Ajiaco, absolutely the best Colombian chicken & potato stew you will taste with its aromas & pops of color in its ingredients!
With Colombia’s weather a bowl of Ajiaco is just what the weatherman ordered. You know if you have spent any time in Colombia your day could easily have covered the four seasons; cold during the night, cool spring like in the morning, by noon the temp has warmed up only to drastically drop back down around late afternoon/early evening. A bowl of Ajiaco is guaranteed to be a belly warmer! Nothing can warm your soul like a good bowl of chicken stew & Ajiaco fills the bill.
Ajiaco – Whatis it?
Ajiaco is a very popular Bogota, Colombian soup or stew – whichever you prefer calling it. The soup consists mainly of corn on the cob cut up & potatoes with various spices.
The photo featured in beginning of this post is what we had minus the various toppings as indicated in recipe below. Easily my new favorite soup for those chilly days. So yummy!
Ajiaco – Colombian Chicken Stew with the toppings {photo by Spruce Eats]
If you are rushed for time on your visit, here are some must see sights in Bogota Colombia!
We had initially planned on spending three months in Cartagena, but shortly into our time there, we decided we wanted to view the must see sights in Bogota, Colombia & boy were we delighted that we did! To be honest after visiting Bogota, we wished we had allowed ourselves more time to see the sights. Just to be purely transparent here, Bogota was beyond what we had believed it could be! The locals were so kind & several stopped to ask us if we needed help or directions [you know those moments when we were on a corner debating whether Google maps was correct?? It isn’t always correct.].
I did end up getting a bad stomach bug & spent quite a bit of time in bed so our sight seeing time was drastically cut back but we made the most of the time we had. [No, it wasn’t covid, just something that definitely did not set well with me. Ha.]
For a city the size of Bogota, we felt nothing but safe. There was a definite police presence but we never felt unsafe. We did learn during a walking tour that a rebel group member had blown up in a bomb explosion. The rebel was attempting to climb a fence that connected to a neighborhood near the airport along the Colombian and Venezuelan border. That may have explained the large military presence throughout the city of Bogota. But let me stress again, we NEVER felt unsafe!
Lets Get Started! On a time crunch, here are OUR picks for must see sights in Bogota, Colombia!
1] Bolivar Plaza
Bolivar Square was constructed in the early 1500’s. One side consist of the Cathedral Basilica Metropolitan & Primate of the Immaculate Conception & Saint Peter of Bogota. The plaza is located in the La Candelaria area & consists of neo-classical architecture dated around 1820’s.
Interior of Cathedral Basilica Metropolitan – Bolivar Square
The image at the opening of this post is a close up of the ceiling & chandeliers in the entry of this Cathedral.
The Cathedral sits on the east side of the Square. The House of Commons & other government buildings complete the square shape leaving the center open for viewing, llama rides & vendors.
House of Commons/Government buildings- Bolivar Square
2] Street Shopping with Local Vendors!
Whether you are just ‘window shopping’, souvenir hunting, food tasting or looking for cultural events – a simple walking tour may be for you! We found on our trip that certain days certain streets were closed to traffic allowing vendors to set up & opening up the world of Colombian shopping to everyone. Here are a few views of our walks.
Hand Made Beaded Necklaces just one of hundreds of vendor offerings.
Locals playing chess on streets oblivious to the music & Christmas shopping around them! A surprising but definite highlight of this walk – a must see in Bogota!
The Emerald Trade Center Bogota – this was quite the surprise seeing emerald dealers out in plaza in front of store selling/trading emeralds.
Indigenous Colombian vendors selling their handmade bags.
A little side note on what exactly are Indigenous people
Mauricio, our tour guide on this particular day, explained to us that the Indigenous people were here in Colombia PRIOR to the European arrival in the 16th Century. They make up approximately 5% of the Colombian population & have over 80 tribes. As late as 2020 the Indigenous are still fighting for rights, etc as covered in this very interesting article.
3] Free Walking Tours in Bogota
There are a lot of tours that can be found online in Bogota & quite a few are FREE other than a suggested tip for the Tour Guide!
