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Published: August 27th 2008
As most of you already know, my desires to travel and experience other places and people are born out of those same desires held by my parents when they were my age. They too fell in love with and traveled extensively throughout Latin America (mostly Mexico, parts of Central America, and Colombia) in the 70´s...a much different time than now. They were in Mexico and Central America for over a year when they arrived in a beautiful colonial , carribean coastal city of Cartagena, Colombia. They fell in love with the city, its people, its culture, and its beauty. So they stayed and became voluntary Cartageneros. I and my sister were born here...hemos hecho en Cartagena. 😊 As a family we returned to the States in 1983...I was 3 years old. The move was supposed to be temporary, but things changed and we never returned to Colombia. My sister and I returned for our first time 3 summers ago. We spent a month taking Spanish classes, exploring the city on foot and by taxi, enjoying its warm water beaches, the colonial old town and "Manhattanesque" modern section of town full of high rise apartment buildings, dancing the nights away to salsa, cumbia, vallenato, eating as much street food and fresh fruits as our bellies could hold, and just absorbing our birthplace. It was a wonderful time.
So I returned on my own this time. I have been here a week. Immediately upon arrival, I remembered the city well. It feels familiar to me...which in itself feels good. I found some old friends of my parents who invited me to stay with them at their old, large house right on the beach. Things have been calm, even, routine this trip. I have explored the city again. Taken lots of photos. Gone to all the old spots I enjoyed 3 years ago for delicious comida tipica...patacones, arepas, sancocho, arroz de coco, mojarra, yuca frita...of course the very delicious jugos naturales...maracuya, zapote, nispero, mango...and have tried to limit my ice cream intake to one every few days...in this heat and with the exotic fruit flavors, its been a challenge not to have a few a day!!! 😊 The city has changed a bit...lots of development in the modern section. A new high rise of 50 stories must goes up every 2 months at this rate! The old town is almost completely restored now...including the historically undesirable barrio of Gestemani. Gentrification at its best! So with development comes a loss of the authentic feel of the city. Lots of rich folks moving in and visiting as tourists means lots of "show"...which is a different attraction than what I am looking for. Very little of Cartagena´s old charm is left unfortunately. Its still there, just have to look for it. I have found it in its children and old people...as always. I just sit in the parks and plazas...watching families and friends converse, play, dose off, argue, smooch... The parks offer refuge in the heat...which is intense, but the daily rains bring some relief...even though they do vacate the very crowded streets for an hour every afternoon after everyone (street vendors, students, professionals, families, fishermen, nannies, etc) scurry away quickly under some sort of cover where they can wait out the heavy rainstorm. Several nights I have fallen asleep to powerful and breathtaking lightning and thunder storms...reminding me where I am and just how small and vulnerable I am. Lightning that fills a room with light as though it was day along with thunder that can shake the same room is not to be forgotten too quickly. I enjoy it so much.
I spent the last weekend at the very beautiful Isla Grande...the largest of a 27 island archipelago just an hour off the coast of Cartagena in the carribean. This island is a special one for me. So was this past weekend. The 10 year anniversary of my mother´s death was Sunday. I decided to celebrate her by spending this weekend on Isla Grande. This is where she and my father spent some of their happiest times together when they were my age. For a time, they owned beach front property on this island and lived there. As a small toddler, I too spent some time here. So that is where I spent this past weekend. I treated myself to a stay at a new luxurious hotel on the island that caters to some of Colombias most wealthy families. (Shakira apparently stayed there recently.) This hotel is directly next door to our old property. It was just beautiful. White sand beach with crystal clear blue water that is JUST the right temperature for cooling off in the tropical sun. A corral reef full of tropical fish is a 3 minute boat ride directly in front of the beach. The hotel cabañas were adorable, surrounded by huge cieba trees, and so luxuriuos...especially considering that the island itself has no electricity or fresh water. I spent my days reading, tanning, snorkeling and the nights with gorgeous sunsets and delicious food. I also got to spend a night in the small town of 700 "nativos" where everyone is a local except for me! Very fun! A few of the old guys even remembered my parents as "los hippies"! Supèr cool experience. Perfedt for the weekend that it was.
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andrea
non-member comment
you are amazing
sonya, I am so happy you are there at this time in your life, i never knew your mother, actually i guess i do thru you and Elisa. What an amazing woman she was, looking at you and your beautiful sister. She is smiling right now, so happy you are living out the dream she always wanted for you. to travel this beautiful world, and really LIVE!! Good for you treating yourself to some luxury after some of the stories you have wrote here, you really deserve it. Enjoy my friend, Enjoy!!