Cartagena de Indias – a gem of the Caribbean. The city is surrounded by a wall, which was supposed to protect it from pirate attacks. It is easy to spot on the colorful streets of cartagena women balancing baskets full of fruit on their heads. Many do not know that they are not Cartagena’s inhabitants. […]
Category: Colombia
Cocora Valley
A blanket of fog covered the green hills. The majestic wax palms were disappearing and appearing all over again as the fog was moving. Finally, it was gone and veiled the beauty of the Cocora Valley. Few rays of light were lighting up small valleys and hills. The Valley is situated in the Coffee Region […]
Christmas in Colombia
The Christmas atmosphere in Bogota starts just after Halloween. In all shops, you can find Christmas decorations, Christmas trees and other accessories. Shops that used to sell home decorations or even flowers change for a while their product line and will sell Christmas decorations for about two months. And Santa Claus will greet us almost […]
The best of Colombia
Colombia. Mostly known for Pablo Escobar, drugs cartels, TV series ”Narcos” and coffee. To me, it is one of the most amazing places I have ever lived. And here is the best of Colombia in my humble opinion: Colombia lays within different climate zones. The climate varies according to altitude. I call Bogota the city of eternal spring. […]
Sidewalks in Bogota
Yes. I wrote about sidewalks in Bogota. They were quite an essential part of my life as a mother in the Colombian capital. The sidewalks in Bogota are uneven, bumpy and not stroller friendly. It is not easy to walk on them as they are quite high in some places and there are no pedestrian […]
Cartagena de Indias
Cartagena de Indias is definitely one of my favorite destinations in Colombia. I love walking on its colorful and narrow streets, meeting from time to time a Palanquera selling fresh fruit salads. As it is situated on the Caribbean cost it has a hot and humid climate all year long with rainy seasons from April […]
Things to do and see in Bogota
Bogota in one day: I once had a visit of a friend of mine, who on her way to Europe had a stop-over in Bogota. It turned out that the main tourists attractions in Bogota can be visited in a just few hours. Although Bogota, as most of Latin Americas capitals, doesn’t attract many tourists, […]
Little Candles Night
On the 7th of December Colombia celebrates the Little Candles Night (also known as La Noche de las Velitas). It is celebrated on the eve of the Immaculate Conception, (the 8th of December) which is a holiday in Colombia. It is also the unofficial beginning of Christmas in Colombia. (The truth is that the very […]
Barichara and ants for a snack
It looked like a plastic bag with black tea leaves. Looking more carefully, one could distinguish the body and the head of the creature. I grabbed the plastic bag on the corner and went to show my shopping to the others. The bravest one, who was 18 months old was the only one who wanted […]
Why living in Colombia has ruined my life for long to come
I got quickly used to some good things during the couple of years when Colombia was my home. And getting ‘’unused’’ is not easy now. Especially now during the autumn months in Europe when it is getting cold and it is raining. When the leaves fall (well it is colourful now) but when the trees […]
Safety issues in Bogota and what I was a victim of
The most common dangers in Bogota are: Taxi: you should always book a taxi using an authorized Taxi services or via mobile phone authorized applications. Some mobile phone applications follow the taxi ride during night hours. I also used to send the taxi details to the person I was going to visit. You should never […]
I thought I spoke Spanish
I moved to Colombia after 4 years living in Spain. It is long enough to learn a language and have a good command of it. I also was aware that some word used on a daily basis in Spain are vulgar and offensive in Latin America. The word ‘coger’ is a perfect example. It has […]
10 facts about Bogota
Some interesting facts about the city that used to be my home. (Part 1) 1. Bogota lies at 2640 meters above sea level which means, I have lived at a higher altitude than the highest peak in Poland in the Tatras Mountains – Rysy 2499 meters above sea level. Bogota is the 3rd highest capital […]
Riohacha and the Passport story
I forgot the passport! The flight was departing at 15:15. We ordered a taxi to pick us up at 12 to have enough time to get to the airport through Bogota’s jammed roads. Friday afternoon is the worst time to get to the airport. Since it was a domestic flight we only needed our resident […]
The Coffee Region
I am afraid of spiders. I am not keen on heights either. Then a canopy flying at a high speed should not be for me either. And it was in the coffee region in Colombia where I faced these two fears in less than two hours. The airport had only one lane. It was sourrounded by bamboo […]
Exotic fruit I tried in Colombia
Every time I went to a grocery store in Colombia I could see a mass of different fruits or vegetables on the shelves. I had no idea what to do with them. Until one day a Colombian lady explained me two new fruits to me. I decided to try one or two new fruits per […]