War & Peace Walking Tour – great tour! We signed up the day before & met our group in front of the Gold Musuem. It was scheduled for three hours but actually lasted almost five hours which was a bit long BUT part of that time was spent at a local coffee shop discussing Colombia’s history! Besides learning about the fact that Colombia has only had a peace treaty for the last five years – it took eight years to get to that point. Still today there is a high police presence but again we never felt unsafe & would love to go back to Bogota one day for an actual visit! Here is a pic of our little group.
Half the fun of visiting different countries is the people you meet from such a wide variety of backgrounds. On this trip we met Jazmina & Alexander from Poland who travel the world kite surfing! Ash, on the far right, is from France who took a couple weeks vacation to check out Bogota! Mauricio, in the middle was our guide. I apologize now if I misspelled anyone’s name!
Walking Tour Group – Such a lovely group of travelers to add to our world of friends.
Again, do your research & I can guarantee you will find one to match your interest! Graffiti Street Art/Painted wall murals are everywhere & that is free!
4] Parish of Our Lady Chiquinquira
If you enjoy architecture of older churches/cathedrals, all you do is need to walk the neighborhoods. This Cathedral of gothic architecture was built between 1925 & 1959. It caught our eye one day on a walk & we simply could not get enough of it!
Parish of Our Lady Chiquinquira – Bogota
Parish of Our Lady Chiquinquira – Bogota
5] Museo del Oro or Museum of Gold – “must see” sight in Bogota, Colombia
Although this was on our must see list, we did not make it to the Museo del Oro or Musueum of Gold but I was ill during the time we had planned to check out this amazing Must See in Bogota – here is a peak at what we missed [this trip] & what you will see on yours! I had read in one article that the Museum was free on Sundays but this article did not mention that? I’m told by many that it is well worth the time to view.
In closing, if we had to do it over again, we would probably spend less time in Cartagena & more time in Bogota! If Colombia is not yet on your bucket list, what are you waiting on? I hope you enjoy this post. Leave any comments & we will be happy to respond.
Here are our top four amazing sites you must explore in Cartagena!
Even if you only have a short time in the city the below four places are a must explore in Cartagena Colombia! How fast the time has flown in Cartagena, Colombia for these senior travelers! South America had been mentioned in our original plan with Colombia standing out as being the first to visit although we had no idea of the fit for us or what we would see. Boy were we surprised! Once we got our footing through the neighborhood the first week our visit went surprisingly well! If you only have a short time frame to be in Cartagena, than the four areas below need to be on your must see!
The First Week in Cartagena
Again, I can’t lie. Let me get this off my chest & then we will jump into our top four favorite sites here in the city.
The first few days was definitely a learning curve for these two senior travelers.
1] The weather temps were high [no problem with that] but the humidity was out of this world! The only way to address this issue was to make our trips early in the a.m. & then late afternoon which brings up our other issue on this trip.
2] The Airbnb was fairly new & the owner did not leave anything out when he furnished this place. It truly was beautiful & the views from the 22nd floor are awesome. This building sits in close proximity to several other high rises & really is just a short walk to the Caribbean sea. The AirBnB was listed as located in a ‘working class neighborhood’ which to us was a tad misleading. The barrio was one of the lower economically placed neighborhoods that is getting pushed out by the building of high rises for apartments/hotels. Let me explain it another way…we used taxi or inDrive to & from the AirBnB to wherever we wanted to go outside the neighborhood [when normally we would have loved the long walks] as we were told by multiple folks not to walk the streets or be out after dark [‘in this neighborhood”]. Prior to being told this we had already walked to the sea & mall a few times with no problems but also very wary of our surroundings. The Big Guy actually believes that the locals telling us not to walk the neighborhood were the same who just does not want to see the neighborhood taken over by big commercial hotel or Airbnb businesses.
So, senior travelers or any traveler for that matter, a word of caution. You cannot always rely on the description of those guest reviews nor can you believe misinformation. Be very thorough & take that extra step to check out the area surrounding where you will be staying. We did some walking but mostly from our area it was InDrive to drop off points. The greatest threat to our safety was actually the busy streets with fast moving motorcycles, buses, taxis and cars. Traffic is crazy! A lot of streets are narrow & don’t have street signs so again TAKE InDrive or taxi & be happy! There are a LOT of motorbikes on the streets & a few had no problem popping up onto the sidewalk…You have to be quick & diligent in crossing a street.
