Cartagena, Colombia

Cartegena is incredible. Really...I promise it is. And in a good way. Think an old Spanish settlement, built long ago, that has aged magnificently, includes a historic walled inner city, 90F days and cooler nights, and placed impeccably on the Caribbean Sea. This is Cartegena. The architecture and cobbled streets are fantastic. The people are warm and easy going. The weather is HOT. The ocean is amazing. The food is delicious. The weather is hot. The sites and activities are many. And, oh yeah, did I mention the weather is HOT!

This was not too much of a problem (except for the excessive sweating) because our hostel had a small pool for cooling down and large fans to keep the rooms cool. No AC but this adds to the charm. Everything is walkable, including the overbuilt southern area with all the large chain hotels, local beaches, and fast food. However, time should be spent in and around the walled city. There is so much history and culture around each corner...be it churches, local musicians or artisans, statues, plazas, or the actual walled defenses.

There is also so much to do in the area. We spent 3 nights and 3 days in town and had a blast the entire time there. We had received advice in Bogota to do both the Mud Volcanos and the Chivas Rumba. We did both, and they certainly did not disappoint. While both are very tourist-oriented, there is a reason for this. They are FUN! We also met some locals that joined the rumba bus because its fun too. Colombia also has some spectacular reefs so why not explore them? "When in Rome" and all that jazz. Also, the fort outside the city is super cool and huge. There are all sorts of corridors that run underground. I cant imagine the stories that those walls hold from all the years. In fact, I probably dont want to know these stories as many corridors appeared to be makeshift prisons. But I digress.

Lets just leave it with, "In Cartegena, I found Colombia, and I am glad I did."