island girl has left 267 comments

island girl comments on whats your favorite colombian food

Eeeeek. That sounds frightening. I will take the empanadas de pipian, thanks.

island girl comments on Can I still get my Colombianita Novia intoT&T (Trinidad and Tobago) easy?

I nearly dead when I see you type "arwe". LOL! Thanks man for dat - and yes I home Christmas time so keep in touch and we gonna tek u and the missus on tour. When you going back Colombia? I have a hnakering for a trip and have some free time this Summer ...

island girl comments on Facebook Virus

Thanks for the heads up sloop!

island girl comments on whats your favorite colombian food

Empanadas de Pipian with Salsa de Mani from the little resto "Fresa" in Popayan. Or the same Empanaditas, with a different salsa (more like Pico de Gallo) from the vendors in Sylvia on a market day there. Fish Rondon, Albondigas de Pescado, King Fish and Breadfruit and Coconut Rice from San Andres. Fresh fried Trucha on a giant Patacon, with mushroom sauce and cheese ... from little restaurant place right down in the Valle de Cocora. Arepa con Queso from Santa Marta, grilled on those peices of leaf - you know the ones? That's all for now. :)

island girl comments on Where to find a good and Economical Lunch in Candelaria or in Downtown Area?

In Bogota, I would eat at this great little vegetarian/healthfood place, that had great corrientes that were reasonable and healthy - a fresh fruit, a fresh juice, a plate with rice, tofu, veggies etc, and a small dessert for like 5000 - 7 000. Falafel burgers too, cheap and good. Now the fun part - I am shit with directions and found it on a whim - so as you walk toward Candelaria on the Septima, you hang a left on the street that the Transmilenio comes down (near the Gold Museum) - this street that has a water feature/fountain thing-y running alongside of it for some time. As you walk north, Quite close to where the Transmilenio line starts/ends, you will find it. It is on the east side of the street, clearly says something about healthy veggie food. Johnny do you know this area? I know not everyone eats vegetarian but it really is good, and healthy. So if you fancy trying to find it, I recommend it! K

island girl comments on Can I still get my Colombianita Novia intoT&T (Trinidad and Tobago) easy?

MMMM DOUBLES!! God Trini food is the BEST. I am trying to get down there for carnival next year - let's get a group from PBH, we can all play with Tribe and go to Maracas for Shark and Bake later down ... Papi see you there and I will order you a BONELESS roti ... ;)

island girl comments on Pimpinero

Hi! You always seem to be embarking on some fantastic journeys - hope one day I can make it on one of your cool trips :) Keep us updated on your progress, would love to see photos!! I added you as a PBH friend if you approve. Chao pescao!

island girl comments on Rio Inirida Trip

Yeah I can't make it down from Canada for this one but I would love t do somehting like this in the future - if you can give me earlier warning and something is planned for June onwards I would be so down... Have a great time and do a trip report after pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee !!

island girl comments on Is Oaxaca Safe?

GS - yes I was there three years ago exploring some of the samller town around Oxaca City - let me tell you the ANSWER is a RESOUNDING YES! And I live in Canada! Oaxaca is GREAT.

island girl comments on Dengue Cases in Pereira (Do I have the Symptoms?)

Sorry you don't feel well and hope you recover soon - but thankfully this does not sound like Dengue ... I have seen several family members suffer from it (I have never had it thank God) and it looks awful - nick named "break bone fever" it does make everything hurt as one poster commented above ... rashes, fever, pain, weakness ... be glad you don't have it.

island girl comments on Bio-Coca Tea

I brought it from Colombia through the states and into Canada without problem - I thought I had looked it up online and found some info saying that it was quite alright to travel with - then again customs never checked me so I had no direct run-in with a customs agent. I think I will go drink a cup right now, I love it!

island girl comments on The land of the Impossible: Why can’t Colombia get things done?

