Cartagena, Colombia

Much to my surprise it was roughly the same price to fly from Medellin to Cartagena as it was to take other transport. Saving twelve hours and not having to sleep overnight on a bus, it was an easy decision especially as Dave was on a tighter schedule. It was not without drama, trying to book cheap Colombian air fairs using Australian credit cards turned out to be impossible, but we eventually found a brick and mortar store selling tickets and although we missed some better deals we were soon on our way.

After an hour in the air we arrived to the hot and humid Caribbean city of Cartagena. After arriving to our hostel we took a walk around the city to get our bearings. The difference from Medellin was immediately apparent, the inhabitants and culture definitely has a much greater African influence than the southern cities. The city definitely felt a lot more touristy, never a good sign to see a lot of signs and advertisements in English.

Uncomfortably humid during the day, the city is much nicer around dusk and into the night, the sea breezes cool the streets and it is much more pleasant to wander the old colonial streets. Every night Dave and I would buy a few cheap beers and sit on the old fortifications watching the city pass us by.

A very nice way to pass the time and after a few cold beers I found the local street food, especially the 'Patacon con todos', absolutely delicious and very easy going down.

Unfortunately the weather at times was erratic, we awoke to torrential rain most mornings which wouldn't clear up until midday. The evenings were mostly fine, although we were caught in a sudden downpour on at least one occasion. We did get some periods of sun where the beauty of the city became apparent. Lots of old cathedrals, forts and old colonial streets, but if the skies are overcast the city feels run down and dirty. Maybe I need more time to get used to the humidity but Cartagena, while OK for a couple of days, was not a destination I would rush back to.

More photos here