February 7, 2025 - The Aviary and the Beach

 Because of the heat during the day, I prefer getting out and about early.  Today was a trip to the National Aviary in Baru.  Then, we drove to La Boquilla for seafood on the beach.  Both last night and tonight, I left the "girls" to their own devices for the evening.  After a day of fun in the heat, I'm pooped and ready for bed early.

Photos!

The Aviary was busier than when Roland and I visited.  But not crowded and still excellent.  Highly recommend.

We asked to see a menu, which they brought.  Along with a tray of what was available 

We opted for the big tray of assorted seafood.  Juan Carlos was happy.  He did a great job, as always as our driver and guide.

I highly recommend this place - Restaurante San Basilio de Palenque

January 6, 2025 - Maggie and Skyler Arrive!

 Roland is in Edmonton, where it is currently 3 degrees F.  I'm on the couch, with the door open, listening to the waves.  It is 73F, going to 89.  I miss him and am guessing he misses the weather here, if not the sofabed.

My computer is still not working right.  I've tried resetting to factory settings.  Nada.  I'm guessing it is a software issue, based on some other glitches (cursor randomly starts typing someplace new, in the middle of a sentence).  It's mostly just annoying.  I'm using my keyboard and onscreen keyboard.  Slow...

Other than picking up Maggie and Skyler up at 11 a.m., I have no plans.  It is a very quick trip - they leave Sunday morning, so I'm providing options and leaving it up to them.

UPDATE:  I wrote this last week while waiting to head for the airport.  It's now Monday, Feb. 10 and I'm finally catching up.  What a great weekend it was!

After dropping their bags in my apartment, we headed out to do a bit of looking around.  We started with lunch at the mall, then a drive to Cerro de la Popa to check out the views, then drove around town.  

Here are some photos.

 

Maggie and Skyler stayed in an apartment just like mine, on the 31st floor.  Amazing views!

I prefer their couch. 

And the location of the microwave.

Skyler and Maggie on the balcony.  They are smart, thoughtful, kind young women.  And fun.

Views of Cerro de la Popa.

I tried Chinese food near me and was disapppointed .  This was great.

Cheap and plentiful Chinese food from Long Hang. Great news! I can get 30 minute delivery for less than $1 fee.  I LOVE Rappi, which is the Colombian version of Uber Eats.

Waiting at the airport for international arrivals is so hard.  The crowds!  Kidding.  Small, clean modern airport.

Need a Great Driver/Guide in Cartegena?

 I've been using Juan Carlos for five weeks now.  He's a Cartegena native and excellent guide.  If you speak a bit of Spanglish (or actual Spanish), I highly recommend him.  He's knowledgeable, patient and will tailor your trip to your wants.  He charges 50,000 pesos (about $12USD) for an airport pick up and will be waiting for you with your name on a sign.  His normal fee is $12 per hour in town, with set rates for out of town excursions.

You can reach him by phone or Whatsapp at +57 301 695.9532.   Tell him Langosta sent you.

Juan Carlos is the one in the middle.

February 4/5, 2025 - Saying Goodbye to Roland and My Computer

 I'm happy to report we're both back to 100% after the sugar cane juice induced stomach issues.  We had another quiet day.  Beach walk, time by the pool (Roland); laundry, reading (me) and lots of Skip Bo.  I ws apparently so devastated that Roland became the King of Skip Bo last night, that I neglected to post.

Today, Roland left early and as I type this is about to land in Denver.  2 flights down, one to go.  Meanwhile, I've been trying to figure out why five keys on my keyboard quit working.  That means I either have to use the on-screen keyboard (PIA) or my phone.  Neither is ideal.

Tomorrow, two friends from Orlando arrive for a long weekend, which should be fun.  If I don't post, please just assume I'm busy having fun and I promise to post Monday, even if I don't have "a"s and "q"s, etc.

A few photos...

If you've played Skip Bo, you know that having all those 12s in your Skip Bo pile means you're going to lose.

He was way too happy  when he won the "winner takes all" game.

The cards were lousy but the sunset was great.

Jeans, shoes and socks.  Going to be about -28 when he lands.

Gordo and Langosta will miss Flaco.

I consoled myself at the spa while the cleaning lady did her thing in my apartment .

It is a very nice spa. Feels good to be called by name and asked "Would you like your usual?"  Although, they only speak Spanish, so my translation could be off, lol.  

After I got beautified, I hit Megatienda, which was large, modern and had good prices.

Roland, so much wine!

That's about $3 for 24 eggs.

Lots of fish.

I bought some fresh eucalyptus 

The keys that aren't highlighted are the ones that don't work.  All ideas appreciated.  Using the screen keyboard is VERY annoying.

More Fruits and Candies in Cartagena

 

This is a guayaba acida.

This was just too sour for me.  I didn't finish it and rated it a 4.  It might be good as a juice with lots of sugar but not plain, although I read on the internet that they can be sweeter and less acidic.  Roland rated it a 2. 

This is an Arbol de Tomate or Tree Tomato.  They are very common and popular here.

I'd rate this a solid 9.  Roland rated it a solid 8.

These are golden berries or gooseberries.  I can buy them at the grocery store in Lake Mary, FL. Here, they're grown locally and called golden berries.

We both loved these.  I am thrilled to buy them cheap here and give them a 9, only because I'm not a fan of the sticky skin when you wash them.  Roland rated them a 9.

February 3, 2025 - Oops, A Late Post

 I wish I could say that Roland and I spent the entire day doing something fabulous and that's why this post is a day late.  Sadly, that wasn't the case.  I ate or drank something that didn't agree with my guts.  Roland was also a bit sick but he's younger, stronger and only drank half of his sugar cane juice, which is what we think was the culprit.

In any case, I lounged all day, close to the bathroom.  This was hardly my first experience with a bad stomach so I just took it easy, drank a lot of water and had "white food" for dinner - a bit of chicken and plain pasta.  

I slept long and hard last night and woke up feeling exponentially better.  We'd already planned a quiet day for today, since Roland leaves tomorrow, sadly.   Tomorrow will be another quiet day but more company arrives on Thursday for a long weekend, so we'll be back to more photos.

Here's what I've got for yesterday.

We did go out long enough for Roland to check out the fancy store, Carulla.  He bought treats to take home and I got more water.   We didn't buy this octopus.

We also didn't buy fish but did buy a couple of donuts and a very delicious almond croissant that we shared.

We played Skip-Bo.  I was up 2 games and feeling pretty cocky but he won the deciding game.  Today will be another story!