Cartagena, Colombia (Jan. 3-5, 2018)

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Took the night bus to Cartagena from Medellin the day after the New Year. It was a beautiful scenic ride. I spend a good amount of time looking for my hostel. Enduring the sweltering Caribbean heat. I eventually found the hostel and checked in in my sweat soaked shirt. The place was nothing like I'd expected. It look more like a family home than a hostel. It was dark. The entry merged into the living room/kitchen, where fish was being fried. The dorm room was stuffy. There were 4-5 bunk beds. My roommates appeared to be Argentinian travelers. They were reserved. I felt like they were put off by my presence. I definitely did not felt welcome there. They weren't very friendly like typical backpackers. I mind my business. They spent most of there time there smoking weed. The restroom was of poor quality. The lock barely worked, but I made the best of it.

I found a good Arepa spot near the hostel. It was delicious. Cartagena had so much to see. So many churches and museums. Remanence of this city's past is noticeable throughout the city.

I eventually relocated to another hostel, about a couple of blocks away. This hostel was listed on Bookings.com. The price was pretty much the same, but it included AC dorm room. This place felt a little bit more welcoming. More warm. The dorm room had 3-4 beds. I had one other roommate. He was a chill dude. I can't remember where he's from.

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