Just driving up the mountain to our lodge was an experience in itself. The scenery here is epic, giant and beautiful, definitely not what we're used to in Texas. When Budget rental cars ran out of economy cars and handed us the keys to a convertible, we had no idea just how much of a boost our vacation was about to get. Helpful tip, Budget Rental Cars has an app so you don't have to wait in the line to get your car.
We wouldn't have even thought to rent a convertible on purpose, but it was an epic spot to have it. We'll definitely be upgrading to one of these on a scenic vacation like this next time. Imagine: it was cold, in May, there was a chance for some rain, the heater was blasting on our feet, the top was down and we chanced it. Driving through the thick forest up to Yosemite was absolutely thrilling. It's worth it.
We drove through patches of fog, the forest fire ravaged landscape set beside a massive, green, lush forest. Being able to look straight up at how big these trees are, while flying (safely) up the curvy, mountain roads, was so cool. Having the convertible made the travel an experience itself.
First stop: Tenaya Lodge to drop our bags and settle in before heading out to see what Yosemite is all about. Tenaya Lodge had great location, close enough to Yosemite but low enough in elevation that we didn't get snowed in. We were there for a seriously amazing wedding on a terrace so we got a group rate. When I saw how much the rooms are typically, I was a little shocked, but I guess location, location, location. The rooms were totally fine, nothing spectacular, the restaurant serves some pretty delicious $18 hamburgers and has a full list of hot (and cold) cocktails. We hit the grocery store on our way to the lodge so we were stocked with cheese and wines which was lovely.
Top down, heat up, and we rolled into Yosemite National Park for this. Just breathtakingly epic. This is tunnel view. No hiking is required, you literally just drive through a long tunnel and exit to see this view. From this point you can see El Capitan, Half Dome (peeking out behind the clouds back there), and Bridalveil Fall.
From here we headed to Bridalveil Fall, where we got soaking wet climbing up to see the bottom of the massive waterfall. It was a fun and funny one, and an easy hike to get to. We were constantly having to jump running steams of water through the paths and watching the rushing river fed from the thundering waterfall ahead.
We brought our rain jackets and you should to, the mist from the bottom of the falls is more like a torrential down pour.
We were a little time crunched so we didn't get to see as much of the park as we would have liked, so we made the most of what we could see. Plus, the Glacier Point portion of the park, which we've heard is incredible, was closed due to snow and icy roads. We felt very satisfied with the amount of sights we got to see here anyways though so we didn't miss what we've never seen up there. Also, if you're going, be sure to note foggy parts of the day. On our way back past tunnel view, the fog and clouds had moved in blocking out all the amazing sites and it would have been a shame to go all that way and not be able to see all of this.
From there, we drove around, stopping at a few cut offs to get out and take in the spectacular views. It was fun having a little time to just meander around.
As far as wildlife goes, we saw a few chipmunks, this banana slug and deer. Our lodge told us we weren't allowed to keep any food in our cars, because, bears. But no bear sightings.
That night we ate and drank at the lodge, it started lightly snowing, but without sticking to anything. They closed the outdoor hot tubs but, still being set on hot tubbing, we found an indoor one that we shared with a middle aged Swedish man while sipping our wine out of the coffee mugs from our room before drying off, robing up and exploring the lodge.
The next morning we went white water rafting. Excuse the photo of a computer screen of a photo, it was too difficult to buy the photos. This trip was epic. It was my first time white water rafting and I kind of can't wait to do it again. We went through Zephyr Whitewater Expeditions, they provided wet suits, shoes, helmets and layers of jackets to keep us warm and dry. They were great, the trip was intense and a total blast. Rapids are ranked 0-5 and we had some 3s and 4s in our route. We sat in the front because we wanted all the action... we got it. We ended the trip cold, fully wet and laughing our asses off.
