Carnaval de Barranquilla: Quien lo vive, es quien lo goza!

When Kelsi and I made a list last spring break of the ten things we wanted to do before leaving Colombia, attending Carnaval de Barranquilla was definitely on the list. In fact, all we wrote was #6 - Carnaval. It's happening. Basically, after missing the celebration our first year due to lack of awareness that it was happening and missing the second year due to lack of awareness in how far in advance we needed to plan, there was no way we were letting this slip by for a third year!

The Carnaval de Barranquilla is Colombia's most important folklore festival and essentially shuts down all other activities in the city of Barranquilla for the four days before Ash Wednesday. The carnival begins on Saturday with La Batalla de Flores (the Battle of the Flowers), a six hour (!) float parade and the biggest of carnival. On Sunday, La Gran Parada (the Great Parade) features lots of dancing and costumes (even more than the day before!). Monday is El Festival de Orquestas (the Orchestra Festival) which is basically one long concert of various Colombian music groups. Finally, on Tuesday the carnival culminates with the symbolic burial of Joselito Carnaval.

Throughout the four days of celebration the theme is: Quien lo vive, es quien lo goza! (Who lives it, is who enjoys it!)

Who doesn't want to attend a giant festival with a slogan like that???

Therefore, this year we got things started early and by the middle of September we had convinced eight friends to join us, bought plane tickets and put down a 50% deposit at Hotel Prado 72. With our trip mostly paid for six months in advance we had nothing to do but wait for the fun to arrive! In the weeks leading up to Carnaval we also purchased tickets for assigned seating at mini-palcos during the main parade on Saturday. Thanks to some inside tips from coworkers we learned that this was the way to go at Carnaval. The parade is the beginning of the party, so you definitely want a good seat!

We arrived in Barranquilla late on Thursday night and easily found our way to the hotel which is located in the central neighborhood of El Prado. That night we pretty much just went to bed in order to prepare for the weekend festivities.

Friday we spent some time relaxing by the hotel pool and searching for costumes to wear to the parade. We hadn't exactly been aware of the costume aspect for parade watchers before arriving in Barranquilla so we had some catching up to do! Friday night we found our way to a cumbia (a style of music native to Colombia's Caribbean coast) concert in a giant field, and yes, it was about as random as it sounds. However, the whole atmosphere just felt electric with excitement as people prepared for the official start of carnival the next day. Groups of foreigners and Colombians alike were spread throughout the field, dancing, drinking beer and aguardiente, and listening to the music.

One of many market stalls we encountered on Friday while searching for costumes. 

The next day we woke up to the stunning blue sky of Barranquilla and excitement everywhere. We got things started early - getting breakfast, coffee, and costumes on by 10 AM. Errr at least the girls did this. The boys were still sitting around the hotel room not dressed and drinking, so finally we left them behind. We had been warned to get to the parade early and we had about a 15-20 minute walk to get there.

 Kelsi and I ready to go in Carnaval t-shirts and beads! 

The walk ended up being an adventure in itself. My friends Rita and Sam had chosen traditional Colombian costumes to wear to the parade so several people gawked at the two gringas along the way. Also, for reasons I still do not know, children at Carnaval paint themselves all black and charge at walkers with long sticks asking for money in exchange for letting people pass. The whole thing was a bit odd and un-settling.

Finally at the gates to the enter the parade route I purchased myself a Panama hat to protect from the already brutal Caribbean sun and we found our way inside. Here, the trouble really began as soon as we discovered that the cross streets printed on our tickets were not actually the streets were our seats were located.  Unfortunately, no one else at Carnaval seemed to be able to locate our seats either. After walking many blocks and speaking with numerous un-helpful Colombian policemen, we had had enough. At this point we happened upon quite possibly the tallest, largest, Afro-Colombian military man I have ever seen. Dressed in fatigues and sporting a jet black Camelbak that somehow made him look more intimidating, our new best friend took about 30 seconds to find us a less-impressive man who held a very impressive Carnaval badge. With the help of this man and his magic badge we were soon leaving the un-helpful policemen behind and walking down the middle of the parade route in order to avoid the crowds on the way to our seats.  Based on the crowd response, I think everyone really enjoyed the spectacle of 7 gringas in costumes walking down the middle of parade route. I know I did.

