Angies Magical Travels

La Guajira is the most northern point of Colombia – and not only this – actually of South America and it has always been on the top of my travel list! Taking advantage of some good flight promotions I convinced my friends Yury, Paola and Alejandro to go on an expedition tour with me! At the beginning we thought we wouldn’t even get out of Bogotá as there was a huge traffic jam in order to take off – pretty amazing that this traffic chaos in the capital city has already reached the airport!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”94″]

After 1,5 hour flight we arrived in Riohacha and were welcomed by our driver of Kai Ecotravel who would take us around the following days. As it was quite a way to go to our final destination Cabo de la Vela today, we started our journey right away. After about 1,5 hours, we arrived in Uribia – the indigenous capital of Colombia. La Guajira is home to the Wayúu Indians and here they still practice their cultures and traditions. You will always see them in their traditional clothes and many of them dedicate their time to make the typical handicrafts like the “mochila” bags or the “chinchorros” hammocks.

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”95″]

In Uribia we had a typical lunch and we bought everything we would need for the following days. It was the last possibility to get drinks and snacks for a normal price before heading into the desert land of La Guajira. It took us about another 1,5 hours driving through complete desert until we reached our Rancheria Utta where we stayed in nice little wooden cabins for the night. On our way we also saw many sport freaks practicing kite and windsurfing and we saw the beautiful sunset from el Faro and Playa Ojo del Agua. Actually La Guajira is a perfect place for surfing and different water sports with its rough winds. After dinner we enjoyed just sitting on the beach, listening to the ocean, watching the thousand stars in the sky and being at the Caribbean!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”96″]

The next morning we enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the rancheria before we continued our journey. First, we stopped at the Playa de Arcoiris where the strong waves were pounding onto each other. Then we went up to the top of Pilon de Azucar from where we enjoyed an amazing view of the emerald Caribbean sea and the surrounding desert landscape! It felt like being in the middle of nowhere but surrounded of just natural beauty! Afterwards we took a short swim in the refreshing sea before we continued our long trip to Nazareth!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”97″]

Find out more about the most northern point of Colombia and Punta Gallinas!

After strolling through the beautiful historical centre of Cartagena, we decided to visit one of the main sights: the Castillo San Felipe. It is a fortress in the city which was built on the Dan Lazaro hill and due to its strategic position protected the city from attacks by land or sea. Together with the historical centre of Cartagena it was declared Unesco World Heritage site in 1984. The castle is a very impressing construction in triangular shape and owns four control stations and eight canons. Nowadays it is used as a popular location for big events and one of the must-see sights for tourists in Cartagena.

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”90″]

At night we decided to go for a salsa tour which would take us completely off the beaten tourist track to famous salsa bars where only locals go. During this tour we were able to dive completely into the culture and two salsa teachers were accompanying us! This way my friends were able to learn the basic salsa steps in totally original and authentic places! Our first stop was still very touristy as it was the salsa bar “Donde Fidel” in the historical centre. We even met Señor Don Fidel there. The bar was filled with hundreds of photographs with the salsa master and the music was so loud that you should actually take some earplugs.

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”91″]

Then we went by car to a neighbourhood far away from the touristic historical centre to another part of Cartagena – normally no tourist would find their way there. Our next stop was “La Charranga de Josep Black” which has been a famous salsa bar since about 15 years. It was still pretty early when we got there and therefore a little empty. First the locals looked a little bit confused of seeing tourists in their bar, but as soon as we started dancing they were very happy and started to share their bottles of rum and aguardiente with us and asked us to dance with them. So we enjoyed some great time there before we headed on to the next bar – the famous “Safari Salsa Club”. Here we also rocked the dance floor and everyone looked suprised about seeing the tourists dancing. The salsa teachers who accompanied us taught the basic steps to my friends and we really loved this local dancing experience.

