Cartagena de Indias, Colombia

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In Colombia at last! For years I have been hearing stories about this country, some more believable than others, some crazier than others, many of them contradictory and all of them interesting (many travelers have told me, with shining eyes, that Colombia was their favorite country in all of Latin America). Not since my visit to Cuba have I been so curious about stepping foot on a country in the sense that I wanted to see for myself which of these stories were true, wanted to build my own impression. After 2 weeks of waiting in Panama City and an amazing 1 week sailing trip, I finally reached the Promised Land, the city of Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.

Cartagena is hailed as the most beautiful colonial city in all of Colombia (if not all of South America) as well as the city with the most history. Both of these claims do not seem exaggerated. Founded in 1533, Cartagena quickly prospered and gained the status of the gateway to South America, representing one of the 4 most important harbors in the Spanish empire (Habana, Cuba; Portobelo, Panama; Veracruz, Mexico & Cartagena, Colombia). Cartagena’s historic center is absolutely beautiful, full of impressive structures, quaint streets, cozy plazas, an impressive protective wall that still surrounds the city, many fortresses and a wonderfully welcoming atmosphere. I found several striking similarities between Cartagena and Habana: the colonial architecture, the local accent, the racial mix of people, the Caribbean vibe and warm & festive culture. I am told that Colombia’s coastal people and culture is distinctly different from the more formal and reserved culture of Colombia’s interior. Besides the welcoming architecture of Cartagena it is really the people that make a visit unforgettable. Similar to Habana its predominately black population is full of energy and life, there is a party to be found at any time and the streets are full of people and activity. I spent countless hours wandering through the busy streets, markets passing by its ubiquitous street vendors. I found Cart’agena’s people some of the warmest, open, approachable, festive and fun of Latin America.

Unfortunately, the marks of decades of civil war can be felt and are especially evident in the hardship of people’s lives, the absence of a broad middle class and wide-spread poverty. I met many people describing their daily struggle to make ends meet. However, miraculously this does not seem to substantially effect their mood or happiness. Economically and in terms of security Colombia is experiencing an upswing, more substantial than any other in recent history. Tourism is growing rapidly creating business opportunities and employment. The security situation has improved (brought about by drastically enhancing the police and military presence in cities, towns and highways) to the point that most Colombians told me that I could safely travel the entire country (of course the general precautions of many big city still applies to Colombia and yes there remain a few guerrilla and para-paramilitary controlled areas in the deep jungle, but the cites and highways are described as safe). Personally I felt safer in Cartagena than any other Central American large city (day and night).

A primary cause of Colombia’s turmoil is undoubtedly its (illegal) drug business, one if not the most important branch of the economy. As such any report on Colombia would be incomplete without commenting on illicit drugs. It is hard to deny the wide spread presence of drugs (evidence by salespeople on many street corners and its low prices). One Colombian friend told me that in his neighborhood the drug cartel was running a weekly special for cocaine of 1 USD per gram. However, many other Colombians told me that the consumption of drugs remains very limited among the average population and the vast majority of the production is exported or consumed by tourists who specifically come to take advantage of its cheap drugs. Either way, Colombia seems a long way from solving is drug problem in the sense that drug money and its influence has infiltrated every corner of its economy.

I am sad to leave Colombia after only one week having fallen in love with its people and culture (and definitely want to return soon for a more thorough tour of the country), but the reason I am leaving is an amazing one: another dream come through: a motorcycle trip through the south of Argentina.!