You have waited. I have waited. We have collectively waited such a long time for this post to arrive – and let me tell you. The wait is over! Let’s go on a journey together – reliving my trip to Colombia in May. But first, some exposition.
Imagine this: You are a broadcast journalism major trying to finish her last semester at UNC Chapel Hill. You have been happily excelling in your media courses only to fear failure when forced to take a math and biology course.
It’s 8 AM, you’re sitting in said math course supposedly learning about how to calculate a mortgage payment by hand when an email from Scott’s Cheap Flights comes flying into your inbox. There’s a fantastic trip price to Cartagena, Colombia. You feel as though you are losing a part of yourself in this last ditch effort to graduate. So what do you do?
That’s right. You buy the ticket to Colombia in the middle of your 8 AM class.
And that is how, two days after I (thankfully) graduated, I found myself taking a 7:30 AM flight into Cartagena.
The flight was uneventful and I found myself back on ground being harassed by taxi drivers around 1 in the afternoon. Now, the trip from the airport to the city center is a relatively short one. It only takes around 10 minutes and should only cost $12,000 Colombian Pesos (COP) or $4 in US dollars. I KNEW this, yet still paid $20,0000 COP. When travelling in foreign countries you have to be prepared to be swindled at least once while you’re learning the currency. And day one is a good day for that.
With small talk in Spanish all the way to the hostel (and the driver telling me I was beautiful before I had a chance to exit the vehicle). I made it to El Viajero Cartagena Hostel. Viajero = “traveler” and that was the main gimmick of this hostel. We were NOT tourists. We were travelers.
I was staying four nights in a 10 person dorm for $17 (US) a night. The hostel was mainly open air with an outdoor bar and dance area as well as chairs and outdoor showers lining the area between the dorms.
Now let me tell you. Colombia in the summer is HOT!! And not just hot, I mean sweltering. The heat is inescapable. To conserve energy, the hostel only kept AC on in the dormitories at night during sleeping hours – which meant that during the day you better find refuge somewhere else.
I don’t think I have sweated so much in my life. So while I have your attention, shout out to ALMAY’S one coat multi-benefit mascara. If you want a mascara that won’t budge in the most dire of times, this one is your champ.
The first day was spent waiting around to get checked in, paying far too much for pizza in the city center and frantically running around trying to find the one ATM in the whole city in order to pay for said pizza. I ended up having to go to a currency exchange and change the few dollars I had left to pay the restaurant.
PRO-TIP: Make sure to have plenty of currency before you leave the airport. It will save you from running around and getting lost in the confusing streets of a new city. Now, I speak decent Spanish. Enough to barter, make small-talk and ask for directions. But if you do not speak the local language this tip is especially for you. Just be wary of ATM charges! It is mostly inescapable so pull out enough money at one time to avoid having to consistently be hit with conversion fees.
Despite the fiascoes of day 1, I did stumble upon a cool rooftop bar not far from the hostel.
Now, I have a habit of not researching places before I actually travel to them. I like to be surprised and often enjoy being swept up in plans when I arrive. So, in my head, when I pictured Cartagena, I expected it to be beaches everywhere – and have them all be close by at that.
Well, let me ruin that delusion for you now. The good, non-rock filled beaches are about an hour away from the center. Luckily, my hostel planned a day expedition to Playa Blanca at Isla de Baru. Also known as white beach that was on an island easily accessible to the mainland. I paid $50,0000 COP (roughly $17 US) for transportation to and from the beach which also included a fresh fish lunch and cocktail whilst there. The deal was worth it for the transportation alone, knowing how easily you can get taken advantage of by taxi drivers.
The beach was beautiful, as expected, but be prepared to constantly be harassed by people on land and in the water to buy and rent from them. Whether it is massages, jet skis, banana boat rides, coconut cocktails, fresh fruit or jewelry – the locals are very dedicated to taking your money.
Another important reminder. The sun is very, very unforgiving. Whether you think you burn or not, remember your sunscreen!
After a day swimming in warm waters and swatting away flies, my hostel group returned red and tired to El Viajero. The next day I self-navigated with some trepidation to a different point in the city so I could do a free walking tour. Now, in case you don’t know, these walking tours are legit but also based off tips. So make sure you bring some money to tip your host!
