November was another busy month. My parents were supposed to arrive Friday afternoon, but after some flight delays in Chicago they missed their connecting flight in Miami and arrived on Saturday afternoon for their week-long visit. After getting settled into their hotel and having a drink, we traveled into the walled city to walk around then got a few sunset drinks at Cafe Del Mar.
After enjoying our drinks we went further into the heart of the walled city to Alma for dinner. We arrived before they opened (which for future reference is 7:00 pm). It wasn't long before seven so we went across the street to Buena Vida. Buena Vida had a really fun rooftop bar! We enjoyed a couple drinks, some music and an app on the house before heading to dinner at 7:00.
Dinner at Alma was delicious as usual. We started with an appetizer which was similar to a crab puff. We first got it when we went there with Tomas and Rafa. We liked it so much the first time, we wanted to get it again! For dinner, my parents and I all got the crab burger while Nate got a chicken dish. All were amazing. After dinner we called it a night as we were waking up early the next day to head to the beach.
Sunday we woke up and met around 8:00 to head to the beach. We spent the day at Gente De Mar, a resort on Isla Grande within the #RosarioIslands. It's about a 45 minute boat ride from the dock in Cartagena. They welcome you to the island with cocktails in hand. Afterwards, we walked straight over to the beach, grabbed some chairs and stayed put for most the day. The weather was perfect for being in the water. Lunch on the Island was yummy, we had a traditional fish lunch. It was my parents first time having it, but they both seemed to like it. After lunch we went back to the beach, had a few more cocktails, swam some more then headed back to land around 3:00. The waves had gotten super high since we had arrived, the water was so choppy. It was a rough ride home, we were soaking wet by the time we made it back !
Once we got back we all showered, got ready, then went into the walled city for dinner and drinks at The Clock Pub while catching some of the Sunday night football games. After a couple pitchers of beer, we called it a night as we were planning to be up early again the next day.
Monday Nate was off of work so all four of us headed to The Conrad Cartagena for the day. Nate and my dad spent the day golfing at Karibana Golf Course, the only TPC golf course in South America. My mom and I got a day pass to The Conrad and spent our day at the pool. Once the boys had finished golfing they came over to the pool and hung out for a bit. We ordered some food and relaxed until 5:00. Then we headed back to the city, got ready for the evening and went into the Getsemani for Dinner.
I chose #Getsemani because my parents haven't been in that part of town yet. I wanted to show them around that area before they left. We ate at an Italian restaurant called Di Silvio Trattoria in Getsemani. We randomly picked this place off Google, but it turned out to be one of our favorite dinners of the week! My mom and I both got pastas which were unbelievable! Nate and my dad each got calzones which were good too! We also saw some tables that got pizzas which looked delicious! We might get one next time we go back!
After dinner we walked the streets of Getsemani a bit. I showed my parents some really cute buildings, we walked down the flag streets and the umbrella street for some photos then went back home and called it a night.
Nate had to work that Tuesday. My parents and I spent the day by the pool. They were staying in the Hyatt Regency Cartagena. I would definitely recommend it. The rooms were really nice, the pool was beautiful and the staff was so attentive. We started our morning getting the breakfast buffet which was really good! Afterwards we sat by the water for the better part of the day. We ordered some drinks to the pool as well as our lunch. Everything was really good!
Around 4:00 we showered and got ready for the evening. We went into the walled city, did some souvenir shopping and met Nate at El Baron for our Rum Tasting experience. Our guide's name was Noah. He worked at El Baron which was such a cool looking bar. He was so knowledgeable about not only Rum, but the country itself. Within the experience Nate and my dad got to try some Cigars while my mom and I had some Chocolate pairings. Everything was really great, we said we would definitely do this again when Nate's family comes to town.
After our Rum experience we headed to the next building over and got dinner. It was connected to El Baron so we thought it would be super quick and easy since we were pretty hungry by now. After dinner we headed back and got some rest.
Wednesday morning I woke up and met my parents at the Hyatt again for breakfast. Afterwards we went back down to the pool for the remainder of the afternoon. In the evening we went into the walled city and ate at Cande, a restaurant we've gotten recommendations for several times. It was a really unique place. It has traditional Colombian food. There was a couple dancing right in front of the tables throughout the night, it was a really fun experience. We enjoyed the food and the atmosphere a lot!
After dinner we met our friends from Mexico City, Tomas and Rafa as well as some of their friends from Mexico at Alquimico. We had some drinks with them then went back home. It was fun to introduce my parents and let them get to know each other. They really enjoyed it.