I recently visited Bogota (my second time to Colombia) and was part of an event at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. I got to see alot of the city and was impressed - it is beautiful, there are good restaurants, a great arts and theatre culture, etc etc - I REALLY like Bogota. In fact before I even got there I had done a fair amount of research and EXPECTED this amazing and vibrant city. However, arriving at the airport was shocking - you HAVE to admit that Bogota needs to COMPLETELY redo El Dorado - it is not a fair representation of the city, in terms of being your first impression when you arrive. It is small, cramped, chaotic and not pleasing to the eyes. The nicest airport I have ever seen was in Singapore - and you know what? I feel Bogota also has the potential to be regarded as one of those "world cities" and deserves the best it can have. I stayed at Hotel Bacata when I was there and I see that this is going down in favour of something more modern and really tall :)

island girl comments on Cocos in Colombia

I drink coocnut water like its goin outta style and I NEVER had problems ... I have had doctors recommend it for the runs actually, as it contains potassium elctrolytes etc. (ie. prevents dehydration.) In fact, it is often thought of as a health tonic in the Caribbean. Well, maybe colombian tummies are patently different than mine cuz I eat pittaya (sp? referring to dragon fruit) wid no problem either.

island girl comments on Photos That I Took in Colombia

wow these photos make me want to head back to Colombia - back to the places that I recognized in the photos (Bogota, Cartagena, Rodadero etc) and also to explore all the places I do not recognize but which look beautiful also. any chance for some captions or some stories to go along with the images? thanks so much for posting!

island girl comments on mi medellin

that's awesome. thanks for posting it :)

island girl comments on NEW HOSTEL SANTA MARTA - THE DREAMER

Good Luck to you it looks like a great chill place - will have to check it out once I get to the coast again (one day I will make it back!!) Santa Marta seems to be getting in line as a traveller's hotspot - I did prefer staying in SM to staying in Taganga when I went, so thanks for giving like minded folks some more options in terms of SM lodging :)

island girl comments on babygirl

Hey Babygirl - How exciting you are going to the warmth :) For sure check out Miami Beach, basically in Oistins (the town where they also have the Friday night Fish Fry - a bit touristy now but great food, try the Marlin). Accra beach is on the South Coast as well, I love the swimming there too. The Crane in St. Phillip is great too, the main beach by the hotel of the same name as well as the surrounding beaches that radiate from there. I just got back from that side and have family in Bim too, so if you have any questions or want suggestions for something let me know ... be glad to help in any way I can :)

island girl comments on babygirl

Hey Babygirl - I gave you an add after seeing your Miami Beach Barbados pic on a post - I bigged you up in the thread seeing as that is a fave spot of mine too :) And I see you live in TO, where I have been based for a moment as well. AND you are a Colombia fan like me, so I figure we have a few things in common :) Happy New Year and I hope all is good with you.

island girl comments on Papi de Alejo

Papi - I always make it a point to be home around the Christmas season - you and the lady are more than welcome :) There is a great little spot at Indian Bay that is close to my house, on the beach and has a wonderful owner, the prices are decent too - and I will be more than happy to drag you guys touring to all the spots, some waterfalls, Grenadines etc etc. Let us keep in touch and keep me posted on dates, solid plans, etc. Happy New Year and all the best to you and yours.

island girl comments on Trip Report: Puerto Velero (a beach near Barranquilla)

Babygirl I just love miami beach in Bim - I was just there a couple weeks ago playing in the waves and eating fish cakes on the beach :) a wikid beach indeed ... so you come down my side from time to time! have fun :)

island girl comments on island girl

Nah Papi the pic looking better because ah he :)

island girl comments on The new Taganga

Thank you so much for the trip report - it brought back memories of my couple of days in Taganga :)

island girl comments on Getting to and from Mompox

Viajero123 - I came from Cartagena on the direct bus that waits for the ferry at Manangue, it leaves Cartagena early in the morning, I can't remember the time exactly but I think it was at around 7AM or so. You can really catch any bus from the coast to Manangue and then take a chalupa over the river and catch a collectivo to Mompos. Have a great time - and Happy New Year!

island girl comments on Getting to and from Mompox

I went the opposite way - from Mompos to Sincelejo. It's an easy trip. Reversing the order of my journey, you would: - Catch a buseta (frequent all-day service) from Sincelejo to Manague to catch the chalupas (motorized canoes) over to the Mompos area - a taxi or collectivo once you make the river crossing takes you right into the town itself. It will take 3 or so hours, not bad at all. - Ring up Richard at Casa Amarilla - I stayed there as well, it was fantastic and he was very helpful, and up-to-date with his Colombia info and trip hints and suggestions. Hope you have a great time. I did!!

island girl comments on Places to visit on the coast?

