Tchiao, Cartagena!

My original trip of 28 days to Cartagena has been cut down to 15 days. That's fine with me! It certainly has been a wonderful experience and has challenged me on several levels. As a result, I have grown as a person and learned a lot about myself.

Cartagena was nothing I had expected. I really didn't know what to expect. When I lived in DC, I knew a lot of Colombians. They were all fair skinned. In Cartagena, everyone for the most part is dark-complected. This I didn't expect. Once I learned the history of Cartagena and realizing the huge Carribean influence here, it all made sense. I later realized that all the Colombians I knew in DC were from Bogotá.

The weather is so hot. Like, OMFG hot. I figured it would be rather breezy being off the Carribean Sea. Wrong. It was almost 34 C each day (96 F) and ridiculously humid. Brian and I originally wanted to go to Argentina for 4-6 weeks. Then, I complained that I wanted to go somewhere warmer. Spain was out of the question because the Euro is killing the Dollar right now. We compromised on Cartagena, and I also wanted to go somewhere Brian hadn't been. He's been all over the world.

So yeah, never again will I go to the Carribean for a so-called relaxing vacation. We could stay on a resort, I guess, but that would ruin the cultural experience and keep us in a gringo-bubble. To be perfectly honest, I'm looking forward to going to Argentina where the average temperature is 60F each day. Fine with me! Not sweating my ass off every day will be great. Plus, I get really cranky when it's warm. So, for Brian's sake, we're going to more milder climates for vacation in the future =)

I still highly recommend anyone to come here. This city is full of so much history and beauty that you're overwhelmed. The people are very nice and helpful, but remember, barely anyone speaks English. Get some basics down with Spanish first. Also, don't be intimidated by the language barrier. You'd be surprised how much Spanish you will learn when it's all around you and you're forced to express necessity or seek help. Well, you have to want to learn it too. You can also really cop out and bring someone that's bilingual. But that takes out all the fun =)

One thing to remember: yes, 1 USD equals 1750 Colombian Pesos, but bear in mind that Cartagena is a vacation/resort city. The prices and buying power is nearly the same if you don't pay attention to the prices and conversions. You can get some really nice steak dinners for about $20 USD if you look around and get recommendations from locals. Oh, and when you get the bill in Cartagena (I don't know about the est of Colombia), but you get charge an IVA tax (16%) and they also put down a PV (Propina Voluntaria - Voluntary Tip). This means is you're satified with the service, that's all you need to tip. If you didn't like the service, you don't pay it. It's that simple. I've never had bad service at the restaurants. The PV is only 10% of the bill before the IVA, and believe me, your server will really appreciate the tip. Don't tip more unless the service was absolutely extraordinary. I tell you though, it's a fine line. Colombian girls LOVE American men and are sometimes way too friendly, especially if you're eating out. Don't let this make you feel obliged to give a better tip. They are just being playful and friendly. Don't be surprised if they put their cheek in your face when you leave. They want a kiss. It may make you feel uncomfortable, but just give her a peck, humbly. =)

One last thing to know about Cartagena: you can do all that we did in about a week rather than over two. You are pretty much ready to leave after a week which is the reason why we decided to spend the rest of our vacation somewhere else. I can't wait to see more of South America as well as continue to work on my Spanish. This has been the kick start that I needed.

Au revoir, Cartagena. Fue un placer. (It was a pleasure)