We are so proud of this awesome new intro for Messy Suitcase videos that we simply HAVE to share it! It’s a collaboration between Hamburg, Germany-based musician/composer Patrick Hamm and Champlain College Filmmaking student Gavin Greenawalt.
Discovering Colombia
We just got back from a whirlwind 4-day trip to Colombia. Wow!
We chose to visit Colombia because Avianca Airlines was having an introductory sale for routes from San Juan, and our current base is Puerto Rico. Why not? We had never been to South America and knew zero about Colombia, except for reading about the Medellin Cartel’s narco wars in the news in the 1980s. Flights were only a couple of hundred dollars, some non-stop, to Bogota, Medellín, and Cartagena. We chose Bogota, the capital, because we hadn’t visited a city in a while. We decided to spend four days there in early December – our first perfect choice, made totally by accident. Then we bought a guidebook, read a little, and booked a couple of organized tours.
Where to Stay?
Our first revelation about Bogota was that lodging was incredibly inexpensive. We chose the historic, walkable Candelaria district as our base. We prefer vacation rentals over hotels, allowing us to spread out and feel truly at home, while living in real neighborhoods instead of tourism centers. We found a delightful apartment at the edge of Candelaria on Airbnb: a chicly furnished corner studio with two walls of windows overlooking the sprawling city and the Andes Mountains beyond. The cost was an unbelievable $33 a night, plus taxes and fees. Booking Fiori dela Candelaria was our second accidental perfect choice.
The property manager, Angela, offered an airport pick-up for a reasonable price, and we took her up on it. She was on time, her partner driving a tiny car (the first of many we rode in), and she filled us with helpful information on the drive from Bogota International Airport. She settled us into the hillside apartment, then took us up to the roof garden, where we were greeted by a stunning 270-degree view of sprawling Bogota. We were in awe even as we shivered in the biting wind.
What We Discovered
Bogota is Chilly
This modern city of 8 million people is nestled amid the Andes at 8,000 feet above sea level. Lisa had a headache the first day. Fortunately, we had lived in the Denver foothills for a few years, so our bodies easily adapted to the altitude. But that altitude also brought cooler temperatures – highs reaching the mid- to upper 60s during the day, and mid-40s at night. Coming from hot Puerto Rico, this was a bit of a shock. Pack sweaters!
Bogota is Cheap
We paid U.S. prices for the tours we pre-booked, but everything else was incredibly inexpensive. Doing the conversion from 4,000 Colombia pesos to 1 U.S. Dollar was challenging, but the fact is, once you land in Colombia, you’ll find your travels extremely economical. And Bogota is the most expensive city in Colombia!
Bogota Loves Christmas
We were in the city on Dec. 7, the eve of the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which it turns out is the official start of the Christmas season in mostly Catholic Colombia. We woke up at 5 AM to a huge fireworks display coming from Plaza de Bolivar, the main city plaza. That night was the Night of Little Candles (Noche de las Velitas), when families across the country (and Colombian ex-pat families around the world) light clusters of little candles on their balconies or doorsteps (and on church steps and parks and plazas) to honor the Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, and make wishes. Colorful Christmas lights came on in full force all over the country, on highrises and apartment windows, parks and boulevards, sparkling reds and pinks and blues. Families walked about on the pedestrian-only Seventh Avenue (Carrera Septima) eating snacks, buying toys, singing carols, and enjoying street performers. Fireworks continued all over the city until well after 3 AM.
The next day, on the actual feast day, the party continued throughout the city with artisan and food vendors, jugglers and clowns, choirs in the churches, and singers on street corners. Cyclists pedaled on the Ciclovia when a main artery was closed for miles to accommodate recreationalists. Crowds swelled as the day wore on. The next morning, the fireworks started again at 4:45 AM, and our host Angela told us the festivities would continue in full force until Christmas.
