Cartegena

---

Colombia, the second country I´ve been to in South America has by all measures surpassed my expectations and thankfully not lived up to its reputation. It is a country filled with color, vibrancy and a lifestyle, where people are welcoming, friendly and lively; so happy to share they country with foreigners.

I must admit crossing the Ecuadorian, Colombian border I felt a bit apprehensive. There were money changers everywhere, some legitimate, but some trying to take you for a ride. As we stepped out of the taxi at 7 in the morning they we calling at us along with people selling, food, coffee and random Christmas trinkets. The line on the Ecuadorian side, to get our stamp out of the country, didn´t appear long but after not moving for half and hour we realized we were going to be cued up for quite some time. When all was said and done, we made it across with no difficulty and were out of a taxi at the bus station and on a 11 hour bus to Calli by 10:30am, three and half hours after we arrived at the border.

First stop in Colombia was Calli. It was sweltering hot and arriving at night, did not leave me with the best impression of the city. The bus terminal was in a bit of a dodgy part of town and as we drove past I saw vendors sleeping in the dirty street next to their carts and stalls. There were also prostitutes out, hanging around bustling night clubs wearing little more than bathing suits and heels in the hot evening air. But with all of these unpleasant sights, they remain the worst I have seen since I have been here, and since then have only grown more and more fond of Colombia. Of course parts are dangerous and poverty certainly exists as well as drugs and violence, but the places I have been are very pleasant, beautiful and friendly. Walking at night here is actually much safer than walking around Quito.

Next stop was Cartegena, which is an absolutely beautiful city. The centro historico or, old city, has been incredibly preserved. Little cobbled alleyways lined with old houses are painted vibrant yellows, pinks and blues. Many of the buildings have balconies with pink and purple bougainvillea cascading toward the street. On every street corner are cafes with tables and chairs set outside as well as fruit stands in the street, where you can buy mango, pineapple, papaya and watermelon. In the restaurants we tried the various fruit juices, with both water and milk, and concluded that piña con agua, mango con leche and mora (blackberry) con leche are the best.
In the city center there are various plazas as well, with statues and trees providing sought after shade. The city was sweltering but in the afternoons and evenings a pleasant breeze swept through the tiny streets off the Caribbean sea, providing a bit of relief.

One day while in Cartegena we ventured to the beach, which is more of a cultural experience than a relaxing time to soak in the sun and water, although I managed those as well. It is almost necessary to rent a cabana, both to protect you from the sun and because otherwise you don't really have anywhere to sit, because hundreds of cabanas string all up and down the sand. Once inside your little shade shelter, there was an endless stream of vendors offering and sometimes nagging you to buy everything from beer and water, to fresh fruit, to knock off Chanel sunglasses and jewelry. Without leaving my wooden lawn chairs I had Piaya with fresh seafood for lunch for about 1 dollar fifty. During our time on the beach we also saw a group of young Afro-Colombian dancers, performing traditional dances, where they shake their bodies faster and with more rhythm than is hard to believe. As well as dancers we were serenaded by two rappers, who once having started their cassette which provided the beats, proceeded to rap for a good two minutes in Spanish. It was quite amusing and I managed to get a bit of it on video. Although the beach in Cartagena was a good experience, it was not the tropical paradise I envisioned and not as relaxing as what I expect a beach to be, for that we had to take a half hour boat ride to a beach called Playa Blanca, which is a truly magical place.

The water was that amazing blue green color as well as clear and warm. The sand was soft and white from the coral, which washed up with shells in the surf. There were palm trees and shade trees scattered along the beach in between the little thatched structures that acted as shade, restaurants and hotels. We stayed in one of the last places on the beach and it was peaceful and practically empty. Mama Ruths was a fantastic place to lay about and swim, and its name sake was sweet and warm and made great fresh fish, which we ate on the beach under a thatched roof. Three days of reading, swimming and lounging was perfect and provided me a good base tan, which I have since improved but not to worry I am wearing sunscreen and a hat, when it isn´t too windy.

Next stop was Santa Marta which is north of Cartagena and not nearly as nice. From there we went directly to the national park Tayrona, which is beautiful. You hike in for a couple of hours and end at a camp site type place, where you can either rent a tent or a hammock to sleep. There is a little restaurant there as well. There are two beautiful beaches out front and I spent two days swimming and reading on the beach lined with coconut palms. It is not quite as hot here as in Playa Blanca but still lovely. It is surrounded by jungle, which was beautiful to walk through as you enter and exit the park.

Now I am in Taganga which is a tiny beach town near Santa Marta. I am staying here through Christmas with some friends I have met along the way and am quite happy to be spending time with them in this lovely place. In all we are American, Canadian, English and German. There are others at the hostel as well and on Christmas there is going to be a party with food, drinks, a band, a DJ and dancing.

---