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Today we spent the day in Cartagena, Colombia, and it wasted absolutely no time making an impression.
Our very first local welcome came in the form of an iguana. A smallish one casually wandered out of a bush, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. One minute later, its much bigger (and clearly more senior) friend followed. Naturally, we pointed our cameras at the big guy. This was apparently a grave insult. The smaller iguana, deeply offended, charged straight at us. At that point, my survival instincts kicked in and I decided it was time to keep moving.
We grabbed a taxi from the harbor to downtown. Being the seasoned traveler that I am, I made sure we were very clear on the price before getting in: $5.50 for two people. Everyone agreed. We arrived, got out, and the driver casually informed us that the price was actually $5.50 per person, and that he would now like $11. I politely-but-firmly told him where he could take that revised pricing strategy, and we moved on to explore the city.
We started in Getsemaní - a neighborhood bursting with color and energy. It definitely felt like the backpacker hub: lively, vibrant, and… intense. Street vendors everywhere, constant attention, and a general sense of being hustled every ten seconds. I snapped a street photo with one of those fruit-carrying “traditional” women (you know the type), and within seconds one of them made a beeline straight for me demanding money.
From there, we escaped to the Walled City, and the difference was immediate. Calm. Elegant. Stunning architecture at every turn. We spent a few blissful hours wandering the streets, admiring balconies, doors, and courtyards that looked like they belonged in a movie set.
Lunch was at La Cevichería, famously recommended by Anthony Bourdain - and it absolutely lived up to the hype. We ordered lobster ceviche and Colombian fish ceviche, and both were fresh, flavorful, and worth every bite. A definite highlight of the day.
Colombia is also known as the country with the highest-quality emeralds. We looked at pendants in a shop that were modestly priced at $9,600. In the end, we chose something much more affordable for ourselves - beautiful earrings.
In the evening, we had booked a sunset sailing tour. In theory: perfect. In reality: no sun. Just clouds. Still, it could have been lovely… if not for the family next to us who spent the entire two hours taking photos of each other. And I don’t mean “a few pictures.” I mean non-stop, relentless posing, clicking, reviewing, repeating. Cameras were not put down for even a second. I’m fairly certain they documented every possible angle of their existence.
After that, we took a taxi back to the ship—thankfully without any pricing debates—and called it a day.
Cartagena was colorful, chaotic, beautiful, occasionally irritating, and never boring.
Our very first local welcome came in the form of an iguana. A smallish one casually wandered out of a bush, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. One minute later, its much bigger (and clearly more senior) friend followed. Naturally, we pointed our cameras at the big guy. This was apparently a grave insult. The smaller iguana, deeply offended, charged straight at us. At that point, my survival instincts kicked in and I decided it was time to keep moving.
We grabbed a taxi from the harbor to downtown. Being the seasoned traveler that I am, I made sure we were very clear on the price before getting in: $5.50 for two people. Everyone agreed. We arrived, got out, and the driver casually informed us that the price was actually $5.50 per person, and that he would now like $11. I politely-but-firmly told him where he could take that revised pricing strategy, and we moved on to explore the city.
We started in Getsemaní - a neighborhood bursting with color and energy. It definitely felt like the backpacker hub: lively, vibrant, and… intense. Street vendors everywhere, constant attention, and a general sense of being hustled every ten seconds. I snapped a street photo with one of those fruit-carrying “traditional” women (you know the type), and within seconds one of them made a beeline straight for me demanding money.
From there, we escaped to the Walled City, and the difference was immediate. Calm. Elegant. Stunning architecture at every turn. We spent a few blissful hours wandering the streets, admiring balconies, doors, and courtyards that looked like they belonged in a movie set.
Lunch was at La Cevichería, famously recommended by Anthony Bourdain - and it absolutely lived up to the hype. We ordered lobster ceviche and Colombian fish ceviche, and both were fresh, flavorful, and worth every bite. A definite highlight of the day.
Colombia is also known as the country with the highest-quality emeralds. We looked at pendants in a shop that were modestly priced at $9,600. In the end, we chose something much more affordable for ourselves - beautiful earrings.
In the evening, we had booked a sunset sailing tour. In theory: perfect. In reality: no sun. Just clouds. Still, it could have been lovely… if not for the family next to us who spent the entire two hours taking photos of each other. And I don’t mean “a few pictures.” I mean non-stop, relentless posing, clicking, reviewing, repeating. Cameras were not put down for even a second. I’m fairly certain they documented every possible angle of their existence.
After that, we took a taxi back to the ship—thankfully without any pricing debates—and called it a day.
Cartagena was colorful, chaotic, beautiful, occasionally irritating, and never boring.
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