Bogota Has Incredible Museums and Culture
We visited the Botero Museum, gifted to the city by the artist Ferdinand Botero to bring art to the masses for free. This world-class museum contains many of his works, plus his personal collection of art by notables such as Monet, Degas, Van Gogh, and Picasso. Nearby, the Gold Museum taught us about the rich history of gold in Colombia, how it was used by indigenous people to honor their chieftains and shamans, and how European explorers sought to exploit it for their own enrichment, setting off Colombia’s violent history.
The Gold Museum displayed many artifacts that told the story of Colombia’s history.
We visited the Military Museum of Colombia, which has many U.S. connections. We tried to get into the Museum of Coins (the Mint) but it had just closed for the feast day. There are art museums, a Mexican Cultural Center, theaters, and we were blown away when we heard an orchestra and choir rehearsing behind closed doors as we stood outside the awe-inspiring Bogota Metropolitan Basilica.
Colombia Is Foodie Heaven
The coffee, of course, is world-renowned, and deservedly so; we brought two pounds home. But we also tried shots the classic Colombian alcoholic drink Aguardientes, which has a fruity sweetness tempered by a tongue-biting touch of anise. There are excellent craft beers, though we didn’t partake. We tried arepas, pan-fried corn cakes. What else? Ajiaca, a soup with several types of potatoes, chicken, and corn, with avocado and capers thrown in. Pinchos, a mixed kebab with a potato at the end. Lemonade with coconut, a creamy paradise for the tongue reminiscent of a Mexican horchata with bits of toasted coconut on top. Coca tea, with and without fruit, which has healing properties. Aromática, a tasty fruit tea that can be drunk with or without alcohol, supplemented by panela, the country’s signature cane sugar. Learn more here.
Bogota’s Markets Rival Mexico’s
We spent many happy hours walking around marketplaces, first the touristic type that can be found in La Candelaria’s parks and pedestrian avenues, which boasted a wide variety of stunning indigenous art and the usual ticky-tacky tourist stuff. Then we crossed to the other side of Plaza de Bolivar and found a local marketplace, the kind where tourists like us can scoop up bargains in housewares, clothing, toys, holiday items, shoes, bags, you name it – as long as they hold on tight to their wallets and phones and aren’t afraid to barter.
Watch For the Videos!
Messy Suitcase will be bringing a series of videos to YouTube to share our Colombian journey. Subscribe to our channel and ring the bell to be notified!
The Battle of the Puerto Rican Rums, Part 1: Barrilito
Ron del Barrilito) is the original Puerto Rican rum, and many would say the finest. Bacardi, rum purists claim, is originally from Cuba and therefore not Puerto Rican at all – despite its huge factory in San Juan and its reputation worldwide as THE Puerto Rican rum of note.
We decided to tour both, starting with Barrilito. The name means Rum from the Little Barrel, a reference to the little barrels that the original moonshiner hawked his potion from in 1880. The factory is in Bayamon in greater San Juan, and easy to get to by Uber if you’re a tourist without a car. (Also a short drive, if you have rented a car and have the heart to navigate traffic in San Juan.) The tour isn’t cheap ($80), but it’s fun! You’ll learn a lot about the different types of rum and have a great time learning about island history and rum culture.
Learn more and buy tickets at the Ron del Barrilito website.
Puerto Rico Must-Do Experiences and Adventures
We’ve lived in Puerto Rico for only two months, and already a number of friends, and friends of friends, have reached out to us looking for recommendations or advice for visiting the island. I realize no one has time to go through our whole travel blog in search of ideas on what to do or see on La Isla del Encanto.
So if you’re coming to Puerto Rico and staying around the capital San Juan, here are a few of our favorite things to do, see and experience!
Urban Beaches
If you’re staying in San Juan, you will enjoy Isla Verde Beach, with its wide swath of sand and crashing waves. Ocean Park Beach is quirky and fun, but difficult to access unless you’re staying close by. We also recommend Balneario Carolina, or Carolina Public Beach, just east of Isla Verde, which features bathrooms, showers, shade trees, and beach bars. Admission is free, and parking is just $4. The sand is soft, the waves are gentle, and you can while away an afternoon in a beach chair with a mojito in hand while watching jets take off from and land at San Juan International Airport, right behind you.
