Sir Tommy Invades Cartagena

---

Today will be my first full day in Colombia. I am in Cartagena and I don’t think I have ever sweat so much when I wasn’t playing a sport in my entire life. I mean drops literally falling off my nose. I woke up this morning, walked down what is fast becoming my alley, and switched to my originally intended hostel. My room costs a whopping total of $12, but there are more beer drinking people around to go out at night with so that’s good. I am currently drinking beers in the main area.

Earlier today I explored the well preserved old heart of Cartagena. It is really beautiful with all these winding lanes and their building painted in vivid Caribbean colors. If this city was in lets say Puerto Rico, instead of "crime ridden" Colombia, it would see literally a gazillion tourists. It is that spectacular.

As it was though, it felt like I was walking through a museum. I don’t know if it is like a holiday or something, but I wandered around the town at around 10am and then again at 1pm and there really wasn’t anyone about and there were a fair few number of shops that were closed. Maybe they were on siesta. At one point what seemed like a tour group of gringos trundled by.

I saw the Cathedral that Sir Francis Drake’s ships fired upon in the 16th Century and said I quiet prayer for my safe travels. I walked around and from the top of the fortified wall I saw a full-scale soccer game below. It was played on a dirt pitch with the Caribbean Ocean in the background. It was definitely different from pick-up basketball in suburban Westchester. It was a great sight to see.

I was looking for a restaurant, which was hard to find. I am now told that it is the 1st of May and that is why things have slowed down. What the hell does the 1st of May have to do with it. This guy tried to get me to come into his Emerald Museum, but all I said to him was "Donde esta la comida" and he showed me to this restaurant. The restaurant came complete with an armed guard protecting the entrance. Inside I found the delightful refuge of air-conditioned and the upper crust of Colombian society. When I first got seated I was so affected by the humidity that I just sweated buckets in front of the beautiful Colombian hostess, but after I had a chance to cool off I ate the best Lomo Gaucho on the planet.

On my way back to the hostel, while I was taking pictures actually, a Colombian clown began to mimic my every movement. I thought to myself, “Why me?", but not one to be bested I began doing all sorts of crazy movements around the town square with the clown, baffled at first, mimicking my every movement. Hey, why not. I’m only in Colombia once.

---

Photos

The Colonial City of Cartagena
This is the entrance to the fortified part of the city.

Futbol Colombiano
It's just their version of pick-up ball.

Cartagena
This is just one of the colorful scenes here.