Archives For Cartagena

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Beating the Heat in Cartagena

September 23, 2012 — Leave a comment

backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, field, note, professor, South, America, Colombia, Cartagena, Indies, old, town, trade, narrow, alley, fort, castle, castillo, clock, tower, reloj, puerta, torre, city, wall,

 

SO- I’ve been battling ‘Technical Difficulties’ with my computer for the past week and a half, and that is what has kept me from posting anything about my adventures in Colombia… Today, the computer has decided to cooperate, and thus, I’m trying to take advantage of the window of opportunity to get as caught up as I can…

Cartagena was AMAZING- once I acclimated to the heat and humidity, and was okay with sweating as soon as I walked out the door, it was all good. There is SO much to see and do in the city, well beyond the history and shopping within the city walls- it‘s no wonder it is one of the major tourist ports in all the Caribbean.

 

 

backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, field, note, professor, South, America, Colombia, Cartagena, Indies, old, town, trade, narrow, alley, fort, castle, castillo, clock, tower, reloj, puerta, torre, city, wall,

I spent my few days in Cartagena wandering around the Old City, marveling at the ancient walls and the winding narrow alleys. In Cartagena, one is never short of photo opportunities, with every corner bringing something interesting to see. Flowered balconies, crumbling churches, hidden city squares full of fountains and statues- it really is an incredible place just to walk around in.

To get my bearings, I ventured out on the Big Red Bus- the stereotypical tourist bus that can be found in any and every tourist destination in the world. I’ve been on several in the past, and have found that while they can be a bit cliché, they are a great way to familiarize oneself with a new city, and they also require very little effort. Sit, listen, snap a photo here and there… A great way to actually do some sight seeing, even while still battling the lingering effects of jetlag.

backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, field, note, professor, South, America, Colombia, Cartagena, Indies, old, town, trade, narrow, alley, fort, castle, castillo, clock, tower, reloj, puerta, torre, city, wall,

The open-air, double-decker bus in Cartagena was exactly what I hoped it to be- an informative tour of the Old City and some of the more modern surrounds- parts of the city I probably wouldn’t have seen otherwise. I explored the modern area of Bocagrande, with its high-rise hotels and fancy shopping district. The bus passed through the suburbs of Mangos and Getsemaní- two other corners of the city I surely would’ve missed. Along with the ticket came a walking tour through the Old City, complete with a local guide pointing out landmarks and famous churches seemingly on every corner.

On my final day in Cartagena, I explored the massive Castillo de San Filipe de Barajas- the enormous fort built to protect the city from pirates and invaders during Cartagena’s rich colonial times. It is INCREDIBLE- a HUGE fortress, with battlements and firing lines set out to make it virtually impenetrable. The audio guide brought the castle to life, allowing me to envision the English and French troops advancing amidst the roar of cannons and the spitting of rifle fire, while the Spanish soldiers defiantly defended the city from behind the castle walls. The fort is in remarkable shape, with countless passages and tunnels descending into its bowels- an intricate network designed for defense and reinforcement. Very impressive, and an afternoon well spent.

After 3 incredible days of exploring the wonder that is Cartagena, I decided it was time to head for cooler climes. So, I boarded a plane and set off for Medellín- a city that was once the most famous city in all of Colombia- if not South America- for all the wrong reasons…

 

backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, field, note, professor, South, America, Colombia, Cartagena, Indies, old, town, trade, narrow, alley, fort, castle, castillo, clock, tower, reloj, puerta, torre, city, wall,

For more information on traveling through Colombia, click here.

For more on The Backpack Professor’s travels through Colombia, click here.

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And the Adventure begins…

September 11, 2012 — 4 Comments

backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, field, note, professor, South, America, Cartagena, Colombia, moving, day, long, flight, delay, arrive, arrival

 

Well, it’s official- I’ve made it to South America! Woop-woop! I’m currently sitting here in the lobby of my hostel in Cartagena, Colombia, desperately trying to do two simple things- keep cool, and stay awake. Turns out it’s not so simple, on either count… I’m trying to keep cool because it is HOT down here- hot and HUMID- and I’m trying to stay awake because I just completed a seemingly simple 12-hour trip-turned-26-hour ‘Moving Day’ marathon. Ugh- what a nightmare…5 hours of delays, only to have the first leg of my trip cancelled, re-routed through a city in the opposite direction I should’ve been traveling, more lay-overs and sitting around in airports, and an ‘overnight’ flight that was actually less than 5 hours long- didn‘t get any sleep on that one… Needless to say, I’m EXHAUSTED. But, I’m here, and in the end, that’s what matters.

 

backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, field, note, professor, South, America, Cartagena, Colombia, moving, day, long, flight, delay, arrive, arrival, old, city, town, coast

 

Quick first impressions of Cartagena- see above… Ha! Actually, I haven’t made it very far out of the hostel yet… It took me awhile to cool down and re-hydrate from the previous day’s adventures in traveling, and I’ve just been sitting in a window at the front of the open-air lobby of the hostel, watching people come and go, while the world outside drifts by. I did chase down a fruit vendor when he passed by and caught my eye with his loaded cart- something fresh sounded really good after all the airport and airplane ‘food’ I’ve had over the past 24 hours… Other than that, I’ve seen just a bit of the Old Quarter from the taxi on the drive over from the airport, and it seems Cartagena delivers as advertised- narrow alleys winding here and there, cobblestone streets between colorfully painted colonial buildings, and friendly people milling about everywhere. I plan on heading out to explore later in the afternoon, once things cool off a bit… Maybe find some street food for dinner- now THAT sounds like a delicious adventure…

 

backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, field, note, professor, South, America, Cartagena, Colombia, moving, day, long, flight, delay, arrive, arrival, old, city, town, coast, fruit, vendor, cart

 

 

backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, field, note, professor, South, America, Cartagena, Colombia, moving, day, long, flight, delay, arrive, arrival, old, city, town, coast

For more information on traveling through Colombia, click here.

For more on The Backpack Professor’s travels in Colombia, click here.

travel, backpack, backpacking, budget, adventure, explore, U, university, world, campus, expert, professor, field, notes,

In South America , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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