Afterwards we went to “El Koreano” where we had a midnight snack with an egg arepa which is very famous for the Caribbean Coast. At this place which was outside everyone just enjoyed dancing and listening to salsa music and watching football while drinking beer, rum or aguardiente. Our last stop of the tour was the salsa bar “Vueltabajero” which was a bar of two floors and full of salsa lovers! Here we also moved our bodies to the salsa rhythms in the middle of the plastic chairs and tables! Actually it was the same in every place we entered, the locals looked a little surprised but as soon as we started dancing they were just happy and started dancing with us and offered us to share their alcoholic drinks with us! My friends told me afterwards that this experience was one of their highlights during their trip through Colombia. Thanks to Cartagena Insider for such an amazing experience. And while we were enjoying a great tour, we supported the artists and communities in these neighbourhoods as a donation for them is included in the tours!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”92″]

We finished our dancing night at the famous Havanna bar which is in the Getsemani neighbourhood. But after this local experience it was pretty weird to be in this bar full of tourists (who mostly didn’t know how to dance) but we enjoyed the live music of a Cuban band there and finished a great salsa night with some more dancing and the typical Colombian aguardiente!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”93″]

As friends from Munich were visiting me, I was planning a nice itinerary for them – but of course also thinking of myself by planning it, as I always love to spend as much time as possible with my dear visitors on the weekends! This time it meant to fly to Colombia’s Caribbean Coast and spend some days in the wonderful city of Cartagena with them.

Cartagena is also called the pearl of the Caribbean and I would say it is the most touristy place in Colombia. It is just wonderful to stroll through the cobblestone narrow streets and marvel at the well-maintained fassads filled with balconies full of colorful flowers. The historical centre was declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1984 and you just feel that you have travelled back many years in history walking through this enchanting part of the city which is surrounded by the old city wall – one of the most complete set of fortifications in South America!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”83″]

So actually in Cartagena you really just enjoy wandering through the beautiful historical centre which we did, of course! At sunset we headed to the Café del Mar from where you can enjoy a great view of the ocean, the historical centre as well as the modern part Bocagrande (which seems like you are in Miami) while enjoying a delicious cocktail and the Caribbean breeze!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”87″]

The next day, we wanted to enjoy a lazy day on one of the Rosario Islands which are situated about 45-60 minutes from Cartagena! At 9am boats leave to the different islands with about 30-50 people who want to enjoy the sun, take a swim in the Caribbean Sea or discover the beautiful underwater world! Our destination for today was the Sun Island “Isla del Sol”. We arrived at around 10am at the island and first got some information about the activities on the island before we enjoyed some sunbathing at the beach! Then we went snorkeling to discover the underwater world! It was pretty amazing what we could see – concerning the little distance from Cartagena – many different colorful big and small fishes in the coral reefs! It was a definitely a great “underwater” experience!

Once we got back to the island we enjoyed a typical lunch with coconut rice, salad and a huge delicious fish! The rest of the afternoon we just relaxed at the  beach before we left the island at around 3 pm and headed back to Cartagena! Unfortunately these islands are pretty small and most of them do not have a sandy beach as you might expect – but if you want to escape from the city and just enjoy the Caribbean Sea it is a great way to do this on a day trip to one of these islands!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”86″]

But the surroundings of Cartagena have much more to offer – especially if you want to discover more of the local culture! I will tell you more about these unique experiences in my next blog article!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”89″]

Last weekend one of my passions which I have discovered while living in South America took me to Medellin: the salsa dancing! I convinced my friend Conny who I injected with the dancing fever to accompany me to the city of eternal spring which was host of the Colombia Salsa Festival – and actually already for the 7th time! Unfortunately nobody – except the dancing “cracks” – know about this great dance event which I really hope will change in the future! Many great artists from Colombia – but mainly Bogotá, Cali and Medellín show their amazing talent and it is a tough competition of about 600 incredible dancers!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”78″]

In more than 70 different categories they compete against each other – in groups, duos, couples (mixed, women, men and “proam” which is a couple of teacher “pro  = professional” and student = “am = amateur”) and single dancers starting with kids and up to seniors from amateurs to professionals! The categories include different genres like salsa on 1, on 2, cabaret, with and without acrobacy, rueda casino, chachacha and bachata. As you can see this event is a must for every dancing fan.

