Colombia!

We took the most fantastic trip for the absolute best reasons. We went to Cartagena to see Lor and Alexa, and to meet both of their families. It was an adventure years in the making and it exceeded every single one of our expectations. 

We arrived mid afternoon on Christmas Day and we were welcomed and greeted by Lor and his mom, Juanita, who whisked us away and into a van to transport us to our hotel where he helped us get acclimated and situated. We settled and took a moment before meeting Lor and crew near the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas for rooftop burgers and the sunset over the walled city. We follow that with a walk to the old town where we wandered the streets and scenes and colors and sounds, it was an absolute treat. The kids had fresh mango and pineapple and were wide eyed at the amount of people and all of the things to look at. It was a great intro to Colombia. 

The best Christmas present.

Lor teaching the kids so they can teach us. 

Old Town. 

Lively and lovely. 

The next morning we woke up early to catch a bus to Isla Baru with Lor, Alexa, Alexa's parents and neighbors, and Lor's brother and his family. 3 families, 3 languages, and only a few universal words (gesundheit being one of them...I've never been so thankful for someone to sneeze :), but we made it work! Isla Baru was a dreamy beach destination with white sand, clear turquoise water, loads of cocktails and mocktails and venders with anything you can imagine. It was a day of sun and fun for all of us.  

Mangos ASAP.

Catching the ferry.

Immediate beach fun. 

Lor and Greta

Lunch 

Vacation Dave

xoxoxoxo

Back to Cartagena for dinner, 
the kids did all of the translating. 

We were picked up the next morning by a shuttle driver who would get us to Tayrona for a National Park visit. We were in a large shuttle bus for us and the Hungarians (Alexa's parents and neighbors) with 0 amenities and every engine light on or not functioning (I know because I was sitting in the front seat ;)). It was a 4 hour adventure of 2 lane highways, toll bridges with street vendors, a drive by the beach in Baranquilla, and up through the mountains to Tayrona. We stayed in La Casa Blanca, a lovely little hotel set in the jungle with decent food, a great pool, some fun games for evening entertainment, and even a little gecko who made his way into our room after hours. We had an early evening in anticipation of a full day of activity the following day. 

The crew. 

The shuttle. 

Rest stop- Juanita brought Piper a pineapple. 

We made it! 

The group, many languages, cultures, backgrounds
all at the same table thanks to Lor's year with us. 
Sentimental Suzie here, I just can't believe this life. 

The view from our room.

Night swim fun with Lor and Alexa. 

We hiked Tayrona National Park the following day. It was a long hike (7 miles round trip) and I thought there was no way the kids would make it that far, but much to my surprise, they did and did it with minimal complaints. We hiked through tropical jungles and rocky coastlines leading to pristine beaches. We spotted monkeys, birds, falling coconuts, ice cream stands, and small vending stations along the way. When we finally reached the end, we were rewarded with a lovely beach, lunch, and drink options. It was a great day. Lor found many ways to mix in some fun and we were so proud of ourselves when we completed the hike. We had dinner at La Casa Blanca and played games at the hotel before an early bedtime. 

Let's Go! 

Snacks along the way. 

Incredible views.

Coconut water. 

We made it to Cabo San Juan!

The hike back. 

We did it! 

Rana back at the hotel. 

We ventured back to Cartagena on Monday and it was a bit more of an adventure than any of us were expecting... our driver (same one as the journey on Saturday) was delayed due to a flat tire which was actually reassuring as it happened before we were in the van rather than in it. We hung around and waited, the kids had a pineapple and it was very relaxed. The driver did finally arrive a couple of hours late and within about 15 minutes in the car, the van broke down. OH NO! The engine was grinding and it didn't look good. We were on the side of the road as the sun beamed down from above. The driver had a plan!(?). Either way, he was able to FIX the car on the side of the road, I was both relieved and impressed, but was on pins and needles the rest of the way back in fear that something else might happen. Thankfully that was the most of the excitement, until he turned off the interstate and took an unexpected way back. Finally I realized he had detoured (language barrier) to follow Lor back to his house. I was so excited to see Lor's childhood home. We had Facetimed with his parent many many times while he lived with us and had seen photos, but it was really special to experience it in real life and to understand his background, and why he was so cold in our basement compared to where he had come from (;)). We had beers on his patio, saw Juanita's garden, met some neighbors, and the kids shopped for snacks at his corner store. This experience was an absolute highlight. We said our goodbyes and made our way to our hotel at the Boca Grande which was a jaw dropper. Oh my goodness, the Hyatt Regency was so memorable with pools and restaurants and views for as far as the eye could see. 

The situation.

The solution. 

Looks promising! 

Shakira sighting on our drive back through Baranquilla. 

Family

Lor's street. Only wide enough for a moped. 

Traffic chaos into the city center. 

We've arrived! 

Lobby views. 

Good night. 

We spent the following day with a morning swim followed by exploring the Old Walled City of Cartagena with Raul, Lor's dad. We took in the sights and culture with food, drinks, souvenirs, and thousands of steps. It is an incredibly beautiful city, I'm so thankful we took the opportunity to experience it. At the end of the day, Raul walked us back to the hotel along the walls at sunset, an incredible sight. 

Morning swim. 

Walking to the Old Town. 

Piper and Reul. 

Colors, plants, and music everywhere. 

Selfie, why not.

Coliseum turned into a lux mall. 

Favorite mural. 

Quick photo op, exhausted. 

Best travel partner. 

Raul teaching the kids to call a cab.

After a days and days of nonstop exploring, we did almost nothing on our last day. We slept in, laid by the pool, and ventured into the Old Town for pizza, but took a taxi both ways. We had an easy hotel dinner and then took some sunset photos on the beach before turning in for an ultra early bed time and a two travel day journey home. We had an amazing time, we loved seeing Lor and meeting his family and Alexa's and were so proud of the kids for their Spanish speaking skills. There are so many incredible places to discover and we hope to keep doing just that. Cheers! 

Full of pizza and happy. 

Boca Grande

Squad.