16+17/09/2022 Capurgana
What to expect
Capurgana
In Capurgana our main focus was to get better! That’s why our next two days looked pretty similar:
- Free breakfast at the hotel Cabanas Los Almendros
- Relaxing in the hammocks of the hotel
- Going out for dinner
The first evening we caught up with a Dutch couple, one Scottish guy and two Irish girls from the San Blas group for dinner.
In the second evening, when it was only us left in Capurgana (everyone else had moved on by now), Blake and I had a really nice dinner by the sea with some live music in the background.
Animals at the hotel
18/09/2022 From Capurgana to Cartagena
We are back!
Blake and I were finally back on track, so we were ready for the two-hour-boat ride and 8-12-hour-bus ride. Apparently, with landslides and traffic, they cannot give you the exact travel time, hence the four hour time frame.
Wet boat ride,…
The boat ride was definitely something else. What started as a nice scenic ride, ended in a complete wet disaster where we were shaken from one side to the next. At some point the babies on board were even being passed around to some drier spots on the boat. (There were no dry spots left on the boat at that time!)
We couldn’t believe this was the official boat ride! Totally soaked we were raedy (or not) to hop onto the small bus that was taking us to Cartagena from the port at Necoclí.
…cold bus ride…
For some reason the Colombians love to put their ACs on extra cold to make sure you’re freezing the entire time on the bus. We did get warned though, so we brought hoodies and scarves.
The eight-hour-bus ride was surprisingly comfortable. Throughout the mini stops we had people getting off in the middle of nowhere and people getting on selling snacks and drinks. During the entire eight hours we only had one toilet stop, which we would have never survived a couple of days ago when we still had food poisoning (I know: too much information 😉).
…and a crazy taxi ride!
When we got to Cartagena at 9 p.m.. We took a taxi to our place, which was quite the crazy ride: the car itself was loud, the taxi driver was singing loudly along to the music and he was driving like a maniac. Throughout our time in Cartagena we learned, however, that everyone drives like a mad person in Colombia and that it’s just organized chaos everywhere.
Cartagena
Our hotel Casa Barajas was close to the old town, we had our own bathroom and it only cost $8 p.p. per night. We already love Colombian pricing!
19/09/2022 Cartagena
Do a free walking tour around the old town
After an acai bowl at Beiyú, we were ready to get to know Cartagena’s old town with a free walking tour. The tour around the old town was interesting and covered a lot. But after almost three hours of walking in the heat and a lot of new information, our feet and heads were burning and we were ready for some rest.
Lunch with other travellers from the San Blas tour
We met up for lunch in Getsemani (graffiti area in the old town) with the Dutch couple and the Scottish guy from the San Blas Islands.
Visit the Parque del Centenario
Afterwards we all went to the city park “Parque Del Centenario” and saw lots of monkeys and even a sloth!! My sloth-heart was happy and I couldn’t imagine how this day could get any better.
But it did: With sushi for dinner!
Side note: Unfortunately, Blake doesn’t like sushi. Over the past four years I’ve tried to change his mind many times, but no luck (yet 😉). Luckily, the sushi place also served other Asian dishes, so we were both satisfied.
20/09/2022 Cartagena
Time for laundry
It was laundry day again. So after frozen yoghurts for breakfast (why not?), we walked around town with our laundry bags, trying to find a place that would like to wash, dry and fold our laundry (the disadvantage of not staying in a hostel which usually offers a laundry service).
Do a free walking tour around Getsemani
In the afternoon we joined another free walking tour, this time through Getsemani.
The Getsemani neighborhood in Cartagena is lined with colorful street murals created by both local and international artists. […]. Back in the 2000s, Getsemani was a dangerous area, but its historic streets have transformed over time into the city’s official backpacker quarter. Hip hostels and artsy cafés have popped up to serve those who are not traveling on the luxury budget that the Old City demands.”
theculturetrip.com
I loved seeing the art on every wall as it all looked so colorful, lively and positive!
Watch sunset from the town walls
In the evening we grabbed dos cervezas (yes, our Spanish does exist 😉) from a guy on the street. With them we walked onto the town wall to watch a beautiful sunset from there.
Tonight it was Blake’s turn to choose the dinner place. (It’s all about compromises in a relationship😉.) He chose a local restaurant, called “Vive Restaurante Bar Colombiano”, that our tour guide had recommended. Since we just got off food poisoning, I was still a bit suspicious when it comes to local restaurants. But so far Blake’s steak and my garlic shrimps have not caused any issues – fingers crossed.
21/09/2022 Cartagena
Visit Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas
After picking up our laundry in the morning (it did not look promising to actually get it all back – it’s always a risk), we walked up to the “Castillo de San Felipe de Barajas”, which is the oldest building in Cartagena.
The Castillo San Felipe de Barajas is a fortress in the city of Cartagena, Colombia. The castle was built in 1536. It is located on the Hill of San Lázaro in a strategic location, dominating approaches to the city by land or sea.”
wikipedia
From the fortress we had a nice overview of the old town, the new town and the ocean.
Explore Getsemani
After that we looked at some more art in Getsemani, bought some really delicious baked goodies in the area and tried out some more empanada street food.
Quite the process
Since we both overpacked (me: 17kg, Blake: 15kg), we wanted to send some clothes home that we haven’t been wearing a lot on this trip. Who knew Blake wouldn’t need three pairs of pants and three different hoodies when it’s always +30 degrees outside 😉?!
What would have been a quick task back home, turned out to be quite the mission over here. After two and a half hours and many fingerprints, passport numbers and signatures later, including finding an ATM (they didn’t take credit cards) and a shop to buy a box for our clothes, we could finally send the package away. By then it was after closing time and we missed sunset (which is always a big deal for us 😉).
Cultural differences
We went back to Getsemani for some streetfood arepas, which are corn tortillas with veggies and/ or meat inside – my new favorite street food.
After that we bought some drinks and sat down in the main square in front of the cathedral and watched some locals dance and play music.
This really amazes me about Colombia: on every corner you see someone dancing, singing or playing music. I can’t picture Germans doing that (including me) – I guess our culture is just a little too stiff for that 😉.
What a small world!
Then we sat outside in a little cocktail bar. Suddenly a familiar looking guy with a strong Australian accent walked by: It was the Aussie guy who we had met at the Sunday Funday party in San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua! – Only three countries, one continent and one month later! Him and his friends joined us for cocktails ($2.50 mojitos!) and we had a really fun evening with them.
Resumé Cartagena
We really liked the colourful and bright old town of Cartagena (especially Getsemani) and it was a great start to our time in Colombia! However, for me the city was a bit too big. This is why I’m excited for the next place where we’ll have some down time in a very unique place.
Continue reading:
Leave a Reply