Bottom line is DON’T LOOK LIKE A TOURIST – leave your fancy jewelry, watches, bags at home & you will be fine!
TIP:
Uber was not reliable for us.
Taxis worked fine. We only had one driver charge us more than the previously agreed amount at delivering us to location; the others have been spot on in clearly stating up front price & sticking to it.
InDrive is our preference! No problems with them at all.
Ok, now to the fun stuff! Here are our top four sites we saw on this trip!
Four Sites You Must Visit in Cartagena!
1] Castillo San Felipe – a UNESCOsite!
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas is a UNESCO site! Cartagena was one of the most important ports, thus a likely target for pirates, privateers as well as other countries. The fortress was built in 1536 by the Spanish & updated after every battle thru 1767. It was built strategically on top of the hill with full view of both city & sea. It has everything you can imagine for a fortress built for protection. Lookout towers, underground tunnels, drawbridge, hidden corridors & cannons, all made to come to life by our guide, Lina & her in-depth history & tales of pirates, privateers & invasions. Enjoy the photos & if you want to know a little more about the importance of this fortress check this out!
The tunnels were designed by Antonio de Arevalo specifically to carry the echos of any invaders trying to sneak in. Remember these tunnels were unlit so the Spanish knew the tunnels, the English did not. Also, the tunnels were built in such a way that any whisper or noise the invaders made echoed letting the Spanish know to be ready. It was pretty ingenious with the strategy used in building this fortress.
Underground tunnels at Castillo San Felipe de Barrajas. Remember originally these tunnels would be pitch black with the lights to guide you.
One of the three Watch towers watching out over Caribbean Sea at top of Castillo San Felipe in Cartagena, Colombia.
Looking up from street view Castillo San Felipe.
There were six battles fought here but the most famous of battles was the English invasion of 1741. The English outnumbered the Spanish in number of men, cannons, ships, etc & were confident of their win but they lost making the Spanish leader Blas de Lezo, the one eyed, one leg, one arm leader a hero! (Yeah, once again the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean” flash through my mind!) Again, the strategy used in the building of this fortress was before its time!
TIP: Entry fee was 25,000 COP each [$6.40 USD] & the Guide fee is an additional fee. THE GUIDE IS SO WORTH IT!
2] Barrio Getsemani!
Getsemani is a very lively & brightly colored neighborhood! The streets are narrow, the walls are covered with vibrant wall murals & decorated to make your “eyes happy” as our niece claims. The neighborhood is truly hostel heaven with cafes, bars & enough art to keep you looking for days. Music was ever present whether it was rappers or Spanish music.
If you love taking photos, this is a must for you and its FREE. Plenty of cafes for you to sit & take a break with lunch or drink!
Getsemani walk of art.
We were told the Iguana door knockers were a way to tell the wealth or class of the family inside by the size of the knocker. The bigger the richer. Also the wood knobs – the more on a door the higher ‘class’ you were.
Just a few of many street art displays for sale!
These Tiendas are located in every street or neighborhood throughout Cartagena. This is where you can go to get that 1/2 cup of sugar or 1 egg or 1 stick of butter, etc. Carries the necessities for the neighborhood . I love the concept behind it!
Without a doubt, catching this was a highlight of the whole day. Awesome art painted to honor the gentleman napping. Awesome!
On the edge of Getsemani you will find Old Town which is where you will find these lovely ladies, Las Palenqueras, dressed in colors of the Colombian flag carrying trays of fruits & veges on their heads. These ladies are direct descendants of the world’s first free slaves! To get a full picture of the history here you will have to visit a small village a couple hours outside of Cartagena – San Basilio de Palenque. You can read about it here.
We were not able to make the visit this trip but it is definitely on our calendar for our return!
Las Palenqueras de Cartagena
Of course we had to get our pic with these lovely ladies! A tip is al it cost you!
