#14 Viva Colombia - Cartagena

Goodbye Central America and hello to South America. First stop.....Cartagena.
After two and a half amazing months travelling through Central America, I ended the first half of the trip in Panama City and flew to Bogota in Colombia and then to Cartagena in Northern Colombia. I had arranged to meet Kirsty, a Geordie delight of a friend where we were going to travel together until the end of a January. And I was so looking forward to exploring Colombia with her. After a pretty horrendous day flying consisting of missed, cancelled and delayed flights (none of which were my fault I might add), I finally arrived in the old walled town in Cartagena where Kirsty had already arrived and rightly so was fast asleep after her thirty plus hours of travel!

The next morning we had a delightful breakfast at the hostel and a catch up on what's been going on in both our disastrously hilarious lives (cannot.adult). After breakfast we decided to do a walking street art tour from another part of town called Getsemeni. The tour leaves daily at 10am from Plaza Trinidad in Getsemeni, about fifteen minutes walk from the old town. The tour in total was about an hour and a half. It is run by two Belgian guys, our guide had lived in Colombia for a few years after visiting and falling in love with the country. He was extremely knowledgeable about the massive, colourful street murals he brought us to. He explained to us about the artists and the numerous political messages behind each mural. They were mostly based on the racism, the slave trade, music and the gentrification in Cartagena as well as surrounding areas in Colombia. The murals were everywhere and the variation and detail of them was amazing. The tour was technically free but you pay or 'tip' at the end. I really enjoyed it and our guide had really good tips on things to do and where to eat in the local areas. Such a great way to spend a morning in a new city to gain your bearings.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the colourful streets of Cartagena, we got a traditional lunch of....yes more chicken, rice and beans (my staple diet at the moment) for about $3 each. We even stumbled across a live rap concert in a main square in the old town! There was so much going on in the city and you could easily wander around for hours.

Fruit sellers in Getsemi 

Later that night we had a few drinks in the hostel with girls from our dorm which led to an impromptu and hilarious night out. Consisting of salsa (bad from me...good from everyone else), balloon hats (no clue where they came from) and tequila. We went to a local club which seemed to be full of local Colombians. There was a group of about ten of us out from all over the world; Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, France, America and of course Ireland. And of course the two other Irish girls who were out had gone to Coleraine, the same university as me! Ireland is so small.

Standard Saturday night attire 

The next day we decided to go further north to the Caribbean coast to a place called Santa Marta. I mentally prepared myself for the four hour shuttle bus...alas this turned out to be a six hour long, clammy bus with a stomping hangover. From here we planned on exploring National Park Tayrona, the most northerly point of South America and the indigenous tribes and maybe squeeze in some pool/beach time.

When we arrived at Calle 11 hostel in Rodadero, about twenty minutes outside of Santa Marta the shuttle bus struggle had been worth it! This hostel is ridiculous, a previous drugs cartel mansion and now owned by a rich Colombian family who turned it into a hostel, this place is unique. Complete with a pool, pool table, kitchen, balconies and of course resident cats and turtles whom we had names within five minutes (Harriet, Susan and George of course)! The staff were all so friendly and we used this place as a base for exploring the Caribbean coast over the next week and a half.

Calle 11 hostel 

Next Stop: Minca, Colombia
Food/Drink: local food in Cartagena, my first 'arepa' a Colombian street food staple consisting of white corn flour and sometimes stuffed with cheese.
Bars/Restaurants: hostel bar in Cartagena followed by a local club (unsure of the name), Havana club is supposed to be fantastic for live music and salsa
Stayed: El Viajero in Cartagena old town, $15 for a dorm with breakfast. Calle 11 hostel in Rodadero, about twenty minutes outside of Santa Marta $9 a night