My Favorite Place on Earth

I might have talked about San Andres Island before, but lately it has been in my mind a lot. Probably because I have been at home for so long. I was obsessed with this island growing up. We used to go on our family vacations once or twice a year. It was my favorite place on earth. I haven't been there in 12 years but I have hundreds of pictures that I scanned from our trips in the 1980's and 1990's. 

San Andres island belongs to Colombia, but is located in the Caribbean close to Nicaragua. There have been endless arguments with Nicaragua about who should have the island. Nicaragua recently "won" some marine space and all Colombians were really upset. The island is also close to Jamaica and that is probably why you will mostly hear reggae music and listen to islanders speak creole instead of Spanish.

I remember seeing many European tourists in San Andres. Not many from the rest of the world. There are direct flights from Panama City or Bogota. The hotels are not really 5 star resorts. The true magic of this place is the ocean which is called the sea of 7 colors. This island is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. Many people travel to San Andres and the nearby islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina to go scuba diving.

Providencia and Santa Catalina are 2 islands close to San Andres that are more rural and absolutely beautiful. You must take a short flight from San Andres to Providencia. Once there you could take a boat tour to see these islands. There is a legend that pirate Henry Morgan hid his treasures in San Andres. There is a rock in Providencia that is said to be Morgan's head. In San Andres you can visit Morgan's cave where his treasure is supposed to be hidden. My favorite stop was always Cayo Cangrejo (Crab Cay). This tiny cay was full of black crabs that you could barely see because of the rocks. You can hike a small hill to see the endless ocean from there.

View from Cayo Cangrejo

The best memories of my childhood are in this island. Someday I will take my daughter to show her my favorite place and to continue to create great memories along with my family.

If you want to see more of San Andres, I found this video that was created as part of a National tourism campaign. 

ABCs of Travel

Some of my favorite travel bloggers did this post last year. I loved learning more about them and reading some old posts. I kept thinking what my answers would be for these questions. Here they are but I will never top Andi or Oneika's list. My travel bug didn't start until after college. I really regret not doing a study abroad year or even just a summer. During my undergrad I was too worried trying to graduate fast and with honors. I wish I had known that "grown ups" only get 2 weeks of vacation a year!!!!!!

Age you went on your first international trip: 18!!! Blame my parents for not taking me out of the Country. Just kidding. I was happy going to San Andres Island since I was 3 years old once or twice a year. When I was growing up I always wanted to travel to Orlando and visit Mickey Mouse. Our US visa was in process for 13 years, so my first trip to this Country was when I moved here. My travel obsession began only a few years ago because I didn't want to be around certain people. I traveled alone during weekends and stayed at my friend's house. I loved not having to depend on someone else to travel because I couldn't afford hotels by myself. That is probably why I went to the same places over and over. Traveling helped me to open my mind to many things. 

San Andres Island

Best foreign beer you’ve had and where: I don't drink beer but I love Aguila light Micheladas (served in a glass with lime juice and salt)

Cuisine (favorite): Italian

Destinations – favorite, least favorite and why: Most of my life my favorite place was San Andres Island. I don't think I can pick only one favorite place. Some of the Cities that I love are Venice, NYC, DC, Cartagena, and San Francisco. I like them for many reasons but mostly for the architecture. My least favorite is San Juan, Puerto Rico. I expected a lot from this trip and was disappointed plus it is expensive it rained the whole week.

The Painted Ladies

Event you experienced abroad that made you say wow: Seeing New York City's skyline as I landed in the big apple for the first time. I was there for 3 days and I loved every single minute. I have been to New York several times and I still find it fascinating.

Favorite mode of transportation: I love flying. It is fast and someone else does the driving. Did I mention that I hate driving?

Greatest feeling while traveling: Probably when the pilot says "Welcome to..."

Hottest place you’ve traveled to: When you go into the hiding tunnel of the San Felipe Fort in Cartagena, Colombia is the hottest and most confined place that I've ever been. It is worth seeing so please do not be stopped by the heat. However, I live in Florida and all the summers are hot and humid.

Incredible service you’ve experienced and where: Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Everyone was nice in Mexico!!

Journey that took the longest: After our wedding in Colombia going to our honeymoon in Hawaii. We started flying from Cali, Colombia to Miami. Then we drove home to Tampa (4 hours) to catch 2 flights the next morning to Hawaii. We missed our connection in LAX and spent the night in LA. It was more than 48 hours in transit. Hawaii is so beautiful that it was all worth it.

