We spent a couple of days in Girardot, mainly to celebrate New Years, on the way to Bogotà. If I had to describe Girardot in one word, it would be HOT!! Driving there, it honestly felt like we were heading toward a volcano or into a giant oven.

The Laughing Cow

During the roadtrip, we stopped by the famous La Vaca Quer Rie, or, The Laughing Cow. This place is so crowded that they split it up into three different shops! They have a bakery, a fast food, and then a restaurant version across the street.

My favorite was the arroz con leche (rice pudding)! Michael’s family always get the empanadas and Milhojas con Arequipe (layered caramel pastry)!

Hotel Tocarema

We went to this beautiful hotel for an all you can eat breakfast buffet. If you travel to Girardot, I would say to stay here! They have a huge pool, a gym, and the architecture is beautifully European.

At this hotel is where I tried my first, and favorite, Colombian fruit: the Granadilla! You break the fruit open with your thumbs to see these gross egg-looking jelly balls (the seeds) that are attached to alien-like tentacles. You have to suck the seeds out…delicious.

NYE Party with Druglords

We went to the most glamorous, Gatsby-level party…with druglord families to ring in 2018. See my post about it here.

Winning One Million Pesos!

There’s not much to do in Girardot, so I wouldn’t recommend it to other travellers, but Michael’s family has a gorgeous timeshare there. We spent most of time doing two activities: swimming in the pool and GAMBLING!!!

I personally don’t gamble. but in Colombia it is unbelievably cheap that it’s a MUST!!! The minimum bet was less than 1 US dollar! You cannot beat it. I think the US is normally upwards of $10 per bet?? It didn’t take much to play and it didn’t hurt to lose – it was so fun! Michael’s dad was winning so much!! And we found out that my dad’s birthday (the 18th) is THE number to play in Colombia – we won so often betting on it!

Then, we were off to the capital, Bogotà!