 Just a couple gringas trying to find their seats at Carnaval. Note the not super imposing man with his special badge in the red shirt...I wish I had a photo of the Colombian military man.

Finally in our seats at mini-palco number 47, the boys arrived a mere ten minutes later, also having been escorted (but via the sidewalk!) in order to find our seats. Then the craziness began. Led by one of the first floats which featured dancing street cleaners with neon green brooms and including a variety of brightly colored costumes and floats, the parade was awesome!! We danced and sang along with various floats and cheered on any parade member who posed for pictures or danced near our group.

Finally in our seats for the parade and only a few minutes before the start! 

The boys showed up wearing t-shirts they had made which feature a picture of them in ridiculous costumes, naturally. 

Street cleaners of Barranquilla, unite! 

The marimonda - one of the typical costumes/characters of Carnaval. 

One of so many brightly colored floats! 

...so enjoy it! 

 Cassie and I....and David.

Getting our Carnaval on!

Six hours later our group of ten was down to five since some people hopped the fence to join the end of the parade, so Jessica, Cassie and I decided to locate ourselves some food and lots of water. We happened upon a deliciously random combo restaurant serving Italian and sushi. A fabulous end to a great day of celebration.

Sunday we enjoyed more (recovery) time at the pool, Kelsi and I led ourselves on a self-guided tour of Barranquilla AKA walked to the nearest Juan Valdez for coffee and we headed back to Cali. A little sunburnt, exhausted, most likely dehydrated, and with new costumes for future shenanigans we certainly lived it and we most definitely enjoyed it!

#6 - check.

Sun, Sand & Jump Shots: Thanksgiving on San Andres Island

After getting my fill of turkey at not one, but TWO Thanksgiving celebrations, I was ready to celebrate the actual turkey day with less turkey, more Caribbean vacation! Ever since my mom saw the pictures from my first Thanksgiving in San Andres, in November 2009, she said "I want to go there!" And that we did :) 

San Andres Island upon our arrival. Later we took a boat out to that small island in the lower left corner and walked along that sand bar to the right of it!

My mom arrived on Monday, in time to see my school for two days, attend the faculty Thanksgiving party, and do some shopping in Cali. Then on Thursday morning we headed to the Cali airport for our flight to San Andres Island. While geographically located off the coast of Nicaragua, San Andres is owned by Colombia, thus making it very easy to travel there from the mainland of Colombia! We arrived by 2:00 PM and we were sitting on the dock in swimsuits by 3 PM. Now this is Thanksgiving vacation.

The rest of the time in San Andres was a delightful blend of the following:

Partaking in the 24 hour bar located on the dock of our Decameron all-inclusive hotel. 

Relaxing on the dock. 

Enjoying time with my mom! Sadly, this was probably the most consistent amount of time we have spent together since I graduated college and it was fabulous!

Roommate jump shots!

Solo jump shots!

Dinners out and about on the island!

Watching a random reggae band playing at our hotel. We joined in an impromptu group of dancers during several longs and later my mom/Kelsi participated in the conga line throughout the bar!

Looking out from my beach chair to the beautiful dock and ocean!

Enjoying the view!!! Minnesota doesn't look like this in November...

Hanging out with my fabulous roommate.

Handstands on sand bars! Hey Caribbean Sea - what what.

Mother - Daughter bonding. 

Spending time with friends who also happened to spend their Thanksgiving at the beach!

Sand bar pyramids for 7? Okay :)

Boat ride out to Acuario island.

Celebrating Thanksgiving in the sand!

Kayaking nearby our hotel.

Needless to say I was nowhere near ready to leave when Sunday afternoon rolled around, and going to school on Monday felt a bit rough when compared to waking up just to put a swimsuit on, grab my book, and head to the beach. Alas all good things come to an end...

Hope you had an equally wonderful holiday however you celebrated!

Landslide Schmanslide - Let's Go to Los Termales!

Amidst rampant reports of landslides, washed out roads, and inoperable hot springs pools, Katie, Stetson and I made the executive decision to stay in Salento for one more night and forgo our previously planned trip to los termales (hot springs) in the nearby town of Santa Rosa. I called on Saturday morning to cancel the reservation after not being able to reach anyone at the lodge for the previous 12 hours and we resolved to make the best of one more day exploring Salento!

