86 Countries and Still Counting: January 29, 2025

After a quiet night in the apartment last night, we were up and out this morning at 7 a.m. Juan Carlos was waiting for us and off we went, headed to Baranquilla. We had no specific plans but I've used JC as a driver/guide for almost a month now and trust he'll take me someplace I'll enjoy.

And, he did. What a great day. After driving for about 45 minutes, he asked if we wanted to see the volcano where you can do a mud bath. I had no interest in the mud but was happy to see the volcano which was less than 10 minutes off the highway. I'm glad we stopped at El Volcan de Lodo El Totumo. My favorite part of the stop was the reaction of the local vendor who was talking to JC about what services he might sell me. I answered, in Spanish, and the guy seemed amazed. My Spanish is lousy but serviceable and the guy was very complimentary. That made me smile.

Next we hit the Ventana del Mundo, a glass statue that I'd read about. An enterprising woman knew the best angles for photos and happily took out photos for a small tip. My favorite part of that stop was when I was approached by two police officers. Normally, having the cops stop you isn't cause for photo taking but the young pair of officers were so sweet and friendly.

Next we went to the boardwalk on the Magdalena river in Baranquilla. It was built in 2018 and is about 7 km long. We stopped at a place toward one end of the boardwalk that is like a giant food court and has 26 restaurants and bars with both indoor and outdoor seating. We went for a walk, had a beverage and then decided to head back.

Our next stop was in the small town of Puerto, Colombia to see another glass statue called La Ventana de Suenos - the Window of Dreams. It is dedicated to immigrants and was impressive and beautiful.

We stopped for a late lunch on the beach in La Boquilla, which JC and I have visited before. I told him we wanted seafood and he said how about a large platter of octopus, shrimp, fish, crab, langoustines, two types of rice, patacones (like tostones), a cucumber/tomato/avocado salad and seafood stew. Yes, please!

Our final stop of the day was to pick up some water and wine at D1, where a gentleman serenaded the store with his guitar from the doorway. The line was slow and the music made it a pleasant wait.

I hope you enjoy the photos of our most excellent day.

Last night I made Buddy Burner dinners. If you were a girl scout, you'll know.

He's not in Alberta anymore.

View from the highway as we headed off to find the volcano.

I was very excited about the small tequila booth. But, taquilla actually means "ticket booth". It was early and we were the only tourists there. Roland paid $5 for a ticket to climb the volcano.

If you don't care to hop in the bubbling mud (which is not hot, BTW), you can buy bottles of it. I passed.

This was not at all what I expected. It is a mud volcano. The mud is very fine and bubbling but cool. The view from the top was amazing, according to Roland - thanks for the excellent photos.

Roland climbed while I chatted with JC and a local vendor.

It was much tinier than I expected.

A view from the top, courtesy of Roland.

Housing for the vendors, who were not at all pushy but very friendly.

Even if you don't care to bathe in the mud, the views are worth the trip.

The dried mud at the base of the volcano.

Going in the morning, before the cruise excursions arrive is an excellent idea of you prefer a private experience.

As we left, JC asked if we wanted to stop at a "small" volcano. This was basically a bubbling mud puddle.

Because, as a kid, my brother and I spent so much time practicing how to escape quick sand, I assured Roland and JC that I could help, in an emergency.

As we got closer to Baranquilla (home of Shakira), JC used an app to warn of traffic delays.

The Ventana del Mundo - window on the world. Made of colored glass .

It was windy and I had fun doing a "photo shoot".

Then it was Roland's turn!

Apparently the police were watching and then came over to chat. They just were being friendly and wanted to ask how we liked Baranquilla.

We couldn't figure out why she wanted our photo next to the wall. It didn't look like a mirror to us.

The fire station is near the Window. This fireman was killed when responding to a massive explosion in an oil tank at the nearby freight port. 4 workers were also killed.

I was touched when the young man asked if he could take a photo with me.

BTW, these weren't tourist police. Just friendly cops, welcoming us to their country.

This is one of the oil tanks that melted after the explosion.

This the inside of the Alcaldia of Barranquilla. Similar to a giant food court, it is air-conditioned, modern, clean and has 26 restaurants with all types of food.

It was only about 11, early by Colombian standards, so there weren't many people.

My first stop was the ladies' room, where I was reminded to wash my hands.

There was no toilet paper but I carry some, just in case. Hey, I was both a Girl Scout and a Peace Corps Volunteer - I'm prepared!

No mirror! I'm assuming it keeps people from dawdling.

Lots of beverage options. Later we bought two waters and a beer were less than $3.50.

Mexican food!

So many kinds of food.