Stroll west down the sand and enjoy lunch or dinner at Ocean Lab Brewing Company, which serves up really good pub food and a variety of craft brews on a large open balcony facing the ocean and the beach club below. (Make sure you enter from the street side; the beachside door is for members only.) Don’t miss the gift shop!
Balneario de Carolina: https://www.discoverpuertorico.com/profile/balneario-de-carolina/7704
Ocean Lab Brewing: https://oceanlabbrewery.com/
Urban Snorkeling
You can snorkel for sea turtles at Escambron Beach on Puerto de Tierra in San Juan. It’s not the best snorkeling on the island by any stretch, but it’s convenient if you’re staying in San Juan. And the chances of seeing a sea turtle are high!
Scuba Dogs Dive Shop (for renting snorkel gear): https://scubadogs.net/
For some truly spectacular snorkeling, go on a snorkeling day trip on a catamaran to Icacos Island, embarking from Fajardo. We did the Catamaran Spread Eagle II, and it was a blast. https://g.co/kgs/ZwRNd2
Viejo (Old) San Juan
Old San Juan is worth a day trip just to experience 500 years of history mingled with today’s rhythm of life. Enjoy strolling around the old city while you soak up the beautifully preserved Spanish Colonial architecture, shop for local crafts, and eat and drink Puerto Rican fare. Take in the historic sights, especially the iconic fort San Felipe El Morro, the governor’s residence La Fortaleza, and the Museum of the Americas. Definitely spend at least a day!
Here are some links to get you started in OSJ.
- Exploring Old San Juan: https://notaboutthemiles.com/things-to-do-in-old-san-juan/
- El Morro: https://www.nps.gov/saju/index.htm
- La Fortaleza: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/266/
- Museo de las Américas: https://www.museolasamericas.org/
- Doña Fela Parking Garage: https://g.co/kgs/adbVtk
Arts and Culture
The Puerto Rico Art Museum in Santurce is excellent, if you want to spend a day away from the beach and out of the sun. https://www.mapr.org/es
Centro de Bellas Artes has world-class cultural offerings. https://www.cba.pr.gov/
If you’re a Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In the Heights, Tick Tick Boom) fan, take a trip to his family’s hometown of Vega Alta, less than an hour’s drive from San Juan, and spend a couple of hours in the Galería de Lin-Manuel Miranda. Lin used to fly down from New York to spend summers visiting his abuelos (grandparents) here when he was a kid. In fact, his grandfather was a local celebrity decades before Lin started winning awards! https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/galeria-lin-manuel-miranda?tab=visit
Rum and Spirits
If you fancy rum or just a good time on vacation, we recommend taking the Mixology Class at the Bacardí Rum Factory. Take the ferry to Cataño from Old San Juan (Park at Doña Fela) for a spectacular experience. https://www.bacardi.com/casa-bacardi/tickets/
Another rum option is to take the tasting tour at Ron Barrilito, the original Puerto Rican rum. https://rondelbarrilito.com/
These are splurges, about $80 each. Both are worth it!
If you decide not to spend the time or money on a rum tour, we recommend at least having a piña colada at El Caribe Hilton, which claims to be the birthplace of the piña colada, or Barachina in Old San Juan (https://g.co/kgs/nP36j6), which makes the same claim. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chelseadavis/2019/07/10/this-is-where-the-pia-colada-was-born/
Hiking the Rain Forest El Yunque
If you want to hike in El Yunque, the rain forest, you need to buy your tickets in advance on the first day of the month, from the US National Park Service website. They get snapped up fast. However, the site doesn’t work well, so be prepared for Plan B. If you fail, which is likely, you can always book a guided tour.