Around 1 PM on Saturday we found ourselves sitting in one of so many cute cafes in Salento, enjoying a lazy day exploring town, when my friend Samantha called to say that someone from the termales had personally called her to ask when she was arriving. Sam also had a friend in town and we were all supposed to meet up at the termales that night. The woman on the phone assured her that all was fine and she could indeed come to the termales. After I called the termales again and received the same information, we figured why not and set off for Santa Rosa ourselves.

Two 45 minute bus rides from Salento later and I knew we made the right decision. After catching a cab in Santa Rosa we were rolling along the lush, green hills of the countryside, climbing further into the mountains near the hot springs. The scenery on the way there did show us a bit of washed out road, but nothing in comparison to the somewhat falsified news reports we had been hearing in Salento. And the gorgeous river and looming San Miguel waterfall more than made up for the road.

On the phone in a Salento cafe discussing the possibility of going to Santa Rosa.

We were greeted by an adorable old style lodge, friendly staff and the place practically to ourselves because so many people were scared off by the news reports. Stetson, Katie and I settled into our barely large enough room with a definitely not-large-enough bathroom and waited for Sam to arrive with her friend Lisa. They arrived shortly after us and we wasted no time jumping into the warm hot springs. After that bone-chilling hike in the rain the day before, the hot water felt absolutely perfect! After that we enjoyed dinner in the main dining room and an epic game of Uno in which I had half the deck and still came back to win. 

 Stetson and Katie make their way down the stairs from our room into the main dining room.

Hot springs! 

 An aerial view of the hot springs and lodge.

 Katie and I soaking up the warm water.

The next morning we enjoyed a typical breakfast of eggs with arepas and bread before heading for massages! Katie and I both got a half hour massage, which was fun and felt so good on our sore hiking muscles. We also had some time to walk up a short path to the base of the San Miguel waterfall for a photo shoot. 

At the base of the San Miguel waterfall.

 Katie jump shot!

My jump shot!

We enjoyed some more time in the termales, took showers (outdoors! overlooking the waterfall!), ate lunch and began the long journey back to Cali. I am so glad that Katie got to see this beautiful part of Colombia and that we were able to share it with good friends! I will most certainly be back in the not-so-distant-future....

Jungle Lovin' at Rio Claro Nature Reserve

After our last Semana Santa (Holy Week AKA Spring Break) in the Amazonian jungle I pretty much fell in love with the nature and landscapes of Colombia. Despite my well known aversion for anything that has to do with animals or creatures of the forest, I love the experience of being in nature and there is no better way to do that than jump right in! So jump in we did and Kelsi and I opted for three nights and four days at Rio Claro Nature Reserve to begin this year's Semana Santa.

Located about three and a half hours by bus from Medellin, the Rio Claro Nature Reserve is built in order to protect this gorgeous river and its surroundings. The reserve is the only place to stay if you want to visit the river and they do an excellent job of providing great accommodations, fun activities and still remaining conscious of the environment around the reserve.

We stayed in a treehouse style cabana about a ten-minute walk from the main lodge. To summarize...there were two walls and a whole lot of jungle. The first night it definitely took me a little while to fall asleep, but surprisingly the forest/jungle noises were pretty tame and provided a nice backdrop of white noise for sleeping. The rain and thunderstorms every night definitely got my attention, but all was quiet and dry inside our cabana. Also, the weirdest bug we saw was about two inches long and a pretty harmless looking green tree bug thing, so overall... Kristin - 1 and Weird animals of the jungle - 0. WIN.

Scenes in our cabana

When we were not gazing out at the river below we entertained ourselves with the various activities at the reserve. Accompanied by some easy-on-the-eyes-guias (guides), we went rafting, tubing, zip-lining and caving! The only bummer is that all of these activities involved water in some way, thus there are no good pictures of them! Basically, the rafting and the tubing involved floating downriver, stopping at some points to check out a rope swing, the depth of the river or because we may or may not have fallen out of our tubes on a particularly intense set of rapids.

Zip-lining had us hooked up to a series of three lines which criss-crossed over the river. My favorite was the second one, which was 300 meters long and took you directly over the middle of the river!! I think zip-lining is one of those things that no matter how many times I do it, will always make me nervous, but it is such a rush to fly through the air only attached to a thin metal cable.

Wahoo ziplining!!

