Robert's Travel Blog

 I like Medellín enough to hang out for a while, so I rented an apartment for a month.  What it isn't: modern or luxurious.  What it is: $21 a night! It has all mod cons including laundry. There's a small, but surprisingly well-stocked grocery shop next door, plus a bakery/coffee shop on the corner.  All my needs sorted! The TV needs a few more wires!

My hotel was just 1-1/2 blocks from the sea.  Extending south and north is the Malecón, the walkway. My first coconut water, from this charming gentleman with the big machete!  Delicious, for 8000 COP. Okay.  So mangosteen is called "the king of fruits," and indeed it's delicious.  Sadly you can only eat the white bits, and the rest goes to waste.  Sorry cherimoya, I have a new fave! I was very pleasantly surprised to find a restaurant that did both traditional Colombian food and Mexican.  These tacos were almost as good as what you can get in Mexico: And I discovered froyo!  Honestly, never had it before.  So good I had to go back the next day 😲  

 So I took a little side trip to the Caribbean coast to Santa Marta.  Most tourists opt for the flashier Cartagena, but contrarian me went for its lesser-known cousin. It was nice but hot (30s/90s). There are some of the usual built-up highrise beach condo areas, but I mostly stuck to the old town. Parts of it are very touristy, parts less so. Fifth-floor hotel view: So here's a bunch of pics, mostly without commentary. 🙄 My hotel was on Carrera 3, the main (pedestrianized!) drag: Santa Marta's main claim to fame is that Bolívar died there.  Apparently he was quite the ladies' man, so the rumors that he died of syphilis are probably correct: Creepy Jesus wearing a dress, with real hair!

 Just some further tips from my almost-six months of travelling, the good and the bad: 1.  Don't worry when travelling to a new country, they always assume you'll be there for less than 90 days, and they never ask for proof of onward travel.  Often they ask where you're staying, so have that written down. Some countries (e.g. Peru) don't ask anything and don't even bother to stamp your passport. 2.  Sidewalks are as a whole horrible, even in the nicer neighborhoods.  Always keep an eye out.  Unless you're a performer, you don't want to break a leg. 3.  Even if your Spanish or Portuguese is good, don't expect to make friends.  This is a myth perpetuated in so many YouTube videos -- or, maybe people just don't like me! The most you can expect is a friendly greeting in your regular restaurant.  Disclaimer: I don't use use expat groups. 4. If you're a plant fan like me, you'll be continually delighted by the sidewalk plantings.  And I bought...

 There are at least seven breweries in Colombia, but my total beer consumption until tonight was exactly one pint, so it was time for a test.  Club Colombia from Bogotá gets consistently high marks, so I wanted to try them all!  From left to right are Dorada (Gold), Roja (Red), and Trigo (Wheat.)  I couldn't find Negra (Black) so I substituted a 3 Cordilleras. But, you ask, how did they taste?  Pretty darn good.  Admittedly, my expectations were pretty low (pissy lager types) but all three of the Clubs were very drinkable, with good depth of flavor and decent levels of hoppiness, all three quite malty. The Red wasn't terribly "red," and I doubt I could tell the difference between it and the Gold in a blind taste test.  The Wheat was excellent, and I don't generally like wheat beers. But the star of the show was definitely the last-minute substitute, the "sweet stout." Not sweet, but pack full of stouty goodness and some caramel flavor.  Perhaps my...

  This is the street outside my hotel, pretty typical of the Laureles neighborhood: Just two blocks away is the highway, with another view of the mountains: I know, another menú del día!  This was a bit pricier, $7, because we're far from the sea: Costillas (ribs), such a pretty plate, yum! Just at the end of my block is a parillada (grill) stand, open every night after six. Your choice of meats, all about $3. Chicken skewer with an arepa and cheese, delicious grill taste but still so juicy! It can't all be South American.  This is only the second time in my life that I ordered Domino's, and it was pretty much the same . . . underdone crust . . . but the toppings (ham and onion) were generous.  Including a 1.5 of Pepsi, $15.00. Two blocks away is a medium-sized market, with everything from meat to fruits, so I got this mini-bounty for less than a buck. On the left are "ciruelas," quite good with something like a melon taste.  On the right are "tomatillos de a...