3] Pasadia Islabela
For a day trip to a tranquil beach this is the trip for you! Speed boat ride about 45 minutes to Islabela where we were met with chaise lounge chairs waiting for us on the beach & a cool drink. Lunch was awesome – pescado frito with salad, fried plantana & coconut rice [yummy]. Of course during the time we went it was before holidays so it was fairly low key & quiet. A really nice way to spend a quiet afternoon.
pescado frito lunch on Islabela beach
Pina colada on Islabela beach
Pier on Islabela beach
Relaxing on Islabela Beach. A very tranquil setting!
4] Aviario Nacional de Colombia– a must for bird watchers!
This is Colombia’s pride & joy. It is the biggest aviary in the Americas & sixth largest in the world! With over 1800 birds & 130+ species, this is a no brainer for anyone who enjoys bird watching. It is ever important for the country to maintain the conservation of nature, environmental & animals. It is truly a sanctuary for birds.
It is located on Isla Baru so you can easily hop over to the beach for a true Caribbean dip & lunch on the Sea after your walk thru the sanctuary!
Tour was well worth the fee & you can’t miss the show at 11:30 a.m. which is really nice. Enjoy the photos! There is no way I can post every type of bird we saw but hopefully this will feed your curiousity to make the trip! Easy walk with benches if you need a break!
Entry to Aviario Nacional de Colombia. Simply awesome walk.
There were probably 30 or so boldly colored parrots squawking a welcome to us upon entering the park.
This gorgeous parrot was very attracted to Umut & didn’t want to leave.
Aviario Nacional bird
Rosa Flamencos
The Aviario is proud of their Condor mates & their first baby born at park.
Horned Screecher- I’m thinking what does he want to tell me…..
Very odd looking bird. LOL.
This little guy seriously wanted The Big Guy’s hat!
A few miscellaneous facts about Cartagena, Colombia!
*The flag of Colombian consists of three stripes Yellow, Blue & Red. Yellow for freedom/justice/independence; Blue for loyalty & the two seas that border Colombia & Red for the victory from Spain or so it goes…
*It wasn’t until maybe less than ten years ago that Colombians could paint their house a color? Yep, previously it had to be white.
*Did you know that part of Port of Cartagena’s history involved being a huge trading port for bringing & trading of slaves. Today it is one of the busiest ports on the Caribbean.
*Colombia was originally known as Gran Colombia & consisted of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama & Venezuela?
*Estimated that 53% of Colombia is forest!
Finally, Iwanted to givea shout out …
to three amazing young adults we have met while here in Cartagena! It was refreshing to have a discussion with young people – all from different backgrounds – that had a handle on what they want in life right now & world issues.
Tove – a young 20 something lady from Sweden who we met at the Panama City airport on our way to Colombia. This young lady was educated but decided a ‘normal’ work job was not for her. She wanted to see the world & decided she would as a solo backpacker. As we met her she was catching a flight to an island to connect with a working barge that would get her to her next destination while she worked on it.
Umut – a young 20 something we met at the Aviary Nacional. He is from Austria [parents are Turkish thus the name]. He told us about Austria’s rule that when you turn 18 you can either serve 6 months in military or 9 months in a community service. He did his six months military & then went to university. Having traveled Europe with other backpackers, Colombia is his first country backpacking solo & loving it. Did I say he came to Colombia knowing I think four languages but in his three months here he totally immersed himself & really his Spanish was pretty good. He works in the jungle for food & ‘housing’ so he is a pretty happy camper.
And then there is Lina – Simply stated, this young lady walks to her own tune. She is educated & works as a guide for Castillo San Felipe while also having her own little tour company on the side. Born in Colombia, she is educated, lived in Germany two years & has traveled around twenty countries. She is very expressive about doing any little thing she can to save the earth whether it is recycling, buying recycled clothing, riding a bicycle to work instead of a car, etc.
What stood out for The Big Guy & I in meeting these three young adults is that they were all very well informed of national events & not afraid to share their countries ‘good’ or ‘bad’ with us. The other thing was how unimportant “material things” were to them. Really just a breath of fresh air.
The joy of traveling is not only seeing all the sites that we only dreamed might be possible but even more are the people we meet along the way that have left memories for us. We are thanking for that.
