Cartagena?

Who would have thought Colombia, fun as hell, spectacular food, architectural wonder, SAFE?

Yea, NOT what we thought when they threw Colombia out of their hat. We thought, drug lords, guns, kidnappings, etc.. etc. about every bad thing you could think of a place. Ten years ago that was a pretty vivid picture of Colombia but now it is pretty much a mecca of everything you want. I have simply never been so surprised of how charming and up to date and wonderful a place could be. It was far better then I EVER imagined. However it is hard to communicate, order food, or shop because it is few and far between to find someone that speaks English but who cares when you are in paradise! The 3 nights we spent in Cartagena was by far the most up scaled. The hotel we stayed at was the nicest in town, it was like a 5 star hotel in Los Angeles. Had EVERYthing and then some.

It was Amazing because we would be walking down the street and think this is the neatest street in the entire place and we would turn the corner and it was even more charming and more beautiful. Seriously!!! Colombia!!!

this is a picture of Sam and I with the "new city" of Cartagena behind us. We stayed in the "old city" which is surrounded by walls. The new city is a CITY, a HUGE city and we were told that it would be safest if we stayed in the old part of town. So we did and it is so charming and unbelievable. What a great, luxurious 3 nights we stayed here. LOVED IT! I seriously felt like I was in Spain, these really small streets with vibrant building on them. I walked down these streets and tried to picture it back in the pirate days and how rough it could have been. It has a real New Orleans feel to it.
Tracey and Larry at La Cevicheria. I loved this food.

The pool 2 the Sofitel. It was so darn hot during the day this is the only place to hang out. Cartagena is on the ocean and has a HUGE beach all along it but we did not venture to the beach. They say that you get so harassed by vendors that it is not worth going to the beach in Cartagena. So this part of the trip we pooled in!

the food was to DIE for..Colombia has a real African feel. So take Spain, Africa, and New Orleans and mix it all together. I have never been any where I have felt so foreign. There are very few white people around and the women in Colombia are GORGEOUS. It is hard not to stare at these people because they are so pretty. The Merchandising group at the Yacht club for the last lunch in Cartagena before we went to Punta Faro!

The "old city" of Cartagena is surrounded by a wall. With forts and cannons and stuff all around it. It was to protect it from pirates in the old days. Now they say if you stay within the "old city" of Cartagena you are safe and when you go out side the walls it is a HUGE city.

More pictures of our hotel. In the 1600's it was a monastery. Carriage ride around Old City Cartagena at night. Was one of my favorite things to do. The city comes ALIVE 2 night. People ALL over just walking and eating and drinking and dancing and sitting in parks.

I am leaving so much out of this blog but how do you put into a blog of one of the best places I have ever been and tell everyone how wonderful it is. If you ever get the chance to go to Cartagena, Colombia don't just go... GO and marvel at every second spent!

the difference between all three places we went was so broad that it seriously felt like we had been on 3 different vacations. The bus ride between the first place we were at and Cartagena was brutal, 6 hours, but it wouldn't be an Adventure if it was easy!