Keepsake from your travels: I started my souvenir collection buying souvenirs for others. One coworker collected Hard Rock Cafe pins and I stated buying one for her. After a few trips I started buying one for me as well. Now all my friends buy me pins if they travel. I also liked to get magnets for my mom's collection and suddenly I started collecting them to. I used to get just one per site but I got 10 from our last trip to Quito. I also like to buy things typical of the place visited like a mask, a ceramic, or a picture frame. All I can say is that I'm a big souvenir person.

Hawaiian Tiki

Ecuadorian Mask 

Our Fridge

Colombian Chivas

Ecuadorian Magnets

Let-down site – why and where: El Yunque, Puerto Rico. We paid around $70 to visit the rain forest. I grew up in a tropical Country, so the vegetation was the same!!! I was in the same tour with other Hispanics and we were all bored. All of the Europeans and Americans LOVED it. I can't say that it isn't worth visiting, it just depends on what you have seen before. For me it was just another mountain.

Moment when you fell in love with travel: The exact moment was when I went back to Colombia after 4 years of not going home. I went back 4 times in the following 6 months. I was in Grad school, with a flexible schedule, and a broken heart. Then I decided to start get a real job :(

Flying over Colombia

Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in: The Waldorf Astoria, NYC was probably the most elegant. I recently stayed at Viceroy Hotel in Miami and I am in love with the pool and the spa. I also loved the Ganseenvort South Beach and the ShoreClub South Beach. Miami has very chic hotels where I would love to stay for a weekend. 

Obsession – what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling: Everything!!! I can't stop taking pictures while traveling. Sometimes I feel that I am missing out because I am too busy taking pictures. I just got a new camera and this is probably about to get worse.

Passport stamps, how many and from where: I don't know... I have 2 passports and I get a stamp every time I go into and out of Colombia. I haven't been to a lot of Countries because I always get home sick. Im working on that.  

Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where: New Orleans. I was 18 and the nice places were 21 and up. I was with 2 (old) aunts trying to go into a live jazz bar. We ended up in the weirdest place on Bourbon Street. 

Recommended site, event or experience: I really liked the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. I've always been intrigued by World War II probably because of my dad who has read many books about it. I spent almost all day inside looking at the many objects from the Holocaust, watching stories of survivors, historic 1940s films, and reading about the horrors of it. There was also a moving exhibition about the genocides in Darfur. I left the museum crying. During this trip, I traveled alone to D.C. and stayed with my best friend. She was at work while I walked around the City. This was my first of many trips to D.C. I loved doing the tourist sites alone without pressure and meeting my friend at night to share the pictures. Years later, I took my parents to this museum and again spent many hours inside.

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Splurge, something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling: Nice hotels!

Touristy thing you’ve done: I love all touristy sites. They are famous for a reason. The key is to travel in low season to avoid the crowds. How can you miss out on Times Square or the Golden Bridge Gate just because they are full of tourists?

Unforgettable travel memory: Traveling with my parents to D.C. and this time I was the their guide. That same summer we traveled to Hawaii along with one of my sisters. After many years of not taking vacations with my parents I really enjoyed it. I would love to travel with them again. They are going to Germany in May for my dad's 70th birthday. I am trying to see if Andre and I can go with them.

Visas: I don't have one, never had one. I moved to the US as a permanent resident. I will need one for China and I don't know where else... I don’t need a visa to go to Brazil because of my Colombian passport. Where do I need a visa to go to?

Wine, best glass while traveling and where: The home made wine that we got in Venice for just 3 Euros. We had a second bottle of another wine with lunch and I got a little drunk. I never drink during the day and during the whole trip back to Rome I had a terrible hang over.

Italian Home Made Wine

eXcellent view and from where: 230 5th Avenue, New York City. This bar is located in a rooftop and it has the most amazing view of the Empire State Building.

Years spent traveling: 27

Zealous sports fans and where: I'm not into sports and I tend to stay away from the stadium if there is a game. I almost stayed in Madrid for a Real Madrid game. Our flight was canceled and later it was just delayed. I would like to go to La Bombonera in Buenos Aires for a River vs Boca Juniors game just to have the experience. I don't really care about any team.