National Park Service website: https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/300017
A zipline tour of El Yunque is also awesome. https://www.junglequipr.com
Luquillo and the Kioskos
Afterward, relax at Balneario (Public Beach) Luquillo (closed Monday and Tuesday). Again, free entry, $4 parking, bathrooms, gentle surf, and golden sand. (Note that this is NOT the beach behind the Kioskos. That one is also called Luquillo, NOT Balneario Luquillo, and is interesting, but with a gritty locals vibe. Be prepared to encounter lots of trash) https://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/balneario-monserrate-luquillo/
Then have a meal at the famous Luquillo kioskos. https://www.puertoricodaytrips.com/luquillo-kiosks/
And So Much More…
Drink a passion fruit mojito! Try red snapper (chillo) with criollo sauce!
If you’ll have a car and are willing to explore a little, visit the Pork Highway, a coffee plantation, or Gozalandia Falls. If you have more time, come to our lovely southwest corner of the island, Cabo Rojo, which has clear, calm beaches facing the gentle turquoise waters of the Mona Passage. It’s 2 and 1/2 hours from San Juan.
Our Favorite Tour Guides
If you want someone with energy, knowledge, and enthusiasm to create a tour for you and show you the island, consider Rosario and Chan’s Adventures. Julio and Chan are fantastic! Tell them Bob and Lisa sent you! https://m.facebook.com/100082685624263/
More Great Sources of Info
- Discoverpuertorico.com
- Puertoricodaytrips.com
- Messysuitcase.com
- Youtube.com/messysuitcase
This should get you started. Enjoy this wonderful island!
Eiffel Tower Light Show
The highlight of the Bateaux Mouches dinner cruise on the River Seine in Paris was when the Eiffel Tower put on a light show at 10 o’clock. Glorious!
We highly recommend this experience for anyone looking for a romantic or noteworthy evening in Paris. the views are unparalleled, and we lucky to have a clear, warmish early-fall with a full moon. Our only regret was that we neglected to inform them in advance that we were celebrating Lisa’s birthday! If we had they would have brought her dessert with a sparkler on top and played Happy Birthday on the violin! (Come to think of it, maybe it’s better she didn’t singe her eyebrows,)
Scandinavian Tour, Part 1: Trying Something New
We love to travel, but planning a trip can be really labor- and time-intensive. Bob has great ideas for places to go and things to do, but no patience for all those logistical details, so the work falls on my shoulders. Sometimes, when I have been poring over AirBnBs and hotel options, comparing flight prices, and looking at rental cars vs. trains, I find myself feeling overwhelmed by all the choices and resentful that it’s keeping me from enjoying the place I am actually in. I have often thought how nice it would be to let someone else do the planning for once! So Bob and I decided to try an organized tour for the first time and see if we liked it.
We knew we wanted to travel in the fall, at the end of our time in Vermont, and before settling into our new home in Puerto Rico. We knew we had to work around our oldest child Aryk’s schedule, because they were just finishing their work for their Master’s degree from Bath Spa University and we wanted to give them the gift of a trip together to celebrate all their hard work. We knew we wanted to see my brother Pat and his family, who live in Germany and whom we haven’t seen since pre-COVID. So that meant the destination was likely northern Europe, and the dates available were mid-September to mid-October.
We decided to start in northern Europe and work our way south as the fall season progressed, in order to enjoy the best weather. I don’t know why we chose Scandinavia for the first ten days, when Bob and I would be traveling alone before meeting up with family for the second half of the vacation. But a company called Tour Radar, offered a reasonably-priced tour of four countries on the perfect dates for our schedule. (We love traveling, but we’re not rich!) Bob found a 10-day tour of Scandinavia that included breakfasts but no other meals, an option we preferred because sometimes we like to share meals, or just have ice cream for lunch, or try street food while exploring a town. The cost was $1600 apiece.
