Jaunted - co

All Sorts of South America Travel News from LAN Airlines

JetSetCD — 2012-02-01T16:53:12-05:00

Okay everyone, ready for some serious South America travel news? So LAN—which is really a group of airlines including LAN Chile, LAN Ecuador, LAN Argentina, LAN Express and LAN Colombia—made all kinds of changes, for the better, to their routes and in-flight service today, February 1.

· First off, LAN Colombia (which only really started as an airline in December 2012 after LAN took over Colombian airline AIRES) is now flying direct from Miami to Bogota. The inaugural hit the skies earlier today, complete with a visit from Juan Valdez, who served the passengers their in-flight coffees. Fares for this new route, which runs four times weekly on Airbus A320s, are $400 roundtrip, including taxes & fees, if booked by February 6. Of course, you can go straight through to booking via their Facebook page.

Foreign Grocery Friday: Colombia's 'Condelac' Sweet Tube

JetSetCD — 2011-03-04T15:26:35-05:00

When we travel, one of our favorite things to do is to pop into a local grocery store and check out the food products and candies we'd never find anywhere else. So we're trying out this new feature, Foreign Grocery Friday, where each week we'll feature some of our (and your) favorite overseas treats. Got a recommendation? Let us know!

What's that tube of stuff with the happy-face balloons on it? Um, it looks suspicious, but it's just another way of getting your daily dose of Leche Condensada, or condensed milk, if you happen to be enjoying the local specialties in Bogota, Colombia. Instead of in a can, this condensed milk dispenses from a handy tube, meaning you're free to sweeten up your coffee, tea or rich desserts at will.

The taste: Sugary, syrupy milk is the easiest way to describe it. We tried it squeezed into our morning coffee for a week, in place of sugar and creamer, and it does the trick very nicely. We suppose you could suck it right out of the tube, but the thought just seems gross. Why not try spreading it some toast?

Tweet of the Week: An Expat's Life for Me

JetSetCD — 2010-08-31T18:16:54-05:00

We love Tuesdays. Why, you ask? Because the day brings many travel tips and quips as "Travel Tuesday" on Twitter, and we're going to share our favorite with you. Got an avid travel twitterer we should follow? Let us know.

Ah, the expat life. It's what travel blogger David Lee of GoBackpacking.com is up to these days, ever since recently moving back to a town he obviously loves dearly: Medellin, Colombia. We've been following his tweets for quite some time, and and we're very much enjoying the observations he makes, such as this little bit he shared today:

Brewing my first cup of Juan Valdez organic coffee in new apartment. Planning to visit CO coffee region in early October!

We wonder—how much is Juan Valdez organic coffee when you practically live next door to the production area? David talks of visiting the Colombian coffee region soon, and already we're champing at the bit to read how that goes down. By the way, the "rtw" in his twitter name stands for "round the world," and rest assured that he's got the passport stamps to prove it...before settling in Colombia, that is.

Related Stories:
· @rtwdave [Twitter]
· Twitter Travel [Jaunted]

A Side Trip to Santa Marta

The Lost Girl — 2009-02-27T15:26:12-05:00

All this week, Amanda Pressner will be bringing us reports from her recent trip to Colombia. Was her adventure more "Romancing the Stone" or more "Medellin"? Stick with us this week to find out. Any questions about traveling to Colombia? Let us know.

When deciding where in Colombia to spend our vacation, we were lured to Cartagena partly because of its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and partly because of its location along the southern rim of the Caribbean. Getting the chance to explore centuries old Spanish colonial architecture—after spending the day at the beach—felt like a two-for-one deal.

Shake It All Night Long in Cartagena

The Lost Girl — 2009-02-26T15:26:11-05:00

Unless you’ve downed a few of the super-octane coffee drinks at Milas around 4 or 5 pm, we highly suggest catching a nap before attempting to take on the nightlife in Cartagena: it starts late (most clubs don’t even open until 11:00p or midnight) and ends when you might otherwise be getting up to start your day.

Wanted: An Authentic Taste of Cartagena

The Lost Girl — 2009-02-25T11:56:11-05:00

Ask a local in Cartagena to describe the flavors and dishes that make up his city’s cuisine (or better yet, as a head chef in one of the city’s myriad restaurants) you’ll probably be met with some quizzical looks, or as I did, blank stares. Define the local cuisine? �C�mo?

Some Starbucks Alternatives in Cartagena

The Lost Girl — 2009-02-24T13:36:10-05:00

Pop quiz, caffeine junkies: What’s the only coffeehouse that’s actually headquartered in a coffee producing country? It’s Juan Valdez Caf�, a multinational chain created in 2002 by Colombian National Federation of Coffee Growers. Named after the country’s longtime java icon (you know, that mustachioed guy with the donkey who hand-delivers beans to sleep-deprived Americans in commercials) the company has locations in 25 Colombian cities, nine countries, including the U.S.