My first visit to Cartagena

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My first impression of Cartagena was not fantastic. After driving around a bit I went to the beach for some delicious fresh fruit juice, where the harassment started. The beach is a hot tourism spot and so there are huge amounts of people selling things; little Colombia trinkets, beachy jewelry, massages and hair- dreading. One guy selling hats kept following me around putting hats on my head! It drove me insane- the exact reason I avoid touristy areas.

I went to lunch quite discouraged, but that was when the day started turning around. I went to a well- known seafood restaurant called La Casa de Socorro. The menu had so much that I decided to order something new, Ceviche de robalo. 'Robalo' is seabass, so I expected a full fish as usual with a nice sauce. What I actually got was surprising; a sort of sushi vinegar soup. It sounds pretty sketchy but it was AMAZING!

From there I went perusing the streets. Once you get away from the touristy part made of beaches and hotels, Cartagena is an incredibly picturesque city with a very rich history. Around part of the city stands a 500-year-old wall built by the Spaniards during the colonial era, and a spectacular castle as well! On a horse-drawn carriage tour of part of the city, I rode the very same paths that slaves once walked to be sold. Goosebumps. The Palacio de la Inquisicion museum also contains tons of information and art about slavery and the Colonial era (they offer English tours if your Spanish isn't very good).

Unfortunately I only spent one day there, but during that day I was intrigued by the history, architecture, and cuisine of this ancient city. The buildings were beautiful, the weather was lovely, and I learned so much more about Colombia (including that the founders of Palenque, the very first free-slave city in all of the Americas, escaped from Cartagena!). If you can get past the more touristic aspects, I definitely recommend taking at least one day in the historic Cartagena!!!

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