The tour looked pretty whirlwind, so we decided to treat it as a “taste” of Scandinavia, with the idea of going back and spending more time in any places we found particularly appealing. It included travel by bus in a clockwise circle around Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, by way of buses, a funicular, several water crossings, a fjord cruise, and even an overnight ferry.
The tour was actually conducted by Europamundo, a company of the JTB group, the largest company of tourism and travel in Asia.
This was the itinerary, lifted directly from the provided literature, with some edits for brevity or clarification:
Day 1. Copenhagen (Denmark)
Arrival and free-time exploration of Copenhagen.
Day 2. Copenhagen, Odense, Aarhus (Denmark)
Bus tour of the Danish capital with a local guide. Travel to Jutland, passing through pleasant scenery on our way. En route we take a 20km bridge over the sea and stop at Odense, where we can visit its gothic cathedral and the house where Hans Christian Andersen grew up. We continue on to Aarhus and our accommodation.
Day 3. Aarhus (Denmark), Ferry to Norway, Kristiansand , Kristiansand , Stavanger (Norway)
We travel to the coastal city of Hirtshals, where we take a 3-hour ferry crossing the North Sea to Kristiansand (Norway). We will continue along Norway’s southern coastline and enjoy its stunning landscapes. Next stop in Flekkefjord, a town with its wooden houses and tiny restaurants on a fjord. Arrival to Stavanger, a small picturesque town that has an active port by the fjord.
Day 4. Stavanger, Bergen (Norway)
Upon leaving the city, we will stop at the ‘Swords in Rock’ monument, where we will be reminded of the Vikings, before continuing the very beautiful scenic tour. We follow the route going through tunnels, bridges and travel some stretches by boat to go along the fjord coast of Norway. One of its undersea tunnels is the deepest one in the world. This stage gets more relaxed and spectacular with its two boat trips. We will arrive in BERGEN at lunch time. We take a funicular trip to Mount Fløyen which offers amazing views of the town and Bergen fjord. There will be some leisure time later to enjoy the capital city of fjords.
Day 5. Bergen, Oslo (Norway)
More fantastic landscapes today, images of Norway’s interior region fjords, glaciers, lakes and forests. We will travel to Sognefjord, Norway’s largest fjord. Prior to arrival, we will stop at the beautiful Tvindefossen waterfall. We will take a magnificent cruise through a fjord between the cities of Gudvangen and Flam, and enjoy stunning landscapes and views of glaciers during this two-hour voyage. We continue our journey crossing magnificent snow-covered landscapes. We travel through Lærdal Tunnel, one of the longest in the world. Next, a visit to Borgund’s 12th-century wooden church which is considered Norway’s best-preserved medieval church. We arrive in Oslo with free time to check out its port, main streets, and the artworks at Frognerparken.
Day 6. Oslo (Norway), Orebro, Estocolmo, Stockholm (Sweden)
We include a sightseeing tour with a local guide of the Norwegian capital; this city combines its vibrant modern architecture with its classical buildings, magnificent scenery and large parks with sculptures. It has been nominated the “European green capital”. After the tour, if you want you can visit the Vikings museum. Departure for Sweden. Enjoy landscapes with forests and lakes. Next stop in Orebro, a town next to a beautiful lake with a castle and charming historic center. Time for stroll and to take lunch. Continuing to Stockholm, arriving in the evening.
Day 7. Stockholm, Estocolmo (Sweden)
Today we take a panoramic tour of this very beautiful capital city built on 13 islands joined together. We will see the Gamla Stand or the “City between the Bridges”, the old quarter of the city, full of life where there are many monumental buildings such as the Nobel Museum, alongside the main square of Stortorget, which pays tribute to the winners of the Nobel Prizes, the Cathedral, and the Royal Palace. Whenever possible, we will enjoy a pretty view from the Fjällgatan viewpoint. Then leisure time. We recommend visiting the museums and parks. Optionally, we suggest a visit to the City Hall and to the Vasa Museum.
