Salsera in Cartagena
It’s been been a full month since I’ve been back from my South America trip. Time seems to fly lately. It’s a freezing 41 degrees in Kansas City. And yet all I can think about is making it to my first destination Cartagena in late September to some humid but cheerful sunny weather. In mid August spontaneously I set out and planned what feels like the adventure of a lifetime! Five weeks, four countries, six destinations. Wheee! Each place received about a week’s worth of time to explore and adventure.
See…I’ve been listening to the music, studying the Spanish language in high school and college, dancing my way through salsa clubs in North America. Yet the heart was yearning to jet off to South America one day. I would say that starting the trip off in Cartagena frankly set me up for some very high expectations on what I would later expect from Peru, Argentina and Brazil.
Landing in Cartagena felt like stepping into a dream painted in vibrant hues of history and charm. What a jewel of colonial architecture nestled along the Caribbean coastline! I picked an Airbnb in the neighborhood of Manga, a suburb with a beautiful pier where I would run by the shore and watch the fishing boats leave in the morning. I got to spend various nights with my amazing host Rosana who told me about the tasty Verona Italian restaurant and the Shawarma place right next door. Food in the city is diverse, nourishing, plentiful and cheap.
I was delighted to hear that the Cartagena Jazz and Caribbean Music Festival was happening the week I was there. From the first night, I went to check out the first performance at the city theater. I got lucky and snagged a seat on the balcony closest to the stage. There, watching the local band play a few of my favorite salsa songs, I was washed over with so many emotions. Tears were welling up as I stood up from my chair and started dancing with the folks from my balcony. Being able to have this spontaneous movement just made me realize how much being present to the exploration of Colombian culture and its people brought me delight.
The following days I decided to stroll through the enchanting streets of the walled Old Town. I was captivated by colorful facades, bougainvillea-draped balconies, and the echoes of centuries past. Watching local performers dressed in traditional clothing vigorously dancing in the square, I lost myself in the romance of Plaza Santo Domingo. The Museum of Gold was right next door. I also could not miss getting a traditional Colombian coffee at beautiful Nia Bakery and Cafe. At night, the views from Casa Pura Rooftop bar coupled with delicious fish truly made this city memorable.
The following day it was time for a city tour that included hopping on a traditional chiva. This is a bus on which you hop through a ladder that took us over to Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, a fortress steeped in stories of resilience as well as the Pie de Cerro. There were some other museums on the tour that gave us the long history of how Cartagena became the hub of cultural assimilation during four different phases of immigration. I was in awe of our tour guide who was so knowledgeable and lively. I especially made it a point to book all my tours in Spanish. So I’m happy my Spanish started coming back in my memory, despite the fact that I didn’t understand full 100% of what our guide was saying.
One of the days I decided to take a boat tour to the various islands closeby. Our group consisted of a lively crowd of women from the Dominican Republic and Spain. We got to snorkel and watch on the bottom of the sea Pablo Escobar’s fallen plane, we saw his now abandoned residence at one of the islands and also ate some delicious lunch at the Baru islands. We finished the daily cruise trip on Playa Blanca where we enjoyed an afternoon swim on the pure white sand beach.
Further into the week, I was ready to explore the city’s nightlife. I first took a catamaran sunset tour. Watching the sun set over the city skyline truly took my breath away. I noticed that a woman had posted about wanting to meet up with someone outside of her hostel crowd. So I reached out to her and we met up in the lively Getsemani district where art and music filled the air. We ate at a local restaurant, got to know each other a bit before walking to Cafe Cuba. There, I was able to truly experience a traditional salsa band. One of the famous trumpet players from the jazz festival, Jimmy Bosch, came to play at the bar. As I sat watching this orchestra of not only music, but electric energy, dance and play unfold upon me, I again became overwhelmed with emotion. I cried because I had seen this scene so many times in movies, through a radio or on a streaming channel. And here I was, sitting at the bar, getting to experience it all live. The night ended with lots of dancing with the resident dancer.
My final day in Cartagena I spent going to the Cerro de La Popa where I could see a panoramic view of the city. Up there, I was able to soak the vibrant energy of this incredible city. Cartagena beckons, a magical blend of history, culture, and seaside bliss waiting to steal your heart. I can’t wait to be back.