Hey ... the coast is beautiful, I spent some time in Tayrona, Santa Marta and surrounds, and Cartagena. Around Santa Marta there is Minca (up in the Sierra Nevada) and of course Parque Tayrona (Eastern part Arrecifes, Cabo San Juan ... as well as the Western part with beaches like Cinto etc etc.) Cartagena ... Islan Baru and Playa Blanca? Rosario islands? These should be in guide books, osrry I can't offer any secret gems :( I also went to Mompox (there was a recent thread referring to travelling up the Magdalena to Mompox, it does not seem possible anymore, catch a bus from Cartagena ...) In Mompox check the Casa Amarilla hostel, it is on the water front and is reasonably priced and the owner is a nice guy. I have also heard goood things about the coast further east from Parque Tayrona, Mendihuaca, Palomino and so forth - do a search here for related threads to get people's first hand experiences/opinions. In terms of the Guajira I always remember this great thread : http://poorbuthappy.com/colombia/post/road-trip-report-guajira/ Have fun :)

island girl comments on ibemeubeu9001

Season's Greetings! Thanks for the add, blessings to you and your family - walk good me sehhhhhhh! IG

island girl comments on Crystal Beach, Santa Marta

Papi I think that beach around the bend btwn SM and Rodadero is Playa Blanca, I went there on a boat too it was alright but nothing stupendously gorgeous like in Parque Tayrona ... but good enough for a change of scenery that is very close ... or perhaps I am mistaken ... anyhoo hope u good :) Disfruta la costa y feliz naviadad y un prospero nuevo ano ...

island girl comments on Crystal Beach, Santa Marta

Larry I think you are referring to the beach that is in Western Parque Tayrona? I am no expert but beleive you have to take a lancha from Neguanje, you can drive to Neguanje on a dirt road that veers of the Troncal Caribe, and there are lanchas to go to Cristal I believe ... have fun I wanted to go to that part of the park more, only made it to Concha (in terms of the Western portion of the park) much to my chagrin ... Bahia Chengue is also very recommended by a friend of mine, hope to see a trip report!!

island girl comments on larryrn

Hey Larry - I added you as a friend if you approve, you always seem to have great informative posts and have provided me with some great info on the coast, love the meal and trip reports, all the best to you and yours, IG

island girl comments on Santa Marta winds

Papi I see you dey in Colombia! Enjoy it for me I here in Vincy - come visit sometime! Season's Greetings I am drinking a sorrel for you (I think they call it "Jamaica" in Latin America in general, not sure if they have it in colombia ...) :)

island girl comments on Santa Marta winds

Tis the season for TRADE WINDS! I am home in the Caribbean and the wind is blowing steady! Blows the damn mosquitos away at least ...

island girl comments on Addendum to third Chocó trip

Thank you for all of your interesting and very well written posts about travelling around Choco. It looks to be a fascinating region and I hope to see it one day as well. Keep us updated on any new adventures ... :)

island girl comments on Taganga - update

I didn't make it to that beach when I was in Taganga, it sounds nice - glad you had a good time and glad things are cleaning up around town, it was a bit rag tag when I was there. Is Taganga still absoulutely packed with backpackers? Thanks for the updates from the coast!

island girl comments on

Yes Robert Jorge those bright green pit vipers are very very poisonous - I ran into one myself (I emerged unscathed and unbitten) while hiking in Borneo - I nearly knocked one off a tree branch with my head!! The stories of what the venom would do to you if bitten (even a so called "dry bite" / even if there was no lethal amount of venom injected) were absolutely gross and fear-inducing so I won't elaborate :) Cuidate!!!

island girl comments on Trip Report - Thanksgiving 2009 in Cali & A Little Trip To Buenaventura

Hey lefty, thanks so much for this detailed and unbiased trip report - lots of posters on this site have recommended that folks stay far away from Buenaventura (well I think they are upset by the poverty and living conditions, although I am always told the people there are wonderful despite their hardships), so it was nice to see someone report on Buenaventura without a negative precis. So you made the trip and made the best of it, and had a great Thanksgiving with your Colombian fam, good on you. Keep up the trip reports, I like good detail from travellers (although my own trip reports are a bit abstract lol). Suerte!!

island girl comments on

That is sad, RIP bro. The jungle is no joke, LOTS of poisonous critters.

island girl comments on Crabs in Santa Marta

yes those are land crabs. ours aren't so blue but i suppose there are several sub species or variations. yes, after being purged, they can be eaten (as per my upbringing, note a poster above had another method from Lousiana). try and get some biggish ones.