The next morning I got one last breakfast with my parents before they headed out for the airport. Nate and I were leaving for Panama early the next morning, so my day consisted of laundry, planning and packing. You can read about our Panama trip on the blog too!
The following week we relaxed since we have had a busy last couple of weeks! With the remainder of our available travel weekends becoming more and more scarce, we took this weekend to plan where we want to go before our time is up in Colombia.
That Sunday, Nate's boss John arrived for a week long visit. He landed mid-day so we met him at his hotel, Casa La Merced, for a beer. His hotel was super nice, it was a cute little boutique hotel within the walled city. The staff was all super nice, and extremely helpful. They helped set up some of our excursions throughout the week!
After our beer at the hotel we walked through the town to give John a little tour. We ended up at Casa de la Cerva in Getsemani for a beer as the sun was setting. This bar/restaurant has a similar atmosphere as Cafe Del Mar since it sit's on top of the wall overlooking the water, but it's not nearly as crowded. I would definitely recommend stopping here if you find yourself looking for a fun and relaxing spot!
We got dinner at Trattoria afterwards, the same Italian spot we took my parents to earlier this month since we liked it so much. This time we ended up sitting in a different building across the street which was a really unique spot! We enjoyed the food a lot!
Once we were done with dinner we headed out to walk the streets of Getsemani. We showed John the umbrella streets and the flag streets which he really enjoyed.
As we were wandering the streets of Getsemani we came across a super unique looking spot so we stopped in for a pitcher of Sangria. The restaurant was called Castallena DF. It had a Spain theme with super cute decor and great staff. We really enjoyed it!
The next day Nate and I both had to work but we met John for dinner afterwards at Costa Bar Restaurant. It was a cute spot attached to a hotel. The drinks were yummy and the food was delicious!
Tuesday we met for a cocktail at Maria Bonita. It was a Mexican themed restaurant with unique paintings lining the walls in Getsemani. We got some tacos and nachos as an appetizer before dinner that night.
Dinner was just next door at Demente, it was a unique spot with a fun interior. The seats were all rocking chairs! We split a handful of tapas and enjoyed them all!
Wednesday we went out for dinner at Sushi Room. We highly recommend this place. Located inside the walled city, this spot has some helpful staff and even better food. Our waiter helped recommend everything for us from our drinks, a sangria punch, to our food! We got two rolls of sushi, and a poke bowl to split among the three of us. It was an amazing meal!
After dinner we went to our favorite bar, Alquimico for a drink before heading back. John really liked this spot, hanging out on the rood top!
The next day was Thanksgiving so I was off work, but Nate wasn't. John and I spent the day out on the water. We had the whole boat to ourselves! We started by going out to Playa Blanca and spending some time there. Afterwards we went to Isla Grande as well as a few other spots where we snorkeled, swam and had some drinks in the sun. It was a great way to spend the day!
That night we had a make-shift Thanksgiving dinner. We got chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, home-made mac n cheese and rolls. For desert Nate made a delicious apple crisp. It was fun to have a small Thanksgiving with John since none of us were able to be with our families this year!
Friday evening we had a party with Nate's work. They rented a couple catamarans for us to sail on. We had some food and drinks, while enjoying the views and the music. We got to meet some of the people Nate works with and their significant others. It was a fun night!
Early Saturday morning we hopped on a bus with John to Santa Marta to go hike Tayrona National Park. We started at noon and hiked all the way to the furthest, but most beautiful, beach! It was about 8 miles!
We stayed at the Yachay Eco Hotel. It was a beautiful hotel located within the park. We spent the evening eating dinner here, drinking some beers and playing cards. It was a lot of fun!
Sunday we enjoyed a nice breakfast before heading out for the day. It was really yummy! Then we headed back to the bus for our 5 hour drive back to Cartagena.
Sunday night we got one last dinner with John before he headed out the next day. We went to a really nice restaurant called El Gobernador in the Bastion hotel. It was AMAZING. We started with two appetizers and then each got an entree. We loved each plate, plus the presentation was beautiful! Afterwards we got two deserts to split. It was a delicious dinner in a beautiful hotel. I highly recommend it for a nice dinner if you're in town. It was a great way to end our time with John.
November was a great month, but we're really excited for December, and to head home for the holidays!
You can see a video of our time in November below!
Thanks for reading!
Jen