Cartagena, Colombia: You have My Heart

Ahh,

The little cobblestone streets full of dulces (sweets) and subtle (but lovely) nightlife of Cartagena, Colombia are enough to make staying in Hotel Toledo (at 16USD a night--check out photos below: I legitimately thought there were bed bugs) totally... and I mean totally worth it.

The people are just how you imagine them: friendly, helpful, dark-skinned, and toothy--always smiling. Their accent is almost incomprehensible but it´s so similar to a song that it doesn´t matter. The Colombianos laugh and dance on the streets and don´t make a fuss if the tourbus gets a flat tire--as long as there is unlimited fake rum and good live music in the back of the bus.

These tours are called Chivas, and it might be the best tour I´ve ever been on. They pick you up in a big, windowless, as-loud-as-your-deaf-grandmother bus on South American time (LATE) and give you a tour of the city, all of which you´ll be lucky to remember after they´ve supplied you with unlimited Cuba Libres. They take you to a place where you can see the beach, maybe have a tipsy conversation with an interesting local, and if you´re really lucky (Sarah Abel), you might be able to hold a sloth. Yes, sloth.

Note: Sarah gave too many pesos at the end of her sloth carry to ensure the sloth was well-taken care of. She said this to the owner in English. He speaks only Spanish. Classic.

"I held a sloth!" has been the most screamed phrase, I´m sure of it, in Cartagena history.

I met Argentines on the tour, who of course, reaked of buena onda, as all of them do. It made me excited to go back, despite the early end to the travel adventures.Tomorrow we´re off to Quito, to see Sara Randolph, and to hopefully pick her up for our trek to Macchu Picchu. If you see her, tell her to put her big girl pants on and come with us.

I´m sure you´ll hear the juice of the upcoming days. Or maybe you won´t, with us three and Quito´s prices, it´s going to be a party.

One more sunset in Cartagena isn´t enough.

Besos.
B

Fear of Bedbugs

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