The next adventure was fly fishing and it was... an epic fail. Honestly, we would have been okay with not catching fish because we got to experience being in such a beautiful place... but our guide would literally not stop talking about weird shit the entire time. He also talked in third person, telling the story fully from each person (or animal) involved's perspective. We used Dave's Sierra Fishing, and I'm sure we just got bad luck with this guide, but maybe steer clear of them. I think we blocked it out and now we can't remember his name but it was something like Bogus.
Trying to ignore the nonstop monologue to appreciate nature...
And this is me trying to distract the guide by asking him to take a photo of me on a rock so Kevin could get two minutes of peace to maybe enjoy fishing in such a lovely spot. It didn't last long. And once we both hooked a fish, we realized we had no idea what to do because he never even told us how you get a fish in when you fly fish. Face, palm.
At least it was pretty.
The next day we lounged in bed until I finally got up, opened the window and saw THIS. SO MUCH SNOW. We literally ran out the door, down the stairs and outside. Ok Yosemite, we see you. Magical.
Talk about an epic last day. We were kind of worried we wouldn't be able to get down the mountain in this weather, but we went for it, and it didn't take too long for us to have dropped enough in elevation to have clear roads.
We are so grateful our friends got married in this amazing spot, so we had an excuse to make the trek out here and to experience all of this amazing stuff. We'll never forget it! And yes, that's a can of brut rosé in my hand. Cheers.
Bogota: where the juices are freshly squeezed, the sport involves explosives and everyone speaks Spanish to you because you look like a local. Bogota was our first stop in Colombia - we were almost convinced to not even stay the night here. We are so glad we did though. We had three nights here and stayed in Zona T - which is the nice, safe sector. Read about our other stops in Colombia: Cartagena and trekking the Amazon rainforest. Here's a highlight reel of the trip in its entirety:
Our hotel was Hotel Cabrera Imperial, it was fiiiine. I don't feel strongly one way or another about it but it was in a great location, we could walk to bars and restaurants at night and feel safe so really, that was pretty important.
Right when we got in we decided we needed a rooftop bar view of this amazing city, Bogota is nestled in the middle of mountains and it is beautiful. We found one on top of the Click Clack Hotel. The rooftop bar had about 30 minutes until it opened so we got a drink at their downstairs bar which was super funky and fun. The rooftop bar was fully enclosed which was good because it started raining and hailing once we got up there - we ate some really great burgers there, had a few drinks and waited for the storm to pass.
A good thing to note in Bogota is that the umbrellas in your hotel are there for a reason. It randomly, suddenly pours just about every day. And it's decently cold so be prepared.
One of our favorite things we did was go play tejo - this is kind of like corn hole/washers except you throw a rock at a mound of clay and try to explode firecrackers on it. While drinking of course.
We played at Club de Tejo La 76. They serve beer and bottles of liquor. It was a fun community feeling, people were there with groups of friends all yelling and making fun of how bad everyone was. It was great. You have to go do it. Don't wear all black like I did though, you get pretty dusty with all the clay you touch.
Ok. When they say to go see the sunset at Monserrate... GO SEE THE SUNSET AT MONSERRATE. This was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The sky was on fire. You have to take a cable car all the way up the mountain and you have to wait in line (so plan on that time-wise for the sunset). That was all pretty annoying but woah, it was absolutely so worth it. And the experience gets even better...
We saw they had a restaurant up there so we thought maybe we'd get a drink. I've never been happier that I know how to say 'a table by the window, please' in Spanish. Restaurante Casa San Isidro was incredible. You can make a reservation - and should. We just absolutely lucked out and got the last table by the window. About half way through dinner, a storm rolled through below over the city but below us and we got to watch the clouds pass through under us, it was really cool. Honestly, the food here didn't even have to be good, but it was. Kevin got the rabbit and loved it; I got the lobster (my dinner calculated out to be about $25 in American dollars and it was a huge lobster!) and it was delicious. This was a truly amazing experience.
The nightlife in Bogota is pretty perfect, the BBC (Bogota Beer Company) is an awesome place to sit down, chat and drink some local beers and wine. There are a million of them around town but we hit up one of the Zona T ones.