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”79″]

Besides great competitions there are also concerts, parties and dance workshops with famous national and international dancers! Of course, we participated in every possible workshop starting with learning tipps & tricks of the feminine dancing styles and the secrets of chachacha from Shani Talmor from Israel! Then the regaetton class with Vanessa Lacedonia from Italy was one of the highlights teaching us how to move not only our hips! She also showed us the moves of the Cuban rumba “guaguancó” which is a dance of sexual competition between female and male. And Edwin Rivera from New York taught us the steps of pachanga which also has its origin in Cuba.

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”80″]

It was really a great experience and after a whole day of moving our legs, feet, arms and hips to the latin rhythms, we were still in dancing mood! Of course, we needed to practise the new steps and even more important try out our new dancing shoes! In the morning we picked up our handmade dancing shoes from D’Raso which we had ordered a couple weeks before the event. And they even gave us a small tour through their dancing shoe factory showing us each process of this detailed work! Here you can choose colors, material, height and color of the heel – and these shoes are tailor-made according to your wishes! We found out that they even get orders from Spain, Argentina etc. So, well equipped we were ready to rock the dance floor in Medellin!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”81″]

The next day was dedicated to support my dancing academy Paso Latino! About 80 amazing dancers had come to this festival to show their talent! And yes, they are the best and swiped the competitors away in many competitions! It was a feast for the eyes to see so many great dancers and hopefully this event will become internationally established soon – because Colombia definitely is the capital of salsa and any dancing fan should not miss it!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”bounce” album_title=”false” album_id=”82″]

Have a look at the presentations of the amazing dancers of my academy Paso Latino directed by the best maestros and world champions in Chachacha Caterin Estrada & Nicolas Carreño Cruz:

Salsa Ladies Professional Group (1st place)

Salsa Semi-Professional Group (1st place)

Salsa Professional Group (3rd Place)

Bachata Semi-Professional Group (1st Place)

Salsa ON 1 Professional Andres Leiton & Susana Osorio (5th place)

Salsa Cabaret Professional Linda Aramendiz & Freddy Ospina (4th place)

Bachata Professional Linda Aramendiz & Freddy Ospina (1st place)

Chachacha Professional Sandra Jimenez & Alexander Salinas (6th place)

Doesn’t this make you want to move your hips? Let´s dance!

In the surroundings of Bogota are many possibilities to escape the busy capital life and enjoy a great time in beautiful nature. As friends of Germany were visiting me, it was a perfect day trip to spend together. At 8am we met with our group from Bogotá&Beyond and our private driver. On the way we stopped at a view point where we could see the inmense size of bogota – actually we couldn’t even see the whole city from there.

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”74″]

Then we continued our trip and after about 1,5 hours we arrived at the point where we started our hike. Unfortunately the weather was pretty bad with a little bit of rain and it was cold and foggy. Therefore it was almost impossible to see anything of the surroundings. We made a small break at every little “shop” on the way. As more and more tourists find their way to the hidden natural treasure near Bogota, more and more locals are selling the typical food like yuca bread, cheese with the typical caramel “arequipe” or jam as well as fresh yogurt and coffee. This way we were ready for our hike – going up and down through muddy trails.

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”75″]

On the way to the highest waterfall of Colombia “La Chorrera” with its 590 meters divided into different stages, we crossed nice landscapes, discovered a cave, hugged a tree while making a wish and drank water from a natural spring which promised us to be young forever. After about 1,5hours we arrived at the waterfall and enjoyed the refreshing mist of “La Chorrera”. Then we walked back to the first waterfall where Señorita Blanca and her team served us a typical Colombian lunch! Luckily the sky had cleared up during the morning hours and so we were able to enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”76″]

After lunch we walked to another waterfall nearby – or actually we walked right behind it and enjoyed a nice view from the other side! After this hike which is do-able for everyone that is used to walk, we deserved a relaxing bath. This was just perfect to relax our muscles. We drove about 30 minutes to the nearby village Choachi and spend some relaxing time in the hot springs there before heading back to the capital city! We really enjoyed a great day outside of Bogota and it is just the perfect activity to get out of the busy city for a while!

[gallery_bank type=”images” format=”thumbnail” title=”true” desc=”false” responsive=”true” animation_effect=”” album_title=”false” album_id=”77″]