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  • Jessica and Alex Timms

2023

A 284-day adventure by Jessica and Alex Read more
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  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Cairo, Egypt

    February 20, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    We flew from Tel Aviv to Cairo via Jordan. The first flight was only 20 minutes - the shortest flight ever. The second flight was slightly longer but still very easy. When we arrived in Egypt, we expected a bit of a fuss about visas and immigration but it was easy and we were out of there within half an hour.

    Our hostel is located in downtown Cairo and is on the rooftop of an extremely old building. After checking in, Alex had a nap because he isn’t feeling well and mum and I explored the city a bit. It’s an old looking city but the people are friendly. The roads are chaos and probably quite dangerous.

    Day 2:
    We were picked up by our driver in the morning and take to the Pyramids of Giza. When we got there, we hired a guide and some camels to take us around the pyramids. Since I had recently ridden a camel in India, I’d wasn’t too keen on the idea but mum and Alex wanted to. As predicted, it was (at best) eventful. The camels were in pretty bad condition, with large open wounds where their straddles had been rubbing. You could see where they had been whipped as they had scars all up their neck. Also, before mum had properly mounted the camel, it began getting up. Mum nearly fell off. Then the same camel got stuck on a metal prong and the saddle completely broke off! Needless to say, I wouldn’t recommend the camel tour!

    Apart from that though, the pyramids were fantastic. The pyramids of Giza were built around 5000 BC, making them some of the earlier Egyptian relics. At Giza, there are 6 pyramids, 3 large and 3 smaller structures. We also visited the Sphinx, which was actually much smaller than we had both imagined.

    Next we visited Saqqara to see the step pyramid. This was built by the king as a stairway to heaven. We also entered into this pyramid to see the sarcophagus of the king and the hieroglyphic writing which was all over the internal walls.

    Day 3:

    Since Alex was unwell, mum and I caught the metro to Coptic Egypt. The metro was fine, but getting to the station was a bit of a problem. The roads are crazy. Similar to India but at high speed, making it quite dangerous for foreigners to cross. We found some people to help us cross, but these people were usually trying to sell us something! None the less, they were friendly enough to help us cross through the crazy traffic. Coptic Egypt has Christian ruins from the latest era of ancient Egypt. Coptic Christian’s were the first and only remaining Christian group in Cairo - also known as Egyptian orthodox.

    Day 3:
    On our final day in Cairo, we visited the Museum of Egypt. This is a huge museum, full to the brim of ancient relics. The highlight was visiting the relics from Tutankhamun’s tomb, which was only discovered in the early 2000s. They were in pristine condition!
    Although very interesting, the museum is just so disorganised - almost as if there are simply too many artefacts to store! Many were not labelled. Some rooms had everything from random mummies, to art work and sarcophaguses. A really crazy, interesting place.

    To end our time in Cairo, we hopped on a dinner cruise down the Nile. The entertainment on board was full on - we had European dancers, belly dancers and singers. It was lovely to see the city lights and the hundreds of other cruise boats floating down the longest river in the world!    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Sokhna Port, Egypt

    February 24, 2023 in Egypt ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    From Cairo, we drove two hours south to teach a beachside tourist area called Porto Sokhna. This is where we will be catching the ship from tomorrow.

    The town was made up of huge resorts, catering mostly to Egyptian tourists. Our hotel was on the shore of the Red Sea. The surrounds were completely baron - only the yellow and red sand mountains.

    The ocean was beautiful and clear and when the sun set, you could see pink land on the other side of the sea. Beautiful!

    The following day we boarded the MSC Splendida for our week long cruise. Luckily, Alex and I were upgraded to a balcony cabin, which was relatively large and comfortable. The ship was extremely busy, with lots of Arabic, Italian and Russian people.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Luxor, Egypt

    February 26, 2023 in Egypt

    After floating down the Red Sea overnight, our first port of call was Safaga port, which is the cruise gateway to the city of Luxor. We had booked a private tour of the Valley if the Kings and Karnak temple, so we disembarked the ship and met our driver.

