Cartagena, de nuevo

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Well, we survived Carnaval in Barranquilla. Barely. The next stop was supposed to be a trek to la Ciudad Perdida but Kim and I definitely weren't in any shape to take on 5 days of hiking in the jungle no matter how epic an adventure. Instead, we decided we'd come to Cartagena to chill out for a few days. We've totally lucked out and are staying with a friend of a friend in a swanky apartment in the nicest part of Cartagena. Last time I was here, the city was sooo hot. I couldn't bare to go anywhere. I think I stayed two nights before heading south in search for cooler weather. I hardly saw any of the city. I am so glad I came back. Now I understand why people love it here.

Let's see. What to tell you. First of all, Carnaval was a lot of fun. We danced like mad people and listened to a ton of live music. The city was carnaval-crazy as we had heard it would be. Everywhere we went, people were dancing in the streets. We stayed in a humongous house with about 30 people. People dressed in all kinds of costumes, masks and painted their faces in the yellow, blue and red of Colombia's flag. Sleep didn't really happen. By Monday morning, we were all exhausted. Good thing we headed back to Santa Marta that day.

Fast forward a couple of days, Kim and I headed west back to Cartagena. This time around, the weather is far more mild. It's windy and temperate, relatively speaking. It's still hot outside but the breeze is making it pleasant. At night, the air is perfect for strolling. We can hear the waves from our apartment. Shoot, I could slingshot something into the Caribbean if I had one. We chilled on the beach in Bocagrande and spent the late afternoon walking through the historic old town of Cartagena. It's enchanting.

Pictures from Cartagena here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/69192286@N00/sets/72157623338844233/detail/

Pictures from Carnaval here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/69192286@N00/sets/72157623466478752/detail/

By the way, I LOVE the comments you send me in response to my blog posts. Please keep them coming!

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