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Published: July 15th 2006
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The Old City
As viewed from Bocagrande Time has flown on me. I can't believe that tomorrow night I fly back to Estados Unidos, home sweet home. For all you that have followed progress, sorry for not writing since Cali, but my life here in Colombia has fallen into a comfortable routine. I decided to go back to Cartagena. There was a point during my last night in Cali where three tantalizing choices lay out before me. I could go see the big city drama of Bogota, I could return to the Caribbean rhythms of Cartagena, or I could stay and learn to dance Salsa with some people I met and hot Colombiana instructors. This is what is so cool about traveling. Absolutely all possibilities are yours for the taking. You feel like anything is can and will happen. It's a rush.
I eventually decided Bogota was too cold, it hardly ever reaches 70 degrees there. And as far as staying in Cali goes, Me, dancing lessons? I'm thinking that that would not have gone at all well. So back to Cartagena it was. I felt that since I'll be in chilly Sapporo for at least two years I needed to simmer in the caliente cauldron
Pimp Room
Just a portion of mi casa ultima in Cartagena. that is Cartagena. And what is a Tommy No Papers vacation without a beach? So here I am.
As soon as I stepped off the plane I knew I made the right decision. The familiar sights, scents, and humid air were all very inviting. I checked into a nice hotel in Boca Grande, which is Cartagena's beach area. As soon as I set down my bags in my new room I spontaneously exclaimed, "This room is such a Pimp room!." It was too. I don't know how to describe it , but the lighting, the furniture arrangement and the colors all screamed "Pimp", but in a classy way.
So I settled in and headed down to the beach. I submerged myself once again in the warm contented waters of the Caribbean. I noticed the orange domes of the old city in the distance. I was completely and utterly content. Magical stuff.
Let me tell you about my current routine that I have been indulging myself in these past four days. I get up around noon. Stumble over to the internet cafe for some catching up on the NBA playoffs, how about that Laker-Sun series, and e-mail answering.
Bocagrande
My Big Mac addiction is alive and well Then I head over to McDonald's for my first meal of the day. Hey, you know how much I like them Big Macs, and I have once again become addicted to putting mayonnaise on french fries. Thank you Amsterdam.
Then at this point I head down to the beach. I usually go for a long walk and take in the scene. The sun, sand, the hustlers, the Colombianess of it all. Then I put my shirt on my favorite rock and ease myself into the turquoise water. I float around, glance at the old city with its century old walls and try to take a mental note to cherish this vision forever. After the beach I go back to my room, take a shower, and lie back on my king sized bed and let the mellow tunes of Jack Johnson, Jack Rouse, and Tahiti 80 wash over me and lull me to sleep.
Then I emerge from my relaxation and take a taxi into Centro, the old-walled in part of the city. I walk among the teeming Colombian masses, vaguely African, and through the high arched gates. I wander along those narrow colorful lanes getting lost in the
Welcome to Centro
This is the main place just inside the main entrance. magic of centuries past. Yesterday, an enchanted orange light fell on the stone structures as the sunset. It was amazing.
Then I catch a taxi back to Boca Grande. There I grab a meal of Colombian food at one of two outdoor restaurants that I have grown fond of. I sit there with my chicken and beer and just people watch as the citizens of Cartagena go about turning day into night. Then I go back to my room and wait around lounging and watching TV until around 11pm at which point I go out on the town and hit the bars and disport myself around various Colombianas. That is where I find myself tonight. I am getting ready to hit the bars one last time. I am going to this place where guys usually go and dress to impress all the hot chicas, but this time I am going super casual in cargo shorts and a t-shirt. Impress this.
Now I am just going to make a few observations of things I have noticed about Colombia over the course of my trio and then follow that by ending things with a final note about travel and life
Hustlers
I have gotten very used to dealing with these guys. in general.
Colombian Observations 1. At many of the bars here that you walk into at night, they frisk you for guns. How cool is that? Cocaine is openly talked about and offered frequently. Good thing I am not a Cokehead or I would have been in trouble.
2. The hustlers in Cartagena, there aren't any in Cali because not many tourists will go there, are prevalent. They come over and offer you whatever thing or service they are selling. And then if you don't want it they will frequently force a "demonstration" on you. This can take the form of a leg massage or a sample of food. After again you say, "No Gracias", they stand around and won't leave until they get a tip. Very annoying. I've gotten into the habit of angrily snarling "Por Que" at them and that has worked.
3. There are no meters in the taxis. You have to make sure to get the fare set before you drive away.
4. No one ever has any change in this country. Once I had to wait for like 15 minutes after a meal while this woman tried to get change for a
Beach
Relaxation for Senor No Papers 20,000 peso note. That is less than $10 by the way.
5. I have been speaking a lot of Spanish here. I actually have been doing all right and better than I thought I would. I have come up with a theory that when two people meet in a foreign country they try to converse in the easiest way possible. In every other country that has been English. But in Colombia my Spanish is better than their English. Who would have thought that? It is funny, after I say a couple of phrases in Spanish. They get all excited that I can speak Spanish and they start firing a barrage of rapid fire Spanish at me. None of which I get. It's brilliant.
* * * * * * * ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
And I wonder why
I always keep pleasant memories of the past
Why anything, bad or good, seems better
Once it has past These are lyrics from a
"Adios Chico"
I am going to miss the Colombianas too. Tahiti 80 song called, "Memories of the Past". They got me to thinking. Why when you travel, or in life in general, do things seems so much more wonderful in hindsight. I mean I've had my low points on this trip, but looking back on the whole two weeks I can only see the good. Memory has a way of changing events into something else. You think to yourself that it wasn't so bad and laugh to yourself at all the crazy times that you had. So there is that to think about.
Anyway, that is it for me from Colombia. Hopefully, I won't jinx everything and get myself kidnapped tonight. I hope you have enjoyed my travels through this tierra loca, but my story doesn't end here. You can be sure there will be entries from Japan forthcoming, if not sooner.
Adios!
This entry was taken directly from the journal I was writing in my hotel room that night.
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