    The drive into Luxor was almost three hours and our driver was going at almost 150km/h along the highways! When we reached the city, we met our guide and headed to the Valley of the Kings.

    The Valley of the Kings is an impressive area, which holds the tombs of Kings and Pharaohs of the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. The tombs were huge underground structures, decorated with hieroglyphics, carvings and paintings. Then, we visited Abu Simbel, which is a historic site which comprises of rock-cut temples and sculptures.

    Next, we headed for lunch at restaurant along the river Nile. It was lovely to see the traditional feluccas sailing along the river. We then boarded a river taxi to cross the Nile and head to Karnak temple. This complex comprises of temples, pylons and chapels also from the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. Karnak is significant due to the time it took to construct. Approximately thirty Pharaohs contributed to the building of the middle and New Kingdoms. The size and complexity of the buildings is truly impressive - we could have spent all day exploring the area.

    After our visit to Karnak is was time to hit the road and race back to our boat in time for dinner and departure!    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Petra, Jordan

    February 27, 2023 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    The next stop on the cruise was Aqaba port, which is around a two hour drive from Petra. This meant another big day and another early morning off the ship.

    We met our driver and made our journey through Wadi Rum, which is the famous Jordanian desert that’s been used in a number of Hollywood movies.

    We reached Petra and got on a golf cart which took us about three kms through a rock valley towards Petra. Many people prefer to walk this track, but mum’s knees were playing up so we decided to catch the cart. Luckily, doing the tours privately meant that we were at the sites early enough to miss the cruise ship tours so Petra was relatively quiet on our arrival.

    As the cart came around the last notch in the rock, the treasury facade of Petra became visible. The treasury is the first and most intricate of the rock carvings in Petra valley. As we walked around the area, we visited tombs, sculptures and homes which were set into the rock face. You can also climb up the cliffs, where you will find additional structures.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Jeddah and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia

    March 1, 2023 in Saudi Arabia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Our final two ports of call where in Saudi Arabia and were made mostly for Muslim people onboard to visit Makkah and Medina. As non-muslims are forbidden to visit these areas, we explored the cities by ourselves.

    At our stop in Jeddah, we spent our time wandering around the old town. The buildings here are around 500 years old and made from cement and timber. The markets and cafes were mostly closed due to prayer time. They open usually around 5pm so we spent the time walking around the narrow alleys and admiring the old style houses and buildings.

    Our final stop was Yanbu, which is a port on the Red Sea for snorkelling and scuba diving. Around the port there are lots of ancient ruins which we spent time exploring. We then enjoyed a drink at the port side cafes before boarding the ship for the final time.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Barcelona, Spain

    March 6, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Our flight arrived at 3am into Spain so we made our way to an airport hotel to sleep until checkout at 10am. After a nap and breakfast, we headed to our apartment which was located just off La Ramblas. We spent the afternoon walking around and shopping in Barcelona. For dinner we enjoyed some tapas and sangria.

    The next day we hopped on an open top bus tour, which took us around the major landmarks of Barcelona, including the unusual and eye catching work of Gaudi. For dinner, we ate at a Japanese fusion restaurant called Ikibana. We had the most delicious tasting menu and cocktails!    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Sitges and Peniscola, Spain

    March 9, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    After breakfast on La Ramblas, we headed to the car hire shop and picked up our brand new VW Touareg. Bigger than we thought but comfortable for a road trip.

    Our first stop was for lunch at a coastal town called Sitches only 45 minutes out of Barcelona. The main esplanade of Sitches is lined with beautiful buildings, cafes and tapas bars. After a quick bite to eat, Alex and I explored the old town. The old town sat behind a grand, ocean front church. The narrow streets were lined with white washed buildings and houses. A super cute town which I wish we could spend longer at!Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Alicante and Granada, Spain

    March 10, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Our next day of driving was a long one, so we split it up by stopping at another seaside town called Alicante. As with most cute towns we’ve visited, Alicante is made up of narrow streets and plenty of cafes. The water front is lined by a marble boulevard with markets and palm trees. Alicante struck me as a super upmarket tourist town, which I’m sure is buzzing during the summer months.

