Alive or dead I am coming back to this place.
I can’t even think how many times I have changed my trip plans.
It was a 2 day decision to book a flight, get my visa, take a bus to Panama city with my amigita Mar and arrive to Cartagena, Colombia.
Mar and I spent very fun two days in Panama city. The hostel where we stayed wasn’t in the safest part of Panama. It was in Casco Viejo and with me looking the way I am, and even with much lighter hair after all the sun I got, we had to walk carefully around, but we did it!
We went again to the Panama Canal and to Panama Viejo to see the old ruins of Panama City. Then, we shopped for shoes for two days and got shorts and jeans. We took a lot of pictures and ate a lot of pasta and mangos we found on the street.After that, Mar took off to see more Panama and I took a flight to Cartagena!!!
At the airport in Cartagena I met a very nice Colombian beauty from Medellin who told me a lot about Colombia and gave a contact in case I am heading that way. We got to talk a lot because it was raining and storming outside.
When I arrived to Cartagena and settled down in a hostel, there was a lot of music, drinking, and dancing going on. I set my backpack down in a very crowded dorm and went outside to fine new best friends. I took about 2 seconds before a guy asked me if I want to sit with them.
Of course I did!
A whole day on the bus gave me a terrible hunger and all I was dreaming about after meeting a group of eight Israeli people is – empanadas. I took off and when to the city in a search for food.
The light, police, tourist, bars, parks, fresh sea breeze were all over. I was falling in love with this city!
When I got back, there were two guys in my dorm, obviously latinos, and more obviously very hot. They were talking to two other girls and the conversation went along about dancing.
– Dancing? I said with a huge smile full of braces and excitement! I want to come.
– Let’s go, one of them said. And the next thing I knew I was rushing to the bathroom to put my jeans and lipstick on.
We went out to Tu Candela : a few girls from Holland, and the two Columbian soldiers from Bogota. I learned the typical dances, rocked reggateon, had to really adjust my salsa to the Colombian style, and just had fun.
The next morning the Colombian guys asked if I wanted to go to Playa Blanca with them. Since it was supposed to be my first day in Cartagena, I almost said no, but because they were sort of locals I agreed and after dancing till 3am, we were out on a boat at 8 am on our way to the beach.
The guys didn’t really bargain and I wasn’t sure if that was because they were living most of the time in a closed environment or because people simply don’t bargain in Colombia. People are very nice here, (and beautiful I must say) but just being a tourist always makes you wonder if the locals don’t pump the price for your accent.
On the beach you can almost never close your eyes. Empanadas, ice cream, bracelets, ceviches, beer, fish, water, foot massage are all over you. But we had fun, took pictures of the fish, ate a lot of coconut rice and even got to ride one of the tubes where they drop you off in the middle of the sea.
When we got back to the hostel, the guys wanted hamburgers and arrepas with cheese. We went to the supermarket and they ruled. It was such a big difference being with them. You suddenly felt like a woman again. They were making decisions, buying you drinks, open doors, giving a hand, even helped me to buy a chip for the phone and called to get a bus schedule.
The only thing, since they were traveling only for a week and wanted to get the most out of the trip, I spent way much more money then I normally would, but I definitely got to do a lot of things I wouldn’t do.
We went to the beach two times, went out every night of the week, ate great fish and rice, had a lot of beer, and went to a mud volcano where there was a lot of giggling, floating in the mud, and where I got washed by an older lady. Never happened to me before!
Now I am in Medellin where I got back together with Kyle, Jose and met this awesome girl Kelly who has been travelling with them for a while.
I have to say, I am honestly in love with Colombia, culture, people and the two cities I have been to so far.
Alive of dead, I am coming back here. Just need to go to Bogota to figure out the visa.
HOSTEL IN CARTAGENA: El Viajero
PLACES TO DANCE SALSA: Tu Candela
BEACHES: Playa Blanca
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