In this post we are proposing 4 simple tips on how to decipher an Airbnb review. What is the difference between a good Airbnb review & a bad one? As seniors traveling we are starting to use more & more Airbnbs which we are loving but some of those reviews leave a lot to be desired or understood…
Cost of living is a prime concern of seniors traveling on a budget & Airbnbs are instrumental in that you are able to shop knowing up front the cost. Although initially we used more extended stay hotels, we are loving the choices & prices of Airbnbs! You can see up front the price so it makes ‘shopping’ for a location even easier. The problem I have with these rentals is not the rentals – but the guest reviews.
Two Types ofReviews
No matter what you are shopping for – whether it be for weekend house, hotel, product, services, etc. a lot of us go straight to the reviews to see what other buyers thought about that product or service. Did the review get 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 Stars? I want to know why!
1] The lazy review may consist of one sentence – ‘it was nice’ or ‘it sucked’.
2] The second type of review is the more detailed. This reviewer is willing to share the good, the bad & the ugly about his experience. This is really what I want to see to try to get a feel for that rental. I’m not saying these reviews won’t contain fluff but I think it gives me more than the two or three review as above.
What experience earned that product a 1 star or 5 Star from the reviewer? Was the reviewer concise in what was good or bad about the property. This is the Airbnb review I want to see – the one I NEED to see!
Why a good Airbnb review is so important!
The photos are gorgeous & the amenities look great. It offers everything you could ask for but did you ask the right questions prior to making that reservation? Do not be in a hurry to reserve that first Airbnb that catches your eye. An awesome stay or a stay from hell can balance on that guest reviews you are reading. So how do we know what the guest really is saying without saying to much in his review? What is he saying or not saying? How do we know?
As we move forward into our grand adventure of traveling we will continue to pass to you our lessons learned. Without further ado, lets check out how to decipher those Airbnb reviews.
4 Tips for Deciphering Those Airbnb Reviews
1] Was the Owner easily accessible?
For now, let’s just keep in mind that we are talking particularly about Airbnb guest reviews BUT these could easily be directed toward extended stays, hotels, house rentals, etc.
a] Did the Owner leave contact number or info?
b] Was the Owner responsive to your questions?
c] Was the Owner quick to address/fix any issues, if any?
2] Description of Neighborhood/Surrounding Property
What did the Review say about the location of rental? Bottom line, this is one of the most important issues. Be sure you know what type of neighborhood you will be in.
a] Was the neighborhood everything reviewer thought it would be?
b] Watch for “up & coming neighborhood” wording. What’s up & coming about it? Construction? Heavy noisy traffic?
c] Was the neighborhood walkable or would transportation be needed? Was transportation available?
d] Does the review state whether public transportation is available? What was his experience?
e] Did the neighborhood reflect the price you paid?
3] Did the housing answer the Reviewers needs?
a] Were ‘amenities provided’ accurate? Did it have everything as advertised, ie. towels, bedding, pots/pan, etc? Was everything in working order at check in? A/C & Heat if applicable. Good water pressure?
b] Any issues with cleanliness? On this point lets get a little picky shall we? Any smells you can’t quite place? Or was it fresh air clean?
Was the kitchen sparkling ready to be used?
Water pressure good in faucets & shower? i.e. “I love the shower head & the water pressure is fantastic!” would interest me.
Furniture in as good or better shape than photos online?
Any issues with wifi? If so, what? Was review happy with strength or was he unable to work because of lack of strength?
A good Airbnb review…
should give you an OVERALL ‘feel’ of the property. If you still have questions, you can send an email to the Owner with your questions. I have found them to be very open in their responses.
Bottom line, you should enjoy your temporary home whether it is for a day, week, month – you just need to know how to decipher the reviews. These reviews can help you the consumer select your next ‘home’ away from home. It can also be used by the Owner to be sure his property stays up to date with what the consumer is looking for as well as allowing the Owner to toot their horn over a great review!
I know a lot of reviews you just have to muddle through & hope the reviewer was honest in his critique or blessings of a property. Again, a clear & concise honest Airbnb review benefits both the consumer & the Owner! That is not that much to ask for reviewers.