    After a very long day of driving, we finally arrived in Granada. The streets were tricky to navigate in the car, as the city has a huge pedestrian area. Our apartment was located near the historic area of Albaicin. We headed out for a late dinner of seafood paella and veal tips - delish.

    Before checking out the following morning, we headed through the narrow, white washed streets of Albaicin to find somewhere for breakfast before our next adventure.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Frigiliana and Nerja, Spain

    March 11, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    After leaving Granada, we headed back towards the coast toward Nerja in the Costa Del Sol. For lunch, we stopped at a small hilltop town called Frigiliana. This village is made up of narrow whitewashed streets which are home to a number of cafes and restaurants with beautiful views out to the coast. Frigiliana has been voted one of Spain’s most beautiful towns. We stopped for a delicious cheese board and salad before hopping on a tourist train ride around the town.

    Only 15 minutes away is the seaside town of Nerja. Nerja is home to beautiful beaches set in bays below towering cliffs. Alex took a quick dip in the ocean but it was freezing so he wasn’t long. We walked the ocean front promenade to a beautiful plaza where there were many shops and cafes. Before leaving Nerja, we visited the Nerja Caves which were amazing! There’s evidence to support the caves being inhabited over 20000 years ago by Palaeolithic humans. Now, the caves have been restored to showcase the amazing columns and stalagmites and stalactites. The photos I took definitely do not do Nerja caves justice!    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Ronda and El Churro, Spain

    March 11, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    After leaving Granada we headed inland towards Ronda for lunch (Maccas lol). Ronda is a beautiful town set high in the mountains. We walked along the cliff side park towards Puento Nuevo or the ‘New Bridge’, which is what Ronda is famous for. The bridge is built an impressive 120 meters above the valley, between two cliff faces. Construction on the bridge was finished over 200 years ago. The town of Ronda is a quaint but touristy area with plenty of souvenir shops and cafes.

    After lunch we began the hair raising drive along the cliff sides towards our accomodation in El Churro. Our little house was set upon a hill with beautiful views out to the Spanish countryside. The house itself was just like a Repunzel house - with a winding staircase and fireplace. Everything was beautiful and peaceful. Unfortunately at around 9pm we had a sudden blackout, which made our cosy home absolutely terrifying! No matter, we just played cards by phone light and went to bed ready for another big day of exploring.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Jaen and Torledo, Spain

    March 12, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Our next stop is Toledo, via a small town called Jaen, famous for its Roman baths and quaint neighbourhood. Unfortunately when we arrived in Jaen everything was closed so we only made a quick stop for tapas lunch. Alex had an adventure driving in Jaen as the roads were incredibly narrow and tricky to navigate.

    After a quick bite we continued on to Toledo which is a historic city about 75kms out of Madrid. We arrived in time for a wander around the city before dinner, where we stopped at a local tapas bar. The next day, Alex and I did a walking tour of the town, where we learnt about the Arab, Christian, moorish and Roman influences on the city’s architecture. Toledo, like many Spanish cities, is made of narrow alleyways, which wind amongst the neighbourhoods. On the tour, we visited the Jewish quarter, the cathedral and one of the best preserved historic mosques in the world. Unlike other historic cities, people of all faiths lived harmoniously in Toledo throughout history. This contributed to the impressive conservation and variety of architecture.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Valencia, Spain

    March 14, 2023 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    For our final night of the road trip, we stayed in a cave on the outskirts of Valencia. The cave was surprisingly cool and comfortable for an overnight stay.