We had a ton of fun pretending we knew how to salsa along with some pretty talented dancers at Chachao. It was really fun just watching everyone burning up the dance floor. A must go to bar.
From there we wandered around to some different bars and stopped to eat at a nearby spot after deciding the wait was too long and the spot too packed at Andres DC. I did get a pretty excellent cocktail there first though.
My first and only restaurant MUST in Bogota: The Fish Market La Fragata. It has ceviche that literally blew my mind. It wasn't limey and acidy, it was almost sweet but savory. You have got to get it. We ordered the Capurgana ceviche and you should too. We also ordered the fish trio and got three different styles of fish to try. I'd recommend it too. But mainly the ceviche.
Yes, and chocolate cake for dessert.
We went and wandered through the hectically busy Plaza Bolivar. It was the first touristy feeling spot we'd been to in Bogota. There were street vendors and those statue people trying to get you to take their photo, but it was fun. There are some beautiful, old buildings lining the square.
We snacked on this beautiful, giant corn on the cob (don't do it, the corn here really isn't very good) and this Colombian dessert - I have no idea it's name but it was REALLY good! For those who like desserts that aren't super sugary, keep an eye out.
Bogota is a big city and has that feel about it. There was street art everywhere and a ton of people - well dressed people. Really, we looked like everyone else there and people consistently approached us as if we were locals, which was kind of fun.
The streets felt very safe, though I am speaking about Zona T mostly. We did run into a British guy who was jumped a few days earlier jogging in the park alone so still keep your head on a swivel. He gave us some good pointers though - like only carrying one card and one phone out at a time so, if we get robbed, we still have a source of money. I also set up a photo sharing folder between our two iphones and kept it updated the whole trip so, if a phone was stolen, we wouldn't lose those pictures.
But really, we felt safe walking around Zona T, day or night, and we had a hotel driver take us right to the other locations so we didn't run into any trouble at all.
Bogota was an extreme blast along with being really relaxing and chill. Don't skip it.
We're happy to answer any questions, just ask them in the comment section and we'll get back to you! Happy travels, cheers!
Cartagena was beautiful, colorful, dreamy and delicious. Think sweet ceviche, brightly painted walls, rooftop bars, and a whole lot of wandering the streets and popping in for a pina colada or five. We stayed five nights in Cartagena and it was a perfect amount of time to relax and leisurely explore. And to drink the local brews: Club Colombia and Aguila. While in Colombia, we also visited Bogota - a city you should not miss, read why here - and we trekked the Amazon jungle - which, if you're up to it, you should also do. Here's a video of all our stops:
Where to stay in Cartagena:
There are several noteworthy sections of the city:
The Old Town is fully enclosed by a 16th century wall, has squares, cobblestone streets and colorful colonial buildings and alleys. This is the tourist hub.
Getsemaní is outside the wall but not far from the Old Town. This area used to be a bad neighborhood overrun with drug deals, but now has been turned into a hip area with boutique hotels and salsa bars. It does seem to have some grit to it still.
From the top of the wall in Old Town you'll see a coastline lined with skyscrapers, that is Bocagrande. It's basically the Miami of Colombia.
We stayed in two hotels, the first was inside the walled city: Hotel Quadrifolio. It was absolutely adorable, with a big, open courtyard in the center and a pool. There are a ton of these little boutique hotels like this one in the Old Town - we walked by a bunch of them. They all look fabulous. If you are going to Cartagena, you really should stay in the Old Town, it is picturesque and very safe.
I typically don't think it matters if a hotel has a pool, but it is really, really hot and humid in Cartagena and taking an afternoon swim is just about the only thing you'll feel like doing at that time of the day.
