Cartagena

After spending one full day in Bogota I have since travelled north to the coastal colonial fort city of Cartagena. Referred to as the Miami of Colombia, Cartagena boasts some of the most attractive scenery I have ever seen. Each building has its own bright colors and culture and the streets of Old Town are consistently crammed with countless pedestrians. The aura feels like New Olreans with humid air, vibrant colors, and well preserved architecture from generations ago. Cars zip through the narrow, exotically shaped brick streets and honk every few seconds to avoid collisions with innocent locals. Each corner is surrounded by fruit, shoe, telephone, and service vendors.

I have been in the walled city for two days and it easily is one of the most beautiful and frustrating places i have ever visited. Being situated along the Caribbean, with temperatures being consistently hot, it is easy to see that this is a tourist hub because everyone is trying to make money. People yell for your attention, cabs honk to see if you need a lift, and random strangers pretend to be your friend to try and sell you something. This sounds like a big turn off but once you play the game and don't take it seriously the city is a true gem.

Today I took a tour with an 80 year old local named Madrida who has been giving tours since the 1960s. We walked all around the walls and saw the major plazas that Cartagena had to offer. He was a really cool guy until he started to ask for more money and citing various reasons why he felt he needed it. I felt bad but he was blatantly trying to con me and despite his age I had to walk away. It was a great experience and it really shed light on the cities' character. Afterwards I checked out a Spanish castle that was erected a few hundred years ago. Tomorrow I am going to La Playa Blanca and in a few days will bus up to Santa Marta. the hostel I am staying in is the Makako Chill House and it really is CHILL. more updates coming soon!