    In the evening we headed into Valencia. We hadn’t planned on visiting Valencia as we had already seen a number of Spanish cities. But I’m so glad we did! We only visited the centre of the city for a couple of hours, but there were plenty of shops and restaurants plus heaps of historic buildings and streets. Luckily for us, we visited during the time of Las Fallas. This is a festival which has been celebrated in the city for hundreds of years. It involves impressive sculptures (sometimes costing millions of Euros to create) being placed around the city. At the end of the festival, the sculptures are burnt! There was a fantastic atmosphere in the city for our visit.Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Back to Barcelona, Spain

    March 14, 2023 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

    After dropping off our rental car, we quickly checked into our Airbnb and then headed off for a last minute visit to Sagrada Familia - the most visited attraction in Barcelona and Gaudi’s most famous work. The cathedral is amazing and still not yet complete. It’s due to be finally completed by 2026 - 100 years after Gaudi’s death. Inside is just as impressive as the facade with every element of the building designed to glorify Christ and creation.

    And that ended our time in Spain. An early (Spanish standards) bedtime to get ready for a 4am wake up for London!    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    London, United Kingdom

    March 17, 2023 in England ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    London is still London.
    We arrived on the day of a tube strike. So although we tried to explore the city, we ended up stranded in the rain trying to find an over ground back to our accomodation near London bridge. Alex and I went for a walk from tower bridge over to the Houses of Parliament and in the evening mum and I went to Oxford street to visit Primark.

    The next morning, Alex and I did the same walk along the river. Luckily the tubes were working again so we were able to pop over to St James park for a stroll. The weather was typical for a winter’s day in the city, which although reminiscent, wasn’t pleasant.

    The highlight of our stay in the city was seeing Hamilton on West End. 10/10 theatre show - I would even see it again!    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Our quick trip home

    March 18, 2023 in Australia

    Mum was having her knee replaced and Junko was also in Australia visiting her new Grandson, so we decided it would be a great time to have a quick break and fly home for a few weeks. It was great to catch up with friends and family during this time and see Yuku!Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Rincon National Park, Costa Rica

    April 10, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    After almost 48 hours of travel from Brisbane to Costa Rica (via Los Angeles and Dallas), we finally arrived in Liberia. Luckily a man was waiting with a shuttle to take us to our car hire, as we originally thought we would have to walk. We picked up the car and headed into town to pick up some supplies from Walmart and grab a sim. We finally arrived at our accomodation in the evening, which was an all inclusive situated right in the National park.

    After a long sleep, we were ready for our day of activities. First up was horse riding down to the river. There was a relatively large group of us and even the little kids rode the horses by themselves. Once we got to the river, we picked up our tubes and drifted down the crystal clear river. There were quite a few rapids which made the ride super fun. I wish we had photos of the tube because it was awesome! After lunch, we did our final activity - zip lining! Alex really enjoyed this but I found it terrifying. We flew far above the tree tops and through canyons. The scenery would have been spectacular if I had opened my eyes. Alex did a little rappelling and rock climbing and we both did a Tarzan swing across a canyon and a man on the other side caught us. We videoed most of this in the go pro.

    After we left our group, we hiked over swinging bridges and ladders to a beautiful secluded waterfall where had a swim in the unusually clear, blue water. To end the day, we visited the hot springs on site. They were impressive - set quite deep in the forest around a running stream. There were about 12 hot spring pools so we tried a few of them.

    Before leaving for Fortuna, we hiked one last track on the property, to find lots of smaller (and less blue) waterfalls.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Monteverde, Costa Rica

    April 13, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    On our way to Monteverde, we stopped by Rio Celeste waterfall for a hike and to see the beautiful blue coloured water. During our hike to the stream, it began pouring with rain. It was cold and wet but lovely to see the rainforest in the rain.

    The trip to Monteverde was about three hours. We stayed at a lodge slightly out of town so we drove in for lunch. Monteverde is high in the hills and extremely windy.