There are two main things I learned on this trip. And that is, that besides coffee, Colombia is known for their coconut and emeralds. I met a charming Canadian on this trip who was looking for an emerald necklace for his girlfriend and man did he choose the right place. On the walking tour we got to go into a jewelry store and watch as they hand-set the emeralds in a secret loft right above the display cases. As far as coconuts go, they’re used in cocktails such as the famous “coco loco” (crazy coconut), in the crafting of jewelry and for the famous “arroz con coco” (coconut rice).
No trip to South America is complete without dancing. After two years of competitively Latin dancing with UNC’s ballroom dance team, I was ready to get out there and strut my stuff. A rather large group of us from the hostel went out to Café Havana for a night out. It was pricey with a $30,000 COP cover charge, but I really enjoyed listening to the live band and salsa dancing with the locals.
El Viajero hostel also offered free dance classes! This combined with the fact that their outdoor ambiance and drink specials were good made a great combination. I got to review some of my basic dances like Bachata but also got to learn more localized dances like Champeta! When given the opportunity to try something new, do it.
On the fourth day at my hostel I was at a loss. I wasn’t sure what else I wanted to do and was starting to think that maybe I should have booked one less day in the city center. But let this following story be a lesson to why you always put yourself out there when seeking adventure.
I was sitting in one of the outdoor chairs, reading to kill time, when I was approached by someone I had gone out dancing with. His name was David and he also had a whole day to kill before he caught a boat to go hop the San Blas Islands in the evening (I really hope to do this another time). As solo travelers, it’s wonderful to have the luxury to be by yourself or reach out to adventure with others when you feel like it. So together we went to see the Castillo San Felipe de Barajas – the main fortress in Cartagena which I suggest you Google as the history of defense is rather long and intense.
There are also some pretty cool catacombs easily accessible in the castle! They may or may not be for for those above 6 ft (note David below).
After taking in some views…
…we headed back to the center in search of lunch. Of the Latin America I’ve come to know, especially around meal times, it’s easy to walk down the street and be offered menu after menu in an attempt to entice you to EAT HERE. David and I decided on a place that seemed to have a good lunch deal and had a typical dish with meat, plantains and, of course, coconut rice. I also got to try a coconut lemonade which was AMAZING.
After, we prowled the streets in search of a hat (for him) and some tassel earrings (for me). If you expect to purchase goods at fair prices, learn how to bargain. I, personally, sometimes have a hard time with this when travelling because I feel as though I am cheating people out of the only way they make their living—but when in Rome (ie Colombia). After finding David’s hat and giving up on finding my perfect earrings we saw a lady strutting down the street in a long sundress with a man marching behind her carrying many more dresses on a long medal rod. Talk about a walking advertisement! We chased them down and spent the last of my pocket money after persuading them down from $60,000 to $40,000 COP ($14ish US).
After a day out it was back to the hostel to pack and shower off the day’s exhausting heat. Nothing like enjoying a traditional Colombian beer (Aguila) in a cold outdoor shower after a long day of walking. Later that evening David and I parted ways (bye homie see you in New York soon!) and I settled into the hostel for the night. After being offered drugs and being hit on by a club promoter (and politely declining and quickly making my exit) I wandered to the bar where I made friends with a British football (ie soccer) player. Lovely fellow, we got to chat about his love life and dogs and drink beer in the companionable silence of good friends. I went to bed early and he left me a charming note for me to find in the morning.
One thing I really love about hostels and travelers is that we share and create such deep connections in such a short amount of time. These people I meet along the way are so full of love for the world and are always ready for the next adventure. I usually always prefer to travel alone, but I am never actually alone—at least not the whole time. This trip was what I needed to reconnect with the world—at least for the first half of it.
In my next post you’ll find me heading off to the Isla Grande. A neighboring island about an hour and a half away by shuttle boat. Be prepared for sunken planes, bio-luminescent plankton and more mosquito bites that you can imagine.
Here’s a sneak peak of the island!
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Much Love,
L
