Sonia – Page 4 – Journeys with Sonia

Aurora Borealis

On April 8, 2019

February 18-21, 2019

Seeing the Aurora Borealis, also called the Northern Lights, was on my bucket list for a long time. We finally got to plan a trip to Churchill, Canada (please see that post). We traveled with Natural Habitat so they could guide us and teach us and feed us and take care of us.

Why Churchill? Well, so many of our friends had traveled to Norway or Iceland and never got to see the lights. Churchill has one of the highest probabilities of seeing them. Churchill has over 300 nights a year of aurora activity due to its northern latitude and because it sits in the auroral oval (see below to learn what that is). The skies tend to be clear between January and March because moisture is trapped on the frozen Hudson Bay. Less moisture means it is colder and clearer. So Churchill it was.

Colombia Part 6 – Jardin

By Sonia

On March 25, 2019

In Colombia

July 27-29, 2018

From the city to the pueblo

In the middle of our week in Medellin, we took a two-day side trip Jardin, a small pueblo about 4 hours south of Medellin. As part of the Antioquia region, it is famous for its preserved and colonial appearance. The gorgeous mountains surrounding it don’t hurt either.

So Juan Carlos, our guide, and Guillermo our driver, and Andy and I hit the road, driving the narrow roads leading in and out of the mountains.

Colombia Part 8: Coffee and Chivas

By Sonia

On March 25, 2019

In Colombia

Sinning paid off…

Coffee was first introduced to Colombia around the same time Jesuit priests first began arriving from Europe in the mid-16th century. The leaders of Colombia tried to encouraged people to grow coffee, but they met with resistance. Worried that a coffee tree takes five years to provide its first crop, they wondered how they were going to survive during this period?

Colombia Part 7: Gallito de Roca of Jardin

By Sonia

On March 24, 2019

In Colombia

July 28, 2018

Gallito de Roca

We were spending the weekend in Jardin (please see that post). One of the sights not to be missed in Jardin is the Gallito de Roca Preserve. And what is the Gallito de Roca? The Gallito de Roca is a bird, the Andean Cock-of-the-Rock (thus named because they use rocks to make their nests). It is a large bird, and is in the passerine family (meaning that it is distinguished by feet that are adapted for perching). They grow to be about a foot long, weighing almost a pound. It is the national bird of Peru and is almost unique to the Andes, but here we were in Columbia, in Jardin to be exact, and we would get to see them.

Colombia Part 5 – Cartagena: Shopping, Cooking, Eating

By Sonia

On December 29, 2018

In Colombia

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

I’m a Cooker

Today was a cooking day. But in order to cook, you first have to buy your ingredients. That’s how you ensure they are fresh. Vicky met us at the hotel with Jose, our driver, and with Carolina Velez. Carolina is a chef who, with her ex-husband, Gilles Dupart, runs the French restaurant Oh! Là Là. Carolina doesn’t call herself a chef. She said, “I’m a cooker.” But trust me, she is a chef.

Colombia Part 4: The Jews of Cartagena

By Sonia

On December 29, 2018

In Colombia

July 24, 2018

Rabbi Isaac Abravanel Sephardic Israelite Center of Cartagena

As we usually try to do in our travels, we sought out the local synagogue. Cartagena does not have a lot of Jews living here. The estimate is about 50; in fact there are only about 2500 in all of Colombia. There are two synagogues in Cartagena. One is a Chabad, which is a more recent addition to many, many cities in the world. The other is a more local synagogue, Rabbi Isaac Abravanel Sephardic Israelite Center of Cartagena.

Many of the Jews in Cartagena are are descendants of Jews who were forcibly converted to Catholicism during the inquisition (please see my post on Colombia, Part 1, Cartagena for more on the inquisition), called Marranos or Conversos.

Colombia Part 3 – Palenque

By Sonia

On December 29, 2018

In Colombia

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

We had just left the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas and were settled in the car for the 34-mile drive to Palenque. We passed lots of plantain trees, with the fruit covered in blue bags to protect them. The country side was beautiful, tropical and green.

We passed what looked like a school field trip. The kids were all in white and red and waved frantically at us. We of course, waved right back.

We pulled off the road onto a dirt road, the entrance to Palenque.

Colombia Part 2: Cartagena’s Iconic Fortress

By Sonia

On December 29, 2018

In Colombia

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

Castillo San Felipe de Barajas

This morning we got up early to start the day before it got too hot, especially since we were starting at what today is called the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the fortress of Cartagena, on the Hill of San Lazaro. Obviously this was a strategic location as it dominated the approach to the city both by land and by sea. It was called it the Castillo de San Lazaro. This fortress is one of Cartagena’s iconic landmarks. But it is the history, dating back over 480 years, which makes it the tourist attraction that it is. Built by the Spaniards in 1536, with pieces of coral in the wall, this is a castle that has been invaded over the centuries by pirates, admirals and barons all trying to access the wealth of Cartagena which included profits from the shipping industry and the slave trade. And yet the fortress still stands. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Colombia Part 1: Cartagena

By Sonia

On December 29, 2018

In Colombia

July 23, 2018, Monday

Colombia

Unexpectedly, we had to cancel a trip in May and felt robbed. So we decided to plan another trip. June wasn’t a possibility, so that left July. Where to go in July? It’s summer which means most places, like in Europe or Asia, are crowded and hot. Ah, how about South America? How about Colombia? A place we had not yet been to. So, at the last minute, we made our plans and went.