Lebenszeichen

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that I am alive and fine. I just started to travel a lot gain. Every day I am on long tours and almost every night I change the hostel. So there is just no time to sort my pictures and write report.

I will continue with the blog as soon as I find the time to do so.

 

Yours

Christian

Cartagena II – Old Town and Beach

The old town of Cartagena is the most expensive area in Colombia. Even hostels are comparably expensive there (which is why I lived in the area of Getsemane next to it). However, Old Town is the tourist center of the country and its worth seeing.

close to the university (San Diego)

street performances

Juan Valdez Café, something like the Colombian Starbucks, though better than in Argentina, Colombian coffee is often of low quality. The stuff there is somewhat better.

my favorite culinary discovery here: a big bulk of cheese, fried on both sides, cut open and filled with butter and another cheese. It tastes really good, fills well and costs about 60 cents.

convention center

Bocagrande (Hotels and Beach)

There is an Island next to the old city that is entirely covered by hotels along a massive beach. This is the the mass tourism (Massentourismus) in Cartagena kicks in. Most visitors are actually Colombians with some families from the United States. A bit overdeveloped and too much people but I guess its not worse than Spain or Italy in parts.

That was it with Cartagena, tomorrow morning I am on my way to Santa Marta, the oldest city of Colombia (though I heard that the city itself is not too amazing.) I keep you updated.

Old Cartagena – Welcome to the Caribbean

I finally made my way out of Medellin and took a night bus to the Caribbean metropolis Cartagena. The vibe here is completely different from Medellin (and Bogota). It is one of the oldest cities in South America and the wealthiest in Colombia. It was largely unaffected by the civil wars and the drug problems (though it is still highly corrupt due to all the money.

I spend 2 days here, just walking through the city, enjoying the food and the people. This area was one of the first that abolished slavery, so many African slaves escaped here and gave it a very African touch (colors, dances, food). Unfortunately is is also unbearably hot here and very humid. So most stuff happens at night. Cartagena is Colombians most important tourist destination, mainly for Colombians and North Americans.

Most of the city was build on little islands that are now connected by streets and boulevards. It is very pedestrian friendly. Definitively a really nice place to hang out.

my last days in Medellin (Poblado)

Colombian electrical installations (this is a shower head!)

driving north

My new hostel in Getsemane

Streets of Cartagena (Getsemane)

Again there is a lot of street arts:

This was only the part of Cartagena in which I currently live (the most interesting one in my eyes). Tomorrow you will see the Old town and beach sites.