoso, was delish.
Saturday, July 16 - City Tour Cartagena
Wedding day! We arranged a city tour through the concierge, but were sorta dreading it and prepared to only let it be an hour after hearing many talk of their Thursday walking tour as being VERY hot and too long. But hallelujah, our outstanding tour guide Nico XXXX greeted us with a van and we set off for an excellent tour all over the city from the Customs House to La Popa monastery high above the city. Highly recommend Nico, a gentle and kind man who knew everyone in town. The Getsemani area is a hip area and wish we had spent more time there as it is apparently very lovely. (Insider tip from Sandra: try Pascal for coffee or cocktail.)
Lunch was at Cande as recommended by several including Carmen Garcia, MOB and native Cartagenian. It was fab. Service everywhere is impeccable and the food and atmosphere here was so fun. Seems like there is live music wherever one goes as well.
A bit of shopping was fun, though we had not done our homework and sorta wandered aimlessly. Lots of good shopping though if you are so inclined. Malls are a BIG thing in Columbia, so def check out La Serrezuela, the old bull fighting ring now mall at the entrance to the old city. (Insider Sandra tip: Try Mila for brunch, pastries, or coffee.)
And then there was the wedding at the smallish, but pretty (think pink trim) Iglesia Santo Toribio church near the hotel. Mass ended at 6:30 and the wedding prep unfolded in front of everyone’s eyes and all the men in their guayaberas and ladies in cocktail long dresses. A full mass gave way to the traditional wedding parade escorted by dancers in full costume garb to buses awaiting to take us to the upscale neighborhood of Boca Grande and the Club Naval. It was a dance-a-thon long into the wee hours as is tradition in Columbia…
Sunday, July 17 - On to Bogota
We misread our flt time and hung at the rather 3rd worldish airport longer than needed when we could have been poolside, but alas. Flew Avianca Airlines for a little over an hour flight to Bogota. Wow, what a difference. In everything. Flanked by the Andes Mountains, the temp is low 60s and a puffy feels nice. BIG difference from Cartagena all the way around. Huge massive city of 10 million at an altitude of 8500 feet, our guide meets us and we head for the Four Seasons Bogota in the Zona T area, the upscale area in the north of the city. Dinner that night, as if we need to eat and drink more is at Andes Carne del Res know for its meats and jam packed kitschy decor. (Here called Andres DC. Bogota is home to the OG Andres, though the OG OG is out in the country from Bogota. There is also one in Cartagena which is apparently even bigger and more outrageous decor. It was good and we checked off the specialties of the Lomo cut of beef and the chicharrones fried pork skins/belly.
Monday, July 18 - Bogota City Tour
Our English speaking guide Jairo and driver met us at 9:30 and we started at the Food Market, which seemed a bit unusual, but proved to be very interesting, esp trying all the local fruits (as recommended also by native Sandra.) All very sweet. As Jario said, they love protein, fried, carbs, fruits, juices, and all sweets. True. Veggies are beyond scarce at least at restaurants. We tried several juices and a Bogata style arepas which was sort of a grilled cheese of corn meal flatbread and cheese. It was tasty and very different from the arepas we had had all through Cartagena, which apparently has its own style of arepas, being fried and similar to empanadas.
On to the Pasion de Cristo Conforta church at the top of a mountain 10, 700 feet high which gives an incredible vista of the sprawling city. A well kept park surrounds the grounds. Then a stop at the Museo Botero, which is just fab. The Gold museum is another highly recommended, but closed on Mondays. We walked the old area of Candlaria and stopped for a very local and traditional lunch at La Puerta de la Catedral. Yummy tamale, a chicken stew, and bean plate with sausages, rice, avocado, and fried egg. So much for a light lunch. A cruise through Bolivar Sq which is the home of all the government offices, before heading back for a quick run through some of the shops in Andno Mall and the Zona T area. Check out Calle de los Anticuarios for some very high end boutiques as well.
Dinner that night was at the famed Harry Sasson and it’s sophisticated atmosphere was a delight. And that was our 36 hrs in Bogata.
Other things to do according to our guide in Bogata are bike tours, graffiti tours and hiking in the Andes. Overall, I am glad we went as time did not allow us for other, perhaps more interesting areas of Columbia, so a quick overview of Bogata fit the bill. Would I recommend going there? Prob not unless you fly in there and spend one night and day before going to other more charming areas. No need to stay longer than 24 hrs IMO.
Tuesday, July 19
Depart for USA
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