Cartagena de Indias. Charming Colombian town on the Caribbean Sea board. Impressive colonial architecture inside the old walled city (a UNESCO world heritage site). An one-hour flight from Bogota. Beautiful people. Not at all what I expected Colombia to be like. Well, to be honest.. I didn’t really have any expectations, at least not of Colombia or Cartagena. All I knew was that Colombia is somewhere in South America and because the trip to Brazil didn’t materialize a decision was made to at least still spend the so-longed-for holidays on the South American continent.
It was also my first Caribbean experience. Not the sugar-white-beaches island Caribbean experience but still Caribbean. I always wanted to do that. All in all it will most probably remain one of the most memorable trips of my life – for various reasons.
Even more beautiful than Cartagena are the Columbian girls. At least the ones that were there during semana santa! Apparently, Cartagena transforms into a real party town during this time. A coastal get-away for the Colombian society. The girls all poshed up with plastic surgery everywhere imaginable. All of them with dark, long hair and dresses hiding nothing. I use the word “girl” deliberately because they were all girls. I think I was the only female over 30 – definitely in the places we went to. I think I was also the only female with a haircut that ends above the shoulders. On top, my average European look made me feel quite out-of-place amongst all these exotic beauties with their perfect (even if artificial) bodies in sexy outfits. If you read this and you are a woman you probably know exactly how I felt. If you read this and you are a man you should consider Cartagena your next holiday destination!
I am very grateful for the experience, grateful for having had the opportunity to visit Colombia, grateful for being spoilt from tip to toe, and grateful for making a Colombian friend ( also female but a natural beauty – yes they also exist).
The hotel we stayed was amazing – a former convent that was transformed into a top hotel and named after the convent’s founder: Hotel Santa Teresa. Best part of the holidays was lounging on the pool deck in these stunning day beds with loads of Margaritas, Bloody Marys and Mojitos. Obviously, I didn’t bring the perfect pool-outfit either which made me didn’t look as sophisticated as these strangers in the picture below. More like a typical German pragmatist.
Would I go back? Yes, I think I would.. maybe just with a few adjustments and one would be not going out to clubs every night of the holidays.. I guess this is a vital sign that I am definitely not in my twenties anymore…
Confessions of a Traveler 