- Let's take a look at the map
- How Colombia celebrates the New Year
- Useful information for travelers
What do we know about Colombia, except that it is overseas and it was named after the famous seafarer who discovered America? Colombia is located close to the equator, which means that it is always warm and sunny there - this time. A Russian traveler does not need a visa to stay there for a period not exceeding 90 days - that's two. The most beautiful emeralds are mined and sold not too expensively in this part of South America - these are three. And, finally, the beaches on the Caribbean coast, according to the absolute majority of travelers, are the most beautiful in the world - these are four. Aren't these arguments enough to go to Colombia to celebrate New Years? If you follow the security measures, nothing threatens you except a good mood and positive emotions.
Let's take a look at the map
The country of Columbia is located in the northwest of South America, and its shores are washed by the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. The geographical latitude and the proximity of the seas significantly affect the local climate, which is attributed to the equatorial and subequatorial types:
- Temperature indicators throughout the year in the country change little, and on average thermometers show in the valleys and on the coast about + 28 ° C both in summer and in winter.
- In the resorts of the Caribbean coast of Colombia, the New Year is hot in the literal and figurative sense. Thermometer columns in Cartagena rarely drop below + 29 ° С even in January, and the water does not cool down either in summer or in winter. You can plunge into the Caribbean Sea on New Year's Eve and fully enjoy a comfortable swim. On the beaches of the Pacific Ocean, it is slightly cooler and the thermometers in the water show no more than + 22 ° С in the middle of January.
- The capital of Colombia is located at an altitude of more than 2.5 km above sea level, and therefore the weather forecast for the New Year holidays, despite the proximity of the equator, here usually suggests + 13 ° С - + 15 ° С during the day and no more than + 10 ° С at night. There is little rainfall in January.
How Colombia celebrates the New Year
Colombians, like all residents of the South American continent, are very fond of holidays. Already in November, the first decorations on houses and temples appear, informing everyone that Christmas is approaching. Religious Colombians honor this holiday especially and Christmas week is one of the most beloved and anticipated by them.
Colombian housewives prepare many delicious dishes for the festive table both on Christmas and New Years. The traditional festive menu certainly includes stewed seafood, sweet arepa pancakes made from maize flour, rice stewed in coconut oil, and a pie in which coins are baked for good luck. The favorite festive drink of Colombian children is hot chocolate, and their parents on New Year's Eve happily raise their glasses with rum, beer or cane vodka.
New Years in Colombia are celebrated noisy and cheerfully. The main characters of all celebrations are the Old Year and Pope Pasquale. The first one acts in the form of a rag doll attached to a long stick and thrown out after the chimes. Often street performers dress up in Old Years costume, towering above the crowd on wooden stilts. After the cherished midnight, they descend from the stilt and begin to celebrate the holiday together with all the participants in the street processions.
Colombians call Santa Claus Pope Pasquale and his role, as elsewhere in the world, is obvious and understandable. Papa Pasquale gives gifts to the young people of the country, who in return tell the old man poems and sing songs.
At exactly 12 o'clock in the morning, the Colombians begin to chew grapes together. The custom of eating a dozen berries and making the same number of wishes while the clock strikes came to South America from the Spanish colonists and took root on a distant continent.
The coming midnight is the signal for the start of the fireworks. In the dolls thrown out at this moment, firecrackers and powder charges are hidden, and therefore the Colombian New Year comes noisy and resembles a small military action. The sky is colored with millions of bright lights, and old dolls explode underfoot.
Useful information for travelers
There are no direct flights from Moscow to Bogota, and connecting flights will be very expensive. This is perhaps the only disadvantage of tours to South America in general, and to Colombia in particular. In order to optimize your transfer costs, it is worth subscribing to the email newsletter on the websites of airlines performing transatlantic flights. You will be the first to know about news and special offers on ticket prices. Another important rule is to book flights well in advance of the travel start date. The optimal time is 5-7 months.
With the connections, you will reach Colombia on the wings of European carriers:
- French airlines often offer the cheapest fares to South America, but even they have New Year's tickets at a premium. For a round trip flight with a stopover in Paris, you will have to pay at least 1,100 euros. It will be 14.5 hours in the sky.
- Flights with Aeroflot to New York and the Delta further to Bogota can be a little cheaper. But in this case, the passenger will need a US visa, since there are no transit zones at the airports of this country. You will have to go through passport control even if you are just making a transfer. This rule applies to all international airports in Canada.
Colombia is known to jewelry lovers as home to some of the world's finest emeralds. The local deposits supply consumers with green stones in large quantities, and it is not surprising that the temptation to buy an emerald in its homeland at a reasonable price often arises in the heads of the beautiful half of the tourist groups:
- Do not buy stones from street vendors and do not accept invitations from dubious individuals to see emeralds at someone's home. Only official stores guarantee the authenticity of the gems and the compliance of their price and characteristics with the declared sellers.
- Emeralds in Colombia are often the subject of illegal and criminal business, and therefore any operation with stones can not only threaten an uninitiated person with the loss of money, but also create serious problems in terms of security.
If you want to see how New Years are celebrated in the provinces, do not miss the opportunity to visit Cali and Pasto. The first city is located in the west of the country and is famous for its Christmas markets. They are accompanied by theatrical performances, musical performances and carnival processions. Pasto also hosts a carnival in January, which is considered one of the most beautiful festivals in Colombia.
