Cartagena, Colombia

I had some not so subtle hints lately that I must add to the blog, agreed! It's been difficult to add my photos in Colombia but after a good hour of uploading I'm ready! Also, the keyboard is a bit funky so please excuse all the grammatical errors.

Cartagena was wonderful. The city is absolutely amazing and there was tons to do there. When I arrived in Bogota on Wednesday I immediately knew I didn't want to stay there for long. I marched up to the ticket counter and bought a roundtrip flight to Cartagena. It was expensive and impulsive but I don't care one bit. It was absolutely worth it and proves that you should always follow your intuition.

Cartagena is on the coast and surounded by walls that once protected the city from pirates. I love pirates and loved the city. One of the first thing I noticed in Cartagena is that there are very few American or white tourists. Most of the city is filled with tourists from Colombia and Argentina.

The first day, as all first days, was extremely slow. It was almost 93 degrees outside and the heat made city exploration really hard. I tried to leave the hostal every couple of hours, see the sights and then come back for a shower and nap.

I met people right away in Cartagena and one of the first activities I did was go on this bus tour that fills you with rum and coke (cubalibre) and then drops you off at a club. I went with a bunch of people from the hostal including hilarious British dudes and two Irish couples. In the back of the bus they have a band playing the whole time so you dance and drink until you get to the club. One of my favorite things about Colombian clubs is that they always play Colombian or Spanish speaking music. Only once did I hear the intro to I Got a Feelin before it quickly being mixed into a Colombian beat. The night was a blast and I met some really great people.

A few highlights

Drinking at Cafe del Mar and sitting right on the water

Going to the mud volcano (truly one of the weirdest tourest attractions of all time). They plop you into a mud bath and you rub it all over your skin. This picture is of me and two other solo travelers - Ryan from the US and Caroline from France.

After a week in Cartagena I'm now in Bogota. I'm not a huge fan as of now but we'll see. Post to come soon before heading off to Lima, Peru!!

Much love!!