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2 months in Quebec (Canada) as a Digital Nomad
We arrived in Canada in May hoping to have a little better weather. But the winter lasted longer than expected and it was very cold when we arrived, the nice weather did not come back until mid-June. So we enjoyed Canada as locals, not as tourists. Here is a non-exhaustive list of what we have found, or things we have been told by French expatriates in Montreal. We went there to test the ground and see if we really want to settle there one day. The answer is nođ Apartments that aren’t too expensive but difficult to rent by the month like a normal Canadian We rented 1 Airbnb in…
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Comparing Icebreaker’s Merinos Wool T-shirts to Decathlon’s
One advice that a friend who traveled around the world gave me was to buy little (to wear little) but of quality. Comfort during the round-the-world trip is essential, and you shouldn’t save money on this point, especially since good gear isn’t to be found everywhere in the world. Even if JB already has a Decathlon backpack, he bought a real Gregory Baltoro 65 pro bag, which changes everything! Apart from the backpack, there are other items on which one should not be thrifty: the shoes merino wool t-shirts winter clothes: the lighter, the better, the more expensive it is Today, I will compare several merino wool T-shirts/tops I bought…
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IguazĂș Falls (Brazil & Argentina): Practical Travel Guide (Rates 2020)
Note October 2019: thanks to the internet users who just visited the falls (thanks Anne-Laure and Alexandra), I was able to update most of the prices. Please note that the high inflation in Argentina makes the exercise difficult. When I wrote the article for the first time, the rate was 1⏠= 16.38$AR. Now, the rate has increased to 1⏠= 64$AR (October 2019). Remember to take a lot of dollars or euros to exchange on the spot because the distributors are often empty and take a lot of money or go through Azimo when you are in La Plata (near Buenos Aires). A. Which side to visit? The French…
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La Comuna 13: a ghetto transformed thanks to graffiti – What to do in Medellin #3 (Colombia)
It is the last day of Philippe (JB’s father) in Colombia and we chose to bring him to see the best of the best of Medellin: the Comuna 13, formerly the most dangerous district of the most dangerous city in the world, because directly associated with Pablo Escobar in the 80-90s. Part 1: Travel Diary Part2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary The history of Comuna 13 There are 16 comunas (boroughs) in MedellĂn and Comuna 13 is the best known for the wrong reasons. After Escobar’s death, the municipality passed into the hands of organized gangs. Only the inhabitants could enter, the others were mercilessly killed. The metamorphosis began…
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Escobar Tour, Plaza Botero, Parque Bolivar, Cultural Center – What to do in Medellin #2 (Colombia)
At 2am, we are woken up by muffled noises, which come back every 5 to 10 minutes. For an hour. Even if a careful analysis of the noise makes us conclude that it isn’t shooting but rather a firecracker or fireworks… it makes us startle every time. Confirmed by locals during the day who tell us that birthday parties are often accompanied by fireworks or firecrackers… especially at 2am. Unfortunately, this is only the beginning of a day that will end badly. Part 1: Travel Diary Part2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Escobar Tour We start the day with the Escobar Tour. Meeting at 9am in front of one…
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Local market Plaza Minorista, Parque Arvi, the Metrocable – What to do in Medellin #1 (Colombia)
Today we go (by metro + bus) to the local market Plaza Minorista. It is a huge market, where you can find everything. But we go there especially for its fruits and vegetables section Part 1: Travel Diary Part2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Local market Plaza Minorista How to get there: We recommend that you take the metro to Hospital (line A) and then take bus 1 to the foot of the market at Minorista station (so pay twice as much because the connections aren’t included in the ticket). Google Maps will recommend walking 10 minutes from the metro – but we don’t recommend it because the neighborhood…
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La Piedra Del Peñol and Guatapé (Colombia): Essential visit at 1h30 from Medellin
If the pollution in MedellĂn is suffocating you, get on the first bus to GuatapĂ©, a very colorful and charming village, only 1h30 away from MedellĂn. The weather forecast tells us that it is better to go to GuatapĂ© today (it rains the other days). We are always accompanied by Philippe, the father of JB, for this mini road trip in Colombia. Part 1: Travel Diary Part2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Medellin Route => La Piedra Today, we take the bus from the Terminal del Norte in MedellĂn to GuatapĂ© (practical info at the bottom of the article). After taking the 8h “luxury” bus between Salento and Medellin,…
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Cocora Valley in Colombia: Transportation, Trekking Itinerary
We just spent 3 wonderful days in Salento (including 1 day in the Cocora Valley). You will find on our blog the practical information for a successful trek in the Cocora Valley from Salento. Transport Salento => Cocora Valley Jeeps regularly leave from the main square of Salento. The best seats are next to the driver, so get in the jeep right away, instead of waiting for the other tourists to come and you end up standing in the back for 30 minutes. Right click on the image below to save the image and zoom in. The first table contains the departure times of the Jeeps. If there are too…
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Cocora Valley (Colombia): 5h30 walk in the middle of the Wax Palms
After visiting a coffee farm the day before, we leave today for the Cocora Valley, 30 minutes by Jeep from Salento. Always in company of Philippe, the father of JB. Part 1: Travel Diary Part2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary We take a Jeep from the main square of the village. 8000COP/person round trip. We plan to take the one at 8:30 am but as it is already full at 8:15 am, the car leaves right away. Philippe and I are sitting next to the driver so we have a little more room than those sitting in the back (or JB who has to be standing during the whole…
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Timetables & Bus Fares (2020) Airport Pereira – Salento. Transport Salento – Cocora Valley / Boquia / Armenia
Pereira and Armenia have the two closest airports to Salento. We decided to land in Pereira because the flights Bogota – Pereira are cheaper than Bogota – Armenia. Fares and schedules are as of September 2019. In this article, I will show you how to go, very easily, from Pereira airport to Salento. To do so, you need : Step 1: go from Pereira airport to the bus terminal (Pereira transport terminal) Step 2: From the bus terminal, take the bus of the company Expreso AlcalĂĄ to Salento Step 1: Pereira Airport => Pereira Transport Terminal Schedules: Monday to Friday: from 4:30 am to 10:45 pmSaturday: from 6:00 am to…