Our second hotel was just outside the walls: Hotel Capellán de Getsemaní. It was a fabulous hotel, our room was fantastically icy cold. This was a great location in Getsemani, in walking distance to a lot of fun salsa bars, restaurants and one of the squares (be sure to visit the square at night - that's where the party starts). The restaurant in the hotel looks fabulous but the food was really unimpressive. The rooftop of this hotel, however, was inspiring. They turned the whole rooftop into an area to lounge with a pool and hot tubs, it was meandering, spacious, with private corners and nooks hidden away by greenery and flowers. The space was impeccably designed and almost even overshadows the amazing view of the city, you can even see Castillo San Felipe de Barajas from up there.
Things to do in Cartagena
Wander, explore, and avoid eye contact with the people selling bracelets, hats and rap songs. You will get hassled by guys selling things on the streets but they're harmless. Give them a firm 'no thank you' and they'll leave you alone.
All buildings are painted bright colors, all have balconies overlooking the street and have flowers exploding from every corner. The Old Town really isn't too big so wandering around it was pretty fun. Everywhere is walkable.
We didn't go to Castillo San Felipe de Barajas but saw it from the outside - we just heard from literally everyone that while it is a great, historic and cool spot, that its a totally miserable experience. There are hot and humid tunnels and you just get roasted by the sun. So we passed and saw it from afar.
We also passed on going to an island because we didn't want to miss a day in the city, we were having so much fun. I did, however do a bunch of research on the one I would recommend is Coralina Island, your hotel can likely arrange a trip there for you. It looks incredible.
Watching the sunset is a big thing here. You can get your hotel to make you a reservation at Cafe Del Mar where you can sip cocktails on top of the wall and watch the sunset or you can just walk to the top of the wall and buy 60 cent beers from the dude up there selling them and see the same sunset.
We didn't make a reservation at Cafe Del Mar and they were full so we just watched it with our 60 cent beers in hand and then felt like we'd been there and done that and didn't feel the urge to sit at Cafe Del Mar on another night.
Must eat spots in Cartagena:
I have some absolute must visit restaurants. La Cevicheria was closed while we were in town so I can't review that but I promise the internet will tell you to go. But I think it would be tough for it to have been better than El Boliche Cebicheria. Literally still coping with the face that I'll likely never eat their Tamarind Cebiche ever again.
Oh my god. While searching for their website link for this post, I found the ACTUAL RECIPE for their tamarind ceviche! Anyways go there, order their tamarind cebiche (literally the best thing ever, promise me you will), and now you can come home and try to make it! I know what we'll be doing this weekend. So good. Honestly it made me realize I didn't even know what ceviche was. We went two nights in a row. We also had their crab soup, it was good and had a ton of crab meat but we're kind of crab snobs in Texas and thought the crab wasn't as sweet as we're used to. We also got the hot stone dish which was good but like, nothing could possibly compare to the tamarind ceviche.
Ok second place you should go is La Picúa. While wandering around in Cartagena, you'll notice the Caribbean vibes are strong. This spot had incredible food, live music and lovely wines. We started with this ceviche dish, though on the menu I think it was actually in a section above ceviche - we just asked him what his favorites were and picked from those.
Kevin is a sucker for whole fried fish so this red snapper didn't last long. I also got a fish dish and absolutely loved it. But that ceviche was the real MVP. Along with their plate presentation. It is a teeny tiny little restaurant. I'd suggest asking your waiter for his favorite items and taking their advice, that's what we did and it did not disappoint.
Also, keep an eye out on menus for Ajiaco - this is a shockingly delicious soup dish. Yes, avocados here are as big as my face, but you put all the plated items in the soup and it was so good. I feel like it is kind of hard for soup to be THAT impressive but this was definitely worth trying. It is actually a traditional dish in Bogota but we first had it in Cartagena.
A good thing to note when sitting down to eat or drink, you'll feel like sitting outside to look at all the colors but people selling things will come up to your table to try to sell stuff so we finally got the hint and started sitting inside. And those child rappers are the MOST annoying. Do not let them rap to you, first of all it is annoying to everyone around you and second they force you to pay them after and then keep asking you for more money.