Day 8. Stockholm, Estocolmo (Sweden), Ferry Estocolmo, Turku (Helsinki)
Enjoy a free day of leisure in Stockholm. In the evening we will board a modern ferry traveling overnight to Finland, where accommodation will be in double cabins with private bathrooms.
Day 9. Ferry Estocolmo (Sweden to Finland), Turku , Naantali, Helsinki (Finland)
As we arrive to Finland, we recommend that you go to the ship’s deck for sunrise, enjoy mesmerizing landscapes from the sea as we sail along Aland Islands, hundreds of islands covered by forests. We disembark the ferry and have time to walk around Turku, a city with a very strong Swedish influence. We continue our journey to the neighboring city of Naantali, a very picturesque town with wooden houses next to the sea. We travel on until we arrive in Helsinki, reaching at lunchtime. In the afternoon enjoy leisure time, you will be able to explore the city, with its old market, buildings with Russian influence, and churches.
Day 10. Helsinki (Finland)
We enjoy a boat trip to Suomenlinna Islands, a group of islands where we can witness a great fortress that used to protect the sea entry to the city, it has been declared World Heritage Site. Take time to walk around, it is possible to cross the islands through small pedestrian bridges. Free time during the afternoon.
We were excited! We scheduled a couple of nights in Copenhagen at the beginning of the tour, packed our KF-94 masks, found house sitters to live with the cat, and set out on Sept. 18 from Boston Logan for a new kind of traveling adventure.
Next up … Scandinavian Tour, Part 2: Exploring Copenhagen
The Pterocarpus Forest: A Nature Enclave Within a Sprawling Resort
Who would expect to find a beautifully preserved nature preserve in the middle of the largest resort development in Puerto Rico? But that’s what we discovered when we entered the Pterocarpus Forest.
The Pterocarpus Forest nature preserve at Palmas del Mar is a 51-acre swamp forest, one of the largest remaining swamp forests in Puerto Rico. It serves as a habitat for 44 species of flora and 52 species of fauna, and this is a relief to see when elsewhere in Palmas del Mar, trees are being razed to create the latest luxury developments.
This wetland forest is named after the Pterocarpus Officinalis tree (“Dragonsblood Tree”), which has awesome roots that spread out majestically. It can grow more than 65 feet tall.
There’s also a lookout tower and a pond, which provide lively bird, turtle and iguana-watching.
Although Palmas is a private development, the Pterocarpus Forest is open to the public. Just tell the guard at the gate that’s where you are going. They have even been known to give out forest maps. There’s also an app that offers a walking tour of the forest.
Links
Back on a Bike!
First bike ride of the year in Ludlow, just 10 miles into town and back. God, the roads are in bad condition! But it was a sunny 70 degrees. Lovely start to the season!
Heading to the States
Last view of the ocean for a while. Goodbye, Puerto Rico. See you again soon, mi isla encanta!
Touring Hacienda Muñoz, the Closest Coffee Hacienda to San Juan
We took a tour of Hacienda Muñoz in San Lorenzo, half an hour up the mountains from San Juan. Its coffee has won the Best Coffee People’s Choice Award at the Puerto Rico Coffee and Chocolate Expo for three years running. Is it really that good?
The tour focused on the coffee-growing industry and its history, as well as the methods used to grow, process, and roast coffee. The detail was sometimes excruciating, as we stood on the hillside in the hot sun listening to our impassioned guide go on and on and on.
While small, it’s a much larger operation than Hacienda Iluminada, the small hacienda we toured last fall which focused its tour on sustainable practices and integration into the forest. Here, we saw neat rows of coffee plants planted in full sun. In addition to its coffee fields, Hacienda Muñoz operates a small café, where we enjoyed fresh turkey sandwiches on baguettes, and a larger restaurant.
Lisa bought a bag of medium-roast coffee, and it was indeed exemplary.
The cost for the tour was $20, or $10 for kids and those over 60. It included a tasting.
