Bogota Blogger

La Casa de Felipe is listed in guide books like Lonely Planet, and my friend Mark had stayed there over Christmas break and recommended it. It’s not on the beach, but a less than 10-minute walk up the hill from there, and being on the beach in Taganga is not such a big deal, actually. There are a couple other hostels in town (one called Pelikan, on the main road, looks pretty charming and they said they were charging $20,000 per person (about $8.50 at the moment). And there are some hotels, but Casa de Felipe offers just about everything you could get at the types of hotels that seemed to be available, and for better prices. Our room was about $23, but had a private bath. It’s possible to get cheaper accomodations there, though, by sharing a bath. The place itself is kind of an oasis, lots of hammocks, terraces, trees and flowers. The hammocks are for lounging, but they are willing to rent them out for sleeping when rooms are tight. Good for backpackers but also enough of a hotel to be comfortable in general. Like most places on the coast except for the most upscale, they have no hot water, but the water is warm to start with and hot water not really necessary.

(more…)

Walking around late Saturday afternoon in Barichara, just across the side street from the church on the Plaza Mayor, I walked into an old colonial house that had an open door and seemed to be some sort of restaurant or hotel. A guy came up behind me and said something in Spanish, and I answered in Spanish, but when I turned around he got one look at my face and said, “You speak English!” Since I do, I said yes, and we started chatting.

It turns out he was the owner, and lives in Washington, DC, just about a mile from where I lived for ten years. I had Mark and Jose come inside, and the owner, whose name is Jairo, introduced us to this wife, Vivian, and Vivian’s sister, Janet, who runs the place. Jairo is an architect and designer, and Vivian works for an engineering firm in DC–they’re both Colombian but have lived in the States for many years.

So, Jairo and Vivian had converted this colonial house into a 7-room inn and restaurant, and it’s amazing. Like most colonial houses, the rooms are all built around an open courtyard, and in part of the courtyard they had built a small tower with a crow’s nest type space at the top for a couple tables, where your view is of the belltower of the church. Beautiful.

Even if you’er not staying there, you should drop in for dinner and drinks. They also play American music from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s.

They fed us dessert and Bailey’s, and told us about a park for the arts that Jairo designed and built up near the church on the top of the large hill overlooking town. So, we went the next day. (Phtos coming soon)…some very amazing sculpture from a competition that was held about 8 or 9 years ago. Lots of landscaping and just peaceful places to sit and contemplate. Check them out.