Also be ready for those bracelet sellers to offer you cocaine after you say no to a bracelet... we don't partake in that Colombian pastime so I don't have any reviews for you there, but we got offered it probably ten times in five days. We also heard that the area has really worked hard on cleaning Cartagena up and don't take kindly on those who don't respect that - so take that for what its worth. We DID feel very safe. We wandered the streets all day and night - and never felt unsafe.
The nightlife was great in Cartagena, there were salsa bars, chill bars, craft cocktail bars, and a lot of live music. We just wandered and followed our ears to new, fun spots. We happened upon the Townhouse rooftop bar and it was a total blast - I would definitely recommend checking it out. There was also a funny Russian inspired bar, Cuba 1940 is another spot that had live Caribbean music and bomb pina coladas, and there were a decent amount of fun bars around La Cevicheria.
Market tour: this was a great thing to do. This guy spoke perfect English and took us all through the crazy parts of the market to see everything from fruits to shark fins and pig faces. We also stopped for some incredible juices and a fresh fruit popsicle before heading in. The fruits here are wonderful, there are an insane amount of them that we've never even heard of.
The popsicle was just from a little window in a building where a little lady just hands them out to you. Keep an eye out for signs saying "helado" and be bold enough to order some of these. They are made with fresh fruit and are so good. This was a pineapple one and now popsicles will never be the same. Thanks Colombia.
Cartagena Connections is the tour we used for the market - and I would recommend them. This is definitely not a place you should go without a local. We even had a concerned police officer tell us to be careful in the area. The tour's website says it well: "Dirty, smelling, sprawling mess. Pretty much everything you will ever read about the infamous people's market in Cartagena will reference the above description. There will also probably be some kind of mention of the thieves and pickpockets it allegedly harbours. It is all true. But if you discount it based only upon what you read, you are missing a place that is also incredibly vibrant; filled with coloured foodstuffs, the energy of frenetic commerce, the inherent warmth of the Costeno people and the widest smiles you will ever see."
We ate some fish from this stall, it was served with yucca root that was steamed in a banana leaf - the texture was similar to mashed potatoes. It was really good and, most importantly, no one got food poisoning.
One afternoon we took a boat out for some fishing - we literally caught ZERO fish - but it was really fun being on the boat and watching the sunset from the water - take that Cafe Del Mar. It was beautiful and we got to zoom past a lot of islands where locals still live - without electricity. Here's a look at Bocagrande from the water. We didn't actually go to Bocagrande though, we're not really into the untz untz clubbing scene and heard the beaches are very crowded. I sound like a grandma.
Our second hotel was outside of the Old Town in Getsemaní, the area is definitely not as refined as inside the walls but I can appreciate some grit. Right when we got there, we were a little nervous that it wouldn't be as safe but we wandered around during the day and night with no issues. By the end, we were glad we got a little flavor of Getsemaní. The Old Town is so geared towards tourists that you feel like you're missing some of the local culture so two nights in Getsemaní was the perfect balance. There was a great restaurant called Demente in this area. We actually got rained in while at Demente - literally POURING rain - so we ended up sampling the local liquor of Colombia: shots of aguardiente. My skin still crawls thinking about it.
All the locals recommended eating at La Laguna Azul, which we hit up. It was good, but the ceviche was a little more like the typical ceviche we're used to - soaked in lime juice. It was no Boliche. But it was good, it is not however, in the location your phone maps say so I'd recommend asking a hotel person before walking out the door.
Go, explore, relax, eat ceviche... Cartagena was really a great destination. It was super clean, very safe, and all the people we met were very nice. Bring Tums, all the lime juice almost ended me.
Another note for you, I always recommend registering with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program or STEP program (registering with the US embassy in the country you are visiting). I've always done this so, in case something happens, they basically have no excuse not to rescue me. It's never really had to do anything for us before but when we were in Colombia, there were some major protests happening about government tuition for college and we did get some email alerts from them asking us to avoid universities which was helpful.