    The next morning we headed out to the cloud forest. It is a spectacular rainforest set amongst the clouds. Even as we walked through the forest, we could see the clouds passing through. We climbed right to the lookout, which was hardly scenic with the cloud cover. It was a cooler walk through the forest and the forest stays damp from the sustained condensation. We spent a few hours here exploring the different tracks.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica

    April 20, 2023 in Costa Rica ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Manuel Antonio is home to one of the most visited national parks in Costa Rica. We spent four night here in a lovely nature resort. The resort was the best part of our stay. It had lots of trails in the backyard, home to iguanas, toucans and tiki monkeys. We were lucky to see all of these animals at the hotel. There are only around 1000 tiki monkeys left - I think we got to see around 20!

    During our time here, we also visited the national park. It was extremely hot and humid and rather busy. None the less, we still managed to see monkeys and sloths. The National park borders the beach, so after our hike we jumped into the water which was lovely and warm.

    The rest of our time at Manuel Antonio was spent around the pool and in our villa. Lucky for us, we were upgraded to a two bedroom apartment, which gave Alex the chance to do some cooking.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Bocas del Toro, Panama

    April 20, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    From San Jose, we caught a shuttle to Bocas del Toro in Panama. The trip was a pleasant ten hour ride, stopping for two of those hours at a coastal Caribbean town called Puerto Viejo, still in Costa Rica. We were lucky to be able to stop here, as it was one of the areas we didn’t get the chance to visit in the car.

    We finally arrived in the main island of Bocas called Isla Colon, where our air bnb hosts, Kay and Mike, were there to pick us up in their boat. Their over water house was only a 5 minute boat ride away and we were staying in the off-the-grid cabin behind the house.

    The cabin was suuuuper basic, but with everything we needed. Kay taught us how to use the generator and turn on the water. We also used a composting toilet, which needed to be emptied! The cabin had a good kitchen so we were able to cook for ourselves.

    During the days we used the kayaks and snorkels to explore the coastline of Solarte island. The water is crystal clear and there were plenty of beautiful fish and starfish on the reefs. Most of the coastline was mangroves and it was easy to kayak between small gaps in the trees. We also visited a beautiful, secluded beach called hospital point, which had clear green water, grassy knolls and lots of palm trees.

    On Sunday, we took a day tour around the islands of Bocas. First we went to see the dolphins and Alex caught some cool footage on his go pro. There was a whole family of dolphins playing really close to our boat. The speed boat took us to an island called Zapatilla. It had the Clearest water and white sand. We spent a few hours there. Next we had lunch and an over water restaurant, which felt a lot like a tourist trap as the meals were super expensive and basic. After lunch, we did some snorkelling at Cayo Kodak. The reef was less vibrant than other reefs we’ve explored, but was still teeming with life. We saw lots of different types of fish and corals. In the evening we spent time with our hosts Kay and Mike on their over water deck. The made some nibbles and we heard about their travels. They lived on a sail boat for ten years so had lots of stories and travel tips.

    Finally it was time to head back to Panama City. We caught a water taxi over to Bocas town and spent the day exploring. Then in the afternoon we took another boat back to the mainland before boarding an overnight bus to Panama city. The bus took about ten hours and was pretty uncomfortable because the roof leaked. Luckily we were able to check into our accomodation in Panama City early for a rest before the day!    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    San Blas Islands, Panama

    April 26, 2023 in Panama ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    Our visit to the San blas islands has been quite the adventure!

    We were picked up from our hotel in Panama City at 5am to begin the 2 hour drive over the mountains to the port. There, we hopped on a boat and travelled a further 45 minutes until we reached an island called Aroma Island. Here, we were given a bottle of water and no additional information except that we were to stay here for the night. Our cabin was made from bamboo sticks, had a thatched roof and a sand floor. Luckily, the island was beautiful - crystal clear water and hammocks set up between the plentiful coconut trees. There was only one other couple on the island, who also had no idea what was going on! The island was run by an indigenous family who spoke very little English and were either very shy or just quite cold. We had heard that the Kuna people were not happy with the influx of tourists, which could explain it.

