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.