The Current Travel Question in da Village...
What would make a travel group/club meaningful to you? Would it be the destinations, frequency of travels, local group members, local get togethers, etc. Feel free to suggest what you think would make you want to participate in a travel club.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Passport Village website has now moved to this blog! Welcome all who view these pages! Feel free to post here about your travel interests. Let's create a brand new community that engages about world travel and culture.
Of course, the idea of group travels to bring some of us together is always a Passport Village hallmark. Feel free to submit your ideas for travel get togethers organized by Passport Village or by yourselves. This canvas is yours to help create.
Welcome to the new Passport Village...
Of course, the idea of group travels to bring some of us together is always a Passport Village hallmark. Feel free to submit your ideas for travel get togethers organized by Passport Village or by yourselves. This canvas is yours to help create.
Welcome to the new Passport Village...
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Return from Cartagena
Just returned from my trip to Cartagena, Colombia. Such a historic and fun place, with so many wonderful people. I truly enjoyed my 9 days in Cartagena.
In Cartagena, the history just jumps out at you. From the "walled city" area, to the historic San Felipe Fort and the La Popa church which sits atop the apex of the city, you can feel the rich history of this city of over a million people. There are inexpensive tours to take so that you can learn of the history of how Cartagena came to be and the many conflicts which she has endured.
There are also many modern areas of Cartagena, with hotels, condos and jogging paths along the Cartagena Bay and the Caribbean Sea.
There are so many dining options in Cartagena that we could not enjoy all that we had hoped. The few that we did enjoy included some excellent options. Some of the most memorable included The Santa Clara hotel restaurant for its great service and wonderful courtyard setting full of exotic plans; Narco Bollo in Manga for excellent food at great prices with fish, vegetable, and non-alcoholic drink all for less than $10 U.S.!; Crepes and More, a Cartagena chain serving all types of tasty lunch, dinner and dessert crapes at reasonable prices. Just writing about these places is making me hungry! They were all so wonderful.
For entertainment, the Santa Clara had the best latin band performing in their bar area. The band was excellent and made you feel the vibe of the local culture. Havana Cafe also is a buzzing place for live music on the weekends. However, don't let the "Cafe" part of the name fool you. This place is all about the drinks and the music, and they do offer an amazing mojito. On the food side, there is no menu at the Havana Cafe, but you can order out for pizza, which we did. The pizza was decent and came pretty quickly. I believe it is made at the pizza place across the street.
For the best night time ambiance, you have to see Cafe del Mar, which sits on top of the historic wall of the city, with an most memorable view of the Caribbean Ocean. The music here is played by a live DJ who mixes smooth european beats with latin flavor overlays. It is a sound to remember in the most wonderful outdoor setting. We did not eat at Cafe del Mar but still enjoyed just being there and having a drink.
The beaches of Cartagena are fair. The sand is pretty disappointing if you have been to Caribbean beaches before. However, the energy of the beach areas is fun and the people are a joy to be around. They will harass you to buy things but there is no security risk and vendors will leave you alone if you are firm in declining.
All in all, this is a great place to visit, especially if you are a water lover. Between the bay, which circles around the city and intwines with it on several sides, and the Caribbean Ocean, there is so much water to see and enjoy. Cartagena, I miss you already!
In Cartagena, the history just jumps out at you. From the "walled city" area, to the historic San Felipe Fort and the La Popa church which sits atop the apex of the city, you can feel the rich history of this city of over a million people. There are inexpensive tours to take so that you can learn of the history of how Cartagena came to be and the many conflicts which she has endured.
There are also many modern areas of Cartagena, with hotels, condos and jogging paths along the Cartagena Bay and the Caribbean Sea.
There are so many dining options in Cartagena that we could not enjoy all that we had hoped. The few that we did enjoy included some excellent options. Some of the most memorable included The Santa Clara hotel restaurant for its great service and wonderful courtyard setting full of exotic plans; Narco Bollo in Manga for excellent food at great prices with fish, vegetable, and non-alcoholic drink all for less than $10 U.S.!; Crepes and More, a Cartagena chain serving all types of tasty lunch, dinner and dessert crapes at reasonable prices. Just writing about these places is making me hungry! They were all so wonderful.
For entertainment, the Santa Clara had the best latin band performing in their bar area. The band was excellent and made you feel the vibe of the local culture. Havana Cafe also is a buzzing place for live music on the weekends. However, don't let the "Cafe" part of the name fool you. This place is all about the drinks and the music, and they do offer an amazing mojito. On the food side, there is no menu at the Havana Cafe, but you can order out for pizza, which we did. The pizza was decent and came pretty quickly. I believe it is made at the pizza place across the street.
For the best night time ambiance, you have to see Cafe del Mar, which sits on top of the historic wall of the city, with an most memorable view of the Caribbean Ocean. The music here is played by a live DJ who mixes smooth european beats with latin flavor overlays. It is a sound to remember in the most wonderful outdoor setting. We did not eat at Cafe del Mar but still enjoyed just being there and having a drink.
The beaches of Cartagena are fair. The sand is pretty disappointing if you have been to Caribbean beaches before. However, the energy of the beach areas is fun and the people are a joy to be around. They will harass you to buy things but there is no security risk and vendors will leave you alone if you are firm in declining.
All in all, this is a great place to visit, especially if you are a water lover. Between the bay, which circles around the city and intwines with it on several sides, and the Caribbean Ocean, there is so much water to see and enjoy. Cartagena, I miss you already!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Day One, Blog Two
Looking forward to an upcoming trip to Cartagena, Columbia. It will be my first trip to South America and it is a place so rich in history. From what I am told, Cartagena was once the port of Columbia that exported so much of the silver and gold discovered and mined in South America. Due to the labor intensive work, Cartagena developed a culture of slavery. It is reported that, as a result of this past, Cartagena has a culture that is similar to the type of culture typically seen in an Caribbean island destination.
Of course, since I have never been to Cartagena, I am only speaking from what I have gleaned from talking to those who have lived in or visited Cartagena. Nevertheless, this history and culture are, in large part, the reason that I am very interested in seeing Cartagena.
We will be traveling as a group and enjoying the culture, historic sites and entertainment of this charming destination.
Of course, since I have never been to Cartagena, I am only speaking from what I have gleaned from talking to those who have lived in or visited Cartagena. Nevertheless, this history and culture are, in large part, the reason that I am very interested in seeing Cartagena.
We will be traveling as a group and enjoying the culture, historic sites and entertainment of this charming destination.
Blog Day One
Well I'm new to the world of blogging, but I do want to connect and share. So here goes.
This is a blog about different locations of the world. It is meant to be share among those who enjoy travel and experiencing different cultures. I hope this will be an interactive place.
It is hoped we can discuss our favorite places and what makes them so special. Also, I would like to establish this as a place where future group travels can be suggested and planned by those who share similar interests in travel. Why can't golfers, wine tasters or jazz lovers meet up in various places around the world to share their passion? So let this be the place to chat, discuss what's going on in the world that would be of interest to those who enjoy travel, and make some tracks.
This is a blog about different locations of the world. It is meant to be share among those who enjoy travel and experiencing different cultures. I hope this will be an interactive place.
It is hoped we can discuss our favorite places and what makes them so special. Also, I would like to establish this as a place where future group travels can be suggested and planned by those who share similar interests in travel. Why can't golfers, wine tasters or jazz lovers meet up in various places around the world to share their passion? So let this be the place to chat, discuss what's going on in the world that would be of interest to those who enjoy travel, and make some tracks.
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