    At midday a man walked around blowing a conk shell, signalling that it was time for lunch. Lunch was (and would be for the same for the next four days) a choice of chicken or fresh fish, with a side of salad and plantain or rice.

    The next day we began our tours. I had asked if we could please go fishing as Alex was pretty keen. Our guides bought some nylon, hooks and cement slabs for anchors. After we dropped the others off at Pelican Island, we went fishing. I caught two small fish and Alex caught four. The local guides caught around 30 tiny reef fish which they said they would eat. We then went to Dog Island for lunch (chicken or fish; plantain or rice). After lunch we went snorkelling and saw lots of stingrays and eagle rays. We were trying to find a tiger shark which likes to hide in the coral but I was glad we never found him. Then we headed to the natural pools which was a huge a shallow area off the coast of a small island. The water would have been around 30 degrees - beautiful!
    We finished the day at another island which had a cafe and shops and a nice area to swim.

    On day three, we woke up to rain leaking through the roof (to be expected on account of the giant holes), but the boys climbed up and threw a tarp over it and it was fixed. Our first stop on the boat was a small, grassy island. Here we had a nice time relaxing in the water which was shaded by coconut trees. After lunch, we had the choice to stay on Dog Island for swimming or snorkelling or head back out to look for the tiger shark. So off we went on the hunt for the shark. Fortunately for me, we didn’t see him. But we did get to snorkel out to the wave break to see the huge coral structures with heaps of fish. In the afternoon, we headed back to the same island which we stopped at the previous day but I decided to snorkel offshore. I was super impressed with the coral and beautiful fish. This has been my favourite snorkelling in San Blas so far.

    In the evenings, after dinner, Alex and I like to play cards (nothing else to do). The cabins have zero soundproofing and were very hot. But we still slept pretty well.

    On our final day we visited a few more islands including Dog Island again, where we snorkelled on a sunken ship. It was very cool to see the variety of colourful coral and fish.

    In the evening, we began the windy journey back to Panama City. Because we were short on time to see the canal, we decided on accomodation with a canal view. We could only just see some ships entering under the Bridge of the Americas but luckily, on our flight to Columbia we glimpsed a ship entering the locks.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Cartagena, Columbia

    April 30, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    We arrived in Cartagena in the afternoon and spent the rest of the day wondering around the walled city. This part of Cartagena is colourful and vibrant. The streets are filled with tourists, street vendors, rooftop bars and trendy shops. There plenty of delicious places to eat here, especially seafood so we had a delicious dinner of crab and prawns.

    On day two of our time in Cartagena, we did a walking tour of the walled city. It was interesting to learn about the Spanish colonisation and the subsequent turmoil endured by the indigenous and enslaved populations of Columbia. We visited the bastions built to defend the city against the English privateers and learnt the consequences of the Spanish Inquisition. This city’s history has lead to an eclectic and unique culture of dance, music and food.

    Another day, another tour. On day three, we took a 4 hour food tour around the city. We started with breakfast, visiting a local bakery in the trendy area of Getsemani. For breakfast, Cartagenians (and Colombians more widely) typically eat a whole bunch of deep fried food. These are generally pastries filled with cheese, ham or chicken. Next, we visited a street vendor to try some chorizo and Spanish beer. We then headed over to another street vendor who sold a variety of tropical and exotic fruit. There was plenty of fruit which I had never seen or tried before and all were sweet and delicious. Next, we tried some traditional ceviche from a lady whose family had owned the same street stall for over 50 years. Cartagenian ceviche is a mix of fish, shrimp, crab, stingray and octopus in a tomato sauces. For dessert we tried some traditional cartagenian sweets before ending the day with a gelato made from local fruit.

