We went to Cartagena Colombia for 5 days and 4 nights. You can probably do all of the things we did in a shorter period of time, but we decided to take a very leisurely pace to do everything.
Before I list our days, here are some overall impressions:
The dollar to colombian pesos conversion was especially in our favor. $1 equaled about $3000 pesos. Here are some typical prices of things, converted to United States dollars in the center of the city. Prices could be even cheaper as you go away from the center.
- $1 for a cup of fresh fruit or a beer on the street
- $1-2 Empandas
- $2-3 for a beer in a bar
- $4-5 for a cab from the center of the city to the airport
I felt like the city was the inspiration to the Emerald city in the Wizard of Oz. Emeralds are a big thing in Colombia. They say the best quality emeralds come from Colombia. The center of the city is a walled area which has the nicest neighborhoods. There are lots of very small doors, which reminded me of things that munchkins might use.
My immediate thoughts on Colombia, before going there, is that it is a dangerous place. After going, I think it's pretty safe to be in the city of Cartagena. Now, onto the 5 day itinerary.
Thursday travelled to Cartagena
Uber to JFK. JetBlue to cartagena. Cab 15k pesos to hotel.
Ate chicken empanada, fruit popsicle, and cup of fruit for lunch.
Swam in hotel pool.
Ate at Carmen for dinner. There was a tasting menu, but we didn't go that route. We ended up ordering these items, which were all good: mojito, lemon and coconut rum, Korean taco, crab cake, beef risotto, steak and potatoes. The restaurant also threw in a free appetizer of a fried snail. I think the tastiest dishes was the Korean Taco.
Friday tour of the city
Pancakes and breakfast in room.
Walking tour of fortress, La Popa Monastery, Boca grande beach (just drove by), and an emerald museum. We paid for a private tour which made getting around easier.
Had empenadas with good pesto sauce for lunch. Coffee from Juan valdes and cup of mangoes from street.
Went to pool
Watched sunset on wall at Cafe Del Mar Cartagena. This is probably the best thing to do in Cartagena. We got there about 15-20 minutes before sunset, had a drink and relaxed.
We had dinner at diva pizzeria, which was tasty.
We walked around at night. We probably stayed out until about 10 or so. At that hour, there is still alot of people out walking and a lot of things to see.
Saturday
Relaxing at hotel
Went to pool in morning, read there.
Had lunch at some inexpensive place that served empandas, sandwiches, etc ...
Had Coffee from Cafe San Alberto which was very good.
Went to Clock Inn to watch the Patriots vs Chiefs NFL playoff game. Had burgers and beer.
Walked around the city. There's a lot of action on Saturday night.
Sunday
Rosario Islands with Gente De Mar.
Sat on the beach in the shade and read. Went into the water a little bit.
We had a fish soup, rice, plantains and fish lunch.
City was much quieter on Sundays.
We ended up going back to Diva Pizza for dinner. My wife's stomach was a little upset, so we wanted to get something safe that we knew wouldn't upset things further.
Monday
Aripes for breakfast in hotel.
Did some souvenir shopping, last pictures.
Went to airport. Had a beef empanada which was OK, and a cheese empanda roll which was unbelievably salty and basically inedible.
Flew back to JFK, and uber'd back home.
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