Bogota Private Tour: Monserrate, the Gold Museum, and the Botero Museum

We spent a day with a private guide exploring some of Bogota's most iconic destinations, including Monserrate, the Gold Museum, and the Botero Museum.

First, we rode a funicular to the stunning mountain peak of Monserrate, which overlooks the sprawling city of Bogota at more than 9,000 feet.

A major pilgrimage site, Monserrate features an outdoor walk along the Stations of the Cross (Jesus’ journey to his crucifixion) to a neo-Gothic church called the Sanctuary of the Fallen Lord.

We enjoyed the panoramic views of the city, stopped at the tourist kiosks to shop, and tried some coca tea before heading back down the mountain to Bogota and the Gold Museum, which contains the largest collection of pre-Hispanic goldwork in the world.

We then strolled through the Candelaria neighborhood of Bogota, including Simon Bolivar Square, and the Botero Museum, a free museum that features works of art by Fernando Botero, Picasso, Dali, Monet, Renoir, and others.

We took a tour through GetYourGuide to see all these places, and the cost was very reasonable, especially for seniors.

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Monserrate
Gold Museum
Botero Museum

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Monserrate
Gold Museum
Botero Museum

 

Snorkeling–and Napping–with Turtles in Hawaii

We were fortunate to experience sea turtles, on land and under the sea, in both Kauai and Maui. What a magical experience!

On Kauai, we discovered that green sea turtles, called “honu,” nap on the sand on Poipu Beach on the south coast every afternoon. At sunset, scores of them haul themselves up onto the beach to spend the night. We saw at least 40 there, though darkness obscured our view. The area is cordoned off to prevent humans from getting too close, and a couple of naturalists informed us about the turtles, which were once endangered and have been upgraded to “threatened” status.

On Maui, there’s a similar beach on the Road to Hana that also attracts sea turtles napping.

And in West Maui, at Black Rock at the north end of Ka’anapali Beach, you can walk into the water in your snorkel gear and spend an afternoon floating while watching sea turtles eat. We also say spotted rays and a huge variety of other fish.

This video is long. The first five minutes are enough to give you an idea of the experience. But if you really want to immerse yourself in the sea with the turtles, watch the whole thing!

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Ka’anapali Beach, Maui
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Poipu Beach, Kauai
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Welcome to Bogota

Off to a new continent: South America!

Messy Suitcase heads to Bogota, Colombia, for a pre-Christmas interlude. We stayed at the edge of the charming old Candelaria neighborhood, in an AirBnb with a panoramic view of the city. Because of the timing of our visit, in December, we were lucky to witness firsthand Colombia’s Christmas traditions, which transformed Candelaria into a giant street party complete with candles, music, Christmas lights, vendors, street chalk drawings, performances, crowds and fireworks.

The Christmas season officially launches for Colombians on Dec. 7 with the Dia de las Velitas, or Day of the Little Candles. On this day Colombian families, mostly Catholic,  light hundreds of little candles and place them in the streets in front of their homes, to light the way for the Virgin Mary to bless them. Then Christmas is celebrated gaily along Carrera Séptima Septima (Seventh Avenue) for the next two weeks with as Bogotá is transformed into a festive haven where locals and visitors alike are experience multimedia, theatrics, shows, music and more.

We visit the main square, bop around town, and then take a tour of the stunning Chase Sapphire lounge at the airport!

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Visit Bogota website
The Culture Trip

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Mini-Tour: Long-Term Parking at SJU (San Juan International Airport)

If you’re planning to travel from San Juan International Airport and need long-term parking for your vehicle, you’ll discover that the lot is incredibly hard to find. Follow Messy Suitcase as we find the entrance and demonstrate how to get to the terminal.

Long Term Parking is located adjacent to Terminal E, and has a capacity for 249 cars. The  minimum stay is 5 days and the minimum cost is $60. There’s also no shuttle to the main terminal, so be prepared to walk!

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Colombia’s Otherworldly Cathedral of Salt

We ventured 2 ½ hours south of Bogota to the Salt Cathedral, the “First Wonder of Colombia.”  The Catedral de Sal de Zipaquirá is an underground Roman Catholic Church built within the tunnels of a salt mine 660 feet underground inside a  mountain near the city of Zipaquirá, Colombia. It’s a huge tourist destination and a popular pilgrimage spot.

This massive subterranean cathedral is truly spectacular, with dramatic lighting, sculptures, light shows, Gregorian Chants and choir music, a mining tour, an underground mall, and even a train. Following the Stations of the Cross is a fascinating experience. The eerie combination of otherworldly and touristy is not to be missed!

We paid about $40 for the entry fee, plus the cost for the tour guide who drove us through the mountains.

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Salt Cathedral Info
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Exploring Madrid

“Every direction in Madrid, there’s something interesting!” – Bob Greenawalt

Madrid is shockingly delightful. We walked all over the city in what will surely be the first of many visits back to this wonderful Spanish city. Bob’s f Every direction in Madrid, there’s something interesting!

Bob's favorite place in Madrid was the Plaza Mayor, a classic European central square with scores of charming outdoor restaurants and local entertainment. Lisa’s was gelato scooped to resemble flowers the size of her head!

While strolling around the fascinating streets, shopping, people-watching, and trying the excellent food, we encountered an unexpected air parade over our heads. We also visited the Museo de Jamon (Ham Museum), and Bob ordered up a classic ham sandwich.

We walked through lush, wondrously landscaped Retiro Park, Madrid’s Central Park, and discovered the Crystal Palace (which is an art center, and while it was closed for renovation, the views inside were awesome), enjoyed street music, walked the paths and crossed creeks, and saw a lovely lake where you can go canoeing.

We also placed a love lock in Plaza Mayor and visited the Palacio de Vasquez (part of the Reina Sofia ticket, but pretty uninspiring), Museum of Anthropology (pleasant, even though Bob thought it was the Museum of Archeology until he noticed the dearth of dinosaurs). We averaged about 7 miles a day walking around Madrid, and finally tried the clean, modern Metro when our feet got sore.

Our last breakfast, featuring tortillas Española and churros with chocolate sauce in an outdoor restaurant near the train station, was a mouthwatering invitation to return.

P.S. Plaza de la Villa is  just a very old plaza. Learn more.

Madrid Tourism

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Riding the Rails from Madrid to Barcelona

We took a double decker train from Madrid to Barcelona. What a fun way to travel! Next time we’ll spring for the upper deck.

Once we got to glorious Barcelona, we walked around las Ramblas, visited the Mercat (market), and pretty much covered at least 7 miles of Barcelona on foot, trying to see every tourist site (with help from our former exchange student, Laia, and her family as our tour guides).

Enjoy!

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Barcelona Tourism

Trainline