The best Restaurant in Colombia: El Maná Restaurante Ejecutivo, San Gil

I’m sure there are a lot of culinary delights in Colombia that span across the different regions I guess I should say the best restaurant I have experienced so far or the best deal around. After Adventure girl got back from her expedition she was starving. All that activity made me insanely hungry. The night before I had ran out of a Gringo sandwich shop that everyone raved about because I couldn’t fathom paying some gringo 10 000pesos for a sandwich no matter how good it was or how nice the guy is that owns it. I ended up eating meat on a stick in the park with a can of beer. Street meat was not going to suffice this time around. My insides were literally starting to eat themselves. The group I went on my tour with had recommended a restaurant and we all decided to meet and go together. I was a bit apprehensive but the tattooed American hadn’t steered me wrong yet. It was a local restaurant that seems a bit too fancy. It had green table clothes and waitresses with green vests and black ties. We all ordered our mains which was a choice or fish, grilled chicken, chicken stuffed with cheese and ham, pork, steak or pasta. I went with the Chicken stuffed with ham and cheese in a wine sauce. That was just the main though.

First a plate of papaya was placed in front of me. This made me quite happy but my pleasure increased when that plate was taken away and a plate of little garlic bread and salsa was placed in front of me along with water and a glass of lemonade. I seem to be pleased by small things because I was loving this place. The service was quick and every time I finished a plate a new one arrived in front of me. After the bread then came soup with corn bread to dip in and more bits of the tiny garlic bread came back. I’m usually not a huge fan of the soups they serve in Colombian restaurants but this one was actually really good without big chucks of yucca, corn or a big bone floating in it. My stomach was starting to fill at this point but with a little pep talk we were back in the game and ready for the main course which came with more lemonade! Yes they are that good; they know how much juice I drink!

My stuffed chicken breast came with wedge potatoes, rice with long grains and a salad. The creamy wine sauce topped it off. I had to take photos of this meal to remember.

Just when I thought it was over, I had reached the gastronomic climax these goddesses in disguise as waitresses came out with a dessert. Bless them something sweet to top it off. I think if it was chocolate cake I would have actually kissed them. It was still delicious though little bits of flan and caramel cake. I was satisfied beyond belief but the best and most shocking part of this restaurant sent to me from the heavens was the price. All of this food and drinks was 9000pesos that translates to about $4.50usd!!

If you are in San Gil you need to experience El maná Restaurante Ejecutivo but keep in mind it is only open for a few hours in the evening. Trust me your stomach with thank you!

El Dorado International Hostel - San Gil, Colombia

I think what it is to be a backpacker has gotten lost along the way. Travellers have more money and need more amenities. Locations become popular and prices increase. Hostels are now budget resorts for the traveller with restaurants, bars, guest kitchens with granite counter tops, big screen TVs, WIFI, pool tables and poker tables. All these things are fantastic and great for the traveller on limited time. You are able to meet people quickly and have a good party. No matter how much more money I have now than I have had travelling in the past deep down I will always be that budget traveller living on 5euros a day in Egypt or $10 a day in Central America. I have the money but it’s just not backpacking when you are staying in a place that is more sterile than a Hilton. ..Perhaps I am a bit odd but I like non-westernized countries for a reason.

I was recommended the El Dorado hostel in San Gil and it is exactly the place I like to stay in, simple, quiet, run by locals, an excellent price, very chilled out and has a hostel dog. I have decided on my Gringa trail scale of hostels having a dog give you an automatic 10 point bonus especially a boxer puppy like Mikey in El Dorado.

The hostel is quite new, you will not find it in the lonely planet which also helps it charm. I stayed in a 3 bed dorm room for 15 000pesos ($8) and actually had the whole room to myself during my stay. The decor is minimal with murals in the waiting on the walls. The common area has one big hammock with a few cushions, a TV and a laptop with free internet. There is a sunny area in the back to lounge in but it was mostly used to dry wet dirty clothes after an adventurous day. The hostel wasn’t really busy it seemed most people head to the other two hostels in town that are far swankier. I told the Swiss guy that was on my bus I quite preferred my hostel the others were actually too nice and slightly pretentious. I mean hostels should be simple and it’s the owners and the people who work in them that make them what they are.

Two Colombian brothers own El Dorado Miguel and Luis and I was surprised to find out they had spent a lot of time living in the UK. The one brother that took us on our tour told us he taught economics for a long time in London. His English is fantastic although he doesn’t have a British accent at all. He is very knowledgeable about San Gil, Santander and all of Colombia and he seems very passionate about where he is from. I think it is fantastic that he returned to Colombia to open this hostel where he can educate people about Colombia and show them what it has to offer. A lot of people left Colombia because of the wars and troubles it had in the past. Some will never return to see what has become of this beautiful country. It is slowly rebuilding itself and it is people like the ones at El Dorado that are helping it do so. I felt so comfortable there, that after having a leisurely lunch with Luis and Miguel and having a good chat about the fantastic fruit and food in general in Colombia I almost missed my bus onto Villa de Leyva. They are genuine and really make all of their guests feel welcome and feel like they have a home in San Gil.

What this hostel doesn’t lack in is adventures like the one I described in my last posting, La Antigua Cannoning, caving and rappelling. San Gil is where to come to in Colombia for thrills and these guys are the experts!

