Cartagena ... vibrant, textured, cultured, friendly and oh so much fun.

I absolutely love this city. From the moment the cab driver dropped me off at my hostel, I dropped my bag, had an Aguila beer with Enrique the bartender and hit the beautiful winding streets. Cartagena or the "Walled City" is the second oldest outpost in South America. This colonial city made up of cobblestoned streets, colonial churches, brightly painted cottages and lively plazas is surrounded by 11 kilometers of stone walls, built in several different sections, between 1614 and 1796 to ward off pirates, to the likes of Sir Francis Drake, and other invading armies. I did my best to take in everything this city has to offer. Here is a brief synopsis of what I did on my three-day adventure in this incredible city.

Wondered the Streets

I think I took over a thousand pictures in three days. Everything is so picturesque. The color and texture of the walls, the ornate churches and cathedrals, the street vendors, the green lush plazas, the small inviting restaurants and bars tucked into alleyways made me literally just wonder around and snap photos. I did an entire video of just door knockers and doors. The Palenqueras of Cartagena, better known as the ladies dressed in traditional, brightly colored dresses with headscarves and ruffled blouses and a bowls of fruit on their heads, edged me on by asking for photos. I was lucky enough to find Teresa early one morning on a particularly colorful street just as the sun popped out. Cartagena is literally eye candy for the soul.

Indulged in Colombian Culture

I was lucky enough to arrive on the Day of the Dead and the beginnings of Cartagena's Independence celebrations. Their actual Independence Day is on November 11th and celebrated with a parade which I will miss, but I did catch a free concert from Lil Sivio and El Vega which ended in a fireworks show and caught glimpses of the beauty queens all over town. They will crown Miss Colombia at the end. Everyone was friendly, dancing in the streets and calling me queen, which I loved. The Museum of Modern Art celebrated Colombian and Latino artists with my favorite being Fernando Botero, who is well known for his robust figures. The sculpture below is his, and I, of course, had to rub her left breast for good luck.

Feasted on the Incredible Food, Cocktails and Music

My first food in Cartagena was at a restaurant called El Beso. I just googled restaurants near me, and it popped up with a 4.9-star rating so I figured I would give it a shot. I hit the jackpot. Not only was it the best ceviche I have ever had but there was a page in their menu with other restaurant and bar recommendations. I figured if the food was this good here, I should give the others a shot. I almost covered the entire list. It was a fun scavenger hunt of sorts and gave me a destination to head to without having to think about where to eat. Celele was rated the best place in town, and although I could only get a 9:30pm reservation, I am so grateful to have experienced it as my birthday dinner. The couple bars on the list are "must go" to bars. Members Only was so much fun. It had live music and a burlesque show.

Relaxed on many Rooftop Terraces

It is so crazy. There is another world above the streets. This was one of my favorite things to do. After walking all day my feets would get a little angry, so I appeased them with a soak in one of the many rooftop pools, which always had a bar to get a refreshing drink to accompany the soak. Even my hostel had a rooftop pool. Not only a pool and a bar, but the views were amazing.

Explored the Vibrant World of Getsemani

This has to be one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world. Located just outside of the city walls, Getsemani is full of street art, umbrella streets, and cool little bars and restaurants. During the day it is a color feast for your eyes, but at night it turns into a street party where everyone, locals and tourists, gather in the Plaza de Trinidad. There is so much street art I again had to make a short video of all my photos. My favorite part of Getsemani were the classes I took. I did a paint and sip on a rooftop terrace class, where I created my own masterpiece and a dance class where I was the only student. Jorge and Jeff were sooooo much fun and not only taught me how to Salsa, Champeta and Bachata, but about Colombian slang and culture. They even produced fireworks at the end of my dance. Amazing.

Survived The Deluge

My first morning I woke up to the peaceful sounds of rain. It was so comforting that I curled back up into my cubby and fell back asleep, but it wasn't until I walked out the front door of my hostel that I realized exactly how much rain it was. Cartagena has a wee bit of a drainage problem. So, when it rains hard like it did that night, the streets turn to rivers, but what would be a catastrophe anywhere in the US was just another rainy day there. Cars drove through the river; vendor continued to sell things; they made makeshift bridges for tourists to cross over. Even the art museum was open even though water was dripping from the ceiling so close to the art. However, by the afternoon it was all dried up and life just went on. It was amazing to be part of it.

To Conclude...

Cartagena is now in my top five cities that I have visited in my life. I would recommend it for anyone to go. There were still many things I didn't get to do, such as the castle, the beaches and visit the other 500 amazing restaurants, but it just means I have to come back. Love it.