island girl comments on Crabs in Santa Marta

watch for morays when you stick your hands and hook in those crevices for a lobster - nahhhhh not me so much, i like to dive to see things alive but hey, i'm a minority in svg lol

island girl comments on Crabs in Santa Marta

and as i mentioned above, they (land crabs) must get fresh water when this purging process is going on - doused in fresh water daily

island girl comments on Crabs in Santa Marta

Yes Darloup, these are for the land crabs only. The land crabs tend to live in swampy areas or in the grounds around beaches - near the beaches, they may eat Manchineel apples/berries (poisonous), and in general, they eat alot of waste/crap/etc. So we store them alive and feed them lettuce (I guess you could use another veg with high water content) for a week or two to "purge" them - not sure about the science but I just see it done that way at home, since I was a child. Funny thing, I dive too, and we see Caribbean King crabs all the time and no one wants to have anything to do with them - but watch a spiny lobster dare to stick its head out of its hole in lobster season lol DINNER

island girl comments on Darloup

Hey thanks for the add, man, hope all is well :)

island girl comments on Question about bag check in at el Dorado Airport when arrive from Outside

Darloup lol why the winky wink - its true!!! broke ass forever-students lemme hear ya!! ringing up credit card debt like a mofo and applying for funding to go to Colombia - oh yeahhhhhhhhhh :)

island girl comments on Question about bag check in at el Dorado Airport when arrive from Outside

Yes its not for weapons its for USD - they frisked me very very well indeed when I went in to Bogota from the Caribbean and Panama (Trinidad - Panama -Bogota) this past August. AND they kept asking me, really rather aggressively, where all the cash was at. Hey I'm just a broke grad student!

island girl comments on Crabs in Santa Marta

oh yes, sorry man :) cheers

island girl comments on Crabs in Santa Marta

MC - obviously the oil drum is old (ie has not been used for holding oil for a long time) and clean, no residue - we use these old drums for everything, including making barbecues etc, so the point is that what I know is an old drum but any makeshift holding tank will do. I just spoke to what we do in the southern caribbean.

island girl comments on Crabs in Santa Marta

flatline - thanks for the info, this is very different than what we do in the caribbean but i guess whatever works :) how long do you cover the crabs in salt for?

island girl comments on Crabs in Santa Marta

In SVG we catch the "land crabs" (smallish ones that live on beaches and around). We catch them on full moon using a light to stun them and then you grab their back and collect them (they can't reach their pincers back there). THEN: You have to PURGE the crabs. You put them in an old, empty oil drum, all like 20 crabs or whatever, and for a week or two you feed them lettuce and make sure they get wet everyday with fresh water. This means that they shit out all the shit they have been eating in the wild, and clean out their system with the lettuce diet - you are what you eat etc etc. Then you can make crabbacks, yum!! And you can make it (take out crabmeat, cook it mix it with breadcrumbs and spices, put it back in the crabshell) and sell it so others in SM can enjoy it too. You can freeze them and then you put it under the grill au gratin crabback. YUM.

island girl comments on Anyone have advice on what to do in Panama City from 11pm to about 8am on a monday into a tuesday?

yeah i was just in Panama and alot of the places seemed to be over by the causeway now. you are a bit late for dinner (a couple seafood joints out on the causeway had some fine eats.) so i guess a club is your only option, or sleep. i like casa del carmen, its a hostel but has private rooms. you need to book in advance. share a cab from the airport for reduced rates, colectivo it lol, it might take a while of waiting to fill the cab so start to solicit other passengers in arrivals hall if they want to share a cab with you etc so you can get out of the airport in a shorter time. hmmm if you do not want to club it then i guess you should weigh the costs of RT cab fare and a hostel / cheap in town hotel VS. a hotel right by the airport.

island girl comments on Colombia Blog

Yes I have to agree, great presentation on the blog, interesting, informative, fun to read, and many things resonated with me, having just been in Bogota this past summer. Good work and good luck to you in the future !

island girl comments on Bored of Santa Marta and Cartegena - any suggestions on somewhere different

Buongone: I would say around 300 000 COP (but that was from Concha, which is further away from Cinto than Neguanje). Yeah that's f'in crazy, but peeps gotta make their money and fuel is pricey. I suppose you could talk the ride down some, and as long as there are a few people the price-per-person is not bad anyhow. I checked around and I really do think that is a starting price for the lancha for the day. Let me know how it goes and if there are better deals to be had. Also, If you go to Chengue let me know how it compares to Cinto or to other beaches, my friend raves about Chengue. Thanks and good luck!