El Dorado International Hostel

Calle 12# 8-55 San Gil, Colombia

eldoradohostel@hotmail.com Tel: 7-7237588 Cel: 3115095844

El Dorado Expediciones

La Antigua – in this tour you go caving in an ancient cave the indigenous of the area lived and now is home to various species of bats. You are able to crawl through tunnels and climb through water to navigate the cave. You also do some cannoning which is light climbing through a dry river bed. You rappel down waterfalls of 40meters and 10 meters, free jump and rock climb. This tour includes transport, snacks, water, equipment, insurance and a guide. Cost: 80 000pesos

Bicycles – You can rent by the hour for 6000pesos, by the day for 25 000pesos or take a bike tour to the Juan Curi 70m high waterfalls for 30 000pesos.

Rafting – all different levels from 30 000 – 200 000pesos

Paragliding from 60 000 – 170 000pesos

Caving – various different tours all around 30 000pesos

Other adventure options - Motor bikes, quad bikes, bungee jumping, horseback riding.

Return of Adventure girl! San Gil Colombia

No more pissing around and slacking off adventure girl is back! Well somewhat...

While waiting for my bus at the terminal in Bucaramanga I got the ssssst sssst from one of the workers there which usually I would just ignore but they sometimes use this cat call to get your attention as well so I went over to him and he gave me a bracelet. It was a black ribbon style bracelet that said X-tremo Santander 2010. It was quite fitting since I was going to the capital of Extreme sports in Colombia San Gil and Santander is the region in which San Gil is in.

I had planned on just relaxing in Santa Marta and enjoying the beach after working hard all summer but it is a bit uninspiring and my writing tends to slack while I am soaking up the sun. After Bucaramanga I decided to go to San Gil. Previously I wasn’t too interested in San Gil. I got the impression it was really touristic with people on every corner trying to sell you some adventure tour or white water rafting. I thought it was going to be like the hassle of Cusco, Peru or Banos, Ecuador jam packed with hostels and travellers. I was delightfully surprised.

San Gil is a smaller town with a busy square. My taxi dropped me off at Hotel Aleman where the Swiss guys who I shared a cab with were staying. I walked on myself to El Dorado hostel which was recommended to me by friends I met in Santa Marta. As I walked around the town discovering it I didn’t see another tourist at all. The square was buzzing with activity but it was all locals going about their business. This was not what I had imagined at all. I finally found other travellers in my hostel an American guy with massive tattoos across his back, chest and arm. My first impression of him was what a waste of money. I could only imagine how much all that would have cost him. He turned out to be quite a nice guy despite his money spending habits and had been in the city for almost a week. He introduced me to some people in another hostel and their local drinking hole which was a spot in the square in front of three liquor stores where you can buy a large beer in a plastic cup for 1800pesos.The American had done the same caving cannoning and rappelling tour my English friends told me about and said it was well worth the money. I had wanted to do it but was on my own and my hostel was empty. I felt a bit strange the following morning sitting around by myself not knowing what to do. The hostel owner then asked me if I wanted to do the trip and told me there were 6 people going on it. I was in! It turns out it was tattoo American guy and the people from the other hostel. He was doing it again with the group.

I normally pride myself on being adventurous daring and outdoorsy. I will try anything once so I was up for the challenge! Bring on the Cliff jumping! Bring on the rappelling! I will show them. I will be the cool tough girl who will do all the daring things guys can do! Or so I thought.

The first part we hiked through a cave and crawled through tight bits. I don’t like the idea of being somewhere closed in without a way of getting out but I wouldn’t say I am claustrophobic. I was a bit wary but it was easy. Caving, done no problem I was ready for the next challenge, jumping off a cliff into murky muddy water that isn’t deep at all. The Tattooed American jumped first and survived so it was now or never for me. I like to go first in these types of situations, the more you think about it the worse off you are. I have jumped off many cliffs and bridges plus I am tough adventure girl so I ran and jumped the whole way down yelling, “Ooooooh Fuuuucccckkkk!”

I have to admit I was quite happy that I was the only girl in our group to jump off. Although that was the end of Adventure girl’s reign, then returned Tracy the klutz. It’s best not to be so cocky when you are jumping on wet slippery rocks. I slipped and scrapped both my legs as a rock wedged itself in my crotch. One of the moments I was very thankful to be a girl. Alright just a minor clumsy set back. We then got to the waterfall where we were to do the repelling. I was one of the last do go and figured after watching 7 other people I knew what I was doing and was going to be amazing. I was pretty much pro by that time. I saw what they all did wrong and the correct way to do it. Also I wasn’t going to be afraid at all I mean you are hanging by a rope what is the worst that can happen? Again I was being too cocky. First I slipped and banged off the rock not really what I had planned but I got down alright once I was over the edge and hanging. The next spot I was sure I was going to show all them how sporty I was. I was third down and the only one to slip and dangle upside down from the cliff. Back to my question of what is the worst thing that could happen? Right that would be dangling upside down from a cliff in a waterfall. I eventually pulled myself back up and got back into position to lower myself down but I felt like a right idiot, plus the other two girls did it fine. Everyone asked if I was ok which I was I didn’t hurt myself at all except perhaps my pride.

So in the end after caving, cannoning, cliff jumping and rappelling I quite prefer jumping off of things into water without a rope attached to me as strange as it may sound. It does scare me but I love the adrenaline it makes you feel alive. This is way I love traveling because you push yourself past your limits doing things you wouldn’t normally do at home. Every day you feel alive.

The guys at the El Dorado hostel do fantastic tours just like this one and I highly recommend it!

For more information on the El Dorado International Hostel and its expeditions check out my next blog posting!

www.eldoradohostel.com