Last but not least, we went caving. This is an activity that we have for one reason or another, never gotten a chance to do on our more adventure-type vacations, but I am so glad we did it at Rio Claro! The three hour hike led us up river, where we crossed the river by holding onto a rope to avoid floating away in the current. Therefore, about 30 minutes into the hike everyone was soaking wet up to their necks. Awesome start. From there we carried on in the woods for a bit before coming to the entrance to La Caverna de Los Guacharos. Guacharo in English is Oilbird and is specific to the northern region of South America. These birds are nocturnal, thus their presence in the cave, and they navigate using sound, just like bats. However, unlike bats the oilbirds make a terrifyingly loud and high-pitched clicking noise which sounds pretty intense when you are in a cold, dark cave with what I estimated to be about a million of them.

Oilbirds...according to what my Google research tells me they look like. I wouldn't know because I didn't even attempt to get near the things in the cave.

So into the save we went, surrounded in darkness by the time we were about 100 meters inside the cave. Kelsi and I had been laughing earlier in the day about how we never would have imagined ourselves as girls with gear for trekking through a cave, but there we were in waterproof hiking shoes, quick dry clothes, lifejackets (not ours), helmets (not ours) and headlamps. Thank goodness too, because without my headlamp to guide me though the cave I think I would have freaked out at some point. Basically the hike was a lot like the part of Goonies were they are in the cave and there is a river running throughout it. At some points the water was only a few inches deep and at other points it was over our heads. The scariest parts were when our guide would tell us to jump or slide down into the next part of the cave and we just had to trust him that we wouldn't die doing so. At some points Kelsi would have to jump first, I would pass her the not-so-waterproof headlamps and then I would jump down into somewhat darkness. Insanity. After about an hour in the cave we saw signs of daylight and emerged from the cave by climbing down the rocky side of the river and then swimming across once again. Definitely one of the coolest experiences I have had in Colombia, but I think I echo Kelsi's sentiment of "Never again" upon exiting the cave. :)

After our three nights and four days of action-packed river goodness we were ready for some civilization and headed back to Medellin for Semana Santa: Part Two...

A Weekend in San Vicente

Last weekend Kelsi and I took advantage of a Friday off from school to do some traveling to the coffee region. This has definitely become one of my favorite regions in Colombia because of the rolling patchwork hillsides, cooler weather and small town mentality.

We left from the Cali bus terminal on Friday morning and headed to Pereira, a city about four hours from Cali by bus. The road is mostly straight, so we actually got the chance to sleep and read a bit on the bus without feeling sick. From there we continued on the bus to the small town of Santa Rosa where some guy associated with the hot springs in San Vicente picked us up and drove us about another hour up into the mountains.

Upon arriving at the Termales de San Vicente we immediately noticed the drastic temperature difference from Cali and put on our long pants and fleeces! We spent the night in a two person room in one of the many cabins at San Vicente, ate our meals at the on-site restaurant and spent a lot of time in the hot springs! On Saturday we also took advantage of some of the spa activities at San Vicente. They offer a variety of things, like massages, fruit therapy, oats & honey therapy, sand peeling, mud therapy, etc. We opted for the sand peeling and oats & honey massage.

Our lodging for the weekend.

One of the two main hot springs pools where we spent significant time!

Hot springs pool.

The sand peeling made me a bit nervous at first to have my whole body (besides the face) covered in sand, but I totally loved it! The sand was really hot because the hot springs ran right underneath where we were laying, so we didn't get cold and our skin felt super soft afterwards.

Buried alive!

Oats & honey was also a good experience and made our super soft skin smell like a delicious bowl of oats!

Mmmmm oatmeal.

In between our spa sessions we embarked on a hike to a nearby waterfall. We originally waited around a bit for a guide to take us, because the people at the office insisted we needed a guide. However, when it became evident that we were going to be waiting a long time for a guide, I explained to them that I had already done the hike twice, both times with about twenty 8th graders on our annual field trip. Therefore, I was 100% confident in my ability to do the hike with Kelsi. After laughing at my insistence they let us go! We rented some boots to avoid the typically muddy paths, we headed off for the 90 minute round trip hike. The path was just as I remembered it, muddy and adventurous. We finished the hike in great time and spent the rest of the day relaxing.

Stuck in the mud. :(

Along the trail...

Freezing cold waterfall!

At the waterfall.

Sunday morning we headed back early, because we wanted to get home to work on schoolwork and watch the Academy Awards. A fabulous end to a relaxing weekend :)