Catching Trade Winds
  • Blog
  • About
  • Search By Location
  • Store
    • Bulk & Wholesale
    • Shipping Rates
  • Contact Us

Explore. Dream. Discover.

Colombia's Caribbean Coast: A Slice Of Paradise or Maybe Not

9/4/2014

2 Comments

 
It has been nearly a year now since Tom and I left our jobs to travel. It has been a whirlwind of an adventure that has included 14 countries, 2 continents, and 3 broken Apple products.

And here I sit on a fairly secluded beach on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. One friend described this spot as a slice of paradise, but I have to disagree.
Picture
I mean, if spending all day laying in a hammock, cooling off in the turquoise-blue ocean, and sipping mojitos is paradise, then yes, this is the place. But if paradise is supposed to be our ideal existence, something we can live out and enjoy eternally, then a place of total rest just won't do.

Now, don't get me wrong. Rest is good. It feels good, but I would venture to say that it is actually impossible to enjoy rest, maybe even impossible to have any rest at all without actually having work.

Read More
2 Comments

Medellín: Your Only Risk Is Wanting To Stay Longer

9/1/2014

1 Comment

 
Medellín was named the most dangerous city in the world (even more so than Beirut) in the 1990's due to the Colombian armed conflict and the rule of the drug lord's. The city maintained its dangerous reputation into the 21st century. But in less than ten years, it has experienced an impressive and radical transformation. In 2013 it was named the world's most innovative city.
Picture
Botero sculpture. One has been bombed and the remnants left behind. It represents Medellín's violent past. The other is new and restored, demonstrating the renewed Medellín of today.
The US still warns US tourists about visiting Colombia, but for us, the country's marketing slogan rings true: "the only risk is wanting to stay."

Read More
1 Comment

Salento: Drinking Coffee & Blowing Stuff Up In Colombia

8/11/2014

1 Comment

 
What do coffee and a game of explosives have in common? A little coffee-growing, Tejo-throwing town called Salento, that’s what.
Picture
Best coffee we found in town was at Cafe Jesus Martin.
After a month-long siesta in Buenos Aires (yup…we loved it so much we went back), we are now on the road again. This time we’re exploring the once off-limits Colombia. After spending our first few days in the country in the capital city of Bogota, we were itching to indulge ourselves in Colombia’s “other drug,” coffee.

To our surprise it’s actually a bit difficult to find a great cup of joe in the big cities of Colombia, a country known worldwide as one of the top coffee-growing nations. Turns out that Colombians export their best beans and keep the second tier crop for themselves.

So to get our fix, we planned a short trip straight to the caffeine source, a coffee growing region in the hills northwest of Bogota, known as the “coffee triangle,” and its little charming town of Salento. 

Read More
1 Comment
    Shop here.

    Author

    I'm Jaime. My husband is Tom. Suburbanites, backpackers, and expats...we've been them all!

    But no matter where we are or what we are doing, we are always looking to travel and see the world, and taste it too. Did I mention we love to eat and drink?


    In 2013, we quit our jobs to travel for over a year, which is how this blog originally began. Currenlty, we live and work in Australia, enjoying the expat life.

    Our latest adventure includes importing and selling fun, quirky souvenirs that will, hopefully, help you remember (or inspire!) a trip of your own!

    Categories

    All
    About
    Argentina
    Australia
    Bolivia
    Budget & Expenses
    Camino De Santiago
    Chile
    Colombia
    Ecuador
    Europe
    Food & Drinks
    France
    Inspiration & Philosophy
    Italy
    Lessons Learned
    New South Wales
    North America
    Peru
    Portugal
    South America
    Spain
    Trip Preparation
    Turkey
    United Kingdom
    Uruguay
    USA
    Victoria

    Archives

    July 2016
    September 2015
    August 2015
    April 2015
    February 2015
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

    RSS Feed

Subscribe today for updates and discount Alerts! 

Photos from mikecogh, Kris Krug, Images_of_Money, Sh4rp_i
  • Blog
  • About
  • Search By Location
  • Store
    • Bulk & Wholesale
    • Shipping Rates
  • Contact Us