The bull is some type of symbol of Carnival (which I may be going to later in February)

This bank logo reminds me more of a childcare place than a bank.

The ceiling was covered with these caymans with butterfly wings.

Another common Carnival figure.

I was curious about the bull's head, since there is a small one on the wall in my apartment.

A giant light, made of beer bottles.

More caymans.

Outside were statues of popular Carnival figures.

Barranquilla is known as the city of immigrants. It is the place where most immigrants have come into Colombia. They believe the diversity of their city is an economic and cultural strength. So ironic to be seeing so many welcoming signs, given the current position of the USA about immigrants.

There's plenty of outdoor seating along the river.

The view across the river.

A fat lady's body with a Cayman head and a bowl of candies. Roland said I reminded him of her. I wonder where he's sleeping tonight?

The caymans were everywhere!

We'd seen this weird vehicle in El Laguito. Seems someone is using it as an RV to travel around the country.

I've encountered a number of dogs on the beach and street. All have been friendly.

Plenty of room for biking and walking.

I've decided that building under construction would be a great place to leave. It is both residential and commercial and a quick walk to 26 restaurants. And I bet Rappi will deliver.

Doggy in the shade.

Some of the Christmas decorations are still up.

Lots of water plants along the riverbank.

That's the financial district of Baranquilla in the distance.

A restaurant further down the riverwalk. I went to Rincon high school so felt compelled to take a picture.

What a bummer! This is the ticket office (taquilla) for a tourist boat that goes up and down the river but the boat is currently out of commission.

The boat.

Another tourist boat.

Gloves, balaclava, jacket and jeans. No, it's not Roland in Alberta attire, but just a guy gong to work. It was about 87.

Did I mention it was breezy? JC wanted to take a "Titanic" photo.

I thought he was going to get in the water. He was looking for food and seemed to be having a grand time. Buddy would have been right there with him.

A water plant flower.

The big cayman mouth.

If you ever need a great guide and driver, I can't say enough about Juan Carlos. He's on Whatsapp and Facebook. Hit me up for his #.

Have I mentioned Shakira is from here. There's a larger than life statue of her on the river. She is a huge deal here.

Another opp for Cayman photos.

Another place to take tourist photos.

For whatever reason, my computer and I are having a difference of opinion and the photos are reversed from the original order. Sorry! This was Roland enjoying the pool at the apartment when we got home from a great day. BTW, when he gets home to Alberta next week, the temp will be a high of -25C.

We ate the whole tray of seafood. And 3 bowls of soup. We did not have dinner.

This is the son of the owner of the restaurant who carried all the wonderful food upstairs for us.

Crabs, a salad with avocado, tomatoes and cucumber and onion. Patacones. And a whole fried fish.

Some pulpo (octopus) French fries and patacones.

Did I mention rice with seafood/broth and rice with coconut? And lots of shrimp.

I almost forgot - there were several langostos (langoustine)

We all ate from the tray, using hands and forks. Roland was very proud he didn't get anything on his white shirt.

As if the food wasn't enough, we had a great view of the Caribbean and some kite surfers.

There were a couple of local families playing on the beach.

And a guy with horses.

The soup was tasty and filled with chunks of fish and plantain.

Looking up from our seats at the thatched roof.

That's Bocagrande in the distance. La Boquilla is near the airport and we joked that JC and I would drop Roland off for his flight next week then come here so we could eat more seafood while we waved goodbye. Seriously, I'll miss him. But, we're going back on Monday (with Roland) to ride quad bikes on the beach and eat another tray of this amazing seafood. $54, including 3 waters and a beer.

There were a few other people eating downstairs but we had the open-air upstairs to ourselves.

It wasn't fancy but had a great view and the cushioned seats were very comfortable.

My view while we waited for the food to be cooked.

IMHO, La Boquilla is the place to go for a quiet beach/great food. That's during the week. On the weekends it is much busier.

This is the name of the place. There are several restaurants on the beach but I highly recommend this place. BTW, JC knows the owner and bargained a bit to get us a great price.

This house is close to the restaurant. Beautiful with a nice terrace upstairs.

This is another nearby restaurant. All are open-air, no air conditioning (not needed), and many have hammocks.

The following photos are some of the sights as we drove through town to the beach.

Ventana de Suenos (Window of Dreams) was built to pay homage to the immigrants who have helped make Colombia a strong country. Sort of like the Statue of Liberty.

Ventana de Suenos was built in 2023 and is the largest lighthouse in Colombia at about 10 stories/230 feet. At night it is lighted and would be even more amazing, As it was, it was stunning, especially when looking up to see the clouds passing. There's a short video at the end. Well worth the visit!