Cartagena, Colombia

I stepped into another country that accepts Colombian pesos, but is located on another planet - the Caribbean. The air is humid and the city and people look like I imagined Cuba, just with food and comfort.

Yesterday I spent the whole day walking the colonial part of town, looking at old churches, plazas, balconies and narrow streets of Cartagena. Cartagena is pretty, no question about it. There are not so many backpackers, it is rather a destination for Colombian tourists. Local vendors are not only not shy, but quite aggressive in approaching tourists with an offer of a restaurant menu, a trip to Playa Blanca or a look at emerald jewelry store.




I would say a day is enough to appreciate the city. To enhance the Cuban feel we went to Habana Cafe across the hostel last Thursday. People were dancing to live Cuban music, we were sipping sweet mojitos and staring at old black and white photographs of local and Cuban celebrities. It was fantastic.