Cartagena de Indias

Day 1:

After a 4 hour taxi ride from Tayrona, I arrive in Cartagena. It’s a beautiful city, with little streets lined with colourful colonial style buildings. My hotel room overlooks the Torre del Reloj, the main city gate of the historic centre. 

That afternoon I join a food tour run by a local chef. It’s 2.5 hours of non-stop eating, however 90% of the food we tried was deep friend and I felt pretty disgusting by the end! The last few stops I only managed a few bites before secretly binning the rest. I reckon most people in this country have heart problems. The best food that day was the first stop, which was a prawn cocktail. 

That evening, Ben messages and asks if I want to meet for a drink (the French guy I met in Medellin). I have no other plans, and he’s a nice enough guy, so I agree. We sample a few bars in the area, one of which was recommended to me by the food tour guide as a good place to dance salsa (La Caponera). Yet again I find that while the music is good, there are few people dancing. Seems like I should have gone to Cali!

In the last bar, The Rum Box, we bump into three American guys who were on the food tour with me earlier that day. They’re hammered after their rum tasting and invite us to go with them to a rooftop bar, Mirador, which I quickly realise is directly above my hotel room. Great. I have no choice but to get as drunk as possible so I’ll pass out and not be kept up by the noise. 

Day 2:

I joined a free tour of the old city in the morning in my attempt to learn a bit of history about Cartagena. It’s so friggin hot though it’s hard to concentrate on anything the tour guide says. He mentions that this weekend there are elections which means no alcohol can be sold or consumed in shops, restaurants or bars on Saturday and Sunday. Luckily I’m going home on Saturday, but there are going to be some very pissed off tourists! 

After the tour I stopped for lunch at La Mulata and had the fried fish and coconut rice with a limonada de coco (coconut lemonade), which is probably my favourite thing in Colombia. Even better when you add a shot of rum to it, but then I would say that. 

That evening I went to Alquimico cocktail bar for some pre dinner drinks. Hands down some of the best cocktails I’ve ever had in my life, which is high praise coming from someone who drinks for a living. I had 3 in the hour that I was there, each one better than the last. 

I head to the restaurant where I meet my two gay Croatian besties (sorry Greg, come back to me when you’re built like a brick shit house and we’ll talk). Colombia has been great in that way, as I’ve found myself meeting people in one city and we coincide in the next. Danka is a doctor specialising in gynaecology and currently lives in Miami. No wonder he’s gay looking at vaginas all day. Bernard is an international politics journalist. It’s clear the two of them aren’t strapped for cash!Dinner is at Celele, considered the best restaurant in Cartagena and in the top 50 in Latin America. The plates are really unusual but tasty. It’s about £55 a head for the courses and wine, so still incredibly cheap by our standards! 

After dinner, the guys are keen to check out the gay scene so we head to The City Club. Heads turn when we walk in, not for me obviously. Danka instantly whips his top off loving the attention. Bernard needs a bit more coaxing, but eventually takes his off too when I tell him I need to get a photo for my mum! 

The next morning I’m feeling quite rough so it’s a later start. I walk to the castle on the outskirts of town, built by the Spanish to protect the city from pirates and other enemies. Historical culture box ticked I head for lunch. The Croatians recommended a place called Mar Y Zielo which they said was the best meal they’ve had so far. I ordered the crab croquettes to start followed by slow cooked pork with a carrot purée and then the banana cake with mango sorbet and coconut foam. Amazing. 

The afternoon is spent exploring the Getsemani area of town. It used to be a really rough area but now it’s a popular area for tourists with lots of great bars and restaurants. It has a hippy vibe, the streets are lined with bunting, flags,  umbrellas and some awesome graffiti art. On my walk back through the park to my hotel, I spot the resident sloths. There are  8 in total, and one is nursing a tiny baby 😍. 

I’m not at all hungry, but it’s my last night and there’s one dish I’ve yet to try - the Posta Cartagenera - which I order at La Cocina de Pepina. It’s a beef dish with a sauce made from Coca Cola and Worcestershire sauce served with coconut rice. After dinner I swing by Cafe Havana, which is a salsa club with live music. It doesn’t get busy until much later, but I’m too tired to hang around for very long and it’s hard to dance in flip flops!

Final Day:

My flight isn’t until 7pm, so I booked a catamaran trip around the Rosarios islands just off the coast. The boat docked at two different locations for swimming/snorkelling. The sun is so strong, but you don’t feel it due to the breeze. As a result, I’m burnt to fuck on my last day. 

The best thing is that the no alcohol rule this weekend doesn’t apply at sea. Result. While having a swim I hear Scottish accents, the first I’ve heard since I’ve been in Colombia. There’s a guy and his wife who live in Edinburgh not far from me. Small world. 

Speaking of Edinburgh, it’s time to head home. It’s been an awesome couple of weeks and I’ve loved every minute spent in this country. Travelling is a privilege and I’m fortunate to add Colombia to the list of amazing places I’ve visited. Now, straight to the chippy when I get home for some deep fried goodness…not!