Romeo, Marco and Nicky, the familiar sound of South America

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Their tubes are playing everywhere: in the streets, on the buses, on the radio. In Colombia and Ecuador equally. Romeo, Marco and Nicky are travelling with us. So, put on your headphones and be ready for some sunny tunes.

First, comes Romeo Santos with current success “Propuesta Indecente”.
Listen carefully do you recognize the voice? Romeo Santos was the leading voice of Aventura, the American/Dominican group which topped hits in 2002 with the single Obsession. Single that made lots of us discover the bachata. (Obsession was actually 7 weeks number 1 in France, no surprise the voice sounded really familiar to me!).

 

Then Marco. This one, you know. Marc Anthony is going strong here, with “Vivir mi vida”, played over and over during the World Cup.

 

And finally, my favorite of the 3: Nicky Jam. Deep rap voice, bling bling clip and provocative girl, Nicky is like the Pitbull of South America. And “Travesuras” will be stuck in your mind for a while.

 

Any of these tubes that has made it to Europe yet?

Picture of the day: end of afternoon on Plaza San Francisco, Quito

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Built on ancient inca ruins, the Plaza San Francisco is one of the main public square of the equatorian capital. Sitting on a bench at the end of the afternoon, we watched  the comings and goings of quiteños (inhabitants of Quito). In the background, the statue of the winged Virgin overlooks the city from the hill “El Panecillo”.

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Comings and goings of quiteños at the end of the afternoon, Plaza San Francisco, Quito (Ecuador)

A visit to las señoras del mercado central in Quito

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We have now settled down for a few days in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. We are staying in the old town, the historical part of the city and making a daily visit to the mercado central (central market) for our food shopping.

After the third day in a row of shopping there, we start to have our habits and our favorite stands. This is fun! The colors, the smell are appealing and the products fresh. We are getting familiar with the señoras who now welcome us with big smiles. But señora Fabiola Menez, who sells the vegetables, is definitely my favorite of all!

Zip line above Mindo´s cloud forest

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What is the best way to explore a cloud forest reserve with trees as high as 40m? Zip-lining! Up to 50m above ground, going from one edge of a mountain to the next  along a 100-300m long cable , with the feeling of the wind on your face and the adrenaline pumping in your heart. The closest to feel like flying… or like Tarzan! In Mindo, Ecuador.

 

Guatapé, little gem of Colombia between lakes and zocalos

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A visit to the village of Guatape was not part of our plans. But one recommendation and some googling later and here we were: soaking up the charm of this colorful village nested in a fantastic blue and emerald landscape.

Less than 2 hours away from brustling town Medellin, Guatape is a famous weekend getaway for paisas(locals) looking for some quiet time in the countryside. But for some reason, it still remains off the track of most tourists. 4 years ago, there were still no hostels there.
Trust me, add a stop in Guatape on your Colombian itinerary, you will not regret it!

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A short guide to Taganga, backpacker paradise

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You might come to Taganga for the diving -one of the cheapest place in the world to take your PADI open water certification – but you will stay for the rest. It’s not that the beach is that nice, nor that the city is the biggest party place of Colombia. But Taganga has everything that backpackers like: the proximity of the beach for the lazy feeling, plenty of hostels and restaurants for the service, cheap menu del dia for your budget, happy hours for distraction, and a good base to explore the region and the underwater world.

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