    In the afternoon we headed out to San Felipe castle with some people we met in the hostel. The castle was built to defend the city from the English privateers. It had a fantastic views and a labyrinth of tunnels in and under the castle.

    After a day of rest and wondering in Cartegena, our final day was spent on board a catamaran, visiting the Rosario islands off the Caribbean coast. The boat was huge and comfortable but the snorkelling was pretty boring. The islands themself were beautiful but nothing compared the the other Caribbean islands we have seen. Still, a great day out in the sun.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Tayrona National Park, Colombia

    May 5, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We started out journey out to Tayrona National park with a long bus ride from Cartegena. It was only supposed to take 4 hours but ended up taking over 6 hours. Because we were so late, our accomodation host came and picked us up from Santa Marta, which is the closest city. When we finally arrived, we were taken to our accomodation, which was a beautiful A-Framed tiny home in the middle of the National park. The next morning, we collected our friend Michelle and headed into the park. It’s is about a three hour hike to the main beach and it was extremely humid, so we hired a horse which took us around. The ride was quite scary as the horses moved quickly through the steep terrain. Alex and Michelle loved it but I was screaming most of the way.

    Once we reached the main beach, we had lunch and a swim. Tayrona beaches are famous for their huge, smooth boulders along the shoreline. The water was warm but not especially clear. On the way back we visited another beach for a quick swim. We also had a little dog who followed us on the hour trek home. He ended up staying at our tiny home all night and day and followed us whenever we left.

    The next day we decided to head the Medellin so we caught the bus back to Santa Marta. We spent most of the day wandering the streets (with all our stuff) and sitting by the beach before our evening flight. Santa Marta was a bit of a run-down beachside city which I didn’t find particularly nice or interesting.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Medellin and Guatape, Colombia

    May 8, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    After a day relaxing in Medellin, we joined a free walking tour of the city. To learn about the turbulent past of Medellin. The city is shaped on its turbulent modern history, including the drug trade and political turmoil. Our guide told us that when he was a boy (he was about our age), it was unsafe for him and his family in the city. His pregnant Aunty was shot in her house. We visited different historical landmarks and artworks in the city. The locals seemed genuinely happy to see us and our guide told us it’s because they are still in disbelief that tourists would want to visit their city.

    While we were in Medellin we took a two hour bus ride out to a beautiful town called Guatape. The town is home to a huge finger lake that spans kilometres across the landscape. To get the best view, we climbed the 750 steps up ‘the rock’, which was very worth it! After our climb, we headed into town. It has been voted one of the most colourful towns in the world and for good reason! Every building is painted a bright colour and even the tuk tuks are rainbow.

    On our final day in the city, we visited Communa 13, which on 5 years ago was the most dangerous place on earth. This was due to the political wars which took place until recently. Since then, foreign aid and the Colombian government have supported the reform of Communa 13 through street art. This includes graffiti, music and dance. Now Communa 13 is the safest area in the city and teeming with tourist who visit to witness the incredible talent of locals.    Read more

  • Jessica and Alex Timms2023Traveler

    Bogota, Colombia

    May 13, 2023 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    We only spent one full day in Bogotá so we started the day with another walking tour. Bogotá is not as beautiful as Medellin or Cartagena and I probably won’t return, but I enjoyed learning about the complex history of the capital. We tried the delicious exotic fruits of Colombia and learnt that there is over 400 types of fruits in the country. I then got a smoothie which was delicious! Next we tried Chicha, which is a tradition alcohol drink made from fermented corn. It has been outlawed three times in history and remains ‘illegal’, to support large brewing companies, despite this, it remains a popular street drink in Bogata. To end the tour, we visited a coffee shop. Colombia is famous for exporting coffee. Despite this, finding a good coffee in tha capital is a struggle. We watched how the coffee was prepared and I was surprised at how smooth our black coffees were. After our tour we had Ajiaco, which is a traditional, heavy dish made from potato soup, rice, corn, avocado and chicken.Read more

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